Cardiac Surgery News and Research

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Anemia now confirmed as risk factor for illness and even death following cardiac surgery

Anemia is now confirmed as a risk factor for illness and even death following cardiac surgery, according to a study published in the October 2012 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

2 Oct 2012

Death rates after surgery found to be too optimistic

National estimates of death following general surgery have been too optimistic, suggests the first large-scale study to explore surgical outcomes across Europe published in the first Article in a special Lancet theme issue on surgery.

21 Sep 2012

Tight glycemic control does not reduce infection rate after pediatric cardiac surgery

Implementing tight glycemic control after surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass does not reduce the rate of healthcare-associated infections among pediatric patients, compared with standard care in the intensive care unit, show US study results.

20 Sep 2012

Tranexamic acid lifesaving across the board

Tranexamic acid confers survival benefits in trauma patients irrespective of their baseline mortality risk, shows a prespecified analysis of CRASH-2.

18 Sep 2012

AtriCure receives FDA approval for surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation

AtriCure, Inc., the leader in surgical ablation for the treatment of Atrial Fibrillation, has announced FDA approval of the ABLATE Post Approval Study (PAS).

13 Sep 2012

Cardiac stem cells from newborns show stronger regenerative ability

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who are exploring novel ways to treat serious heart problems in children, have conducted the first direct comparison of the regenerative abilities of neonatal and adult-derived human cardiac stem cells.

11 Sep 2012

Tight blood sugar control does not benefit pediatric patients undergoing heart surgery

Although some studies have portrayed tight blood sugar control as a potential means of lowering infection rates in critically ill adults, a new study-led by principal investigator Michael Agus, MD, director of the Medicine Critical Care Program at Boston Children's Hospital-found no indication that the approach benefits pediatric patients undergoing heart surgery.

10 Sep 2012

Maternal posttraumatic stress, depression and anxiety common after prenatal diagnosis of CHD

Heart defects are the most common form of congenital malformations affecting newborns. Infants who were prenatally diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) are more stable and have better outcomes than infants who were diagnosed after birth. Diagnosing CHD in a fetus also allows mothers to educate themselves on heart malformations, consider their options, and potentially plan for intervention or surgery after birth.

7 Sep 2012

Early results of transcatheter valve registry data unveiled

The 1-month follow-up results of the Transcatheter Valve Treatment Sentinel Pilot Registry have provided data on factors associated with transcatheter aortic valve implantation, as well as short-term outcomes, in Europe.

6 Sep 2012

Estech introduces COBRA Fusion ablation system

Estech, a leading provider of minimally invasive cardiac ablation devices, today announced the market release of its COBRA Fusion ablation system.

6 Sep 2012

On-the-spot test aids postsurgical coagulopathy management

Point-of-care thromboelastometric and aggregometric testing helps to reduce exposure to allogenic blood products in patients with coagulopathy after cardiac surgery, a randomized trial shows.

5 Sep 2012

AlloCure commences AC607 Phase 2 clinical trial for acute kidney injury

AlloCure, Inc. today announced that it has initiated a phase 2 clinical trial of AC607, the company's mesenchymal stem cell therapy, as a potential treatment for acute kidney injury.

5 Sep 2012

E-cigarettes light up battle against adverse effects of smoking

The use of electronic cigarettes has no adverse impact on cardiac function, a study suggests.

4 Sep 2012

Study assesses post-coronary artery bypass graft surgery atrial fibrillation and long-term survival

Atrial fibrillation is a common complication of cardiac surgery, occurring in 10 percent to 40 percent of patients. Recent studies show it to be associated with poorer health following surgery and poorer long-term survival. Furthermore, development of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery leads to average additional health care costs of $15,000 to $20,000.

1 Sep 2012

Early European TAVI registry data unveiled

30 Aug 2012

Octogenarians have better survival rates following heart valve surgery

Octogenarians need not shy away from heart valve surgery because of their age; however, those sent home following surgery do better than those discharged to care facilities, according to an observational study published in the September 2012 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

30 Aug 2012

Blood clotting treatment algorithms help decrease transfusion requirements in cardiac surgery patients

In patients who undergo cardiac surgery, severe perioperative bleeding and its treatment are often associated with increases in major cardiac and non-cardiac adverse events and greater mortality. A study from the September issue of Anesthesiology determined certain blood clotting treatment algorithms helped decrease blood transfusion requirements in cardiac surgery patients and were associated with improved outcomes and hospital cost-savings.

23 Aug 2012

Ventricular factors linked to early and late post-cardiac surgery mortality

Increased left ventricular mass index predicts perioperative mortality in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, while a decreased fractional area of contraction in the left ventricle is linked to 1-year mortality, US scientists have found.

22 Aug 2012

HemoSep device significantly reduces need for blood transfusions during major surgeries

A pioneering surgical blood salvage technology developed at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, is set to transform the way major surgery is carried out by reducing blood loss in patients.

21 Aug 2012

Endoscopic vein-graft harvesting technique safe for CABG surgery

Although there have been questions regarding the safety and durability of endoscopic vein graft harvest for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, an analysis of data of more than 200,000 patients who underwent CABG surgery found no evidence of a long-term increased risk of death with endoscopic vein graft harvesting compared to open vein-graft harvesting, according to a study in the August 1 issue of JAMA.

1 Aug 2012