Cardiac Surgery News and Research

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Children suffering because of repeated delays in heart operations

Reports that the number of children in Victoria on waiting lists for heart operations is increasing, is a cause for concern.

14 Apr 2008

Potential drug target identified for diabetes by studying novel gut-brain-liver circuit

Scientists at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute have discovered a novel signaling pathway between three organs - the gut, the brain, and the liver - which lowers blood sugar when activated.

10 Apr 2008

Minimally invasive, robotically-assisted coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Dr. Robert Poston is a pioneer in the use of robotics for minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

8 Apr 2008

For children with heart disease, a risk of attention and behavior problems

Schoolchildren who required surgery as infants for congenital heart disease (CHD) run a significant risk of having problems with inattention and hyperactivity, and often require remedial services in school.

7 Apr 2008

Discovery of important links between heart failure and complications during non-cardiac surgery

In the largest study of its kind in the U.S., researchers from Duke University have identified a possible "perfect storm" of factors pushing heart failure to the forefront of risks for complications after surgery in the elderly.

26 Mar 2008

A new finding in liver transplantation and antifibrinolytics?

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is associated with severe bleeding and considerable transfusion requirements.

14 Mar 2008

Intensive insulin therapy may be harmful to the critically ill

Doubt has been cast over the current practice of administering intensive insulin therapy to all critically ill patients, according to a study published this week in the open access journal Critical Care. In certain groups of patients it could even be harmful.

1 Mar 2008

Obese children experience more problems during surgery

A new study from the University of Michigan Health System finds that obese children are much more likely than normal-weight children to have problems with airway obstruction and other breathing-related functions during surgery

26 Feb 2008

Childhood obesity leads to higher rate of problems during surgery

Add this to the growing list of health challenges faced by obese children: A new study from the University of Michigan Health System finds that obese children are much more likely than normal-weight children to have problems with airway obstruction and other breathing-related functions during surgery.

25 Feb 2008

Study confirms aprotinin drug increases cardiac surgery death rate

The largest study to date of a controversial cardiac surgery drug shows it increases death rates and damages kidney function, according Duke University Medical Center researchers.

21 Feb 2008

Waking up during surgery - how likely is it?

Most patients worry before an operation about waking up during the surgery unable to move or cry out and their fears are not without grounds.

17 Feb 2008

Baxter's multiple-dose vial Heparin linked to severe allergic reactions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that Baxter Healthcare Corporation has temporarily stopped manufacturing multiple-dose vials of the injectable blood-thinning drug heparin due to reports of serious allergic reactions and hypotension (low blood pressure) in patients who receive high "bolus" doses of the drug.

11 Feb 2008

FDA approves Endeavor Zotarolimus-eluting coronary stent

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Endeavor Zotarolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent for use in treating patients with narrowed coronary arteries, the blood vessels supplying the heart.

5 Feb 2008

For babies with specific complex heart defects, death risk is far lower at most experienced hospitals

Each year, thousands of babies are born with severe heart defects that must be operated on within days or weeks of their birth.

17 Dec 2007

Blood transfusions linked to surgery complications in women

Women die and get infections more often than men after heart surgery because they tend to receive more blood transfusions, which boost the risks of bad outcomes, according to a study published in the December Journal of Women's Health.

13 Dec 2007

Study looks at blood transfusion outcomes in women

3 Dec 2007

Red blood cell transfusions under scrutiny - research reveals potential harm

Bristol scientists have found that red blood cell transfusions given to people having heart surgery could increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

27 Nov 2007

Acute renal failure after non-cardiac operations

Patients undergoing major, non-cardiac surgery have a one percent risk of developing kidney failure, and those who do have kidney damage are at increased risk of death within a month after their operation.

26 Nov 2007

Lungs' pressure needn't threaten heart transplant survival

Heart surgeons at Johns Hopkins say people who need heart transplants can largely avoid transplant failure due to elevated blood pressure in their lungs with the help of proper drug treatment.

6 Nov 2007

Bayer Pharmaceuticals agrees to a marketing suspension of Trasylol

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that, at the agency's request, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. has agreed to a marketing suspension of Trasylol, a drug used to control bleeding during heart surgery, pending detailed review of preliminary results from a Canadian study that suggested an increased risk for death.

5 Nov 2007