Cardiothoracic Surgery News and Research

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Elsevier announces first Surgical Specialties Innovation Challenge

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, has announced its first Surgical Specialties Innovation Challenge. As the number of surgical procedures increases annually, the need to look afresh at how this research is published becomes more acute.

28 Sep 2015

Boca Raton Regional Hospital introduces ultra-minimally invasive procedure for patients with atrial fibrillation

Boca Raton Regional Hospital's Richard G. Cartledge, MD, FACS, has begun performing ultra-minimally invasive left atrial appendage ligation for atrial fibrillation patients who are on anticoagulants such as Coumadin, Xarelto or Effient. Dr. Cartledge, who is Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Hospital, is one of a select group of surgeons nationally using this method, which involves making two microscopic incisions in order to seal off the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients where anticoagulants are contraindicated or who refuse to be on such medications.

3 Sep 2015

New statistical model may help predict patients most likely to benefits from surgical treatment for mesothelioma

A new statistical model may help predict which patients are most likely to receive life-extending benefits from surgical treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), according to an article in the September 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

1 Sep 2015

IV drug abusers who undergo infective endocarditis surgery face higher risk of reoperation or death

Injection drug users who undergo surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) have a significantly higher risk of reoperation or death between 3 and 6 months after surgery compared to patients who develop endocarditis who are not IV drug abusers, according to an article in the September 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

1 Sep 2015

Elderly patients can benefit from new, minimally invasive surgery for aortic valve replacement

Select patients age 90 years and older with aortic stenosis (AS) can benefit from a relatively new, minimally invasive surgery for aortic valve replacement, according to an article in the September 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

1 Sep 2015

Rice and UTHealth scientists awarded $1.02 million NSF grant to examine how the brain processes language

The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.02 million grant to scientists at Rice University and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School to study how the brain processes language. The joint research may one day help people who lose the ability to communicate.

14 Aug 2015

New set of clinical practice guidelines released to address temperature management during open heart surgery

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists, and the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology have released a set of clinical practice guidelines to address management of a patient's temperature during open heart surgery. The guidelines appear in the August issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery and were published simultaneously in two other journals.

30 Jul 2015

Patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer wait too long to receive treatment, skip vital diagnostic steps

Patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer may wait too long to receive treatment, and too many patients skip vital diagnostic steps that are needed to help determine the best possible treatment, according to an article in the August 2015 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

30 Jul 2015

UCLA patient successfully receives smaller Total Artificial Heart

A petite 44-year-old woman has received a successful heart transplant at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, thanks to an experimental Total Artificial Heart designed for smaller patients.

2 Jul 2015

UCLA patient first in California to receive smaller Total Artificial Heart

A petite 44-year-old woman has received a successful heart transplant at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, thanks to an experimental Total Artificial Heart designed for smaller patients.

2 Jul 2015

Statins benefit patients undergoing major lung resection, lower major complications

Statins have been shown to reduce complications from cardiovascular surgery. To determine whether statins might also help those undergoing major lung surgeries, a team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center conducted a well-designed study that randomized patients to receive either a statin or placebo before and after surgery.

23 Jun 2015

Surgeons perform breakthrough operation to separate six-month-old conjoined Haitian twins

On Friday, May 22, an 18-member team of physicians and nurses from Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and Keck Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) led an international collaboration to separate a pair of six-month-old conjoined Haitian twins, the first such operation ever performed on Haitian soil.

11 Jun 2015

Creighton researcher receives NIH grant to study gene, stem cell therapy in coronary artery bypass grafts

A Creighton University researcher has received a National Institutes of Health grant to study the effects of gene and stem cell therapy in coronary artery bypass grafts, a first-of-its-kind undertaking that could transform the procedure, increase survival rates and dramatically reduce the possibility of re-occlusion of the grafted arteries and veins in the procedure.

10 Jun 2015

Findings support use of high-flow nasal oxygen therapy to treat postoperative respiratory failure

A relatively new, easier to implement, and better-tolerated method to provide supplemental oxygen to patients at risk of respiratory failure after surgery did not result in a worse rate of treatment failure compared to a more commonly used method, according to a study appearing in JAMA.

18 May 2015

Long-term survivors of esophageal cancer still face continued risks, study finds

Patients with esophageal cancer who survive 5 years after undergoing surgery might breathe a sigh of relief and become complacent about continued monitoring. In fact, there is little published information on the outcome of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (LAEC) who survive beyond the 5-year mark.

30 Apr 2015

Lung volume reduction surgery could improve lung function in emphysema patients

Emphysema is a chronic, progressive, obstructive lung disease in which the small sacs of the lung (alveoli) are destroyed, leading to air pockets and severe breathing difficulties. In 2011, 4.7 million Americans reported being diagnosed with emphysema, and in 2013 more than 8200 patients died from emphysema.

30 Apr 2015

McMaster researchers explore how surgeon's experience influences choice of surgery for patients

Researchers at McMaster University (Hamilton, ON) explored whether a surgeon's expertise influences procedural choice. The results of a new study of more than 8000 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing surgical resection by 124 physicians showed that surgeons who perform more surgeries are less likely to perform high-risk pneumonectomies. Christian J. Finley, MD, MPH, will be presenting the results of this research at the 95th AATS Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA on April 28, 2015.

29 Apr 2015

Innovative, active post-discharge intervention program benefits thoracic surgery patients

Post-surgical hospital readmission after discharge and repeat emergency room (ER) visits are not unusual for patients who have undergone major thoracic surgery. Recognizing this problem, clinicians at McMaster University have implemented an innovative, active post-discharge intervention for thoracic surgery patients that is based on the principle of a "one team-one approach" that is initiated while the patient is still hospitalized.

29 Apr 2015

Lung cancer surgery patients at higher risk of developing venous thromboembolism

New evidence suggests that lung cancer surgery patients are at higher risk of developing venous thromboembolism, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), than previously thought, with elevated risks of complications or death. When thromboemboli occur, they may be asymptomatic or attributed to post-surgical pain or complications, and may reflect both the lung cancer itself as well as compromised lung function after surgery.

29 Apr 2015

Young age and small body weight predispose pediatric CHD patients toward re-intervention

A retrospective review of 633 adults and children who underwent bioprosthetic pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) for congenital heart disease between 1996 and 2014 indicated that the risk of re-intervention was five times greater for children than adults, with the likelihood of re-intervention decreasing by 10% for each increasing year of age at surgery.

29 Apr 2015

Cardiothoracic Surgery News and Research

Elsevier announces first Surgical Specialties Innovation Challenge

Boca Raton Regional Hospital introduces ultra-minimally invasive procedure for patients with atrial fibrillation

New statistical model may help predict patients most likely to benefits from surgical treatment for mesothelioma

IV drug abusers who undergo infective endocarditis surgery face higher risk of reoperation or death

Elderly patients can benefit from new, minimally invasive surgery for aortic valve replacement

Rice and UTHealth scientists awarded $1.02 million NSF grant to examine how the brain processes language

New set of clinical practice guidelines released to address temperature management during open heart surgery

Patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer wait too long to receive treatment, skip vital diagnostic steps

UCLA patient successfully receives smaller Total Artificial Heart

UCLA patient first in California to receive smaller Total Artificial Heart

Statins benefit patients undergoing major lung resection, lower major complications

Surgeons perform breakthrough operation to separate six-month-old conjoined Haitian twins

Creighton researcher receives NIH grant to study gene, stem cell therapy in coronary artery bypass grafts

Findings support use of high-flow nasal oxygen therapy to treat postoperative respiratory failure

Long-term survivors of esophageal cancer still face continued risks, study finds

Lung volume reduction surgery could improve lung function in emphysema patients

McMaster researchers explore how surgeon's experience influences choice of surgery for patients

Innovative, active post-discharge intervention program benefits thoracic surgery patients

Lung cancer surgery patients at higher risk of developing venous thromboembolism

Young age and small body weight predispose pediatric CHD patients toward re-intervention

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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