One or Two Internal Thoracic Grafts? Long-Term Follow-Up of 957 Off-Pump Coronary Bypass Surgeries.

Background: The potential survival benefit of bilateral internal thoracic artery (BITA) grafting in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (OPCABG) is controversial owing to the technical complexity of these operations. Our objective was to compare the outcome of patients undergoing OPCABG with BITA to the outcome of patients undergoing OPCABG with a single internal thoracic artery (SITA) and saphenous vein grafts or radial artery.

Methods: Five hundred and thirty-five consecutive patients who underwent OPCABG BITA at our institute between 2000 and 2008 were compared with 422 patients who underwent OPCABG with SITA.

Thoracoscopic epicardial lead implantation as an alternative to failed endovascular insertion for cardiac pacing and resynchronization therapy.

Objective: Numerous anomalies or postprocedural stricture of the venous system prevent optimal endovascular implantation of a pacing lead in more than 10% of patient indicated for permanent pacing or cardiac resynchronization therapy. The purpose of this report was to summarize our experience and immediate postoperative results of thoracoscopic lead implantation as a lesser invasive solution to an unsuccessful endovascular lead insertion.

Methods: From January 2008 to April 2013, 11 epicardial leads were introduced thoracoscopically at our center as a rescue treatment after failed endovascular attempts.

[Incidence and predictors of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting in the Negev--are we different from the rest of the world?].

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) remains a common problem after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). AF increases the risk for stroke and is associated with increased length of hospitalization and mortality.

Aim: This study aimed to determine incidence, timing and predictors of post CABG AF in a prospectively evaluated cohort of patients undergoing CABG in the Negev.

Atrial fibrillation and plasma troponin I elevation after cardiac surgery: relation to inflammation-associated parameters.

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated correlation between inflammation to plasma troponin (cTnI) levels elevation and atrial fibrillation (AF) in noncardiac surgery settings. The goal of this prospective study was to examine the relation between inflammation associated parameters (IAPs) to post cardiac surgery cTnI elevation and AF.

Methods: A single post CABG cTnI measurement was assessed in 156 consecutive patients.

Plasma troponin levels after cardiac surgery vs after myocardial infarction.

Raised plasma troponin, a diagnostic marker for myocardial infarction, usually occurs after cardiac surgery, leading to difficulties in diagnosing postoperative myocardial infarction. To ascertain whether the same processes influence troponin elevation in both conditions, a literature search was performed for plasma troponin elimination curves after myocardial infarction, myocardial infarction with reperfusion, and cardiac surgery. From 70 studies, 11 curves using the Stratus immunoassay kit were analyzed: 5 post-cardiac surgery (412 patients), 2 after myocardial infarction with reperfusion (169 patients), and 4 after myocardial infarction (640 patients).