Evaluation of Analgesic Practice Changes Following the Nuss Procedure in Pediatric Patients.

Introduction: Pectus excavatum repair by the Nuss procedure results in severe postoperative pain. Regional blocks and intercostal nerve cryoablation (INC) have emerged as potential strategies to manage analgesia. This study compares pain-related outcomes following these perioperative interventions.

Intrathecal administration of conditioned serum from different species resolves Chemotherapy-Induced neuropathic pain in mice via secretory exosomes.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is the most prevalent neurological complication of chemotherapy for cancer, and has limited effective treatment options. Autologous conditioned serum (ACS) is an effective biologic therapy used by intra-articular injection for patients with osteoarthritis. However, ACS has not been systematically tested in the treatment of peripheral neuropathies such as CIPN.

Exosomes mediate sensory hair cell protection in the inner ear.

Hair cells, the mechanosensory receptors of the inner ear, are responsible for hearing and balance. Hair cell death and consequent hearing loss are common results of treatment with ototoxic drugs, including the widely used aminoglycoside antibiotics. Induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) confers protection against aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death via paracrine signaling that requires extracellular heat shock 70-kDa protein (HSP70).

Cisplatin is retained in the cochlea indefinitely following chemotherapy.

Cisplatin chemotherapy causes permanent hearing loss in 40-80% of treated patients. It is unclear whether the cochlea has unique sensitivity to cisplatin or is exposed to higher levels of the drug. Here we use inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to examine cisplatin pharmacokinetics in the cochleae of mice and humans.

Claudin-11 Tight Junctions in Myelin Are a Barrier to Diffusion and Lack Strong Adhesive Properties.

The radial component is a network of interlamellar tight junctions (TJs) unique to central nervous system myelin. Ablation of claudin-11, a TJ protein, results in the absence of the radial component and compromises the passive electrical properties of myelin. Although TJs are known to regulate paracellular diffusion, this barrier function has not been directly demonstrated for the radial component, and some evidence suggests that the radial component may also mediate adhesion between myelin membranes.

What are the barriers to training residents in aortic root surgery?

Background And Aim Of The Study: Aortic root surgery is a technically demanding procedure that is performed infrequently by most surgeons, with national mortality rates over 10%. The study aim was to identify the barriers to training residents in this operation.

Methods: By using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, all consecutive adults (n = 356) undergoing aortic root reconstruction at The Mount Sinai Medical Center between 2007 and 2011 were retrospectively compared according to whether a resident or faculty surgeon performed the procedure.

Lobe-specific mediastinal nodal dissection is sufficient during lobectomy by video-assisted thoracic surgery or thoracotomy for early-stage lung cancer.

Background: Lobectomy with complete mediastinal lymphadenectomy is considered standard for patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the benefits of complete lymphadenectomy are unproven. There is evidence suggesting a predictable pattern of mediastinal nodal drainage.

Does prior coronary bypass surgery present a unique risk for reoperative valve surgery?

Background: Prior coronary surgery has been associated with a higher incidence of adverse outcomes after reoperative cardiac surgery compared with previous valve surgery. It is unclear whether this association is primarily due to greater patient comorbidity or the technical challenges posed by mediastinal reentry and operation in the setting of previous bypass grafts. This study was therefore designed to examine whether previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is a significant risk factor for adverse outcomes after reoperative cardiac surgery.

Does payer status impact clinical outcomes after cardiac surgery? A propensity analysis.

Background: Medicaid patients bear proportionately greater financial responsibility for the cost of outpatient care and medication than non-Medicaid patients. We hypothesized that this difference in provision of continuing care would be associated with adverse clinical outcomes after cardiac surgery.

Materials And Methods: In a retrospective cohort analysis, 5056 consecutive adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery at a single institution between 2005 and 2010 were divided according to payer status.