Does the introduction of a comprehensive structured training programme for endoscopic vein harvesting improve conduit quality? A multicentre pilot study.

Objectives: Endoscopic vein harvesting is one of the most popular minimally invasive vein-harvesting techniques for coronary artery bypass graft surgery. It is associated with improved cosmetic outcome and fewer wound-related problems compared with the conventional open technique. However, its efficacy with regard to conduit damage and long-term patency has recently been questioned.

The lottery of mitral valve repair surgery.

Valve repair, where feasible, rather than valve replacement is the guideline recommended treatment for severe mitral regurgitation. To characterise 'real-world' clinical practice data were reviewed on 12,255 mitral valve operations performed in the UK between 2004 and 2008, as reported in the 2009 UK Adult Cardiac Surgical Database Report. The data demonstrate a large variation in the use of mitral valve repair; while the national repair rate was 51%, this varied from 20% to 90% among different hospitals.

Toward public disclosure of surgical results: experience of cardiac surgery in the United Kingdom.

Public disclosure of surgical results has been implemented in recent years. This article discusses the disclosure of cardiac surgery results in the United Kingdom.

Three-dimensional echocardiography is superior to multiplane transoesophageal echo in the assessment of regurgitant mitral valve morphology.

Aims: Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) plays a vital role in the assessment of mitral valve morphology. However, the accuracy of TOE may be limited by inadequate recognition of all segments. We aimed to evaluate the role of three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography in this respect.