Publications by authors named "Brian Mejak"

There have been numerous recent advances geared specifically toward the practice of pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). These advances include the development of the first oxygenator intended solely for the neonatal CPB patient; pediatric oxygenators with low prime volumes and surface areas, which allow flows up to 2 L/min; pediatric oxygenators with integrated arterial filters; and miniature ultrafiltration (UF) devices, which allow for high rates of ultrafiltrate removal. When used in combination with heart lung machines with mast-mounted pumps, these advances can result in significant decreases in CPB circuit surface areas and prime volumes.

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Unlabelled: The timing of blood product administration after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) may influence the amount of postoperative transfusion and chest tube output. We performed a retrospective study of a novel technique of administering blood products during modified ultrafiltration (MUF) in congenital cardiac surgery. A Control Group (CG; n = 55) received cryoprecipitate and platelets after modified ultrafiltration.

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New cardiopulmonary bypass devices and new innovative methods are frequently reported in the literature; however, the actual extent to which they are adopted into clinical practice is not well known. We distributed an electronic survey to 289 domestic and international pediatric congenital surgery centers in an effort to measure attributes of current clinical practice. The survey consisted of 107 questions relating to program demographics, equipment, and techniques.

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In early 2011, surveys of active Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) centers within the United States were conducted by electronic mail regarding neonatal Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) equipment and professional staff. Seventy-four of 111 (67%) U.S.

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There is little information showing the use of microporous polypropylene hollow fiber oxygenators during extra-corporeal life support (ECLS). Recent surveys have shown increasing use of these hollow fibers amongst ECLS centers in the United States. We performed a retrospective analysis comparing the Terumo BabyRx hollow fiber oxygenator to the Medtronic 800 silicone membrane oxygenator on 14 neonatal patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

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A patient was born with transposition of the great arteries, double-outlet right ventricle, interrupted aortic arch, and a ventricular septal defect and underwent a Damus-Kaye-Stansel procedure with a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt at 14 days old. Three months later, this patient presented with hypoxia and bradycardia was found to have a thrombus present in the main pulmonary artery extending to right pulmonary artery. After initiation of thrombolytic therapy, the patient became severely hypoxic and required the institution of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

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We report a post-Norwood Stage I patient requiring ECMO support using Argatroban as an anticoagulant following diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). A 2.6 kg female was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and underwent a Norwood Stage I operation on day 4 of life.

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Background: Although excellent survival following the Norwood procedure for palliation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is being achieved by some, most centers, especially the ones with small surgical volume and limited experience, continue to struggle with initial results. Survivors often showed evidence of significant neurologic injury. The early postoperative care is labor-intensive as attempts are made to balance the systemic and pulmonary circulation for these infants.

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Rheological changes occurring with the conduct of cardiopulmonary bypass affect the distribution of blood throughout the cardiovascular system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of changing physical characteristics of fluid on the dynamics of blood flow in an in vitro model. An extracorporeal model simulating coronary vessel constriction was designed that consisted of tubing with varying internal diameters.

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