Survival, Neurologic Injury, and Kidney Function after Surgery for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection.

Background: To analyze survival, neurologic injury, and kidney function after acute type A aortic dissection.

Methods: A total of 445 patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection were analyzed. Evaluation according to risk factors for mortality, neurologic injury, and kidney function was performed.

External validation of scores proposed for estimation of survival probability of patients with severe adult respiratory distress syndrome undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy: a retrospective study.

Introduction: This study was designed as an external validation of the recently proposed Predicting Death for Severe ARDS on V-V ECMO (PRESERVE) score, The respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survival prediction (RESP) score and a scoring system developed for externally retrieved patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at our institution. All scores are proposed for the estimation of survival probability after ECMO treatment for severe adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Methods: Data from 51 patients (2008 to 2013) were analyzed in this retrospective single-center study.

Novel emboli protection system during cardiac surgery: a multi-center, randomized, clinical trial.

Background: Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality during open-heart surgery. Up to 60% of intraoperative cerebral events are emboli induced. This randomized, controlled, multicenter trial is the first human study evaluating the safety and efficacy of a novel aortic cannula producing simultaneous forward flow and backward suction for extracting solid and gaseous emboli from the ascending aorta and aortic arch upon their intraoperative release.

Impact of a femoral snare approach as a bailout procedure on success rates in lead extractions.

Objectives: In cases of challenging transvenous lead extraction procedures, limitations exist for the subclavian approach (SCA). In case of absent alternative approaches, the procedure may end with failure. Therefore, we investigated the femoral snare approach (FSA) as bailout procedure.

Frailty is a predictor of short- and mid-term mortality after elective cardiac surgery independently of age.

Objectives: Assessment of perioperative risk of elderly patients in cardiac surgery is difficult, and most of the common risk scores show over- or underestimation. Two frailty scores, the comprehensive assessment of frailty (CAF) score and the Frailty predicts death One yeaR after CArdiac Surgery Test (FORECAST), were developed as additional tools to estimate the preoperative mortality risk, taking into consideration the frailty status of elderly patients.

Methods: Four hundred and fifty patients who were referred for elective cardiac surgery were included.

Completely epicardial implantation of a cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator using a minimal invasive approach.

We report the case of a successful completely epicardial implantation of a cardiac resynchronization defibrillator using a minimal invasive approach in a 55-year-old patient with dilated cardiomyopathy and a history of three cardiac surgical procedures of the aortic root, the ascending aorta and the aortic arch. Due to a chronic Q fever the patient was regarded unsuitable for a transvenous implantation.

Uncommon cause of ventricular tachycardia in a patient with a giant pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta.

Ventricular arrhythmias occur predominantly in patients with structural heart disease. The most common substrate is scarring due to ischemic heart disease. We present an uncommon cause of ventricular tachycardia due to excessive right coronary artery stretch in a patient with a giant pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta years after aortic root repair.