Comparative Review of the Treatment Methodologies of Carotid Stenosis.

The treatment of carotid stenosis entails three methodologies, namely, medical management, carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS), as well as carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) and European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) have shown that symptomatic carotid stenosis greater than 70% is best treated with CEA. In asymptomatic patients with carotid stenosis greater than 60%, CEA was more beneficial than treatment with aspirin alone according to the Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis (ACAS) and Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis Trial (ACST) trials.

Innovations in organ donation.

The growing disparity between organ availability for transplantation and the number of patients in need has challenged the donation and transplantation community of practice to develop innovative processes, ideas, and techniques to bridge the gaps. Advances in the sharing of best practices in the donation community have contributed greatly over the last 8 years. Broader sharing of updated guidelines for declaration of brain death in conjunction with improvements in deceased donor management have increased opportunities for organ donation.

Is extracorporeal hypothermic machine perfusion of the liver better than the 'good old icebox'?

Purpose Of Review: To underscore the advantages of hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) in light of the recent discoveries.

Recent Findings: The phase I clinical trial of liver HMP has suggested superiority over static cold storage (SCS) preservation. The liver transplant arena has gained more sophisticated insights into the molecular mechanism and biomechanical understanding behind the benefits of HMP.