Computational risk model for predicting 2-year malignancy of pulmonary nodules using demographic and radiographic characteristics.

Objectives: To determine whether discriminatory performance of a computational risk model in classifying pulmonary lesion malignancy using demographic, radiographic, and clinical characteristics is superior to the opinion of experienced providers. We hypothesized that computational risk models would outperform providers.

Methods: Outcome of malignancy was obtained from selected patients enrolled in the NAVIGATE trial (NCT02410837).

Age disparities in triple-negative breast cancer treatment and outcomes: An NCDB analysis.

Background: Race, access to care, and molecular features result in outcome disparities in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We sought to determine the role of age in TNBC disparity by hypothesizing that younger patients receive more comprehensive treatment, resulting in survival differences.

Methods: The National Cancer Database was used to identify women with unilateral TNBC treated from 2005 through 2017.

Endoscopic vs Open Vein Harvest in Drug-Eluting Stents or Bypass Surgery for Left Main Disease Trial.

Background: We investigated outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with endoscopic vein harvest (EVH) vs open vein harvest (OVH) within the Evaluation of XIENCE Versus CABG (EXCEL) trial.

Methods: All patients in EXCEL randomized to CABG were included in this study. For this analysis, the primary end points were ischemia-driven revascularization (IDR) and graft stenosis or occlusion at 5 years.

"Double-Stick" Transsubclavian Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement With Use of a Balloon Expandable Valve: A Less Invasive Option for Alternative Access.

Access options for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) currently include transfemoral, transaortic, transapical, transsubclavian, and other approaches. Transsubclavian access for balloon expandable valves is gaining popularity when transfemoral access is not suitable, given its peripheral access compared with central access. With the transsubclavian approach, second femoral or radial artery access is necessary for pigtail catheter placement.

One heart in 3 patients.

In this report, we present a successful reuse of a transplanted heart under complex clinical conditions. Our patient was the second recipient, a 63-year-old man with end-stage heart failure due to amyloid-induced cardiomyopathy. After an uneventful postoperative course, he was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia 6 months after transplantation and died 10 months after transplantation.

Mechanical circulatory support after heart transplantation.

Objective: Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) may be used for severe graft failure after heart transplantation, but the degree to which it is lifesaving is uncertain.

Methods: Between June 1990 and December 2009, 53 patients after 1417 heart transplants (3.7%) required post-transplant MCS for acute rejection (n=17), biventricular failure (n=16), right ventricular failure (n=16), left ventricular failure (n=1), or respiratory failure (n=3).

Robotic repair of posterior mitral valve prolapse versus conventional approaches: potential realized.

Objective: Robotic mitral valve repair is the least invasive approach to mitral valve repair, yet there are few data comparing its outcomes with those of conventional approaches. Therefore, we compared outcomes of robotic mitral valve repair with those of complete sternotomy, partial sternotomy, and right mini-anterolateral thoracotomy.

Methods: From January 2006 to January 2009, 759 patients with degenerative mitral valve disease and posterior leaflet prolapse underwent primary isolated mitral valve surgery by complete sternotomy (n = 114), partial sternotomy (n = 270), right mini-anterolateral thoracotomy (n = 114), or a robotic approach (n = 261).