Perioperative Stroke Following Implantation of Left Ventricular Assist Device: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: Stroke is common following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation, although comprehensive data on perioperative strokes in this uncommon population is lacking. The current study aim was to characterize the presentation, features, and outcomes of perioperative cerebrovascular ischemia post-LVAD implantation at the authors' institution.

Design: Single-center retrospective cohort.

Risk Factors for Reduced Long-Term Survival Following Isolated Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Different Age Groups.

Background: According to recent guidelines, the selection of transcatheter vs surgical aortic valve replacement (TAVR vs SAVR) in low-risk patients depends on age and life expectancy. Our objective was to understand independent risk factors for reduced life expectancy following isolated SAVR and the rate of redo aortic valve (AV) intervention in different age groups, to delineate optimal intervention depending on patient characteristics.

Methods: Between 2000 and 2015, 2026 patients underwent isolated SAVR with Carpentier-Edwards pericardial tissue valves (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA).

Right Ventricular Function Following Sternotomy Versus a Less-Invasive Approach for Left Ventricular Assist Device Implant: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Objectives: Durable left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is traditionally performed via median sternotomy (MS). Less-invasive implantation may lower the incidence of postimplant right ventricular failure (RVF). Our primary objective was to determine whether less-invasive implantation reduces the odds of severe RVF compared to MS.

Long-term outcomes of isolated mechanical versus bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement in different age groups of propensity-matched patients.

Objectives: Prothesis choice in isolated mitral valve replacement for patients aged 75 years or younger remains debated as most studies comparing prothesis type have included large proportions of combined operations and benefits are influenced by concomitant procedures. This study compared long-term outcomes of isolated mechanical versus bioprosthetic mitral valves in different age groups of propensity-matched populations.

Methods: This is a retrospective, multicentre, propensity-matched observational study.

Association of chronic poststernotomy pain and health-related quality of life: a prospective cohort study.

Purpose: Chronic poststernotomy pain (CPSP) after cardiac surgery is multifactorial and impacts patient recovery. We aimed to evaluate the association between CPSP severity and health-related quality of life at six months after cardiac surgery.

Methods: This was a single-centre prospective cohort study of patients who underwent cardiac surgery with median sternotomy between September 2020 and March 2021.

Long-term outcome of isolated mitral valve repair versus replacement for degenerative mitral regurgitation in propensity-matched patients.

Objective: This study was performed to investigate the long-term outcomes in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) undergoing mitral valve repair (MVr) versus mitral valve replacement (MVR) without concomitant surgeries.

Methods: The study cohort comprised 1493 patients with degenerative MR who were treated with isolated mitral valve surgery between January 2000 and December 2017 in a large multicenter (5 hospitals) registry of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, including 991 with repair and 502 with replacement. A propensity-matched comparison and risk-adjusted model were used to analyze the outcomes.

Regional Anesthesia With Paravertebral Blockade Is Associated With Improved Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Minithoracotomy Cardiac Surgery.

Objective: Severe postoperative pain has been shown to affect many patients following minimally invasive cardiac surgeries (MICS). Multimodal pain management with regional anesthesia, particularly by delivery of local anesthetics using a paravertebral catheter (PVC), has been shown to reduce pain in operations involving thoracotomy incisions. However, few studies have reported high-quality safety and efficacy outcomes of PVCs following MICS.

Long-term outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacement in patients receiving chronic dialysis.

Background: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has been the standard treatment for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis, which is common among patients receiving long-term dialysis. The aim of this study was to report the long-term outcomes of SAVR in patients receiving chronic dialysis and to identify independent risk factors for early and late mortality.

Methods: Every consecutive patient with SAVR with or without concomitant cardiac procedures in British Columbia between January 2000 and December 2015 was identified from the provincial cardiac registry.

The Clinically Actionable Molecular Profile of Early versus Late-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, an Individual Age and Sex Propensity-Matched Pair Analysis.

Background: Despite meticulous surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), relapse is as high as 70% at 5 years. Many institutions do not conduct reflexive molecular testing on early stage specimens, although targeted gene therapy may extend life by years in the event of recurrence. This ultimately delays definitive treatment with additional biopsy risking suboptimal tissue acquisition and quality for molecular testing.

Predictors of perforation during lead extraction: Results of the Canadian Lead ExtrAction Risk (CLEAR) study.

Background: Transvenous lead extraction can have serious adverse events, such as cardiac or vascular perforation. Risk factors have not been well characterized.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with perforation and death, and to characterize lead extraction in a large contemporary population.

A multiparameter regression model for interval-censored survival data.

We develop flexible multiparameter regression (MPR) survival models for interval-censored survival data arising in longitudinal prospective studies and longitudinal randomised controlled clinical trials. A multiparameter Weibull regression survival model, which is wholly parametric, and has nonproportional hazards, is the main focus of the article. We describe the basic model, develop the interval-censored likelihood, and extend the model to include gamma frailty and a dispersion model.

Factors Associated with Perceived Abuse in the Health Care System Among Long-Term Opioid Users: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Opioid-dependence is a chronic relapsing disorder. Histories of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse are prevalent among long-term opioid users. While perceived abuse in health care has been linked to histories of abuse in other populations it has not been investigated among long-term opioid users.

Transcatheter Aortic and Mitral Valve-in-Valve Implantation for Failed Surgical Bioprosthetic Valves: An 8-Year Single-Center Experience.

Objectives: We report our 8-year experience in transcatheter aortic and mitral valve-in-valve (VinV) implantation.

Background: Feasibility and good early outcomes associated with transcatheter aortic and mitral VinV implantation into failed surgical bioprostheses have been confirmed, but the mid-term and long-term outcomes of transcatheter aortic and mitral VinV is unknown.

Methods: A total of 73 patients with aortic (n = 42) and mitral (n = 31) bioprosthetic valve dysfunction underwent transcatheter VinV implantation between April 2007 and December 2013.

The Role of Gender in Factors Associated With Addiction Treatment Satisfaction Among Long-Term Opioid Users.

Objectives: To identify factors associated with Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) satisfaction and to determine whether these relationships are gender specific.

Methods: This study was based on data collected in a cross-sectional study among long-term opioid-dependent individuals (n = 160; 46.3% women).

Interval-censored parametric regression survival models and the analysis of longitudinal trials.

This paper develops interval censoring likelihood methods in the context of parametric proportional hazard (PH) and non-PH regression models in the longitudinal study setting to reanalyze the medical research council's randomized controlled trial of teletherapy in age-related macular degeneration. We compare the performance of the interval censoring likelihood with proxy likelihoods that were used to analyze the original data. It is shown, analytically, that the use of such proxy likelihoods in selected PH models leads to biased estimators.