Preoperative Pulmonary Artery-to-Aorta Diameter Ratio as a Predictor of Postoperative Severe Right Ventricular Failure and 1-Year Mortality After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

Objectives: To evaluate the association of pulmonary artery diameter and pulmonary artery- to-aorta diameter ratio (PA/Ao) with right ventricular failure and mortality within 1 year after left ventricular assist device implantation.

Design: This was a retrospective observational study between March 2013 and July 2019.

Setting: The study was conducted at a single, quaternary-care academic center.

Infective Endocarditis-Update for the Perioperative Clinician.

Infective endocarditis is a common pathology routinely encountered by perioperative physicians. There has been a need for a comprehensive review of this important topic. In this expert review, the authors discuss in detail the incidence, etiology, definition, microbiology, and trends of infective endocarditis.

The Intraoperative Assessment of Right Ventricular Function During Cardiac Surgery.

The importance of right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery is well recognized. There is extensive literature regarding the accurate assessment of RV dysfunction with both echocardiography and hemodynamic data, but the majority of these studies are with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and in awake patients. Many of the tools used to assess the RV with TTE are angle-dependent and, therefore, may be inaccurate with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).

Imaging for Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices.

Heart failure is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the world. Changes in organ allocation for solid thoracic (lung and heart) transplantation has increased the number of patients on mechanical circulatory support. Temporary mechanical support devices include devices tht support the circulation directly or indirectly such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and temporary support for right-sided failure, left-sided failure or biventricular failure.

A rare presentation of ectopic thyroid tissue in the submandibular region: a case report.

Ectopic thyroid tissue in the lateral neck is a rare finding, especially in the submandibular region. This case report presents a 38-year-old female patient with swelling in the lateral cervical neck. Due to a thyroid goitre, right hemithyroidectomy was performed in the past.

[Roles and their dynamics in participatory research communities].

The participatory research approach results in changes in roles and relationships for researchers and coresearchers compared to traditional research concepts. In the form of a workshop report, this article describes reflections and findings on the question of how roles are perceived and filled in participatory health research (PHR). Researchers and practitioners from two subprojects in the research consortium PartKommPlus evaluated their experiences from several years of cooperation and developed insights into which dynamics were important for the design of roles and what should be considered for a productive development of roles.

Dose-response model for severe late laryngeal toxicity after stereotactic body radiation therapy for previously-irradiated head and neck cancer.

We sought to evaluate the association between larynx dose and risk of severe late laryngeal toxicity in patients undergoing re-irradiation SBRT for recurrent HNC. Fifty-five patients with an intact larynx underwent re-irradiation SBRT to a median dose of 44 Gy in 5 fractions. Five (41.

Dose-response modeling the risk of carotid bleeding events after stereotactic body radiation therapy for previously irradiated head and neck cancer.

Given the lack of clear dose constraints for the carotid artery, we created dose-response models to better quantify the risk of carotid bleeding events following re-irradiation stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). We performed a retrospective analysis on 75 patients treated with SBRT for recurrent, previously irradiated HNC. Logistic dose-response models were created to predict the risk of a carotid bleeding event, defined as any mucosal bleeding event or bleeding resulting from rupture of the carotid artery or its major branches in the setting of controlled disease.

Chronic postthoracotomy pain in transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Objective: Chronic postthoracotomy pain (CPTP) is a persistent, occasionally debilitating pain lasting >2 months following thoracic surgery. This study investigates for the first time the prevalence and clinical impact of CPTP in patients who have undergone a transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TA-TAVR).

Design: This was a single-institution, prospective observational survey and a retrospective chart review.

Magnetic resonance imaging response in patients treated with definitive radiation therapy for medically inoperable endometrial cancer-Does it predict treatment response?

Purpose: Many patients with endometrial cancer cannot undergo surgery and instead receive definitive radiation therapy (RT). We investigate the correlation between MRI response to RT and clinical outcomes.

Methods And Materials: Women with inoperable, clinical Stage I endometrial cancer were treated with definitive brachytherapy (BT) with/without pelvic RT (PRT).

Impact and Lessons Learned from a National Consortium for Participatory Health Research: PartKommPlus-German Research Consortium for Healthy Communities (2015-2018).

Integrated strategies of health promotion at the municipal level are receiving particular attention in public health policy and practice in Germany. These strategies are intended to provide a coordinated approach to health promotion during the entire lifespan, with a particular focus on vulnerable communities. They are also intended to be participatory in both their design and implementation, involving all sectors of the social welfare, educational and healthcare systems, civil society, and the general public.

Is completion axillary lymph node dissection necessary in patients who are underrepresented in the ACOSOG Z0011 trial?

Purpose: The American College of Surgeons Oncology Group trial Z0011 demonstrated that axillary node dissection (ALND) can be omitted in patients managed with breast conserving surgery and 1 to 2 positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) without adverse effects on locoregional recurrence or disease-free survival (DFS). We investigated patients with breast cancer for whom clinicopathologic features were underrepresented in the Z0011 trial and analyzed radiation therapy treatment patterns and clinical outcomes.

Methods And Materials: We retrospectively reviewed records of patients who underwent a lumpectomy and SLN biopsy with positive SLNs but not an ALND and completed adjuvant radiation therapy.

Image-based multichannel vaginal cylinder brachytherapy for the definitive treatment of gynecologic malignancies in the vagina.

Purpose: Brachytherapy is integral to vaginal cancer treatment and is typically delivered using an intracavitary single-channel vaginal cylinder (SCVC) or an interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT) applicator. Multi-channel vaginal cylinder (MCVC) applicators allow for improved organ-at-risk (OAR) sparing compared to SCVC while maintaining target coverage. We present clinical outcomes of patients treated with image-based high dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy using a MCVC.