Degree of differentiation of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: a comparison between a Swedish cohort of organ transplant recipients and immunocompetent patients.

Background: Organ transplant recipients (OTRs) have a very high risk of developing cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Immunosuppressed OTRs may have a higher proportion of poorly differentiated cSCC than non-OTRs.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the degree of differentiation of cSCCs in OTRs compared with immunocompetent individuals.

Platelet function recovery after ticagrelor withdrawal in patients awaiting urgent coronary surgery.

Objective: Dual antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor and aspirin is associated with an increased risk of perioperative bleeding complications. Current guidelines recommend therefore discontinuation of ticagrelor 5 days before surgery to allow sufficient recovery of platelet function. It is not known how the time to recovery varies between individual patients after discontinuation of ticagrelor.

Oral and lip cancer in solid organ transplant patients--a cohort study from a Swedish Transplant Centre.

Objectives: Previous large studies have shown that solid organ transplant (SOT) patients have an increased risk of developing malignancies. Few studies have compared the prognosis for SOT patients who develop cancer with that of non-transplanted cancer patients. In this study we have investigated the increased risk of oral and lip cancer in SOT patients and also compared the relative survival between SOT patients and non-SOT patients with oral and lip cancer.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to lung transplantation: a long-term study.

Objectives: We investigated early outcomes in patients with end-stage pulmonary disease bridged with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with the intention to perform lung transplantation (LTx).

Methods: ECMO was used as a bridge to LTx in 20 patients between 2005 and 2013. Most patients suffered from rapid progress of disease and most failed to stabilize on mechanical ventilation.

Coronary artery bypass grafting-related bleeding complications in real-life acute coronary syndrome patients treated with clopidogrel or ticagrelor.

Objectives: Ticagrelor reduces thrombotic events compared with clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome, but may also increase bleeding complications. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)-related bleeding complications have not previously been compared in clopidogrel and ticagrelor-treated patients outside the controlled environment of clinical trials.

Methods: Four hundred and five consecutive CABG patients with acute coronary syndrome were included in a prospective observational study.

Does coronary artery bypass surgery improve survival?

Objectives: According to guide-lines, coronary bypass surgery improves survival in high risk patients. The evidence for this is more than 20 years old and may be questioned. Long waiting lists for coronary bypass surgery are detrimental but offer the possibility to compare the risk of death before and after surgery.

One single dose of histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution gives equally good myocardial protection in elective mitral valve surgery as repetitive cold blood cardioplegia: a prospective randomized study.

Objectives: Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK-Custodiol) cardioplegic solution is administered as one single dose for more than 2 hours of ischemia. No prospective randomized clinical study has compared the effects of HTK and cold blood cardioplegia on myocardial damage in elective mitral valve surgery. Thus, the main aim of the present study was to examine whether one single dose of cold antegrade HTK gives as good myocardial protection as repetitive antegrade cold blood cardioplegia in mitral valve surgery.

Incomplete revascularization reduces survival benefit of coronary artery bypass grafting: role of off-pump surgery.

Objective: We sought to analyze the influence, if any, of incomplete revascularization and on/off-pump techniques on long-term mortality after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: A total of 9408 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, 8461 on pump and 947 off pump, operated on between 1995 and 2004 were included in the study. Adjusted hazard function for long-term mortality was estimated with Poisson regression analysis in a model that included variables reflecting completeness of revascularization, operative method (on/off pump), and background risk factors for death.

A simple score to assess mortality risk in patients waiting for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Independent risk factors for death in patients waiting for elective coronary artery bypass surgery have previously been identified. A prioritization where these factors are considered may potentially reduce waiting list mortality. A simple score based on the risk factors was constructed and validated.

Waiting time and mortality after elective coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Limited resources for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) results in waiting times, prioritization between patients, and to mortality among the patients on the waiting list. Waiting time is an independent predictor for mortality on the waiting list, but it is not clear if the waiting time also influences outcome after CABG.

Methods: The study population was 5453 consecutive CABG patients who were prioritized at acceptance into three groups: imperative (CABG intended within 2 weeks), urgent (within 12 weeks), and routine (within 6 months).

Gender and mortality risk on the waiting list for coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objective: There are gender differences in clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of patients with coronary artery disease. We investigated whether there is also a gender difference in terms of mortality risk on the waiting list in patients accepted for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods: All our patients accepted for elective CABG 1995-1999 (1303 women and 4561 men) were included.

Mortality on the waiting list for coronary artery bypass grafting: incidence and risk factors.

Background: Insufficient capacity for coronary artery bypass grafting results in waiting times before operation, prioritization of patients and, ultimately, death on the waiting list. We aimed to calculate waiting list mortality and to identify risk factors for death on the waiting list.

Methods: The study included 5,864 consecutive patients accepted for elective coronary artery bypass grafting (78% male; mean age, 66 +/- 9 years).

On the allocation of cardiac allografts from blood group-O donors.

An organ allocation policy, in which hearts from blood group-O donors are used to transplant recipients with other blood groups (ABO-compatible, non-identical transplantations), may affect blood group-O patients on the waiting list. We investigated how blood group affiliation influences potential recipients on the waiting list. In the case of patients with blood group O, fewer patients were transplanted, waiting list mortality was higher and waiting time to transplantation was longer.