It's not all about ISCHEMIA: the case for coronary artery bypass grafting in stable coronary artery disease.

Purpose Of Review: The recent American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions Guidelines for Coronary Artery Revascularization have raised concerns on the survival benefits of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) over guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and appropriate conduit selection for CABG. This review summarizes the evidence supporting CABG for stable CAD and use of the radial artery as a conduit for CABG.

Recent Findings: CABG has consistently demonstrated a survival benefit over GDMT for patients with stable multivessel CAD.

Validity Evidence for Procedure-Specific Competency Assessment Tools in Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery: A Scoping Review.

Objective: Surgical education has shifted from a time-based approach to the achievement and demonstration of procedural competency. High quality, objective assessment instruments are required to support this new approach. This study comprehensively reviewed the literature to identify and evaluate available procedure-specific assessment instruments in cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.

Pan-Canadian initiative on Fundamental Competencies for Transcatheter Cardiac Surgery: A modified Delphi consensus study.

Objective: Transcatheter cardiac procedures have generated increasing interest in trainees and training programs alike. Using the modified Delphi method, we sought to clarify the transcatheter competencies that cardiac surgery residents should be expected to attain by the completion of training.

Methods: Individuals with expertise in transcatheter structural heart and aortic procedures were recruited across Canada.

Improving outcomes after low-risk coronary artery bypass grafting: understanding phase of care mortality analysis, failure to rescue and recent perioperative recommendations.

Purpose Of Review: Avoidable adverse events are responsible for up to 50% of deaths after low-risk coronary artery bypass grafting. This article reviews recent quality improvement efforts to improve outcomes after cardiac surgery.

Recent Findings: Systematic quality improvement methodology in cardiac surgery has improved significantly over the past decade.

The study of visuospatial abilities in trainees: A scoping review and proposed model.

Background: Visuospatial abilities are an important component of technical skill acquisition. Targeted visuospatial ability training may have positive implications for training programs. The development of such interventions requires an adequate understanding of the visuospatial ability processes necessary for surgical and nonsurgical tasks.

A scoping review to identify competencies for transcatheter cardiovascular procedures.

Objectives: Transcatheter procedures are increasingly being recognized as a priority for cardiac surgeons and cardiac surgery trainees. The optimal method of teaching these procedures during residency training has not been established. We used an evidence-based approach to systematically review the literature and identify competencies to inform future paradigms of transcatheter training in cardiac surgery.

Two-year outcomes from the PARTNER 3 trial: where do we stand?

Purpose Of Review: The PARTNER 3 trial was conducted to compare outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a balloon-expandable valve and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in individuals at low surgical risk with aortic stenosis. Recently reported rates of death, stoke and valve thrombosis in the TAVR arm have raised concerns about the longevity of this intervention in low-risk individuals. It is incumbent on all members of the Heart Team to understand the potential consequences of these findings.

The COMPASS trial: practical considerations for application after coronary artery bypass surgery.

Purpose Of Review: We review the cardiovascular outcomes for people using anticoagulation strategies (COMPASS) trial with particular emphasis on patients with a history of remote coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and those who were enrolled 4-14 days after CABG. We provide practical guidance for selecting patients with the greatest potential to benefit who have acceptable bleeding risk. In particular, we address concerns about postoperative bleeding and discuss the relative merits of rivaroxaban and aspirin versus P2Y12 inhibition and aspirin.

Association of earlier extubation and postoperative delirium after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objectives: Earlier extubation after cardiac surgery is reported to have benefits on length of stay and complication rates, but the influence on postoperative delirium remains unclear. We sought to determine the effect of earlier extubation on delirium after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: A single-center retrospective review of consecutive isolated coronary artery bypass grafting patients from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2015, was conducted.