A multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel-group, non-inferiority study to compare the efficacy of goal-directed tranexamic acid administration based on viscoelastic test versus preemptive tranexamic acid administration on postoperative bleeding in cardiovascular surgery (GDT trial).

Background: Tranexamic acid (TXA) effectively attenuates hyperfibrinolysis and preemptive administration has been employed to reduce bleeding and blood transfusions in various surgical settings. However, TXA administration could be associated with adverse effects, such as seizures and thromboembolic risks. While patients with fibrinolysis shutdown showed greater thromboembolic complications and mortality, TXA administration may aggravate the degree of shutdown in these patients.

Effects of Balanced Versus Saline-based Solutions on Acute Kidney Injury in Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: To determine whether balanced solutions can reduce the incidence of acute kidney injury after off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery compared with saline.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Single tertiary care center.

Efficacy of Single-Bolus Administration of Remimazolam During Induction of Anesthesia in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective, Single-Center, Randomized Controlled Study.

Background: Remimazolam is a recently marketed ultrashort-acting benzodiazepine. This drug is considered safe and effective during general anesthesia; however, limited information is available about its effects on patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and hemodynamic stability of a bolus administration of remimazolam during anesthesia induction in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Association of Mechanical Energy and Power with Postoperative Pulmonary Complications in Lung Resection Surgery: A Post Hoc Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trial Data.

Background: Mechanical power (MP), the rate of mechanical energy (ME) delivery, is a recently introduced unifying ventilator parameter consisting of tidal volume, airway pressures, and respiratory rates, which predicts pulmonary complications in several clinical contexts. However, ME has not been previously studied in the perioperative context, and neither parameter has been studied in the context of thoracic surgery utilizing one-lung ventilation.

Methods: The relationships between ME variables and postoperative pulmonary complications were evaluated in this post hoc analysis of data from a multicenter randomized clinical trial of lung resection surgery conducted between 2020 and 2021 (n = 1,170).

Effects of intraoperative inspired oxygen fraction (FiO 0.3 vs 0.8) on patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting: the CARROT multicenter, cluster-randomized trial.

Background: To maintain adequate oxygenation is of utmost importance in intraoperative care. However, clinical evidence supporting specific oxygen levels in distinct surgical settings is lacking. This study aimed to compare the effects of 30% and 80% oxygen in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).

Incremental Prognostic Value of Left Ventricular Longitudinal Strain Over Ejection Fraction in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

Objectives: To evaluate the incremental prognostic value of longitudinal strain over left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Single tertiary-care center.

Driving pressure-guided ventilation and postoperative pulmonary complications in thoracic surgery: a multicentre randomised clinical trial.

Background: Airway driving pressure, easily measured as plateau pressure minus PEEP, is a surrogate for alveolar stress and strain. However, the effect of its targeted reduction remains unclear.

Methods: In this multicentre trial, patients undergoing lung resection surgery were randomised to either a driving pressure group (n=650) receiving an alveolar recruitment/individualised PEEP to deliver the lowest driving pressure or to a conventional protective ventilation group (n=650) with fixed PEEP of 5 cm HO.

Impact of Sex on Mortality in Patients Undergoing Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the second most common valvular heart disease in the United States. Although the prevalence of AS does not significantly differ between the sexes, there is some controversy on whether sex differences affect the long-term mortality of patients with severe AS undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 917 patients (female, = 424 [46.

Peak systolic myocardial velocity in patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis: prognostic value and natural course.

Myocardial systolic longitudinal function has been known to decrease in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). Preoperative peak systolic myocardial velocity at the septal mitral valve annulus (S'), measured using Doppler tissue imaging, was used as an indicator for myocardial systolic longitudinal function. The prognostic value and natural course of S' after surgical aortic valve replacement for severe AS have not been elucidated.

Prognostic value of left ventricular apical four-chamber longitudinal strain after heart valve surgery in real-world practice.

Background: Left ventricular longitudinal strain is an emerging marker of ventricular systolic function. However, the prognostic value of apical four-chamber longitudinal strain after heart valve surgery in real-world clinical practice is uncertain. The authors investigated whether left ventricular apical four-chamber longitudinal strain measured in real-world practice is helpful for predicting postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing heart valve surgery.

Impact of Body Mass Index and Sarcopenia on Short- and Long-Term Outcomes After Esophageal Cancer Surgery: An Observational Study.

Background: The effects of specific body mass index (BMI) category and sarcopenia within each BMI category on outcomes in patients undergoing esophageal surgery with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma have not been thoroughly examined.

Methods: This study included 1141 patients. Sarcopenia was determined with a total psoas muscle cross-sectional area at the level of the third lumbar vertebra in computed tomography.

Comparison of Preoperative Nutritional Indexes for Outcomes after Primary Esophageal Surgery for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: This study aimed to compare the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, prognostic nutritional index (PNI), and geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) for predicting postoperative outcomes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing esophagectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 1265 consecutive patients who underwent elective esophageal surgery. The patients were classified into no risk, low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk groups based on nutritional scores.

Predictive Model for the Assessment of Preoperative Frailty Risk in the Elderly.

Adequate preoperative evaluation of frailty can greatly assist in the efficient allocation of hospital resources and planning treatments. However, most of the previous frailty evaluation methods, which are complicated, time-consuming, and can have inter-evaluator error, are difficult to apply in urgent situations. Thus, the authors aimed to develop and validate a predictive model for pre-operative frailty risk of elderly patients by using diagnostic and operation codes, which can be obtained easily and quickly from electronic records.

Forward Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction as a Predictor of Postoperative Left Ventricular Dysfunction in Patients with Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation.

Background: Left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) can occur immediately after mitral valve repair (MVr) for degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) in some patients with normal preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This study investigated whether forward LVEF, calculated as left ventricular outflow tract stroke volume divided by left ventricular end-diastolic volume, could predict LVD immediately after MVr in patients with DMR and normal LVEF.

Methods: Echocardiographic and clinical data were retrospectively evaluated in 234 patients with DMR ≥ moderate and preoperative LVEF ≥ 60%.

Postoperative changes in left ventricular systolic function after combined mitral and aortic valve replacement in patients with rheumatic heart disease.

Backgrounds: We sought to identify short- and long-term changes in postoperative left ventricular systolic function in patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) who underwent combined aortic and mitral valve replacement.

Methods: We analyzed 146 patients according to their preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (113 with preoperative LVEF ≥50% and 33 with preoperative LVEF <50%). A restricted cubic spline model was used to assess the effect of time on the postoperative changes in echocardiographic parameters.

Changes in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction after Mitral Valve Repair for Primary Mitral Regurgitation.

This study sought to identify the short- and long-term changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after mitral valve repair (MVr) in patients with chronic primary mitral regurgitation according to preoperative LVEF (pre-LVEF) and preoperative left ventricular end-systolic diameter (pre-LVESD). This study evaluated 461 patients. Restricted cubic spline regression models were constructed to demonstrate the long-term changes in postoperative LVEF (post-LVEF).

Sarcopenia as a prognostic factor for outcomes after isolated tricuspid valve surgery.

Background: Sarcopenia, characterized by decreased skeletal muscle mass, is a comprehensive and objective marker of frailty and is associated with poor postoperative outcomes in adult surgery patients. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic implications of preoperative sarcopenia assessed by chest computed tomography in patients undergoing isolated tricuspid valve surgery.

Methods: This observational study retrospectively reviewed records of 144 consecutive adult patients who underwent isolated tricuspid valve surgery between January 2010 and December 2016.

Age-dependent relationship between preoperative serum aminotransferase and mortality after cardiovascular surgery.

Although serum aminotransferase levels are frequently measured for preoperative evaluation, their prognostic value to postoperative outcomes remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative serum aminotransferase levels and postoperative 90-day mortality in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. We included adult patients (n=6264) who underwent cardiovascular surgery between January 2010 and December 2016 at a tertiary academic hospital.

Effect of operative time on the outcome of patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

Background: Several studies have been reporting circadian variation in postoperative morbidity and mortality. We investigated whether the outcomes after off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery are influenced by the operation start time.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 1690 patients who received elective OPCAB surgery from January 2006 to December 2016.

The relationship of preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate and outcomes after cardiovascular surgery in patients with normal serum creatinine: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Although serum creatinine concentration has been traditionally used as an index of renal function in clinical practice, it is considered relatively inaccurate, especially in patients with mild renal dysfunction. This study investigated the usefulness of preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in predicting complications after cardiovascular surgery in patients with normal serum creatinine concentrations.

Methods: This study included 2208 adults undergoing elective cardiovascular surgery.

Perioperative rupture risk of unruptured intracranial aneurysms in cardiovascular surgery.

Although unruptured intracranial aneurysms are increasingly being diagnosed incidentally, perioperative rupture risk of unruptured intracranial aneurysm in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted an observational study to assess the prevalence and perioperative rupture risk of unruptured intracranial aneurysm in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery. Adult patients (n = 4864) who underwent cardiovascular surgery between January 2010 and December 2016 were included.