Cardiac surgery in older patients: hospital outcomes during a 15-year period from a complete national series.

Objectives: The objective was to review national trends in activity and hospital outcomes in older patients having cardiac surgery over a 15-year time period.

Methods: Data were collected prospectively and uploaded to the National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research electronically. Data were validated, cleaned and processed using reproducible algorithms.

Combined tracheoesophageal transection after blunt neck trauma.

Survival following tracheoesophageal transection is uncommon. Establishing a secure airway has the highest priority in trauma management. Understanding the mechanism of the incident can be a useful adjunct in predicting the likelihood and severity of specific anatomical patterns of injuries.

Transection of the aerodigestive tract after blunt neck trauma.

Survival after blunt neck trauma resulting in combined tracheal and esophageal injury is uncommon. We present the case of a young boy who sustained complete transection of the trachea and subtotal transection of the esophagus after a clothes line type injury.

Closure of a bronchopleural fistula using glue.

Bronchopleural fistula after pneumonectomy remains a challenge after lung cancer surgery. It is associated with high mortality, morbidity and prolonged hospital stay necessitating further thoracotomy. We describe a technique using intra-mucosal injection of glue to close a bronchopleural fistula via bronchoscopy.