County-level food insecurity is associated with outcomes following cardiac surgery.

Background: As there is limited literature evaluating food insecurity status (FI) and surgical outcomes, we sought to assess the association between county-level FI and outcomes following cardiac surgery.

Methods: In a retrospective cohort, patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting between 2016 and 2020 were identified utilizing the Medicare Standard Analytic Files. Using County-level FI, patients were stratified into low, moderate, and high cohorts.

Hypothermic circulatory arrest: safety and efficacy in the operative treatment of descending and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background: The safety and efficacy of hypothermic circulatory arrest in the operative treatment of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms are not clearly established. We evaluated our experience with repair of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms using hypothermic circulatory arrest.

Methods: In all, 111 patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysms (83) or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (28) underwent graft replacement of the involved aortic segments using hypothermic circulatory arrest.