Clinical Outcomes After Tracheobronchoplasty With Ringed Polytetrafluoroethylene Vascular Graft.

Background: This report describes the surgical technique and outcomes of tracheobronchoplasty (TBP) with ringed polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) vascular graft.

Methods: We identified all patients who underwent PTFE-TBP for severe expiratory central airway collapse from January 1, 2018 to August 2021 at Mayo Clinic, Florida. Preoperative and postoperative St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Cough-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (CSQLQ), pulmonary function testing, 6-minute walk test, and blinded dynamic bronchoscopy videos at 3-month follow-up were used to assess outcomes.

Harvesting left internal thoracic artery via clamshell incision for coronary bypass and lung transplant.

Concomitant lung transplantation and coronary artery bypass grafting operation became more prevalent over the last decade due to the advanced age of recipients. Median sternotomy approach is traditionally used when internal thoracic artery is utilized. Here we report a technique of harvesting the left internal thoracic artery via a clamshell incision for a combined coronary artery bypass and bilateral lung transplant operation in a 71-year-old male with terminal respiratory failure and coronary artery disease.

Autologous Blood Patching to Mitigate Persistent Air Leaks Following Pulmonary Resection: A Novel Approach.

Background Autologous blood patch (ABP) utilized as a visceral pleural sealant for air leak post lung resection has been well documented in medical literature. Purpose To present our experience of a novel approach, we employed to instill autologous blood into the pleural space to mitigate persistent air leaks following pulmonary resection. Methods From January 2007 to September 2011, 19 patients were submitted to autologous blood patching for persistent air leaks following surgery.