Hyperoxic vasoconstriction of human pulmonary arteries: a novel insight into acute ventricular septal defects.

Objectives. Acute rises in pulmonary artery pressures following postinfarction ventricular septal defects present a challenge. We hypothesised that the abnormally high oxygen content exposure to the pulmonary arteries may be a factor.

Does aortic valve replacement mitigate the risk of preoperative heart failure?

Congestive heart failure complicating aortic valve disease has been reported to increase the operative mortality associated with aortic valve replacement. To determine whether this adverse effect remains late after aortic valve replacement, we analyzed prospectively collected and survival data of 849 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement between 1999 and 2008. There were 243 (29%) cases of heart failure preoperatively (138 current and 105 prior).

Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning improves myocardial function, reduces length of intensive care stay, and limits complications post coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether preconditioning coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with HBO(2) prior to first-time elective on-pump cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) leads to improved myocardial left ventricular stroke work (LVSW) post CABG. The primary end point of this study was to demonstrate that preconditioning CAD patients with HBO(2) prior to on-pump CPB CABG leads to a statistically significant (P<.05) improvement in myocardial LVSW 24 h post CABG.

To graft or not to graft? Do coronary artery characteristics influence early outcomes of coronary artery bypass surgery? Analysis of coronary anastomoses of 5171 patients.

Objective: Small coronary size and extensive atherosclerosis pose operative challenges during coronary artery bypass grafting. We investigated the influence of coronary characteristics on early operative outcome.

Methods: Prospectively collected data for 5171 patients undergoing first-time coronary artery bypass grafting from April 1, 1999, to December 31, 2007, were analyzed.

Changing operative characteristics of patients undergoing operations for coronary artery disease: impact on early outcomes.

Background: Aggressive nonsurgical revascularization results in high-risk patients presenting for operation at a later stage of coronary artery disease (CAD). This study investigated the effect of temporal changes in operative characteristics on outcomes of surgical revascularization.

Methods: We compared preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative variables of 5633 patients who underwent surgical revascularization for CAD between April 1998 and January 2007, divided into early (1998 to 2002, n = 2746) and late (2004 to 2007, n = 2887) eras.