Sex differences in procedure selection and outcomes of patients undergoing mitral valve surgery.

Background: There is a paucity of data on sex differences in procedure selection and outcomes of patients undergoing mitral valve surgery.

Methods And Results: The National Inpatient Sample database from 2005 to 2008 was searched to identify patients ≥30 years of age who underwent mitral valve repair or replacement (ICD-9-CM codes 35.12, 35.

Is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease an independent risk factor for transfusion in coronary artery bypass graft surgery?

Objective: The literature is inconsistent regarding the role of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a risk factor for blood product transfusion during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). One reason may be lack of objective criteria to define COPD in previously published reports. We examined the role of COPD as a risk factor for transfusion using a strict definition based on objective pulmonary function test (PFT) data.