Medication Competence, Numeracy, and Health Literacy.

Two studies investigated the association between medication literacy and numeracy. Study 1 revealed an association between both variables in a sample of adults. Study 2 replicated the finding in a sample of parents of young children, even after controlling for level of parental health literacy.

Effectiveness and Safety of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation for Aortic Stenosis in Patients With "Porcelain" Aorta.

Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with porcelain aorta is considered a high-risk procedure. Hence, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is emerging as the intervention of choice. However, there is a paucity of data directly comparing TAVI with SAVR in patients with porcelain aorta.

The risk of reoperative cardiac surgery in radiation-induced valvular disease.

Objective: Mediastinal radiation therapy (MRT) increases the risk for adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery and is not incorporated in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) risk algorithm. We aimed to quantify the surgical risk conferred by MRT in patients undergoing primary and reoperative valvular operations.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 261 consecutive patients with prior MRT who underwent valvular operations between January 2002 and May 2015.

Posterior suture annuloplasty for functional tricuspid regurgitation.

Functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is primarily caused by enlargement of the tricuspid annulus due to right ventricular dilation, frequently secondary to left sided valvular disease. Early techniques for the treatment of functional TR were introduced by Jerome Kay in 1965 and Norberto DeVega in 1972. Modified suture annuloplasty is a modification of DeVega's semicircular purse string technique, however, it is based on Kay's principle of obliteration of the posterior segment of the annulus only.

Surgical outcomes of isolated tricuspid valve procedures: repair versus replacement.

Background: Isolated tricuspid valve (ITV) operations are infrequent and the decision to operate is controversial. We report a series of ITV operations to outline the current disease status requiring this uncommon procedure with an emphasis on the results of tricuspid valve repair (TVr) versus replacement (TVR).

Methods: Using our prospective cardiac surgery database, 57 patients who underwent ITV operations between 01/02-03/14 were identified.

Sutureless Aortic Valves: Combining the Best or the Worst?

Aortic valve replacement is a life saving intervention. Significant progress has been made toward reducing surgical trauma through minimally invasive surgery and transcatheter techniques. Each of these approaches has its advantages and limitations.

Reoperative Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Versus Transcatheter Valve-in-Valve Replacement for Degenerated Bioprosthetic Aortic Valves.

Background: Bioprosthetic aortic valve use has increased steadily according to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database analyses. One of the momentums toward this trend is the future utilization of transcatheter valve-in-valve (TViV) techniques when bioprosthetic valves fail. We compared the results of reoperative TViV to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for degenerated bioprosthetic valves.

Should Moderate-to-Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation be Repaired During Reoperative Left-Sided Valve Procedures?

The risks vs benefits of tricuspid valve (TV) surgery in reoperative patients requiring left-sided valve surgery and moderate-to-severe tricuspid regurgitation is unclear. We compared patients with and without concomitant TV surgery. A total of 200 patients with moderate-to-severe TV regurgitation had reoperative left-sided valve procedures from January 2002 to April 2014; 75 with TV intervention (TVI) and 125 with no tricuspid intervention (TVN).

Surgical outcomes of infective endocarditis among intravenous drug users.

Background: With increasing prevalence of injected drug use in the United States, a growing number of intravenous drug users (IVDUs) are at risk for infective endocarditis (IE) that may require surgical intervention; however, few data exist about clinical outcomes of these individuals.

Methods: We evaluated consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for active IE between 2002 and 2014 pooled from 2 prospective institutional databases. Death and valve-related events, including reinfection or heart valve reoperation, thromboembolism, and anticoagulation-related hemorrhage were evaluated.

Aortic Regurgitation With Markedly Reduced Left Ventricular Function Is Not a Contraindication for Aortic Valve Replacement.

Background: The current study assesses outcomes and risk factors for aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic regurgitation (AR) in the setting of markedly reduced left ventricular (LV) function compared with moderately reduced LV function and preserved LV function.

Methods: Between January 2002 and June 2013, 485 consecutive patients underwent AVR for severe AR. Overall, 37 of 485 patients (8%) had an LV ejection fraction (EF) less than or equal to 35% (low EF) with median of 30%; 141 of 485 patients (27%) had an LVEF of 36% to 50% (moderate) with median of 45%, and 307 of 485 patients (65%) had an LVEF greater than 50% (preserved) with median of 60%.

Are homografts superior to conventional prosthetic valves in the setting of infective endocarditis involving the aortic valve?

Background: Surgical dogma suggests that homografts should be used preferentially, compared with conventional xenograft or mechanical prostheses, in the setting of infective endocarditis (IE), because they have greater resistance to infection. However, comparative data that support this notion are limited.

Methods: From the prospective databases of 2 tertiary academic centers, we identified 304 consecutive adult patients (age ≥17 years) who underwent surgery for active IE involving the aortic valve (AV), in the period 2002 to 2014.

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery Consensus Guidelines: Reasons and purpose.

The time interval for the doubling of medical knowledge continues to decline. Physicians, patients, administrators, government officials, and payors are struggling to keep up to date with the waves of new information and to integrate the knowledge into new patient treatment protocols, processes, and metrics. Guidelines, Consensus Guidelines, and Consensus Statements, moderated by seasoned content experts, offer one method to rapidly distribute new information in a timely manner and also guide minimal standards of treatment of clinical care pathways as they are developed as part of bundled care programs.

History of Cardiac Surgery at the Peter Bent Brigham and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

The history of the Brigham dates from 1913, Harvey Cushing was the first chief of surgery and while at Hopkins did research on mitral stenosis, In 1913 he chose Elliot cutler to be a resident and in 1913 Cutler did the first successful valve operation in the world setting the tone of innovation and dedication to cardiac disease surgical treatment over the next century. There was large numbers of closed mitrals operations in 40s-60s. Bioprothetic valve implantation in the 70s mitral valve repair beginning in the 80s and continuing to the present and one of the first proponents of minimally invasive valve surgery starting in the 90s continuing to the present .

Long term outcomes of posterior leaflet folding valvuloplasty for mitral valve regurgitation.

Background: Posterior mitral valve leaflet prolapse due to degenerative mitral valve disease has been treated with tissue sparing repair techniques since 2002. The simplified foldoplasty technique effectively lowers the height of the redundant posterior leaflet and creates an optimal coaptation line for the anterior leaflet that results in excellent long term durability, freedom from reoperation, and return of functional status.

Methods: Patient demographics and in-hospital outcome data were extracted from electronic medical records of 229 patients, aged 60.

Nineteen-Millimeter Bioprosthetic Aortic Valves Are Safe and Effective for Elderly Patients With Aortic Stenosis.

Background: Replacing a stenotic aortic valve with 19-mm bioprostheses remains controversial owing to potential patient-prosthesis mismatch concerns. We report a single-center 10 year experience with 19-mm bioprosthetic valves implanted in elderly patients. We hypothesized patients would have acceptable in-hospital and long-term outcomes.

Influence of experience and the surgical learning curve on long-term patient outcomes in cardiac surgery.

Objective: We hypothesized that increased postgraduate surgical experience correlates with improved operative efficiency and long-term survival in standard cardiac surgery procedures.

Methods: Utilizing a prospectively collected retrospective database, we identified patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (n = 3726), aortic valve replacement (AVR) (n = 1626), mitral valve repair (n = 731), mitral valve replacement (MVR) (n = 324), and MVR + AVR (n = 184) from January 2002 through June 2012. After adjusting for patient risk and surgeon variability, we evaluated the influence of surgeon experience on cardiopulmonary bypass and crossclamp times, and long-term survival.

Evolution of the concept and practice of mitral valve repair.

The first successful mitral valve repair was performed by Elliot Cutler at Brigham and Women's Hospital in 1923. Subsequent evolution in the surgical techniques as well as multi-disciplinary cooperation between cardiac surgeons, cardiologists and cardiac anesthesiologists has resulted in excellent outcomes. In spite of this, the etiology of mitral valve pathology ultimately determines the outcome of mitral valve repair.

Appropriate patient selection or health care rationing? Lessons from surgical aortic valve replacement in the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves I trial.

Objectives: The study objectives were to (1) compare the safety of high-risk surgical aortic valve replacement in the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) I trial with Society of Thoracic Surgeons national benchmarks; (2) reference intermediate-term survival to that of the US population; and (3) identify subsets of patients for whom aortic valve replacement may be futile, with no survival benefit compared with therapy without aortic valve replacement.

Methods: From May 2007 to October 2009, 699 patients with high surgical risk, aged 84 ± 6.3 years, were randomized in PARTNER-IA; 313 patients underwent surgical aortic valve replacement.

The impact of a minimally invasive approach on reoperative aortic valve replacement.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The advantages of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (AVR) are well documented, but whether the benefits extend to subsequent reoperative aortic valve surgery and beyond is unknown. The study aim was to compare in-hospital outcomes and long-term survival following reoperative AVR between patients who had previous undergone either minimally invasive AVR (mini-AVR) or full sternotomy AVR (sAVR).

Methods: All reoperative, isolated AVRs performed between July 1997 and September 2013 at the authors' institution, with or without non-complex aortic surgery, were identified.

Surgical Embolectomy for Acute Massive and Submassive Pulmonary Embolism in a Series of 115 Patients.

Background: Pulmonary embolectomy is often indicated for central pulmonary embolism (PE) with hemodynamic instability, but remains controversial for hemodynamically stable patients with signs of right ventricular dysfunction. Because thrombolytic therapy is often contraindicated postoperatively, we reviewed risk factors and outcomes of pulmonary embolectomy for stable and unstable central PE, particularly in the early postoperative period.

Methods: Between October 1999 and September 2013, 115 patients underwent pulmonary embolectomy for central, hemodynamically unstable PE (49 of 115, 43%) or hemodynamically stable PE (56 of 115, 49%).

Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement versus aortic valve replacement through full sternotomy: the Brigham and Women's Hospital experience.

Background: Minimally invasive aortic valve surgery (mini AVR) is a safe and effective treatment option at many hospital centers, but there has not been widespread adoption of the procedure. Critics of mini AVR have called for additional evidence with direct comparison to aortic valve replacement (AVR) via full sternotomy (FS).

Methods: Our mini AVR approach is through a hemi-sternotomy (HS).

The safety of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest in aortic valve replacement with unclampable aorta in non-octogenarians.

Objectives: Aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with severely atherosclerotic aortas (porcelain aorta) presents a significant technical challenge. Two strategies are deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) during conventional surgery and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The aim of this study was to examine the outcomes in patients who underwent DHCA for AVR with a porcelain aorta to identify whether older patients are more suitable for TAVR.