A posterior pericardial chest tube is associated with reduced incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: A propensity score-matched study.

Objective: Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication after cardiac surgery that is associated with other adverse outcomes. Recent studies have shown that drainage of pericardial effusion by a posterior pericardial incision reduces the incidence of POAF. An alternative approach is a chest tube placed posteriorly in the pericardium.

A mediastinal angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma radically resected with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass and transection of the ascending aorta.

Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare soft tissue tumour that rarely behaves malignant. We report a radical resection of a mediastinal angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma, which grew invasively into the pulmonary artery wall, was adherent to the posterior aorta and close to the main stem of the left coronary artery. A transection of the aorta was performed using cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegic arrest for a safe and radical removal that resulted in symptom relief.

Frailty assessment tools and associated postoperative outcomes in older patients undergoing elective surgery: A prospective pilot study.

Background: There is a need for a feasible tool to assess the risk of frailty prior to surgery. We aimed to identify the ratio of abnormal results for three clinically applicable screening tools to assess the risk of frailty, and their association with adverse outcomes in a cohort of elderly surgical patients.

Methods: In this prospective pilot study, patients ≥65 years undergoing preoperative evaluation for elective surgery were included and subjected to three frailty screening tests; Program of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy 7-item questionnaire (PRISMA7), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and Clock Drawing Test (CDT).