Perspectives in Training and Professional Practice of Cardiac Surgery in Latin America.

Introduction: There is a lack of information about cardiac surgery training and professional practice in Latin American (LATAM) countries. This study is the first comparative analysis of cardiac surgical training and professional practice across LATAM and provides the fundamentals for future academic projects of the Latin American Association of Cardiac and Endovascular Surgery (LACES).

Methods: International survey-based comparative analysis of the training and professional practice of cardiac surgeons across LATAM.

Global perspectives on cardiothoracic, cardiovascular, and cardiac surgical training.

Objective: Various methods for cardiothoracic, cardiovascular, and cardiac surgical training exist across the globe, with the common goal of producing safe, independent surgeons. A comparative analysis of international training paradigms has not been undertaken, and our goal in doing so was to offer insights into how to best prepare future trainees and ensure the health of our specialty.

Methods: We performed a comparative analysis of available publications offering detailed descriptions of various cardiothoracic, cardiovascular, and cardiac surgical training paradigms.

Endovascular Treatment of the Ascending Aorta: is this the Last Frontier in Aortic Surgery?

Regardless the successful treatment of the descending aorta with endovascular prosthesis, for the ascending aorta segment, because of several anatomic and physiologic issues, this technique has been considered an alternative only for high-risk or inoperable patients. Despite restricted indications, hundreds of treatments have been performed worldwide, demonstrating its safety and reproducibility if it is done in high-quality centers. Therefore, understanding patients' selection criteria and technique limitations are critical to its application.

The Expression of and Preoperative Correlation between Heat-Shock Protein 70, EuroSCORE, and Lactate in Patients undergoing CABG with Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Objetive: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) improved symptoms and increased survival and quality of life in patients with coronary artery disease. However, it should be the main cause of a complex organic systemic inflammatory response that greatly contributes to several postoperative adverse effects.

Methods: We aimed to evaluate heat-shock protein 70 (HSP 70) expression as a morbimortality predictor in patients with preserved ventricular function undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and to determine their association with the lactate as a marker of tissue hypoperfusion and the EuroSCORE risk score.

Heterogeneous methodology of racial/ethnic classification may be responsible for the different risk assessments for prostate cancer between Black and White men in Brazil.

Objectives: To evaluate if the different results of prostate cancer risk between black and white Brazilian men may be associated with the varying methodology used to define participants as either Blacks or Whites.

Patients And Methods: We evaluated median PSA values, rate of PSA level ≥ 4.0 ng/ mL, indications for prostate biopsy, prostate cancer detection rate, biopsy/cancer rate, cancer/biopsy rate, and the relative risk of cancer between blacks versus whites, blacks versus non-blacks (browns and whites), non-whites (browns and blacks) versus whites, African versus non-African descendants, and African descendants or blacks versus non-African descendants and non-blacks.

Benefit from using recycling red blood cells in cardiovascular surgery.

Objective: To show if blood salvage is indicated in all patients submitted to cardiovascular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Methods: We studied 77 consecutive patients submitted to cardiac surgery with use of blood salvage and cardiopulmonary bypass from November 2010 to June 2012. The sample was divided in three groups, depending on the time of cardiopulmonary bypass.

The use of cell saver system in cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Introduction: The use of cell saver (CS) in cardiac surgery is proposed to reduce the use of units of packed red blood cells stored (URBC), which increases morbidity, mortality and causes inflammatory reactions.

Objective: The objective is to evaluate whether the use of CS decreases the use URBC, is cost /effective and beneficial to the patient.

Methods: In a prospective study, between November 2009 and October 2011, 100 consecutive patients who underwent cardiovascular surgery with CPB, hemodilution and hemofiltration, were enrolled.

Prevalence and risk factors for penile lesions/anomalies in a cohort of Brazilian men ≥ 40 years of age.

Purpose: To report the prevalence and risk factors of penile lesions/anomalies in a Metropolitan Brazilian city.

Materials And Methods: All participants undergoing prostate cancer screening in the city of Curitiba were systematically examined to identify penile lesions including cutaneous mycosis, sexually transmitted diseases, penile cancer, meatal stenosis, hypospadias, and Peyronie's disease. Outcomes of interest included the prevalence and the relative risk and 95% confidence intervals of the lesions/anomalies according to age, school level, race, personal history of diabetes, arterial hypertension, nonspecific urethritis, and vasectomy.

The significance of biological, environmental, and social risk factors for prostate cancer in a cohort study in Brazil.

Purpose: To evaluate the significance of several risk factors for prostate cancer in a cohort of Brazilian men.

Subjects And Methods: Men ≥ 40 years-old participating in a prostate cancer screening program between December 2006 and April 2011 in the city of Curitiba, Brazil, were evaluated to determine the prevalence, relative risk (RR) and 95 % CI of prostate cancer according to age, race, ethnicity, family history of prostate cancer, educational level, and history of vasectomy, increased blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and urethritis.

Results: In 2121 men included in this study, prostate cancer prevalence was 0.