Single-Dose del Nido Cardioplegia Compared With Standard Cardioplegia During Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting at a Veterans Affairs Hospital.

Del Nido cardioplegic solution (DNC), used chiefly in pediatric patients, rapidly induces prolonged cardiac arrest during cardiac surgery. To determine whether surgical outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting in a United States military veteran population differed when DNC was used instead of our standard Plegisol cardioplegia, we retrospectively reviewed 155 consecutive operations performed from July 2016 through June 2017. Del Nido cardioplegia was used to induce cardiac arrest in 70 patients, and Plegisol in 85.

Low left ventricular ejection fraction, complication rescue, and long-term survival after coronary artery bypass grafting.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), complication rescue, and long-term survival after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: National cohort study of patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (2000-2016) using Veterans Affairs Surgical Quality Improvement Program data. Left ventricular ejection fraction was categorized as ≥35% (n = 55,877), 25%-34% (n = 3893), or <25% (n = 1707).

Contemporary Trends and Outcomes of Percutaneous and Surgical Mitral Valve Replacement or Repair in Patients With Cancer.

In the era of emerging options for mitral valvular intervention, we sought to characterize the relative utilization, outcomes, and posthospital dispositions of patients referred for transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVRepair) and surgical mitral valve procedures (SMVP), by cancer-status. Leveraging the National Inpatient Sample, a representative national dataset, ICD-9 codes for all adults >18 years with co-morbid mitral regurgitation, and cancer without metastatic disease admitted from 2003 to 2015 were queried. TMVRepair was performed in 700 hospitalizations from 2012 to 2015, whereas SMVP was utilized during 12,863 hospitalizations from 2003 to 2015.

Neurologic complications after the frozen elephant trunk procedure: A meta-analysis of more than 3000 patients.

Objective: The frozen elephant trunk technique's safety regarding spinal cord ischemia has been questioned. We used a meta-analysis to determine the rates of adverse neurologic events and mortality.

Methods: We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases (inception to April 2018) to identify studies of neurologic events after the frozen elephant trunk procedure.

Mitral Valve Repair Rate at a Veterans Affairs Hospital Utilizing a Multidisciplinary Heart Team.

Between 2000 and 2008, the mitral valve (MV) repair rate in patients with severe mitral regurgitation at our low-volume Veterans Affairs hospital was 21%. After instituting a multidisciplinary valve team in 2009, we determined whether this rate increased and characterized the outcomes of patients with degenerative disease. We retrospectively reviewed data from 103 MV operations performed at our hospital between 1/2009 and 8/2016.

Post-Pericardiotomy Syndrome: Beware or Just Be Aware?

See Article by Lehto et al .

Air Leak Management Program With Digital Drainage Reduces Length of Stay After Lobectomy.

Background: Air leaks can impede recovery from lung resection. To help prevent and manage air leaks, we developed a comprehensive program that includes using precompression of lung staple lines, sealant, fissureless video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS) lobectomy, a digital drainage system, and endobronchial valve placement for prolonged air leak. We assessed the effectiveness of this program on air leak duration, hospital length of stay (LOS), and chest tube duration in our high-risk veteran population.