The ESTS-AIR database-initial results of a multi-institutional database on airway surgery.

Objectives: Compared to lung resections, airway procedures are relatively rare in thoracic surgery. Despite this, a growing number of dedicated airway centres have formed throughout Europe. These centres are characterized by a close interdisciplinary collaboration and they often act as supra-regional referring centres.

Effect of time-delay on lunar sampling tele-operations: Evidences from cardiac, ocular and behavioral measures.

The purpose of this study is to quantify performance in human-robot interaction under time-delay conditions in a lunar tele-operations sampling task, by testing the hypothesis that an increase of time-delay would lead to higher perceived workload and lower human performance in human-robotic integrated operations. Tele-operation is key in the exploration of the Moon, and allows for robotic elements to be controlled from orbital infrastructure and other planetary bodies such as the Earth. Considering that future missions aim to control rovers (amongst others for sampling tasks) from Earth (delay: 3s), the Gateway (delay: 0.

Long-term follow-up of voice changes after cervical mediastinoscopy.

Background: Vocal cord palsy after cervical mediastinoscopy is usually reported at less than 1%. However, its incidence might be underestimated and no follow-up studies are available. Our study aimed to evaluate the incidence of voice changes after cervical mediastinoscopy and report on long-term outcomes, including quality of life, after at least one-year follow-up.

The monocyte activation test detects potentiated cytokine release resulting from the synergistic effect of endotoxin and non-endotoxin pyrogens.

Pyrogens are classified in two groups, endotoxin pyrogens and non-endotoxin pyrogens (NEPs). The presence of either in parenteral pharmaceuticals or medical devices can cause severe harm to subjects, and when occurring in combination, synergistic potentiation effects can occur. As the standard in vitro pyrogen test, the Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) assay can detect LPS only, an endotoxin, but not NEPs.

Functional outcome after (laryngo)tracheal resection and reconstruction for acquired benign (laryngo)tracheal stenosis.

Background: In this study we focus on functional outcomes after (laryngo)tracheal resection and reconstruction for acquired benign (laryngo)tracheal stenosis, with a specific interest in the impact of laryngeal involvement on postoperative outcome.

Methods: All patients who underwent (laryngo)tracheal surgery for benign pathology between 1996 and 2017 in our centre were included in this retrospective study. Surgical outcomes were procedural success rate, and airway- and voice-related complications.

Parenteral bilirubin in healthy volunteers: a reintroduction in translational research.

Aims: Preclinical results suggest therapeutic potential of mild hyperbilirubinemia in T2DM and cardiovascular disease. Translational data are limited, because an appropriate bilirubin formulation for parenteral human use is lacking. Considering its use in both clinical practice and medical research in the past, we explored the feasibility to reintroduce parenteral bilirubin for translational experiments.

Decreased physical activity is a predictor for a complicated recovery post cardiac surgery.

Background: Physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and physically active survivors of a cardiac event are at lower risk of recurrent events. We hypothesized that patients with a decreased PA, undergoing cardiac surgery, are at higher risk for a postoperative complicated recovery (PCR).

Methods: Three thousand three hundred eighty two patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery between January 2007 and December 2013 were included.

Tracheal rupture after intubation and placement of an endotracheal balloon catheter (A-view®) in cardiac surgery.

The endotracheal balloon catheter (A-view®) is a device developed to locate atherosclerotic plaques of the ascending aorta (AA) in cardiac surgery to prevent stroke. The saline-filled balloon is located in the trachea and combines the advantages of transoesophageal echocardiography (e.g.

Sex differences in patient and procedural characteristics and early outcomes following cardiac surgery.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether women undergoing cardiac surgery are more likely to suffer postoperative complications and mortality than men with respect to baseline and procedural characteristics.

Methods: Data of 4030 adult patients undergoing cardiac surgery between January 2007 and June 2012 were retrospectively analyzed; 3075 isolated CABGs (CABG-group) and 955 aortic valve replacements (AVR) whether or not in combination with CABG (VALVE-group) The total study population, had a mean age 69.6 ±10.