Early outcome after off-pump versus on-pump coronary bypass surgery: results from a randomized study.

Background: The use of cardiopulmonary bypass during coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) has been associated with substantial morbidity. The recent introduction of cardiac stabilizers facilitates CABG without cardiopulmonary bypass (off-pump CABG), but it is unknown whether cardiac outcome after off-pump surgery is similar to that for the on-pump procedure.

Methods And Results: In a multicenter trial, 281 patients (mean age 61 years, SD 9 years) were randomly assigned to off-pump or on-pump CABG.

Optimal oral anticoagulant intensity to prevent secondary ischemic and hemorrhagic events in patients after infrainguinal bypass graft surgery. Dutch BOA Study Group.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal intensity of oral anticoagulation in patients who participated in a randomized trial of oral anticoagulants or aspirin after infrainguinal bypass graft surgery.

Methods: The distribution of patient-time spent in international normalized ratio (INR) classes of 0.5 INR unit was calculated assuming a linear change between successive measurements.

Recurrent ischemia in symptomatic carotid occlusion: prognostic value of hemodynamic factors.

Objective: To identify hemodynamic factors that predict recurrence of ipsilateral cerebral ischemic events in patients with symptomatic carotid artery occlusion (CAO).

Patients And Methods: The authors studied 117 consecutive patients with CAO and corresponding recent ( View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Changes over time in optimal duplex threshold for the identification of patients eligible for carotid endarterectomy.

Background And Purpose: Two surgical trials established that carotid endarterectomy is beneficial to symptomatic patients who have a severe internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis on angiograms. Duplex ultrasonography-derived hemodynamic parameters show a good correlation with angiography and are often used for detecting severe ICA stenoses. However, duplex performance is ultrasound machine and operator dependent.