Outcomes of Surgical Repair of Tetralogy of Fallot: A Comparison Between the Adult and Pediatric Population.

Introduction Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease. Early detection and timely treatment have provided successful repair of the anomaly in the developed world. However, in the developing world, there is still a burden of uncorrected TOF patients reaching adulthood. The goal of this study is to determine whether there is any difference in postoperative complications between adult and pediatric populations following surgical correction for TOF. Methods This study involved all those patients who received primary or secondary surgical repair for TOF in our facility between January 2017 and December 2020. The patients were split according to their age into the pediatric group if they were under 18 years and the adult group if they were 18 years or older. Patients with absent pulmonary valve or pulmonary atresia were not included in this study. Patients with large major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCA) were also excluded from this study. All patients underwent total correction through a median sternotomy approach. The ventricular septal defect was closed with a Bard knitted fiber patch. The right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) was augmented by excising muscle bands or fibrous bands in the RVOT. If the annulus was smaller than the 3.5 z score, then a transannular patch was done using an autologous pericardium. The main pulmonary artery was augmented in every surgery using an autologous pericardial patch. All patients were shifted to the ICU on the ventilator and were extubated after fulfillment of the extubation criteria. Postoperative complications measured included re-opening, re-intubation, prolonged ventilation (>24 hours), and mortality within the index hospital admission. The clinical data of all patients were prospectively collected and analyzed using the chi-square test and t-test. A p-value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered significant. Results The total number of patients was 134. This included 83 males (60.1%). A total of 114 patients who were aged below 18 years were included in the pediatric group, and 20 patients aged equal to or more than 18 years were included in the adult group. The mean average perfusion time in minutes in the adult group was 125.8 and in the pediatric group, it was 98.79. Similarly, the mean average of the cross-clamp time was also longer in the adult group at 89.55 minutes versus 69.63 minutes in the pediatric group. Overall, in the adult group, three (15%) patients had postoperative complications, while in the pediatric group, a total of 14 (11.9%) patients had postoperative complications (p = 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the number of re-openings (8.5% vs. 10%; p = 0.8). The total mortality observed was 16 (11.59%). This included 14 (11.9%) in the pediatric group and two (10%) in the adult group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.8). Conclusions Surgical repair of TOF can be performed in both adult and pediatric populations with acceptable outcomes. The mortality rate was found to be slightly greater in the pediatric population compared to the adults. However, it can be seen that the number of postoperative complications is greater in adults. Further research is needed to optimize outcomes for both pediatric and adult patients with TOF.

Diffuse Coronary Artery Disease - A Challenge To Revascularize And The Role Of Coronary Endarterectomy.

Coronary endarterectomy is a useful adjunct procedure in patients with diffuse coronary artery disease when isolated coronary artery bypass grafting does not permit adequate revascularization. The primary aim of this procedure is to enable ample blood flow by removing the obstructing plaque. Herein we discuss the case of a middle-aged patient who underwent coronary endarterectomy.

A multi-disciplinary approach to the management of intra-venous and intra-cardiac leiomymatosis: A case report.

We herein report a rare presentation of leiomyoma in a 46-year-old female who presented with complaints of shortness of breath on exertion associated with palpitations for the past one year with a history of irregular menstrual bleeding. Ultrasonography of the abdomen and pelvis revealed an enlarged, distorted uterus with multiple intramural fibroids. A trans-thoracic echocardiography was then performed which showed a large right atrial mass. To investigate further, a contrast enhanced computed tomography was performed covering entire chest and upper abdomen. It showed a large lesion in the right atrium of the heart measuring 6x5cm. The lesion appeared hypo dense and was abutting the tricuspid valve and posterior wall of the Right Atrium. It revealed the Right Atrial lesion extending into the Inferior Vena Cava and lower down into the Common Iliac Confluence, Left Common Iliac and External Iliac Veins. A multi-disciplinary approach was undertaken; the patient underwent a single stage procedure involving a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy followed by excision of the intra-cardiac tumour. Recovery was uneventful and the patient was successfully discharged on the 5th post-operative day. Due to the lack of literature and low incidence of this disease, this case report presents a rare opportunity to define management guidelines for such occurrences in the future.

Effect of COVID-19 on the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Procedures Mix at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Objective To assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery procedures volume at a tertiary care hospital. Materials & Methods This cross-sectional retrospective study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital's Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery department. All the four-year surgical procedures data were reviewed from August 2017 to August 2021. After extracting data from the hospital database software, a databank was generated in SPSS version 24.0. Average cases per month were calculated, and the data were stratified into three groups, Pre-COVID, COVID, and Post-COVID. Tables and charts were generated for the representation of data. Results The total number of patients that underwent cardiovascular and thoracic procedures during the years 2017-2021 were 3,624, with male predominance (71.5%). Procedures were divided into Pre-COVID (68.5%), COVID (15.2%) and Post-COVID (16.3%) groups. Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) was the most common procedure throughout the study duration (56.8%) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (29 procedures/month). Congenital Heart Surgeries (16.6%) and Valvular surgeries (11.5%) were next on the list. However, congenital heart surgeries were most affected during the pandemic (16 to 5 procedures/month). The average number of surgeries per month peaked at 2017 (135 procedures/month) and after that declined to its low of 46/month during the COVID-19 pandemic (The year 2020). Conclusion Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeries have significantly decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the Coronary Artery Bypass (CABG) and Congenital Heart Surgeries. CABG procedures, however, remained the highest performed surgery even during the pandemic due to their emergent nature. Thoracic, vascular, and combined surgeries have stayed almost constant. The year 2020 (COVID-19 year) saw the lowest number of surgeries performed per month. An uprising trend in the number of surgical procedures is seen in the post-pandemic time (2021).

Trends in per-operative parameters and postoperative complications associated with coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG); A four-year retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the patterns of per-operative parameters and early outcomes of patients that underwent CABG surgery during a four-year period. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a tertiary care of hospital from November 2020 to January 2021. All the patients that underwent the isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedure were included in the study from June 2017 till June 2020. Data was collected on a data extraction form and stored in SPSS format which was analyzed for qualitative statistics keeping p<0.05 as significant. All the results were represented in the form of tables. RESULTS: A total of 1,613 patients were operated upon for Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) procedure during the study period with 1,222 (75.8%) males and 391 (24.2%) females. Dyslipidemia (71.8%) was the most common risk factor. The average perfusion time decreased only slightly (~1 minute) from 96.01 minutes to 95.07 minutes (2017 to 2020). This change however was not significant (p=0.301). The rate of Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA) use stayed relatively stable over the 4-year period fluctuating between 88.7% and 92.9% (p=0.360). The average initial ICU stay (in hours), drain at 12 hours and 24 hours stays almost the same. The rate of mortality peaked in 2018 (4.76%) and subsequently fell to 3.57% by 2020. CONCLUSION: More males underwent CABG surgery at this tertiary care hospital and the overall complication rate and per-operative parameters improved over the years. The non-risk stratified mortality in this study was found to be higher than developed nations.

Early Chest Re-Exploration for Excessive Bleeding in Post Cardiac Surgery Patients: Does It Matter?

Introduction Re-explorations after open-heart surgery are often required if the patient is bleeding or shows features of cardiovascular instability and does not improve with conservative measures. Our study aims to determine whether timely re-exploration of patients who are bleeding has an impact on the morbidity and mortality of the patients. Methods A retrospective analysis of 75 patients that underwent open-heart surgery and subsequently underwent chest re-exploration for excessive bleeding between March 2018 and March 2020. Patients who were reopened post-op for indications other than excessive bleeding were excluded. Results A total number of cases were 700, out of which 75 (9.3%) patients were reopened, as compared to the literature, which shows worldwide 2-11% being reopened. Post-operative drain output was 1000ml to 1500ml in 47 (62.7%) and more than 1500ml in 28 (37.3%) patients before they were reopened. In 67 (89.3%) patients, three to five units of blood were transfused, and in eight (10.7%) patients, more than five units of blood were transfused. We believe our mortality in the reopened patients was low, because of timely intervention and early re-exploration, and is probably the reason why our figures land in a higher range (2-11%) of reopened cases (9.3%). Reopening time was less than five hours in 49 (65.3%) patients and less than 10 hours in 26 (34.7%) patients in our study. We tried to minimize the loss of blood and re-explored the patients before they lose excessive blood, the average time for reopening in our study was less than 10 hours. The average intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 4.2 days (range three to six days). Wound infections were reported in one of three patients. There was no mortality in these patients. Surgical site of bleeding was identified in 54 (72%) patients and no particular site was found in 21 (28%) patients. Suggesting that it is common to have a surgical bleeder than coagulopathy induced bleeding in post-cardiac surgery patients Conclusions We believe our low mortality (0%) is due to early reopening in patients who are bleeding excessively after cardiac surgery.

Incidence and Causes of Reintubation Other Than Reopening of the Chest in Post-Cardiac Surgical Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Objective To determine the incidence of endotracheal reintubation, excluding surgical reopening, in post-cardiac surgical patients in a tertiary care hospital. Material and methods A retrospective descriptive analysis of 408 patients who underwent different cardiac surgeries during this period. Post-operative extubation was performed when patients fulfilled the preset criteria for extubation, which include consciousness (awake and aware), stable vital signs, acceptable arterial blood gases, acceptable respiratory mechanics, a maximum inspiratory force greater than 20-25 cm H2O, chest tube drainage less than 100 ml per hour, normal temperature and electrolytes. The total number of patients who were reintubated within 72 hours of extubation was noted. The criteria for reintubation included altered conscious level with Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) of less than 8, respiratory failure, unstable hemodynamics, and arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation. All of the information was collected retrospectively on a specifically prepared form. Data was entered and evaluated in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The research was piloted in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) of Northwest General Hospital and Research Center, Hayatabad, Peshawar from December 2018 to March 2020. Results Out of 408 patients who had cardiac surgeries, only nine (2.2%) were reintubated after initial extubation. The average time for which patients remained on the ventilator was 8 ± 2 hours. The reasons for reintubation were recorded. Among those reintubated, eight patients (88.88%) had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) whereas one patient (11.11%) had undergone mitral valve replacement (MVR). In three (33.33%) patients, stroke (hemiplegia in two and global brain ischemia in one) with low GCS was the primary cause of reintubation. Arrhythmias - which included VT, ventricular fibrillation (VF), and supraventricular tachyarrhythmias (SVT) - were responsible for three (33.33%) cases of reintubation. Respiratory failure - with a partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood less than 60 mmHg, along with tachypnea - was responsible for reintubation in two (22.22%) patients. In one (11.11%) patient who had MVR, cardiac arrest was the underlying reason; the cause of arrest could not be retrieved from the retrospective data. Notably, as a common variable, five (62.5%) out of the eight reintubated CABG patients had a poor left ventricular function.  Conclusion Causes of reintubation were primarily cardiac (arrhythmias) and neurological, followed by respiratory causes in our center. Patients with poor left ventricular function and diffuse coronary artery disease appear to have a higher incidence of reintubation which can lead to extended CICU and hospital stay, elevated mortality, and higher costs.

Effect of Concomitant Tricuspid Annuloplasty on Early Outcomes of Mitral Valve Replacement: A Study on Rheumatic Heart Disease Patients.

Introduction Mitral valve abnormalities in rheumatic heart disease commonly lead to functional tricuspid regurgitation. Tricuspid annuloplasty (TA) is often performed in these cases along with mitral valve replacement (MVR). Our aim was to compare the perioperative morbidity and mortality among those patients that underwent mitral valve replacement with tricuspid annuloplasty versus those that underwent isolated mitral valve replacement. Methods A retrospective analysis of 158 patients that underwent mitral valve replacement, with or without tricuspid annuloplasty, secondary to rheumatic heart disease between January 2017 and August 2020. Patients who underwent additional cardiothoracic surgical procedures (aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting) were excluded to reduce confounders. Results The study group consisted of 158 patients (mean age 41; 73 male, 85 female) that underwent MVR with TA (n=22; 13.9%) or without TA (n=136; 86.1%). Both groups had similar comorbidity frequencies and medication history. Preoperative echocardiography showed a comparable degree of pulmonary hypertension and ejection fraction between the two groups. The TA+MVR group had similar intraoperative (81.8% vs 66.9%; p=0.161) and postoperative (45.5% vs 45.6%; p=0.991) blood products usage compared to the MVR only group. Concurrent TA resulted in similar in-hospital mortality (4.5% vs 4.4%; p=0.977) as well as early postoperative complications, namely, prolonged ICU stay (13.6% vs 10.3%; p=0.639), prolonged ventilation (0 vs 2.2%; p=0.482), re-intubation (9.1% vs 2.9%; p= 0.161), and reopening for bleeding tamponade (0 vs 5.1%; p=0.276). Conclusions TA concurrently with MVR does not appear to increase in-hospital mortality or early postoperative complications.

To determine the frequency of stroke and common factors leading to it after coronary artery bypass grafting.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of stroke and common factors leading to it after coronary artery bypass grafting. METHODS: This study was conducted at Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, Rehman Medical Institute, Peshawar. Study design was descriptive cross sectional study and the duration of the study was six months. The total sample size was 183 cases using 8.3% frequency of stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting, 95% confidence interval, 4% margin of error, using WHO sample size calculator. RESULTS: In this study mean age was 45 years with SD ± 1.26. Seventy five percent patients were male while 46(25%) females. Six patients (3%) patients had stroke while 177(97%) patients did not have any stroke. Among the six patients who were analyzed, all of them had Diabetes Mellitus and 50% patients had recent AMI, while only one patient had prior history of Atrial Fibrillation. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes Mellitus is an independent risk factor for stroke after CABG surgery. whereas, recent MI is also associated with increased incidence of stroke in post CABG patients.

Pulmonary Hypertension as a Predictor of Early Outcomes of Mitral Valve Replacement: A Study in Rheumatic Heart Disease Patients.

Aim Mitral valve pathology in rheumatic heart disease patients is a common cause of secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH). Our aim was to evaluate pulmonary hypertension severity as a predictor of in-hospital mortality and early complications following mitral valve replacement. Methods A retrospective review of rheumatic heart disease patients who underwent mitral valve replacement between January 2017 and August 2020 was performed. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) was used to classify patients as no PH (<35 mmHg), mild PH (35-44 mmHg), moderate PH (45-59 mmHg) or severe PH (>60 mmHg). Patients subjected to additional cardiac procedures (such as aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting) were excluded from the study sample. Results The study group was composed of 159 patients (mean age: 40; 73 male, 86 female) categorized as no PH (n = 32; 20.1%), mild PH (n = 14; 8.8%), moderate PH (n = 65, 40.9%) and severe PH (n = 48, 30.2%) groups. Patient demographic data and preoperative comorbidities were comparable among the four groups. Use of intraoperative and postoperative blood products was similar in all the groups. Severe PH patients had similar in-hospital mortality (4.2%; p = 0.74) as in groups with lesser degrees of pulmonary hypertension. Likewise, increasing severity of pulmonary hypertension did not confer any significant increase in early postoperative complications, namely prolonged ICU stay (10.4%; p = 0.41), prolonged ventilation (2.1%; p = 0.70), reintubation (4.2%; p = 0.90), reopening for bleeding tamponade (6.3%; p = 0.39), new-onset renal failure (6.3%; p = 0.91), postoperative stroke (4.2%; p = 0.52) or prolonged length of stay (mean: 5.6 + 2.8 days; p = 0.49). Conclusions Increasing severity of pulmonary hypertension does not appear to have a significant impact on in-hospital mortality or early postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing mitral valve replacement.

The effect of ejection fraction on mortality in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with low ejection fraction undergoing isolated CABG surgery are at a higher risk for postoperative complications and mortality. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of ejection fraction on the outcome of isolated Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). METHODS: Between July, 2017 to May, 2019 total 1214 patients underwent isolated CABG. Patients were divided into three groups based on their pre-operative Ejection Fraction (EF). Group-I included 625 patients with EF >50% [Normal EF], Group-II included 484 patients with EF 35-50% [Mild to Moderately Reduced EF], and Group 3 included 105 patients with EF<35% [Severely Reduced EF]. RESULTS: The mean age of Group-I was 57.58 ± 9.206, Group-II was 58.38±9.124 and Group-III was 58.81± 8.663. The male gender was the predominant gender in all three groups: 194(41.1%) in Group-I, 201(52.6%) in Gp2, 52 (61.9%) in Group-III. 231(36.9) patients in Group-I, 234(48.3)in Group-II and 59(56.2) in Group-III had raised creatinine pre operatively. 5(0.8%) patients in Group-I, 2(0.4%) in Group-II and 3(2.9%) in Group-III had history of CVA. Hypertension was present in approximately 60% of all our patients. In the per-operative period 20(3.2%) patients in Group-I required an IABP as compared to 73(15.1%) in Group-II and 41(39.0%) in Group-III. The mean post-operative mortality in Group-I was 19 (3%), Group-II was 24(5.0%) and low EF group was 9(8.6%). CONCLUSIONS: The results clearly indicate that worsening pre-operative ejection fraction is associated with a higher mortality post-operatively in patients undergoing isolated CABG. In addition, use of IABP increases as pre-operative LVEF decreases.

Fingolimod (FTY720) Preserves High Energy Phosphates and Improves Cardiac Function in Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Model.

During heart transplantation, donor heart leads to reduced oxygen supply resulting in low level of high energy phosphate (HEP) reserves in cardiomyocyte. Lower HEP is one of the underlying reasons of cell death due to ischemia. In this study we investigated the role of Fingolimod (FTY720) in heart transplantation ischemia. Eight groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 5 for each subgroup) were made, A1 and C1 were given FTY720 1 mg/kg while B1 and D1 were given normal saline. The hearts were implanted into another set of similar rats after preservation period of 1 h at 4-8 °C. Significantly higher Left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), dP/dT maximum (p < 0.05), dP/dT minimum (p < 0.05) were recorded in the FTY720 treated group after 24 h of reperfusion while after 1 h of reperfusion, there were no significant differences in LVSP, maximum and negative dP/dT, and Left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) between the control and the FTY720-treated transplant groups. Coronary blood flow (CBF) was enhanced (p < 0.05) in the FTY720 treated group after 1 and 24 h. ATP p < 0.001, p < 0.05 at 1 and 24 h, ADP p < 0.001, p > 0.05 at 1 and 24 h, and phosphocreatine p < 0.05, p > 0.05 at 1 and 24 h were better preserved by FTY720 treatment as compared to control group. The study concluded that pretreatment of grafted hearts with FTY720 improved hemodynamics, CBF, high energy phosphate reserves, reduces the peroxynitrite level and poly (ADP ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition that prevents ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Characteristics, morbidity and mortality factors associated with Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study is to analyze the characteristics, morbidity and mortality of patients requiring an Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) in Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). METHODS: An analysis was done on the prospectively collected data of 1216 patients who had CABG in our center between July, 2017 and May, 2019 at our hospital. We categorized patients in to an IABP and non-IABP group on the basis of IABP use. We then compared the pre-operative, per-operative and post-operative characteristics of the two groups. We further stratified the patients according to pre-op ejection fraction (EF). RESULTS: Out of 1216 patients, 135(11.10%) patients required an IABP. 70(51.9%) patients of IABP group and 699(64.7%) patients of non-IABP group had hypertension (p-value 0.0036). 23.0% had previous myocardial infarction (MI) in the IABP group and 13.8% had prior myocardial infarction (MI) in non-IABP group (p-value 0.0463). Among the patients requiring an IABP, 21(15.5%) of patients had normal EF (>50%) (P-value<0.0001), 72 (53.3%) had EF 35-50%, and 41(30.3%) patients had EF<35% (p-value <0.0001). Mortality of IABP group (19.3%) was greater than non-IABP group (2.4%) (P-value 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS: Use of IABP increased as the EF decreased. Rate of post-operative stroke, prolonged ICU stay, prolonged ventilation, re-opening due to bleeding and mortality was seen to be significantly higher in the IABP group.

A Retrospective Cohort Study on Coronary Endarterectomy Outcomes in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Patients.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to determine the outcomes following coronary endarterectomy (CE) in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for revascularization in our hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent CABG over a six-month period, from November 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017 and examined their outcomes in regards to CE. RESULTS: A total of (n=361) CABG procedures were performed in our study period, though complete records were available for only (n=254) patients. Amongst these, (n=37) patients (14.5%) required CE. Ages ranged from 43 to 75 years for these patients, (n=7) were females and (n=30) males. Comorbidities included hypertension in (n=19) patients, diabetes in (n=12) patients and hepatitis B in (n=11) patients. The right coronary artery (RCA) was the most common artery endarterectomized (n= 15), followed by the left anterior descending (LAD) (n= 10), obtuse marginal (n= 6 patients), diagonals (n=5) and ramus (n=2). Two vessels were endarterectomized in (n=4) patients. A total of (n=9) patients had two-vessel CABG, (n=16) had three-vessel CABG and (n=8) had four-vessel CABG. The left internal mammary artery (LIMA) was used in (n=25) patients. Two patients required intra-aortic balloon pump post-operatively. All the patients had received inotropic support postoperatively in the intensive care unit (ICU). There were no reports of postoperative mortality. One patient remained in the ICU for four days postoperatively, the rest of the patients were stepped down to the ward in less than four days. CONCLUSIONS: CE is a safe and viable option as an adjunct to CABG in long segment totally occluded vessels needing revascularization and reconstruction.

Outcomes of open repair for chronic descending thoracic aortic dissection.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzed early and late outcomes after open repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms with chronic aortic dissection. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our cases of open repair of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms with chronic dissection from 1991 to 2011. Patient comorbid conditions and operative details were analyzed to determine risks for adverse outcome. Long-term survival and aortic reinterventions were analyzed. RESULTS: We repaired 519 patients with descending thoracic aortic aneurysms during the study period, and 209 (40%) had chronic dissection. Mean age was 59 years, with 74% (154 of 209) men. Previous ascending repair was performed in 41% (85 of 209), and the second-stage elephant trunk was performed in 10% (21 of 209). Adjunctive distal aortic perfusion with cerebral spinal fluid drainage was used in 90% (188 of 209) of patients, and circulatory arrest with bypass in 1% (3 of 209). The 30-day mortality was 8.6% (18 of 209). Immediate neurologic deficit occurred in 0.95% (2 of 209) and only with extent C resection. Delayed neurologic deficit occurred in 1.4% (3 of 209), 1 patient in each extent. Because 66% (2 of 3) of the patients with delayed neurologic deficit recovered function, permanent deficit occurred in 1.4% (3 of 209). Stroke occurred in 2.4% (5 of 209) and dialysis on discharge in 5% (11 of 211). The only risk factor for 30-day mortality was preoperative glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min (odds ratio, 4.2; p < 0.006). Survival at 5, 10, and 15 years was 72%, 60%, and 49%, respectively. Freedom from reoperation on the operated-on segment was 98%, 96.5%, 96.5%, and 96.5% at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. CONCLUSIONS: Open repairs of chronic descending thoracic aortic aneurysm dissections can be performed with respectable morbidity and mortality. Neurologic deficit remains low with the use of adjuncts, and early deaths are directly related to preoperative renal status. Reintervention on the involved aortic segment is low. These results allow comparisons with endovascular repair for chronic aortic dissection.

Surgical outcomes based on resident involvement: what is the impact on vascular surgery patients?

BACKGROUND: Central to the education of future surgeons is residency which involves training and learning on patients. We examined the quality of surgical outcomes of vascular patients when residents were involved in their surgical case. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review was conducted using the data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program from the 2010 year vascular surgery patient cases. Statistical analysis was used to compare the cases with and without residents involved. RESULTS: There were a total of 363,431 from which we analyzed 2829 vascular surgery patients. Of those cases, 88% had a resident involved. Postgraduate year (PGY) 1 or 2 residents were involved in 12% and senior residents (PGY ≥ 3) were involved in 88% of surgeries. Preoperative pneumonia, cerebral vascular accident, dialysis, and smoking were significantly higher preoperative risk factors in the cases without the resident. Most of the patients were an American Society of Anesthesiology class III. Twenty-six percent of the patients were diabetic. The most common postoperative occurrences included transfusion requirement, postoperative pneumonia, and surgical site infections. Surgical site infections were the most common postoperative complication (4.6%). Cases with the resident involved had significantly more postoperative blood transfusions and on average took 15 more minutes to finish surgeries. A PGY 7 resident was predictive of prolonged hospital stay. The 30-day survival in the cases that had residents was 3.8% significantly higher compared with the cases that did not have residents. CONCLUSIONS: Resident involvement in surgeries does not significantly worsen surgical outcomes.

Evaluation of midlevel and upper-level residents performing their first robotic-sutured intestinal anastomosis.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzed the experience of residents performing their first robotic intestinal anastomosis. METHODS: Eleven residents were tested. Participants performed 2 ex vivo hand-sewn suture lines followed by 3 robotic suture lines. RESULTS: The leak pressures in hand-sewn groups were 28.5 and 28.1 mm Hg; and 17.4, 7.6, and 21.4 mm Hg for 3 consecutive robotic groups. Completion time was longer in the robotic groups. The need for haptic assistance decreased between the first and third robotic drills. An analysis of the subjective evaluations also was performed. CONCLUSIONS: Complex hand-sewn tasks can be reproduced successfully by the residents using the robot-suturing technique. The quality of suturing and completion time improved over 3 consecutive exercises, although it did not reach the level of the hand-sewn suturing group.

A comparison of robotic, laparoscopic, and hand-sewn intestinal sutured anastomoses performed by residents.

BACKGROUND: Robotic surgery offers all the advantages of laparoscopy with additional increased accuracy. The use of robotic surgery has increased in the past 5 years. It has proven particularly useful in complex surgical procedures such as intracorporeal intestinal anastomosis. As the prevalence of robotic surgery increases, so will the need for residents to be able to perform surgery using the robotic system. Our goal was to compare hand-sewn, laparoscopic, and robotic suturing techniques performed by midlevel residents using a porcine intestinal model. METHODS: Fifteen residents unfamiliar with the robotic suturing technique participated in performing an initial hand-sewn suture line and then were randomized with cross-over to laparoscopic or robotic suturing. Completion time, leak pressure, number of sutures per cm, and difficulty level were assessed. RESULTS: The mean leak pressure for hand-sewn, laparoscopic, and robotic suturing was 9.5, 3.2, and 11.4 mm Hg, respectively. The laparoscopic group had 6 and the robotic group had 1 suture line that was inadequate for testing. Suture breakage was common in the robotic group. The anastomosis was considered hard by 92% in the laparoscopic group versus 17% in the robotic group. The time it took to complete 1 cm of anastomosis was .9, 8.7, and 8.3 minutes for hand-sewn, laparoscopic, and robotic suturing, respectively. CONCLUSION: The robotic suture line performed by midlevel residents was superior to laparoscopy, although the time for anastomosis was equivalent.