Resident versus attending surgeon graft patency and clinical outcomes in on- versus off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Controversy exists regarding ideal approaches in teaching residents complex and/or new surgical techniques in part because consequences on patient outcomes are largely unknown. This study compared patient outcomes for cases in which residents (rather than attending surgeons) performed most of the distal anastomoses as primary surgeons, during on- and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: This preapproved substudy of the Randomized On/Off Bypass (ROOBY) trial compared clinical outcomes and 1-year graft patency for cases in which residents versus attending surgeons were the primary operator. Comparisons were made between on-pump and off-pump techniques. RESULTS: From July 2003 through May 2007, a total of 1272 ROOBY nonemergent CABG patients were randomized at 16 Veterans Affairs centers where residents were active participants. Residents were the primary surgeon (ie, performed ≥50% of the distal anastomoses) more frequently in on-pump (77.9%) than in off-pump (67.4%) cases. Between these 2 techniques, no differences were found [corrected] in baseline patient characteristics; short-term and 1-year morbidity and mortality rates were no different for residents versus attendings in CABG cases. FitzGibbon A graft patency rates were similar for resident versus attendings completed distal anastomoses for on-pump (83.0% vs 82.4%) compared with off-pump (77.2% vs 76.6%) procedures. CONCLUSIONS: In the ROOBY trial, short-term and 1-year patient outcomes and graft patency rates did not differ between resident and attending surgeons, demonstrating that with appropriate patient selection and resident supervision, residents can perform advanced, novel surgical techniques with outcomes similar to those of attending surgeons.

Treatment of endocarditis: a decade of experience.

BACKGROUND: Endocarditis represents a small proportion of cardiovascular disease but is associated with high mortality. Previous studies have reported a range of outcomes, and determinants of mortality remain poorly defined. METHODS: The goal of this retrospective study was to identify independent variables for early and late mortality in 364 consecutive patients with endocarditis over a 10-year period. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 48.2 years, 35% had a history intravenous drug use, 19.8% were reoperative, and 93% had native valve endocarditis. Fever (68%) and fatigue (36%) were the most common presenting symptoms, and congestive heart failure (52%), embolization (45%), and uncontrolled sepsis (36%) were the most common indications for surgery. Overall survival at discharge, 1, 5, and 10 years was 87%, 76%, 55%, and 31%, respectively. Survival at discharge, 5, and 10 years was 91%, 69%, and 41% for surgical patients and 85%, 60%, and 31% for medically treated patients, respectively. Surgery was associated with improved short-term and long-term survival (p < 0.0.01). Independent predictors of early death were hemodynamic instability (p = 0.013) and age older than 55 years (p < 0.025). Medical treatment (p = 0.005), age older than 55 years (p = 0.032), institution (p < 0.001), New York Heart Association functional class III or IV (p = 0.002), and hemodynamic instability (p = 0.044) were predictive of late death. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term and long-term mortality from endocarditis remains high, although surgically treated patients had improved survival. Differing outcomes from two geographically similar institutions highlight the limitations of extrapolating risk factors between disparate patient populations.

Wedge resection vs lobectomy: 10-year survival in stage I primary lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The selection of lobectomy or wedge resection in the treatment of patients with stage I primary lung cancer remains controversial. Clinical judgment based on comorbidities remains the main decision factor. We investigated the impact of procedure on long-term survival in a multicenter retrospective analysis. METHODS: The records of 289 patients who underwent surgical resection of stage I primary lung cancer between 1993 and 1998 at three tertiary medical centers were reviewed for age, sex, type of resection, tumor size, number of lymph nodes dissected, pathology, and recurrence. Long-term survival was obtained through the Federal Social Security Death Index and Cancer Registries. Kaplan-Meier, Wilcox, logistic regression, and power and t test analyses were used to examine survival, predictors of mortality, and correlations. RESULTS: A total of 215 patients underwent lobectomy, and 74 underwent wedge resection. The groups were similar with respect to age, tumor size, and other comorbidities. Overall, there was a nonsignificant trend toward better survival times in patients after lobectomy vs wedge resection (mean [+/- SD] survival time, 5.8 +/- 0.3 vs 4.1 +/- 0.3 years, respectively; p = 0.112). This trend gained significance in smaller cancers, where patients who underwent lobectomy for tumors < 3 cm in size had better survival times compared to those who underwent wedge resection (p = 0.029). CONCLUSION: Although the overall difference in survival time between patients undergoing lobectomy and those undergoing wedge resection was not significant, patients with tumors < 3 cm in size had improved survival times after undergoing lobectomy. Thus, tumor size appears to be an important factor to be considered in preoperative planning. Randomized trials are necessary to confirm the superiority of lobectomy over wedge resection for stage IA lung cancers.

Pulmonary artery sarcoma mimicking massive pulmonary embolus: a case report.

Intimal sarcomas of the pulmonary artery are rare tumors that are often difficult to distinguish from pulmonary thromboembolic disease, complicating accurate diagnosis and timely therapy. We report the case of a gentleman with a primary pulmonary artery sarcoma who presented with a massive pulmonary embolism and complete right ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The patient's condition was successfully managed with urgent pulmonary artery thromboendarterectomy, pulmonary valve replacement, and tricuspid valve annuloplasty.

Becker's muscular dystrophy and orthotopic heart transplantation: perioperative considerations.

Patients with Becker's and Duchenne's muscular dystrophy occasionally have myocardial involvement leading to end-stage heart failure. Heart transplantation is established as an effective therapy. Achieving successful outcomes in this challenging group requires special consideration during the perioperative period to limit preoperative deconditioning, minimize anesthesia complications, and rapidly institute rehabilitation with appropriate precautions. We reviewed our recent experience with Becker's muscular dystrophy patients and discuss the management of perioperative issues specific to this patient group.

Spontaneous rupture of the thoracic aorta.

Spontaneous rupture of the aorta without previous history of trauma, hypertension, or apparent aortic pathology is exceedingly rare. Delayed or nonoperative repair of this condition is usually lethal. Survival after spontaneous mid arch aortic rupture requires a high index of suspicion, rapid and appropriate diagnostic tests, and early operative repair. Clinical presentation, clues to diagnosis, and optimal management of this entity are discussed.

Results of concomitant aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting in the VA population.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Concomitant aortic valve replacement (AVR) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an established risk factor for diminished postoperative survival. Results from a VA population were reviewed in order to determine factors influencing early and late survival. METHODS: Between 1993 and 2003, a total of 401 patients underwent AVR at the authors' institution. Of these patients, 249 (62%; mean age 70.6 years) had combined AVR and CABG. Surgical indications were primarily aortic valve pathology (group A: n = 168; 68%), primarily coronary artery disease (CAD) (group B: n = 55; 22%), and both severe aortic and coronary disease (group C: n = 26; 10%). In total, 177 patients (71%) received a bioprosthesis, and 72 (29%) received a mechanical valve. Short- and long-term outcomes were explored using univariate and multivariable hazard analyses. RESULTS: Overall operative mortality was 6.4%; mortality for groups A, B and C was 4.8%, 9.1% and 11.5%, respectively. On multivariable analysis, significant factors associated with early-phase mortality were NYHA class IV, diabetes, bioprosthetic valve and combined severe aortic and coronary disease. Survival at one and five years was 86% and 62%, respectively. Five-year survival for groups A, B and C was 71%, 63% and 54%, respectively. Significant associated factors for late-phase mortality were the presence of preoperative peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Factors such as age, prior cardiac surgery, number of grafted coronary arteries, and/or effective orifice area index (EOAI) had no significant effect on outcome. CONCLUSION: Combined AVR/CABG is a marker for decreased survival. Pre-existing factors such as diabetes, PVD and CVD, as well as poor preoperative NYHA functional status, affected survival. Further investigation is needed to assess the influence of the severity of CAD and EOAI on survival. Thoughtful consideration of all these factors is essential for an accurate prediction of survival, and to determine the appropriate type of aortic prosthesis to be used.

Simultaneous repair of acute ischemic VSD with LV remodeling.

We describe a patient successfully treated with simultaneous ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair and LV restoration procedure patch after developing both a VSD and LV dyskinesia following acute myocardial infarction. This procedure is technically challenging and represents a novel technique for the management of this clinical problem.

Decreased recipient survival following orthotopic heart transplantation with use of hearts from donors with projectile brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Fatal gunshot injury to the brain can cause significant alterations in the neuroendocrine state and myocardial dysfunction. Therefore heart allografts from these donors may result in graft failure following orthotopic heart transplantation (OHTx). We evaluated whether receiving a heart from a donor who died from fatal gunshot wound to the brain independently affected the outcome of transplantation. METHODS: A retrospective review of 113 consecutive patients undergoing OHTx at a university hospital from 1996 to 2002 was performed. Group 1 received hearts from donors with fatal gun shot brain injury (n = 17), and Group 2 received hearts from donors who died from other causes (n = 96). RESULTS: Recipient age, gender, United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) status, indication for transplantation, and other co-morbid conditions were similar in both groups. Young male donors pre-dominated in Group 1, but other donor characteristics were not significantly different. The incidence of Grade 3A rejection was higher in Group 1 than Group 2 (35% vs 6.3%, p = 0.003), as was the incidence of post-operative infection (35% vs 7.2%, p = 0.004). Actuarial survival at 1 and 5 years was significantly lower in Group 1 than in Group 2 (81% and 74% vs 97% and 94%, respectively, p = 0.005). Multivariate logistic regression analysis also demonstrated that fatal gunshot brain injury, as cause of donor death, was a risk factor for recipient mortality (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Receiving a heart from a donor with fatal gunshot brain injury is a significant risk factor for recipient mortality following OHTx. Cautious use of heart allograft from these donors, especially in low-risk recipients, may lead to improved outcome following heart transplantation.

Surgical anterior ventricular restoration in patients with aortic regurgitation.

My colleagues and I describe a novel method of perfusion during surgical anterior ventricular restoration in patients with aortic regurgitation. The modified technique was used in 2 patients with aortic incompetence who required the restoration operation.