Cardiac Surgery

Cardiothoracic surgery includes coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), heart valve repair or replacement, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement, heart transplant, assisting in minimally invasive transcatheter valve structural heart procedures such as TAVR, left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion, septal myectomy, surgical ablation for arrhythmias, and reconstruction of the heart in congenial heart disease cases. 

A study that analyzed patient outcomes in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in veterans showed outcomes for on-pump and off-pump procedures over 10 years to be similar. Photo by Jim Lennon

Anemia may help explain why women are more likely to die during heart bypass surgery

Finding new ways to avoid intraoperative anemia could go a long way toward improving outcomes for female CABG patients. The full analysis, based on more than 1.4 million patients, was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

HeartMate 3 LVAD abbott

FDA announces new recall of Abbott’s HeartMate LVADs after 14 deaths

The issue at the center of this recall, which includes both the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 LVAD, is the gradual buildup of biological materials. This can impact the device's performance, creating a heightened risk of injury or death. 

doctor examines patient data on their tablet

TAVR, SAVR both linked to low reintervention rates after five years

While most TAVR-related reinterventions occurred in the first year after treatment, most SAVR-related reinterventions occurred in years two through five. The team's full analysis is available in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

First-in-human trial shows potential of guiding CABG with cardiac CT and AI—no ICA required

An independent heart team blinded to ICA results was able to deliver helpful guidance for CABG procedures for 99.1% of patients using just CCTA and FFRCT alone. This approach is safe and feasible, researchers wrote, and the next step is to gather additional data. 

Newsweek ranked the 50 best heart hospitals in the world

ACC.24: TAVR linked to lower 1-year mortality, stroke rates than SAVR in low-risk patients

TAVR is noninferior to SAVR when treating low-risk patients, according to new data presented at ACC.24. In fact, it is associated with multiple benefits over surgery.

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On-pump vs. off-pump CABG: No difference in long-term mortality, meta-analysis confirms

Researchers explored data from nearly 70,000 patients, sharing their findings in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Newsweek ranked the 50 best heart hospitals in the world

Moderate prosthesis-patient mismatch after SAVR linked to worse long-term outcomes

The long-term impact of moderate PPM remains unclear. To learn more, researchers explored dozens of different studies from over the years, sharing their work in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

doctor examines patient data on their tablet

Donor hearts more likely to be accepted when the transplant candidate is female or white

"This finding suggests racial and gender bias as a potential contributor to the organ acceptance decision-making process," researchers wrote in JAMA.

Around the web

Ron Blankstein, MD, professor of radiology, Harvard Medical School, explains the use of artificial intelligence to detect heart disease in non-cardiac CT exams.

 

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

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