Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the perioperative outcomes and disease-free survival (DFS) between pneumonectomy after immunochemotherapy and chemotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients who received neoadjuvant immunotherapy (n = 15) or chemotherapy alone (n = 12) in our single center between 2021 and 2023. The primary end point was 30-day major complications. The secondary end point was major pathologic response...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to explore the clinical value of computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the diagnosis of aortic aneurysm. METHODS: The imaging data of 60 patients suspected of having aortic aneurysms who were examined in the Radiology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from April 2017 to April 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. CTA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were used to examine the patients, and CTA image findings were collected and compared with DSA findings...

BACKGROUND: Isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis (IPE) accounts for less than 2% of all infective endocarditis patients. It is commonly associated with several predisposing factors, including intravenous drug use (IVDU) and congenital heart disease. The most common causative pathogens of IPE are Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus viridans. We report a Down's syndrome patient with IPE and with no standard risk factors caused by the rare pathogen Acinetobacter spp. This led to respiratory failure and systemic infection due to septic pulmonary emboli...

BACKGROUND: This case report documents the first worldwide use of the Hybrid System from Spectrum Medical in a heart transplant procedure, focusing on its safety and efficacy. Traditional cardiopulmonary bypass systems often use an open reservoir, which increases the blood's exposure to air, thereby heightening the risk of an inflammatory response and gas embolism. In contrast, the Hybrid System is designed to improve surgical outcomes by significantly reducing the blood-air interface...

BACKGROUND: Influenza B virus induced myocarditis is a rare complication with potentially wide variations in severity and clinical presentation, and the pathogenesis is unclear. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a rare case of a 7-year-old boy who developed fulminant myocarditis (FM) due to influenza B virus infection. Treatment measures included mechanical ventilation, vasoactive agents, Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT), anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-infection, and enteral nutrition support...

BACKGROUND: PPHN is a common cause of neonatal respiratory failure and is still a serious condition and associated with high mortality. OBJECTIVES: To compare the demographic variables, clinical characteristics, and treatment outcomes in neonates with PHHN who underwent ECMO and survived compared to neonates with PHHN who underwent ECMO and died. METHODS: We adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline and searched ProQuest, Medline, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Wiley online library, Scopus and Nature for studies on the development of PPHN in neonates who underwent ECMO, published from January 1, 2010 to May 31, 2023, with English language restriction...

Fulminant myocarditis has been defined as the clinical manifestation of cardiac inflammation with rapid-onset heart failure and cardiogenic shock. We report on the case of a 17-year-old boy with hemodynamic derangement and cardiac arrest due to fulminant myocarditis. After about 2 h of intensive cardiopulmonary resuscitation, with 13 days of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, the patient finally bridged to orthotopic heart transplantation. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged 37 days after transplantation...

BACKGROUND: Surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is an established therapy for severe calcific aortic stenosis. Enhanced recovery after cardiac surgery (ERACS) protocols have been shown to improve outcomes for elective cardiac procedures. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted early extubation post-elective surgeries to preserve critical care resources. AIM OF THIS STUDY: To investigate the effects of extubating patients within 6 h post-elective SAVR on hospital and ICU length of stay, mortality rates, ICU readmissions, and postoperative pneumonia...

BACKGROUND: The intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) technique plays a crucial role in providing circulatory support for patients experiencing hemodynamic instability. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of preoperative prophylactic IABP insertion in patients undergoing acute critical coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases, covering the period from January 1995 to September 2022...

PURPOSE: Cardiac surgery patients require chest drains for postoperative fluid drainage. Innovations in this field include chemical drain coating and manual clot extraction systems, aiming to provide reduced clotting and improved patient comfort. This study compares outcomes using hydrogel-coated, active clearance and conventional chest drains. METHODS: Patients with cardiac surgery at our institution from January 2023 to September 2023 were included. Drain allocation was based on surgeon's choice, with either a combination of hydrogel-coated and conventional, active clearance and conventional, or conventional drains alone...

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to examine the role of the C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) as an inflammatory biomarker in relation to subclinical myocardial injury (SC-MI), addressing the limited knowledge of their association. METHODS: The study included 5,949 individuals without cardiovascular disease (CVD) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. SC-MI was identified through a Cardiac Infarction Injury Score (CIIS) of ≥ 10 units based on a 12-lead electrocardiogram...

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to investigate whether the use of antegrade perfusion with terminal non-cardioplegic warm blood (TNWB) before aortic unclamping in single-clamp technique coronary artery bypass has a positive impact on intraoperative heartbeat recovery. METHODS: Between December 2022 and May 2023, 40 consecutive patients undergoing coronary artery bypass using single-clamp technique were randomized into one of two groups: the TNWB group received an antegrade perfusion with TNWB before removing the aortic cross-clamp (n = 20), while the control group did not receive (n = 20)...

BACKGROUND: Aortic dissection is a severe cardiovascular condition associated with high mortality rates, particularly in cases of Stanford type A aortic dissection (TAAD). Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) following surgery for TAAD is rare but potentially fatal. CASE PRESENTATION: A 69-year-old woman presented with sudden chest pain and was diagnosed with acute TAAD. Emergency surgery was performed, during which complications arose, including significant hemodynamic instability...

PURPOSE: This research evaluates the effect of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) on cardiac electrophysiological changes in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). METHODS: Involving a retrospective analysis of 39 CTEPH patients (average age 61 ± 11), who had at least two BPAs and paired ECGs pre- and post-surgery, we examined changes in ECG indicators of right ventricular hypertrophy and their correlation with hemodynamic results...

BACKGROUND: Pectus carinatum (PC) mainly present at the growth spurt time of the early teenage years or the puberty. Poor outer appearance is a major reason for seeking help for surgeons to increase self-confidence and self-esteem. At present, minimally invasive repair (MIR) is one of effective ways to correct the chest wall deformity. Therefore, there is great practical significance to conduct clinical research on MIR about the adolescent PC. METHODS: We applied Abramson procedure in PC group or we applied Abramson procedure and Nuss procedure in PC/PE group...

BACKGROUND: As acute myocardial infarction (AMI) prevalence is increasing because of lifestyle changes, the incidence of atypical symptoms in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is rising and making misdiagnosing of this fatal event more probable. To better approach the patients with atypical symptoms, we tend to present a rare case of AMI with wrist pain. CASE REPORT: A 41-year-old man presented to the emergency room (ER) with severe both-hand wrist pain and mild epigastric pain...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Human fibrinogen (FIB) has been clinically proven to be considerably effective for the treatment of postoperative bleeding, with reported cases of allergic reactions to human FIB being rare. Here, we report a case of an anaphylactic shock in 27-year-old patients with rheumatic heart valve disease who received a human FIB infusion during mitral valve replacement, aortic valve replacement, and tricuspid valve-shaping surgery. The patients showed generalised profuse sweating, a barely noticeable skin rash, faint pulse, systolic pressure < 50 mmHg, and a heart rate of 71 beats/min...

BACKGROUND: Combining pemetrexed with bevacizumab may have some potential in improving the efficacy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and this meta-analysis aims to explore the impact of pemetrexed addition to bevacizumab on treatment efficacy for NSCLC. METHODS: PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases were systematically searched, and we included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of pemetrexed addition to bevacizumab on treatment efficacy in patients with NSCLC...

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common complication after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG). Despite advanced treatment methods, primary prevention is crucial. Many factors have been investigated as markers for AF, but further research is required. CABG is currently superior to Primary Coronary Intervention (PCI) in some cases due to Left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD)- Internal Thoracic Artery (ITA) anastomosis. However, graft choice for non-LAD vessels is still controversial...