Annals of Cardiothoracic Surgery

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and leading cardiac cause of stroke. Catheter and surgical ablation are two techniques used currently to resolve prolonged disease by limiting the excitatory potential of specific areas of myocardium in the atria of the heart. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide a graphical amalgamation of mid-to-long-term rhythm outcomes following transcatheter and surgical intervention, whether primary or concomitant ablation...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the adult population and catheter ablation has emerged as an important rhythm-control strategy and is the most common cardiac ablation procedure performed worldwide. The antiarrhythmic drugs have demonstrated moderate efficacy in long-term maintenance of sinus rhythm; moreover, they are often not tolerated and are associated with adverse events. Catheter ablation has proven to be effective in treating AF, although long-term outcomes have been significantly less favorable in persistent AF than in paroxysmal...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common tachyarrhythmia, affecting approximately 33 million people worldwide, and is frequently associated with mitral valve disease. Surgical ablation during mitral valve surgery provides an opportune circumstance for arrhythmia correction. The results of recent randomized trial data are promising, demonstrating both safety and efficacy. The aim of this systematic review is to report the efficacy and morbidity of concomitant surgical ablation for AF during mitral valve surgery...

BACKGROUND: Recent reports on sex differences in long-term outcomes after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) are conflicting. We aimed to aggregate updated data on long-term survival and reoperation stratified by sex. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central. Studies reporting sex-stratified long-term survival and/or reoperation following surgery for ATAAD between January 1, 2000, to March 15, 2023 were included...

Aortic dissection (AD) associated with pregnancy can have catastrophic consequences for the mother and/or fetus. AD occurs in 4-5 per 1,000,000 pregnancies and, despite its rarity, is the third most frequent maternal cardiovascular cause of death. AD associated with pregnancy is most likely to occur in the third trimester or postpartum period. In individuals with genetic aortopathy, pregnancy is considered a high-risk time for AD. There are management strategies in the preconception, antepartum, delivery and postpartum periods to optimize patient care...

BACKGROUND: Previous data have shown that sex-related differences exist in aortic arch surgery, with female patients experiencing worse outcomes. Over time, as surgical techniques and strategies have improved, these improvements have benefitted female patients. Using a multicenter national aortic registry from the Canadian Thoracic Aortic Collaborative (CTAC), we aimed to determine the relationship between sex and outcomes following aortic arch repair and to examine how these have changed over time...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: To describe short- and mid-term surgical outcomes of patients with Turner syndrome (TS) after cardiovascular interventions. METHODS: All individuals >12 years of age at the time of surgical repair for cardiovascular disease (valve or coarctation repairs, aortic disease, aortic dissection) from 2002 to 2022 were eligible. The primary endpoint was complications or death within 30 days of intervention. Secondary outcomes included late complications and reinterventions within six months...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) affect approximately 5.9/100,000 persons per year, with a male:female ratio of approximately 1.5-1.7:1. Data exploring sex-related variations in epidemiology and clinical presentation are scarce, as women are normally under-represented in clinical trials. As female hormones and their receptors greatly impact the functions of the vascular cells and aneurysm etiology and extent, the age at surgery and comorbidities also differ between men and women. Additionally, female patients have smaller anatomic structures, including visceral/infrarenal aorta and iliac arteries, than most men...

Sex discrepancies have been reported for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) for decades. Men have a higher prevalence of disease, earlier onset, less morphological features obstructing eligibility for repair and better survival, both short and long term. In more recent years, several attempts have been made to identify the biologic or pathogenic factors contributing to these sex differences, including socioeconomic factors though all have failed. The greatest challenge is to reveal the variable mechanism for development of disease for both women and men, and secondly to identify the factors contributing to the progression of disease, and eventual rupture...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Scientific research regarding male-female differences in ascending aortic surgery is scarce. The objective of this study was to identify male-female differences in presentation, treatment and peri-operative outcome in elective ascending aortic surgery. METHODS: Elective ascending aortic surgery procedures that took place in the Netherlands between 01/01/2013-31/12/2017 were identified from the Netherlands Heart Registration. Male-female differences in presentation, treatment characteristics, and in-hospital mortality and morbidity were explored...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) has emerged as a viable alternative to conventional sternotomy CABG in select patients requiring coronary revascularization. Specific techniques vary, but minimally invasive CABG (i.e., MIDCAB) usually involves revascularization of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery with the left internal mammary artery (LIMA). Minimally invasive CABG can be performed without cardiopulmonary bypass through a small anterior thoracotomy incision with robotic assistance...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is one of the most devastating complications of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Prophylactic cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) has been shown to decrease the risk of SCI in open thoracic aortic procedures; however, its utility in TEVAR remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to determine the role of prophylactic CSFD in preventing SCI in TEVAR. METHODS: A literature search of five databases was performed and all studies published before September 2022 that reported SCI rates in TEVAR patients undergoing prophylactic CSFD were included...