Heart Surgery
Study: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement offers similar outcomes to surgical aortic valve replacement
Editor's Note The largest scale analysis so far available comparing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) to longer-term percutaneous devices for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) supports the comparable long-term safety and efficacy of the latter procedure. According to a May 15 report in Medical Xpress, the findings raise important considerations for valve…
Long-lasting heart valves poised to set world record
Editor's Note More than 45 years after surgery, Mary Ann Kozlowski’s mechanical heart valves are still pumping—and Guinness is reviewing an application to list her as the new world record-holder for longevity of a double-valve replacement. That’s according to a May 15 report in the Erie-Times News, which detailed how…
FDA warns of continued cardiac pump safety concerns after series of recalls
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging healthcare providers to avoid using Getinge heart devices due to continued safety concerns that remain unaddressed despite previous recalls. Issued to healthcare providers May 8, the warning letter applies to Getinge/Maquet/Datascope Cardiosave Hybrid and Rescue Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) devices…
FDA Class 1 recall renews concern about historically problematic heart pumps
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced a Class 1 recall on Monday for Abbott/Thoratec Corp.’s HeartMate II and HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) due due to biological material buildup obstructing the devices. According to an April 16 CBS News report, surgeons first noticed problems with the…
Heart transplant research proves out 24-hour organ preservation method
Editor's Note A new method of organ preservation could allow researchers a much longer window to keep transplanted organs alive. Medical Xpress reported on the findings April 5. Typically, hearts awaiting transplant are maintained in cold static storage – in which they are kept on ice until transplanted and…
ASA annual meeting highlights top 10 risks of providing anesthesia in ambulatory setting
Editor's Note There are certain patients and clinical situations that may require anesthesiologists to say no to performing surgery in the outpatient/ambulatory setting, Anesthesiology News April 4 reports. At the 2023 annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), BobbieJean Sweitzer, MD, a professor of medical education at the…
Augmented reality headset enables real-time data visualization during surgery
Editor's Note Successful use of augmented reality in a cardiac ablation procedure holds additional promise for training as well as more advanced OR applications, according to a February 29 report from Stanford Medicine. During ablation, a treatment for heart arrythmias, surgeons typically refer to as many as eight screens depicting…
Researchers test alternative approach to ranking US heart transplant candidates
Editor's Note The current method for identifying heart transplant candidates with the most urgent need might not be the best one. In a study published February 13 in Jama Network, a candidate risk score incorporating the latest clinical, laboratory, and hemodynamic data out-performed the current treatment-based categorical allocation system. …
CNOR specialty designations distinguish uncommon skillsets
The Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) is excited to announce a new development in our certified perioperative nurse (CNOR®) certification program: the introduction of specialty designations. Now, perioperative nurses can specialize in cardiac, bariatric, orthopedic, or vascular surgery, just as RNs can choose oncology, pediatrics, or emergency. A specialty designation…
Study: Intravascular imaging for stent guidance improves outcomes for heart disease patients
Editor's Note Using intravascular imaging to guide stent implantation during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) provides significantly better outcomes than angiography, according to findings published February 21 in The Lancet. In a study of 15,964 patients undergoing PCI from 22 trials in hundreds of centers from March 2010 to August 2023,…
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- Study: ERAS protocol reduces opioid use after cardiac surgery
- Study: Prehabilitation reduces surgical complications, speeds recovery
- Commentary: Studies show how surgeon decisions follow the money
- Proposed HIPAA updates would improve cybersecurity, increase costs for healthcare providers
- Study: EMR data can enhance hand hygiene compliance, infection prevention
- Study: Machine learning model improves perioperative pain assessment
- Call for improved suicide risk screening in ASCs aims to strengthen safety protocols
- Study: Perioperative pregabalin reduces risk of kidney decline compared to gabapentin
- Medical school diversity declines after Supreme Court ruling
- Surgeons risk losing ground as transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions rise