Perfusion Blog

A collection of posts from our Perfusion Community.

TAVR

Combined OPCAB and TAVR May Be an Option

A hybrid procedure combining off-pump CABG and transaortic TAVR appears feasible as a treatment approach for select patients with complex coronary disease and severe aortic stenosis, a small case series suggests. Over a 10-month period, operators performed the hybrid procedure in four men, all of whom had uneventful recoveries and remained complication-free through 6 months, […]

aortic dissection

Discovery yields answers for family with thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection

A new finding by clinicians and geneticists may solve a medical mystery that one family has faced for the last 15 years and help identify the cause of a rare aortic disease in other patients as well. Through genetic analysis of a family with a history of thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD), investigators at […]

CABG

CABG Shows Survival Advantage Over PCI in Nondiabetic Patients With Multivessel Disease

The theory that contemporary PCI might diminish the advantage of CABG in patients with multivessel disease does not appear to be valid, at least based on pooled patient-level data from two large randomized trials. “CABG, as compared with PCI with DES, significantly reduced the long-term risk of mortality in nondiabetic patients with multivessel CAD,” write […]

HIPEC

HIPEC Provides New Hope for Cancer Patients

For certain late stage cancer patients a specialized procedure called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) can provide a “new lease on life,” as a specialized treatment method. Wilbur B. Bowne, MD, an associate professor at the Drexel University College of Medicine and the chief of gastrointestinal surgery at Hahnemann University Hospital discussed how HIPEC has […]

Baby on vent

Prematurely born lambs kept alive in artificial external placenta – human babies could be next

When babies are born extremely prematurely – before 24 weeks of development in the womb – their lungs aren’t strong enough to provide their organs with the oxygen needed to develop properly. Nor are they strong enough to handle artificial ventilation. The result can mean a brief life for these tiniest of babies. A new artificial placenta that mimics conditions in the womb being developed by researchers at the University of Michigan (UM) might provide new hope. […]

GEISINGER

The most unexpected hospital billing development ever: Refunds

DANVILLE, Pa. — At Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, hospital officials want to keep their customers happy. So when patients are upset about a long wait in the emergency department, or a doctor’s brusque manner, or a meal that never arrived in a room, Geisinger is doing more than apologizing. It’s offering money back on […]

CABG PROCEDURE

CABG reduces 10-year mortality rate in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy

CHICAGO — Compared with medical therapy alone, CABG plus medical therapy reduced mortality rates over 10 years in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, according to long-term results of the STICHES trial reported at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session. Eric J. Velazquez, MD, and colleagues randomly assigned 1,212 patients with left ventricular ejection fraction 35% […]

Perceval Valve

LivaNova, PLC Announces the First U.S. Implants of Perceval, the Only Sutureless Valve for Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery

LivaNova, PLC, a global medical technology company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced the first U.S. implantation of the Perceval valve, the sutureless biological aortic replacement valve. Performed last week, two valves were implanted by Douglas Johnston, M.D., and Eric Roselli, M.D., […]

high-tech heart box

University of Michigan Health System tests beating heart transplants

Despite advances in organ transplantation, the way donor hearts are moved from hospital to hospital remains low-tech:  stored on ice and carried in a store-bought cooler. The University of Michigan Health System is testing a new high-tech heart box that […]

EMS

How Aortic Aneurysms Become Aortic Catastrophes

Patients with an acute illness to their aorta are unbelievably fragile, requiring tight control of their condition by educated and dedicated providers. This frailty coupled with the risk of instantaneous and irreversible cardiovascular collapse are what give aortic catastrophes such a reputation and need for such surveillance. […]