Should We Do Bilateral Internal Mammary Artery Grafting in Diabetic Patients?

Nowadays, potential advantages of BIMA grafting are recognized overall in terms of long-term survival1 and by not increasing operative morbidity. One of the major restrictions for extending the use of BIMA grafting is the current impossibility of generalizing the procedure to higher risk patients. These results tend to confirm recent results that promote the use of BIMA grafting in every kind of patients and consequently to confirm the generalization of the procedure, without being afraid of sternal complications. The absence of deep sternal wound infection in our study shows that there is no contraindication of BITA grafting among diabetic patients

Carbonic anhydrase II based biosensing of carbon dioxide at high temperature: an analytical and MD simulation study

Concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere has increased significantly due to anthropogenic activities and attributed as a major factor to global warming. Its detection by biosensing methods will provide an alternative for the assessment of CO2 concentration. Biomineralization of CO2 is one of the available methods for the biological conversion of CO2 to carbonate using a highly active enzyme, carbonic anhydrase II (CAII). CAII was used for the carbonation reaction to convert CO2 to CaCO3. The precipitation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) was promoted in the presence of the CAII at 325 K. CAII showed an enhanced formation of solid CaCO3 through the acceleration of CO2 hydration rate at 325 K. Furthermore, the electrocatalytic properties of glassy carbon electrode enable us to determine the reduction peak potential values of CO2 through cyclic voltammetry at –1.75 and 0.3 V at 325 K. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were performed each at 50 ns time scale provided a deeper insight into the molecular basis of the CAII interaction with CO2 at different temperatures, highlighted that the CAII can detect CO2 up to 325 K. We assume that CAII could be an effective and economical biosensor for biomineralization of CO2 at high temperature 325 K

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Single-center experience of LVAD implantation in patients with sickle-cell trait: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND: The most worrisome complications in patients supported by left ventricular assist device (LVAD) are pump thrombosis, embolism, and bleeding. The actual rate of these events in patients with sickle-cell disease (SCD) has not well investigated. The aim of our study is to evaluate the outcomes of LVAD implantation in patients with sickle-cell hemoglobinopathy at our institution. METHODS: This retrospective, observational, single-center study was conducted on patients with sickle-cell trait (SCT), who underwent LVAD implantation using the HeartMate3 LVAD. RESULTS: LVAD devices were implanted in four patients with SCT. All procedures were performed successfully. All patients had uneventful post-implant course. Overall, the mean follow-up time was 25 months (range 21-28 months) and showed an unremarkable post-implant course. There was a significant improvement in hematological markers over the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limited numbers of patients enrolled in this study, our findings indicate that LVAD surgery is safe in SCD patients and offers remarkable clinical improvement. Further studies are needed to provide more evidence regarding this type of patients undergoing LVAD implantation

Outcome of percutaneous HeartMate3 decommissioning:A single-centre experience

OBJECTIVES: To highlight the role of percutaneous left ventricular assist device (LVAD) decommissioning as a safe procedure after myocardial recovery in patients with advanced heart failure. BACKGROUND: The HeartMate3 LVAD (Abbott, Chicago, IL, USA) is designed to provide circulatory support with enhanced hemocompatibility for patients with advanced heart failure. Most VADs are used as a bridge to heart transplantation; however, in certain cases, myocardial function recovers, and VADs can be explanted after the patient is weaned. Although surgical explantation remains the gold standard, minimally invasive percutaneous decommissioning has been described as a successful alternative. In this study, we present our experience, one-year outcomes, and adverse events associated with percutaneous LVAD decommissioning. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of data from six consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous LVAD decommissioning. RESULTS: Six patients were enrolled in the study. For all six patients, HM3 decommissioning was completed at least 6 months ago. No technical complications were documented. No strokes were observed within the study period, and the ejection fraction improved. The mean follow-up duration was 18 ± 8.5 months, and the survival rate was 100%. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous HeartMate3 decommissioning appears to be safe. In particular, the survival after the procedure was 100%, and no events, especially thromboembolic ones, occurred

New-onset and relapsed liver diseases following COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review

Background: Liver diseases post-COVID-19 vaccination is extremely rare but can occur. A growing body of evidence has indicated that portal vein thrombosis, autoimmune hepatitis, raised liver enzymes and liver injuries, etc., may be potential consequence of COVID-19 vaccines. Objectives: To describe the results of a systematic review for new-onset and relapsed liver disease following COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: For this systematic review, we searched Proquest, Medline, Embase, PubMed, CINAHL, Wiley online library, Scopus and Nature through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses PRISMA guideline for studies on the incidence of new onset or relapsed liver diseases post-COVID-19 vaccination, published from December 1, 2020 to July 31, 2022, with English language restriction. Results: Two hundred seventy-five cases from one hundred and eighteen articles were included in the qualitative synthesis of this systematic review. Autoimmune hepatitis (138 cases) was the most frequent pathology observed post-COVID-19 vaccination, followed by portal vein thrombosis (52 cases), raised liver enzymes (26 cases) and liver injury (21 cases). Other cases include splanchnic vein thrombosis, acute cellular rejection of the liver, jaundice, hepatomegaly, acute hepatic failure and hepatic porphyria. Mortality was reported in any of the included cases for acute hepatic failure (n = 4, 50%), portal vein thrombosis (n = 25, 48.1%), splanchnic vein thrombosis (n = 6, 42.8%), jaundice (n = 1, 12.5%), raised liver enzymes (n = 2, 7.7%), and autoimmune hepatitis (n = 3, 2.2%). Most patients were easily treated without any serious complications, recovered and did not require long-term hepatic therapy. Conclusion: Reported evidence of liver diseases post-COIVD-19 vaccination should not discourage vaccination against this worldwide pandemic. The number of reported cases is relatively very small in relation to the hundreds of millions of vaccinations that have occurred and the protective benefits offered by COVID-19 vaccination far outweigh the risks