HeartMate 3 implantation via left antero-lateral thoracotomy to avoid resternotomy in high risk patients.

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are currently the best alternative to cardiac transplantation for patients with end-stage heart failure (HF) as a bridge to transplant or to decision, or as destination therapy. Full median sternotomy or minimally invasive techniques are the more standard approaches used at present.  LVADs are usually implanted between the left ventricle apex and the ascending aorta. An implantation through a left thoracotomy with an outflow graft connected to the descending aorta is much less performed nowadays due to the longer times to extubation, higher incidence of postoperative pain, and poorer hemodynamics in the ascending aorta, which may lead to thrombosis. However, some patients present a prohibitive risk for a medial approach. Also, many patients with a VAD will require future transplantation, and avoiding a sternotomy or crossing the mediastinum with the outflow graft can reduce the risks of the subsequent procedure in these patients. Various options for implantation may be used. Our described approach consists of implanting the left VAD (LVAD) via a left lateral thoracotomy and anastomosing the outflow graft to the descending aorta

Quantitative pupillometry for the monitoring of intracranial hypertension in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is frequent after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and may cause abnormal pupillary reactivity, which in turn is associated with a worse prognosis. Using automated infrared pupillometry, we examined the relationship between the Neurological Pupil index (NPi) and invasive ICP in patients with severe TBI. This was an observational cohort of consecutive subjects with severe TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] < 9 with abnormal lesions on head CT) who underwent parenchymal ICP monitoring and repeated NPi assessment with the NPi-200® pupillometer. We examined NPi trends over time (four consecutive measurements over intervals of 6 h) prior to sustained elevated ICP > 20 mmHg. We further analyzed the relationship of cumulative abnormal NPi burden (%NPi values < 3 during total ICP monitoring time) with intracranial hypertension (ICHT)-categorized as refractory (ICHT-r; requiring surgical decompression) vs. non-refractory (ICHT-nr; responsive to medical therapy)-and with the 6-month Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS). A total of 54 patients were studied (mean age 54 ± 21 years, 74% with focal injuries on CT), of whom 32 (59%) had ICHT. Among subjects with ICHT, episodes of sustained elevated ICP (n = 43, 172 matched ICP-NPi samples; baseline ICP [T <sub>- 6 h</sub> ] 14 ± 5 mmHg vs. ICPmax [T <sub>0 h</sub> ] 30 ± 9 mmHg) were associated with a concomitant decrease of the NPi (baseline 4.2 ± 0.5 vs. 2.8 ± 1.6, p < 0.0001 ANOVA for repeated measures). Abnormal NPi values were more frequent in patients with ICHT-r (n = 17; 38 [3-96]% of monitored time vs. 1 [0-9]% in patients with ICHT-nr [n = 15] and 0.5 [0-10]% in those without ICHT [n = 22]; p = 0.007) and were associated with an unfavorable 6-month outcome (15 [1-80]% in GOS 1-3 vs. 0 [0-7]% in GOS 4-5 patients; p = 0.002). In a selected cohort of severe TBI patients with abnormal head CT lesions and predominantly focal cerebral injury, elevated ICP episodes correlated with a concomitant decrease of NPi. Sustained abnormal NPi was in turn associated with a more complicated ICP course and worse outcome

Le groupe « Osler » : une nouvelle opportunité pour réfléchir sur le « devenir médecin » [The « Osler » group : a new opportunity to think about « becoming a physician »]

Issues of professionalism and professional identity formation, particularly amongst young doctors, have been the object of increasing attention. This is explained in part by the evolution of the hospital environment (specialization, shorter stays), as well as by the prevalence of physician burnout and suicide. In this context, the CHUV implemented a pilot project within the department of internal medicine aiming to support its residents in the construction of their professional identity. The Osler group convened 10 residents led by an attending physician and a senior resident from the internal medicine department as well as an attending physician of the liaison psychiatry department. The experience has been a success, with residents describing clear benefits of the group