Cardiac Surgery News and Research

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COVID-19 vaccination associated with reduction in hospitalizations and mortality among heart failure patients

Heart failure patients who are unvaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are three times more likely to die if infected with the virus compared to fully boosted heart failure patients, according to new research out of Mount Sinai Heart.

9 Jun 2022

Researchers develop a bioresorbable pacemaker to temporarily monitor and control heart rate

In a proof-of-concept study that aims to address the unmet need for minimally invasive cardiac control and monitoring devices, researchers have developed a network of wireless devices, including a bioresorbable pacemaker, that can temporarily monitor and control heart rate.

27 May 2022

Northwestern University scientists unveil a smart, bioresorbable transient pacemaker

Last summer, Northwestern University scientists introduced the first-ever transient pacemaker — a fully implantable, wireless device that harmlessly dissolves in the body after it's no longer needed.

26 May 2022

Aggressively warming patients during surgery offers no benefit, study says

Patients kept at a body temperature of 37 C during major surgery had no fewer cardiac complications than patients kept at 35.5 C, according to data presented at the American College of Cardiology's 71st Annual Scientific Session.

4 Apr 2022

A medium-chain fatty acid may help protect against heart attack injuries

A medium-chain fatty acid found in energy drinks might one day help protect against heart attack injuries.

9 Mar 2022

Researchers find considerable differences in performance between different artificial heart valves

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have studied long-term morbidity and mortality in individuals who have had different models of biological heart valves implanted.

7 Mar 2022

NEJM editorial highlights the difficulty of diagnosing heart attacks in postoperative patients

Diagnosing heart attacks after heart surgery remains difficult due to shortcomings of current diagnostic tools when applied to postoperative patients, including the electrocardiogram and blood tests to detect levels of cardiac troponins, according to an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) written by two UT Southwestern faculty members.

3 Mar 2022

Study finds new benchmark for measuring the risk of death from heart surgery

A large international study has found an important new benchmark for measuring the risk of death for patients undergoing heart surgery, of which there are two million adults a year globally.

2 Mar 2022

Cognitive changes following major surgery not linked with changes in Alzheimer's-related biomarkers

Cognitive changes following non-neurologic and non-cardiac surgery were not associated with changes in Alzheimer's disease-related biomarkers in older patients, according to a study led by a team at Duke University School of Medicine.

2 Feb 2022

Neighborhood socioeconomic status associated with poorer patient outcomes after heart surgery

Patients with mitral valve disease who live in disadvantaged communities are more likely to experience complications and are at higher risk for death after surgery than those with higher socioeconomic status (SES), according to research presented at the 58th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

1 Feb 2022

Reducing OR availability by 15% helps address hospital staff shortage caused by the pandemic

Decreasing operating room (OR) availability by 15% helped a hospital address a 30% staff shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study being presented at the American Society of Anesthesiologists' ADVANCE 2022, the Anesthesiology Business Event.

30 Jan 2022

Cedars-Sinai experts conduct a national analysis on COVID-19 lung transplants

The analysis of more than 3,000 lung transplants in the U.S. between Aug. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021, showed that during the pandemic, 7% of the nation's lung transplants were performed to treat severe, irreversible lung damage caused by COVID-19. More than half of these patients needed ventilators or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, before their transplant.

27 Jan 2022

Some heart surgery patients may be able to control postoperative pain without opioids

Many patients who undergo heart surgery may be able to safely and effectively control postoperative pain without opioids after hospital discharge, according to research published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

6 Jan 2022

First-responder cells launching the repair after heart attack promote inflammation overdrive

First-responder cells launching the repair after a heart attack are so frantic about fixing the damage that they promote more inflammation than necessary, new research in mice suggests.

5 Jan 2022

Study: Middle-aged men are more likely to die after surgery than women

Middle-aged men are around 50% more likely to die after surgery than middle-aged women, according to new research being presented at Euroanaesthesia, the annual meeting of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC), held online this year.

20 Dec 2021

A Day in the Life of a Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon

In this interview, we spoke to Dr. Alexander Marmureanu, a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon, about his day-to-day role and responsibilities as well as his career highlights.

17 Dec 2021

Drug-coated balloon catheters help battle myocardial infarction

In Germany, nearly 6 million people suffer from coronary heart disease. The disease is caused by calcium deposits which constrict the coronary arteries. Doctors generally use a stent to widen the narrow pathway.

1 Dec 2021

Posterior left pericardiotomy linked to prevention of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery

A simple surgical technique during cardiac surgery was associated with a 56 percent reduction in the incidence of an irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation that can lead to stroke, with no added risks or side effects, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian investigators.

15 Nov 2021

Newly discovered molecule could be used to prevent collateral harm to vital organs during surgery

A newly detected molecule that helps reduce damage from sustained loss of blood flow to cells and tissues could eventually be used to prevent collateral harm to vital organs during surgery, according to University of Utah Health scientists.

11 Oct 2021

Nearly 20% of adults have elevated troponin levels after major non-cardiac surgery

About 20% of adults who have major non-cardiac surgery had elevated troponin levels, yet nearly all of them did not have symptoms of injury, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

4 Oct 2021