Key Points 1. Cardiac surgical patients are at significant risk from preventable adverse events. These events occur through human error, by either faulty decision making (diagnosis, decision for treatment) or…
Key Points 1. Reoperative cardiac surgery presents greater risk than first-time surgery because patients are usually older, have more comorbidity, and have more advanced cardiovascular disease. Also, resternotomy can be…
Key Points 1. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) for the failing heart has become a mainstay of the modern management of patients with both acute and chronic heart failure refractory to…
Key Points 1. The incidence of thromboembolic disease is difficult to estimate because of the nonspecific nature of presenting symptoms and a lack of awareness of the disorder. 2. Chronic…
Key Points 1. A hybrid operating room combines advanced imaging capabilities with a fully functioning operating suite. 2. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is recommended for patients with severe symptomatic…
Key Points 1. Because of successes in treating congenital cardiac lesions, there are currently as many or more adults than children with congenital heart disease (CHD). 2. These patients may…
Key Points 1. Cardiac denervation is an unavoidable consequence of heart transplantation, and reinnervation is at best partial and incomplete. 2. Drugs acting directly on the heart are the drugs…
Key Points 1. Although various valvular lesions generate different physiologic changes, all valvular heart disease is characterized by abnormalities of ventricular loading. 2. The left ventricle normally compensates for increases…
Key Points 1. Cardiac tumors are rare. In general, a cardiac mass is more likely a vegetation or a thrombus than a tumor. Secondary (metastatic) tumors are far more common…
Key Points 1. Guideline updates emphasize the efficacy of surgical approaches to myocardial revascularization in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. 2. Perioperative risk reduction includes careful consideration of all…
