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Patients with acute aortic dissection (AD) remain at risk for long-term complications and thus are recommended to adhere closely to American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association aorta guideline-based follow-up imaging and clinic visits. The long-term outcomes of compliance with such a model are not well understood. This was a retrospective cohort study of patients at a regional AD center who survived hospital discharge for AD and who were analyzed by compliance with initial follow-up at 3 months and long term after AD. The primary end point was death. A total of 172 (66% type A; 33% type B) patients survived hospitalization and were followed up over 48 months (interquartile range [IQR], 21, 88 months). Of these patients, 122 (71%) attended the first follow-up appointment, and 90 (52%) attended more than two-thirds of recommended appointments. Patients who attended the first follow-up visit had improved long-term follow-up compliance (75% [IQR, 50%, 91%]) compared with patients who did not attend the first visit (18% [IQR, 0%, 57%]). Noncompliance with the scheduled long-term follow-up was associated with a 50% increase in the risk of death (hazard ratio, 1.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.2, 2.1; P <.001). Furthermore, in patients with low compliance (consistently attending less than one-third of follow-up appointments), the lifetime risk of death after AD was more than double that of patients with high compliance (consistently attending more than two-thirds of appointments) (hazard ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.5, 3.1; P <.001). Nearly one-third of patients with AD do not attend the first recommended follow-up visit, and such failure was associated with later noncompliance with subsequent follow-up. Low-compliant patients have double the lifetime risk of death after AD than do high-compliant patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade, preoperative anemia has become recognized as a clinical condition in need of management. Although the etiology of preoperative anemia can be multifactorial, two thirds of anemic elective surgical patients have iron deficiency anemia. At the same time, one third of nonanemic elective surgical patients are also iron deficient. Modified RAND Delphi methodology was used to identify areas of consensus among an expert panel regarding the management of iron deficiency in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. A list of statements was sent to panel members to respond to using a five-point Likert scale. All panel members subsequently attended a face-to-face meeting. The initial survey was presented and discussed, and panel members responded to each statement on the Likert scale again. Based on the second survey, the panel came to a consensus on recommendations. The panel recommended all patients undergoing cardiac surgery be evaluated for iron deficiency, whether or not anemia is present. Evaluation should include iron studies and reticulocyte hemoglobin content. If iron deficiency is present, with or without anemia, patients should receive parenteral iron. Erythropoietin-stimulating agents may be appropriate for some patients. Consensus of an expert panel resulted in a standardized approach to diagnosing and managing iron deficiency in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topical hemostatic agents are used in conjunction with conventional procedures to reduce blood loss. They are often used in cardiothoracic surgery, which is particularly prone to bleeding risks. Variation in their use exists because detailed policy and practice guidelines reflecting the current medical evidence have not been developed to promote best surgical practice in this setting. To address this need, the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management convened an International Hemostatic Expert Panel. This article reviews the available literature and sets out evidence-based recommendations for the use of topical hemostatic agents in cardiothoracic surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a 43-year-old man who underwent emergent replacement of the ascending aorta for type A dissection and hemiarch reconstruction with a 28-mm prosthetic graft. Dramatic neurologic symptoms, renal failure, and bowel ischemia developed on postoperative day 5. A computed tomography scan showed a large floating thrombus in the ascending aortic graft and massive peripheral embolization throughout the body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unilateral absence of a proximal pulmonary artery (UAPA) is rare and occurs in an isolated form or in the presence of other cardiovascular anomalies. There is a paucity of literature describing surgical correction of this anomaly. Most commonly, a primary anastomosis between the main and proximal right pulmonary arteries has been described. However, in cases of long-gap discontinuity, this can be difficult and may result in excess tension on the anastomosis, predisposing to decreased patency. We present a novel technique by which discontinuity in the right pulmonary artery (RPA) is surgically corrected in a semiautologous fashion using a main pulmonary artery (MPA) flap. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]