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Patient-centred outcomes have grown in popularity over recent years in surgical care research. These patient-centred outcomes can be measured through the health-related quality of life (HRQL) without professional interpretations. In May 2022, a study regarding patient-centred outcomes up to 90 days postoperatively was published. Fourteen days after surgery, the HRQL decreased and returned to baseline levels after 30 days. Next, the HRQL significantly improved 90 days postoperatively. However, this study only focuses on a short-term follow-up of the patients. Hence, this follow-up study aims to assess the HRQL one year after totally endoscopic cardiac surgery. At baseline, 14, 30, and 90 days, and one year after surgery, the HRQL was evaluated using a 36-item short form and 5-dimensional European QoL questionnaires (EQ-5D). Using the 36-item short form questionnaire, a physical and mental component score is calculated. Over the period of one year, this physical and mental component score and the EQ-5D index value significantly improve. According to the visual analogue scale of the EQ-5D, patients score their health significantly higher one year postoperatively. In conclusion, after endoscopic cardiac surgery, the HRQL is significantly improved 90 days postoperatively and remains high one year afterward.

OBJECTIVES Our goal was to describe a new approach for totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement. METHODS From October 2017 through December 2020, a total of 266 consecutive patients underwent totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement. Reoperations and combinations were excluded. RESULTS A total of 266 patients with a median age of 72 (64, 79) years underwent totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement; of these, 250 (93.98%) patients were designated to undergo surgery because of aortic valve stenosis. The median follow-up index was 0.69 (0.30, 0.90). Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events occurred in 4 (1.50%) patients within 30 days. Overall hospital mortality was 1.50%. Twenty additional deaths (7.52%) occurred during the 3-year follow-up period. An early thoracoscopic revision was needed in 7 patients due to signs of bleeding or cardiac tamponade. Fourteen patients required a permanent pacemaker implant. CONCLUSIONS Retrospective analysis of our early experience with totally endoscopic aortic valve replacement in 266 consecutive patients demonstrated satisfactory results, with low mortality and acceptable morbidity rates.

Background: Remote monitoring in obstetrics is relatively new; some studies have shown its effectiveness for both mother and child. However, few studies have evaluated the economic impact compared to conventional care, and no cost analysis of a remote monitoring prenatal follow-up program for women diagnosed with gestational hypertensive diseases (GHD) has been published. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the costs of remote monitoring versus conventional care relative to reported benefits. Methods: Patient data from the Pregnancy Remote Monitoring (PREMOM) study were used. Health care costs were calculated from patient-specific hospital bills of Ziekenhuis Oost-Limburg (Genk, Belgium) in 2015. Cost comparison was made from three perspectives: the Belgian national health care system (HCS), the National Institution for Insurance of Disease and Disability (RIZIV), and costs for individual patients. The calculations were made for four major domains: prenatal follow-up, prenatal admission to the hospital, maternal and neonatal care at and after delivery, and total amount of costs. A simulation exercise was made in which it was calculated how much could be demanded of RIZIV for funding the remote monitoring service. Results: A total of 140 pregnancies were included, of which 43 received remote monitoring (30.7%) and 97 received conventional care (69.2%). From the three perspectives, there were no differences in costs for prenatal follow-up. Compared to conventional care, remote monitoring patients had 34.51% less HCS and 41.72% less RIZIV costs for laboratory test results (HCS: mean (sic)0.00 [SD (sic)55.34] vs mean (sic)38.28 [SD (sic)44.08], P