A thorough literature search was conducted on patients with Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) and aortic insufficiency undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We identified all original research studies that compared the long-term outcomes of surgical transcatheter aortic valve replacement (SAVR) versus TAVR for patients with LVAD, published between 1990 and 2023. The primary endpoint was the composite of in-hospital mortality, stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction (MI), pacemaker implantation, vascular complications and cardiac tamponade. Secondary endpoints were the median overall survival (OS), the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI), any bleeding needing transfusions or reintervention and cost. A total of fourteen studies and 358 patients were included (TAVR: 242; SAVR: 116). The composite outcome, the incidence of AKI, the bleeding needing transfusion, along with cost were significantly higher in the SAVR group. In addition, there was no significant difference between TAVR and SAVR in terms of median OS. The median OS in the TAVR group was 18 months. Finally, the most common causes of death were progression of heart failure and pneumonia. The present meta-analysis indicates that TAVR is associated with enhanced outcomes compared to SAVR for patients with LVAD presenting aortic insufficiency. Further well-designed original studies with greater sample sizes are necessary to validate our findings.

This study aimed to evaluate the possibility of defining new imaging criteria to predict less-invasive clinical (c)-stage IA2-IA3 solid predominant lung adenocarcinoma using the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) as the cutoff value.

Pulmonary function after lobectomy is often higher than what is predicted. This occurrence could be related to postoperative expansion of the residual lung. The study aim was to determine if residual lung expansion affects pulmonary function after lobectomy.

Branched prostheses are used to treat aortic arch with dissection. However, changes in the neck vessel geometry and diameter after dissection are not well known. We aimed to evaluate neck vessels geometry and changes in diameter with dissection.

Off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (OPCAB) has been suggested as superior to on-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery (ONCAB) in certain high-risk subgroups, but its benefit in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate OPCAB versus ONCAB outcomes in COPD patients.

Air leakage during pulmonary resection is a major complication in thoracic surgery. It frequently occurs at sites of adhesion dissection, due to lung manipulation, and along the staple lines of automatic suturing devices, particularly in cases of pulmonary fragility such as those of emphysema and interstitial pneumonia. Persistent postoperative air leakage prolongs chest tube indwelling and extends hospitalization time. Staplers with absorbable tissue reinforcements have been introduced for pulmonary resection to prevent intraoperative stapler-related air leakage. This phase II prospective, open-label, randomized, parallel-group trial aims to validate the efficacy of staplers with or without absorbable tissue reinforcements in controlling stapler-related air leakage during anatomical pulmonary resections.

Generally, HLA matching between donors and recipients is not performed in lung transplantation (LTx). Therefore, whether HLA mismatch between donors and recipients (D/R mismatch) influences postoperative outcomes after LTx remains uncertain. In this study, we investigated the influence of D/R mismatch on postoperative outcomes after cadaveric LTx (CLT).

This meta-analysis aimed to compare the outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in lung transplantation.

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF), one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is associated with unfavorable outcomes.

Minor defects in the mitochondrial ATP-generating system and post-cardioplegia oxidative phosphorylation can negatively impact cardiac function in immature hearts. This study aimed to examine the mitochondrial respiratory pathway using three different cardioplegic solutions (Custodiol HTK, St. Thomas, and Del Nido) during moderate (1 h) and long (3 h) ischemic periods.

Heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction are currently treated with four drug combinations: angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitors, beta-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, resulting in improved survival outcomes. Herein, we examined whether myocardial protection by esaxerenone or sacubitril/valsartan may present a counter-effect to the harm caused by cardioplegic arrest.

Mucin-producing adenocarcinoma is a less common variant of lung adenocarcinoma. Adenocarcinoma cells with mucin can spread through the airspace via mucus-mediated extension, leading to their implantation in distant normal lungs. Consequently, post-operative intrapulmonary recurrence frequently occurs. Mucin-producing adenocarcinomas include not only invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma but also papillary, acinar, and other subtypes. Despite increasing reports on surgical outcomes for invasive mucinous adenocarcinomas, the outcomes for total mucin-producing adenocarcinoma remain unclear.

We investigated and compared the long-term (6-month) histologic changes in a rat model of sublobar resection created using electrocautery or stapler techniques.

Following the introduction of robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) as a health insurance-covered treatment in Japan, we investigated the current status and impact of the expansion of the indications for RATS for mediastinal tumors.