Key Points 1. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) continues to experience a profound expansion as therapy for acute cardiopulmonary failure. 2. Advancements in equipment and improvements in techniques and management have led to improved outcomes for patients undergoing ECMO. 3. Venoarterial…
Key Points 1. The key to successful weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is proper preparation and close communication between the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and perfusionist. A checklist may be useful. 2. After rewarming the patient, correcting any abnormal blood gases, and…
Key Points 1. All anesthesiologists who care for patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) should be intimately familiar with the details and function of the extracorporeal circuit (ECC) or “heart-lung machine,” and be involved in the establishment of protocols and the…
Key Points 1. Arrhythmias with triggered mechanisms are often initiated from repetitive depolarizations that occur after membrane repolarization. 2. Atrioventricular reciprocating tachycardia requires an accessory pathway to initiate and maintain the supraventricular arrhythmia. 3. Catheter-based ablation is a reasonable therapeutic…
Key Points 1. Structural heart disease intervention is a rapidly growing field that has expanded beyond transcatheter aortic valve implantation to include procedures that address each cardiac valve, as well as paravalvular leak, intracardiac shunts, and left atrial appendage occlusion…
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 (HF) refractory to pharmacologic and other usual interventions. 2. Outcomes with MCS…
Key Points 1. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) results from incomplete resolution of a pulmonary embolus (PE) or from recurrent PEs. It is an underappreciated phenomenon and incidence is difficult to estimate. 2. The cause of CTEPH after acute PE…
Key Points 1. Lung transplantation is a palliative procedure that provides a significant survival benefit for the appropriate candidates. 2. Primary graft dysfunction is the major cause of early morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. 3. There are four types…
Key Points 1. Cardiac transplantation provides significant survival benefit for appropriate candidates and is superior to ventricular assist device implantation alone. 2. Primary graft dysfunction is a major cause of early morbidity and mortality after heart transplantation. 3. Donation after…
Key Points 1. Patients with uncommon cardiac diseases frequently have complicated medical conditions, the treatment for which should take place in the context of an institution capable of providing coordinated multidisciplinary perioperative care. 2. A cardiac mass is more likely…