Novel, intermediate-fidelity simulator for aortic arch surgery for the cardiothoracic surgical trainee.

BACKGROUND: Training cardiothoracic surgeons in open aortic surgery is challenging due to limited operator experience, low patient volume and technically demanding skills to be performed within a deep thoracic cavity. Surgical simulation has become a cornerstone of cardiothoracic surgical training and has been shown to improve skill acquisition and performance in the operating theatre. Due to the complexity of aortic surgery, there is a paucity of simulators that are concomitantly accessible and of sufficient fidelity. The purpose of this study was to develop a reproducible, intermediate-fidelity simulator for aortic surgery. METHOD: This novel simulator was constructed from plastic storage containers to simulate the depth of a thoracic cavity. Head vessels and distal arch were reconstructed within the stimulator with synthetic Dacron polyester grafts to maximize model fidelity. A porcine or bovine heart was used for the simulation of aortic root replacement and anastomosis to the distal arch graft. RESULTS: The simulator was reproduced in a wet-lab skills session at an annual Australian cardiothoracic trainee meeting. Qualitative feedback was obtained from the current cardiothoracic trainees. It is a feasible model for the practice of aortic surgery. CONCLUSION: As the surgical education paradigm shifts towards simulation, this easily reproducible, intermediate-fidelity model provides an effective avenue to equip the trainee for the operating room and is a method of surgical training that can be considered by colleges.

Completion pneumonectomy via sternotomy and complete intrathoracic liver migration in metastatic osteosarcoma.

Pulmonary metastasectomy is the well-accepted surgical management for recurrent osteosarcoma in the lung. A pneumonectomy is seldom performed, even more so via a sternotomy. We report an unusual case of a pneumonectomy via median sternotomy for a pulmonary metastasis with complete migration of the liver into the intrathoracic space, a complication rarely observed. The patient remains disease-free on follow-up, 21 years following the initial diagnosis. Aggressive approaches for metastasectomy, despite clinician hesitation in the age of minimally invasive surgery, can yield excellent outcomes for a cancer with otherwise poor prognosis.

Weight loss with subcutaneous semaglutide versus other glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists in type 2 diabetes: a systematic review.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) reduce elevated blood glucose levels and induce weight loss. Multiple GLP-1 RAs and one combined GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide agonist are currently available. This review was conducted with the aim of summarising direct comparisons between subcutaneous semaglutide and other GLP-1 RAs in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), particularly with respect to efficacy for inducing weight loss and improving other markers of metabolic health. This systematic review of PubMed and Embase from inception to early 2022 was registered on PROSPERO and was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Of the 740 records identified in the search, five studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Comparators included liraglutide, exenatide, dulaglutide and tirzepatide. In the identified studies, multiple dosing regimens were utilised for semaglutide. Randomised trials support the superior efficacy of semaglutide over other GLP-1 RAs with respect to weight loss in T2D, but tirzepatide is more effective than semaglutide.

Thoracic Surgery and the Elderly; Is Lobectomy Safe in Octogenarians?

PURPOSE: Non-small cell lung cancer is the most common malignancy of the elderly, with 5-year survival estimates of 16.8%. The prognostic benefit of surgical resection for early lung cancer is irrefutable and maintained irrespective of age, even in patients over 75 years. Concerningly, despite the prognostic benefit of surgery there are deviations from standard treatment protocols with increasing age due to concerns of increased morbidity and mortality with surgery, without evidence to support this. METHOD: A state-wide retrospective registry study of Queensland's Cardiac Outcomes Registry's (QCOR) Thoracic Database examining the influence of age on the safety of Lung Resection (1 January 2016-20 April 2022). RESULTS: This included 1,232 patients, mean age at surgery was 66 years (range 14-91 years), with 918 thoracotomies performed. Three deaths occurred within 30-days (0.24%). Octogenarians (n=60) had lower rates of smoking (26% vs 6%), respiratory, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular disease suggesting this subset of patients is carefully selected. Octogenarian status was not associated with an increased all-cause morbidity (p=0.09) or 30-day mortality (p=0.06). Further to this it was not associated with re-operation (4.4% vs 8.3%, p=0.1), increased postoperative stay (6.66 vs 6.65 days, p=0.99) or myocardial infarction. An independent predictor of morbidity was male sex (OR 1.58, CI 1.2-2.1 p=0.001). CONCLUSION: Age ≥80 years did not increase surgical morbidity or mortality in the appropriately selected patient and should not be a barrier to referral for consideration of surgical resection.

A contemporary evaluation of surgical aortic valve replacement outcomes and temporal trends.

BACKGROUND: Given the ageing population and uptake of transcatheter approaches for treating aortic stenosis (AS), a renewed evaluation of outcomes after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) is warranted. With guidelines recommending age-based indications for surgical and transcatheter approaches, this study critically evaluates outcomes in age-based subgroups, with the aim to refine management of AS in the elderly, where there is often no clear consensus. METHODS: Six hundred and thirteen consecutive patients who underwent SAVR in an Australian tertiary cardiac centre between 1 June 2014 and 13 January 2022 were retrospectively analysed. Of these, 70.31% were <75 years (Group 1) and 29.69% were ≥75 years (Group 2). Groups were compared with respect to early and long-term outcomes. Logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier survival estimates and Cox proportional hazards regression were performed for all patients and an AS-specific sub-group. RESULTS: Patients aged ≥75 years were more likely to be female and have hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and pre-existing arrhythmia (P < 0.001). Group 1 experienced a higher incidence of renal failure compared with Group 2, in the overall cohort and AS-specific subgroup (P = 0.02). The incidence of stroke was similar between groups, in the overall cohort (P = 0.22) and the AS-specific subgroup (P = 0.32). Age ≥ 75 was not found to be an independent predictor of 30-day, 1-year or 5-year mortality. Temporal trends revealed low consistently low complication rates. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients should not be denied surgery based on age, despite guideline-driven age-based recommendations.

The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on lung cancer surgery in Queensland.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic poses unprecedented challenges to global healthcare. The contemporary influence of COVID-19 on the delivery of lung cancer surgery has not been examined in Queensland. METHODS: We performed a retrospective registry analysis of the Queensland Cardiac Outcomes Registry (QCOR), thoracic database examining all adult lung cancer resections across Queensland from 1/1/2016 to 30/4/2022. We compared the data prior to, and after, the introduction of COVID-restrictions. RESULTS: There were 1207 patients. Mean age at surgery was 66 years and 1115 (92%) lobectomies were performed. We demonstrated a significant delay from time of diagnosis to surgery from 80 to 96 days (P < 0.0005), after introducing COVID-restrictions. The number of surgeries performed per month decreased after the pandemic and has not recovered (P = 0.012). 2022 saw a sharp reduction in cases with 49 surgeries, compared to 71 in 2019 for the same period. CONCLUSION: Restrictions were associated with a significant increase in pathological upstaging, greatest immediately after the introduction of COVID-restrictions (IRR 1.71, CI 0.93-2.94, P = 0.05). COVID-19 delayed the access to surgery, reduced surgical capacity and consequently resulted in pathological upstaging throughout Queensland.