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Richard J Novick

Publications and source records attributed to Richard J Novick.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Early experience with robotically assisted internal thoracic artery harvest.

We sought to determine the efficacy of using robotic assistance to facilitate endoscopic harvesting of internal thoracic arteries (ITAs). A total of 104 patients had ITAs harvested endoscopically with use of both the AESOP 3000 system (Computer Motion, Goleta, CA, U.S.A.) and Zeus robotic telesurgical system (Computer Motion). All ITAs were harvested with a harmonic scalpel (Ethicon Endosurgery, Cincinnati, OH, U.S.A.). With the left lung collapsed, ITAs were harvested with CO2 insufflation through three 5-mm ports in the left chest. All patients tolerated insufflation without hemodynamic compromise. Average ITA harvest time was 61.3 +/- 20.9 minutes. Intraoperative graft flows averaged 36.3 +/- 22.4 mL/min. There were three distal ITA injuries; all other vessels were patent after harvesting and demonstrated no angiographic evidence of injury. This article demonstrates a technique by which ITA can be safely harvested totally endoscopically with use of computer-enhanced robotic systems and a harmonic scalpel, allowing complete pedicle dissection through 5-mm ports with minimal ITA manipulation.

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PubMed2002

Acute lung injury and lung transplantation influence in vitro subtype conversion of pulmonary surfactant.

The effects of surfactant treatment on surfactant subtype conversion after lung injury were examined. Dogs were subjected to hyperventilation for 8 h with or without surfactant treatment. Lungs were stored for 17 h, and the right lung was transplanted and reperfused for 6 h. Conversion of large aggregate (LA) surfactant to small aggregates was investigated using in vitro surface area cycling. LA from transplanted lungs (Transplant-LA) from the nontreated group converted more rapidly than Transplant-LA from the treated group. Transplant-LA from both groups converted more rapidly than LA from normal lungs. Calculations based on [(3)H]dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in the administered surfactant [bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES)] showed that the endogenous component of Transplant-LA converted more rapidly than the exogenous component. This indicates exogenous BLES did not equilibrate completely with endogenous surfactant. LA from hyperventilated, stored donor right lungs and from the recipients' native lungs from the nontreated group converted more rapidly than corresponding LA in the BLES-treated group. Similar relative conversions were observed with exogenous components from all lungs. Relative conversion of endogenous component from Transplant-LA was more rapid than that from LA from donor's stored right lung or from the recipient's native right lung. Low levels of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride inhibited conversion of Transplant-LA to a greater extent than normal LA. LA from all experimental groups had similar protein levels. These studies show acute lung injury, transplant, ischemia-reperfusion, and surfactant treatment have major effects on surfactant subtype integrity.

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting on risk-adjusted and cumulative sum failure outcomes after coronary artery surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We have shown that cumulative sum (CUSUM) failure analysis may be more sensitive than standard statistical methods in detecting a cluster of adverse patient outcomes after cardiac surgical procedures. We therefore applied CUSUM, as well as standard statistical techniques, to analyze a surgeon's experience with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) and on-pump procedures to determine whether the two techniques have similar or different outcomes. METHODS: In 320 patients undergoing nonemergent, first time coronary artery bypass grafting, preoperative patient characteristics, rates of mortality and major complications, and ICU and hospital lengths of stay were compared between the on-pump and OPCAB cohorts using Fisher's exact tests and Wilcoxon two sample tests. Predicted mortality and length of stay were determined using previously validated models of the Cardiac Care Network of Ontario. Observed versus expected ratios of both variables were calculated for the two types of procedures. Furthermore, CUSUM curves were constructed for the on-pump and OPCAB cohorts. A multivariable analysis of the predictors of hospital length of stay was also performed to determine whether the type of coronary artery bypass procedure had an independent impact on this variable. RESULTS: The predicted mortality risk and predicted hospital length of stay were almost identical in the 208 on-pump patients (2.2 +/- 3.9%; 8.2 +/- 2.5 days) and the 112 OPCAB patients (2.0 +/- 2.2%; 7.8 +/- 2.1 days). The incidence of hospital mortality and postoperative stroke were 2.9% and 2.4% in on-pump patients versus zero in OPCAB patients (p = 0.09 and 0.17, respectively). Mechanical ventilation for greater than 48 hours was significantly less common in OPCAB (1.8%) than in on-pump patients (7.7%, p = 0.04). The rate of 10 major complications was 14.9% in on-pump versus 8.0% in OPCAB patients (p = 0.08). OPCAB patients experienced a hospital length of stay that was a median of 1.0 day shorter than on-pump patients (p = 0.01). The observed versus expected ratio for length of stay was 0.78 in OPCAB patients versus 0.95 in on-pump patients. On CUSUM analysis, the failure curve in OPCAB patients was negative and was flatter than that of on-pump patients throughout the duration of the study. Furthermore, OPCAB was an independent predictor of a reduced hospital length of stay on multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: OPCAB was associated with better outcomes than on-pump coronary artery bypass despite a similar predicted risk. This robust finding was documented on sensitive CUSUM analysis, using standard statistical techniques and on a multivariable analysis of the independent predictors of hospital length of stay.

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