Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to W G Rainer.
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To summarize this rather wide-ranging study, let us review the high points. The future practice of thoracic surgery will be increasingly affected by governmental factors and will have even greater technological dimensions. To do this work, we must continue to attract high-caliber individuals, and this is best accomplished by the early and continuing involvement in the educational process of strong role models from our field. These future surgeons must be motivated to do good work and should have high ethical standards as well as maturity and high intelligence. Experienced, involved faculty leading the residents through a broad program that offers graduated assumption of clinical and leadership responsibilities will facilitate the development of mature clinical judgment. Residents must be taught the clinical skills necessary to do all thoracic operations, leaving subspecialization to postresidency fellowships. The educational program should be humane in its demands and collegial in its application. It should incorporate experiences beyond the operating room, including the opportunity to read, think, and interact with local mentors and colleagues from around the country. The requirements of certification should not be so rigid as to preclude the development of different pathways to the same end. Likewise, although the accreditation process must protect the resident from exploitation, it must not be so restrictive that it does not allow for educational innovation and justifiable differences among programs. These are the thoughtful opinions of our colleagues. They deserve serious consideration.
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To better define the management and behavior of carotid body tumors, a 34-year surgical experience with 33 tumors in 30 patients was reviewed. There were 20 women and 10 men with an age range of 20 to 78 years. All but one presented with a neck mass. Arteriography was performed on 21 patients and was diagnostic in every case. There was no surgical mortality. Complications occurred in eight patients (27%), and one long-term neurologic deficit occurred. Three of 33 tumors were malignant, and aggressive resection of all approachable disease with radiotherapy for unresectable metastases led to prolonged survival in each case. Carotid body tumors present with neck mass. Arteriography is diagnostic and surgery is indicated. Even for malignant tumors and metastases, aggressive resection and radiotherapy are indicated.
The Edwards pericardial aortic valve has unique design features that minimize cusp stress and reduce abrasion wear. Wear tests and in vivo fluid dynamic tests have shown superior performance compared with other bioprostheses. Between August 1981 and July 1985, 719 isolated aortic valves were implanted in 10 US centers. Patients were aged 18 to 90 years (mean, 64 years). Men were 63.3% of the patients. Aortic stenosis was present preoperatively in 63.4% of patients. New York Heart Association functional classes III and IV were assigned to 62% of the patients. Valve sizes were 21 mm or less in 49% of patients. Concomitant procedures (most often coronary artery bypass grafting) were performed in 48% of patients. Hospital mortality was 4.7%. There was one valve-related death due to anticoagulant hemorrhage. Late mortality yielded 23 valve-related deaths: endocarditis (13), anticoagulant hemorrhage (4), thromboembolism (3), structural (2), and pannus overgrowth (1). Freedom from valve-related death at 7 years was 95.5%. Regarding valve survival, cusp tears were not seen. There were 11 calcified valves and eight explants (57 to 107 months). Seven-year freedom from all valve reoperation was 95.5%, with 11% of the patients receiving warfarin sodium, freedom of the total series from hemorrhage at 7 years was 93.3%, and from major thromboembolism, 95.8%. Echocardiographic follow-up of hemodynamics at 7 years yielded the following calculated effective orifice areas: 19 mm, 1 cm2; 21 mm, 1.3 cm2; and 23 mm, 1.4 cm2. Average mean gradient for 19-mm valves was 15 mm Hg. New York Heart Association class improved in 78% of the patients. The Carpentier-Edwards pericardial valve, carefully studied by the Food and Drug Administration guidelines, is easy to use and has excellent hemodynamics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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A variety of arteriovenous abnormalities of the heart have been previously described. Arteriovenous malformations are uncommon developmental abnormalities documented in almost every organ of the body. A subendocardial arteriovenous malformation in a patient with unstable angina is described which we believe to be the first reported case.
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Six female and 4 male patients (age, 23 to 75 years) underwent operation for difficult intracranial lesions. Preoperative diagnoses included four giant intracranial aneurysms, three base of skull glomus jugulare tumors, two arteriovenous malformations, and one cerebellar hemangioblastoma. All lesions were inoperable or nearly so by standard neurosurgical techniques. All patients were placed on total bypass via groin cannulations. Bypass times ranged from 111 to 269 minutes (mean, 174 minutes) with cooling times of 26 to 83 minutes (mean, 48 minutes) and warming times of 68 to 110 minutes (mean, 83 minutes). Circulatory arrest times ranged from 1.25 to 60 minutes with 1 patient not requiring arrest. The lowest core temperatures recorded varied from 8.4 degrees to 13.7 degrees C. There was one postoperative death and one major complication, both in patients with arteriovenous malformations. Eight patients (80%) have achieved an excellent result. Profound hypothermia with the option of circulatory arrest and exsanguination has been an indispensable adjunct to the safe management of intracranial aneurysm, glomus jugulare tumor, and hemangioblastoma.
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1. The American College of Cardiology acknowledges the continuum of changing societal, medical and economic perspectives affecting traditional medical ethics. Primacy of patient responsibility remains paramount to the cardiovascular specialist who at the same time should participate in the development of broader societal programs. 2. Medical decisions should be freely and jointly formulated by the patient and the cardiovascular specialist with appropriate sensitivity to such matters as mental competence, pertinent medical information and standards of care, sufficient time for contemplation, informed consent, patient right of refusal, physician right to refuse to provide inappropriate care and the right of patient, physician or third party payer to seek consultation or additional opinions. 3. The cardiovascular specialist should make a special effort to clarify and document patient preferences regarding end-of-life treatment through some form of advance directive. 4. The cardiovascular specialist bears a moral obligation to provide medical care to any patient who is HIV positive or has AIDS. 5. A conflict of interest occurs when a cardiovascular specialist places personal or financial interest ahead of the welfare and health of a patient. Professional accountability should be established through local or regional peer review. 6. The American College of Cardiology encourages and supports a renewed dedication to the principles of medical ethics, particularly in the field of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular specialists are encouraged to participate in the promulgation of medical ethics by teaching and by example, individually and with others.