William H. Risher

Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula

Congenital bronchoesophageal fistula is a rare anomaly that normally appears in adult life. Because of a recent case, we reviewed the literature on this lesion. There have been several reviews in the past but none has included all cases. The largest review included only two thirds of the cases (1966). Including our case, the number of reported cases is 100.

Leukocyte-Reduced Transfusions in Cardiac Surgery Results of an Implementation Trial

An implementation trial of leukocyte-reduced transfusions in cardiac surgery (primary coronary artery bypass graft and valve replacement) was performed from July to December 1998; comparisons were made with data from the same period in 1997. Patients from both periods were similar in important preoperative and intraoperative variables (age, sex, weight, number of units of RBCs transfused, ejection fraction). The mean total number of complications was statistically significantly decreasedfrom 0.26 complications per patient in the non-leukocyte-reduced to 0.19 in the leukocyte-reduced recipients. Overall, the mean +/- ISD costs of care per patient decreasedfrom 1997 (

Association of ABO-mismatched platelet transfusions with morbidity and mortality in cardiac surgery

27,615 +/-

Celiac Artery Aneurysm

33,973) to 1998 (

Lack of Lung Hemorrhage in Humans After Intraoperative Transesophageal Echocardiography with Ultrasound Exposure Conditions Similar to Those Causing Lung Hemorrhage in Laboratory Animals

27,038 +/-

Retrohepatic vena cava reconstruction with polytetrafluoroethylene graft

24,107). Mean costs decreased

Thoracoscopic resection of pericardium for symptomatic congenital pericardial defect.

1,700 per patient for recipients of leukocyte-reduced blood in 1998 compared with recipients of non-leukocyte-reduced blood in 1997 Mean costs increased

Cardiac transplantation after donor mitral valve commissurotomy.

4,000 per patient in patients who did not receive transfusions in 1998 compared with 1997. Hospitalization costs decreased when leukocyte-reduced transfusions were implemented for patients undergoing cardiac surgery in our institution. Implementation of leukocyte reduction may be cost neutral or cost saving in at least some settings.

Clinical decision making and operative approaches to thoracic aortic aneurysms

BACKGROUND: The transfusion of ABO‐mismatched platelets has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality during induction therapy for acute leukemia and allogeneic progenitor cell transplantation.

Non-barbiturate, drug-induced reversible loss of brainstem reflexes

Aneurysms of the celiac artery are unusual lesions and account for only 4% of all splanchnic aneurysms. In recent years, the incidence has been noted to rise because of the increased use of sonography, computerized tomography, and arteriography. Although patients are often asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis, the risk of rupture is high; therefore, surgical resection should be undertaken in acceptable candidates. We report the case of a large celiac artery aneurysm treated with distal pancreatectomy and celiac artery aneurysmectomy.