Aortic valve replacement through right anterior minithoracotomy: can sutureless technology improve clinical outcomes?
In the present limited cohort of patients, sutureless prostheses reduced operative times for aortic valve replacement and the duration of mechanically assisted ventilation and might have influenced early and mid-term survival. Larger studies are needed to confirm our data and compare long-term outcomes.
These results suggest that the risk to the hearing of patients exposed to lithotripter noise is negligible. Cochlear damage resulting from excessive noise depends on both the intensity of the sound and the duration of exposure. The acoustic properties of the building housing the machine may also be important and can significantly influence the intensity of the sound at the ear. At marginal levels it may be years before the deficit reaches a level that can be detected by subjective audiometry. In addition, susceptibility to noise induced hearing loss is difficult to predict. Although these results suggest that there is minimal risk to the hearing of staff members exposed to lithotripter noise, the authors recommend that staff exposed to repeated lithotripter noise over long periods undergo regular audiometric assessment (including a preemployment baseline assessment) to identify evidence of noise induced auditory trauma, and that protective equipment be worn by staff members to reduce the possibility of long-term damage.