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Background Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has a rising global prevalence. Although it is vastly outnumbered by type 2 diabetes mellitus rates, it remains a persistent worldwide source of morbidity and mortality. Increasingly, its sufferers are afflicted by obesity and its complications. The objective of the study is to quantify the effects of bariatric surgery on T1DM by appraising the primary outcomes of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin requirements and body mass index (BMI). Secondary outcomes included blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol biochemistry. Methods A systematic review of studies reporting pre-operative and post-operative outcomes in T1DM patients undergoing bariatric surgery was done. Data were meta-analysed using random effects modelling. Subgroup analysis and quality scoring were assessed. Results Bariatric surgery in obese T1DM patients is associated with a significant reduction in insulin requirement (−48.95 units, 95 % CI of −56.27, −41.62), insulin requirement per kilogramme (−0.391, 95 % CI of −0.51, −0.27), HbA1c (−0.933, 95 % CI of −1.604, −0.262) and BMI (−11.04 kg/m2, 95 % CI of −13.49, −8.59). Surgery is also associated with a statistically significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and a significant beneficial rise in HDL. Heterogeneity in these results was high, and study quality was low overall. Conclusions Bariatric surgery in obese T1DM patients is associated with a significant improvement in insulin requirement and a significant though modest effect on HbA1c. These early results require further substantiation with future studies focusing on higher levels of evidence. This may offer a deeper understanding of diabetogenesis and can contribute to better selection and stratification of diabetic patients for metabolic surgery and future metabolic treatment strategies.

Background: Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) and totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) techniques may improve recovery and reduce hospital stay following coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). However, working in a limited space with indirect visualisation would greatly benefit from a simple, high-quality and reproducible automated distal anastomotic method. Several devices have been developed; however, their uptake has been limited due to uncertainty around their impact on patient outcomes. Methods: A systematic review of the literature identified six studies, incorporating 139 subjects undergoing MIDCAB or TECAB surgery using a distal anastomotic device. Results: The overall 30-day mortality was 0.7% (1/137). No cardiac specific mortality was observed. For each outcome of perioperative myocardial infarction (MI), postoperative stroke and haemorrhage, only a single event was observed for each (n=1/136, 1/138 and 1/136, respectively). The overall device failure rates were low, with the use of additional sutures only reported in a single case with the Magnetic Vascular Port (MVP) device. Anastomotic time ranged from a mean of 3.32 minutes with the MVP device to 20 minutes with the C-Port device. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the overall acceptable early outcomes of distal anastomotic devices for use in minimally invasive coronary bypass surgery. Future research should focus on designing adequately powered, comparative, randomised trials, focusing on major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) outcomes in both the short and long-term, with clear case-by-case reasons for device failure and a comparison of anastomotic times. In this way, we may determine whether such devices will facilitate the minimal access and robotic coronary procedures of the future.

The growing use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) has led to infections requiring intervention. These are traditionally managed using a percutaneous transvenous approach to fully extract the culpable leads. Indications for such strategies are well-established and range from simple traction to the use of powered extraction tools including laser sheaths. Where such attempts fail, or if there are further complications, then there may be need for a cardiothoracic surgical approach. Limited evidence is currently available on the merits of individual strategies, and these are mainly drawn from case reports or series. Most utilise cardiopulmonary bypass, cardioplegic arrest and entry within the right atrium to allow direct visualisation of any vegetation and safely explant all CIED components whilst avoiding perforation, valvular and paravalvular damage. In this review, we describe a number of these and the unique challenges faced by surgeons when attempting to extract CIED. It is clear that future work should concentrate on creating clear consensus and guidelines on indications, risks and measures of efficacy outcomes for various surgical techniques.