Background Despite the marked improvement in the aortic dissection repair techniques, residual dissected aorta with a patent false lumen remains an issue. So, the aim of our study is to observe the effect of inserting the Thoraflex Hybrid Graft on the aortic diameters in patients with type A aortic dissection involving the arch and descending aorta. Patients with type I aortic dissection who had aortic dissection repair using the Thoraflex Hybrid Graft in University Hospitals Birmingham were studied. Radiological assessment with computed tomography of the aorta was done at the level of the diaphragm to measure the true lumen, false lumen and total aortic diameters. Significance of change of diameters at early post-operative as compared to the pre-operative period was analysed. Results Eight cases were done in the acute setting, while 14 cases were done in the chronic setting. The ratio of true lumen to the total aortic diameter has significantly increased in the follow-up period as compared to the pre-operative period (P = 0.031). Whereas false lumen to total aortic diameter ratio has significantly decreased (P = 0.024). Subgroup analysis revealed that these changes were not significantly altered by whether the dissection was acute or chronic. Conclusions The Thoraflex Hybrid Graft will induce positive aortic remodelling with expansion of true lumen and will diminish the false lumen. But we could not find a significant difference between acute or chronic cases due to small sample size.

New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) following Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been described in up to 15% to 40% of patients in the initial postoperative period. POAF is related with higher mortality, increased hospital resource utilization, postoperative extra ITU hours and hospital days, consequently increasing hospital-related budgets. Beta blocker administration decreases the rate of POAF from 30%-40% to 12%-16% after CABG. According to the EACTS (European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery) guideline December 2006, β-Blockers should routinely be used as the first choice for the prophylaxis of atrial fibrillation (AF) in all patients undergoing cardiac surgery, if not contraindicated (IB). To compare the contemporary practice with the recommended standard retrospective data of consecutive 400 patients treated with isolated CABG between July 2015 and June 2017 were collected. Those patients who received β-blockers on the day of surgery or the following morning (Continued and Restarted on 1st POD) met the standard guidelines. Thus, according to the data (12% + 20%) 32% of the patients met the standard. To compare the rate of Postoperative Atrial fibrillation, we divided the patients into two groups. Group A, who followed the guideline (128 patients) and Group B, who resumed β-Blockers 48 hours onwards (272 Patients). In group A, only 8 patients developed postoperative AF whereas in group B 88 patients developed postoperative AF which is also statistically significant (P < 0.003). β-blockers significantly decrease the incidence of AF after CABG. Attention must also be paid on understanding and improving β-blockers use at perioperative period.