This article reviewed selected research highlights of 2013 that pertain to the specialty of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia. The first major theme is the commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the first successful cardiac surgical procedure with cardiopulmonary bypass conducted by Dr Gibbon. This major milestone revolutionized the practice of cardiovascular surgery and invigorated a paradigm of mechanical platforms for contemporary perioperative cardiovascular practice. Dr Kolff was also a leading contributor in this area because of his important contributions to the refinement of cardiopulmonary bypass and mechanical ventricular assistance. The second major theme is the diffusion of echocardiography throughout perioperative practice. There are now guidelines and training pathways to guide its generalization into everyday practice. The third major theme is the paradigm shift in perioperative fluid management. Recent large randomized trials suggest that fluids are drugs that require a precise prescription with respect to type, dose, and duration. The final theme is patient safety in the cardiac perioperative environment. A recent expert scientific statement has focused attention on this issue because most perioperative errors are preventable. It is likely that clinical research in this area will blossom because this is a major opportunity for improvement in our specialty. The patient care processes identified in these research highlights will further improve perioperative outcomes for our patients.

Assistant Professor Cardiovascular and Thoracic Section Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine University of Basel Basel Switzerland

Assistant Professor Cardiovascular and Thoracic Section Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA

Assistant Professor Director of Cardiac Anesthesia Mayo Clinic Scottsdale AZ

Assistant Professor Director of Critical Care Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA

Clinical Assistant Professor Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic

Clinical Associate Professor Director of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesiology Department of Anesthesiology Ohio State University Columbus OH

Professor Anesthesiology and Critical Care Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai Hospital New York NY

Senior Fellow Cardiovascular and Thoracic Section Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA

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