Abstract Objective: We aimed to analyze whether patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure reduces the risk of stroke, assessing also some safety outcomes after the publication of a new trial. Introduction: The clinical benefit of closing a PFO has been an open question, so it is necessary to review the current state of published medical data in regards to this subject. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL/CCTR, SciELO, LILACS, Google Scholar and reference lists of relevant articles were used to search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported any of the following outcomes: stroke, death, major bleeding or atrial fibrillation. Six studies fulfilled our eligibility criteria and included 3560 patients (1889 for PFO closure and 1671 for medical therapy. Results: The risk ration (RR) for stroke in the “closure” group compared with the “medical therapy” showed a statistically significant difference between the groups, favouring the “closure” group (RR 0.366; 95%CI 0.171–0.782, P=0.010). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the safety outcomes, death and major bleeding, but we observed an increase in the risk of atrial fibrillation in the “closure” group (RR 4.131; 95%CI 2.293–7.443, P<0.001). We also observed that the larger the proportion of effective closure, the lower the risk of stroke. Conclusion: This meta-analysis found that stroke rates are lower with percutaneously implanted device closure than with medical therapy alone, being these rates modulated by the rates of hypertension, atrial septal aneurysm and effective closure. The publication of a new trial did not change the scenario in the medical literature.

Abstract Objective: We aimed to determine whether patent foramen ovale closure reduces the risk of stroke, also assessing some safety outcomes. Introduction: The clinical benefit of closing a patent foramen ovale after a cryptogenic stroke has been an open question for several decades, so that it is necessary to review the current state of published medical data in this regard. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL/CCTR, SciELO, LI-LACS, Google Scholar and reference lists of relevant articles were searched for randomized controlled trials that reported any of the following outcomes: stroke, death, major bleeding or atrial fibrillation. Five studies fulfilled our eligibility criteria and included 3440 patients (1829 for patent foramen ovale closure and 1611 for medical therapy). Results: The risk ratio (RR) for stroke in the "device closure" group compared with the "medical therapy" showed a statistically significant difference between the groups, favouring the "device closure" group (RR 0.400; 95% CI 0.183-0.873, P=0.021). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the safety outcomes death and major bleeding, but we observed an increase in the risk of atrial fibrillation in the "device closure group (RR 4.000; 95% CI 2.262-7.092, P<0.001). We also observed that the larger the proportion of effective closure, the lower the risk of stroke. Conclusion: This meta-analysis found that stroke rates are lower with percutaneously implanted device closure than with medical therapy alone, being these rates modulated by the rates of effective closure.

RESUMO Objetivo: verificar o grau de conhecimento entre cirurgiões, sobre as recomendações do Projeto ACERTO em cirurgia bariátrica, correlacionando o "imaginário", sobre suas prescrições, e a "realidade", através de dados de prontuários de seus pacientes. Métodos: estudo observacional longitudinal prospectivo comparativo entre o "imaginário" dos cirurgiões, obtido através de respostas de questionário sobre condutas recomendadas pelo ACERTO e a análise de dados clínicos "reais" encontrados em prontuários de pacientes submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica. Foram analisados: jejum pré-operatório, realimentação precoce, hidratação venosa perioperatória, antibioticoprofilaxia, uso de sondas e drenos, analgesia e profilaxia de náuseas e vômitos. Foram confrontadas as respostas de sete cirurgiões e dados de 200 prontuários médicos. Resultados: todos os cirurgiões entrevistados conheciam o Projeto ACERTO. Cinco (72%) responderam que seguiam o protocolo completamente. O tempo mediano de jejum pré-operatório foi maior do que o relatado pelos cirurgiões (p<0,05). Os pacientes receberam realimentação precoce em 96,5% dos casos. O volume mediano de fluidos prescritos nas primeiras 24 horas foi 4000ml, condizente com a entrevista. Em relação à antibioticoprofilaxia, uso de sondas e drenos, analgesia e prevenção de náuseas e vômitos, não houve diferença entre o respondido e o constatado nos prontuários. Conclusão: o Projeto ACERTO era bem praticado entre os cirurgiões pesquisados, havendo boa correlação entre o "imaginário" e "realidade" dos cuidados perioperatórios prescritos em pacientes submetidos à cirurgia bariátrica.

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the level of knowledge among bariatric surgeons, about the recommendations of the ACERTO Project, correlating their assumptions on their perioperative prescriptions and the reality, according to the patients charts. Method: we conducted a prospective, longitudinal, observational study comparing the assumptions of bariatric surgeons obtained through responses on a specific questionnaire with the reality found in clinical data from the hospital records. We analyzed the following variables: preoperative fasting, early postoperative feeding, intravenous hydration, perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis, use of abdominal drains, type of analgesia, and prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting. We confronted the responses of seven surgeons with data from 200 records of patients undergoing gastroplasty for morbid obesity. Results: all interviewed surgeons knew the ACERTO Project. Five (72%) responded that they followed the protocol thoroughly. The median time of preoperative fasting found in the records was higher than the reported by the surgeons (p<0.05). Early postoperative feeding was prescribed for 96.5% of cases. The median volume of intravenous fluids prescribed in the first 24 hours was 4000ml, which was consistent with the interviews. There were no differences between the response in the questionnaire and the findings in the hospital records in relation to antibiotic prophylaxis, use of catheters and drains, analgesia and prophylaxis of nausea and vomiting. Conclusion: the ACERTO Project was well practiced among the surveyed surgeons. There was a good correlation between their assumptions and the reality in perioperative care of patients undergoing bariatric surgery. However, there was a significant difference in preoperative fasting time.