Aortic valve replacement is the definitive management for severe aortic stenosis. Intraoperatively, an aortic root enlargement (ARE) may be used to facilitate the implementation of a suitably sized prosthetic valve. This is to prevent patient prosthesis mismatch (PPM), a condition that causes a left ventricular outflow obstruction. There are four main techniques that are used to perform ARE, namely, Nicks, Manouguian, Nunez (modified Manouguian), and Kanno-Rastan procedures. They each involve incisions through different anatomical structures and allow a variety of valve sizes to be implanted. Studies prove that ARE effectively reduces the incidence of PPM. In addition, they show that there is no definitive link between ARE and perioperative mortality or other complications. There is a scarcity of literature exploring the comparative outcomes of each surgical technique. Therefore, further research is warranted for these procedures to be compared adequately. This review aims to summarise the available literature surrounding ARE with respect to three main questions. (1) What are the indications for ARE, (2) what surgical techniques exist to facilitate ARE, and (3) are there significant differences in patient outcomes when these surgical techniques are employed?

Purpose of review To summarize current literature evidence on the role of computed tomography (CT) scan in the diagnosis and assessment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Recent findings Recent guidelines on the use of CT scans in COVID-19 vary between countries. However, the consensus is that it should not be used as the first line; a notion supported by the WHO. Currently, several investigations are being used including reverse transcription PCR testing, chest radiographs, and ultrasound scans, and CT scans. They are ideally performed later during the disease process as the sensitivity and specificity are highest by that time. Typical COVID-19 features on CT scans vary but include vascular enlargement, ground-glass opacities, and ground glass opacification together with consolidation. Summary Since COVID-19 was declared as a global pandemic, there was a push towards identifying appropriate diagnostic tests that are both reliable and effective. There is a general agreement that CT scans have a high sensitivity but low specificity in diagnosing COVID-19. However, the quality of available studies is not optimal, so this must always be interpreted with the clinical context in mind. Clinicians must aim to weigh up the practicalities and drawbacks of CT scans when considering their use for a patient. The ease and speed of use of CT scans must be balanced with their high radiation doses, and infection control considerations.