PURPOSE: To compare the performance of two novel multipurpose disinfecting solutions (MPDS) in preventing silicone hydrogel contact lens dehydration, provide higher scores of subjective comfort and stable optical quality during a month of lens wear in neophyte volunteers. METHOD: This is a prospective, double-blind, contralateral and randomised study involving the ...

BACKGROUND:Rotator cuff repair has a relatively high (20%-90%) chance of retears. Patients with an intact rotator cuff 6 months after surgery have better subjective and objective outcomes at 6 months and 2 years after rotator cuff repair than those who do not have an intact repair. PURPOSE:The aim of this ...

BACKGROUND: Improvement in quality of life (QoL) in patients who went through total hip arthroplasty (THA) is well studied, while the number of studies on improvement in actual daily activity in THA patients is limited. The purpose of the study was (1) to describe the pre- to postoperative changes in ...

PURPOSE: Catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is an effective treatment. Favourable outcomes at 6-12 months post-ablation have been reported using the multi-electrode catheter 'pulmonary vein ablation catheter (PVAC)' but little is known about longer term outcomes. There are also limited data on quality of life (QoL) post-atrial fibrillation (AF) ...

The present study was developed to evaluate multiparous sow reproductive performance and backflow in post-cervical artificial insemination (post-CAI) using a reduced number of sperm than in cervical artificial insemination (CAI). The experimental groups were divided into sows inseminated by: 1) cervical artificial insemination (CAI): 3×10(9) spermatozoa/80ml; 2) post-CAI: 1.5×10(9) spermatozoa/40ml ...

Fibreoptic intubation remains a key technique for the management of difficult intubation. We randomly compared the second generation single-use Ambu(®) aScope™ 2 videoscope with a standard re-usable flexible intubating fibrescope in 50 tracheal intubations in patients with a difficult airway simulated by a semirigid collar. All patients' tracheas were intubated ...

STUDY DESIGN:: Prospective observational study. OBJECTIVE:: To assess patient quality of life before and after surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and determine whether an association exists between quality of life and curve magnitude, curve correction, and type of instrumentation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA:: Assessment of AIS surgery outcomes ...

STUDY OBJECTIVE: In 2005, England implemented a controversial target limiting patient stays in the emergency department (ED) to 4 hours. We determine the effect of the "4-hour target" on quality of care and resource use. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 15 purposively sampled EDs in England, representing a ...

BACKGROUND: A number of reconstructive procedures are available for the management of hip osteoarthritis. Hip resurfacing arthroplasty is now an accepted procedure, with implant survivorship comparable to THA at up to 10 years' followup in certain series. Most reports focus on implant survivorship, surgeon-derived results, or complications. Fewer data pertain to ...

PURPOSE: Lumbar decompression surgery (LDS) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) are frequently performed in the elderly population, but very little is known about their subsequent physical capacity and participation in leisure activities. Despite similar demographics and comorbidities, it is questionable whether LDS patients achieve equally high levels of physical capacity ...

For patients with an acute episode of venous thromboembolism (VTE), the optimal starting time of long-term therapy with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) and how much overlap should occur with heparin are unclear and the current guidelines and practice are not based on high-quality data. The objective of this study was ...

Post-prostatectomy radiotherapy (PPRT) with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has the potential to decrease toxicity by reducing dose to surrounding structures. We assessed its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). PPRT patients were enrolled in a prospective HRQoL database. To be eligible, patients were required to be treated with IMRT ...

BACKGROUND: There has been considerable interest in minimally invasive surgical (MIS) THA in recent years. The MIS anterolateral approach, or the MIS Watson-Jones approach, is a novel intermuscular abductor-sparing technique. Early reports from case series suggest the potential for superior function and reduced complications; however, the available information from clinical ...

OBJECTIVE: Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. Previous studies suggest that women undergoing coronary artery bypass (CABG) surgery present with a higher severity of disease and that this may be an indicator of delays in treatment preceding diagnosis thus presenting challenges for recovery. The aim of ...

OBJECTIVE: This clinical trial aimed to evaluate the clinical results of the use of a tulip fibre versus the use of a bare fibre for endovenous laser ablation. METHODS: In a multicentre prospective randomised trial 174 patients were randomised for the treatment of great saphenous vein reflux. A duplex scan ...

STUDY DESIGN:: retrospective analysis of prospectively collected clinical data. OBJECTIVE:: To assess the long-term outcome of patients with monosegmental L4/5 degenerative spondylolisthesis treated with the dynamic Dynesys device. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA:: The Dynesys® system has been used as a semirigid, lumbar dorsal pedicular stabilization device since 1994. Good short-term ...

INTRODUCTION: Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) is now considered as a new therapeutic alternative for patients with medically refractory vomiting and/or nausea, although its mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. METHODS AND PATIENTS: Gastric discomfort threshold, measured as the gastric maximal tolerable volume (MTV) to distension, was examined before and after ...

We report 2 patients implanted with a small-aperture corneal inlay to correct presbyopia. After the surgery, both patients complained of visual symptoms and poor visual acuity. The distances from the center of the inlay to the corneal vertex center were 593 μm nasally and 159 μm superiorly in Case 1 ...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Whether adenotonsillectomy (AT) is sufficient for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) with persistent severe allergic rhinitis (PSAR) remains unclear. This study attempts to identify the role of inferior turbinate reduction in treating pediatric OSAS with PSAR. STUDY DESIGN: Case series with planned data collection. METHODS: Fifty-one subjects aged ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to prospectively determine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes and affecting factors after elective laparoscopic colectomy for cancer. METHODS: The SF-36, EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR29, and Gastrointestinal Quality of life Index (GIQLI) were used to assess 85 patients preoperatively and at 1, ...

Hyperhidrosis is a common disorder that may have a severe impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of two novel botulinum toxins, Xeomin®, a type A botulinum toxin, and Neuro-bloc®, a type B botulinum toxin, in the treatment of axillary and ...

OBJECTIVEFollowing trimodality treatment for superior sulcus tumours (SSTs), the 5-year survival rate has significantly improved. Quality of life and potential negative effects of this strategy have become more important. The objective of this study was to investigate the quality of life and the arm and shoulder function after the resection ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between long term quality of life (QoL), patient satisfaction, and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POPQ) scores following anterior vaginal repair with mesh. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 127 patients who underwent anterior pelvic floor repair with mesh and were ...

OBJECTIVES: To explore the efficacy in the long-term and the impact on Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of infliximab in patients suffering from Takayasu's arteritis (TA). METHODS: Clinical data were retrospectively collected in 15 patients with TA. Evaluation of Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaires was made ...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic anterior skull-base surgery has been previously suggested to cause a significant deterioration in olfactory function. Given the impact on quality of life, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of a unilateral middle-turbinate-sacrificing approach on olfactory function and sinonasal outcome. METHODS: Prospective cohort study comparing ...

Our objective is to examine the effects of using nasal packing or transseptal suture in septoplasty in young patients, specifically on the polysomnographic parameters in the post-operative period. A total of 43 patients who had undergone septoplasty surgery after a diagnosis of septum deviation were included in the study. Packing ...

Background and Objectives  Total knee replacement (TKR) is the treatment of choice in case of end-stage knee arthropathy, the main complication of haemophilia. We report here a retrospective evaluation of 72 total knee replacement in 51 haemophilia A and B patients using continuous infusion of factor concentrates (CIFC). Materials and ...

To assess the leg length discrepancy (LLD) in the patients who underwent primary total hip replacement both the actual inequality (anatomical LLD) and the perceived feeling of inequality (perceived LLD). Moreover the impact of the perceived LLD on quality of life was evaluated. From January 2011-January 2012, 151 hips from ...

We compared the clinical, radiological and quality-of-life outcomes between hybrid and total pedicle screw instrumentation in patients undergoing surgery for neuromuscular scoliosis. A matched comparison using prospectively collected data was undertaken. A total of 66 patients underwent posterior or anteroposterior correction and fusion with hybrid (n = 33, mean age at surgery ...

Subarachnoid block is a widely used technique for cesarean section. To improve the quality of analgesia and prolong the duration of analgesia, addition of intrathecal opioids to local anesthetics has been encouraged. We compared the effects of sufentanil 2.5 µg and 5 µg, which were added to intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine. ...

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and radiological changes of 3- and 4-level anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion with stand-alone anchored spacers and with traditional anterior plates. A total of 51 consecutive patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent 3- or 4-level anterior cervical diskectomy ...

BACKGROUND: This study is a comparison of the self-reported health status, quality of life, function, and prosthetic use of veterans with bilateral transfemoral limb loss following combat injury in either the Vietnam War or the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, to learn what improvements in surgery, prosthetics, and rehabilitation ...

To evaluate the impact of a pharmacist-led warfarin patient self-management program on quality of life and anticoagulation control compared with management in a physician-led specialized anticoagulation clinic. Prospective, randomized, controlled, open-label trial. Tertiary care academic medical center. A total of 114 patients aged 18-75 years who were followed at a ...

Key Words: Lower esophageal sphincter; Total gastrectomy reconstructed by Roux-en-Y; Esophageal manometry; Alkali reflux esophagitis. Abbreviations: Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES); Total Gastrectomy Reconstructed by Roux-en-Y (TGRY); Alkali Reflux Esophagitis (ARE); Length of Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LLES); Esophagogastric Mucosa Junction (EGJ); Maximum Lower Esophageal Sphincter Pressure (MLESP); Quality of Life (QOL). ...

BACKGROUND The Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) Inf-9 guideline promotes removal of indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs) within 48 hours of surgery. OBJECTIVES To determine whether a correlation exists between SCIP Inf-9 compliance and postoperative urinary tract infection (UTI) rates and whether an association exists between UTI rates and SCIP Inf-9 ...

The purpose of our study was to describe and analyze the functional outcomes of mid-term followup patients with ankle arthrodesis. Twenty patients who had an isolated ankle arthrodesis were followed for a mean of 3 years after surgery. We performed physical and functional examination, radiographic examination and CT scan. Each ...

PURPOSE: Knee arthrodesis is a scarcely tolerated procedure with a strong negative impact on the quality of life of the patient. The use of a fresh osteochondral allograft represents a fascinating option for a biological joint reconstruction. Aim of this report is to describe a case of total femoral and ...

AIM: The aim of our study was to assess the impact of 8-weekly intravenous (IV) antibiotics on exacerbation frequency and health-related quality of life in bronchiectasis. METHODS: Patients were recruited prospectively from June 2008 to December 2010. Patients with recurrent exacerbations (five or more exacerbations per year) and subjectively reporting ...

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a standard treatment for patients with disabling essential tremor. The short-term efficacy rate is well established. Objectives: To assess the long-term effects of DBS in our series and evaluate the durability of the effects over time. Methods: Eighty-four patients implanted with unilateral or bilateral ...

PURPOSE: An ongoing controversy exists on whether mobile-bearing design is superior over fixed-bearing design in unicondylar knee arthroplasties (UKAs). The present study conducted a systematic review to ascertain differences in performance between fixed- and mobile-bearing designs in UKAs. METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the ...

Abstract To investigate the clinical efficacy of combining digital subtraction angiography-guided percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and (125)I seeds implantation for the treatment of spinal osteoplastic metastasis. A combination of PVP and (125)I implantation was conducted for 50 patients with spinal osteoplastic metastasis, while the other 50 patients who received regular radiation ...

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of bladder-neck-preservation (BNP) on urinary continence, QOL and surgical margins (SM) after radical prostatectomy (RP) MATERIAL AND METHODS: 208 men presenting for RP were randomised for cBNP or control. Men after complete-BNP and subsequent urethro-urethral anastomosis were classified in cBNP-group and those without cBNP in ...

PURPOSE: Fusion of the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) has been a treatment option for patients with severe pelvic girdle pain (PGP). The primary aims were to evaluate the long-term outcomes in patients who underwent SIJ fusion and to compare 1-year outcomes with long-term outcomes. The secondary aim was to compare patients ...

AIMS: To examine whether self-rated disease-specific and generic quality of life predicts long-term mortality, independent of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels, and to explore factors related to low quality of life in a well-defined heart failure (HF) population. METHODS AND RESULTS: A cohort of 661 patients (62% male; age 71 ...

BACKGROUND:: Minimum clinical important difference (MCID) has been adopted as smallest improvement in patient-reported outcome (PRO) needed to achieve level of improvement felt to be meaningful to patients. OBJECTIVE:: To utilize common MCID calculation method with a cost-utility threshold anchor to introduce the concept of minimum cost effective difference (MCED). ...

BACKGROUND:Bilateral breast augmentation is an increasingly popular day-case procedure. Local infiltration with sedation is routinely used for its ease of application compared with the more complex and potentially riskier paravertebral blockade (PVB). We hypothesized that ropivacaine injected by experienced anesthesia providers into the paravertebral space as a PVB was more ...

AIMS: The aim of this study was the safety assessment of urethra injections of autologous total nucleated cells (TNCs) along with platelets, which focused on the outcome over a 6 month period. METHODS: An open, prospective study was conducted on 9 patients with severe stress urinary incontinence (SUI). At the ...

Background: External beam radiotherapy (XRT) has an established role in the management of recurrent or advanced well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC). The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of this additional intervention on quality of life (QOL) compared to total thyroidectomy (TT), with or without adjuvant radioactive iodine ...

Abstract Background: Remote in-home monitoring (RM) of symptoms and physiological variables may allow early detection and treatment of exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is unclear whether RM improves patient outcomes or healthcare resource utilization. This study determined whether RM is feasible in patients with COPD and if ...

BACKGROUND: More than one half of patients with cancer have a malignant pleural effusion (MPE) at some time during their life span. Recurrent malignant pleural effusions impair respiratory functions and worsen the quality of life. Once a patient develops MPE, only fluid drainage relieves pulmonary compression and dyspnea. Optimal treatment ...