PURPOSE: The objective of this study was twofold. Firstly, to calculate compliance rate, and secondly, to determine which 'population' of men is more/less likely to follow-up with semen analysis based on demographic information and complication rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively reviewed 946 consecutive ambulatory clinic vasectomies performed by ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the difference between chronological and random sequence reading in a series of radiographs with 11 years' follow-up. In addition, the influence of the starting point and length of series was evaluated. METHODS: Two experienced readers independently and repeatedly scored digitised radiographs of 62 patients at time points ...

Arthropathy is an invalidating complication of acromegaly. This arthropathy deteriorates radiographically despite long-term disease control. However, the clinical course and its relationship to the radiographic course are currently unknown. We aimed to investigate the clinical course of arthropathy during follow-up and its relationship to radiographic progression in long-term controlled acromegaly ...

INTRODUCTION: It is still unknown whether subsequent perihaematomal oedema (PHE) formation further increases the odds of an unfavourable outcome. METHODS: Demographic, clinical, radiographic and outcome data were prospectively collected in a single large academic centre. A multiple logistic regression model was then developed to determine the effect of admission oedema ...

Total Hip Replacement (THA) is one of the most successful and cost-effective operations. Despite its benefits, marked ethnic differences in the utilization of THA are well documented. However, very little has been published on the influence of ethnicity on outcome. We investigate whether the outcome-in terms of reoperation within 2 ...

AIM: To investigate the effect that delayed and early umbilical cord clamping have on neurodevelopment, immunoglobulin G and symptoms of infection during the first four months of life. METHODS: Full-term infants (n=382) were randomised to delayed (≥ 180 seconds) or early cord clamping (≤ 10 seconds). The Ages and Stages ...

OBJECTIVES: Observational studies identified increased age, left atrial (LA) size, type and duration of atrial fibrillation (AF) as independent predictors for failure of AF surgical ablation. Rhythm at discharge following the Cox maze (CM) procedure for AF was never considered a significant predictor of success. The purposes of this study ...

Purpose: To evaluate frequency and severity of segmentation errors of two spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) devices and error effect on central macular thickness (CMT) measurements. Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven eyes of 25 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, examined using the Cirrus HD-OCT and Spectralis HRA + OCT, were ...

BACKGROUND: To explore the predictive factors of cardiorespiratory abnormality in nonsedated patients at high altitude (HA) during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE). METHODS: The pulse and saturated oxygen (SaO(2)) levels of 993 patients undergoing nonsedated UGIE in Tibet were monitored. Bivariate correlation and logistic regression were used to identify predictive risk ...

PURPOSE: To determine the influence of age and the corneal stromal refractive index on the difference between the predicted and actual postoperative refractive error after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and whether the precision of outcomes could be improved by considering age and the refractive index. SETTING: Vissum Instituto Oftalmologico ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Additional intraventricular hemorrhage leads to higher mortality and worse functional outcome after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Intraventricular fibrinolysis (IVF) with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) is an emerging treatment strategy for such patients. However, experimental studies suggest that rtPA may exert proedematous effects and lead to increased perihemorrhagic ...

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the mid- to long-term functional outcome and implant survival of total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) in adults aged 55 years or younger with primary glenohumeral arthritis. The hypothesis was that TSA would lead to improvement in functional outcome but that implant survival ...

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist on the associated factors and correlation of leucocyte count to outcome in young adults with first-ever ischaemic stroke. AIMS: Our objectives were to investigate factors associated with elevated leucocyte count and whether there is correlation between leucocyte count and short- and long-term outcomes. METHODS: Of our ...

PURPOSE: To compare the effect of hemostatic matrix (HM) and electrosurgical bipolar coagulation (EBC) on ovarian reserve in patients undergoing endometrioma surgery. METHODS: Thirty patients with single ovarian endometrioma ≥4 cm were randomized to two groups. Ovarian reserve after laparoscopic excision of endometrioma was assessed by serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH); preoperatively ...

Accessibility to iron chelators including deferoxamine and deferasirox remains obscured in many developing countries. To provide an alternative, the government pharmaceutical organization of Thailand (GPO) manufactured deferiprone which has similar bioequivalent to the standard product. Seventy-three pediatric patients with severe β thalassemias, age range 3.2-19 years, were recruited to a ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to understand the epidemiology, clinical features, behavior, and the prognostic factors that influence the outcome of intracranial meningiomas in children. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with age less than 18 years who underwent surgery for intracranial meningiomas during the period of at 1988-2012 at Voluntary Health ...

Context:Clinicians who prescribe levothyroxine (LT4) for hypothyroidism often feel strongly about using a brand-name drug instead of a generic.Objective:The objective of the study was to determine whether Synthroid resulted in better control of congenital hypothyroidism than generic LT4.Design:This was a 5-year retrospective study.Setting:The study was conducted at 1 tertiary care ...

The impact of patient-prosthesis mismatch (PPM) on clinical outcomes following aortic valve replacement (AVR) remains controversial. The study aim was to evaluate the impact of PPM on long-term clinical outcomes following AVR. Between January 1987 and September 2007, a total of 198 consecutive patients (mean age 59.6 +/- 10.5 years; ...

Posthemorrhagic cerebral vasospasm (PHCV) is a common problem and a significant cause of mortality and permanent disability following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. While medical therapy remains the mainstay of prevention against PHCV and the first-line treatment for symptomatic patients, endovascular options should not be delayed in medically refractory cases. Although both ...

Objective We compared the efficacies of irbesartan and olmesartan after successful stent implantation in patients with stable angina. Methods Twenty-six patients were randomly divided into irbesartan and olmesartan groups and treated for approximately eight months (at follow-up coronary angiography). Results There were no differences in blood pressure (BP) reduction or ...

To determine primarily (1) the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among ventilated patients aged 1 month to 12 years and secondarily (2) the risk factors for VAP and (3) common organisms causing VAP. Prospective study in a tertiary care center in India. Consecutive ventilated patients aged ≥1 month and ≤12 ...

Purpose. Tube-related exposure is a known complication of glaucoma drainage device (GDD) surgery. Our objective is to report the early (approximately 1 year) tube exposure rate of implants covered with a keraSys (IOP Inc., Costa Mesa, CA, USA) tissue reinforcement graft. Patients and Methods. A retrospective, noncomparative, consecutive case series ...

: To determine the effect of postoperative length of stay (LOS) on 30-day readmission after coronary artery bypass surgery. : We analyzed a final database consisting of Medicare claims of a cohort (N=157,070) of all fee-for-service beneficiaries undergoing bypass surgery during 2007-2008, the American Hospital Association annual survey file, and ...

As peritoneal dialysis (PD) is the preferred long-term dialysis modality in the pediatric population, we sought to identify risk factors for mortality and reoperation. A retrospective review of patients undergoing PD catheter insertions at a single center from 1994-2009 was performed. The following variables were evaluated: age (<1year), comorbidities, omentectomy, ...

OBJECTIVES To review transabdominal esophagocardiomyotomy (surgical treatment of achalasia) of the esophagus and to compare outcomes of partial anterior vs partial posterior fundoplication. DATA SOURCES An electronic search was conducted among studies published between January 1976 and September 2011 using the keywords achalasia, myotomy, antireflux surgery, and fundoplication. STUDY SELECTION ...

To assess the association between obstetricians' years of experience after training and the maternal complications of their patients during their first 40 years of post-residency practice. Retrospective cohort analysis. Obstetrical discharges from acute care hospitals in Florida and New York between academic years 1992 and 2009. 6 704 311 deliveries performed by ...

Background. The purpose of this study was to report on any prognostic factors that had a significant effect on clinical outcomes following arthroscopic Type II SLAP repairs. Methods. Consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic Type II SLAP repair were retrospectively identified and invited to return for follow-up examination and questionnaire. Statistical ...

The aim of the study was i) to assess the spectrum of changes over 24 months in ambulant boys affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, ii) to establish the difference between the first and the second year results and iii) to identify possible early markers of loss of ambulation. One hundred ...

Background: The objective of the present study was to explore the effects of deficiencies in glucose regulation on the onset, regression, and block performance times in a group of patients with diabetes-related foot problems. Methods: Forty-eight patients with American Society of Anesthetists physical status 2-4 undergoing foot and ankle surgery ...

Cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty has had high success rates but does not always have optimal functional outcomes. The purpose of this study was to compare 2 polyethylene inserts of varying constraint that were used in a new cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty design to determine whether differences were found in clinical ...

To assess the effect of ruboxistaurin (RBX) on vision loss through a prospectively defined combined analysis of two phase 3 trials (MBDL and MBCU). Patients in both of these 3-year randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked trials had best-corrected Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity (VA) ≥ 75 letters (∼20/32 Snellen), ...

The Ross procedure in children carries substantial mortality and reoperation rate. Aortic root dilatation is of concern. To prevent dilatation of the neoaortic root, but permit normal growth, we began to apply an absorbable poly-(p-dioxanone)-filaments (PDS) band at the sino-tubular (ST)-junction. All children (n=100) who underwent Ross procedure during 1995-2012 ...

Cryoprecipitate is largely used for acquired hypofibrinogenemia in the setting of massive hemorrhage in liver transplantation (LT). However, the influence of intraoperative cryoprecipitate transfusion on biliary complications (BC) after LT has not been studied in detail. In a series of 356 adult patients who received their first LT, the causes ...

PURPOSE: C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase biomarker responding to surgical trauma. Typically, a first peak is observed at day 2 with a reduction at day 4 and normalization 3-6 weeks after surgery. CRP is often linked to prosthetic joint infection when elevated values are present longer time after surgery. The ...

BACKGROUND: To determine the prognostic value of pro B-type natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) to predict mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Logistic EuroSCORE (LES) overestimates observed mortality after TAVI. A new risk score specific to TAVI is needed to accurately assess mortality and outcome. METHODS: Eighty-five patients were included. Indications ...

Objective: Evaluation of the true incidence of balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO) among boys younger than 10 years. Methods: In a period of 13 months, 75 boys younger than 10 years were treated for phimosis. Suspicion of BXO was raised in phimosis grade 2 or 3 (classification by Kikiros). Patients were ...

Objective: N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) is one of the biomarkers, increased by myocardial ischemia or subsequent, burdened wall stress. The aim of this study was to assess if NT-pro-BNP can predict the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB).Methods: NT-pro-BNP was measured preoperatively ...

OBJECTIVE: To identify the predictive factors for successful vessel-intact laparoscopic orchiopexy (VILO) for nonpalpable intra-abdominal testes (NPIT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 25 boys with 28 NPITs within 2 cm of the internal ring underwent VILO. They were divided into two groups based upon outcome, for statistical comparison. Group A (successful VILO): patients ...

PURPOSE: To assess the outcome of patients who underwent dorsal carpal wedge osteotomy (DCWO) for the treatment of wrist flexion deformities causing functional limitations resulting from arthrogryposis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients treated with DCWO between 1996 and 2009 by a single surgeon. Follow-up of ...

This study assessed the relationship between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels on admission and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (ASTEMI). Patients with ASTEMI who had a lipid profile tested within 24 hours of symptom onset were enrolled. They were stratified ...

AIMS: The aim of the study was to evaluate the significance of total bilirubin, aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) for predicting outcome in sepsis-associated cholestasis. METHODS: A retrospective cohort review of the hospital records was performed in 181 neonates admitted to the Neonatal Care Unit. A comparison ...

OBJECTIVES:: The management of esophageal varices (EV) in children suffering from biliary atresia (BA) remains controversial. Recent studies in children proposed initiating a prophylactic treatment in patients with severe (Grade III) EV and/or EV associated with red color signs. Our study was aimed at assessing the risk of bleeding from ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: There are few reports on the nutritional status changes and residual renal function (RRF) according to proteinuria levels in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). METHODS: A total of 388 patients on PD were enrolled. The patients were divided into 3 groups with respect to initial proteinuria: the A ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: A number of factors have been identified as influencing total knee arthroplasty outcomes, including patient factors such as gender and medical comorbidity, technical factors such as alignment of the prosthesis, and provider factors such as hospital and surgeon procedure volumes. Recently, strategies aimed at optimizing provider factors have ...

OBJECTIVE: the etiology and pathogenesis of PFAPA is still unknown, the rapid response to corticosteroids treatment suggested an immune mechanism. The role of vitamin D in the development of immune mediated diseases is widely investigated. In this study we aimed to look for possible association between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Long-term results of decompressive laminectomy in degenerative lumbar stenosis have been studied in only six prospective studies. The objective of our study was to evaluate the functional outcome at long term of patients after decompressive laminectomy in lumbar stenosis and to determine predictive factors of favorable outcome. ...

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) can be technically demanding and requires great attention to detail and prolonged concentration. We assumed that clinical outcomes of ESDs may be affected by cumulative time, and we aimed to compare complete resection rates and adverse events according to cumulative ESD time. METHODS: This study ...

Background: There is growing evidence that aortic distensibility (AD) is a subclinical marker of early atherosclerosis. Aortic intima-media thickness (IMT) was an earlier marker than carotid IMT of preclinical atherosclerosis. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationship between thoracic aortic IMT and AD. Methods: We studied 192 patients ...

BACKGROUND: Elective temporary clipping (ETC) is increasingly used in surgery for aneurysms. This study was to assess whether the impact of ETC on intraoperative aneurysmal rupture (IAR) translates into neurological outcome. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgery for ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms were prospectively studied for various factors related to ETC, ...

OBJECTIVE: High neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been associated with post-operative AF development in patients who underwent cardiac surgery. In this study, effectiveness of NLR for prediction of recurrence after electrical cardioversion (CV) in non-valvular AF was investigated. METHODS: A total of 149 patients who underwent a successful CV were included ...