The present study was performed in China to compare the efficacy and safety of an advanced wound dressing made of crystalline cellulose (Veloderm) to a conventional treatment three of Vaseline gauze in the management of skin donor sites of burns or reconstructive plastic surgery. In this prospective, multicenter, open-labeled, randomized ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the variation over 5 years of functional discomfort associated with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repaired by sacrospinous ligament fixation (SLF). A total of 178 women who had undergone SLF from 1992 to 2001. In 2002 and 2008, patients were sent a questionnaire ...

The goal of this study was to review the results of 279 laparoscopic living donor nephrectomies (LLDN) regarding outcomes of using the left or the right kidney. Among 279 patients who underwent LLDN between August 1998 and April 2009, 260 underwent a left (group L) and 19, a right (group ...

OBJECTIVE:: To evaluate the effects of prearrest heparin administration on lung quality in a model of donation after cardiac death (DCD), and to assess the potential application of ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) in the identification of better grafts from the DCD donor pool. METHODS:: Cardiac death was induced by ...

PURPOSE: Bladder exstrophy is a major congenital anomaly involving defects in the genitourinary tract and pelvic musculoskeletal system. It appears intuitive that closure of the pelvic ring using osteotomy would be associated with a decreased risk of pelvic organ prolapse. We investigated whether osteotomy is associated with a decreased risk ...

PurposeTo describe the incidence, features, management, and risk factors of post-intravitreal anti-VEGF endophthalmitis (PIAE) in patients undergoing treatment for exudative age-related macular degeneration in the United Kingdom.MethodsProspective observational case control study. Forty-seven cases of PIAE were identified through the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit from January 2009 to March 2010. Data ...

OBJECTIVES: To identify the organs most susceptible to develop multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in patients with sepsis due to secondary peritonitis, and to determine the outcome and mortality predicting utility of the SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) system. DESIGN: A prospective, observational cohort study was made. SETTING: The resuscitation unit ...

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the ocular penetration of daptomycin, a new antibiotic agent targeted against Gram-positive organisms. Methods: Thirty-two New Zealand white rabbits were divided into 4 equal groups. One drop of 50 μL 1% daptomycin was administered to group 1. In group 2, 1 drop of 1% daptomycin was administered ...

OBJECTIVES: To compare surgical outcomes and donor site complications of buccal and lingual mucosa used as ventral onlay graft for complex hypospadias cases. PATIENTS & METHODS: Forty four cases with complex hypospadias after failed previous surgery were prospectively included. All had severely scarred penile skin with reasonable residual urethral plate. ...

The recovery of skin function and appearance after harvest of split-thickness skin autografts is incompletely described. We followed the kinetics of skin restoration after a partial-thickness skin excision relative to adjacent normal skin over 12 months. Standardized donor site wounds were made on the thigh using a pneumatic dermatome in ...

AimsTo report the surgical outcome of tectonic graft using glycerol-preserved donor corneas to treat perforated keratitis.MethodsThe medical records were reviewed of all patients treated for perforated keratitis using glycerol-preserved corneas at a single institution between 1 July 2004 and 31 June 2010. The clinical features, precipitating factors, adjuvant therapies, and ...

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is almost invariably associated with a generalized atherosclerotic involvement of the arterial tree and endothelial dysfunction. Previous short-term studies showed improvement of vascular reactivity and walking capacity in PAD patients by measures aimed at restoring nitric oxide (NO) production. NO is also known to prevent ...

The most common complication of latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap in breast reconstruction is seroma formation in the back. Many clinical studies have shown that fibrin sealant reduces seroma formation. We investigated any statistically significant differences in postoperative drainage and seroma formation when utilizing the fibrin sealant on the site of ...

The extended latissimus dorsi flap is important for breast reconstruction. Unfortunately, donor site seroma is the most common complication of extended latissimus dorsi flap for breast reconstruction. Although using fibrin sealant in the donor site reduces the rate of seroma formation, donor site seroma remains a troublesome complication. The purpose ...

With improvements in short-term kidney graft and patient survival, focus has shifted to understand patient and graft features that affect long-term survival. This retrospective analysis from January 1998 to December 2009 employed Kaplan-Meier analysis to evaluate survival ratios at 30 days as well as 1, 5, and 10 years. A ...

Long-term incentives allow organizations to reward certain executives for performance without increasing base salaries or annual incentives. When designing long-term incentive packages, organizations should: Focus primarily on strategic goals spanning multiple years. Ensure that long-term goals are supportive, yet not duplicative of annual goals. Balance financial imperatives with longer-term quality ...

OBJECTIVES: The numbers and recurrence rates of mucocutaneous manifestations can be highly variable among patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) but it is not known whether these differences influence the disease course at the long-term. METHODS: We evaluated the outcome of 30 patients that made up the placebo arm of a ...

High-dose aspirin has been reported to aggravate coronary artery spasm (CAS). However, it is unknown whether low-dose aspirin (LDA; 100mg) has deleterious impact on CAS. We assessed the impact of LDA on CAS induced by intracoronary acetylcholine (ACh) provocation test. A total of 2789 consecutive patients without significant coronary artery ...

Objective: To determine the influence of the concentration of oval spermatozoa according to the strict morphology criterion in men with normal sperm concentration following the World Health Organization criteria on the results of classic IVF. Materials and Methods: Based on review of patient charts, this study included infertile couples presenting ...

Cryopreservation of whole organs has become increasingly successful in recent years, and establishing reliable methods for confirming the success of specific cryopreservation procedures has therefore become extremely important. On the assumption that methods such as histological evaluation do not provide definitive evidence of long-term cryopreservation and that clear signs of ...

: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is recommended in the treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer. Studies have suggested that chemoradiotherapy adversely affects anorectal function. However, the functional implication and the underlying neuromyogenic changes involved in radiation-induced damage are poorly understood. : This study evaluated the functional changes following chemoradiotherapy on the internal ...

BACKGROUND: Use of a single bolus of a hypnotic together with non-depolarizing muscle relaxants for anaesthesia induction may cause inappropriate light levels of anaesthesia (ILLA). The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of ILLA during anaesthesia induction using either cis-atracurium (CIS) or succinylcholine (SUC). METHODS: Patients (n = 65) ...

Acute heart failure (AHF) remains a major public health burden with a high prevalence and poor prognosis. Relaxin is a naturally occurring peptide hormone that increases cardiac output, arterial compliance, and renal blood flow during pregnancy. The RELAX-AHF-1 study will evaluate the effect of RLX030 (recombinant form of human relaxin ...

Moist wound treatment improves healing of skin graft donor site wounds. Microbial colonised wounds represent an increased risk of wound infection; while antimicrobially active, topical antiseptics may impair epithelialization. The aim of this prospective randomised controlled clinical trial was to examine the influence of an Octenidine-dihydrochloride (OCT) hydrogel on bacterial ...

Backround: This paper presents the results of the first part of the clinical study of temporary biosynthetic dermal skin substitute based a on collagen and hyaluronic acid, named Coladerm H/HM. The aim of this study was to evaluate safety and effects of Coladerm H/HM in covering the split-thickness skin graft ...

The mortality rate of patients complicated with sepsis-associated organ failure remains high in spite of intensive care treatment. The purpose of this study was to define the duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) before organ failure (DSOF) and determine the value of DSOF as a prognostic factor in septic ...

Through efforts of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), begun in 1988, indigenous transmission of wild poliovirus (WPV) had been interrupted in all but four countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nigeria) by 2006. Since 2002, a total of 39 previously polio-free countries experienced outbreaks following importation of WPV of Indian ...

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is currently the international standard of care for treating degenerative and rheumatologic knee joint disease, as well as certain knee joint fractures. We sought to answer the following three research questions: (1) What is the international variance in primary and revision TKA rates around the world? ...

Use of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) monitoring during total parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism is common, although its ability to predict long-term normoparathyroid state is not known. Prospective evaluation of 57 consecutive patients undergoing total parathyroidectomy for renal hyperparathyroidism with ioPTH monitoring and follow-up PTH assays were used to categorize the ...

The cardiovascular (CV) risk profile is worsened in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), and CV mortality is related to serum calcium levels. It is unknown whether CV mortality is increased in the most common form of PHPT and whether the increased CV risk is reversible after surgery. To investigate reversibility of echocardiographic ...

The spawning behavior and early embryogenesis of Palythoa tuberculosa (Anthozoa, Zoantharia) were observed in August 2009 off Okinawa Island, Japan. P. tuberculosa released zygotes just after high tide around new moon nights. The mean diameter of zygotes was 365.6 ± s.d.14.8 μm, and zygotes did not contain any symbiotic algae ...

Individuals with endogenous subclinical thyrotoxicosis (SCT) may subsequently require treatment for overt disease. We aimed to evaluate the frequency of progression to hyperthyroidism and factors influencing this outcome. This is a retrospective analysis of outcome in 96 consecutive patients (aged 16-91 years) diagnosed with SCT over a 6-year period. Individuals ...

Recent evidence has shown that oxidative stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, and this is an issue of considerable research interest in the field of infiltrative ophthalmopathy. Therefore, we evaluated both the relationship between Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) and serum levels of certain indicators of oxidative ...

To describe and increase understanding of the brachial-basilic vein anatomy that could impact planning of long-term hemodialysis access procedures. Preoperative vein mapping was conducted in a cross-sectional, observational study in end-stage renal disease patients from August 2005 to May 2010. "Traditional" anatomic description with basilic-brachial junction at the axillary level ...

To assess the frequency of new thyroid disease, in patients who did not develop thyroid disease during treatment with interferon-α in combination with ribavirin for hepatitis C, during the 6-month period after the end of therapy. A prospective study was performed in 190 patients who underwent a combination of interferon-α ...

Background The role of thymectomy in the management of MG continues to be debated. In the absence of an adequate RCT, it is essential to review clinical experience. Aim To perform a 10 year audit of cases of thymectomy for MG in a tertiary referral centre. Methods Medical case notes of ...

BACKGROUND: Although the variables that influence the development of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia are now better understood, the risk factors and long-term outcome of persistent hypoparathyroidism (HPP) are poorly defined. A retrospective review of a prospective protocol for the management of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcaemia was performed. METHODS: Patients with a serum calcium level ...

CONSISTENT SAMPLE: Because 401(k) balances can fluctuate with market returns from year to year, meaningful analysis of 401(k) plans must examine how participants' accounts have performed over the long term. Looking at consistent participants in the EBRI/ICI 401(k) database over the six-year period from 2003 to 2009 (which included one ...

We conducted a retrospective study to determine the incidence and characteristics of submandibular gland hemangioma at our institution. We reviewed the records of all patients who had undergone submandibular gland excision from January 1998 through December 2006. We found a total of 230 such cases. Of these, submandibular gland hemangioma ...

To evaluate and categorize the locations of missed parathyroid glands found during reoperative parathyroidectomy and to determine any factors associated with these locations. Retrospective cohort study. Tertiary referral center. Fifty-four patients who underwent reoperative parathyroidectomy for persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism from January 1, 2005, through January 1, 2009. Location of ...

Conventional thyroid surgery is one of the most common operations performed worldwide. The conventional technique involves placement of small or large cutaneous flaps. However, the published data regarding flap use for thyroidectomy are contradictory. This study presents the results using a flapless conventional thyroidectomy and the efficacy of this approach ...

Hypothyroidism can occur after radioiodine treatment for Graves' disease. It may happen precociously and transiently in the first year after treatment. The purpose of this study was to understand the mechanisms responsible for precocious hypothyroidism. 36 patients treated for Graves disease by radiodiodine were prospectively studied; The following variables were ...

Few studies have examined the need for vitamin D supplementation after total thyroidectomy. This study examines the role of postoperative day (POD) 1 serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in predicting the need for long-term vitamin D supplementation after total thyroidectomy. A retrospective, single institutional study of patients who ...

It is believed that patients who undergo thyroidectomy for Graves' disease are more likely to experience postoperative hypocalcemia than patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for other indications. However, no study has directly compared these two groups of patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether there was an increased ...

Thyroidectomy continues to pose the risk of typical complications, including postoperative hypocalcemia and permanent hypoparathyroidism. The strategic decision on how to preserve parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion relies on assessing the viability of the parathyroid glands (PGs). The aim of this study was to assess parathyroid discoloration as an indicator for ...

This study investigated the value of postoperative stimulated thyroglobulin (Tg) combined with neck ultrasonography for the prediction of the posttherapy whole-body scanning (RxWBS) and the efficacy of ablation with 30 mCi ¹³¹I in patients with thyroid cancer and low risk of recurrence to identify those who do not require ablation or ...

To observe the recovery of saliva output and effect on xerostomia grade after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) with or without contralateral submandibular gland (cSMG) sparing and to assess the impact of salivary gland dosimetry on this recovery among patients with head-and-neck cancer. Between May 2007 and May 2008, 52 patients with ...

Percutaneous laser ablation (PLA) is a proposed therapeutic procedure for the management of benign thyroid nodules. However, long-term results are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the safety and effects of PLA treatment in patients with benign nonfunctioning thyroid nodules in a 3-year follow-up. One hundred ...

To evaluate the impact of truncal versus terminal branch ligature of the inferior thyroid artery (ITA) on postoperative calcium and PTH plasma levels in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter. A prospective randomized study was performed comparing a group of patients that underwent either truncal ligature of the ITA ...

Objective  Our study aimed to investigate whether physiological doses of selenium (Se) influence the natural course of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT). Design and Patients  A total of 76 consecutive patients (65F, 11M, median 43, range 15-75 years) with AIT, normal or slightly elevated TSH and fT4 within the normal range were divided ...