To investigate long-term outcome in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) after negative capsule endoscopy (CE) and identify risk factors for rebleeding. A total of 113 consecutive patients underwent CE for OGIB from May 2003 to June 2010 at Seoul National University Hospital. Ninety-five patients (84.1%) with a subsequent follow-up after CE ...

Abstract Background: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) is frequently tested in cancer patients. However, elevated CA19-9 can be found in many benign diseases. We investigated the relationship between elevated CA19-9 and diseases, and presented suggestions for its utility in a health check-up cohort. Methods: From June 2008 to December 2008, we ...

IMPORTANCE Long-term follow-up reference for experienced clinicians dedicated to profileplasty. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the long-term results and complications of combined rhinoplasty and genioplasty. DESIGN Retrospective study including objective and subjective evaluation before and after 3 years of undergoing simultaneous open rhinoplasty and genioplasty among a cohort of 90 patients. SETTING ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess if migraine frequency spontaneously changes after stroke. BACKGROUND: Patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure has been reported to decrease migraine attacks. Because many closures are carried out after an ischemic stroke, it is possible that migraine spontaneously improves after stroke. METHODS: We have prospectively collected all patients with ...

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Despite a low incidence of hemorrhagic complications following thoracentesis, correction or attempted correction of abnormal preprocedural coagulation parameters is still commonly performed. We aimed to assess hemorrhagic complications following ultrasound-guided thoracentesis in patients with abnormal preprocedural coagulation parameters. METHODS: We analyzed 1,009 ultrasound-guided thoracenteses performed between January 2005 ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a vancomycin nomogram using actual body weight and the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation to estimate renal function in intensive care unit patients. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation (preimplementation group, n = 57) was conducted from March 2011 ...

OBJECTIVES: We previously reported favourable short-term results of our 'trans-septal maze procedure', a novel technique for creating biatrial lesions through a septal-superior approach during mitral valve surgery. Here, we reviewed the mid-term results of this procedure and determined the impact of restored left atrial (LA) contraction on late outcomes. METHODS: ...

This study was to determine the mid- to long-term survivorship of cementless metal-on-metal THA in 52 patients (74 hips) who underwent THA for osteonecrosis of the femoral head with a cementless THA. The mean follow-up was 10.2years. The mean age at operation was 42.1years (range, 25-62years). The survivorship analysis with ...

Previous studies have suggested that angiographically detected peristent contrast staining (PSS) at follow-up may predict subsequent very late stent thrombosis. The Harmonizing Outcomes With Revascularization and Stents in Acute Myocardial Infarction (HORIZONS-AMI) trial was a dual-arm, factorial, randomized trial in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarctions. All follow-up angiograms (1,330 ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report the long term effectiveness of endoscopic plantar fascia release for recalcitrant plantar fasciopathy. MATERIALS: Twenty-three consecutive patients underwent endoscopically-assisted plantar fascia release for symptomatic plantar fasciopathy unresponsive to nonoperative measures. The clinical diagnosis was supported by imaging (plain radiographs and magnetic ...

Purpose: To characterize the neovascular lesions of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and outer retinal tubulations (ORTs). Methods: A retrospective study of 377 eyes with exudative AMD, submitted to intravitreal anti-angiogenic treatment. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence or absence of ORTs on spectral-domain optical ...

OBJECTIVES: In symptomatic patients, performing a primary repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), irrespective of age or placing a shunt, remains controversial. The aim of the study was to analyse the policy of primary correction. METHODS: Between May 2005 and May 2012, a total of 87 consecutive patients with TOF, ...

OBJECTIVE: Lower limb lymphedema (LLL) is the most disabling adverse effect of surgical treatment of vulvar cancer. This study describes the use of microsurgical lymphatic venous anastomosis (LVA) to prevent LLL in patients with vulvar cancer undergoing inguinofemoral lymph node dissection (ILND). METHODS: The study included 8 patients with invasive ...

BACKGROUND: Only 50% of patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and low ejection fraction (EF) improve their contractility after surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR). Long-term prognosis of these patients is strongly correlated to EF recovery after the surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative left ventricular function ...

Patients who survive intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) are at high risk of recurrence. HAS-BLED score has recently been developed to assess bleeding risk. This observational study was aimed to investigate the prognostic performance of HAS-BLED score in predicting recurrent ICH. 434 consecutive patients with a first spontaneous ICH who were not ...

INTRODUCTION: Postural dysfunction is one of the major features of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). With computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) balance can be assessed objectively. The primary aim of this study was to describe the postural function in iNPH patients pre- and post-operatively in comparison with healthy individuals (HI) using ...

We assessed whether patients who were dissatisfied with their previous primary hip (THA) or knee (TKA) arthroplasty, done by another surgeon, would have continued dissatisfaction or would have significant improvements in outcome scores following their subsequent primary THA or TKA. The majority of reasons provided for switching surgeons and/or institutions ...

BACKGROUND: A hybrid approach to minimally invasive perventricular closure of VSD in infants is safe and effective, and has been performed under guidance of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). We applied transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) guidance to this hybrid approach, and compare results guided by TTE with those by TEE. METHODS: From January ...

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM: The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) ranges between 7 and 14 %. Despite using multiple tissue sampling modalities, detection of CCA remains a challenge. Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) has been utilized to visualize subepithelial biliary mucosa in patients with indeterminate strictures. We ...

Objective. To assess the natural history of isolated syringomyelia in children. Methods. MRI reports from February 2007 to August 2011 mentioning syrinx were identified on Sheffield Children's PACS database. Scans with syringes having an AP diameter of > 1 mm and extending over at least two vertebral bodies were reviewed. ...

Cankles refer to the area where the calf and ankle meet. Unaesthetic fat cankles, where definition between the calf and ankle is impossible, are a frustrating aesthetic deformity, which are exacerbated by their genetic conditioning and special resistance to diet. This article reports our experience with laser-assisted lipolysis (LAL) in ...

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of short- and mid-term survival of tricuspid valve (TV) repair versus conservative therapy in patients with preoperative moderate functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve (MV) surgery.Methods Between January 2002 and December 2009, a total of 430 ...

OBJECTIVES: We have recently shown that valve sparing reimplantation (VSR) improves the durability of bicuspid aortic valve repair in comparison with subcommissural annuloplasty. The aim of this study was to assess the degree of annular reduction provided by these techniques and to correlate these findings with repair durability. METHODS: From ...

Objective The objective of this study is to assess the use of a novel, double-lumen electrocautery tube (DLET) device for ablating the sympathetic nerve chain in patients with primary palmar hyperhidrosis (PPH).Methods Forty-six patients with severe PPH were recruited into the study between November 2010 and February 2012. All patients ...

Background Although 80% of the dialysis patients in Hong Kong are treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD), most received continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD), while automated PD (APD) accounts for 5% of the patients. Recent evidence suggests that clinical outcomes are different for CAPD and APD in specific subgroups of patients. Methods ...

BACKGROUND: In the literature, staple line leak rate is reported to be 1-6 %, and hemorrhage rate is 2-5 % in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). Various buttress materials are available in an attempt to reduce perioperative complications. The aims of our study are to evaluate the effect of using absorbable hemostat ...

PURPOSE:: The purpose of the study was to evaluate outcomes of non-operative management of primary non-refluxing megaureter (PM) at long-term follow-up, and to identify clinical predictors of spontaneous resolution. METHODS: Among 74 patients (88 PMs) diagnosed between 1990-2005, 63 patients (74 PMs) were included in this main study population, observed ...

To explore the possibility of step-down method and low dose of etanercept for long-term stable remission of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Patients with JIA were enrolled into this study between February 2008 and March 2010 and then followed up for 2 years. The inclusion criteria were clinical remission and ...

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical and economic outcomes associated with the use of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) in perioperative liver transplantation (LT). DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Academic medical center. PATIENTS: A total of 63 adults who underwent LT between January 2000 and September 2008 and received rFVIIa prior to ...

BACKGROUND: It is believed that patients with an ankle arthrodesis (AA) have better outcomes than after a tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis due to preservation of subtalar motion. However, there are no studies comparing actual functional outcomes and patient satisfaction between AA and TTC arthrodesis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patient satisfaction and ...

BACKGROUND: Malignant transformation of oral lichen planus (OLP) to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is controversial. C-MYC is a proto-oncogene involved in various solid tumours, including OSCC. OBJECTIVES: To determine MYC status by florescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in OLP lesions from 10 patients with progression to ...

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sutureless self-expanding nitinol stent-frame aortic valve prostheses made of equine pericardium implanted in patients with symptomatic aortic valve disease. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 120 patients (mean age, 76.7 ± 5.9 years) who underwent isolated aortic valve replacement ...

Background: Ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD) comprises multiple etiological phenotypes that share common clinical characteristics. Etiological classification of patients with ICVD is of major clinical interest to achieve optimal medical treatment and predict prognosis. The TOAST classification system has been widely used to describe stroke etiology but provides restricted phenotypic homogeneity ...

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) in "young" patients under 50 years of age is uncommon. There have been conflicting reports regarding both the clinicopathological features of CRC in young patients and prognosis. The aim of this study was to review and compare the clinical characteristics, prognostic factors, and overall survival of patients ...

ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility of intracorporeal lithotripsy with holmium YAG laser under sialoendoscopic guidance for sialolithiasis of Wharton's duct.Study DesignCase series with planned data collection.SettingTertiary referral university hospital.MethodsThis study was conducted on 16 patients with sialolithiasis of Wharton's duct. Diagnosis was confirmed at ultrasound examination. Patients with stones ranging from ...

BACKGROUND: Patients post total hip arthroplasty (THA) remain at high risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) during the recovery period following surgery despite the availability of effective pharmacological and mechanical prophylactic methods. The use of calf muscle neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) during the hospitalised recovery period on this patient ...

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The hypothesis of this study was that the rate of recurrence of anterior instability of the shoulder after arthroscopic Bankart repair with suture anchors is higher than after coracoid bone block (Latarjet procedure). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This continuous retrospective monocentric study included a cohort of patients who ...

INTRODUCTION: Self-expanding metallic stents (SEMS) are used to palliate malignant gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) and are useful in patients with limited life expectancy or severe medical comorbidity, which would preclude surgery. Stenting can be performed transorally or by a percutaneous transgastric technique. Our goal was to review the outcome of patients ...

BACKGROUND: Isolated limb infusion (ILI) is a therapeutic option for patients with recurrent, unresectable extremity malignancies. METHODS: A prospectively collected single-institution database of patients undergoing ILI was analyzed for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative parameters and outcomes. RESULTS: From May 2007 to January 2012, a total of 76 patients successfully underwent ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to elicit possible differences in prognoses and clinicopathological factors in pancreatic head cancer with and without obstructive jaundice at diagnosis. METHODS: The data from 169 patients with pancreatic head cancer were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Patients were divided into two groups according to serum ...

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC) is increasingly being utilised although the effects on outcomes of free autologous breast reconstruction and adjuvant treatment remain unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of NC on complications following immediate free flap breast reconstruction. METHODS: A prospective study of immediate free ...

PURPOSE: To determine whether motion preservation following oblique cervical corpectomy (OCC) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) persists with serial follow-up. METHODS: We included 28 patients with preoperative and at least two serial follow-up neutral and dynamic cervical spine radiographs who underwent OCC for CSM. Patients with an ossified posterior longitudinal ...

The majority of bifurcation lesions are treated with crush stenting. However, the success of crush stenting depends on final kissing-balloon inflation (FKBI), which is potentially difficult. Although mini-crush stenting has a higher rate of successful FKBI, it still cannot be achieved in some patients. The aim of this study was ...

Patient experience of day of surgery admission (DOSA) has not been studied in depth. Over a one-month period a questionnaire was given to consecutive patients prior to their surgery to obtain their perspective on the desirability of DOSA and to examine whether other factors influenced this decision. 149 patients participated; ...

BACKGROUND: Since Wilcox's description of the simplified single-patch technique for atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) repair in 1997, several studies have compared that technique with the two-patch technique. OBJECTIVE: To report the mid- and long-term results of the simplified single-patch technique for complete AVSD repair. METHODS: Retrospective study of 16 consecutive ...

Purpose/Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of ST-36 (Zusanli) acupressure on recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients with colorectal cancer.Design: A longitudinal, randomized, controlled trial design.Setting: An urban medical center in Taiwan.Sample: 60 patients with colorectal cancer who had undergone abdominal surgery.Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to two groups, the ...

Minimally invasive approaches to mitral valve surgery are increasingly used, but the surgical approach must not compromise the clinical outcome for improved cosmesis. We examined the outcomes of mitral repair performed through right minithoracotomy or median sternotomy. Between January 2002 and October 2011, 1011 isolated mitral valve repairs were performed ...

: Patients with ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) may develop strabismus and diplopia. We completed a retrospective observational case series to evaluate long-term surgical outcomes in patients with OMG. : The medical records of all patients with OMG who underwent strabismus surgery with at least 6 months of postoperative follow-up were ...

Safety concerns about the Riata ICD shock lead were recently raised, with insulation failure due to conductor externalisation. Its incidence and presentation were assessed, and predictors of insulation failure and lead survival of the Riata 1580-1582 were studied, retrospectively, before the official recall. All 374 patients at the Erasmus Medical ...

BACKGROUND. At the current time, the belief that total gastrectomy (TG) offers a better survival benefit compared with distal gastrectomy (DG) in distal gastric cancer still persists among many surgeons. The aim of the study was to determine whether TG in patients with distal stomach cancer offers a benefit in ...