The safety of simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial. The objective of the current study was to investigate perioperative morbidity and mortality rates within 30 days of simultaneous bilateral TKA. A detailed analysis of medical, surgical and anaesthesia records of 183 consecutive patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty between 2002 and 2006 was performed. The mean age of the patients was 67.6 years old. More than 80% had one or more co-morbidities, but none of them had ASA score greater than class 2. The mean hospital stay was 10 days, and the mean surgical time 156 minutes. Less than half of the patients (42.6%) required blood transfusion. The rate of perimorbidity was 15.3 % and there was no mortality in this series. We believe that simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty is a safe and cost effective option for our patients, provided that patients are selected and informed appropriately.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify biopsychosocial predictors of the quality of life in breast cancer patients. Disease factors (disease stage, type of surgery, type of treatment, family history), personal factors (age, education level, income), and psychosocial factors (psychological symptoms, optimism, self-esteem, husband's support, cancer coping) were included in biopsychosocial predictors. METHODS: A total of 128 breast cancer patients were recruited. Subjects were assessed by the Optimism Scale, the Selfesteem Scale, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Breast Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-BR23), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revision (SCL-90-R), and the Korean Cancer Coping Questionnaire (KCCQ). RESULTS: Disease factors and personal factors were not different between the high and low quality of life group. But the psychosocial factors were significantly different. Somatization, anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, and phobic anxiety showed significantly lower scores in the high quality of life group than the low group. Optimism, self-esteem and husband's support showed significantly higher score in the high quality of life group than the low group. In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, not disease factors and personal factors but the psychosocial factors significantly predicted the quality of life in breast cancer patients. Especially, somatization and depression significantly predicted the quality of life. CONCLUSION: Among psychosocial factors, somatization and depression were the most significant predictors of the quality of life in breast cancer patients. These results supported psychosocial intervention should be needed to breast cancer patients, in order to improve the quality of life.
Anxiety ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Depression ; Hostility ; Humans ; Quality of Life ; Somatoform Disorders ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Two women presented with history of vaginal bleeding and abnormal transvaginal ultrasound findings. Saline infusion sonohysterography was done for preoperative evaluation and this imaging study revealed centrally located uterine mass with internal cystic portion. Our initial impression was submucosal myoma with cystic degeneration and hysteroscopic removal of the mass was performed. During the procedure, dark brownish cystic fluid was drained. The excised submucosal mass was pathologically diagnosed as adenomyosis and clinically as submucosal adenomyotic cyst. Submucosal adenomyotic cyst should be part of the differential diagnosis of submucosal uterine masses with cystic portion. We report two cases of submucosal adenomyotic cyst successfully treated with hysteroscopic resection and brief review on this topic.
Adenomyosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Myoma ; Uterine Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: Few studies have reported ovarian cancer risks in Korean patients with the BRCA1/2 mutation. We investigated the prevalence of ovarian cancer in Korean women at high risk for hereditary breast-ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome and reviewed the clinicopathological factors of ovarian cancer. METHODS: Female subjects who were enrolled in the Korean Hereditary Breast Cancer study were included. The questionnaire included a personal and family history of cancer. The BRCA1/2 mutation and CA-125 level were tested at the time of enrollment. A transvaginal ultrasonogram (TVUS) was recommended for subjects with an elevated CA-125 level. RESULTS: A total of 1,689 patients were included. No ovarian cancer was newly diagnosed by CA-125 level or TVUS during the enrollment. The prevalence of ovarian cancer was 1.71% in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and 0.39% in non-carriers. Among 11 patients with ovarian cancer, five had the BRCA1 mutation and one had the BRCA2 mutation. The most common histopathological type was serous cystadenocarcinoma. No difference in clinicopathological findings between BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and non-carriers was observed. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ovarian cancer was 58-fold elevated in women at high-risk for HBOC syndrome and 146-fold elevated in the BRCA1 subgroup, compared with the Korean general population. Further investigation with a long-term follow-up is required to evaluate BRCA1/2 gene penetrance.
Female ; Humans ; Breast Neoplasms ; Ovarian Neoplasms