A 53-year-old woman with atrial septal defect (ASD) and atrial fibrillation (AF) with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), was scheduled to undergo ASD closure and the maze procedure. Because steroid therapy was not effective, high-dose γ-globulin administration (400mg/kg/day) was performed for 5 days before surgery. The platelet count increased from 5.4×10⁴/mm³ to 14.0×1⁴/mm³. ASD patch closure and modified bilateral appendage preserving (BAP) maze procedure were performed. No hemorrhagic tendency was recognized. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the sinus rhythm was recovered. The maze procedure become possible in this ITP patient with preoperative administration of high-dose γ-globulin.

Afferent loop syndrome (ALS) is a mechanical obstruction of the afferent limbs after gastrectomy with gastrojejunostomy reconstruction. Patients with cancer recurrence require immediate and less invasive treatment because of their poor condition. Percutaneous transhepatic/transluminal drainage (PTD) and endoscopic enteral stenting offer reasonable palliative treatment for malignant ALS but are not fully satisfactory in terms of patient quality of life (QoL) and stent patency. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) using a lumen-apposing metal stent may address these shortcomings. Clinical data from 11 reports showed that all patients who had undergone EUS-GE had positive technical and clinical outcomes. The adverse event rate was 11.4%, including only mild or moderate abdominal pain, with no severe adverse events. Indirect comparative studies indicated that patients who had undergone EUS-GE had a significantly superior QoL, a higher clinical success rate, and a lower reintervention rate than those who had undergone PTD or endoscopic enteral stenting. Although the evidence is limited, EUS-GE may be considered as a first-line treatment for malignant ALS because it has better clinical outcomes than other less invasive treatments, such as PTD or endoscopic enteral stenting. Further prospective randomized control trials are necessary to establish EUS-GE as a standard treatment for ALS.

In this study, we assessed a series of our cases in which endoscopic self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) were used to treat malignant afferent loop obstruction (ALO) that arose after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). We retrospectively examined the records of 7 patients who underwent endoscopic SEMS placement for malignant ALO following PD. Clinical success was achieved in all cases. The median procedure time was 30 min (range, 15–50 min). There were no cases of stent occlusion, and no procedure-related adverse events were encountered. All patients died of their primary disease, and the median overall survival period was 155 days (range, 96–374 days). A re-intervention involving endoscopic ultrasound-guided hepaticogastrostomy combined with antegrade stenting was performed for obstructive jaundice and acute cholangitis in 1 case. In conclusion, endoscopic SEMS placement may be an effective and safe treatment for malignant ALO that arises after PD.

Purpose：We investigated the factors associated with medical device-related pressure ulcer (MDRPU) due to lower extremity orthosis in patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation for stroke.Methods：This retrospective study included patients with stroke who wore ankle foot orthosis in the convalescent rehabilitation ward. We measured the following items at admission：Brunnstrom recovery stage, presence of sensory disturbance, exhibition of unilateral spatial neglect, functional independence measures at admission and discharge, and presence of MDRPU. In the statistical analysis, logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the significant factors associated with MDRPU.Results：Ninety-five participants were enrolled in this study (mean age：54.9 ± 11.6 years, Male：78.9%). In logistic regression analysis, Age (odds ratio＝1.05, 95% confidence interval＝1.01-1.10, p＜0.05) and the presence of sensory disturbance (odds ratio＝5.17, 95% confidence interval＝1.39-19.28, p＜0.05) at admission was extracted as the cause of MDRPU.Conclusion：Sensory disturbance at admission is associated with MDRPU in patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation for stroke who wear ankle foot orthosis.