Objective To monitor the situation of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) in Tibet,and to provide a background information of iodine nutritional status of residents before adjustment of iodine concentration.Methods According to the method of population proportionate sampling (PPS),27 counties were selected to carry out IDD surveillance.One primary school was selected in each county.Forty children aged 8-10 from each primary school were sampled to examine thyroid volume,and edible salt samples were collected from their home to determine salt iodine.In addition,12 of the sampled children,15 pregnant women and 15 lactating women from three townships near the selected schools were chosen to detect urinary iodine.The methods of B-ultrasonography,oxidation-reduction titration (GB/T 13025.7-1999) and arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry (WS/T 107-2006) were used to determine thyroid volume,salt iodine and urinary iodine,respectively.Results One thousand and eighty-one children aged from 8 to 10 were examined,and their goiter rate was 1.9％ (20/1 081).Seven hundred and fifty-eight salt samples were determined,and the median salt iodine level was 38.3 mg/kg and the consuming rate of qualified iodized salt was 88.1％(758/668).Meanwhile,urine samples of 522 children aged 8-10,267 pregnant women and 336 lactating women were also tested,and their median urinary iodine level was 166.1,132.7,138.1 μg/L,respectively.Conclusions The results show that the goiter rate and urinary iodine level of children aged from 8 to 10 have reached the national standard of IDD elimination (＜5％,100-300 μg/L),while the residents consumption rate of qualified iodized salt is still lower than the national standard (90％).In particular,the iodine nutrition of pregnant women is inadequate,which is lower than the national standard (urinary iodine 150 μg/L).It is still necessary to strengthen the monitoring of salt iodine as well as iodine nutrition in special groups in the future,and strengthen health promotion at the same time.

Objective To explore the status of iodine nutrition and iodine deficiency disorders in the pasturing areas and agricultural regions in Tibet. Methods 30 families were selected respectively in pastoral Dangxiong county and agricultural Qushui county of Lasa. Drinking water and edible salt were collected for testing the iodine contents. In each type of the following populations including children aged 8-10, women of child-bearing age and male adults, 50 subjects were randomly sampled to examine their urinary iodine contents. Among them, 50 children and 50 women were randomly selected for goiter examination by palpation. Results Water iodine content was less than 2μg/L, both in pasturing area and in agricultural areas. There was no iodized salt used in the families of pasturing areas, while 90% people consumed iodized salt in agricultural areas. The median of urinary iodine in pasturing area was 50.2 μg/L, significantly lower than that of agricultural area (193.2μg/L). However, the goiter rate of children and women in pasturing area was significantly lower than that in agricultural area. Conclusion Although iodine intake of populations in pasturing area of Tibet was severely deficient, there was no epidemic of Iodine Deficiency Disorders. This phenomenon noticed by the researchers deserved further investigation.

The Tibet Autonomous Region (hereinafter referred to as Tibet) is located on the border of the country, with a harsh natural environment and an average elevation of over 4 000 meters. Currently, the total permanent population of the region is about 3.65 million, distributed over 1.2 million square kilometers of land. The land is vast and sparsely populated, making it extremely difficult to allocate medical resources. The above objective reasons make it difficult for patients in Tibet to seek medical treatment in a timely manner, and there are multiple complications when seeking medical treatment. In terms of inguinal hernia disease, the proportion of patients with inguinal incarcerated hernia is relatively high. Due to poor medical conditions, patients have poor awareness of seeking medical treatment, and lack of understanding of the disease, leading to serious complications and even death caused by inguinal incarcerated hernia. With the releasing of clinical guidelines, advances in equipment and materials, and updates in treatment concepts and anatomical understanding, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair has been vigorously promoted. The promotion of new medical technologies in Tibet is relatively lagging behind. In recent years, with the strong support of the China Hernia Society and the Chinese Hernia Collegen of Surgeons, minimally invasive treatment related to hernia disease has been promoted in Lhasa since 2016, especially for inguinal hernia. At present, minimally invasive technology for treating inguinal hernia has been widely promoted to tertiary hospitals in Tibet. Through publicity, patients can seek medical attention in a timely manner, significantly reducing the incidence of inguinal incarcerated hernia. Based on litera-tures and clinical practice, the authors explore the promotion, application, and historical significance of minimally invasive surgery for hernia in Tibet.