No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Transitional Cell*

No abstract available.
Ectopia Cordis*

No abstract available.
Sterilization, Tubal*

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in preventing deltoid atrophy during the first 12 weeks after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. METHODS: Eighteen patients undergoing arthroscopic repair of a medium-sized rotator cuff tear by a single surgeon, were randomized into two groups: NMES and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Each group used the respective device for 6 weeks after surgery. Pain was measured at baseline, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively, using the visual analogue scale (VAS); range of motion (ROM), abduction strength and functional scores were measured at baseline and 12 weeks postoperatively. Deltoid thickness and cross-sectional areas were measured using magnetic resonance imaging at 12 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: At 12 weeks post-surgery, no statistically significant difference was observed between the NMES and TENS groups in the pain VAS, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, ROM, and abduction strength. Postoperative decrease in the thickness of the anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid, at the level just below the coracoid, was −2.5%, −0.7%, and −6.8%, respectively, in the NMES group, and −14.0%, −2.6%, and −8.2%, respectively, in the TENS group (p=0.016, p=0.677, and p=0.791, respectively). At the level of the inferior glenoid tubercle, postoperative decrease in area of the deltoid was −5.4% in the NMES group and −14.0% in the TENS group, which was significantly different (p=0.045). CONCLUSIONS NMES has the potential for reducing deltoid atrophy after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, suggesting that NMES might help minimize postoperative atrophy after various shoulder surgeries.

PURPOSE: Acute diverticulitis of the right colon is not rare in Korea and the clinical presentation is indistin guishable from acute appendicitis. Cecal diverticulitis has led to a controversy in the management of disease. METHODS: Thirty-one cases of acute cecal diverticulitis who underwent operation for suspected acute appendicitis were reviewed retrospectively from January 1995 to December 1998. RESULTS: There were 17 men & 14 women. Ages ranged from 9 to 69 (mean: 37.5) years. All patients presented with signs and symptoms as acute appendicitis. All patients were explored through a transverse incision in the right lower quadrant under the impression of acute appendicitis. An appendectomy and drainage was performed in 13 patients, and resection of the lesion was performed in 18 patients (12 ileocecal resection, one partial cecectomy including appendix, one partial cecectomy and an appendectomy, 4 diverticulectomy and appendectomy), depending on the location of diverticulitis, severity of inflammation, and surgeon. Staples (TA(R), GIA(R)) were used in all cecal resection cases except for diverticulectomy. Five complications were observed, 3 in cecal resection cases (one wound seroma, one wound infection and one bleeding), and 2 in appendectomy and drainage cases (two wound infections). There was no postoperative mortality. The average length of the postoperative stay was 10.2 days in the drainage group and 8.8 days in the cecal resection group. Two recurrences were observed. One was the patient who had diverticulectomy performed. The other was a patient who had had appendectomy and drainage. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the preferred surgical management of an acute cecal diverticulitis operated for a presumed acute appendicitis is cecectomy using staples depending on its location and severity of inflammation. It was safe, relatively easy to do through the same incision, and could be a definitive treatment.
Appendectomy* ; Appendicitis ; Appendix ; Colon ; Diverticulitis* ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seroma ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

The telemedicine is emerging as a new way of medical practice. It will provide more cooperative activity between hospitals and more comfortable access for disabled patients home. We developed a telemedicine system which is aimed to be run on the broadband-intergrated services digital network (B-ISDN). The multimedia database is adjusted to those information about patients that is directly relevant to a doctor's diagnosis. The user interface is designed to help doctors to communicate easily. The key elements of telemedicine systems were designed for user friendly interface and We implemented the pilot system to confirm the usefulness of the system.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Multimedia ; Telemedicine*

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the world and the fourth most common cancer in Korea. The incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing steadily in Korea. In some countries, mortality rates have started to decline, and survival rates have increased. The survival rates of colorectal cancer is increasing due to early detection and to advances in adjuvant therapy. METHODS: This analysis studied colorectal cancer patients who had been operated on at Eul-Ji Medical college Hospital from Jan. 1991 to Dec. 1996. We analyzed the 5-year survival rate according to age, sex, duration of symptoms, stage, resectability, and histopathologic differentiation by the Kaplan- Meier method. RESULT:Age (p=0.482), sex (p=0.394), duration of Symptoms (p=0.346), and tumor location (p=0.685) did not appear to be statistically significant as prognostic factors. The 5-year survival rates according to the Dukes' stage were as follows:stage A (100%), stage B (77.7%), stage C (47.4%), and stage D (0.0%). The 5-year survival rates showed 8.2% in palliative resected cases and 67.2% in radical resected cases. In 139 radically resected adenocarcinoma cases, the 5-year survival rates were 73.4% of the highly differentiated cases, 67.6% of the moderately differentiated cases, and 35.7% of the poorly differentiated cases (p=0.043). CONCLUSION:Early diagnosis, well differentiation, and radical resection were significant as prognostic factors in our result. We could confirm that early diagnosis and radical resection are necessary to increase the survival rate in patients with colorectal cancer.
Adenocarcinoma ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mortality ; Survival Rate*

BACKGROUND: Surveillance of surgical site infection is a main component of nosocomial infection surveillance. To perform a valid comparison of rates among hospitals, among surgeons, across time, surgical site infection rates must account for the variation in patient's underlying severity of illness and other important risk factors. So, a risk index was developed to predict a surgical patient's risk of acquiring a surgical site infection. The risk index score, ranging from 0 to 3, was the number of risk factors present among the following: (1) a patient with an American Society of Anesthesiologists preoperative assessment score of 3,4,5, (2) an operation classified as contaminated or dirty-infected, and (3) an operation lasting over T hours, where T depends upon the operative procedure being performed. METHOD: We performed surgical site infection surveillance according to patient risk index after cardiovascular surgery from Mar 1, 1997 to May 31, 1997. In addition, we also monitored nosocomial infection of all patients after cardiovascular surgery Data was collected prospectively, Surgical site infection rate was classified according to patient risk index and compared with NNIS (National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance) semiannual report of 1995. RESULT: Overall nosocomial infection rate was 18.9% and among all patients detected by surveillance protocols, pneumonia was the most common (6.3%) nosocomial infection after cardiovascular surgery, and the remaining infections were distributed as follows: surgical site infection 45%, urinary tract infection 3.2%, bloodstream infection 3.2%. Surgical site infection rate for patient with scores of 0, 1, 2 and 3 were 0%, 3.1%, 4.6%, 66,7%, respectively and increased according to patient risk index (P<0.05). There is no statistical difference between our surgical site infection rate and 1995 NNIS semiannual report of surgical site infection rates (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The patient risk index is a better predictor d surgical site infection risk than the traditional wound classification system and surgical site infection surveillance with patient risk index is useful for nosocomial infection surveillance after surgery.
Classification ; Cross Infection ; Humans ; Operative Time ; Pneumonia ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Wounds and Injuries

No abstract available.
Cardiomyopathies* ; Peripartum Period*