A retrospective analysis of 108 patients who had undergone transurethral prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia between January 1988 and December 1992 was performed to evaluate risk factors influencing intraoperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Of 108 patients complications occurred in 32 cases, with the morbidity rate of 29.6% but no death occurred. The most common postoperative complication was bleeding in 9 cases(8.3%) followed by incontinence in 7 cases(6.5%), capsular perforation in 4 cases(3.7%), failure to void in 4 cases(3.7%) and urethral stricture in 4 cases(3.7%). Risk factors which increased the morbidity of transurethral prostatectomy were age greater than 75 years and the presence of associated medical disease(p<0.05) but a resection time of more than 90 minutes, weight of resected tissue more than 30 gram and amounts of irrigating solution of more than 20 L did not increase the postoperative morbidity significantly. In conclusion, meticulous preoperative and postoperative cares are necessary because poor general condition increase the postoperative complications and long-term, prospective randomized studies are required to evaluate risk factors influencing postoperative morbidity after transurethral prostatectomy.
Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Prostatic Hyperplasia* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate* ; Urethral Stricture

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To identify the implementation of self-exercise therapy and analyze the effects of exercise therapy after lumbar discectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studied 47 patients who underwent partial lumbar discectomy and laminectomy from January, 2009 to December, 2009. They were instructed on 16 kinds of exercise therapy in total from postoperative 1day to postoperative 6weeks. Group A (n=25), whose frequency of outpatient clinic visit is above the average, and Group B (n=22), whose frequency of visit is relatively low;, below 5 times. We tested the visual analog scale (VAS scale) of back, Oswestry disability index and the strength of the two groups before surgery and at postoperative 3, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS: The degree of pain was significantly different (26.6+/-9.4 and 53.5+/-18.6) between group A and group B at postoperative 6 months. Function of daily life and strength test were significantly different (6.6+/-4.8 and 11.3+/-4.0 at group A, 3.6+/-0.9 and 3.0+/-1.1 at group B) between the two groups at postoperative 12 months. The characteristics of low compliance patients are low accessibility to the hospital and lack of knowledge on the importance of exercise according to the degree of pain. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that postoperative exercise program has significant effects on the pain, the function of daily life. It also increases flexibility and strengthens the muscle of patients with high compliance of outpatient clinic visit. The factors influencing the results are the age of patients, the willingness to exercise, and the environment in which each patient lives/resides.
Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Compliance ; Diskectomy* ; Exercise Therapy ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Muscles* ; Pliability ; Retrospective Studies ; Visual Analog Scale

Retrocaval ureter is a rare congenital anomaly. We experienced a case of retrocaval ureter with double inferior vena cava and with intermittent right flank pain in 54 years old female. We performed IVU, RGP, Venacavogram, MRI, and diuretic DTPA renal scan. MRI is the best single study to delineate the anatomy clearly and noninvasively. She was treated with conservative treatment.
Female ; Flank Pain ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Pentetic Acid ; Retrocaval Ureter* ; Vena Cava, Inferior*

The incidence of ectpic pregnancy has increased rapidly over the past decade. Currently, the complications of this disorder make it one of the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. In the late 1980s, reports of successful use of methotrexate (MTX) as a non surgical treatment for ectopic pregnancy (EP) also began to appear in the literature. With MTX emerging as a possible alternative management of selected women with an EP, an analysis of its comparative costs is now needed. We examined retrospectively the costs associated with management of EP in our hospital. We selected 30 women with EPand divided them into two groups of MTX treated group (n= l0) and surgically treated group (n=20). There were no statistically significant differences in the doctors fee, room, charge and cost of laboratory and radiologic examination between two groups. But We found significant reduction in cost with regard to pharmacy, injection, procedure and operation of MTX treated group compared to surgically treated group (p<0.05). Consequently the use of MTX for EP should still be considered investigational; we recognize and agree that the evolution of this remedial option should be based primarily on its ability to decrease morbidity and mortality rather than on its ability to reduce costs. If medical treatment proves to be effective, the potential cost savings demonstrated in this report will become an important influential factor on selecting alternative remedy.
Cost Savings ; Fees and Charges ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Maternal Mortality ; Methotrexate ; Mortality ; Pharmacy ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Ectopic* ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This study was conducted in order to evaluate effect and efficiency of selective spinal nerve root block for neuropathic pain patients with lower leg radiating pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 113 patients were evaluated and follow-up periods were a minimum of 12 months. They were divided into two groups: group A included 41 patients with neuropathic pain and group B included 72 patients with simple lower leg radiating pain. RESULTS: Fourteen (34.1%) patients in group A and 45 (62.5%) patients in group B had favorable results for selective spinal nerve block (p<0.05). Visual analog scale (VAS) was improved from 7.57 to 5.23 at 12 months in group A and from 7.11 to 3.49 at 12 months in group B. CONCLUSION: The initial treatment period for group A was significantly later than in group B. For patients with neuropathic pain and radiculopathy, early assessment was recommended and early selective spinal nerve block could be a good treatment option for neuropathic pain patients.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leg ; Neuralgia* ; Radiculopathy* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Spinal Nerves ; Visual Analog Scale

No abstract available.

A spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a rare disease that accompanies severe axial pain in the spine with various levels of paralysis depending on the location of the hematoma. A SSEH is mainly caused by a coagulating disorder or anticoagulants medication, while certain cases relate this disease with spinal inflammatory conditions. The early diagnosis of a SSEH is important for its treatment. Most cases with neurologic symptoms can be treated with a immediate laminectomy and decompression. If the neurologic symptoms improves within 12 hours, a conservative treatment is effective, however few cases have been reported. We encountered a 59 years old male without a prior medical history suffering from severe back pain and paraplegia due to a SSEH at thoracic vertebrae. The patient was successfully treated conservatively. We report this case with a review of the relevant literature.
Anticoagulants ; Back Pain ; Decompression ; Early Diagnosis ; Hematoma ; Hematoma, Epidural, Spinal* ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Paralysis ; Paraplegia ; Rare Diseases ; Spine ; Thoracic Vertebrae

No abstract available.
Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin*

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective clinical study. OBJECTIVES: To determine and compare the therapeutic effectiveness of selective nerve root block performed for single-segment spinal stenosis and disc herniation. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The usefulness of selective nerve root block has been reported in several previous studies, but those results were aggregated across many diseases, making it difficult to estimate its effectiveness for each disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2008 to January 2013, among patients who had undergone selective nerve root block, those who were diagnosed with single-segment spinal stenosis or disc herniation were enrolled in this study. Among a total of 103 patients, 47 spinal stenosis patients were classified as group 1, and 56 disc herniation patients as group 2. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores and Kim's criteria were used to compare the reductions in radiating pain in each group. RESULTS: In group 1, the VAS scores improved from 7.6 before the procedure to 2.6 and 3.3 at 1-month and 6-month follow-up visits, respectively. Kim's criteria also improved from a mean of 1.6 before the procedure to 2.9 at the 6-month follow-up. In group 2, the VAS scores improved from 7.8 before the procedure to 2.1 and 2.7 at 1-month and 6-month follow-up visits, respectively. Kim's criteria also improved from a mean of 1.8 before the procedure to 3.2 at the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Radiating pain in the lower limb due to spinal stenosis or disc herniation limited to a single segment was effectively controlled by selective nerve root block.
Clinical Study ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Stenosis* ; Visual Analog Scale

The Truncus arteriosus is a congenital malformation in which only one great artery arises from the base of the heart and gives origin to the systemic, pulmonary and coronary arteries proximal to the aortic arch. Pulmonary blood flow is governed by the size of the pulmonary arteries and the pulmonary vascular resistance. In infancy, pulmonary blood flow is usually excessive because pulmonary vascular resistance is not greatly increased. Thus, despite an obligatory admixture of systemic and pulmonary venous blood in the common trunk, only minimal cyanosis is present. Rarely pulmonary blood blood flow is restricted by hypoplastic or stenotic pulmonary arteries arising from the truncus. The prognosis in persistent truncus arteriosus is very poor. the median age of survival of the 94 patients with the disease reported up to 1962 was only five weeks. The longest survival reported is the case of the man described by Carr et al who lived to the age of 36 years and 2 months. We report the case of a man with persistent truncus arteriosus who lives to the age of 29 years.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Arteries ; Coronary Vessels ; Cyanosis ; Heart ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Pulmonary Artery ; Truncus Arteriosus ; Truncus Arteriosus, Persistent* ; Vascular Resistance