Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of saline gargling on mouth dryness and sore throat for patients with thyroidectomy. Methods: A randomized controlled trial design was used with 53 participants assigned to either an intervention (n=27, saline gargling) or a control group (n=26, wet gauze). Pre-test dry mouth and sore throat were measured immediately after exiting the ward from OR. Post-test dry mouth and sore throat were measured at 1.50, 3.50, and 5.50 hours after exiting the ward from OR. Comprehensive sore throat was measured 24 hours after surgery. To analyze the data, χ2 test and independent t-test were used. Results: Subjective dry mouth was lower in the experimental group than the control group (t=-2.19, p=.033). There were no significant differences in the objective dry mouth and sore throat scores between the two groups. The comprehensive sore throat score was lower in the experimental group than the control group (t=-2.65, p=.011). Conclusion Saline gargling is expected to be used as a nursing intervention method in patients undergoing thyroidectomy to alleviate the subjective dry mouth after 3.50 hours and sore throat after 5.50 hours and lasting 24 hours.

Two patients, sought treatment for chief complaints of protruding frontal tooth and desired treatment to reduce the prominence of lips, were diagnosed as bimaxillary protrusion via clinical and cephalometric analysis. The authors corrected them by combined surgical and orthodontic treatment. As pre-surgical survey, paper and cast surgery were performed and wafer and resin sprint were constructed. We performed anterior maxillary and mandibular osteotomies in first premolar site to retract the maxillary and mandibular dentoalveolar segment in order to; 1) Decrease prominence of upper and lower lips. 2) Create proper lower incisor intrusion. By use of intramaxillary fixation, prompt oral intake was possible. We made good result of esthetic improvement and there was no evidence of relapse and any complication.
Adult* ; Bicuspid ; Humans ; Incisor ; Lip ; Mandibular Osteotomy ; Recurrence ; Tooth

Further studies are needed to identify whether muscle mass, muscle strength, or sarcopenia is the best indicator of survival in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). We aimed to compare the association of sarcopenia and its components with survival in patients undergoing PD. Methods: We identified all patients with PD (n = 199). We routinely recommended handgrip strength (HGS) and lean mass measurements using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in all patients with PD. Sarcopenia was defined using cutoff values from the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. We evaluated the patient and technique survival rates. Results: The number of patients with low HGS was 95 (47.7%). The median follow-up interval was 17 months (interquartile range, 13–21 months). Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that patients with low HGS or sarcopenia had poorer patient and technique survival compared with patients with normal HGS or without sarcopenia. Cox regression analysis showed that patients with low HGS had greater hazard ratios for patient death and technique failure compared with those with normal HGS. However, patients with low muscle mass were not significantly higher hazard ratios for patient death or technique failure compared with those with normal muscle mass. Patients with sarcopenia had significantly greater hazard ratios for patient death or technique failure than those without sarcopenia only in univariate analysis. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that HGS may be superior to muscle mass or sarcopenia for predicting patient or technique survival in patients undergoing PD.

BACKGROUND: Burn injuries of the extremity can result in cosmetically offensive appearance. Postburn scar can improve by the combination of tangential excision and thin split-thickness skin graft. METHODS: From January 2005 and December 2012, 17 patients (10 males and 7 females) with postburn scar of the extremity underwent the combined techniques. The median time from initial injury to surgery was 66.2 months (range: 11-288 months). In the operation, burn scar was excised until viable dermis could be observed using electrical dermatome, after which thin split thickness skin graft was performed. RESULTS: Tangential excision and thin split thickness skin graft gave excellent grafting results without the need of reoperation. Depigmentation in the majority of patients were recovered within a year by the operation of thin split thickness skin graft. Recovery of range of motion and cosmetic results were good in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Tangential excision and thin split thickness skin graft are a good way of the reconstruction of deformed and depigmented skin from burns on extremity.
Burns* ; Cicatrix* ; Dermis ; Extremities ; Humans ; Male ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Reoperation ; Skin* ; Transplants*

BACKGROUND: Among facial fractures, nasal bone fracture, zygomatic arch fracture and mandibular subcondyle fracture take a large portion. Among surgical operations for nasal bone fracture, zygomatic arch fracture and mandibular subcondyle fracture, closed reduction has been generally used but, unlike open reduction, there is a problem in evaluating its accuracy of reduction. METHODS: An assessment was made from October 2011 until April 2013 prospectively on 37 patients. For all the operations, closed reductions were executed in a conventional way and simultaneously using C-Arm to verify the reduction of fractures. Two images of plain radiography, one taken before operation and another one taken one day after the operation, were compared. After obtaining images of plain radiography using C-Arm immediately after the correction upon operation, they were compared with the images of plain radiography taken one day after the operation. RESULTS: The fracture reductions of 26 patients among 27 nasal fracture patients were satisfactory but one patient showed a marginal overcorrection of less than 1 mm. The fracture reductions of 7 patients among 8 zygomatic arch fracture patients were satisfactory but one patient showed a marginal undercorrection of less than 2 mm. All of two mandibular subcondyle fracture patients showed less than 2 mm undercorrection. CONCLUSION: Closed reduction guided by C-Arm for nasal bone fracture, zygomatic arch fracture and mandibular subcondyle fracture was clinically useful because it could make a real-time assessment on fractured areas and add immediate corrections during the operation.
Facial Bones* ; Fluoroscopy* ; Fractures, Closed ; Humans ; Mandible ; Nasal Bone ; Prospective Studies ; Zygoma ; Zygomatic Fractures

If the replantation on the original position is not possible, the amputated tissue of a hand may be used as a donor for recovering hand functions at other positions. This procedure is termed 'heterodigital replantation'. An 63-year-old male patient who was in press machine accident came to our hospital. He had large dorsal soft-tissue defects (5x3 cm) on his left long finger and complete amputation on his left index finger through the proximal interpharyngeal joint. Replantation was not indicated because crushing injury of index finger was severe. So we decided to use index finger soft tissue as heterodigital free flap for the coverage of the long finger defect. The ulnar digital artery and dorsal subcutaneous vein of the free flap were anastomosed with the radial digital artery and dorsal subcutaneous vein of the long finger. The heterodigital free flap provided satisfactory apperance and functional capability of the long finger. The best way to treat amputation is replantation. But sometimes surgeon confront severely crushed or multi-segmental injured amputee which is not possible to replant. In this situation, reconstructive surgeons should consider heterodigital free flap from amputee as an option.
Amputation ; Amputees* ; Arteries ; Fingers* ; Free Tissue Flaps* ; Hand ; Humans ; Joints ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Replantation ; Tissue Donors ; Veins

No abstract available.
Orbit*

PURPOSE: Although a fasciocutaneous perforator artery as a vascular pedicle has previously been shown to be predominant in the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap, recent studies have shown that a myocutaneous perforator artery is predominant. We have attempted to attain a clinical understanding of the vascular variations in the ALT flap. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We confirmed the origin of a perforator artery in 11 cases of ALT flap. We then reviewed the variations of the descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery, known as the major origin of the flap, and the overall variations associated with an ALT flap. RESULTS: In a total of 11 cases, there were 18 perforator arteries of the ALT flaps. In addition, there were 9 fasciocutaneous perforator arteries and another 9 myocutaneous ones. However, depending on the origin, there was great variability in the perforator artery. That is, there were unique variants in the descending branches of the lateral femoral circumflex artery, the major origin of the perforator artery, in 3 of the total 11 cases. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that (1) a perforator artery accounts for the high proportion of fasciocutaneous ones, (2) a perforator artery might not originate from the descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery and (3) there might be unique variants in the descending branch. If considering this, surgeons would successfully elevate an ALT flap.
Arteries ; Perforator Flap ; Thigh

We aimed to review whether pretreatment inflammatory markers reflect the short- and long-term outcomes of patients with colon cancer, rectal cancer, colon and rectal cancers, and metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). We found that pretreatment complete blood count and blood chemistry tests reflect short-term and long-term oncological outcomes in patients with CRC. Specifically, in patients with colon cancer, hypoalbuminemia was associated with worse postoperative morbidity, mortality, and inferior survival. In patients with rectal cancer, elevated neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and thrombocytosis were associated with postoperative complications, poor overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS). A high C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) was associated with poor OS and DFS. In patients with metastatic CRC, increased NLR and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were associated with poor OS, DFS, and progression-free survival (PFS). In addition, high CAR and a low albumin/globulin ratio on blood chemistry tests were associated with poor OS and PFS. Although universal cut-off values were not available, various types of pretreatment laboratory markers could be utilized as adjuncts to predict prognosis in patients with CRC.

Keloid is a scar tissue that undergoes recovery and excessive growth over the original wounds when the collagen is excessively accumulated in the dermis during the wound healing process. The common sites of keloid occurrence include the anterior thorax, shoulder, upper extremities and ear. To our knowledge, however, there are few cases of keloid that occurs in the axilla. In addition, there are fewer cases of keloid that bilaterally occurs at the operated sites postoperatively in individuals with no past or family history. 21-year-old male had undergone subdermal shaving for the management of osmidrosis but had not received appropriate scar management during the military service. He visited us with a keloid-like scar formed in the bilateral axillae. We excised the scar tissue and treated it with local steroid injection and postoperative axilla compression. In histopathological report, no flattening of the overlying epidermis, and presence of keloid collagen which confirms diagnosis of keloid. We report our clinical experience with a rare case of keloid occurring in the axilla and treatment process.
Apocrine Glands ; Axilla ; Cicatrix ; Collagen ; Dermis ; Diagnosis ; Ear ; Epidermis ; Humans ; Keloid* ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Shoulder ; Thorax ; Upper Extremity ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries ; Young Adult