Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Muscle Spasticity ; etiology ; therapy ; Paralysis ; etiology ; therapy ; Stroke ; complications

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Lao Shi Jiu (moxibustion at a group of ten acupoints) plus Wu Zhu Xiang Sha Liu Jun decoction in treating chronic gastritis due to deficient cold in spleen-stomach. Method Ninety patients with chronic gastritis due to deficient cold in spleen-stomach were randomized into a moxibustion-medication group and a Western medication group by using the random number table, 45 cases each. The moxibustion-medication group was intervened by Lao Shi Jiu plus Wu Zhu Xiang Sha Liu Jun decoction, while the Western medication group was prescribed with conventional medications. The clinical efficacy and changes in symptoms were observed after the intervention. Result The total effective rates were respectively 88.9% and 75.6% in the moxibustion-medication group and Western medication group, and the rate in the moxibustion-medication group was significantly higher than that in the Western medication group (P<0.05); the gastroscopy-based total effective rates were respectively 91.1% and 77.8% in the moxibustion-medication group and Western medication group, indicating that the moxibustion-medication group was superior to the Western medication group (P<0.05); the improvement of stomachache in the moxibustion-medication group was more significant than that in the Western medication group (P<0.05). Conclusion The moxibustion-medication group is superior to the Western medication group in comparing the clinical efficacy and improvement of symptoms in treating chronic gastritis due to deficient cold in spleen-stomach.

Sutureless technique is a recently developed operation as a first-line therapeutic options for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC). It was originally used to relieve postoperative pulmonary venous obstruction after TAPVC repair and shared a favorable safety and efficacy. Sutureless technique has advantage over conventional repair since the sutures will not touch the intima of pulmonary veins, leading to limited intimal hyperplasia and anastomotic stenosis. In recent years, the sutureless technique has been adopted as a prophylactic method to reduce postoperative obstruction. Compared with the conventional surgery, the indications of the sutureless technique are yet unclear, and a variety of improved methods of sutureless technique with satisfactory outcomes have emerged. This paper review the development of the sutureless technique, introduce some improvements of the surgical technique and summarize indications of suturelss technique.