No abstract available.
Electric Stimulation* ; Pelvic Floor*

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic nephrectomy has become accepted as a method of simple nephrectomy replacing with open nephrectomy in patients in whom a kidney requires removal for benign disease. Laparoscopic nephrecto my is widely performed and extends its indications. We evaluated our experience with the laparoscopic nephrectomy to assess the clinical efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 1996 and September 1999, 23 patients (7 men and 16 women, mean age 44.1 years old) underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy, 16 by women, mean age 44.1 years old) underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy, 16 by the transperitoneal approach and 7 by the retroperitoneal approach. Operative and clinical records were reviewed. The underlying pathological conditions included 20 cases of non-functioning kidney, 2 cases of hypoplastic kidney with complete duplication and ectopic ureter, and 1 case of ureter tumor. Four ports (21 cases, two 12mm ports and two 5mm ports) or 5 posts ( 2 cases, two 12mm ports and three 5mm ports) were used. RESULTS: The laparoscopic procedure were successful in 20 cases (87%). Three patients had open conversion due to unclear anatomy, severe adhesion, and adrenal bleeding. In successful cases, mean operative time was 253+/-83 minutes (range 140-545), mean hospital stay was postoperative 5.2 days. Intraoperative and perioperative complications were noted in 6 patients, including bleeding requiring transfusion in 3, wound infection in 1, severe subcutaneous emphysema in 1, diarrhea in 1. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic simple nephrectomy is feasible, effective, and safe treatment option. It is a less invasive alternative to open surgery providing a more rapid recuperation and superior cosmetic effect.
Diarrhea ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Kidney ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Nephrectomy* ; Operative Time ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Ureter ; Wound Infection

No abstract available.
Stomach Neoplasms*

PURPOSE: The vaginal wall sling was introduced by Raz as a simpler and lessmorbid alternative to fascial or synthetic slings for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of anterior vaginal wall sling in the management of women with anatomical incontinence(Al) and intrinsic sphincteric deficiency(ISD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed vaginal wall sling on 46 consecutive women with stress incontinence. Preoperative evaluation included voiding cystourethrogaphy, urodynamic study, cystocsopy and incontinence staging with SEAPI classification. Postoperative subjective SEAPI outcome measures and assessment of complications were checked on a 3-month basis. RESULTS: Of the patients 19(49%) had Al and 27(59%) had ISD. Median follow-up was 8 months (range 6 to 10). Mean operation time was 65 minutes. At follow-up all of the patients reported no stress incontinence and 15% reported urge incontinence. De novo urge incontinence did not occur. Complications included prolonged voiding difficulty(8,7%), suprapubic pain(8.7%), and pain on leg abduction(4.3%). Four patients had a prolonged time to gain complete bladder emptying, which required more than 3 weeks to resolve. Permanent urinary retention has not occurred in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal wall sling is a safe, simple and effective procedure for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence due to Al and ISD.
Classification ; Female* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Leg ; Outcome Assessment (Health Care) ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge ; Urinary Retention ; Urodynamics

Melanosomes were isolated from the human hair by graded centrifugation and identified by transmission and scanning electron microscopic examination. Melanosomes were separated from the keratinous structures by treating with strong NaOH solution for 15 hours. The keratinous structures were removed by centrifugation ai 2,500xg and 3,500xg for 10 minutes respectively at 0 ℃. The isolated melanosomes were collected by centrifugation at 7,800xg at 0 ℃. Scanning electron microscopic examination made it possible to evaluate the global structure of purified melanosomes.
Centrifugation ; Hair* ; Humans* ; Melanosomes* ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning

The result of clinical survey of seventy-five children with supracondylar fractures of the humerus is presented. Sixty-eight fractures had gross displacement, and seven were undisplaced ones. Seven children with undisplaced fractures were treated with simple splinting. Twenty-one fractures with gross displacement were closedly reduced and immobilized by cast. Twenty cases treated with over-head skin traction or skeletal traction, and followed by cast immobilization, and twenty-seven were operatively reduced and were fixed with 2 K-wires. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The average age of children was 6.8 years, and the male and female ratio was 2.1:l. 2. 97.1% (66 cases) was the extension type and 2.9% (2 cases) was the flexion type. 3. Good end results were obtained in the well-reduced groups, such as undisplaced fractures and surgically reduced fractures. Of 27 operated cases, 19 who had early operation without manipulative trial or traction, had excellent results, while 8 who had surgery in delay developed limitation of flexion and/or extension motion of the elbow. Of these 19, two cases developed mild extension limitation as sequella. 4. As complications, incomplete ulnar nerve palsy developed in one case, but it spontaneously recovered in 3 weeks after open reduction. During treatment utilizing the olecranon pin traction, pin tract infection developed in 2 cases, but the infection was controlled by the antibiotic administration and wound dressing. Severe cubitus varus deformity developed in 4 cases among the conservatively treated group (manipulatively reduced group and skeletal traction group). These 4 children had corrective osteotomy. Mild deformity was the inevitable one when it is treated conservatively. Limitation of elbow motion developed in 23 cases (32%) as a sequella. 5. Fracture healed mostly in three weeks after reduction and immobilization. Average hospital stay for conservatively treated patients was 17.2 days, whereas that for surgically treated patients was 5.8 days in average. 6. Early anatomical reduction by any means whether it is surgical or nonsurgical, proved to be only the methods which bring the satisfactory results, and minimize the sequellae.
Bandages ; Child ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Elbow ; Female ; Humans ; Humerus ; Immobilization ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Olecranon Process ; Osteotomy ; Skin ; Splints ; Traction ; Ulnar Neuropathies ; Wounds and Injuries

Most cases of spondylolisthesis are asymptomatic and successfully managed with conservative treatment. Operation was performed in 20% of symptomatic cases having severe back pain, neurological symptoms and or progressive slipping. Although surgical treatments are divided into decompression and fusion, various methods were tried frorn simple Gill's resection to posterior and/or anterior fusion with instrumentation in case of severe slipping. The authors reviewed 49 cases of symptomatic spondylolisthesis, who were surgically treated, and well followed up at Kang-Nam St. Mary's Hospital during past 6 years from January, 1981, to June, 1987. l. Among 49 cases, 23 were isthmic type and 26 were degenerative in nature, and 40 were females. 24 patients(92.3%) of degenerative type were female over 4th decade. Mean age was 47.9 years. 2. The most common site of involvement was L4–5 intervertebral space(25 cases,; 51.0%). 17 cases(73.9%) of isthmic thpe were involved in L5-Sl intervertebral space, and 21 cases (80.8%) of degenerative type were involved L4–L5 intervertebral space. 3. The symptoms were low back pain, intermittent claudication and sciatica in order of incidence. 4. The average slipping measured by Taillard method was 19.5%, and Meyerding's grade I slipping(69.3%) was the highest in the percentile incidence. The average degree of slipping in isthmic type(23.6%) was greater than that of degenerative type(16.4%). 5. Myelogram mainly showed complete or near complete block in degenerative type and ventral indentation in isthmic type. C–T myelogram showed mainly central stenosis in degenerative type, and nerve root compression in isthmic type. 6. In 9 cases,anterior fusions were done ; 5 degenerative and 4 isthmic. In 37 cases, decompression and posteriolateral fusions were done with or without instrumentation ; instrumented in 11 cases. 7. Clinically, the results were judged as excellent in 16 cases(32.7%), good in 26 cases(53.1 %), fair in 6 cases(12.2%), poor in 1 case(2.1%). Thus, 42 cases(85.8%) were considered satisfactory. The satisfactory results were obtained in 77.8% of anterior interbody fusion cases, 88 5% of posterolateral fusion cases, 90.7% of decompression and posterolateral fusion with instrumentation cases. There was no appreciable difference in clinical results between isthmic and degenerative types. 8. There were no changes in slipping in 35 cases(71.5%), Partial reduction were possible in 13 cases(28.5%), and further splipping developed in a patient who had decompression surgery alone. Among 46 cases of vertebral fusion, complete fusion was obtained in 43 cases(93.5%) within one year. 9. Solid anterior spondylodesis was obtained in all the cases of degenerative type, while in 2 cases(50%) of the isthmic type, graft crumbled with redisplacement and delayed fusion. Through the results, it is concluded that posterior instrumentation may not be essential for the successful spondylodesis in cases of posterolateral fusion, since there was no statistical significance in the results between the instrumented and non-instrumented, and isthmic type and degenerative type, and that anterior interbody fusion is best indicated for the treatrment of the degenerative type and not for the isthmic type. Therefore, if anterior interbody fusion is chosen for the successful treatment of isthmic type, a certain type of internal fixator should be combined.
Back Pain ; Clinical Study ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Decompression ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intermittent Claudication ; Internal Fixators ; Low Back Pain ; Methods ; Radiculopathy ; Sciatica ; Spinal Fusion ; Spondylolisthesis ; Transplants

No abstract available.
Gallstones* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

STUDY DESIGN: The treatment of a stable fracture around thoracolumbarjunction is a controversial subject. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the result from long term follow-up of the stable spinal fracture around thoracolumbar junction according to the operation, osteoporosis and in situ extension bar, respectively. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The thoracolumbar junction is a transitional zone in which the kyphotic angle of thoracic spine is continued to the lordotic angle of lumbar splne. So it is prone to be injured biomechanically, and the stability of the spine around thoracolumbar junction is not determined yet. METHODS: We studied retrospectively 105 cases of the stable fracture around thoracolumbar junction from January 1985 to December 1995. The criteria of the stability were a compression fracture by Denis F., a bursting fracture without involvement of posterior column, a neural enchroachment of bony fragment below 30%, fracture without subluxation or dislocation in spinal junction. RESULTS: The most common cause was traffic accident and, the first lumbar vertebrate was common site. Below 30% of initial compression, the progression was not exceded 5% in operative group. But in nonoperative group, anterior compression was more progressed than initial compression over 5%. The degree of anterior compression was affected by osteoporosis and in situ extension bar just after injury. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest an anterior compression abode 30% in spinal body of thoracolumbar junction for an additional operative indication. The prognosis may be affected by osteoporosis and in situ extension bar.
Accidents, Traffic ; Dislocations ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Fractures, Compression ; Osteoporosis ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine ; Vertebrates

Infrahepatic interruption of the inferior vena cava with azygos continuation is relatively infrequent cardiovascular developmental anomaly occurring both in association with congenital heart disease and as an isolated anomaly of no hemodynamic importance. During the past 5 years, we observed 38 cases of infrahepatic interruption of IVC with azygos continuation out of 2,397 cases of congenital heart disease catheterized at Yonsei Cardiovascular Center. We conducted the study with a view point of position of the heart and abdominal organs and segmental analysis of the underlying congenital heart disease. We also analysed the associated exracardiac vascular anomalies The following results wer obtained: 1) The incidence of this anomaly among congenital heart disease was 1.7% and the sex ratio 1.4:1. Twenty four cases(63.1%) was below 5 years of age and 30 cases (79.0%) had cyanosis. 2) We observed 21 cases (55.2%) with the malposition of the heart and 17 cases (44.8%) with malposition of the abdominal organs. The ventricular loops revealed D-loop in 25 cases, L-loop in 5 cases and in the remaining 7 cases, it was uncertain. Eighteen showed normally related great arteries and malposition was present in another 18 cases. 3) Associatcd cardiovascular anomalics wcre as follows: right-sidcd aortic arch: 12 cases, patentductus arteriosus: 10 cases, pulmonic stenosis: 19 cases and bilateral superior vena cava: 9 cases. In conclusion, the presence of this anomaly should alert one to seek the severeintracardiac anomalies which are usually associated with it. Also, it is essential that, if any patient with this anomaly should come to thoracotomy, the azygos vein be not sacrificed.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Arteries ; Azygos Vein ; Catheters ; Cyanosis ; Heart ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Incidence ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Sex Ratio ; Thoracotomy ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Vena Cava, Superior