With the revision of the Medical Service Law in April 2005, it has become incumbent on clinical engineers to take charge of medical equipment in their hospital and to run a maintenance check on the equipment at regular intervals.　　However, it is difficult to show what clinical engineers have done as visualized achievements, for no insurance mark to the maintenance and management business itself.　　By using the accumulated maintenance records and a new medical equipment management system - the Arcadia company’s “CEIA system” installed in April 2010. We considered the cost performance of the medical equipment could be enhanced through the efforts of clinical engineers.　　For this purpose, we made the list of technical fees to be paid if a clinical engineer should entrust temporarily the maintenance management to an equipment maker and calculated the cost item by item.　　Moreover, the items which were checked and repaired were divided into those “outsourced” and those taken care of by hospital clinical engineers. When trial calculations were made using “in-house processing-outsourcing＝achievements” formula, we had about 50 million yen or more.

Methods: A total of 1,570 male patients with lumbar degenerative diseases, who underwent surgery between April 2003 and June 2017, were evaluated; from these patients, participants with walking-evoked erection were selected. Preoperative clinical data of walking-evoked erection, paresthesia, and bladder and bowel function were assessed. In our study, the neurological status and the erectile function of each participant were retrospectively evaluated before and after surgery using the Japanese Orthopedic Association score and the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score. Results: Among the 1,570 male patients screened in our department, eight patients (0.51%, 8/1,570) presented with walking-evoked erection accompanied by cauda equina symptoms. In six of the patients, the erectile symptoms were associated with paresthesia in the genitalia or perianal region. Of the six patients evaluated for bladder dysfunction, all were diagnosed with prostatic hyperplasia, while four were diagnosed with an overactive bladder. In all patients, walking-evoked erection disappeared entirely after surgery. Conclusions This study comprises the first review of walking-evoked erection in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases. We speculate that sensory input, such as paresthesia in the genitalia or perianal region stimulates the pelvic or perineal nerves through the pudendal nerve and induces reflexogenic erections.

Methods: A total of 1,570 male patients with lumbar degenerative diseases, who underwent surgery between April 2003 and June 2017, were evaluated; from these patients, participants with walking-evoked erection were selected. Preoperative clinical data of walking-evoked erection, paresthesia, and bladder and bowel function were assessed. In our study, the neurological status and the erectile function of each participant were retrospectively evaluated before and after surgery using the Japanese Orthopedic Association score and the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score. Results: Among the 1,570 male patients screened in our department, eight patients (0.51%, 8/1,570) presented with walking-evoked erection accompanied by cauda equina symptoms. In six of the patients, the erectile symptoms were associated with paresthesia in the genitalia or perianal region. Of the six patients evaluated for bladder dysfunction, all were diagnosed with prostatic hyperplasia, while four were diagnosed with an overactive bladder. In all patients, walking-evoked erection disappeared entirely after surgery. Conclusions This study comprises the first review of walking-evoked erection in patients with lumbar degenerative diseases. We speculate that sensory input, such as paresthesia in the genitalia or perianal region stimulates the pelvic or perineal nerves through the pudendal nerve and induces reflexogenic erections.

Objective:Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after pylorus-preservingpancreatoduodenectomy (PpPD) is a persistent and frustrating complication. Topreserve pylorus ring with denervation and devascularization may be a risk factorof DGE after pancreaticoduodenectomy. We conducted this study to confirm thehypothesis that pylorus-resecting pancreatoduodenectomy (PrPD) reduces theincidence of DGE compared to PpPD. Moreover, long-term outcomes of PrPDand the adverse effect of postsurgical DGE on long-term outcomes have not beenreported. Therefore, in addition, this study focused on long-term outcomes during24 months after surgery between PrPD versus PpPD.Methods: Between October 2005 and March 2009, at Wakayama MedicalUniversity Hospital (WMUH), 130 patients with pancreatic or periampullarylesions were randomized to preservation of the pylorus ring (PpPD) or to resectionof the pylorus ring (PrPD). In PpPD, the proximal duodenum was divided 3-4cmdistal to the pylorus ring. In PrPD, the stomach was divided just adjacent thepylorus ring and the nearly total stomach more than 95% was preserved. Shorttermand long-term outcomes were evaluated between PpPD and PrPD. Primaryendpoint is the incidence of DGE. DGE was defined according to a consensusdefinition and clinical grading about postoperative DGE proposed by theinternational study group of pancreatic surgery (ISGPS). This RCT was registeredat Clinical Trials.Gov NCT00639314.Results: Of 130 patients who were enrolled in this study, 64 patients wererandomized to PpPD and 66 to PrPD. The overall incidence of DGE in this RCTwas 10.8% (14 of 130 patients); the overall incidence of DGE was significantlylower in PrPD (4.5%) than PpPD (17.2%) (P =0 .0244). DGE was classified intothree categories proposed by the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery.The proposed clinical grading classified 11 cases of DGE in PpPD into grades A(n=6), B (n=5), and C (n=0), and one case in PrPD into each of the three grades.In long-term outcomes, weight loss > grade 2 (Common Terminology Criteriafor Adverse Events, Ver. 4.0) at 24 months after surgery improved significantlyin PrPD (16.2%) compared with PpPD (42.2%) (P = 0.011). Nutritional statusand late postoperative complications were similar between PpPD and PrPD. Theincidence of weight loss greater than Grade 2 at 24 months after surgery was63.6% in patients with DGE group and 25.3% in patients without DGE group (P= 0.010). Tmax (the time to peak 13CO2 content in 13C-acetate breath test) at24 months after surgery in patients with DGE was significantly delayed comparedwith those without DGE (27.9 ± 22.7min vs.16.5 ± 10.1min, P=0.023). Serumalbumin at 24 months after surgery was higher in patients without DGE than thosewith DGE (3.7±0.6 g/dl vs. 4.1±0.4 g/dl, P=0.013).Conclusion: This study clarified that PrPD can lead to a significant reduction inthe incidence of DGE compared with PpPD. Moreover, PrPD offers similar longtermoutcomes with PpPD. DGE may be associated with weight loss and poornutritional status in long-term outcomes.

Objective:Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (PpPD) is a persistent and frustrating complication. To preserve pylorus ring with denervation and devascularization may be a risk factor of DGE after pancreaticoduodenectomy. We conducted this study to confirm the hypothesis that pylorus-resecting pancreatoduodenectomy (PrPD) reduces the incidence of DGE compared to PpPD. Moreover, long-term outcomes of PrPD and the adverse effect of postsurgical DGE on long-term outcomes have not been reported. Therefore, in addition, this study focused on long-term outcomes during 24 months after surgery between PrPD versus PpPD. Methods: Between October 2005 and March 2009, at Wakayama Medical University Hospital (WMUH), 130 patients with pancreatic or periampullary lesions were randomized to preservation of the pylorus ring (PpPD) or to resection of the pylorus ring (PrPD). In PpPD, the proximal duodenum was divided 3-4cm distal to the pylorus ring. In PrPD, the stomach was divided just adjacent the pylorus ring and the nearly total stomach more than 95% was preserved. Shortterm and long-term outcomes were evaluated between PpPD and PrPD. Primary endpoint is the incidence of DGE. DGE was defined according to a consensus definition and clinical grading about postoperative DGE proposed by the international study group of pancreatic surgery (ISGPS). This RCT was registered at Clinical Trials.Gov NCT00639314. Results: Of 130 patients who were enrolled in this study, 64 patients were randomized to PpPD and 66 to PrPD. The overall incidence of DGE in this RCT was 10.8% (14 of 130 patients); the overall incidence of DGE was significantly lower in PrPD (4.5%) than PpPD (17.2%) (P =0 .0244). DGE was classified into three categories proposed by the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery. The proposed clinical grading classified 11 cases of DGE in PpPD into grades A (n=6), B (n=5), and C (n=0), and one case in PrPD into each of the three grades. In long-term outcomes, weight loss > grade 2 (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, Ver. 4.0) at 24 months after surgery improved significantly in PrPD (16.2%) compared with PpPD (42.2%) (P = 0.011). Nutritional status and late postoperative complications were similar between PpPD and PrPD. The incidence of weight loss greater than Grade 2 at 24 months after surgery was 63.6% in patients with DGE group and 25.3% in patients without DGE group (P = 0.010). Tmax (the time to peak 13CO2 content in 13C-acetate breath test) at 24 months after surgery in patients with DGE was significantly delayed compared with those without DGE (27.9 ± 22.7min vs.16.5 ± 10.1min, P=0.023). Serum albumin at 24 months after surgery was higher in patients without DGE than those with DGE (3.7±0.6 g/dl vs. 4.1±0.4 g/dl, P=0.013). Conclusion: This study clarified that PrPD can lead to a significant reduction in the incidence of DGE compared with PpPD. Moreover, PrPD offers similar longterm outcomes with PpPD. DGE may be associated with weight loss and poor nutritional status in long-term outcomes.

Purpose: Screening image-enhanced endoscopy for gastrointestinal malignant lesions has progressed. However, the influence of the color enhancement settings for the laser endoscopic system on the visibility of lesions with higher color contrast than their surrounding mucosa has not been established. Materials and Methods: Forty early gastric cancers were retrospectively evaluated using color enhancement settings C1 and C2 for laser endoscopic systems with blue laser imaging (BLI), BLI-bright, and linked color imaging (LCI). The visibilities of the malignant lesions in the stomach with the C1 and C2 color enhancements were scored by expert and non-expert endoscopists and compared, and the color differences between the malignant lesions and the surrounding mucosa were assessed. Results: Early gastric cancers mainly appeared orange-red on LCI and brown on BLI-bright or BLI. The surrounding mucosae were purple on LCI regardless of the color enhancement but brown or pale green with C1 enhancement and dark green with C2 enhancement on BLIbright or BLI. The mean visibility scores for BLI-bright, BLI, and LCI with C2 enhancement were significantly higher than those with C1 enhancement. The superiority of the C2 enhancement was not demonstrated in the assessments by non-experts, but it was significant for experts using all modes. The C2 color enhancement produced a significantly greater color difference between the malignant lesions and the surrounding mucosa, especially with the use of BLI-bright (P=0.033) and BLI (P<0.001). C2 enhancement tended to be superior regardless of the morphological type, Helicobacter pylori status, or the extension of intestinal metaplasia around the cancer. Conclusions Appropriate color enhancement settings improve the visibility of malignant lesions in the stomach and color contrast between the malignant lesions and the surrounding mucosa.