OBJECTIVE:To assess the cost and therapeutic effects of Chinese traditional medicine and western medicine in treating varicocele sterility. METHODS:165 patients with sterility were randomly divided into 2 groups. Chinese traditional medicine group included 110 cases who took Zhang's varicosity prescription, while the western medicine group included 55 cases who took human chorionic gonadotropin, clomiphene citrate, zinc gluconate, ATP and vitamin AD,Vitamin E,Vitamin C,for 3mo～9mo normally. The therapeutic effects and adverse effects of two groups were monitored and evaluated with cost- effectiveness analysis. RESULTS:The total effective rates of Chinese traditional medicine and western medicine were 81.82%and 50.91% respectively, while the costs were 3 688.2 Yuan and 2 399.2 Yuan accordingly, C/E were evaluated to be 45.08 and 47.13 respectively and ?C/?E was 41.7. CONCLUSION:Zhang's varicosity prescription is the better choice for treatment of varicocele sterility

Objective To evaluate the effect of ultrasound-guided transverse abdominal plane block (TAPB) on postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation under general anesthesia.Methods Forty American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅲ-V patients,with body mass index of 18-24 kg/m2,aged 18-64 yr,undergoing elective modified piggy-back orthotopic liver transplantation,were divided into 2 groups (n =20 each) by a random number table method:TAPB combined with general anesthesia group (TAPB-GA group) and general anesthesia group (GA group).In TAPB-GA group,two-point TAPB was performed below bilateral costal margins under ultrasound guidance after induction of general anesthesia,and a mixture of 0.33％ ropivacaine 15 ml plus 0.5％ dexamethasone 0.5 ml was injected into each point.The equal volume of normal saline was injected into each point instead in group GA.Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia was performed with sufentanil 2 μg/kg after operation in both groups.Sufentanil 5 μg was intravenously injected as rescue analgesic,and the visual analog scale score was mainrained ≤3 within 48 h after operation.The intraoperative consumption of remifentanil and extubation time after operation were recorded.The requirement for sufentanil as rescue analgesic and development of nausea and vomiting,itching and respiratory depression were recorded within 48 h after surgery.Results Compared with group GA,the intraoperative consumption of remifentanil and requirement for sufentanil as rescue analgesic within 48 h after surgery were significantly reduced,the time of extubation was shortened,and the incidence of nausea and vomiting,itching and respiratory depression was decreased in group TAPB-GA (P＜ 0.05).Conclusion Ultrasound-guided TAPB can provide better efficacy of postoperative analgesia with fewer adverse reactions in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation under general anesthesia.

Objective To investigate the correlation between interleukin-6 (IL-6) and future liver remnant (FLR) growth after associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS).Methods The retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 15 patients who underwent ALPPS at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between March 2017 and May 2018 were collected.Observation indicators:(1) intraoperative situations in the first staged ALPPS and the second staged ALPPS;(2) postoperative situations:① postoperative complications and duration of hospital stay,② results of pathological examination;(3) IL-6 concentration in the peripheral blood before and after operation;(4)follow-up situations.Follow-up using outpatient examination,telephone interview and internet was performed to detect life quality and survival of patients.Imaging examination was done to detect tumor recurrence and metastasis.Follow-up was done up to May 2018.Measurement data with normal distribution or similar normal distribution were represented as (x)±s.Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (range).Repeated measures data were analyzed by the repeated measures ANOVA.Correlation comparison was done using Pearson bivariate correlation test.Results (1) Intraoperative situations.① The first staged ALPPS:15 patients had liver parenchymal transection via anterior approach combined with selective hepatic vascular exclusion,without allogenic blood transfusion.The operation time,volume of intraoperative blood loss,FLR at postoperative 16 days,interval time to the second staged ALPPS,growth rate of liver volume,ratio of FLR and standard liver volume (SLV) were respectively 324 minutes (range,240-387 minutes),356 mL (range,200-600 mL),(582± 134) cm3,24 days (range,9-34 days),35％±20％ and 53％±7％.② The second staged ALPPS:of 15 patients,13 underwent the second staged ALPPS successfully including 11 undergoing middle hepatic vein preserved right hepatectomy and 2 undergoing expanded right hemihepatectomy or right trisegmentectomy,1 underwent transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) due to FLR/SLV =31％,1 was detected yellow-white nodules at left lobe and confirmed as hepatocellular carcinoma by frozen section pathological examination,and then improved and discharged after 5-FU abdominal local chemotherapy combined with postoperative TACE.The operation time,volume of intraoperative blood loss of 13 patients undergoing the second staged ALPPS were 324 minutes (range,140-515 minutes) and 639 mL(range,100-1 400 mL).Two patients had blood transfusion including 1 with 800 mL of fresh frozen plasma and 4.0 U of red cells and 1 with 600 mL of plasma and 9.5 U of de-leucocytes and red cells.(2) Postoperative situations.① Postoperative complications and duration of hospital stay:15 patients had no perioperative death,9 and 6 were detected grade A and grade B liver failure respectively,15 had grade Ⅰ complications of Clavien-Dindo classification and no patient had grade Ⅱ and above complications,10 had pleural effusion including 1 with volume of effusion ＞500 mL.Of 13 patients undergoing the second staged ALPPS,4 and 9 were detected grade A and grade B liver failure respectively,8 and 5 had grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ complications of Clavien-Dindo classification and no patient had grade Ⅲ and above complications,11 had few pleural effusion with volume of effusion ＜500 mL.Patients with grade B liver failure and grade Ⅱ complications were recovered and discharged after treatments of liver protection,gastric protection,reinforced dressing change,continuous use of Alb,fresh frozen plasma transfusion.The patient with volume of pleural effusion ＞ 500 mL was improved after closed thoracic drainage and other patients with pleural effusion were improved after symptomatic and supportive treatment.Duration of total hospital stay was 31 days (range,22-49 days) in 15 patients.② Results of pathological examination:13 patients undergoing complete ALPPS were diagnosed as hepaticocellular carcinoma with R0 resection and without cancer cells involving surgical margin,including 7 with grade Ⅱ portal vein tumor thrombus.Ishak score for postoperative pathological fibrosis and liver cirrhosis was 7.7±1.4 in 15 patients,including 1 case of 5,1 case of 6,2 case of 7,6 case of 8,5 case of 9.(3) IL-6 concentration in the peripheral blood before and after operation:IL-6 concentration in the peripheral blood before surgery was (8±3)ng/L in 15 patients,and (207±150)ng/L,(104±65)ng/L,(45±38)ng/L,(26±9)ng/L,(18±10)ng/L at 1,3,5,7,10 days after the first staged ALPPS,showing a statistically significant difference in changing trend before and after surgery (F=25.877,P＜0.05) and statistically significant differences in paired comparison between 1,3,5,7,10 days after the first staged ALPPS and before surgery respectively (P＜0.05).There was correlation between IL-6 concentration in the peripheral blood at 1,3 days after the first staged ALPPS and growth of FLR (r=0.766,0.881,P＜0.05),and also between IL-6 concentration in the peripheral blood at 1,3 days after the first staged ALPPS and growth rate of FLR (r =0.810,0.879,P＜ 0.05).(4) Follow-up:15 patients were followed up for 1-14 months with a median time of 7 months.Of the 15 patients,1 without the second staged ALPPS died of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome at 7 months after the first staged ALPPS,14 survived and took care of theirselves in daily life during follow-up with improved life quality,including 1 detected multiple lung metastases at 12 months after complete ALPPS with mild increased AFP and 13 undetected new lesions in the remnant liver on contrast-enhanced CT and liver contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with normal AFP.Conclusion The peak of IL-6 concentration in peripheral blood at 1,3 days after the first staged ALPPS is significantly correlated with the hyperplasia of FLR,which may be used to predict the hyperplasia of FLR.