Recently autogenous nerve graft was usually used for segmental defect of peripheal nerve injury. In case of inappropriate size or amount of donor nerve graft, there were many studies included nerve regeneration with special nerve conduit material. To compare the result of autogenous nerve graft with that of silicone tubing method in segmental defect of sciatic nerve, the experiments were carried out on adult rats with autogenous nerve graft on the left side and silicone tubing on the right side. The results were as follows; 1. Myelinated nerve fibers were larger in silicone tubing method than autogenous nerve graft at postop. 4 weeks. 2. There was no difference in nerve regeneration in both groups at postop. 12 weeks. 3. Some atrophic changes were showed in denervated muscles in both groups at postop. 4 weeks. Skeletal muscle changes between the two groups were meagre. 4. Perineural adhension was rare in silicone tubing group in contrast to autogenous nerve graft group. 5. Nerve Conduction Velocity was similar between autogenous nerve graft and silicone tubing method after 4 weeks postoperatively. In conclusion, this study suggests that silicone tubing can be useful method to repair the large nerve gaps and has a potential clinical utilization in large segmental nerve defect.
Adult ; Animals ; Autografts ; Humans ; Methods ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Nerve Fibers, Myelinated ; Nerve Regeneration ; Neural Conduction ; Rats ; Sciatic Nerve ; Silicon ; Silicones ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

We assessed several emotional variables in patients experiencing conventional urodynamic and ambulatory urodynamic monitoring (AUM) to verify the hypothesis that AUM is tolerated as well as conventional urodynamics. A total of 33 women and 7 men from 23 to 72 years of age who were undergoing both procedures were prospectively included in this study. Prior to and immediately after the procedures, each patient completed a self-administered questionnaire. Answers were given on a visual analogue scale. The degree of anxiety was higher for conventional urodynamics than for AUM (p = 0.045), while the degree of boredom experienced during AUM was higher than that during conventional urodynamics (p= 0.013). There was no significant difference in the degree of shame or bother experienced by the patients during the two procedures. In general, patients tolerated both examinations extremely well. The examiner-rated degree of intolerance during conventional urodynamics was influenced by the subjective pain score (p=0.001), while all other emotional variables except bother were not significantly related with the degree of intolerance during AUM (p=0.007). A total of 74.4% and 84.6% responded that they were willing to repeat conventional urodynamics and AUM, respectively, which were not significantly different. Although AUM produced a significantly higher level of boredom than conventional urodynamics, our data demonstrates that patients are as tolerant of AUM as they are of conventional urodynamic procedures.
*Urodynamics ; Urination Disorders/*diagnosis/*urine ; Urinary Incontinence/diagnosis ; Questionnaires ; Pain Measurement ; Pain ; Monitoring, Ambulatory/*methods ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Humans ; Fluoroscopy/*methods ; Female ; Anxiety ; Aged ; Adult

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: The aim of this study is to clarify the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic hepatectomy, through comparing the early and late periods of perioperative outcomes. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 138 patients who underwent laparoscopic hepatectomy from January 2003 to June 2011, at Yeungnam University Hospital. We divided the total patients to early period (from January 2003 to February 2007, n=49) and late period (from March 2007 to June 2011, n=89) groups and compared the perioperative outcomes including the mean operation time, intra-operative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and duration of liver function test (LFT) normalization. RESULTS: The mean operation time was 308 minutes (range: 140-510) in the early group and 193 minutes (range: 40-350) in the late period group (p<0.001). The mean intraoperative blood loss was 171 ml (range: 50-1,200) in the early and 44 ml (range: 0-400) in the late group (p=0.005). The postoperative hospital stay was 9.7 days (range: 4-31) in the early and 6.8 days (range: 2-9) in the late period (p<0.001). The ICU stay hour was 21.6 hours (range: 0-120) in the early and 2.8 hour (range: 0-24) in the late period (p<0.001). The duration of LFT normalization was 5.7 days (range: 0-39) in the early and 2.1 days (range: 0-20) in the late period (p=0.003). The perioperative outcomes in the late period were better than the early period, which showed a statistically significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic hepatectomy is feasible and can be safely performed in selected patients but requires a long experience in open liver resection and mastery of laparoscopic surgical skills.
Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Liver ; Liver Function Tests ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: To report the outcome of laparoscopic pyelo- and ureterolithotomies with the aid of flexible nephroscopy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed in 71 patients with complex renal stones or large and impacted proximal ureteral stones. Patients underwent laparoscopic pyelo- or ureterolithotomies with or without the removal of small residual stones by use of flexible nephroscopy between July 2005 and July 2010. Operative success was defined as no residual stones in the intravenous pyelogram at 12 weeks postoperatively. Perioperative results and surgical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 54.7+/-13.7 years, and 53 males (74.6%) and 18 females (25.4%) were included. The mean maximal stone size was 19.4+/-9.4 mm. A total of 47 cases were complex renal stones and 24 cases were impacted ureteral stones. Mean operative time was 139.0+/-63.7 minutes. Stones were completely removed in 61 cases (85.9%), and no further ancillary treatment was needed for clinically insignificant residual fragments in 7 cases (9.9%). For complex renal stones, the complete stone-free rate and clinically significant stone-free rate were 80.9% and 93.6%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the use of flexible nephroscopy for complex renal stones can reduce the risk of residual stones. A major complication occurred in one case, in which open conversion was performed. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic stone surgery is a safe and minimally invasive procedure with a high success rate, especially with the aid of flexible nephroscopy, and is not associated with procedure-specific complications.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney Calculi/pathology/radiography/*surgery ; Laparoscopy/methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrostomy, Percutaneous/*methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Ureteral Calculi/pathology/radiography/*surgery ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: The factors for predicting persistent urge symptom and urge incontinence following a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure were investigated in patients with mixed urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-four women, with a mean age of 55 years, ranging from 28 to 80, with female urinary incontinence (stress urinary incontinence; 201, mixed urinary incontinence; 73) were the subjects of this study. After a TVT procedure, the patients were followed up at 1, 6 and 12 months and every 1 year thereafter. Cure of incontinence after the procedure was defined as the absence of a subjective complaint of leakage and the absence of objective leakage on stress testing, with all other cases considered as failures. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the cure rates for stress urinary incontinence in patients with stress and mixed urinary incontinence. However, of 73 patients with mixed urinary incontinence, 20 (27.4%) ans 12 (16.4%) had persistent urgency and continued urge incontinence, respectively. In a multivariate analysis, a low maximal urethral closure pressure (MUCP) was found to be associated with an increased likelihood of persistent urgency (odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.99; p=0.029) and the persistent urge incontinence (odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-0.99; p=0.030) after a TVT procedure in patients with mixed urinary incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a low MUCP may be associated with the persistent urgency and urge incontinence after a TVT procedure in patients with mixed urinary incontinence.
Exercise Test ; Female ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Suburethral Slings* ; Surgical Mesh ; Urinary Incontinence* ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge*

Purpose: We assessed the effects of preoperative bladder compliance on the long-term functional outcomes, especially focused on postoperative storage symptom changes, after laser prostatectomy. Materials and Methods: From January 2008 to March 2014, 1,608 men who underwent laser prostatectomy, including holmium laser enucleation or photo-vaporization of the prostate, were included in the analysis. We divided patients into 3 groups according to bladder compliance on a baseline urodynamic study: <12.5, 12.5–25, ≥25 mL/cmH2O. A multivariable analysis was performed to determine the impact of bladder compliance on changes in long-term functional outcomes after laser prostatectomy. Results: Bladder compliance was less than 12.5 mL/cmH2O in 50 (3.1%), 12.5–25 mL/cmH2O in 232 (14.4%) patients. As bladder compliance decreased, the baseline International Prostate Symptom (IPSS) total score and storage sub-score were increased; the voiding sub-score remain unchanged. At postoperative 12 and 36 months, absolute improvements in the IPSS total score and storage sub-score were higher in <12.5 mL/cmH2O group compared to other groups, although those were equivalent at postoperative 1 months. On the multivariable analysis, decreased bladder compliance <12.5 mL/cmH2O was significantly associated with superior improvement in storage sub-score at postoperative 36 months, although it was not associated with voiding sub-score. Conclusions In patients with preoperative bladder compliance <12.5 mL/cmH2O, storage symptoms could be further improved at 36 months after laser prostatectomy compared to others. Thus, laser prostatectomy could be a considerable treatment option for patients with severely decreased bladder compliance.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the perioperative changes in bladder wall thickness and detrusor wall thickness after transurethral prostatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-one men who were treated for benign prostatic hyperplasia/lower urinary tract symptoms with transurethral prostatectomy were prospectively analyzed from May 2012 to July 2013. Prostate size, detrusor wall thickness, and bladder wall thickness were assessed by transrectal and transabdominal ultrasonography perioperatively. All postoperative evaluations were performed 1 month after the surgery. RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 69.0 years, the mean prostate-specific antigen concentration was 8.1 ng/mL, and the mean prostate volume was 63.2 mL. The mean bladder wall thickness was 5.1 mm (standard deviation [SD], +/-1.6), 5.1 mm (SD, +/-1.6), and 5.0 mm (SD, +/-1.4) preoperatively and 4.5 mm (SD, +/-1.5), 4.5 mm (SD, +/-1.3), and 4.6 mm (SD, +/-1.2) postoperatively in the anterior wall, dome, and trigone, respectively (p=0.178, p=0.086, and p=0.339, respectively). The mean detrusor wall thickness was 0.9 mm (SD, +/-0.4) preoperatively and 0.7 mm (SD, +/-0.3) postoperatively (p=0.001). A subgroup analysis stratifying patients into a large prostate group (weight, > or =45 g) and a high Abrams-Griffiths number group (>30) showed a significant decrease in detrusor wall thickness (p=0.002, p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS: There was a decrease in detrusor wall thickness after transurethral prostatectomy. The large prostate group and the high Abrams-Griffiths number group showed a significant decrease in detrusor wall thickness after surgery.
Humans ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms* ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Prostate ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate ; Ultrasonography ; Urinary Bladder* ; Urinary Tract

Neonatal listeriosis is not uncommon in Western developed countries, and has significant mortality and morbidity. However, its incidence in Asian countries is relatively low and it has rarely been reported in Korea. Once infected, Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) can have high mortality and listeriosis in pregnancy may present serious hazards to the fetus and the newborn as sepsis and death through direct infection of the placenta and chorioamnionitis. Because early detection of L. monocytogenes infection is difficult, only high index of suspicion toward this disease can hopefully prompt treatment of this life-threatening perinatal infection. We experienced a case of L. monocytogenes yielded in cultures of blood and amniotic fluid of the newborn and the mother who delivered at 25+1 weeks of gestation because of preterm labor that developed without any specific evidence of infection. We report this case with a brief review of the literature.
Amniotic Fluid ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Chorioamnionitis ; Developed Countries ; Female ; Fetus ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Listeriosis ; Mothers ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Sepsis

Subacute thyroiditis is a frequent benign thyroid disease associated with previous viral upper respiratory tract infection. Known complications of this disease are long-standing subclinical hypothyroidism, persistent anterior neck pain and rarely Graves disease. In general, thyroid abscess is an uncommon disease because of anatomic isolation of the gland and its rich system of drainage for blood and lymph. Especially, development of thyroid abscess in subacute thyroiditis is extremely rare phenomenan, but significant bad outcomes can be resulted. Its clinical BACKGROUND containes immune-suppressed state, anatomic defect, presence of underlying other thyroid disease and of non-thyroidal infectious foci. We experienced a case of subacute thyroiditis complicated with streptococcal thyroid abscess during glucocorticoid therapy. The patient was a 19-year-old female who was admitted due to anterior neck pain for 1 month. Typical subacute thyroiditis was suggested from initial laboratory findings including CBC, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, serum T3, T4, TSH levels, thyroid scan & thyroid uptake. But during oral prednisolone therapy, unexpected bacterial thyroid abscess was developed. We report this unusual case with review of literatures.
Abscess ; Blood Sedimentation ; Drainage ; Female ; Graves Disease ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Neck Pain ; Prednisolone ; Respiratory Tract Infections ; Thyroid Diseases ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroiditis, Subacute* ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: To evaluate the outcome after the tension free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure in stress urinary incontinence with low Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP), and identify factors predicting the outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hyndred twenty-one women from 29 to 80 years old (mean 55.2) were included in the study. The TVT procedure was mostly performed under local anesthesia. The mean follow-up time was 10.5 months (range 6~52). Patients were divided into two groups (Group I: VLPP< 60 cmH2O, n=61 and Group II: VLPP > or = 60 cmH2O, n=160). Cure of incontinence was defined as the absence of a subjective complaint of leakage and the absence of objective leakage on stress test. RESULTS: The overall cure rate was significantly lower in Group I than in Group II (82.0% versus 93.1%, p= 0.013). In women with low VLPP, multivariate analysis indicated that urge symptom and low maximal urethral closure pressure were independent factors for the treatment failure: (odds ratio, 15.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.90~120.61; p=0.010) for urge symptom and (odds ratio, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.86~0.99; p=0.018) for maximal urethral closure pressure. CONCLUSION: The cure rate after the TVT procedure is lower in women with low VLPP, when compared to those with higher VLPP. Our findings suggest that urge symptom and low maximal urethral closure pressure should be considered to be at high risk of the failure after the TVT procedure in these patients.
Anesthesia, Local ; Exercise Test ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Suburethral Slings* ; Treatment Failure ; Urinary Incontinence