No abstract available.
Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung*

No abstract available.
Coronary Vessels* ; Fistula*

PURPOSE: The main cause of recurrence of varicosity after endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) is incomplete occlusion of the sapheno-femoral junction (SFJ) or the sapheno-popliteal junction (SPJ). To reduce the recurrence and complications of EVLT, we have tried to ligate the SFJ or SPJ under ultrasonic guidance. METHOD: Two separate parallel punctures were made under ultrasonic guidance 1 cm inferior to and alongside the SFJ or SPJ with using a 16 gauge needle. A hook was passed through beneath the saphenous vein and it was pulled out through the puncture holes. A black silk thread was passed through backward with the hook and then the thread was tied. Low energy EVLT was then performed in a continuous fashion with using a 980 nm multidiode laser. RESULT: Between December, 2007 and February, 2008, 21 patients (males: 14, females: 7, 28 legs, mean age: 45 years old) with including 20 great saphenous veins (GSV) and 8 small saphenous veins (SSV) were managed using our protocol. The mean energy density (ED) was 9.8J/cm for the GSV and 9.5J/cm for the SSV. The pullback speed on the fiber was 69.5 sec at the GSV and 28sec at the SSV. No recurrence was noted. The complications were bruise (7 limbs/24%), fibrotic cord (4 limbs/14%), pain (8 limbs/31%), inguinal pain and paresthesia (1 limb/3%) and hematoma (4 limbs/14%). These complications were well controlled without any further problems. CONCLUSION: During EVLT, ultrasound (US) guided ligation of the SFJ is cosmetically satisfactory and effective in reducing the amount of required endovenous laser energy. The complication rate and severity were not reduced, but they under control.
Contusions ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Leg ; Ligation ; Needles ; Paresthesia ; Punctures ; Recurrence ; Saphenous Vein ; Silk ; Ultrasonics ; Varicose Veins

No abstract available.
Adolescent* ; Arteries* ; Humans ; Male*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the important factors affecting survival and pregnancy rate in frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. METHODS: we performed reprospective analysis in 738 cycles of frozen-thawed embryo transfers, in relation to the insemination methods, the freezing stage of embryo, patient's age, infertility factors and the origin of injected sperm in ICSI cycles. After conventional IVF or ICSI, the supernumerary PN stage zygotes or multicellular embryos were cryopreserved by slow freezing protocol with 1,2-propandiol (PROH) as a cryoprotectant. RESULTS: The survival rates of thawed embryos were 69.3% (1585/2287) in conventional IVF group and 71.7&% (1645/2295) in ICSI group. After frozen-thawed embryo transfers, 27.0% (92/341) and 32.0% (109/341) of pregnancy rates were achieved in conventional IVF and ICSI group, respectively. There were no significant difference in the survival and pregnancy rates according to the insemination methods, the freezing stage and patient's age. However, the pregnancy rate (36.2%) of male factor infertility (22.9%). In ICSI group, the origin of injected sperm did not affect the outcome of frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that acceptable clinical outcomes can be achieved after the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos regardless of the stage of embryos for freezing, the patient's age and the origin of injected sperm.
Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Freezing ; Humans ; Infertility ; Insemination ; Male ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Spermatozoa ; Survival Rate ; Zygote

BACKGROUND: With the purpose of identifying significant risk factors in poststernotomy sternal wound infection and mediastinitis, we underwent a retrospective analysis of the whole patients operated on at the our department of cardiovascular surgery for the two years. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From March 2001 to March 2003 at the department of cardiovascular surgery, medical school of Soonchunhyang University, major sternal wound infections had been developed in 12 (9.76%) of 123 consecutive patients. These patients underwent open-heart procedure through a midline sternotomy and survived long enough for infection to appear. For this group of patients, we evaluated possible risk factors such as age, sex, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, interval between hospital admission and operation, type of surgical procedure, elective or emergency surgical procedure, reoperation, duration of surgical procedures, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, amount of blood transfused, postoperative blood loss, chest reexploration, rewiring of a sterile sternal dehiscence, duration of mechanical ventilation, and days of stay in the intensive care unit and analyzed these factors. RESULT: Analysis represented that age, sex, diabetes mellitus, type and mode of surgical procedure, reoperation, duration of operation, duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, and interval between hospital admission and operation were not significantly associated with wound infection. For all other predisposing factors, p-values of less than .05 were demonstrated. Eight emerged as significant: early chest reexploration (p=0.001), sternal rewiring (p<0.0001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p<0.0001), blood transfusions (p<0.05), postoperative bleeding (p=0.008), days of stay in the intensive care unit (p<0.0001), duration of mechanical ventilation (p=0.001), and obesity (p=.003). CONCLUSION: Contamination of patients may occur before, during, and after the operation, and any kind of reintervention may predispose the patient to wound infection.
Blood Transfusion ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Causality ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Emergencies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mediastinitis* ; Obesity ; Postoperative Hemorrhage ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Reoperation ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors* ; Schools, Medical ; Sternotomy ; Surgical Procedures, Elective ; Thorax ; Wound Infection* ; Wounds and Injuries*

The acknowledgements was incorrect in the original publication of this article.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the buffering effects of social support as an effects modifier in the association between depression and inflammation in the elderly. METHODS: We analyzed the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP) for questionnaire, clinical, and laboratory data of 530 older adults living in a rural community. Multivariate regression models were used to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and C-reactive protein level (CRP), a marker of inflammation, at varying levels of social support. RESULTS: Social support affected the association between depressive symptoms and CRP level in both sexes. However, the direction of effects modification was different for men and women. In men, a higher CRP level was significantly associated with depressive symptoms only among those with lower support from a spouse or family members. By contrast, in women, the association was significant only among subgroups with higher spousal or family support. Social support from neighbors or friends did not affect the depression-inflammation relationship in men but modestly affected the relationship in women. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that social support may have a buffering effect in the relationship between depression and inflammation in elderly Koreans. But the influence of social support may run in different directions for men and women.
Adult ; Aged ; Aging ; C-Reactive Protein ; Depression ; Female ; Friends ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Rural Population ; Spouses

Lymphorrhea is a common complication after inguinal dissection for exposure of the femoral artery. Injury of the lymphatics occurs frequently because they are anatomically close to blood vessels. Uncontrolled lymph drainage increases postoperative morbidity, and wound infection may follow. Despite current treatment options, lymphorrhea after inguinal dissection is still difficult to manage and results in a prolonged hospital stay. A vacuum-assisted closure device was used in a 72-year-old woman who had lymphorrhea after vascular surgery by groin incision. Vacuum-assisted control for lymphorrhea resulted in earlier closure of the wound and reduced the length of hospital stay.
Aged ; Blood Vessels ; Drainage ; Female ; Femoral Artery ; Groin ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lymphatic System ; Negative-Pressure Wound Therapy ; Wound Infection

BACKGROUND: Pleural symphysis is regarded as an important treatment option in reducing recurrence rates after surgical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. However, there is much debate over the best method for achieving pleural symphysis. We retrospectively compared apical pleurectomy (AP) with mechanical pleural abrasion (MPA). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between January 2000 and December 2007, 83 patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for spontaneous pneumothorax. In addition to wedge resection of bullae, MPA was performed in 21 patients (group A) and AP in 62 patients (group B). RESULT: There were no significant differences in age, gender and site of pneumothorax between the two groups. Operative time was 97+/-44 minutes in group A and 77+/-18 minutes in group B (p>0.05). The mean amount of pleural drainage through the chest tube on the first postoperative day was 156+/-87 cc in group A and 147+/-87 cc in group B (p>0.05). There was no mortality or significant morbidity in all patients with the exception of reoperation for bleeding in two patients in group B. In the postoperative course, there were no statistical differences between the two groups in the rate of residual air space, air leak and indwelling time of chest tube, and hospital stay. Mean follow up time was 31.7+/-25.3 months, and the recurrence rate of pneumothorax was 9.5% (2/21) in group A and 6.5% (4/62) in group B, without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: AP was no more advantageous than MPA in terms of operative time, postoperative course and prevention of recurrent pneumothorax. Therefore, complete resection of bullae and existence of residual bullae are more important factors in reducing the incidence of recurrent pneumothorax than pleural symphysis.
Blister ; Chest Tubes ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Pleurodesis ; Pneumothorax ; Recurrence ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted