We, the delegates of the 2016 Japan-UK exchange, herein report our experiences and impressions of British primary care: "the difference between the career paths of general practitioners from Japan and UK", "medical interpreters and care in a multicultural society" and "framework for development of clinical research". We described our experiences in UK with a literature review. The authors wish for the article to support the advancement of Japanese primary care.

Maobushisaishinto was given to 10 elderly female patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) for 4 weeks. Five patients showed SUI improvement with its herbs. The mean age for the effective group was higher than that for the non-effective group (73.2 vs 50.2 yrs old ; p = 0.08). In former group, 2 cases demonstrated a remarkable effect ; one with the number of pads used decreasing from 8 to 2 and the other decreasing from 4 to 1.
Because of the possibilities of urethral pressure elevation with ma huang (the mao component) and improvement of detrusor overactivity with Fu zi (the bushi component), maobushisaishinto may be applicable for the aged female suffering from SUI.

Four interstitial cystitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (IC/CPPS) patients presenting with pain and autonomic imbatances were improved by Kampo medicine. (Case 1) a 42 year old female : Her bladder and perinial pain were relieved by ryutanshakanto and her autonomic imbalances were improved by Kamishoyosan. (Case 2) a 51 year old female : She was given anchusan which warmed the internal organs. (Case 3) a 49 year old female : Her general hypothermia was relieved by shinbuto and ninjinto. (Case 4) a 27 year old female :She was given tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto which warmed the lower body half. These Kampo medicines for autonomic imbalance in IC/CPPS were drugs that adjusted general condition on the basis of diagnostic processes, and logic based on states of vital energy and blood.

We evaluated the effect of Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicine for overactive bladder (OAB), exacerbated by coldness. There were 258 OAB patients who visited our clinic between October and November. Thirty-one percent (79 out of 258) of those patients began Kampo treatment with their OAB drugs. Furthermore Kampo medicines for 49% of cases (39 out of 79) were for coldness. The prognosis of coldnesses which were treated by Kampo medicine at the next spring were as follows. An “effective and continued” group accounted for 54%, and an “effective but discontinued” group for 25%. An “ineffective and discontinued” group accounted for21%. There was a significant difference in mean age between the “effective and continued” group (63 ± 7.3) and “effective but discontinued” group (44 ± 11) (p < 0.01). Thus, the QOL of OAB patients should improve with Kampo medicine co-administered with OAB drugs.

Purpose: Patients with hematological malignancies are at an increased risk of severe infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, developing an adequate immune response after vaccination is difficult, especially in patients with lymphoid neoplasms. Since the long-term effects of the BNT162b2 vaccine are unclear, the humoral immune response 5 months after the two vaccinations in patients with hematological disorders was analyzed. Materials and Methods: Samples were collected from 96 patients vaccinated twice with BNT162b2 and treated with at least one line of an antitumor or immunosuppressive drug in our hospital from November 2021 to February 2022. Serum anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (anti-SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) antibody titers were analyzed. Patients were age- and sex-matched using propensity matching and compared with a healthy control group. Patients with serum anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibodies were defined as ‘responder’ if >50 U/mL. The patients had B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL), multiple myeloma, chronic myeloid leukemia, etc. Results: Patients had significantly low antibody levels (median, 55.3 U/mL vs. 809.8 U/mL; p<0.001) and a significantly low response rate (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that patients with B-NHL, aged >72 years, were associated with a low response to vaccination. There were no significant differences between patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and healthy controls. Conclusion Our study shows that patients with hematological disorders are at risk of developing severe COVID-19 infections because of low responsiveness to vaccination. Moreover, the rate of antibody positivity differed between the disease groups. Further studies are warranted to determine an appropriate preventive method for these patients, especially those with B-NHL.

STUDY DESIGN: Large cohort study. PURPOSE: To clarify spinal sagittal alignment and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) according to sex in volunteers aged >50 years with cervical deformity (CD). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Adult spinal deformities, especially those associated with lumbosacral lesions, are more frequent in females; however, CD is observed to a greater extent in males. METHODS: We divided 656 volunteers (263 males, 393 females; age, 50–89 years [mean, 73 years]) as follows: males with CD (CDM; 82 patients); males without CD (NCDM, 181); females with CD (CDF, 36); and females without CD (NCDF, 357). CD was defined as C2–7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA) ≥40 mm. We measured pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence minus lumbar lordosis (PI−LL), thoracic kyphosis, T1 slope, cervical lordosis, C7 SVA, and C2–7 SVA. HRQOL was evaluated using EuroQOL five dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D). RESULTS: In CDM, NCDM, CDF, and NCDF groups, the respective parameters were as follows: PT: 15°, 14°, 26°, and 21°; PI−LL: 7°, 5°, 16°, and 10°; C2–7 SVA: 49, 24, 46, and 20 mm; C7 SVA: 61, 40, 75, and 47 mm; and EQ-5D: 0.82, 0.88, 0.78, and 0.81. PT and PI−LL were significantly greater in the CDF group than in the NCDF group (p < 0.05) but were not significantly different between CDM and NCDM groups. The CDF group already showed deterioration of spinopelvic alignment, although it was maintained in the CDM group. EQ-5D in showed significantly greater deterioration the CDM group than in the NCDM group; deterioration of lumbopelvic parameters had less influence in males (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sagittal spinal deformity may have different mechanisms in males and females. The deterioration of spinal sagittal alignment in males may originate from the cervical spine, and CD may be associated with HRQOL.
Adult ; Animals ; Cohort Studies ; Congenital Abnormalities* ; Female* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Kyphosis ; Lordosis ; Male* ; Quality of Life* ; Sex Characteristics ; Spine ; Volunteers

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Transpapillary forceps biopsy is an effective diagnostic technique in patients with biliary stricture. This prospective study aimed to determine the usefulness of the wire-grasping method as a new technique for forceps biopsy. METHODS: Consecutive patients with biliary stricture or irregularities of the bile duct wall were randomly allocated to either the direct or wire-grasping method group. In the wire-grasping method, forceps in the duodenum grasps a guide-wire placed into the bile duct beforehand, and then, the forceps are pushed through the papilla without endoscopic sphincterotomy. In the direct method, forceps are directly pushed into the bile duct alongside a guide-wire. The primary endpoint was the success rate of obtaining specimens suitable for adequate pathological examination. RESULTS: In total, 32 patients were enrolled, and 28 (14 in each group) were eligible for analysis. The success rate was significantly higher using the wire-grasping method than the direct method (100% vs 50%, p=0.016). Sensitivity and accuracy for the diagnosis of cancer were comparable in patients with the successful procurement of biopsy specimens between the two methods (91% vs 83% and 93% vs 86%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The wire-grasping method is useful for diagnosing patients with biliary stricture or irregularities of the bile duct wall.
Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract ; Biopsy* ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Diagnosis ; Duodenum ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Methods* ; Prospective Studies* ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; Surgical Instruments*

Methods: This study prospectively examined nine T-OPLL patients who underwent posterior thoracic decompression with kyphosis correction and instrumented fusion at Hamamatsu University School of Medicine between 2017 and 2019. All underwent preoperative selective angiography to detect and evaluate the Adamkiewicz artery and ASA. Intraoperative neuromonitoring and Doppler ultrasonography were performed to analyze neurological complications and spinal cord blood flow. Results: All nine patients showed ASA stenosis in the area of T-OPLL. In all patients, the Adamkiewicz artery was located between T7 and L2 and the area of ASA stenosis corresponded to the level of T-OPLL and greatest spinal cord compression; intraoperative Doppler ultrasonography confirmed the ASA defect at the same spinal level. The number of spinal levels from the Adamkiewicz artery to the most compressive OPLL lesion was greater in the two patients who developed postoperative neurological deficit compared to those who did not (5.5 vs. 2.3, p=0.014). Conclusions This is the first study to report detection of ASA stenosis in patients with T-OPLL. Maintaining spinal cord blood flow is important in these patients to avoid neurological deterioration.

Methods: We retrospectively examined patients with HSA who underwent dynamization–PLIF at our hospital between April 2010 and March 2018. The radiographic measurements included lumbar lordosis and local lordosis in the fused segment. The evaluation points were before surgery, immediately after surgery, 1 year after surgery, and 2 years after surgery. The preoperative and postoperative radiographic findings were compared using a paired t-test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: We included 50 patients (28 males, 22 females). Lumbar lordosis and local lordosis were significantly improved through dynamization– PLIF (lumbar lordosis, 28.4°–35.5°; local lordosis, 2.7°–12.8°; p<0.01). The mean local lordosis was maintained throughout the postoperative course at 1- and 2-year follow-up (12.9°–12.8°, p=0.89 and 12.9°–11.8°, p=0.07, respectively). Solid fusion was achieved in 59 (89%) of 66 fused segments. Solid fusion of all fixed segments was achieved in 42 cases (84%). Within 2 years postoperatively, only six cases (12%) were reoperated (two, surgical debridement for surgical site infection; two, reoperation for pedicle screw loosening; one, laminectomy for epidural hematoma; one, additional fusion for adjacent segment disease). Conclusions Dynamization–PLIF showed local lordosis improvement, a high solid fusion rate, and a low reoperation rate within 2 years of follow-up.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 404 patients who underwent corrective fusion surgery for ASD with a minimum 2-year follow-up. We studied cases of reoperation for postoperative rod fractures and investigated surgical procedure, intraoperative findings, clinical course, and rod refracture following revision surgery. Results: Rod fracture was observed in 88 patients (21.8%). Fifty-three patients (average age, 68.3 years; average blood loss, 502.2 mL [% estimated blood volume=16.4%]; and operation time, 203.3 minutes) who suffered from a rod fracture at an average of 28.3 months after the primary operation underwent reoperation. Surgical invasiveness had no significant differences in total or partial rod replacement; however, the procedures with and without an anterior bone graft significantly differed. The replaced rod refractured at an average of 35.3 months after the revision surgery of five patients. The rod also refractured at a level outside multiple rods in two patients and with traumatic episodes in three patients. Three patients had bone grafts in the anterior column. Conclusions Revision surgery involving a multirod with a posterior-only approach for a rod fracture that occurred after ASD was performed successfully. Bone grafting in the anterior column is unnecessary for patients without massive bone defects.