AIM: To compare the agreement between the ARK Biometer Combo and OA 2000 in patients wearing orthokeratology lenses.METHODS: A prospective study. A total of 148 patients(148 eyes)who were wearing orthokeratology lenses and returned for follow-up at the Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Treatment Center from August to September 2024 were included. Biometric measurements were performed using both the ARK Biometer Combo and OA 2000. Parameters including axial length(AL), corneal central thickness(CCT), anterior chamber depth(ACD), lens thickness(LT), corneal curvature(Kf and Ks), astigmatism(AST), white-to-white corneal diameter(WTW)and pupil diameter(PD)were obtained. Differences in measurement parameters between the two biometers were compared, and agreement was assessed.RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the measurements of Kf, Ks and AST between the two biometers(P>0.05). Statistically significant differences were found in the measurements of AL, CCT, ACD, LT, WTW and PD(t=2.559, P=0.012; t=16.771, P<0.0001; t=4.749, P<0.0001; t=-15.212, P<0.0001; t=-14.915, P<0.0001; t=-2.402, P=0.018). ICC ranged from 0.615 to 0.999. Bland-Altman analysis showed that the maximum absolute values of the 95% limits of agreement(LoA)of AL, CCT, ACD, LT, Kf, Ks, AST, WTW and PD were 0.07 mm, 35.07 μm, 0.07 mm, 0.12 mm, 0.66 D, 1.14 D, 1.00 D, 0.76 mm, and 0.98 mm, respectively.CONCLUSION: In orthokeratology patients, the ARK Biometer Combo and OA 2000 showed good agreement in measuring AL, CCT, ACD, Kf and LT, and can be used interchangeably.

Background::Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet (CFD) intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’ recovery.Methods::This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers. A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group ( n = 665) and fasting group ( n = 665). The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP, while the control group abstained from food/water overnight (>6 h) before ERCP. All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol. The investigators were blinded but not the patients. The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score, and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators. The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results::The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h (4.1 ± 2.6 vs. 4.8 ± 2.8, t = 4.23, P <0.001) and 20 h (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, t= 7.94, P <0.001) in the CFD group, with least-squares mean differences of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.71, P <0.001) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57–0.95, P <0.001), respectively. The 4-h pain scores (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 1.7, t = 2.60, P = 0.009, with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21 [95% CI: 0.05–0.37]) and positive urine ketone levels (7.7% [39/509] vs. 15.4% [82/533], χ2 = 15.13, P <0.001) were lower in the CFD group. The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis (2.1% [13/634] vs. 4.0% [26/658], χ2 = 3.99, P = 0.046) but not pancreatitis (5.5% [35/634] vs. 6.5% [43/658], χ2 = 0.59, P = 0.444). Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39–0.95, P = 0.028) in the multivariable models. Conclusion::Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe, with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue, abdominal pain, and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03075280.

Objective To investigate the safety and effectiveness of laparoscopic orchiopexy assisted by needle grasper hydrodissection for cryptorchidism.Methods From September 2020 to September 2022,21 children with cryptorchidism on 25 sides underwent laparoscopic orchiopexy assisted by needle grasper hydrodissection in our department.The water injection function of needle grasper was applied to inject normal saline into the retroperitoneal space to fully separate the retroperitoneum from the vas deferens and spermatic cord,establishing a liquid barrier to protect the vas deferens and spermatic cord.Then the retroperitoneum was bridge-likely cut off with the assistance of needle grasper.The vas deferens and spermatic cord were completely released in accordance with the principle of integrity and non-destructiveness,then the testes were successfully induced and fixed.Results During the operation,15 cases of inguinal cryptorchidism and 6 cases of intra-abdominal cryptorchidism were confirmed.There were 17 cases of unilateral cryptorchidism and 4 cases of bilateral cryptorchidism.All the 25 testes were successfully re-located into the dartos pouch of the scrotum under laparoscopic guidance.The operation time was 35-75 min(mean,45.1±14.3 min),and there were no surgical complications.During follow-ups for 12-24 months in 21 cases,the testicles were found located in the scrotum without retraction,atrophy,incision infection,incision hernia,or inguinal hernia.Conclusions Needle grasper hydrodissection assisted laparoscopic orchiopexy can effectively protect the vas deferens and spermatic cord.The operation is simple,safe,and effective.

Objective:To investigate the complications and related etiologies after immediate silicone implant and immediate two-stage tissue expander/implant breast reconstruction.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted in 23 patients who underwent implant or tissue expander/implant breast reconstruction surgery from June 2016 to October 2019. The etiology, medical history and clinical symptoms of each patient were analyzed and related treatments were carried out depending on its complication.Results:All patients were followed up for 3-12 months after surgery. Among the 23 patients, a total of 8 patients had different types of postoperative complications. Partial necrosis of the nipple-areola complex occurred in 1 case, postoperative infection in 2 cases, 2 patients experienced deviation of the implant or tissue expander and displacement of the nipple-areola complex in 3 cases. All complications were treated accordingly, and a good therapeutic effect was finally maintained.Conclusions:For patients with complications after immediate silicone implant and two-stage tissue expander/implant breast reconstruction, treatment should be carried out according to the causes of complications in time. In this way, patient can get better prognosis.

Biliary fibrosis (BF) is the result of pathological repair of bile tract injury, characterized by thickening and sclerosis of the bile duct wall and progressive stricture of the lumen, which may ultimately lead to serious adverse outcomes such as biliary obstruction, biliary cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatobiliary malignancies. Current research describes BF as a pathological feature of certain bile tract diseases, lacking a systematic summary of its etiology, pathophysiology, molecular mechanisms, and treatment. BF is a common but easily neglected disease state in biliary system, which may promote the development and progression of hepatobiliary diseases through abnormal repair mechanism after pathological biliary tract injury. Based on the latest research progress from both domestic and international perspectives, the authors review the concept, clinical manifestation, etiology, pathogenesis, and therapeutic strategies of BF to provide a reference for clinical physicians.

Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes,promoting the onset and progression of cancer.Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks,tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes,which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy,cancer immunotherapy,and their combinations.Herein,we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes,DNA methylation,histone post-translational modification,and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity,and introduce these epigenetic research methods.We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immuno-therapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.

The process of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is inva-sive, and its related treatments have a potential risk of complications, which poses certain obstacles to its safe promotion. Therefore, it is very important to standardize the management of ERCP compli-cations and promote the widespread development of ERCP in China. The authors interpret the back-ground, significance, and key issues that need to be paid attention to in the Guidelines for the management of complications of duodenal perforation associated with ERCP in China ( 2023 edition), in order to facilitate ERCP physicians to better grasp and apply the guidelines, provide guidance and reference for the standardized management of ERCP related complications of duodenal perforation, and promote the popularization and widespread development of ERCP in China.

The essence of clinical practice guidelines lies in their recommendations. It is common to find strong recommendations supported by low-quality evidence in current published guidelines. There is a typical misunderstanding among medical professionals that without high-quality evidence, it is impossible to develop high-quality guidelines or only expert consensus can be developed. Based on the GRADE approach, this paper explains the concept and clinical significance of low-quality evidence, and introduces the methods for formulating recommendations based on low-quality evidence in guidelines, with the aim to provide reference for guideline developers and users in China.

Objective:To compare and discuss the mid-to-long-term outcomes of mitral valve repair (MVP) versus biological mitral valve replacement (bMVR) in patients aged 60 years and above with rheumatic mitral valve disease.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 765 patients aged 60 years and older, diagnosed with rheumatic mitral valve disease and who underwent MVP or bMVR at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2010 to January 2023, were retrospectively included. Among them, 186 were male and 579 were female, with an age of (66.1±4.5) years (range: 60 to 82 years). Patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical method: the mitral valve repair group (MVP group, n=256) and the bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement group (bMVR group, n=509). A 1∶1 propensity score matching was performed using a caliper value of 0.2 based on preoperative data. Paired sample t-tests, χ2 tests, or Fisher′s exact tests were used for intergroup comparisons. Kaplan-Meier method was employed to plot survival curves and valve-related reoperation rate curves for both groups before and after matching, and Log-rank tests were used to compare the mid-to long-term survival rates and valve-related reoperation rates between the two groups. Results:A total of 765 patients who completed follow-up were ultimately included, with a follow-up period ( M(IQR)) of 5.1(5.0) years (range: 1.0 to 12.9 years). After matching, each group consisted of 256 patients. The incidence of early postoperative atrial fibrillation (39.1% vs. 49.2%, χ2=4.95, P=0.026) and early mortality rates (2.0% vs. 6.2%, χ2=4.97, P=0.026) were lower in the MVP group. Unadjusted Kaplan-Meier analysis showed significantly higher 5-year and 10-year survival rates for the MVP group (92.54% vs. 83.02%, 86.22% vs. 70.19%, Log-rank: P=0.001). After adjustment with propensity scores, the Kaplan-Meier analysis still indicated higher 5-year and 10-year survival rates in the MVP group compared to the bMVR group (92.54% vs. 85.89%, 86.22% vs. 74.83%, Log-rank: P=0.024). There were no significant differences in the rates of valve-related reoperation between the two groups before and after matching (5-year and 10-year reoperation rates pre-matching: 1.75% vs. 0.57%, 5.39% vs. 7.54%, Log-rank: P=0.207; post-matching: 1.75% vs. 0, 5.39% vs. 9.27%, Log-rank: P=0.157). Conclusion:For patients aged 60 years and above with rheumatic mitral valve disease, mitral valve repair offers better mid-to-long-term survival compared to biological valve replacement.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of surgical methods for correcting pollybeak deformity in Chinese rhinoplasty.Methods:A retrospective chart review was conducted for patients who underwent pollybeak correction between January 2021 and December 2022 at the Department of Plastic and Aesthetic (Burn) Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. Individualized correction was tailored based on the etiology and severity of the nasal deformity of each patient, involving techniques such as resection of the anterior part of the nasal septum, reconstruction of nasal tip support, reconstruction of the middle part of the nasal vault, and excision of skin in the upper region of the nasal tip. A modified classification system for pollybeak deformity, the supratip fullness rating scale (SFRS), was developed to evaluate supratip fullness (0-3 points, with higher scores indicating more apparent deformity). The patients aesthetic outcomes were assessed by surgeons using the visual analogue scale (VAS) (0-10 points, with higher scores indicating more apparent deformity), and patient self-assessed using the rhinoplasty outcome evaluation (ROE) questionnaire (0-100 points, with higher scores indicating higher satisfaction). The measurement data of normal distribution was expressed as Mean±SD and analyzed by paired t-test; the measurement data of non-normal distribution was expressed as M( Q1, Q3) and analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results:In a cohort study of 53 rhinoplasty patients (7 male, 46 female; age range 19-45 years, mean 29 years), comprising 15 primary and 38 secondary surgeries, nasal tip deformities were evaluated. Deformities were classified as mild (5 cases), moderate (25 cases), and severe (23 cases). Over a follow-up period of 6-17 months (mean 9.5 months), significant aesthetic improvements in the nasal tip region were observed. The SFRS scores decreased from 2(2, 3) preoperatively to 0(0, 0) postoperatively ( Z = -6.58, P < 0.001), and VAS scores decreased from 7.47±1.73 to 1.79±1.67 ( t = -25.61, P < 0.001). High patient satisfaction was indicated by a mean ROE score of 82.45±11.55. No significant complications, such as nasal tip ptosis, skin necrosis, or scar hyperplasia, were reported. Conclusion:Selecting an appropriate surgical method based on the severity and cause of pollybeak deformity can achieve satisfactory outcomes. Post-operative patients exhibit significant aesthetic improvement in the upper nasal tip area, resulting in high patient satisfaction.