OBJECTIVES: Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) is a life-threatening vascular emergency with extremely high in-hospital mortality. Open surgical repair (OSR) was historically the only treatment option but is associated with substantial trauma and perioperative risk. In recent years, endovascular repair (EVAR) has gained widespread use due to its minimally invasive nature and faster recovery, becoming the preferred option for anatomically suitable patients in many centers. However, controversy remains regarding the long-term survival benefits of EVAR compared with OSR and key prognostic factors affecting outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of OSR and EVAR for rAAA and identify independent predictors of postoperative survival to guide clinical decision-making. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 83 patients diagnosed with rAAA and treated surgically in the Department of Vascular Surgery, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, between January 2013 and December 2022. Patients were divided into an OSR group and an EVAR group based on surgical approach. Baseline clinical characteristics, perioperative data, and follow-up outcomes were compared between groups. Long-term survival was analyzed, and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to determine independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: Among the 83 patients, 32 (38.6%) underwent OSR and 51 (61.4%) received EVAR, with the proportion of EVAR steadily increasing to nearly 80% in the most recent 5 years. Patients in the EVAR group were older [(68.76±8.57) years vs (60.59±13.24) years, P=0.012], and had a lower proportion of males (76.5% vs 96.9%, P=0.013). EVAR significantly reduced operating time [(181.86±69.87) min vs (291.09±60.33) min] and hospital stay [(12.14±6.31) days vs (16.22±7.89) days (P<0.05)], but total hospitalization costs were markedly higher [(208 735.84±101 394.19) yuan vs (84 893.35±40 668.56) yuan, P<0.001]. There were no significant differences between groups in 30-day mortality (15.6% vs 15.7%), aneurysm-related mortality (9.4% vs 11.7%), overall mortality (28.1% vs 29.4%), or re-intervention rate (0 vs 5.9%) (P>0.05). The median follow-up time was 54.6 months (range, 12-144 months). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed comparable cumulative survival rates between OSR and EVAR (82.7% vs 76.2%, P=0.420). Cox regression identified hyperlipidemia [hazard ratio (HR)=2.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28 to 4.19, P=0.005] and elevated preoperative serum creatinine (HR=3.33, 95% CI 1.69 to 6.55, P<0.001) as significant predictors of poor prognosis. Both factors remained independently associated with mortality in the multivariate model (hyperlipidemia: HR=2.02, 95% CI 1.10 to 3.70; elevated serum creatinine: HR=2.77, 95% CI 1.40 to 5.47; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS EVAR offeres advantages in operative and recovery times, though its long-term survival outcomes are comparable to OSR. A history of hyperlipidemia and elevated preoperative creatinine levels are independent predictors of poor prognosis. Surgical approach should be chosen based on anatomical feasibility and patient condition, with close management of lipid levels and renal function to improve outcomes.
Humans ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/mortality* ; Endovascular Procedures/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Prognosis ; Aged ; Aortic Rupture/mortality* ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Aged, 80 and over

Fractional flow reserve (FFR), an established modality for functionally assessing coronary artery disease, is increasingly applied to diagnose and manage lower extremity arterial disease. By incorporating functional parameters, FFR enhances revascularization precision by quantifying the hemodynamic impact of stenotic lesions, thereby overcoming limitations of conventional imaging. Key clinical applications in lower extremity disease include functional assessment in moderate intermittent claudication, post-vascular preparation strategy optimization, and predicting revascularization outcomes and complications. Advances in pressure wire and microcatheter systems, alongside non-invasive imaging-derived FFR techniques, are improving its feasibility and applicability. However, widespread adoption is challenged by the complex anatomy of the lower extremity arterial system, frequent severe calcification and diffuse disease, and a current lack of standardized FFR cutoff values. Promoting the standardized use of FFR is crucial for shifting the clinical management paradigm from anatomy-based repair toward functional reconstruction.
Humans ; Lower Extremity/blood supply* ; Peripheral Arterial Disease/diagnosis* ; Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial ; Endovascular Procedures/methods* ; Intermittent Claudication/physiopathology*

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) represents a paradigmatic approach to personalized medicine, developed through the systematic accumulation and refinement of clinical empirical data over more than 2000 years, and now encompasses large-scale electronic medical records (EMR) and experimental molecular data. Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its utility in medicine through the development of various expert systems (e.g., MYCIN) since the 1970s. With the emergence of deep learning and large language models (LLMs), AI's potential in medicine shows considerable promise. Consequently, the integration of AI and TCM from both clinical and scientific perspectives presents a fundamental and promising research direction. This survey provides an insightful overview of TCM AI research, summarizing related research tasks from three perspectives: systems-level biological mechanism elucidation, real-world clinical evidence inference, and personalized clinical decision support. The review highlights representative AI methodologies alongside their applications in both TCM scientific inquiry and clinical practice. To critically assess the current state of the field, this work identifies major challenges and opportunities that constrain the development of robust research capabilities-particularly in the mechanistic understanding of TCM syndromes and herbal formulations, novel drug discovery, and the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered clinical care. The findings underscore that future advancements in AI-driven TCM research will rely on the development of high-quality, large-scale data repositories; the construction of comprehensive and domain-specific knowledge graphs (KGs); deeper insights into the biological mechanisms underpinning clinical efficacy; rigorous causal inference frameworks; and intelligent, personalized decision support systems.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Artificial Intelligence ; Humans ; Precision Medicine ; Decision Support Systems, Clinical

Objective To analyze the clinical efficacy of microwave ablation in the colorectal cancer with simultaneously multiple liver metastases that was initially evaluated as potentially resectable.Methods The patients with potentially resectable colorectal cancer with simultaneous multiple liver metastases treated in the De-partment of General Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University,the Center of Minimally Invasive Therapy in Oncology of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing U-niversity of Chinese Medicine,and the Second Department of General Surgery in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 1,2018 to October 1,2020 were selected in this study.The general data,pathological features,treatment methods,and clinical efficacy of the patients were collected.According to the treatment methods,the patients were assigned into a surgical resection group(conversion therapy + laparoscopic primary resection +hepatectomy)and a microwave ablation group(conversion therapy +laparoscopic primary re-section +microwave ablation).The surgical indicators(operation duration,time to first postoperative anal ex-haust,hospital stay,etc.)and postoperative complications(anastomotic stenosis,anastomotic hemorrhage,incision infection,etc.)were compared between the two groups.The survival period was followed up,including the overall survival period and disease-free survival period,and the survival curves were drawn to analyze the clinical efficacy of the two treatment regimens.Results A total of 198 patients with potentially resectable color-ectal cancer with simultaneous multiple liver metastases were included in this study.Sixty-six patients were cured by neoadjuvant chemotherapy(FOLFOX or FOLFIRI),including 30 patients in the surgical resection group and 36 patients in the microwave ablation group(with 57 tumors ablated).After the first ablation,54(94.74%)tumors achieved complete ablation,and all of them reached no evidence of disease status after re-ablation.The microwave ablation group had shorter operation duration,less intraoperative blood loss,shorter time to first post-operative anal exhaust,shorter time of taking a liquid diet,shorter hospital stay,and lower hospitalization cost than the surgical resection group(all P<0.001).In addition,the microwave ablation group had lower visual analogue scale score(P<0.001)than the surgical resection group.The incidences of complications such as inci-sion infection(P =0.740),anastomotic fistula(P =1.000),and anastomotic stenosis(P =1.000),the over-all survival period(P =0.191),and the disease-free survival period(P =0.934)showed no significant differ-ences between the two groups.Conclusions For patients with colorectal cancer with simultaneous multiple liver metastases initially assessed as potentially resectable,laparoscopic primary resection +surgical resection/microwave ablation after conversion therapy was safe,effective,and had similar survival outcomes.Microwave ablation outper-formed surgical resection in postoperative recovery,economy,and tolerability,being worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective:To introduce a new design of double rotation flap in the treatment of congenital clasped thumb. The clinical effect of this new method to deepen the thumb-index webspace and release the palmar contracture of the first metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP) was assessed.Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on the data of children with congenital clasped thumb treated by hand surgery in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2017 to December 2020. All patients presented with a narrow thumb-index webspace and palmar contracture at the first MCP joint. The double rotation flap contains two components, one of which was harvested from the radial-dorsal side of the index and transferred to widen the first webspace. The volar defect was mainly covered by the rotation flap transposed from the ulnar-dorsal side of the thumb. The extensor pollicis brevis was tightened or reconstructed based on the various developmental abnormality and the intrinsic muscle contracture was released to facilitate passive extension of the first MCP joint. Postoperative plaster immobilization was applied for one month and regular rehabilitation was conducted afterward. The survival of the flaps and the healing of the donor sites were followed up, the effect of the first webspace and palmar contracture release and thumb function were evaluated, and the parents’ satisfaction was investigated.Results:A total of 10 children with 11 affected thumbs (4 on the left side and 7 on the right side) were enrolled, with an average age of 26 months (11-36 months). All transposition flaps were survived without tip necrosis. Based on Gilbert’s method of assessment of thumb function, excellent or good improvement was achieved in the abduction of thumb (42°, 38°-43°) and extension of the MCP joint (1.6°, -5°-10°). All parents were satisfied with the appearance and function of the affected hand.Conclusions:The double dorsal-lateral rotation flap can provide sufficient width and depth of the first webspace and adequate coverage of the volar defect of the first MCP joint. This simple design is a reliable procedure for the treatment of congenital clasped thumb.

Objective:To introduce a new design of double rotation flap in the treatment of congenital clasped thumb. The clinical effect of this new method to deepen the thumb-index webspace and release the palmar contracture of the first metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP) was assessed.Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on the data of children with congenital clasped thumb treated by hand surgery in Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2017 to December 2020. All patients presented with a narrow thumb-index webspace and palmar contracture at the first MCP joint. The double rotation flap contains two components, one of which was harvested from the radial-dorsal side of the index and transferred to widen the first webspace. The volar defect was mainly covered by the rotation flap transposed from the ulnar-dorsal side of the thumb. The extensor pollicis brevis was tightened or reconstructed based on the various developmental abnormality and the intrinsic muscle contracture was released to facilitate passive extension of the first MCP joint. Postoperative plaster immobilization was applied for one month and regular rehabilitation was conducted afterward. The survival of the flaps and the healing of the donor sites were followed up, the effect of the first webspace and palmar contracture release and thumb function were evaluated, and the parents’ satisfaction was investigated.Results:A total of 10 children with 11 affected thumbs (4 on the left side and 7 on the right side) were enrolled, with an average age of 26 months (11-36 months). All transposition flaps were survived without tip necrosis. Based on Gilbert’s method of assessment of thumb function, excellent or good improvement was achieved in the abduction of thumb (42°, 38°-43°) and extension of the MCP joint (1.6°, -5°-10°). All parents were satisfied with the appearance and function of the affected hand.Conclusions:The double dorsal-lateral rotation flap can provide sufficient width and depth of the first webspace and adequate coverage of the volar defect of the first MCP joint. This simple design is a reliable procedure for the treatment of congenital clasped thumb.

Objective:To examine the efficacy and safety of third-party bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of refractory delayed hemorrhagic cystitis (LOHC) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) .Methods:Twenty patients with refractory LOHC received conventional therapy combined with MSCs obtained from third-party donors’ bone marrow (BM) . MSCs were given intravenously at a dose of 1 × 10 6 cells/kg once weekly until either the symptoms improved or no changes in LOHC were seen after continuous infusion four times. BK viruria (BKV) -DNA, JC viruria (JCV) -DNA, and CMV-DNA were detected by real-time quantitative PCR before and 8 weeks after the MSCs infusion. Results:① Of the 20 patients with refractory LOHC, 15 were males, and 5 were females, and the median age was 35 (15-56) years. There were 5 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) , 9 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) , 5 cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) , and 1 case of maternal plasma cell like dendritic cell tumor (BPDCN) . There were 4 cases of HLA identical transplantation and 16 cases of HLA incomplete transplantation. ②The median number of MSC infusions for each patient was 3 (range: 2-8) . Seventeen patients achieved complete response, and one had a partial response after treatment. The overall response rate was 90%. Over a median follow-up period of 397.5 days (range 39-937 days) post-transplantations, 13 patients survived, and 7 died. The causes of death included aGVHD (1 case) , infections (5 cases) , and TMA (1 case) . ③The copy numbers of BKV-DNA and CMV-DNA in urine in the 8th week after MSCs infusion were significantly lower than those observed before treatment (11342.1×10 8 copies/L vs 5.2×10 8 copies/L, P=0.016; 3170.0×10 4 copies/L vs 0.2×10 4 copies/L, P=0.006, respectively) , while JCV-DNA did not significantly differ when compared to before treatment ( P=0.106) . ④ No adverse reactions related to MSC infusion occurred in any of the 20 patients. Conclusion:Third-party bone marrow-derived MSC has significant efficacy and good safety in the treatment of refractory LOHC after allogeneic HSCT.

We reviewed the data of an 18-year-old male patient complained of weakness of limbs and hypokalemia for 6 months. CT scan revealed left adrenal adenoma. He was diagnosed as primary aldosteronism(PA). Laboratory tests showed hypokalemia and hyperaldosteronemia. After potassium supplement and blood pressure lowering treatment, laparoscopic resection of the left adrenal adenoma was performed, and severe hyperkalemia occured 2 hours after surgery(maximum serum potassium 7.02 mmol/L). After hyperrisotonic glucose+ insulin(10% glucose 200 ml+ 50% glucose 40 ml+ insulin 8U)+ cation exchange resin(Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate 20 g) treatment, serum potassium returned to normal range within 12 hours. The plasma aldosterone, blood potassium and blood pressure returned to normal during the 5-month follow-up. According to the experience of this case report, after resection of aldosteronoma, the changes of serum electrolyte should be closely monitored, the occurrence of hyperkalemia should be vigilant.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of free fibular head epiphysis transplantation pedicled with the recurrent branch of the anterior tibial artery in the treatment of children with Bayne-Klug Ⅱ-Ⅲ congenital radial dysplasia.Methods:From February 2013 to September 2018, we retrospectively reviewed and analyzed our prospective database of four patients with Bayne-Klug type Ⅱ-Ⅲ congenital radius dysplasia referred to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital for consideration of free fibular head epiphysis transplantation. All children underwent surgical treatment by stages: (1) Before surgery, the radial soft tissue and wrist joint were gradually stretched by massage and traction braced to maximize the radial space. (2) A free fibular head pedicled with the recurrent branch of the anterior tibial artery was harvested from the ipsilateral lower limb and transferred as a vascularized fibular head composite flap for reconstructing the stable structure of the distal radius and wrist joint. (3) At least six months after the procedure, pollicization was performed on Blauth type Ⅳ and Ⅴ. The treatment effect was evaluated by measuring the radial deviation angle, the growth length of the fibula, and the ratio of the radius/ulna length.Results:A total of 4 boys with right side deformity were enrolled. The ages of the patients ranged from 16 to 62 months, with an average of 30.5 months. The post-operative follow-up period was 19 to 78 months, with an average of 40.5 months. Three children with Blauth type Ⅳ or Ⅴ thumb dysplasia were performed with pollicization about one year after free fibular head epiphysis transplantation. All the grafted bones healed; the radial deviation angle was corrected by an average of 24°; the reconstructed distal radius grew longer, with an average increase of 13.2% when the plate was removed compared with six weeks post-operatively; the ratio of the radius/ulna was an average increase of 13.3% compared with preoperative.Conclusions:The use of fibular head epiphyseal flap pedicled with the recurrent branch of the anterior tibial artery is a good method for the treatment of Bayne-Klug type Ⅱ-Ⅲ radius dysplasia. The reconstructed distal radius has the ability to grow longitudinally, which can effectively correct the radial deviation and avoid the further development of the deformity.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of free fibular head epiphysis transplantation pedicled with the recurrent branch of the anterior tibial artery in the treatment of children with Bayne-Klug Ⅱ-Ⅲ congenital radial dysplasia.Methods:From February 2013 to September 2018, we retrospectively reviewed and analyzed our prospective database of four patients with Bayne-Klug type Ⅱ-Ⅲ congenital radius dysplasia referred to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital for consideration of free fibular head epiphysis transplantation. All children underwent surgical treatment by stages: (1) Before surgery, the radial soft tissue and wrist joint were gradually stretched by massage and traction braced to maximize the radial space. (2) A free fibular head pedicled with the recurrent branch of the anterior tibial artery was harvested from the ipsilateral lower limb and transferred as a vascularized fibular head composite flap for reconstructing the stable structure of the distal radius and wrist joint. (3) At least six months after the procedure, pollicization was performed on Blauth type Ⅳ and Ⅴ. The treatment effect was evaluated by measuring the radial deviation angle, the growth length of the fibula, and the ratio of the radius/ulna length.Results:A total of 4 boys with right side deformity were enrolled. The ages of the patients ranged from 16 to 62 months, with an average of 30.5 months. The post-operative follow-up period was 19 to 78 months, with an average of 40.5 months. Three children with Blauth type Ⅳ or Ⅴ thumb dysplasia were performed with pollicization about one year after free fibular head epiphysis transplantation. All the grafted bones healed; the radial deviation angle was corrected by an average of 24°; the reconstructed distal radius grew longer, with an average increase of 13.2% when the plate was removed compared with six weeks post-operatively; the ratio of the radius/ulna was an average increase of 13.3% compared with preoperative.Conclusions:The use of fibular head epiphyseal flap pedicled with the recurrent branch of the anterior tibial artery is a good method for the treatment of Bayne-Klug type Ⅱ-Ⅲ radius dysplasia. The reconstructed distal radius has the ability to grow longitudinally, which can effectively correct the radial deviation and avoid the further development of the deformity.