OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided acupuncture at myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) on treating post-stroke foot drop. METHODS: Sixty patients with post-stroke foot drop were randomly assigned to an observation group 1 (20 cases, 1 case dropped out), an observation group 2 (20 cases, 2 casses dropped out), and a control group (20 cases). The control group received conventional acupuncture at Yanglingquan (GB34), Jiexi (ST41), Taichong (LR3), Zusanli (ST36), Xuanzhong (GB39), and Qiuxu (GB40) on the affected side, once daily. In addition to the treatment of the control group , the observation group 1 received acupuncture at the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius MTrPs, once every other day, while the observation group 2 received ultrasound-guided acupuncture at the tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius MTrPs, once every other day. All groups were treated for two weeks. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed using an infrared motion capture system, and the Holden walking scale was used to evaluate walking ability before and after treatment in the three groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the patients in the observation groups 1 and 2 showed increased walking speed (P<0.05, P<0.01), and improved Holden walking scale grades (P<0.05, P<0.01) after treatment; the patients in the observation group 2 also showed increased ankle dorsiflexion angles (P<0.05). The walking speeds of the observation groups 1 and 2 were faster than those of the control group after treatment (P<0.05), the Holden walking scale grade in the observation group 2 was superior to that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The ultrasound-guided acupuncture at MTrPs could effectively improve gait function in post-stroke foot drop patients.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Stroke/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Trigger Points/physiopathology* ; Gait ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Ultrasonography ; Treatment Outcome ; Gait Disorders, Neurologic/etiology*

Objective:To explore surgical strategies for acute type A aortic dissection involving severe stenosis or occlusion of the carotid arteries.Methods:From January 2019 to March 2023, a total of 29 patients with acute type A aortic dissection involving severe stenosis or occlusion of the carotid arteries were included in the study. All patients underwent emergency surgery, with simultaneous intraoperative neck incision and replacement of the unilateral or bilateral carotid arteries. Among them, there were 19 males with a mean age of(49.57±2.14)years old. Preoperative brain CT indicated abnormalities in 15 cases, transient neurological dysfunction occurred in 5 cases, and syncope in 1 case.Results:Procedures included ascending aorta replacement in 10 cases, Bentall procedure in 18 cases, and Wheat procedure in 1 case. Arch operations involved partial arch replacement in 3 cases and Sun’s procedure in 26 cases. Simple left carotid artery replacement was performed in 6 cases, simple right carotid artery replacement in 19 cases, and bilateral carotid artery replacement in 4 cases. Cerebral protection measures during circulatory arrest included unilateral cerebral perfusion in 24 cases and bilateral cerebral perfusion in 5 cases. The mean operation time was(7. 6±0. 3) h, with a mean cardiopulmonary bypass time of(196. 3±8. 7) min, aortic cross-clamp time of(113.2±6.4) min, ischemic time 12(5-16.5) min, and lowest temperature of(26.3±0.4)°C. One patient experienced in-hospital mortality. Postoperatively, new neurological dysfunction occurred in 2 cases, including 1 case with coma and permanent neurological deficit.Conclusion:In patients with acute type A aortic dissection involving severe stenosis or occlusion of the carotid arteries, simultaneous carotid artery replacement via neck incision during aortic surgery is a safe and reliable surgical approach.

The aortic dissection is a critical emergency in cardiovascular surgery and can be classified as Stanford type A and type B aortic dissection depending on whether the ascending aorta is involved. Currently, the mainstream treatment option for type A aortic dissection is open surgery, while type B dissection can be treated by interventional therapy, open surgery, or optimal medical therapy depending on the situation. However, regardless of the treatment option, it is difficult to resolve all the problems at once. As a result, residual aortic dissection is commonly found in patients with aortic dissection. This article will review the hot issues of aortic remodeling in terms of the definition, prognosis, and risk factors.

Objective To summarize our experience and the early and midterm outcomes of stented elephant trunk procedure for right-sided aortic arch (RAA) with Kommerell's diverticulum (KD). Methods From April 2013 to July 2020, patients with RAA and KD who underwent stented elephant trunk procedure at our center were collected. Surgery was performed under moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion via median sternotomy. Results A total of 8 patients were included, including 7 males and 1 female with a mean age of 51.88±9.61 years. All patients had an aneurysmal KD and aberrant left subclavian artery. Preoperative comorbidities included acute Stanford type B aortic dissection in 1 patient, aortic arch pseudoaneurysm in 1 patient, acute type B intramural hematoma in 2 patients, and coronary artery disease in 1 patient. Concomitant procedures included reconstruction of the left subclavian artery in all patients and coronary artery bypass grafting in 1 patient. The mean time of operation, cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamping, and selective cerebral perfusion was 6.25±1.16 h, 157.75±40.07 min, 77.75±33.10 min, and 28.50±5.55 min, respectively. No intraoperative death occurred. There was 1 in-hospital death. Follow-up was completed in all patients with a mean period of 3.58±2.08 years. No late death occurred. A persistent anastomotic leak of the proximal arch was detected in 1 patient, but reintervention was not performed because neither aortic dilatation nor symptoms of tracheal and esophageal compression were observed during the follow-up. The remaining 6 patients showed positive aortic remodeling with complete thrombosis of the aneurysmal KD, and neither aortic event nor tracheal and esophageal compression occurred. Conclusion Stented elephant trunk procedure is a safe and feasible technique for selected patients with RAA and KD, which can achieve favorable early and midterm outcomes.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the neoadventitia technique for root repair in acute type A aortic dissection(ATAAD).Methods:From January 2019 to February 2022, a total of 94 patients with ATAAD who underwent surgical treatment in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different treatment methods for the aortic root, the patients were divided into the neoadventitia technique group(58 cases) and the Bentall group(36 cases). The perioperative data and postoperative follow-up results of the two groups were compared, and the efficacy of the new adventitia technique in acute type A aortic dissection was analyzed.Results:There were no intraoperative deaths. The 30-day mortality was 3.4% and 5.6% in the neoadventitia group and Bentall group, respectively ( P=0.636). The cardiopulmonary bypass time[(154.3±29.8)min, P<0.001] and aortic clamp time[(94.7±20.6)min, P<0.001)]were significantly shorter in the neoadventitia group, compared with the Bentall group. Aortic regurgitation was significantly improved after the operation (0.33±0.50 vs. 1.02±0.80, P<0.001). No aortic root-related secondary intervention occurred during follow-up. There was no significant difference in mortality between the two groups( P=0.248). Conclusion:Neoadventitia root repair is a safe and feasible method for the treatment of ATAAD, which has good short-term and mid-term efficacy.

Objective:To summarize our experience and outcomes of surgical repair of type Ⅱ right-sided aortic arch(RAA) with Kommerell's diverticulum(KD).Methods:From May 2010 to August 2020, a total of 13 patients with type Ⅱ RAA and KD underwent surgery at our center. Mean age was(50.46±10.31) years, 10 were male, and 3 were female. All patients had an aneurysmal KD and aberrant left subclavian artery(ALSA). Preoperative comorbidities included type B aortic dissection in 1 case, aortic arch pseudoaneurysm in 2 cases, and type B intramural hematoma in 2 cases, respectively. Eight(61.5%) patients underwent stented elephant trunk procedures under moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest combined with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion via median sternotomy, and all of them had ALSA reconstruction. Five(38.5%) patients underwent distal arch and descending thoracic aortic replacement through a right posterolateral thoracotomy, the ALSA was reconstructed or ligated in 1 each, and ALSA embolization was performed before surgery in the other 3 cases.Results:No operation deaths occurred. Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury occurred in 2 cases. There was 1(7.69%) in-hospital death. Follow-up was complete in 100 % at mean(5.28±3.84) years. No late death occurred. A persistent anastomotic leak of the proximal arch was detected in a patient who underwent stented elephant trunk procedure, but no aortic dilatation or tracheal and esophageal compression was observed during follow-up. Meanwhile, aortic events, limb ischemia, or symptoms of tracheal and esophageal compression were not observed in the remaining 11 patients.Conclusion:Surgical repair of type Ⅱ RAA with KD can achieve favorable early and midterm outcomes. Surgical strategies should be chosen based on the anatomy of the aorta and whether it is combined with compression symptoms.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of new arch-clamping technique in Sun’s procedure to repair acute type A aortic dissection.Methods:67 consecutive patients with acute type A aortic dissection who underwent total arch replacement and frozen elephant trunk implantation(TAR+ FET) from Dec 2019 to Dec 2022 with using new arch-clamping technique during operation. Relative intraoperative and postoperative variables and complications were compared.Results:Cardiopulmonary bypass time was(166.66±32.81)min, the aortic occlusion time was(100.49±19.96)min, the circulatory arrest time was(3.97±1.63)min, the lowest nasopharyngeal temperature was(25.716±1.304)℃, and the lowest bladder temperature was(26.209±1.552)℃. The whole group died in hospital in 2 cases(2.98%), cerebral infarction in 3 cases(4.48%), transient neurological dysfunction in 4 cases(5.97%), paraplegia patients in 1 case(1.49%), renal failure requiring continuous dialysis in 4 cases(5.97%).Conclusion:New arch-clamping technique decrease postoperative complication, and is a safe and feasible innovative approach to effectively improve surgical outcome of Sun’s procedure for repair of acute type A aortic dissection.

Aortic aneurysm (AA) is a vascular disease involving the progressive dilation of aorta diameter. It is usually asymptomatic but with high mortality once rupture. Currently, there is no effective pharmacologic treatment. MicroRNA specifically refers to non-coding small RNAs consisting of 19-25 nucleotides. The characteristic of microRNA targeting multiple genes seems to form a complicated regulation network, which receives considerable attention. Emerging studies show that microRNAs are closely related to the occurrence and development of AA. Many microRNAs are involved in multiple cell processes and functions and may participate in the pathogenesis of AA, including endothelial cell dysfunction, inflammatory cell infiltration, smooth muscle cell apoptosis, and extracellular matrix degradation. This article will describe the animal models for AA research and the latest progression of microRNA and AA.

Objective:To explore the real experience of nutritional support in patients with chronic heart failure and acute decompensation during hospitalization, understand the common needs, so as to provide a reference for implementing targeted support and constructing nutritional support programs for this group in the future.Methods:From January to February 2022, 15 patients with chronic heart failure and acute decompensation in Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated Shanghai University of Medicine &Health Sciences were interviewed in depth in a one-to-one, semi structured way using the purposeful sampling method. Colaizzi phenomnological 7-step analysis method was applied to analyze, summarize and refine the theme.Results:Through detailed analysis of data, five themes were extracted, namely, diversification of emotional experience, polarization of nutrition emphasis, dissatisfaction with hospital nutrition support, health related behavior change, and internal drive.Conclusions:Acute decompensated patients with chronic heart failure experience a variety of emotional experiences on nutritional support during hospitalization, and are dissatisfied with hospital nutritional support. Their attention to nutrition is polarized. The change of health behavior is manifested in the awareness of nutrition, positive change and willingness to participate in nutrition decision-making. Therefore, medical staff should speed up and improve the promotion of nutritional support programs for patients with chronic heart failure to promote their rehabilitation and improve their quality of life.

Objective:To analyze the long-term outcomes of hybrid arch repair(HAR) treating aortic arch pathologies.Methods:Between January 2009 and January 2018, 87 consecutive patients underwent HAR for aortic arch pathologies at Beijing Anzhen Hospital. 76 were males. 2 cases were in zone 0, 46 cases were in zone 1, and 39 cases were in zone 2. The zones of the aortic arch were defined following the Ishimaru classification.Results:Five(5.7%) operative death occurred. 13 patients(19.1%) died during the follow-up. The overall survival rate was 88.4%, 83.3%, 83.3%, 49.8% at 1, 3, 5, 10 year, respectively. Multivariate Cox proportional risk analysis showed that stroke( HR=20.626, 95% CI: 2.698-157.685, P=0.004) was an independent risk factor for short-term death. Stroke( HR=16.234, 95% CI: 4.103-64.229, P<0.001) and spinal cord infury( HR=11.060, 95% CI: 2.150-56.893, P=0.004) were independent risk factors for long-term death. Conclusion:In conclusion, HAR could be an alternative procedure for the patients that are not suitable for open repair under the premise of strict control of indications. In the future, the risk assessment system and uniform operational indications for HAR should be further established.