Methods: This study included 46 patients who underwent spinal reconstruction surgery for thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral fractures and kyphosis and were followed up for 1 year postoperatively. DJK was defined as an advanced kyphosis angle >10° between the LIV and one lower vertebra. The patients were divided into groups with and without DJK. The risk factors of the two groups, such as patient background, surgery-related factors, radiographic parameters, and clinical outcomes, were analyzed. Results: The DJK and non-DJK groups included 14 and 32 patients, respectively, without significant differences in patient background. Those with instability in the distal adjacent LIV disc had a significantly higher risk of DJK occurrence (28.6% vs. 3.2%, p=0.027). DJK occurrence significantly increased in those with the sagittal stable vertebra not included in the fixation range (57.1% vs. 18.8%, p=0.020). Other preoperative radiographic parameters were not significantly different. Instability in the distal adjacent LIV disc (adjusted odds ratio, 14.50; p=0.029) and the exclusion of the sagittal stable vertebra from the fixation range (adjusted odds ratio, 5.29; p=0.020) were significant risk factors for DJK occurrence. Conclusions Regarding spinal reconstruction surgery in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures, instability in the distal adjacent LIV disc and the exclusion of the sagittal stable vertebra from the fixation range were risk factors for DJK occurrence in the short term.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the terminal care attitudes of healthcare members engaged in palliative care and the factors associated with these attitudes. Methods: We conducted a survey for healthcare members engaging in palliative care including oncologists and palliative care doctors using the Japanese version of the Frommelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying (FATCOD B-J), a scale that measures the attitude of medical stuff toward the care of dying patients. Results: A total of 223 (response rate=42.2%) responses were obtained and analyzed. Multiple regression analysis using the FATCOD B-J total score as the objective variable showed that 30s had lower partial regression coefficients than 40s (−3.8). Higher “satisfaction from work” and “interest in palliative care” were associated with greater partial regression coefficients (+5.7, +6.2). Conclusion: A sense of satisfaction and interest in palliative care may be important to cultivate terminal care attitudes among health care providers involved in palliative care.

The purpose of this study was to compare the results of open surgery and laparoscopic surgery for acute appendicitis in adults. In 2013, we primarily selected open surgery for acute appendicitis, but in 2017 we opted to select mainly laparoscopic surgery. We compared between 92 patients who had undergone open surgery in 2013 and 88 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery group in 2017. There was no difference in age, sex, body mass index, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, or perforation rate on computed tomography between the two groups. The laparoscopic surgery group had significantly longer operation time but significantly lower blood loss and postoperative complication rate. In particular, laparoscopic surgery was advantageous in terms of hemostasis for moderate bleeding. The results suggest that laparoscopic surgery may be more useful in adult appendicitis than open surgery.

The patient was a 52-year-old woman who had undergone laparoscopic colectomy with lymph node dissection and inferior mesenteric artery preservation for cancer of the descending colon. Functional end-to-end anastomosis was performed using a linear stapler. Colonoscopy at the 1-year follow-up revealed a type 2 tumor at the anastomotic site. She was diagnosed with anastomotic recurrence. We performed laparoscopic high anterior resection with inferior mesenteric artery dissection. Rectal resection preceded mobilization of the mesocolon because of severe adhesion around the anastomotic site. Laparoscopic surgery for anastomotic site recurrence is an option under the condition that the initial surgery was laparoscopic.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 31 ASD patients who underwent multilevel LIF combined with PCO (LIF group, n=14) or multilevel PLIF (PLIF group, n=17) and with a minimum 2-year follow-up. In the comparison between LIF and PLIF groups, their mean age at surgery was 69.4 vs. 61.8 years while the mean follow-up period was 29.2 vs. 59.3 months. We evaluated the transition of pelvic incidence–lumbar lordosis (PI–LL) and disc angle (DA) in the LIF group, in fulcrum backward bending (FBB), after LIF and after posterior spinal fusion (PSF) with PCO. The spinopelvic radiographic parameters were compared between LIF and PLIF groups. Results: Compared with the PLIF group, the LIF group had less blood loss and comparable surgical outcomes with respect to radiographic data, health-related quality of life scores and surgical time. In the LIF group, the mean DA and PI–LL were unchanged after LIF (DA, 5.8°; PI–LL, 15°) compared with the values using FBB (DA, 4.3°; PI–LL, 15°) and improved significantly after PSF with PCO (DA, 8.1°; PI–LL, 0°). Conclusions In the surgical treatment of ASD, multilevel LIF is less invasive than multilevel PLIF and combination of LIF and PCO would be necessary for optimal sagittal correction in patients with rigid deformity.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. PURPOSE: To evaluate surgical outcomes and effectiveness of an autogenic rib graft for upper cervical fixation in pediatric patients. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Autogenic bone grafts have long been considered the ‘gold standard’ bone source for posterior cervical fusion in pediatric patients. However, there are some unsolved problems associated with donor-site morbidity and amount of bone grafting. METHODS: We studied five consecutive pediatric patients who underwent atlantoaxial fixation or occipitocervical fixation (OCF) using an autogenic rib graft with at least 2 years of follow-up (mean age, 9.8 years; mean follow-up period, 73.0 months). Two patients underwent OCF without screw-rod constructs and three patients with screw-rod constructs. Autogenic rib grafts were used in all patients. We evaluated the surgical outcomes including radiographic parameter, bony union, and perioperative complications. RESULTS: The atlantoaxial interval (ADI) was corrected from 11.6 to 6.0 mm, and the C1–2 angle was corrected −14.8° to 7.8°. The C2–7 angle was reduced from 31° to 9° spontaneously. Two patients with OCF required revision surgery due to loss of correction. Patients did not experience any complication associated with the donor sites (rib bone grafts). Six months postoperation X-rays clearly showed regeneration of the rib at the donor sites. Bony fusion was achieved in all patients; however, bony fusion occurred more slowly in patients without screw-rod constructs compared with patients with screw-rod constructs. Bone regeneration of the rib was observed in all patients with no complications at the donor site. CONCLUSIONS: Autogenic rib grafts have advantages of potential bone regeneration, high fusion rate, and low donor-site morbidity. In addition, a screw-rod construct provides better bony fusion in pediatric patients with OCF and atlantoaxial fixation.

　　The aim of this study was to examine topophilia in the elderly living in mountainous areas. Topophilia, which is the geographical concept invented by Yi-Fu Tuan in 1999, is defined as the affective bond between people and place or environmental setting. A total of 120 elderly subjects living in a mountainous area responded to a standardized, validated 9-item Life Satisfaction Index K (subjective well-being) developed by Wataru Koyano and a new structured 6-item questionnaire on topophilia. Factor analyses revealed two domains of topophilia (public emotion and private emotion toward the living place). Public emotion was the emotion of being hard to leave the living place. Private emotion was the emotion of not loving the living place. There were areas where the elderly had a lesser degree of attachment toward the present state of the elderly could hardly have a sense of well-being and attachments to the current domicile. It is considered that not only physical but also mental approach is necessary to support the daily life of the elderly living in the mountainous area. Also, we examined the influences of aging and the living place on a subjective well-being and topophilia. There was no significant correlation between age and subjective well-being, but there was significant positive correlation between age and the degree of topophilia (r＝0.234, p‹0.01). On the other hand, the degree of subjective well-being by the place of residence was significantly different (p‹0.001; ANOVA), and the degree of topophilia by the place of residence was not significantly different. These findings suggest that subjective well-being is not influenced by age but influenced by the place of residence, and topophillia is not influenced by the place of residence but influenced by age.

Purpose: A report of effective occupational therapy for delirium patients with cancer is uncommon. We report a patient of carcinomatous meningitis, in whom her daily activity is improved by occupational therapy. Case: Firstly, we supported her meals and then started occupational therapy accepting her interest. Although degree of confusion and her performance status was not varied from beginning to end, she could concentrate our programmed works and change her way of feelings. Also occupational therapy promotes reminiscence about her life review and friendship among other patients even in delirium condition. Conclusion: Occupational therapy can reduce cancer patients' impatience, anxiety and solitary feelings and improve quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging, some surgeons perform lymphadenectomy in all patients with early stage endometrial cancer to enable the accurate staging. However, there are some risks to lymphadenectomy such as lower limb lymphedema. The aim of this study was to investigate whether preoperative assessment is useful to select the patients in whom lymphadenectomy can be safely omitted. METHODS: We evaluated the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) using LNM score (histological grade, tumor volume measured in magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], and serum CA-125), myometrial invasion and extrautrerine spread assessed by MRI. Fifty-six patients of which LNM score was 0 and myometrial invasion was less than 50% were consecutively enrolled in the study in which a lymphadenectomy was initially intended not to perform. We analyzed several histological findings and investigated the recurrence rate and overall survival. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients underwent surgery without lymphadenectomy. Five (8.9%) who had obvious myometrial invasion intraoperatively underwent systematic lymphadenectomy. One (1.8%) with endometrial cancer which was considered to arise from adenomyosis had para-aortic LNM. Negative predictive value of deep myometrial invasion was 96.4% (54/56). During the mean follow-up period of 55 months, one patient with deep myometrial invasion who refused an adjuvant therapy had tumor recurrence. The overall survival rate was 100% during the study period. CONCLUSION: This preoperative assessment is useful to select the early stage endometrial cancer patients without risk of LNM and to safely omit lymphadenectomy.
Adult ; Aged ; CA-125 Antigen/blood ; Endometrial Neoplasms/pathology/*surgery ; Female ; Humans ; *Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Postoperative Care/methods ; Preoperative Care/methods ; Prognosis ; Survival Analysis ; Unnecessary Procedures

  We examined how difficult it would be for the elderly living in mountainous areas to go to the nearest hospital using a Voronoi tessellation representing the mathematical concept of neighborhood. We defined the index of the nursing-care capacity for the elderly as the ratio of the number of caregivers to the number of the elderly receiving nursing-care.
  The mean age of those who drive to the hospital by themselves worked out at 70±9.8 years. Meanwhile, that of those who go to the hospital by bus or taken to hospital in a car driven by a family member came to 80±7.0years. The latter was significantly older than the former.
  The areas of the Voronoi tessellation generated by patients' places of residence were divided into three groups according to the size. The plots of these three groups of the the places of residence on the map had a three-layer and doughnut-like structure, i. e., inner-, middle-, and outer-layer.
  The index of the nursing-care capacity in 2008 was less than 1.0 for the patients under 80 years of age. This means that when those who were at the age of 50 in 2008 become old and need nursing-care, access to the hospital will become harder to them than at present. For those who are over 80 years of age and live in the outer layer that is far away from arterial road, it will be almost impossible.
  These findings suggest that outpatient care with transportation assistance by a family member at present should be reconsidered because of the future lack of care personnel. It would also be necessary to consider the welfare of older people from the geographical point of view in order to manage the problems concerning the various physical and sociological difficulties of the elderly.