INTRODUCTION Regular use of vaginal dilators has been recommended as a prophylactic measure following radiation treatment for gynecological cancers in order to minimize vaginal stenosis and promote optimal healing of the vagina. Despite the well-established reluctance of women to adopt this practice, little is known about the difficulties and concerns associated with vaginal dilator use. AIM ...

AIM To evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed dilator for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage (ES Dilator). METHODS Fourteen consecutive patients who had undergone EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS) with the ES Dilator were identified from a prospectively maintained database and enrolled in the study group. Fourteen other patients who had undergone EUS-CDS without the dil...

Objective: Bronchial stenosis, malacia and dehiscence are major airway complications of lung transplantation. Our success in managing this problem evolved from the use of semi-rigid dilators, to balloon dilation and placement of a stent, which were initially silicone, thereafter wire balloon-expandable and ®nally wire self-expandable. Methods: From May, 1994 until July 1997, we performed a tota...

We describe a minimally invasive arthroscopic technique for anterior diskectomy of the cervical spine. Fingertip pressure is applied between the carotid sheath laterally and the pharynx medially. The trachea and esophagus are displaced to the contralateral side. The disk level, soft-tissue thickness, and midline are verified with image intensification. A spinal needle is inserted through the so...

In a number of mammals muscle dilator nasi (naris) has been described as a muscle that reduces nasal airflow resistance by dilating the nostrils. Here we show that in rats the tendon of this muscle inserts into the aponeurosis above the nasal cartilage. Electrical stimulation of this muscle raises the nose and deflects it laterally towards the side of stimulation, but does not change the size o...

OBJECTIVE To compare the results of balloon dilatation (BD) vs. telescopic metal dilators (TMDs) in establishing the tract for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in patients with calyceal stones or staghorn stones, but with no hydronephrosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Data from selected patients over 4 years were recorded retrospectively. Patients with complex staghorn stones, an undilated target...

talented individuals, who are bleeding from the nose, usually do not go to the doctor, except in case of sever and unusual bleeding. because traditional method of treatment is not effective in nasopharanx bleeding, so malcolm harvey explain brighton epistaxis balloon as a new method  for controlling nasopharanx bleeding through the paper. epistaxia usually happen in the anterior part of the nas...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and acceptability of buccal misoprostol or a synthetic osmotic cervical dilator for cervical preparation before same-day late first-trimester and early second-trimester surgical abortion. METHODS In this randomized, double-blind trial, we compared 400 micrograms of buccal misoprostol with one synthetic osmotic cervical dilator administered 3-4 hours before su...

We examined the effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril and the b-blocker propranolol on dilator responses of cerebral arterioles in chronic hypertension. Dilator responses to acute hypotension were examined in untreated Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) that were untreated or treated for 3 months with a low (0.3 mg · kg ...