BACKGROUND We conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an absorbable polyglycolic acid (PGA) patch in surgery for refractory pneumothorax due to silicosis. METHODS A retrospective analysis was performed of 56 patients who received thoracotomy or thoracoscopic surgery for refractory pneumothorax due to silicosis between 1995 and 2010. An absorbable PGA patch was u...

PURPOSE Infrainguinalfemoropopliteal bypass (IFPB) is recommended to peripheral arterial disease (PAD) with a long occlusion of the superficial femoral artery (SFA). The aims of our study were to determine the patency of graft materials, and identify the risk factors of graft failure. METHODS From January 1995 to April 2011, we had performed 380 IFPBs in 351 patients, including 302 femoro-abo...

BACKGROUND Severe seromuscular tear of the bowel with impending perforation following enterolysis or trauma is not uncommon in gastrointestinal surgery. It is sometimes complicated with enterocutaneous fistula, intra-abdominal abscess or free perforation, especially of the ileus. In addition, direct serosal repair is often impossible, or complicated by lumen compromise. Serosal patch repair als...

Historically, little effort had been made to match patch repairs culturally significant reinforced concrete structures so that they are effective and sustain the aesthetic values of structure. The collaborative research project, Performance Evaluation Patch Repairs on Historic Concrete Structures (PEPS), being undertaken by Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), England (HE) Laboratoire de Recherc...

Interfaces between a coaxial structure and a post-wall waveguide are proposed as the essential components for cost-effective millimeter-wave modules. PTFE substrate is selected in terms of loss and manufacturability. The reflection and the transmission characteristics are investigated. The short-stepped and the short-taper-stepped feeding structures provide 14.7% and 13.2% bandwidths for the re...