This article describes a technique for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair using a synthetic braided ligament made of 75% degradable polyglycolic acid filaments and 25% nondegradable, 6.5-mm Dacron thread, wrapped in a free synovial graft. In a prospective study of 70 consecutive patients, this technique (experimental group) was compared to a standard bone-patellar tendon-bone autograft tec...

BACKGROUND Improving islet graft revascularization has become a crucial task for prolonging islet graft survival. Endothelial cells (ECs) are the basis of new microvessels in an isolated islet, and EC coating has been demonstrated to improve the vascularization and survival of an islet. However, the traditional method of EC coating of islets has low efficiency in vitro. This study was conducted...

Postoperative intra-abdominal or intrathoracic adhesions sometimes cause significant morbidity. We have designed three types of alginate-based treatments using strongly cross-linked (SL), weakly cross-linked (WL), and non-cross-linked (NL) alginate with calcium gluconate. In rat experiments, we compared the antiadhesive effects of the three types of alginate-based treatments, fibrin glue treatm...

The fractures of the orbital floor are common after craniofacial trauma. Repair with resorbable plates is a viable reconstructive option; however, there are few reports in the literature. This study describes our experience using copolymer polylactic and polyglycolic acid (PLLA/PGA) orbital reconstruction plates (LactoSorb, Lorenz Surgical, Jacksonville, FL) in 29 cases of the orbital floor fra...

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...

Background Seroma formation is a major complication following latissimus dorsi (LD) flap transfer for breast reconstruction. We implanted a nonwoven polyglycolic acid (PGA) fabric-a biodegradable polymer-in the LD flap donor site and examined its effect on postoperative seroma formation and resolution in a comparative study on 38 patients undergoing primary 1-stage breast reconstruction by LD f...

We present a case of bilateral intractable pneumothorax associated with a modified form of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), successfully treated with a previously reported surgical procedure, the total pleural covering (TPC) technique, under video-assisted thoracic surgery. The patient was a 28-year-old woman with bilateral pneumothorax secondary to LAM who had undergone thoracoscopic surgery in...

Hydrothorax as a result of pleuroperitoneal communication (PPC) is an uncommon but a well-known complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). In this paper, we present a 60-year old man with diabetic renal failure who underwent CAPD. Two weeks after starting CAPD, chest radiographs showed a right-sided hydrothorax. Radioscintigraphy was performed and PPC was diagnosed. Eight...

Episiotomy is a very common operation but little is known of its short-term or long-term morbidity.A prospective study was designed to record postpartum perineal discomfort and to investigate the presence and persistence of dyspareunia following episiotomy in 140 primigravidae. A comparison was made between those whose perineal skin was sutured with a subcuticular polyglycolic acid (;Dexon') st...

Many reports have indicated the efficacy of polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheets with fibrin glue for the treatment of perforations or preventing stricture following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) [1, 2]. However, the delivery method of such a thin membrane such as the PGA sheet (especially large sheets) into the stomach without getting wet has not been reported. An 89-year-old woman was diag...