PURPOSE This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of the implant-abutment connection design and diameter on the screw joint stability. MATERIALS AND METHODS Regular and wide-diameter implant systems with three different joint connection designs: an external butt joint, a one-stage internal cone, and a two-stage internal cone were divided into seven groups (n=5, in each group). The in...

We assessed the veins histopathological characteristics and preexisting medical conditions before arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation, and their correlation with AVF outcome and primary patency in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). In this observational, prospective, mono-center study in Romania, patients with artery and venous diameters =2 mm and =2.5 mm, respectively, were enrolle...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The effectiveness of adjunct balloon dilation after drug-eluting stent (DES) deployment has not been sufficiently evaluated. We evaluated whether adjunct balloon dilation was associated with a reduction in major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) after long everolimus-eluting stents (EESs) implantation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Drawing from 2 randomized trials, a total of 1,...

BACKGROUND To retrospectively investigate the potential cause of contained rupture of the aortic root in balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) by means of pre- and postinterventional multislice computed tomography. METHODS AND RESULTS Seventy-two patients (mean age 82±7 years, mean aortic valve area 0.69±0.19 cm(2)) underwent balloon-expandable TAVI using the Edwar...

BACKGROUND To determine the effect of an ethanol-treated mid-peripheral epithelium on wound healing of the corneal epithelium. METHODS Epithelial removal was performed on 18 rabbit eyes, which were divided into three groups of six eyes each as follows: group 1, an 8.0-mm diameter treated with balanced salt solution (BSS) and an 8.0-mm removal; group 2, an 8.0-mm diameter treated with 20% etha...