OBJECTIVE To review the techniques and long term complications of the various techniques of percutaneous tracheostomy in the critically ill patient. DATA SOURCES A review of studies reported on the various percutaneous tracheostomy techniques. SUMMARY OF REVIEW A tracheostomy is frequently performed in the critically ill patient when prolonged mechanical ventilation, airway protection and p...

A significant proportion of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction have persistent impairment of microvascular blood flow despite successful reperfusion of epicardial vessels. Microvascular dysfunction has been associated with larger infarct size, increased predisposition to ventricular arrhythmias, heart failure, cardiogenic shock, recurrent myocardial infarction, and death. It remai...

BACKGROUND C2 vertebroplasty is more challenging than transpedicular percutaneous vertebroplasty in the thoracic and lumbar spine. OBJECTIVE We report an anterior ascending approach for C2 percutaneous vertebroplasty to avoid potential injury to vital structures surrounding the C2 vertebra. STUDY DESIGN A technique note with 5 consecutive cases. SETTING Neurosurgery department of a univer...

This report summarizes the results of 64 percutaneous catheter drainage of abdominal abscesses and fluid collections in 56 patients. Aspiration and drainage was guided with computed tomography in 34 patients and with ultrasound in 30 patients. Success rate was 90%. Infected collections were successfully drained in 94% and noninfected collections in 72% . Partial success was achieved in two...

Background: Renal vascular injuries mostly result from interventional urologic procedures such as percutaneous biopsy and nephrostomy. Serious hemorrhagic complications associated with percutaneous urologic procedures occur in 2.3-15% of the patients endangering patients' life. Conventional surgical treatment including partial and total nephrectomy carries great morbidity and results in remarka...

b-type natriuretic peptide (bnp) level is known to increase in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. in this systematic review, we aimed to discuss the possible association between plasma bnp level and the success rate of percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy. pubmed and scopus databases were searched systematically, using the following key terms: “b-type natriuretic peptide” or “bn...

Vertebral artery injuries due to cervical spine trauma, although rarely described in the literature, are relatively common. While most of them will remain asymptomatic, a small percentage of patients may suffer life threatening complications. We report a case of the right vertebral artery injury in a patient with fracture of C4 vertebra, successfully treated with endovascular approach. A 78-yea...