BACKGROUND Parotid metastases from cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) are associated with poor prognosis. However, the incidence of occult parotid lymph node metastases in high-risk CSCC is unclear. Therefore, the role of elective parotidectomy is still controversial. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the value of elective parotidectomy in patients with high-risk CSCC. PAT...

Management of a patient with portal hypertension and hypersplenism who is scheduled for elective surgery is a challenge for anesthesia providers. We report a case that was scheduled for elective surgery in which preoperative splenic artery embolization improved the hematologic parameters. A 32-year-old woman was scheduled for total abdominal hysterectomy for multiple fibroids and menorrhagia wi...

OBJECTIVE This study compared two methods of booking elective surgery - booking from wait lists and pre-booking surgery dates at the time of decision to operate - in terms of cancellations of elective procedures and time to surgery. METHODS The authors conducted simulation experiments with group randomized design, in which the unit of allocation was the hospital and the units of analysis were...

BACKGROUND Patients seeking elective aesthetic surgery often use herbal medications and/or antidepressants. As the popularity of these medications grows, the plastic surgeon must become familiar with these drugs and their potentially harmful effects during the perioperative period. METHODS The authors performed a PubMed search to identify commonly used herbs and antidepressants and their effe...

OBJECTIVE To determine the natural incidence of thromboembolic complications and the effect of thromboprophylaxis associated with elective spinal surgery. DATA SOURCES A search of the MEDLINE database, using the key words anticoagulation, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and spine, alone and in different combinations. Individual journals were also searched. Articles investigating the incidence or t...

INTRODUCTION This study examines the outcomes of patients who underwent elective sigmoid resection for diverticular disease during the transition period from open to laparoscopic surgery. METHODS The medical records of patients who underwent elective sigmoid resection from July 1, 1993 to June 30, 2005 at a community-based teaching hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Data collected includ...