BACKGROUND Although the "open abdomen" has likely contributed to improved outcomes in trauma patients, the challenge of subsequent fascial closure has emerged. Since mid 2004, we have incorporated Wittmann Patch staged abdominal closure into our management of the open abdomen. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of this device on our incidence of fascial closure versus planned ...

BACKGROUND Percutaneous transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in cryptogenic stroke is an alternative to medical therapy. There is still debate on different outcome for each currently available device. The impact of residual shunting after PFO-closure on recurrent arterial embolism is unknown. - AIMS (i) To evaluate the prevalence of residual interatrial shunting after device- c...

BACKGROUND Traumatic tympanic membrane perforations (TMPs) tend to spontaneous healing, however, large TMPs usually fail to healing. Clinical and experimental studies had demonstrated that growth factors accelerated the healing of large TMPs. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of growth factors and 0.3% (w/v) ofloxacin drops n the healing of human large TMPs. METHODS A total of ...

background pilonidal disease is a common condition that affects younger people in which over half of the affected patients present with a sacrococcygeal abscess. this study was performed to compare the outcome of excision and primary closure with that of rhomboid excision and flap procedure in patients with uncomplicated pilo­nidal disease. methods a total of 90 consecutive patients with piloni...

To determine predictors of acute coronary closure after PTCA performed with steerable catheter systems, we compared 140 procedures complicated by acute closure and 311 representative successful attempts from 4,772 procedures performed between April 1982 and March 1986. Sixteen clinical, 35 angiographic, and seven procedural variables were analyzed. Multivariate analysis found seven independent ...

BACKGROUND The comparative effectiveness of percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) plus medical therapy versus medical therapy alone for cryptogenic stroke is uncertain. OBJECTIVES The authors performed the first pooled analysis of individual participant data from completed randomized trials comparing PFO closure versus medical therapy in patients with cryptogenic stroke. METHOD...

BACKGROUND For total knee arthroplasty (TKA), the tourniquet is routinely employed for better visualization, less blood loss, and easier cementation. However, the time to release tourniquet remains controversial. Therefore, we performed current meta-analysis to assess whether releasing tourniquet before wound closure is more effective in reducing blood loss than releasing tourniquet after wound...

OBJECTIVES Gastroschisis is a congenital anomaly affecting 2.3-4.4/10,000 births. Previous studies show initiation of early enteral feeds predicts improved outcomes. We hypothesize that earlier definitive closure after silo placement; can lead to earlier enteral feed initiation. Design/ Setting/ Duration: Retrospective review of patients with gastroschisis from 2005 and 2014 at a single institu...

PURPOSE We evaluated the hemodynamic statuses of patients after partial closure of atrial septal defects with fenestration due to pulmonary hypertension. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventeen adult patients underwent partial atrial septal defect closure and follow-up cardiac catheterization. We analyzed hemodynamic data and clinical parameters before and after closure. RESULTS The median age at c...

BACKGROUND Surgical repair is an effective method to treat ventricular septal defect (VSD) complicating acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the mortality rate remains high. This study was designed to assess the immediate and mid-term results of transcatheter closure of postinfarct muscular VSDs. METHODS Data were retrospectively collected from 42 AMI patients who underwent attempted t...