Our study showed that preoperative nursing visits could decrease the level of preoperative anxiety and postoperative complications in this patient population.

There is an unmet clinical need for novel wound healing strategies to treat full thickness skin defects, especially in diabetic patients. We hypothesized that a scaffold could perform dual roles of a biomechanical support and a favorable biochemical environment for stem cells. Human umbilical cord perivascular cells (HUCPVCs) have been recently reported as a type of mesenchymal stem cell that can accelerate early wound healing in skin defects. However, there are only a limited number of studies that have incorporated these cells into natural scaffolds for dermal tissue engineering. The aim of the present study was to promote angiogenesis and accelerate wound healing by using HUCPVCs and decellularized dermal matrix (DDM) in a rat model of diabetic wounds. The DDM scaffolds were prepared from harvested human skin samples and histological, ultrastructural, molecular and mechanical assessments were carried out. In comparison with the control (without any treatment) and DDM alone group, full thickness excisional wounds treated with HUCPVCs-loaded DDM scaffolds demonstrated an accelerated wound closure rate, faster re-epithelization, more granulation tissue formation and decreased collagen deposition. Furthermore, immunofluorescence analysis showed that the VEGFR-2 expression and vascular density in the HUCPVCs-loaded DDM scaffold treated group were also significantly higher than the other groups at 7 days post implantation. Since the rates of angiogenesis, re-epithelization and formation of granulation tissue are directly correlated with full thickness wound healing in patients, the proposed HUCPVCs-loaded DDM scaffolds may fulfil a role neglected by current treatment strategies. This pre-clinical proof-of-concept study warrants further clinical evaluation. Statement of Significance The aim of the present study was to design a novel tissue-engineered system to promote angiogenesis, re-epithelization and granulation of skin tissue using human umbilical cord perivascular stem cells and decellularized dermal matrix natural scaffolds in rat diabetic wound models. The authors of this research article have been working on stem cells and tissue engineering scaffolds for years. According to our knowledge, there is a lack of an efficient system for the treatment of skin defects using tissue engineering strategy. Since the rates of angiogenesis, re-epithelization and granulation tissue are directly correlated with full thickness wound healing, the proposed HUCPVCs-loaded DDM scaffolds perfectly fills the niche neglected by current treatment strategies. This pre-clinical study demonstrates the proof-of-concept that necessitates clinical evaluations.

BackgroundEndometriosis is a disabling disease of reproductive-age women. Dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and pelvic pain are the main symptoms of endometriosis. Its etiology is not clear. Endometriosis may have various causes, including vitamin D deficiency, but its effect is controversial.Material/MethodsIn this double-blind clinical trial, we enrolled patients with endometriosis diagnosed and treated by laparoscopy, with scores of at least 3 for of dysmenorrhea and/or pelvic pain at 8 weeks after surgical treatment. They were randomly prescribed vitamin D (50 000 IU weekly for 12 weeks) or placebo. Severity of pain in the 2 groups (placebo and treatment) was compared by VAS test at 24 weeks after surgical treatment.ResultsThere were 19 patients in the vitamin D group and 20 in the placebo group. Baseline characteristics in the 2 groups were similar. Following the treatment with vitamin D or placebo, we did not find significant differences in severity of pelvic pain (p=0.24) and dysmenorrhea (p=0.45) between the 2 groups. Mean pelvic pain at 24 weeks after laparoscopy in the vitamin D group was 0.84±1.74 and in placebo group it was 0.68±1.70 (p=0.513). Mean dysmenorrhea was 2.10±2.33 in the vitamin D group and 2.73±2.84 in the placebo group (p=0.45).ConclusionsAfter ablative surgery for endometriosis, vitamin D treatment did not have a significant effect in reducing dysmenorrhea and/or pelvic pain.

There is no data on patients with severe obesity who developed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after bariatric surgery. Four gastric bypass operations, performed in a 2-week period between Feb 24 and March 4, 2020, in Tehran, Iran, were complicated with COVID-19. The mean age and body mass index were 46 ± 12 years and 49 ± 3 kg/m 2 . Patients developed their symptoms (fever, cough, dyspnea, and fatigue) 1, 2, 4, and 14 days after surgery. One patient had unnoticed anosmia 2 days before surgery. Three patients were readmitted in hospital. All 4 patients were treated with hydroxychloroquine. In two patients who required admission in intensive care unit, other off-label therapies including antiretroviral and immunosuppressive agents were also administered. All patients survived. In conclusion, COVID-19 can complicate the postoperative course of patients after bariatric surgery. Correct diagnosis and management in the postoperative setting would be challenging. Timing of infection after surgery in our series would raise the possibility of hospital transmission of COVID-19: from asymptomatic patients at the time of bariatric surgery to the healthcare workers versus acquiring the COVID-19 infection by non-infected patients in the perioperative period.

Both procedures were performed with very low complications, mortality, readmissions, and reoperations rate. Better weight loss was observed following RYGBP, the first five postoperative years.

This study has been registered at Clinicaltrial.gov with registration number NCT02708589.

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Background. The association between obesity and different types of anemia remained uncertain. The present study aimed to assess the relation between obesity parameters and the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia and also megaloblastic anemia among Iranian population.Methods and Materials. This cross-sectional study was performed on 1252 patients with morbid obesity that randomly selected from all patients referred to Clinic of obesity at Rasoul-eAkram Hospital in 2014. The morbid obesity was defined according to the guideline as body mass index (BMI) equal to or higher than 40 kg/m 2 . Various laboratory parameters including serum levels of hemoglobin, iron, ferritin, folic acid, and vitamin B12 were assessed using the standard laboratory techniques.Results. BMI was adversely associated with serum vitamin B12, but not associated with other hematologic parameters. The overall prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was 9.8%. The prevalence of iron deficiency anemia was independent to patients' age and also to body mass index. The prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency was totally 20.9%. According to the multivariable logistic regression model, no association was revealed between BMI and the occurrence of iron deficiency anemia adjusting gender and age. A similar regression model showed that higher BMI could predict occurrence of vitamin B12 deficiency in morbid obese patients.Conclusion. Although iron deficiency is a common finding among obese patients, vitamin B12 deficiency is more frequent so about one-fifth of these patients suffer vitamin B12 deficiency. In fact, the exacerbation of obesity can result in exacerbation of vitamin B12 deficiency.