There is a shortfall in the understanding of TAA expansion rates. Existing studies are heterogeneous in methodology and reported outcomes. Identified unifying themes suggest that TAAs grow at a slow rate with large presenting diameter, distal aneurysm, and history of bicuspid aortic valve or Marfan's syndrome serving as main risk factors for accelerated aneurysm growth. High-quality studies with a standardised approach to TAA growth assessment are required.
Septorhinoplasty can improve disease-specific and non-disease-specific QOL in the short- and long-term postoperative period. These improvements remain measurable 5 years after surgery.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate sensory dysfunction resulting from great auricular nerve (GAN) sacrifice versus preservation in parotid surgery for benign lesions and its imact on long-term health-related quality of life (QOL). Design: Retrospective.Setting/main outcome measures: Participants were divided into two groups (GAN and non-GAN), and both short-term (two postoperative weeks) and long-term (at least 5 years) QOL were assessed. The second item of the Parotidectomy Outcome Inventory-8 (POI-8) was used to analyse postoperative sensory loss. All items of the POI-8 questionnaire were used to determine health-related QOL.We used t test for dependent samples and Mann-Whitney U-test to compare patient groups Participants: A total of 137 patients (65 male and 72 female) enrolled in this study.Average age at the time of surgery was 53 years (±12.8).Results: The GAN preservation group had significantly better sensation than the GAN sacrifice in short term (2.8 vs 2.1; P = 0.017). Both groups experienced improved sensation in the long term, and there was a trend towards better QOL in the GAN-preservation group. However, the difference in sensation was not statistically significant (1.7 vs 1.3; P = 0.145). Health-related QOL also increased in the long term (compared to short term) for both groups (7.6 ± 6.2 to 12 ± 7.6; P < 0.0001) postoperatively. GAN preservation did not significantly improve sensation in long term, nor did it increase health-related QOL postoperatively. Conclusion:Although GAN preservation was easily feasible, it only improved sensation in short term. We report a negative result: GAN preservation did not significantly improve sensation in long-term, nor did it increase health-related QOL postoperatively when compared to GAN sacrifice.
BackgroundApart from animal testing and clinical trials, surgical research and laparoscopic training mainly rely on phantoms. The aim of this project was to design a phantom with realistic anatomy and haptic characteristics, modular design and easy reproducibility. The phantom was named open-source Heidelberg laparoscopic phantom (OpenHELP) and serves as an open-source platform. MethodsThe phantom was based on an anonymized CT scan of a male patient. The anatomical structures were segmented to obtain digital three-dimensional models of the torso and the organs. The digital models were materialized via rapid prototyping. One flexible, using an elastic abdominal wall, and one rigid method, using a plastic shell, to simulate pneumoperitoneum were developed. Artificial organ production was carried out sequentially starting from raw gypsum models to silicone molds to final silicone casts. The reproduction accuracy was exemplarily evaluated for ten silicone rectum models by comparing the digital 3D surface of the original rectum with CT scan by calculating the root mean square error of surface variations. Haptic realism was also evaluated to find the most realistic silicone compositions on a visual analog scale (VAS, 0–10).ResultsThe rigid and durable plastic torso and soft silicone organs of the abdominal cavity were successfully produced. A simulation of pneumoperitoneum could be created successfully by both methods. The reproduction accuracy of ten silicone rectum models showed an average root mean square error of 2.26 (0–11.48) mm. Haptic realism revealed an average value on a VAS of 7.25 (5.2–9.6) for the most realistic rectum.ConclusionThe OpenHELP phantom proved to be feasible and accurate. The phantom was consecutively applied frequently in the field of computer-assisted surgery at our institutions and is accessible as an open-source project at www.open-cas.org for the academic community.
Objectives Though xerostomia is a frequent oral symptom, there is no validated disease‐specific questionnaire in German. The purpose of this study was to translate and validate versions of the Xerostomia Inventory and the Summated Xerostomia Inventory in a German‐speaking population. Participants and Methods Thirty‐nine patients including 18 patients suffering from radiation‐induced xerostomia enrolled in this study. Both questionnaires were translated into German language according to international accepted guidelines. For validation, we evaluated reliability, validity, and responsiveness using the COSMIN manual for cross‐cultural adaptation. Results Cronbach's α was 0.92 for XI and 0.91 for SXI, showing both high internal consistency. Patients suffering from xerostomia showed significantly higher average scores demonstrating its discriminant validity. Confirmatory factor analysis showed excellent “goodness‐of‐fit” values for SXI and good to moderate values for XI, confirming the assumed factor structures. The Xerostomia Inventory and its summated version both showed excellent test–retest reliability in the non‐xerostomia group (ICC = 0.85 and 0.84). Conclusions The XI and SXI in their cross‐cultural adapted versions are the first validated self‐report assessments for xerostomia in German language. They are characterized by practical design and can be easily interpreted by the treating physician.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.