The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy of Kinesiology Taping (KT) for treating breast cancer-related lymphedema. Sixty-five women with unilateral stage II and III lymphedema were randomly grouped into the KT group (K-tapes, n = 20), the Quasi KT group (quasi K-tapes, n = 22), or the MCT group (multilayered compression therapy group, n = 23). Skin care, 45 min pneumatic compression therapy, 1 h manual lymphatic drainage, and application of K-tape/Quasi K-tapes/multilayered short-stretch bandages were given every treatment session, 3 times per week for 1 month. Patient evaluation items included limb size and percentage edema. Comparing the changes in K-tapes with quasi K-tapes changes, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05). The edema reduction of multilayered bandages was much better than in results observed in taping groups. The KT appeared to be ineffective at secondary lymphedema after breast cancer treatment. The single-blind, controlled pilot study results suggest that K-tape could not replace the bandage, and at this moment it must not be an alternative choice for the breast cancer-related lymphedema patient. The trial is registered with ACTRN12613001173785.

No abstract

The presented method seems technically simple, effective and relatively inexpensive.

PurposeThe aim of the study was to present an original technique of catheter implantation for perioperative HDR-Ir192 brachytherapy in patients after palliative operations of unresectable locally advanced pancreatic tumors and to estimate the influence of perioperative HDR-Ir192 brachytherapy on pain relief in terminal pancreatic cancer patients.Material and methodsEight patients with pancreatic tumors located in the head of pancreas underwent palliative operations with the use of HDR-Ir192 brachytherapy. All patients qualified for surgery reported pain of high intensity and had received narcotic painkillers prior to operation. During the last phase of the surgery, the Nucletron® catheters were implanted in patients to prepare them for later perioperative brachytherapy. Since the 6th day after surgery HDR brachytherapy was performed. Before each brachytherapy fraction the location of implants were checked using fluoroscopy. A fractional dose was 5 Gy and a total dose was 20 Gy in the area of radiation. A comparative study of two groups of patients (with and without brachytherapy) with stage III pancreatic cancer according to the TNM scale was taken in consideration.Results and ConclusionsThe authors claim that the modification of catheter implantation using specially designed cannula, facilitates the process of inserting the catheter into the tumor, shortens the time needed for the procedure, and reduces the risk of complications. Mean survival time was 5.7 months. In the group of performed brachytherapy, the mean survival time was 6.7 months, while in the group of no brachytherapy performed – 4.4 months. In the group of brachytherapy, only one patient increased the dose of painkillers in the last month of his life. Remaining patients took constant doses of medicines. Perioperative HDR-Ir192 brachytherapy could be considered as a practical application of adjuvant therapy for pain relief in patients with an advanced pancreatic cancer.

No abstract

Objectives: Despite encouraging results of saphenous vein sclerotherapy this method is not free of potential complications and does not guarantee a 100% rate of occlusion. In this paper, the author's own experiences with catheter-directed, tumescent solution-supported echo-guided foam sclerotherapy of the saphenous vein are presented. Material and methods: Thirty-four incompetent great saphenous veins were treated with foam sclerotherapy involving the use of long catheters and perivenous tumescent solution injection prior to foam administration. The mean length of incompetent saphenous veins was 25.5cm (range 14-39 cm). The diameters of the proximal part of the saphenous veins ranged from 5.0 to 15.0 mm. In 25 patients (71.4%), primary varicose veins were diagnosed, and in other patients either post-surgical (recurrent) or post-thrombotic saphenous veins were treated. Results: At 30-day follow up total occlusion of the entire segment of treated vein was achieved in 79.4% of cases. In one case the vein was not occluded, and in 6 patients (17.6%) a partial occlusion was revealed. In the group of 6 patients with partial vein occlusion, a repeated sclerotherapy with the use of a short catheter and ultrasound guided puncture was performed. 6 and 12 months after the procedure, 32 out of 34 obliterated veins (94.1%) remained fully occluded. The mean foam volume used for saphenous vein obliteration was 2.6 ml. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Tumescent-assisted echo-guided foam sclerotherapy is a safe and clinically effective method of saphenous vein obliteration, particularly for veins with no history of a previous thrombosis or surgical treatment.

The aim of the study was to determine whether detailed preoperative Doppler ultrasonographic examination of saphenofemoral complex can improve the results of the lower limb varicose veins surgery. Two groups of patients (30 people each) were operated due to lower limbs primary varicose veins caused by saphenous vein insufficiency. All patients had a routine duplex examination performed. Group B had additional ultrasound examination before the operation to evaluate the number, diameter, and localization of the tributary vessels in the area of saphenofemoral junction. 30 days after the operation, in both groups control duplex examination was performed to evaluate the sparingness of the surgical procedure. The control ultrasonography showed 8 and 2 tributary vessels overlooked in groups A and B, respectively. The differences were statistically significant. The conformity of the preoperative ultrasound and the scene found during the operation in group B was 83.3%. The chance of overlooking peripheral vessels in group A increased 5.1 times. Preoperative Doppler ultrasound estimates localization of tributary vessels within the saphenofemoral junction, which makes detecting vessels during the operation much easier. It allows to minimize the number of technical mistakes and improve the lower limb varicose veins surgery results.