Assessment of the durability of robot-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for treatment of vaginal vault prolapse

Transabdominal sacrocolpopexy has been shown, in multiple long-term studies of its success and durability, to be the definitive treatment option for post-hysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse. It is, however, associated with greater morbidity than vaginal repair. We describe a minimally invasive technique for vaginal vault prolapse repair and present our experience with a minimum of one-year follow-up. The surgical technique involves five laparoscopic ports—three for the da Vinci robot and two for the assistant. After appropriate dissection a polypropylene mesh is attached to the sacral promontory and to the vaginal apex by use of Gore-Tex sutures. The mesh material is then covered by the peritoneum. Patient analysis focused on complications, urinary continence, patient satisfaction, and morbidity, with a minimum of 12 months follow-up. Forty-two patients with post-hysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy at our institute and 35 have a minimum of 12 months follow-up, with a mean follow-up of 36 months (range 12–48) in the group. Mean age was 67 (47–83) years and mean operating time was 3.1 (2.15–4.75) h for the entire cohort. All but one patient were discharged home on postoperative day one; one patient left on postoperative day two. One developed recurrent grade three rectocele, one had recurrent vault prolapse, and two suffered from vaginal extrusion of mesh. All patients were satisfied with their outcome. The robot-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy is a minimally invasive technique for vaginal vault prolapse repair, combining the advantages of open sacrocolpopexy with the reduced morbidity of laparoscopy. We observed reduced hospital stay, low occurrence of complications, and high patient satisfaction, with a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Most importantly, the long-term results of the robotic repair are similar to those of open repair, but with significantly less morbidity.     

两种阴道缩窄术矫正阴道松弛症的疗效分析

目的探讨改良阴道后壁修补术和阴道后壁环肌紧缩术的手术要点和效果,评价两种手术的优点及适应证。方法将42例不同程度阴道松弛的患者分为两组,其中24例行改良阴道后壁修补术,18例行阴道后壁环肌紧缩术,分析观察两组患者手术时间、术中出血量、术后伤口愈合情况,1年后评价两组患者的性生活满意度及阴道的松紧度。结果两种手术方法的手术时间、术中出血量及术后伤口愈合情况无明显差异,但1年后的远期效果包括性生活满意度和阴道的松紧度有明显差异。结论矫正阴道松弛症的目的不仅要达到解剖的恢复,更重要的是恢复功能。要根据患者的实际情况选择最佳的手术方法(A组优于B组)。     

5 106例剖宫产手术剖宫产率、指征及母儿预后分析

目的分析剖宫产率升高的原因及指征的变化以及指征与母儿预后的关系。方法对5106例剖宫产手术病例进行回顾性分析。结果平均剖宫产率33.9%,剖宫产率逐年在增加,1995年为25.78%,2003年为43.8%,2004年为40.91%,前后5年间差异有显著性(P<0.001〉。其中以社会因素及胎儿窘迫为指征的剖宫产率增加显著,两组间差异有高度显著性(P<0.01)。剖宫产的上升,围产儿窒息及死亡率并没有明显下降,且在择期剖宫产手术中,子宫切除率及产后出血率较阴道试产后手术组为高。结论剖宫产并不是绝对安全的分娩方式,剖宫产率的升高并没有明显降低围产儿窒息及死亡率。并且,择期剖宫产术的母儿预后较临产后手术母儿预后为差。剖宫产率的上升因素中以社会因素及胎儿窘迫变化最大,因此,剖宫产率的增加已不是一个单纯的医疗问题,而是一个社会问题,应引起广大社会和专家的关注。     

慢性阻塞性肺疾病前驱性呼吸衰竭患者呼吸驱动的改变

目的探讨慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)和COPD前驱性呼吸衰竭(前驱呼衰)患者中枢呼吸驱动的改变;评价界定COPD前驱性呼吸衰竭的临床意义.方法试验对象为COPD前驱性呼吸衰竭、COPD尚未达前驱性呼吸衰竭的患者和健康对照者各30名.所有受试者均进行如下参数的测定:动脉血气分析;常规肺功能,主要以第1秒用力呼气容积(FEV1)占预计值的百分比(FEV1%)来评价;中枢呼吸驱动水平,以0.1 s口腔阻断压(P0.1)、校正中枢呼吸驱动(以每分通气量来校正,即P0.1/MV)和吸气阻抗P0.1/VT/Ti)等来评价.结果P0.1和P0.1/MV在COPD前驱呼衰组明显高于正常对照组和未达前驱呼衰组,P0.1/VT/Ti在COPD前驱呼衰组和未达前驱呼衰组明显高于正常对照组(P=0.002);P0.1,P0.1/MV,P0.1/VT/Ti与PaO2,FEV1%呈显著负相关(rs=-0.769,-0.495,-0.543;-0.747,-0.480,-0.526,P均＜0.01);与PaCO2呈显著正相关(rs=0.270,0.312,0.369,P分别为＜0.05,＜0.01,＜0.01).结论COPD前驱呼衰患者呼吸储备能力减低,呼吸效率下降;P0.1,P0.1/MV,P0.1/VT/Ti等参数在推断患者神经-肌力输出水平与呼吸衰竭发生阈值方面具有较大的意义.当COPD进展至前驱呼衰阶段,从血气分析、肺功能检查到呼吸驱动水平都发生了显著的改变,从而提示界定此阶段具有一定的临床意义.     

Transcatheter closure of the patent arterial duct using the Flipper coil in a premature infant weighing 1,400 g: a case report.

A symptomatic 1,400 g premature triplet underwent successful transcatheter coil embolization of patent arterial duct using the umbilical artery. One 3 mm x 3 cm Flipper coil was used with no angiographic residual shunt. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the smallest preterm infants to undergo this transcatheter procedure.     

Early rapid weight gain and current overweight in relation to asthma in adolescents born with very low birth weight

Early catch-up growth and subsequent overweight are suggested to be associated with later cardiovascular diseases and later type II diabetes. However, the impact of early catch-up growth and childhood overweight on the development of asthma has been less studied, particularly in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). A birth cohort of 74 VLBW children (birth weight < or = 1500 g) was followed from birth and investigated on asthma at 12 yr of age. Early rapid weight gain was in one way defined as an increase of weight > or =1 standard deviation score (SDS) at 6 months of corrected postnatal age. Current overweight was defined by body mass index (BMI) exceeding 21.2 and 21.7 kg/m(2), respectively, for boys and girls at 12 yr of age. Current asthma was diagnosed by a pediatrician, according to asthma ever in combination with a positive response to hypertonic saline bronchial provocation test and/or wheeze at physical examination at 12 yr old. Being overweight at 12 yr of age was associated with an increased risk for current asthma in the VLBW children [crude odds ratio (OR): 5.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-22.2]. After adjustment for early weight gain and neonatal risk, the OR of overweight increased nearly three times (adjusted OR: 15.3, 95% CI: 2.5-90.6). Early rapid weight gain seemed to be inversely associated with current asthma (adjusted OR: 0.49 for an increase of weight equal to 1 SDS, 95% CI: 0.23-1.02, p = 0.06). In addition, early rapid weight gain was inversely associated with the magnitude of bronchial responsiveness at 12 yr (coefficient -1.15, p < 0.01). There was a strong and positive association between overweight and asthma at 12 yr of age in the VLBW children. This strong association had been reduced by early rapid weight gain, possibly via the reduction of bronchial responsiveness.     

Before-birth climatologic data may play a role in the development of allergies in infants

While an exacerbation in allergic symptoms corresponding to seasons has long been reported, few studies have investigated the association between the season of birth and allergic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the climatologic data before and after birth affected the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) and the results of allergy-related blood tests in early infancy. From February 1995 to January 2000, 2136 infants were tested for AD and followed for 12 months. AD patients were tested by using allergy-related blood tests. Data were compared according to the month of birth and the climatologic data using a computed statistical software package. Six hundred and thirty infants had AD before 12 months old, and significant differences were found according to the season of birth (p < 0.0001). Infants born in spring showed the lowest (22.3%) incidence, while those born in autumn showed the highest (34.6%). In 369 patients, total serum IgE levels, and serum specific IgE levels with egg white at 3 months old were also different according to the season of birth. All of these levels were lower in patients born in spring and summer, and higher in patients born in autumn and winter. Furthermore, the cumulative sunshine amount during the 3 months before and after birth was inversely correlated, while the average temperature over the 3 months before birth was positively correlated to the incidence of AD according to the month of birth. The climatologic data around birth may play an important role in whether an infant develops allergies.     

Adipokines in cord blood and risk of wheezing disorders within the first two years of life

BACKGROUND: Adipokines are involved in the regulation of many inflammatory processes and are present at very high concentrations in cord blood of term infants. OBJECTIVE: We analysed data of a large prospective birth cohort study to examine whether adiponectin and leptin concentration in cord blood are determinants of wheezing disorders in children within the first 2 years of life. METHODS: Seven hundred and forty mothers and their newborns were included in this analysis. Adiponectin and leptin concentrations were measured in cord blood. The cumulative incidence of physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis was recorded during a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: During the first 2 years of life, asthma or obstructive bronchitis was reported by the caring paediatricians for 157 (19.6%) of the children. We found a strong interaction of cord blood adiponectin and history of atopic disease in the mother with respect to the risk of physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis (P=0.006). Compared with children with cord blood levels in the middle quintile (reference category), the odds ratios for physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis in the bottom quintile and top quintile were 0.14 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.90] and 2.12 (95% CI 0.67-6.66), respectively (P for trend=0.0003), among children of mothers with a history of atopy. This association was independent of other established risk factors. Leptin levels in cord blood were not associated with risk of asthma or obstructive bronchitis. CONCLUSIONS: In children of mothers with a history of atopy, concentrations of adiponectin in cord blood could play an important role in determining risk of wheezing disorders in early childhood.     

The complex enterprise of modelling prenatal exposure to cigarettes: what is ‘enough’?

While there is a burgeoning body of research linking smoking during pregnancy to problem behaviour in offspring, a major criticism of this work has been the crude measurement of exposure in these studies (e.g. retrospective, self-reported only) that could lead to biased estimates. To address this issue, we used a pregnancy cohort with repeated prospective measures of exposure as well as biological assays to generate estimates of exposure patterns using a range of modelling techniques. In this paper we report on the analytical approaches we have developed, including patterns of exposure over time and best-estimate approaches that combine self-report and cotinine measures, and compare their predictive value in relation to different dimensions of fetal growth as a first step towards examining the utility of greater precision of exposure measurement.
Surprisingly, in this sample the more complex assessments of exposure, including biological measures, generally did not perform better than simple indicators of exposure based on repeated self-report measures, with one exception: a combined self-report cotinine 'best estimate' of third trimester exposure was uniquely associated with lower brain : body ratio. Further study is needed using more sophisticated cotinine assays and testing prediction of a range of outcomes to ascertain whether these findings represent true differences or are specific to the sample, methods and outcomes used. Such research will inform the development of guidelines for adequate exposure characterisation in developmental studies.     

Segmental Liver Transplantation from Non-Heart Beating Donors—An Early Experience with Implications for the Future

We report our experience of pediatric liver transplantation with partial grafts from non-heart beating donors (NHBD). Controlled donors less than 40 years of age with a warm ischemia time (WI) of less than 30 min were considered for pediatric recipients. Death was declared 5 min after asystole. A super-rapid recovery technique with aortic and portal perfusion was utilized. Mean donor age was 29 years and WI 14.6 min (range 11–18). Seven children, mean age 4.9 years (0.7–11), median weight 20 kg (8.4–53) received NHBD segmental liver grafts. Diagnoses included seronegative hepatitis, neonatal sclerosing cholangitis, familial intrahepatic cholestasis, hepatoblastoma, primary hyperoxaluria and factor VII deficiency (n = 2).The grafts included four reduced and one split left lateral segments, one left lobe and one right auxiliary graft. Mean cold ischemia was 7.3 h (6.2–8.8). Complications included one pleural effusion and one biliary collection drained percutaneously. At 20 months (10–36) follow-up all children are alive and well with functioning grafts.
Donation after cardiac death is a significant source of liver grafts for adults and children with careful donor selection and short cold ischemic times.