Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation: a look into the future

The surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation began in 1987, when Dr. James Cox introduced the maze procedure. This operation proved to be extremely effective in curing atrial fibrillation and preventing its most dreaded complication, stroke. However, many surgeons found the operation to be too difficult and invasive. Over the last 5 to 10 years, various groups have tried to develop less invasive approaches using a number of different energy sources to create linear lines of ablation to replace the surgical incisions. This has led to a plethora of new operations for this arrhythmia. There is significant confusion in the literature at the present time as to what is the best lesion pattern and what is the best energy source. It is our feeling that a great deal of this confusion is due to our lack of understanding of the mechanisms of atrial fibrillation and the effect of ablation technology on atrial hemodynamics and electrophysiology. Future progress will require a better understanding of this arrhythmia and continued research into the safety and efficacy of ablation devices.     

Treatment of lone atrial fibrillation with a right thoracoscopic approach

A simplified technique to treat patients in stand-alone atrial fibrillation with a right thoracoscopic approach is described. An electrical isolation of the four pulmonary veins (box lesion) is achieved with a microwave antenna.     

臭氧治疗:历史、现状与未来

臭氧是一种强氧化剂,于1839年由德国化学家Schonbein命名.长期以来它广泛应用于人们日常生活中.尽管存在不同的学术观点,臭氧疗法作为一种治疗手段仍应用于临床医疗实践.臭氧治疗椎间盘突出症源于上世纪90年代欧洲国家,南方医院于2000年完成了国内首例腰椎间盘突出臭氧治疗术,从那时起,该项技术在国内多家医院开展起来,取得了丰硕成果.除此之外,臭氧疗法尚应用于病毒性肝炎、疼痛、溃疡等方面的治疗,具有广阔的前景.     

Herniology: past, present, and future

Introduction  

Despite herniorrhaphy being performed frequently, most surgeons consider it to be a minor procedure. However, a few surgeons’ views differed.     

Oxybutynin: past, present, and future

Oxybutynin chloride is primarily indicated for the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). It remains the most widely prescribed compound for OAB in the world. OAB is defined as the presence of urinary urgency, usually accompanied by daytime urinary frequency and nocturia, with or without urgency urinary incontinence, in the absence of infection or other identifiable etiology. This is a significant problem for men and women said to affect over 33 million adults in the USA, with the prevalence increasing with age. These symptoms can alter quality of life, with both physical and psychological impairment, as well as cause significant financial burden including the cost of sanitary supplies and decreased work productivity. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods may be employed to aid in the treatment of OAB. The mainstay of treatment for OAB relies on pharmacological management, most specifically treatment with antimuscarinic medications. These medications are thought to prevent involuntary bladder contractions and/or urgency by inhibiting the muscarinic receptors within the urothelium and detrusor muscle. Currently, there are six different medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of OAB, with more than nine formulations including immediate- and extended-release tablets, transdermal patch and gel, vaginal ring, and suppository. This review will focus specifically on oxybutynin chloride, which has been used to treat OAB for four decades in numerous formulations.     

Treatment of the axilla in early breast cancer: past, present and future

Background: The optimal treatment of the axilla in early breast cancer is controversial. The present study reviews the pattern and predictors of regional recurrence (RR) and prognosis after RR in patients with early breast cancer treated by conservative surgery and radiotherapy (CS + RT). Implications of the results on current practice and future directions are explored. Methods: Between 1979 and 1994, 1158 patients with stage I or II breast cancer were treated with CS + RT at Westmead Hospital. Two groups of patients were compared: 782 patients who underwent axillary dissection (axillary surgery group) and 229 patients who received radiotherapy (axillary RT group) as the only axillary treatment. At least 10 lymph nodes were dissected in 82% of the axillary surgery group. Of the women in the RT group, 90% received RT to the axilla and supraclavicular fossa (SCF) only and 10% also received RT to the internal mammary chain (IMC). Results: With a median follow‐up period of 79 months for the axillary surgery group and 111 months for the axillary RT group, 27 patients developed a RR (2.8% and 2.2%, respectively). Seven patients (0.9%) in the axillary surgery group and three patients (1.3%) in the axillary RT group developed a RR in the axilla (P, not significant). Of the patients with SCF recurrences, 14 (1.8%) were in the axillary surgery group and one (0.4%) in the axillary RT group (P, not significant). One patient in the axillary surgery group developed concurrent axillary and SCF recurrences, while a patient in the axillary RT group developed an IMC recurrence. Twenty (74%) of the 27 patients with a RR developed a concurrent or subsequent distant relapse (30% and 44%, respectively). In the pathologically node‐positive patients, the axillary recurrence rate was higher in those who had less than five nodes removed (17%) than those who had 10 or more nodes removed (0%; P = 0.01). The SCF recurrence rate was higher in patients with four or more positive axillary nodes (9.5%) than in those with 0–3 positive nodes (1.5%; P = 0.003). Conclusion: Adequate treatment of the axilla by surgery or RT alone is associated with a low rate of RR. The incidence of distant relapse was substantial in patients who developed a RR, which gives emphasis to the importance of optimizing local–regional control.     

Major haemorrhage: past,present and future

Major haemorrhage is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Successful treatment requires early recognition, planned responses, readily available resources (such as blood products) and rapid access to surgery or interventional radiology. Major haemorrhage is often accompanied by volume loss, haemodilution, acidaemia, hypothermia and coagulopathy (factor consumption and fibrinolysis). Management of major haemorrhage over the past decade has evolved to now deliver a ‘package’ of haemostatic resuscitation including: surgical or radiological control of bleeding; regular monitoring of haemostasis; advanced critical care support; and avoidance of the lethal triad of hypothermia, acidaemia and coagulopathy. Recent trial data advocate for a more personalised approach depending on the clinical scenario. Fresh frozen plasma should be given as early as possible in major trauma in a 1:1 ratio with red blood cells until the results of coagulation tests are available. Tranexamic acid is a cheap, life-saving drug and is advocated in major trauma, postpartum haemorrhage and surgery, but not in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Fibrinogen levels should be maintained > 2 g.l⁻¹ in postpartum haemorrhage and > 1.5 g.l⁻¹ in other haemorrhage. Improving outcomes after major traumatic haemorrhage is now driving research to include extending blood-product resuscitation into prehospital care.     

Open adenomectomy: past, present and future

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Open surgery has been the gold standard for the treatment of benign, symptomatic, large volume prostatic hyperplasia. Recent data series, however, have demonstrated that a minimally invasive approach can be used for the treatment of this pathology while duplicating the results of the open technique. This review will describe the different surgical techniques that have been used through the last century for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. RECENT FINDINGS: Surgical management for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia has made a journey from an open approach to robotic surgery. Modifications of the gold standard transurethral resection have been incorporated into clinical practice and include bipolar transurethral resection as well as holmium laser resection and potassium titanyl phosphate laser vaporization. Minimally invasive ablative techniques have also been popularized and include transurethral needle ablation and thermotherapy. Most recently, laparoscopy has demonstrated to be a feasible, safe, reproducible technique that can create similar outcomes to an open technique whilst maintaining the advantages of a minimally invasive approach. Although the future will see greater use of robotics, larger series are needed to prove the advantages of this technology. SUMMARY: Minimally invasive approaches for the treatment of symptomatic benign giant prostatic hyperplasia are replacing open surgery, which has been the gold standard for the surgical treatment of this pathology, duplicating its results with a lower morbidity. Recently we have seen a growing amount of experience treating this disease state with laparoscopic/robotics and the advantages it provides may permit the popularization of this technique.     

Cannabinoid pharmacotherapy: past, present and future

Cannabinoids are medically interesting, but the available data are still weak scientifically and overwhelming anecdotally. In the management of pain, cannabinoids have been shown to have antinociceptive properties in animal models of pain, with non-opiate mechanisms appearing to predominate. A widely cited meta-analysis suggested that cannabinoids offer moderate pain relief, similar to codeine, and limited by side effects. Further research, particularly into modes of delivery, to assess their therapeutic potential are needed. Any successful future clinical development of cannabinoid pharmacotherapy depends upon a dosage form that is reliable, rapidly titratable to effect, non-smoked, and preferably parenteral to avoid hepatic first pass metabolism.