Comparing short-term outcomes of robot-assisted and conventional laparoscopic total mesorectal excision surgery for rectal cancer in elderly patients

BACKGROUND Da Vinci Robotics-assisted total mesorectal excision(TME)surgery for rectal cancer is becoming more widely used.There is no strong evidence that roboticassisted surgery and laparoscopic surgery have similar outcomes in elderly patients with TME for rectal cancer.AIM To determine the improved oncological outcomes and short-term efficacy of robot-assisted surgery in elderly patients undergoing TME surgery.METHODS A retrospective study of the clinical pathology and follow-up of elderly patients who underwent TME surgery at the Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine was conducted from March 2020 through September 2023.The patients were divided into a robotassisted group(the R-TME group)and a laparoscopic group(the L-TME group),and the short-term efficacy of the two groups was compared.RESULTS There were 45 elderly patients(≥60 years)in the R-TME group and 50 elderly patients(≥60 years)in the L-TME group.There were no differences in demographics,conversion rates,or postoperative complication rates.The L-TME group had a longer surgical time than the R-TME group[145(125,187.5)vs 180(148.75,206.25)min,P=0.005),and the first postoperative meal time in the L-TME group was longer than that in the R-TME(4 vs 3 d,P=0.048).Among the sex and body mass index(BMI)subgroups,the R-TME group had better out-comes than did the L-TME group in terms of operation time(P=0.042)and intraoperative assessment of bleeding(P=0.042).In the high BMI group,catheter removal occurred earlier in the R-TME group than in the L-TME group(3 vs 4 d,P=0.001),and autonomous voiding function was restored.CONCLUSION The curative effect and short-term efficacy of robot-assisted TME surgery for elderly patients with rectal cancer are similar to those of laparoscopic TME surgery;however,robotic-assisted surgery has better short-term outcomes for individuals with risk factors such as obesity and pelvic stenosis.Optimizing the learning curve can shorten the operation time,reduce the recovery time of gastrointestinal function,and improve the prognosis.

Effectiveness of Extended Care in Preventing Falls in Disabled Elderly and Its Impact on Quality of Life

Objective:To analyze the value of extended care interventions for disabled elderly in preventing falls and optimizing quality of life.Methods:A sample of 60 cases of disabled elderly in a tertiary hospital from May 2022 to May 2023 was selected and grouped by the random number table method.The observation group received extended care,while the control group adopted routine care.The differences in complication rate,fall rate,36-Item Short Form Health Survey(SF-36)score,health knowledge awareness score,and nursing satisfaction were compared.Results:The complication rate and fall rate of the disabled elderly in the observation group were lower than those in the control group,P<0.05;the SF-36 score,health knowledge score,and nursing satisfaction of the observation group were higher than those of the control group,P<0.05.Conclusion:Extended care for the disabled elderly can reduce the risk of falls and complications related to disability,as well as optimize their cognition and improve their quality of life,which is efficient and feasible.

Robotic surgery in elderly patients with colorectal cancer: Review of the current literature

With an ageing global population,we will see an increasing number of elderly patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)requiring surgery.However,it should be recognized that the elderly are a heterogenous group,with varying physiological and functional status.While traditionally viewed to be associated with frailty,comorbidities,and a higher risk of post operative morbidity,the advancements in minimally invasive surgery(MIS)and improvements in perioperative care have allowed CRC surgery to be safe and feasible in the elderly-chronological age alone should therefore not strictly be an exclusion criterion for curative surgery.However,as a form of MIS,laparoscopic assisted colorectal surgery(LACS)has the inherent disadvantages of:(1)Dependence on a trained assistant for retraction and laparoscope control;(2)The loss of wristed movement with reduced dexterity and suboptimal ergonomics;(3)A lack of intuitive movement due to the levering effect of trocars;and(4)An amplification of physiological tremors.Representing a technical evolution of LACS,robotic assisted colorectal surgery was introduced to overcome these limitations.In this minireview,we examine the evidence for robotic surgery in the elderly with CRC.

Investigation and Countermeasures on the Health-Promoting Lifestyle of the Disabled Elderly in a Rural Area

Objective： To investigate the level of health-promoting lifestyle in the disabled elderly in a rural area and to provide useful countermeasures for health care workers and the government to improve the elderly＇ s lifestyle behaviors. Methods： A total of 446 disabled elderly people were recruited and examined using the General Questionnaire and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Results： The mean score of the health-promoting lifestyle was 109.73（ SD = 16.80）, in which 90.6 percent of the disabled elderly demonstrated unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. The average score for each of the subscales includedthe following： interpersonal relations, stress management, nutrition, self-actualization, health responsibility, and sports activity. Conclusions： The health-promoting lifestyle of the disabled elderly needs to be improved; health care workers and the government should pay more attention to the countermeasures that can improve the lifestyle behaviors and promote the health of the disabled elderly.

Association of upper gastrointestinal symptoms with functional and clinical characteristics in the elderly

AIM： To evaluate the prevalence of upper gastrointestinal symptoms and their association with clinical and functional characteristics in elderly outpatients. METHODS： The study involved 3238 outpatients ≥ 60 years consecutively enrolled by 107 general practitioners. Information on social, behavioral and de- mographic characteristics, function in the activities of daily living （ADL）, co-morbidities and drug use were collected by a structured interview. Upper gastroin- testinal symptom data were collected by the 15-items upper gastro-intestinal symptom questionnaire for the elderly, a validated diagnostic tool which includes the following five symptom clusters： （1） abdominal pain syndrome; （2） reflux syndrome; （3） indigestion syn- drome; （4） bleeding, and （5） non-specific symptoms. Presence and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms were analyzed through a logistic regression model. RESULTS： 3100 subjects were included in the final analysis. The overall prevalence of upper gastrointes- tinal symptoms was 43.0%, i.e. cluster （1） 13.9%, （2） 21.9%, （3） 30.2%, （4） 1.2%, and （5） 4.5%. Upper gastrointestinal symptoms were more frequently re- ported by females （P 〈 0.0001）, with high number of co-morbidities （P 〈 0.0001）, who were taking higher number of drugs （P 〈 0.0001） and needed assistance in the ADL. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that female sex （OR = 1.39, 95% CI： 1.17-1.64）, dis- ability in the ADL （OR = 1.47, 95% CI： 1.12-1.93）, smoking habit （OR = 1.29, 95% C]： 1.00-1.65）, and body mass index （OR = 1.06, 95% CI： 1.04-1.08）, as well as the presence of upper （OR = 3.01, 95% C]： 2.52-3.60） and lower gastroenterological diseases （OR = 2.25, 95%CI： 1.70-2.97）, psychiatric （OR = 1.60, 95% CI： 1.28-2.01） and respiratory diseases （OR = 1.25, 95% C]： 1.01-1.54） were significantly associated with the presence of upper gastrointestinal symptoms. CONCLUSION： Functional and clinical characteristics are associated with upper gastrointestinal symptoms. A multidimensional comprehensive evaluation may be useful when approaching upper gastrointestinal symp- toms in older subjects.

Medical care and clinical practice for disabled elderly

At preasent,with the continuous development of the trend of population aging worldwide,more elderiy people are increasingly facing s-erious life disorders caused by physical and mental disability.In this study,the common symptoms and the nursing practice related to diseases of the disabled elderly are reviewed with reference to the basic concepts of disability care and the current situation of domestic and foreign research,which is expected to provide the basis for the construction of a new model of disability nursing.

Robotic vs laparoscopic right colectomy—the burden of age and comorbidity in perioperative outcomes: An observational study

BACKGROUND Several studies have shown the safety,feasibility and oncologic adequacy of robotic right hemicolectomy(RRH).Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy(LRH)is considered technically challenging.Robotic surgery has been introduced to overcome this technical limitation,but it is related to high costs.To maximize the benefits of such surgery,only selected patients are candidates for this technique.In addition,due to progressive aging of the population,an increasing number of minimally invasive procedures are performed on elderly patients with severe comorbidities,who are usually more prone to post-operative complications.AIM To investigate the outcomes of RRH vs LRH with regard to age and comorbidities.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 123 minimally invasive procedures(68 LRHs vs 55 RRHs)for right colon cancer or endoscopically unresectable adenoma performed in our Center from January 2014 until September 2019.The surgical procedures were performed according to standardized techniques.The primary clinical outcome of the study was the length of hospital stay(LOS)measured in days.Secondary outcomes were time to first flatus(TFF)and time to first stool evacuation.The robotic technique was considered the exposure and the laparoscopic technique was considered the control.Routine demographic variables were obtained,including age at time of surgery and gender.Body mass index and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status were registered.The age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index(ACCI)was calculated;the tumornode-metastasis system,intra-operative variables and post-operative complications were recorded.Post-operative follow-up was 180 d.RESULTS LOS,TFF,and time to first stool were significantly shorter in the robotic group:Median 6[interquartile range(IQR)5-8]vs 7(IQR 6-10.5)d,P=0.028;median 2(IQR 1-3)vs 3(IQR 2-4)d,P<0.001;median 4(IQR 3-5)vs 5(IQR 4-6.5)d,P=0.005,respectively.Following multivariable analysis,the robotic technique was confirmed to be predictive of significantly shorter hospitalization and faster restoration of bowel function;in addition the dichotomous variables of age over75 years and ACCI more than 7 were significant predictors of hospital stay.No outcomes were significantly associated with Clavien-Dindo grading.Sub-group analysis demonstrated that patients aged over 75 years had a longer LOS(median6-IQR 5-8-vs 7-IQR 6-12-d,P=0.013)and later TFF(median 2-IQR 1-3-vs 3-IQR 2-4-d,P=0.008),while patients with ACCI more than 7 were only associated with a prolonged hospital stay(median 7-IQR 5-8-vs 7-IQR 6-14.5-d,P=0.036).CONCLUSION RRH is related to shorter LOS when compared with the laparoscopic approach,but older age and several comorbidities tend to reduce its benefits.

Disability and Quality of Life among Elderly Persons with Self-Reported Hearing Impairment: Report from the Ibadan Study of Aging

Background: Despite a high prevalence of hearing impairment (HI) among the elderly, the effect on their quality of life (QOL) has not been well studied in this environment. Aim: To determine the prevalence of disability and profile of QOL among elderly persons (aged ≥65 years) with HI. Design of Study: Cross-sectional. Setting: Eight contiguousYoruba-speaking states in Nigeria. Methods: Face-to-face interviews of respondents selected using a multi-stage, stratified area probability sampling of households;HI was based on self report and observer confirmation and the QOL was measured with the World Health Organization brief version (WHOQOL-Bref). Results: The prevalence of disability in Activities of Daily Living (ADL) was 35.4% while it was 10.1% in Instrumental ADL. Prevalence increased significantly with increasing age (P = 0.05). Disability in ADL (P = 0.01), poor family interaction (P = 0.01), poor community involvement (P = 0.01) cognitive impairment (P = 0.05) and poor report of overall health (P = 0.05) were significantly more common among the elderly with HI than those without. No significant differences were found in regard to current depression or the likelihood of experiencing verbal, physical or emotional abuses. Logistic regression analyses adjusting for age, sex, chronic medical conditions and disability confirmed the salient effect of HI on the decrement in the physical domains (P = 0.05). Conclusion: HI is associated with high prevalence of disability and has adverse effect on the quality of life. This observation strengthens the need for hearing rehabilitation in the policy formulation on the care of the elderly in resource-poor settings.

Factors associated with activities of daily living among the disabled elders with stroke

Objective:To determine the factors associated with activities of daily living(ADL)among the disabled elders post-stroke.Methods:A total of 158 patients were chosen from community health service stations in eighteen regions of Tianjin city by convenience sampling from March to November in 2013.The Barthel Index(BI)and the short-formmini-nutritional assessment(MNA-SF)were used to evaluate the ADL,the nutritional status respectively.Statistical analysis was performed using independent sample t-test,one-way ANOVA,Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis.Barthel ADL index was the main outcome.Results:The mean score of ADL was 50.50±27.125.The multiple linear regression showed that the factors which had significant impact on ADL were stroke frequency,types of stroke,nutritional status,financial status,and age.Conclusions:Disabled elders with recurrent strokes,hemorrhagic stroke,dependent financial resources,older age,worse nutritional status and living with family had poorer strokerelated outcome.Healthcare providers can discover the high-risk groups of disability and implement individualized preventive interventions in accordance with the related factors.

Personal Space of Small Mobile Robot Moving towards Standing or Sitting Elderly Individuals

Recently, Japan has experienced a low birthrate and an aging population. The development of communication robots, such as cleaning and a care-giver robot, has been progressing. Care-giver robots provide daily assistance, including contacting emergency services. This study is part of the ＂study on planning techniques of living space in harmony with robots＂, and focused on the elderly. Minimum distance was the subjects felt ＂I do not want any more approached＂. Subjects were 21 elderly persons （eight males and thirteen females）, aged 66-86 years. The experimental room was an assembly room in a public accommodation （14 m× 6.5 m）. The small mobile robot used in this experiment was external form dimensions of 120 mm （W）× 130 mm （D）× 70 mm （H）, In this experiment, considering the personal space as the small mobile robot is watching robot without support function for person. The robot moved toward standing or sitting subjects at constant velocities from a distance 5 m apart. Research factors are 5 angles （0°, 45°, 90°, 135° and 180°） and 2 speeds （0.08 m/s and 0.24 m/s）.

Evaluation of Patients Who Received Robotic Therapy after Spinal Cord Injuries

Background: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the robotic device used in lower limb rehabilitation to reduce motor impairment and improve motor performance in patients with traumatic spinal injury. Methods: The data were obtained by retrospective analysis of patients who underwent lower extremity rehabilitation after traumatic spinal injury by robot-assisted rehabilitation in the hospital between December 2017 and December 2019. The results were statistically analyzed and shown as mean ± SD (min-max). Results: A total of 51 patients with mean age of 59.51 ± 8.2 (38 - 72) were admitted to the clinic. Mean ages of thirty-one male patients and twenty females patients were 58.74 ± 8.88 (38 - 77) and 60.7 ± 7.09 (44 - 72), respectively. Comparing ages in terms of gender, it was not statistically significant (p = 0.441). Body mass indexes of male patients were 32.84 ± 6.52 (20 - 48) and 31.4 ± 7.73 (18 - 48) for females. Body mass index of patients was not statistically significant in terms of their gender (p = 0.478). Oswestry disability index scores were 32.04 ± 10.74 (16 - 58) before treatment and 30.69 ± 10.31 (15 - 55) after treatment. Oswestry disability index values before and after robotic rehabilitation were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Significant improvement was observed in ASIA scale values after rehabilitation. Conclusions: The motor function gains obtained during the robot-assisted treatment of traumatic spinal injury patients showed robotic device was useful in the training program. Robotic rehabilitation was effective in the improvement of the lower extremities during motor examination.

Path Exploration for Long-term Care of Rural Disabled Elderly: A Case Study of G Town in South Shaanxi

Field survey of G Town in South Shaanxi indicates that current situations and existing problems of rural disabled elderly. According to these situations and problems,this paper analyzes difficulties in long-term care of rural disabled elderly. From the perspective of welfare pluralism,it comes up with development paths for long-term care of rural disabled elderly with joint participation of government,communities,non-profit organizations on the basis of the family endowment.

Consideration of Safety Management When Using Pepper, a Humanoid Robot for Care of Older Adults

Pepper, a humanoid robot, is 1.2 m in height and is designed to move its limbs. There are risks of the older adults experiencing falling and collision accidents when they interact with Pepper. When physical interaction happens between a humanoid robot and human beings, potential harmful physical contact might occur. The aim of this report was to examine the safety management aspects when using Pepper, a humanoid robot for the care of older adults. The older adults’ reactions to Pepper’s functions cannot be predicted. Hence, it is necessary to clarify methods to guarantee its safety in advance and to increase the safety and properties of the robots. The benefits of introducing support robots such as Pepper for aging medical and nursing care settings are obvious. Therefore, engagement in robot development while considering both the risks and benefits is critical. Our academic initiatives have just begun. Through information exchange among researchers, users, engineers, and law specialists, we need to identify latent and prominent risks in situations where Pepper and the older adults interact and deepen our examination of measures against such risks.

Long-term care policy simulation of disabled elderly

With the accelerating process of population aging in our country, the physical function of the elderly will decline, the possibility of suffering from acute and chronic diseases will increase, and the occurrence of disability will become more common and normal. The potential demand for elderly care is rapidly increasing. With the growth, the care of the disabled elderly has become increasingly acute. At the same time, due to the intensification of family miniaturization and population migration, the traditional family-based long-term care has been difficult to sustain. How to incorporate long-term care into our social security system as soon as possible has become the focus of the whole society. The thesis through the combination of public policy simulation methods and the research data, the long-term care insurance system implemented at the beginning of 2018 in Shanghai is a policy blueprint. It uses statistical software SPSS, MATLAB, etc. to achieve data collation, analysis and prediction, and at the same time integrates the pilot of the long-term care insurance system. The implementation of policies in cities such as Qingdao and Nantong has been simulated. Finally, on the basis of simulation results, suggestions have been made for the future development of China＇s long-term care insurance system.

中国老年人口健康状况及其家庭照料需求预测

中国人口老龄化快速发展,失能、半失能老年人口规模迅速扩大,老年照料需求快速增加。科学预测不同失能状况老年人口规模及其照料服务需求是推动老年照护服务体系建设的重要基础。文章基于中国老年健康影响因素跟踪调查(CLHLS)数据,使用Markov模型测算中国分性别、分年龄段老年人口健康状况转移矩阵,运用队列要素预测法、多元回归法等预测得到2020—2035年中国不同失能状况老年人口规模及其照料服务人员需求规模、家庭照料经济成本。预测结果显示:中国失能老年人口规模呈现增长态势,从2020年的1946万人增至2035年的3424万人,失能老年人口的比例从2020年的7.4%小幅增至2035年的7.9%,且中重度失能老年人口增幅更快,2035年时轻度失能老年人口规模相比2020年增加66%,中重度失能老年人口规模相比2020年增加92%。女性失能老年人口规模增速快于男性,80岁及以上老年人口失能比例增长更快,2035年男性70~79岁、80~89岁、90+岁三个年龄组失能老年人口规模分别为2020年的1.53倍、1.92倍、1.94倍;2035年女性三个年龄组失能老年人口规模分别为2020年的1.72倍、2.29倍、2.52倍。老年家庭照料需求将呈现快速增长态势,家庭照料服务人员需求量从2020年的2795万人增至2035年的4863万人,增长74%。2020—2035年健康老年人口的照料服务人员需求量占总需求量的比例在57%左右,中重度失能老年人口需求量占比在24%左右,轻度失能老年人口需求量占比在19%左右。60~69岁老年人口所需的照料服务人员占比最高,90岁及以上年龄组对照料服务人员的需求量增长更快。老年人口家庭照料经济成本从2020年的3027亿元增至2035年的11676亿元,将增长近3倍。中重度失能老年人口所需的家庭照料现金成本相比2020年增长3.1倍,轻度失能老年人口所需的家庭照料现金成本相比2020年增长2.6倍。男性老年人口所需家庭照料现金成本低于女性老年人口,且增速也低于女性老年人口。本研究基于定量预测结果提出积极推进健康老龄化,加大促进生育的政策支持力度,尽快推广长期照护保险制度,以赋能家庭为着力点加强失能老年人口的支持体系建设,大力发展老年护理服务业,大力发展养老护理职业教育等政策建议。

基于SAPAD-AHP的视障者医院导盲机器人设计研究

为解决视障者就医困难等问题,采用SAPAD-AHP方法对视障者医院导盲机器人设计进行研究。首先,采用访谈、观察和体验等方法,对视障者就医过程和痛点进行记录。其次,通过SAPAD模型对视障者就医行为进行研究,建立其“行为―对象―意义”的映射关系,并对意义进行聚类分析,得到一般意义簇。最后,结合AHP法进行权重分析,算出每个意义簇的权重,通过排序得到核心意义簇。通过“核心意义簇―对象”的映射,得到视障者的核心需求,对核心需求进行分析与拆解,得到真正需求,从而完善视障者导盲机器人设计研究。

空巢老人失能状况及影响因素的城乡差异——基于2018 CLHLS数据的实证分析

[目的]分析我国空巢老人失能状况及影响因素的城乡差异,为预防老年人失能及完善老龄社会政策提供参考。[方法]基于2018年中国老年健康调查数据(CLHLS),选取≥65岁的空巢老人为研究对象,利用Katz指数量表及二分类Logistic回归模型对4488名空巢老人失能状况及影响因素进行分析。[结果]空巢老人总体失能率为13.4%,城市空巢老人失能率(14.6%)高于农村空巢老人(12.2%),轻度失能者占比最高(9.9%),洗澡困难是失能老人最易遇到的自理难题。高龄、自评健康差、患多种慢性病、参与社交活动频率低是城乡空巢老人失能的共同危险因素(P<0.05)。吸烟、过去从事体力劳动、未每年体检是农村空巢老人失能特有危险因素,受教育水平高则是其失能的保护因素(P<0.05)。[结论]与一般老年群体相比,我国空巢老人失能率较高,且失能状况存在显著城乡差异。应制定针对性预防和社会救助措施,完善老年照护服务支持体系,协同保障空巢老年人身心健康。

下肢助残训练机器人设计与仿真分析

针对下肢瘫痪的患者由于肌肉萎缩等原因,需要通过自行锻炼肌肉恢复健康的问题,提出一种可穿戴的下肢助残训练机器人的设计方案,该方案通过机械装置辅助患者下肢的髋、膝、踝等关节部位的训练。基于市场调研与国内外研究现状,并参考亚洲人下肢的身体尺寸,设计了下肢助残训练机器人用于患者的康复训练,并利用仿真分析软件进行仿真分析,得到了该机器人模型主要关节的运动学参数与静力学参数。研究结果表明:该下肢助残训练机器人结构设计具有较高的可行性,可实现患者下肢肌肉康复。

机器人辅助步行训练对脑性瘫痪患儿影响的研究进展

脑性瘫痪(简称脑瘫)是儿童发育期最常见的致残性疾病之一,对脑瘫患儿的身心健康有着很大的影响。神经康复领域中机器人康复技术发生了革命性的变化,并越来越多应用在临床治疗中。机器人辅助步行训练以高强度,重复性为特征,是近年来改善神经系统疾病的研究热点。本文简单总结了步行训练机器人的不同种类、康复机制和训练方式对脑瘫儿童身体结构和功能、活动及参与能力方面的影响,旨为临床治疗提供可靠的依据。

基于Android+Kinect的失能老人自助系统设计与实现

当前社会老龄化现象越来越严重,更好地照顾失能老人是社区居家养老中亟需解决的问题。Kinect是微软在2009年推出的使用于Xbox游戏机的体感控制设备,游戏玩家使用Kinect在不借助其他任何控制器的情形下实现和游戏机的交互。为此,基于Android+Kinect的技术原理,并运用了WPF设计编程用户界面框架,设计并实现了针对失能老人的自助系统,解决失能老人在手脚不方便的困难,只需通过几个简单的手势动作实现对电脑的相应控制。Kinect通过深度数据处理技术和骨骼追踪技术对老人手势动作进行识别,把识别结果转换为控制指令传送到电脑,在电脑客户端利用Android编程进行Socket通信。实验结果表明,该系统通过对手势的接收与识别,能在电脑界面上分别实现健康训练、视频通话、短信求助等功能,能方便失能老人更好地生活和更顺畅地与外界交流,具有一定的创新性和较好的实用性。