Summarizing the evidence for robotic-assisted bladder neck reconstruction: Systematic review of patency and incontinence outcomes

Objective:Bladder neck contracture and vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis are difficult to manage endoscopically,and open repair is associated with high rates of incontinence.In recent years,there have been increasing reports of robotic-assisted bladder neck reconstruction in the literature.However,existing studies are small,heterogeneous case series.The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of robotic-assisted bladder neck reconstruction to better evaluate patency and incontinence outcomes.Methods:We performed a systematic review of PubMed from first available date to May 2023 for all studies evaluating robotic-assisted reconstructive surgery of the bladder neck in adult men.Articles in non-English,author replies,editorials,pediatric-based studies,and reviews were excluded.Outcomes of interest were patency and incontinence rates,which were pooled when appropriate.Results:After identifying 158 articles on initial search,we included only ten studies that fit all aforementioned criteria for robotic-assisted bladder neck reconstruction.All were case series published from March 2018 to March 2022 ranging from six to 32 men,with the median follow-up of 5e23 months.A total of 119 patients were included in our analysis.A variety of etiologies and surgical techniques were described.Patency rates ranged from 50%to 100%,and pooled patency was 80%(95/119).De novo incontinence rates ranged from 0%to 33%,and pooled incontinence was 17%(8/47).Our findings were limited by small sample sizes,relatively short follow-ups,and heterogeneity between studies.

Venous thromboembolism in inflammatory bowel disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)are at an increased risk for venous thromboembolism(VTE).VTE events carry significant morbidity and mortality,and have been associated with worse outcomes in patients with IBD.Studies have suggested that the hypercoagulable nature of the disease stems from a complex interplay of systems that include the coagulation cascade,natural coagulation inhibitors,fibrinolytic system,endothelium,immune system,and platelets.Additionally,clinical factors that increase the likelihood of a VTE event among IBD patients include older age(though some studies suggest younger patients have a higher relative risk of VTE,the incidence in this population is much lower as compared to the older IBD patient population),pregnancy,active disease,more extensive disease,hospitalization,the use of certain medications such as corticosteroids or tofacitinb,and IBD-related surgeries.Despite the increased risk of VTE among IBD patients and the safety of pharmacologic prophylaxis,adherence rates among hospitalized IBD patients appear to be low.Furthermore,recent data suggests that there is a population of high risk IBD patients who may benefit from post-discharge prophylaxis.This review will provide an overview of patient specific factors that affect VTE risk,elucidate reasons for lack of VTE prophylaxis among hospitalized IBD patients,and focus on recent data describing those at highest risk for recurrent VTE post-hospital discharge.

Fulminant myocarditis in adults: a narrative review

Fulminant myocarditis(FM)is an uncommon syndrome characterized by sudden and severe hemodynamic compromise secondary to acute myocardial inflammation,often presenting as profound cardiogenic shock,life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and/or electrical storm.FM may be refractory to conventional therapies and require mechanical circulatory support(MCS).The immune system has been recognized as playing a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of myocarditis,leading to an increased focus on immunosuppressive treatment strategies.Recent data have highlighted not only the fact that FM has significantly worse outcomes than non-FM,but that prognosis and management strategies of FM are heavily dependent on histological subtype,placing greater emphasis on the role of endomyocardial biopsy in diagnosis.The impact of subtype on severity and prognosis will likewise influence how aggressively the myocarditis is managed,including whether MCS is warranted.Many patients with refractory cardiogenic shock secondary to FM end up requiring MCS,with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation demonstrating favorable survival rates,particularly when initiated prior to the development of multiorgan failure.Among the challenges facing the field are the need to more precisely identify immunopathophysiological pathways in order to develop targeted therapies,and the need to better optimize the timing and management of MCS to minimize complications and maximize outcomes.

Gastric food retention at endoscopy is associated with severity of liver cirrhosis

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal symptoms are prevalent in patients with cirrhosis.Cirrhotic patients have a known predilection to delayed gastric emptying compared to those without cirrhosis.However,the contributing factors have not been fully elucidated.Retained gastric food on esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD)has been used as a surrogate marker for delayed gastric emptying with reasonably high specificity.Therefore,we hypothesize that the frequency of retained gastric food contents at EGD will be higher in a cirrhotic population compared to a control population without liver disease.Additionally,we hypothesize that increased frequency of gastric food contents will be associated with increased severity of cirrhosis.AIM To determine the relative frequency of delayed gastric emptying among cirrhotics as compared to non-cirrhotics and to identify associated factors.METHODSWe performed a retrospective case-control study of cirrhotic subjects whounderwent EGD at an academic medical center between 2000 and 2015. Threehundred sixty-four patients with confirmed cirrhosis, who underwent a total of1044 EGDs for the indication of esophageal variceal screening or surveillance,were identified. During the same period, 519 control patients without liverdisease, who underwent a total of 881 EGDs for the indication of anemia, wereidentified. The presence of retained food on EGD was used as a surrogate fordelayed gastric emptying. The relative frequency of delayed gastric emptyingamong cirrhotics was compared to non-cirrhotics. Characteristics of patients withand without retained food on EGD were compared using univariable andmultivariable logistic regression analysis to identify associated factors.RESULTSOverall, 40 (4.5%) patients had evidence of retained food on EGD. Cirrhotics weremore likely to have retained food on EGD than non-cirrhotics (9.1% vs 1.4%, P <0.001). Characteristics associated with retained food on univariable analysisincluded age less than 60 years (12.6% vs 5.2%, P = 0.015), opioid use (P = 0.004),Child-Pugh class C (24.1% Child-Pugh class C vs 6.4% Child-Pugh class A, P =0.007), and lower platelet count (P = 0.027). On multivariate logistic regressionanalysis, in addition to the presence of cirrhosis (adjusted OR = 5.83;95%CI: 2.32-14.7, P < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (types 1 and 2 combined) (OR = 2.34;95%CI:1.08-5.06, P = 0.031), opioid use (OR = 3.08;95%CI: 1.29-7.34, P = 0.011), andChild-Pugh class C (OR = 4.29;95%CI: 1.43-12.9, P = 0.01) were also associatedwith a higher likelihood of food retention on EGD.CONCLUSIONCirrhotics have a higher frequency of retained food at EGD than non-cirrhotics.Decompensated cirrhosis, defined by Child-Pugh class C, is associated with ahigher likelihood of delayed gastric emptying.

Temporary coronary sinus pacing to improve ventricular dyssynchrony with cardiogenic shock: A case report

BACKGROUND Temporary transvenous pacing through the coronary sinus is a novel approach rarely used in treating unstable bradycardia.This modality could provide cardiac pacing while achieving better ventricular synchrony.We present a case who received cardiac pacing through the coronary sinus and provide a summary of evidence in the current literature.CASE SUMMARY A 55-year-old woman with a history of advanced heart failure was admitted to the rehabilitation ward after a recent stroke.During hospitalization,she had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response resulting from fluid overload.While atrial fibrillation was spontaneously reversed to sinus rhythm after diuresis,she developed multiple episodes of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia along with sinus bradycardia and prolonged QTc interval.She became hypotensive despite appropriate medical management.Pacing through her implantable cardioverter-defibrillator was attempted but worsened her hypotension.Ventricular dyssynchrony was suspected.Temporary transvenous atrial pacing through the coronary sinus was performed,which stabilized her blood pressure and improved end-organ perfusion.A permanent biventricular pacemaker was later implanted,and she was safely discharged to a nursing home.CONCLUSION Temporary transvenous pacing through the coronary sinus,a novel approach to treat unstable bradycardia,may reduce ventricular dyssynchrony.

Clinical variability and molecular heterogeneity inprostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a clinically heterogeneous disease, with some men having indolent disease that can safely be observed, while others have aggressive, lethal disease. Over the past decade, researchers have begun to unravel some of the genomic heterogeneity that contributes to these varying clinical phenotypes. Distinct molecular sub-classes of prostate cancer have been identified, and the uniqueness of these sub-classes has been leveraged to predict clinical outcomes, design novel biomarkers for prostate cancer diagnosis, and develop novel therapeutics. Recent work has also elucidated the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of prostate cancer, helping us understand disease pathogenesis, response to therapy, and progression. New genomic techniques have provided us with a window into the remarkable clinical and genomic heterogeneity of prostate cancer, and this new perspective will increasingly impact patient care.

Targeting fibrosis: mechanisms and clinical trials

Fibrosis is characterized by the excessive extracellular matrix deposition due to dysregulated wound and connective tissue repair response.Multiple organs can develop fibrosis,including the liver,kidney,heart,and lung.Fibrosis such as liver cirrhosis,idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,and cystic fibrosis caused substantial disease burden.Persistent abnormal activation of myofibroblasts mediated by various signals,such as transforming growth factor,platelet-derived growth factor,and fibroblast growh factor,has been recongized as a major event in the occurrence and progression of fibrosis.Although the mechanisms driving organ-specific fibrosis have not been fully elucidated,drugs targeting these identified aberrant signals have achieved potent anti-fibrotic efficacy in clinical trials.In this review,we briefly introduce the aetiology and epidemiology of several fibrosis diseases,including liver fibrosis,kidney fibrosis,cardiac fibrosis,and pulmonary fibrosis.Then,we summarise the abnormal cells(epithelial cells,endothelial cells,immune cells,and fibroblasts)and their interactions in fibrosis.In addition,we also focus on the aberrant signaling pathways and therapeutic targets that regulate myofibroblast activation,extracellular matrix cross-linking,metabolism,and inflammation in fibrosis.Finally,we discuss the anti-fibrotic drugs based on their targets and clinical trials.This review provides reference for further research on fibrosis mechanism,drug development,and clinical trials.

Carotid artery injury in endoscopic endonasal surgery: Risk factors, prevention, and management

Objective:Endoscopic approaches for sinus and skull base surgery are increasing in popularity.The objective of this narrative review is to characterize risk factors for internal carotid artery injury in endoscopic endonasal surgery(EES),highlight preventative measures,and illustrate key management principles.Data Sources:Comprehensive literature review.Methods:Relevant literature was reviewed using PubMed/MEDLINE.Results:Carotid artery injury in EES is rare,with most studies reporting an incidence below 0.1%.Anatomic aberrancies,wide dissection margins,as well as specific provider and hospital factors,may increase the risk of injury.Multidisciplinary teams,comprehensive preoperative imaging,patient risk assessment,and formal training in vascular emergencies may reduce the risk.Management protocols should emphasize proper visualization of the injury site,fluid replacement,rapid packing,angiography,and endovascular techniques to achieve hemostasis.Conclusions:While EES is a relatively safe procedure,carotid artery injury is a devastating complication that warrants full consideration in surgical planning.Important preventative measures include identifying patients with notable risk factors and obtaining preoperative imaging.Multidisciplinary teams and management protocols are ultimately necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality.