The British journal of surgery
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A small subset of patients may develop late-onset palsy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) after thyroid surgery. However, no conclusive data have been published regarding the incidence of, and possible risk factors for, this complication. ⋯ Late-onset palsy of the RLN was diagnosed in a small subset of patients after thyroid surgery, and recovery of nerve function occurred less frequently than in patients with early-onset RLN palsy.
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of the effect of postoperative in-hospital morbidity on long-term patient survival.
Major surgery is associated with high rates of postoperative complications, many of which are deemed preventable. It has been suggested that these complications not only present a risk to patients in the short term, but may also reduce long-term survival. The aim of this review was to examine the effects of postoperative complications on long-term survival. ⋯ Postoperative complications have a negative effect on long-term survival. This relationship appears to be stronger for infectious complications.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Cost-effectiveness of ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy, endovenous laser ablation or surgery as treatment for primary varicose veins from the randomized CLASS trial.
The treatment of patients with varicose veins constitutes a considerable workload and financial burden to the National Health Service. This study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) and endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) compared with conventional surgery as treatment for primary varicose veins. ⋯ The results suggest, for patients considered eligible for all three treatment options, that EVLA has the highest probability of being cost-effective at accepted thresholds of willingness to pay per QALY.
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Review
Systematic review of congenital and acquired portal-systemic shunts in otherwise normal livers.
Portal-systemic shunts (PSSs) are rarely seen in healthy individuals or patients with non-cirrhotic liver disease. They may play an important role in hepatic metabolism as well as in the spread of gastrointestinal metastatic tumours to specific organs. Small spontaneous PSSs may be more common than generally thought. However, epidemiological data are scarce and inconclusive. This systematic review examined the prevalence of reported PSSs and the associated detection methods. ⋯ Congenital and acquired PSSs are rare. They are usually clinically asymptomatic and discovered incidentally by radiological techniques. They may be clinically relevant owing to drug, tumour cell, metabolic and pathogen shunting.