The British journal of surgery
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis of closure of the fascial defect during laparoscopic incisional and ventral hernia repair.
Laparoscopic incisional and ventral hernia repair (LIVHR) is being used increasingly, with reported outcomes equivalent to those of open hernia repair. Closure of the fascial defect (CFD) is a technique that may reduce seroma formation and bulging after LIVHR. Non-closure of the fascial defect makes the repair of larger defects easier and reduces postoperative pain. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether CFD affects the rate of adverse outcomes, such as recurrence, pseudo-recurrence, mesh eventration or bulging, and the rate of seroma formation. ⋯ CFD during LIVHR reduces the rate of seroma formation and adverse hernia-site events.
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Thyroid function has been associated with breast cancer risk, and breast cancer cell growth and proliferation. It is not clear whether thyroid function affects prognosis following breast cancer but, if so, this could have an important clinical impact. The present study analysed prospectively collected measurements of free tri-iodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (T4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab) in relation to breast cancer survival. ⋯ In the present study, there was a positive association between free T4 levels and improved breast cancer survival.
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The incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and their rupture has been reported to be decreasing. The aim was to evaluate trends in ruptured AAA (rAAA) incidence in the hospital district of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) in southern Finland. This was a population-based retrospective review of all patients with rAAA in this well defined geographical area during 2003-2013. ⋯ The incidence of rAAA is decreasing in the HUS district. Mortality from rAAA remains very high, because half of the patients die before reaching the hospital.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Cost-effectiveness of supervised exercise therapy compared with endovascular revascularization for intermittent claudication.
Current guidelines recommend supervised exercise therapy (SET) as the preferred initial treatment for patients with intermittent claudication. The availability of SET programmes is, however, limited and such programmes are often not reimbursed. Evidence for the long-term cost-effectiveness of SET compared with endovascular revascularization (ER) as primary treatment for intermittent claudication might aid widespread adoption in clinical practice. ⋯ SET is a more cost-effective primary treatment for intermittent claudication than ER. These results support implementation of supervised exercise programmes in clinical practice.