Isr Med Assoc J
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Comparative Study
Cricotracheal resection for airway reconstruction: The Sheba Medical Center experience.
Intubation and tracheostomy are the most common causes of benign acquired airway stenosis. Management varies according to different conceptions and techniques. ⋯ CTR is a relatively safe procedure with a high success rate in primary and revised procedures. A staged procedure should be planned in specific situations, namely, quadriplegics and patients with bilateral impaired vocal cord mobility.
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Recent advances in pancreatic islet transplantation emphasize the potential of this approach for the long-term control of blood glucose levels as treatment of diabetes. To overcome the organ shortage for cell replacement therapy, efforts are being invested in generating new and abundant sources of insulin-producing cells from embryonic or adult stem cells. ⋯ The process of liver-to-pancreas developmental redirection is induced by ectopic expression of pancreatic transcription and differentiation factors. This approach may allow the diabetic patient to be the donor of his or her own therapeutic tissue, thus alleviating both the need for allotransplantations and the subsequent immune suppression.
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There is a dearth of organs for liver transplantation in Israel. Enhancing our understanding of factors affecting graft survival in this country could help optimize the results of the transplant operation. ⋯ Graft survival in Israel is slightly lower than that reported from the U.S. and Europe. Adding donor and operative factors to recipient characteristics significantly increased our understanding of 1 year survival of liver grafts.