Robotic resection of an obturator schwannoma with preservation of normal nerve fascicles and function.

An asymptomatic pelvic tumor was incidentally found in a 27-year-old man. A CT-guided needle biopsy with a pathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of a benign schwannoma. We describe the complete robotic resection with the conservation of normal fascicles.

Radial artery deviation and reimplantation inhibits venous juxta-anastomotic stenosis and increases primary patency of radial-cephalic fistulas for hemodialysis.

Objective: Although the end cephalic vein-to-side radial artery arteriovenous fistula is the "gold standard" procedure for primary hemodialysis access, it is associated with high rates of primary failure because of the development of neointimal hyperplasia and juxta-anastomotic stenosis. We report initial results of a new approach to perform radial-cephalic fistulas, radial artery deviation and reimplantation (RADAR), designed to avoid juxta-anastomotic stenosis.

Methods: RADAR patients' data were prospectively maintained and retrospectively reviewed and compared with a historical control group of traditional radial-cephalic fistulas created in the same center.

Early surgical thrombectomy improves salvage of thrombosed vascular accesses.

Objective: The timing and urgency of salvage attempts for acutely thrombosed hemodialysis vascular accesses remain poorly defined. We examined the outcome of early surgical thrombectomy after acute access thrombosis to assess the influence of expedited timing on access salvage.

Methods: Between January 2007 and October 2012, 114 surgical thrombectomy attempts were performed on 82 patients to salvage 89 accesses.

Effectiveness of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation differs between decompensated chronic restrictive and obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Objective: To compare the efficiency of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in decompensated patients with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic restrictive pulmonary disease.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: A 17-bed intensive care unit in a university teaching hospital.

Incidence of anaemia, and use of epoetin therapy in pre-dialysis patients: a prospective study in 403 patients.

Background: Recent American and European guidelines recommend that epoetin therapy should be considered whenever the blood haemoglobin (Hb) level is <10-11 g/dl in dialysis patients and in pre-dialysis patients. Thus, data on the current prevalence of anaemia with respect to the degree of chronic renal insufficiency are needed in order to determine the potential indications of epoetin therapy in the pre-dialysis period.

Methods: We prospectively studied 403 consecutive ambulatory pre-dialysis patients whose serum creatinine (Scr) was 200 micro mol/l or more at their first passage at our out-patient clinic between January 1 and June 30, 1999.