Steroids and poor nutrition are associated with infectious wound complications in children undergoing first stage procedures for ulcerative colitis.

Background: Risk factors for postoperative infections have not been evaluated in pediatric patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). This review was undertaken to evaluate the effects of immunosuppressive therapy and other preoperative factors on infectious wound complications in children undergoing first stage surgical therapy for UC.

Methods: A 10-year retrospective review of children under 18 years of age receiving first stage surgical therapy for UC at a major children's hospital was performed.

The whole truth: comparative analysis of diaphragmatic hernia repair using 4-ply vs 8-ply small intestinal submucosa in a growing animal model.

Background: Diaphragmatic reconstruction remains a challenging problem. There is limited information concerning the use of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) in congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair. A canine model was used to evaluate the use of a SIS patch in diaphragmatic reconstruction.