Postoperative outcome of patients undergoing lung resection presenting with new-onset atrial fibrillation managed by amiodarone or diltiazem.

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common complication after thoracic surgery. The objective of the study was to prospectively evaluate the postoperative outcome of patients undergoing lung resection and presenting with new onset of AF. The postoperative course of AF was also evaluated in relation to either amiodarone or diltiazem employed as anti-arrhythmic agents.

Thoracoscopic parietal pleural argon beam coagulation versus pleural abrasion in the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Objective: The obliteration of pleural space is useful to prevent recurrences of spontaneous pneumothorax. We retrospectively compared the results of pleural argon beam coagulation versus pleural abrasion in the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Methods: Between 1996 and 2004, 136 patients underwent surgery for primary spontaneous pneumothorax, with 143 surgical procedures, all performed by VATS.

In vivo effects of a novel degradable filler.

Novel types of permanent and transient fillers are proposed both in plastic and reconstructive surgery and in dermatology. Different molecules with high biocompatibility, no side effects, and slow degradation rate in human tissues are emerging. The importance of degradable fillers significantly increased in recent years for a variety of reasons: surgical injection of these materials is easier and with less side effects; treatment could be performed in a short time; patient's reported pain is scant; treatment-related expenses and cost for the patient are relatively low.

Ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenoma.

Ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenomas may be cause of Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PH). The occurrence of these lesions is explainable on embryologic basis. We report the case of a 20-year-old patient with PH due to an ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenoma located in the anterior mediastinum.

Management of postintubation membranous tracheal rupture.

Background: Postintubation tracheobronchial laceration is a rare complication of general anesthesia. A renewed interest in this disorder induced us to review our experience on its treatment, focusing on the evolution of the surgical approach, and describing a technical variation of the transcervical approach.

Methods: From January 1994 to December 2002 we treated 13 patients with diagnosis of postintubation tracheobronchial laceration.

Bio-Alcamid in drug-induced lipodystrophy.

The development of new drugs to counter human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has led to an increase in lipodystrophic syndrome among HIV-infected individuals receiving combination therapy. Bio-Alcamid(TM) is a recently developed polymeric substance that can be implanted to compensate for adipose effects. We have implanted this substance in 73 patients with up to three years' follow-up.