The use of an illuminated retractor in cochlear implantation: a comparative retrospective study.

Background: Minimal access surgery has been promoted to reduce the surgical duration and complications of cochlear implant (CI) surgery. A requirement of minimal access surgery is adequate visualization of the surgical cavities.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a new light-integrated surgical retractor reduced CI surgical time.

Increasing trends in kidney cancer over the last 2 decades in Saudi Arabia.

Objectives: To examine the trends of kidney cancer over the last 2 decades in a subset of a Saudi Arabian population.  

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in a tertiary care center including all adult patients with primary kidney cancer who presented and were managed between 1990 and 2010. The time period was split into 4 quartiles, and variables tested and compared using chi-square, T-test, and Kaplan-Meier curves for survival.