Outcomes after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt: a "bridge" to nowhere.

Background: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt (TIPS) has become the modality of choice for complicated portal decompression. This study was undertaken to determine outcomes after TIPS and the usefulness of TIPS as a "bridge" to transplantation.

Methods: Patients undergoing TIPS from 2001 to 2010 at a teaching hospital with a transplant program were studied.

Patients' perceptions of laparoendoscopic single-site surgery: the cosmetic effect.

Background: Laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery can be performed without apparent scarring, while maintaining the salutary benefits of conventional laparoscopic surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare patients' preoperative and postoperative perceptions of LESS surgery.

Methods: Before and after undergoing LESS surgery, 120 patients were given questionnaires; their responses were assimilated and analyzed.