Conservative management versus endovascular or open surgery in the spectrum of type B aortic dissection.

Background: Type B aortic dissection is a life-threatening acute aortic condition often with acute ischemic signs or symptoms. With initial management focusing on alleviating malperfusion and pain, and avoiding propagation of dissection or rupture both systolic blood and pulse pressure should be reduced initially by an aggressive medical approach. In the setting of persistent signs of complications endovascular strategies have replaced open surgery and led to a fourfold increase in early survival and better long-term outcomes.

Starting out in minimally invasive aortic valve replacement in the UK.

Objectives: Here we aim to describe in detail the logical procedure and philosophical approach to establish a minimally access aortic valve replacement programme in the current era.

Methods: A real example of a National Health Service Trust in the United Kingdom has been described in a step-wise manner.

Results: The outcomes of the new procedure established in this fashion are reported and the philosophical lessons learnt from the experiences are highlighted.

Traumatic hand amputations among children in Greece: epidemiology and prevention potential.

Background: Traumatic hand and finger amputations frequently lead to permanent disability.

Objective: To investigate their epidemiological characteristics and estimate the prevention potential among children 0-14 years old, through a cross-sectional survey.

Methods: Nationwide extrapolations were produced based on data recorded between 1996 and 2004 in the Greek Emergency Department Injury Surveillance System and existing sample weights.