Red Blood Cell Transfusion and its Relationship with Pedicle Thrombosis in Microvascular Free Flaps.

Background:  Free flaps have become a highly valuable tool for complex reconstructive surgeries. The requirement of red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) during the perioperative period is common and its effect on the free flap survival is debatable. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between perioperative RBCT and vascular pedicle thrombosis (VPT).

Detection in Colombian Patients with a Diagnosis of Esophageal Achalasia.

Achalasia is a motility disorder of the esophagus that might be secondary to a chronic infection. Several studies have investigated esophageal achalasia in patients with Chagas disease (CD) in Latin America, but no related studies have been performed in Colombia. The goals of the present study were to determine the presence of anti- antibodies in patients with esophageal achalasia who visited a referral hospital in Bogotá, Colombia, and to detect the presence of the parasite and its discrete typing units (DTUs).