Prediction of Visual Outcomes After Diabetic Vitrectomy Using Clinical Factors From Common Data Warehouse.

Purpose: We sought to analyze the visual outcome and systemic prognostic factors for diabetic vitrectomy and predicted outcomes using these factors.

Methods: This was a multicenter electronic medical records (EMRs) review study of 1504 eyes with type 2 diabetes that underwent vitrectomy for proliferative diabetic retinopathy at 6 university hospitals. Demographics, laboratory results, intra-operative findings, and visual acuity (VA) values were analyzed and correlated with visual outcomes at 1 year after the vitrectomy.

Long-term prediction models for vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy using medical features from data warehouse.

We sought to evaluate the performance of machine learning prediction models for identifying vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using only medical data from data warehouse. This is a multicenter electronic medical records review study. Patients with type 2 diabetes screened for diabetic retinopathy and followed-up for 10 years were included from six referral hospitals sharing same electronic medical record system (n = 9,102).

Multicenter Prospective Study of Laparoscopic Nissen Fundoplication for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Korea.

Backgrounds/aims: This multicenter study aims to evaluate the effect and feasibility of anti-reflux surgery compared with medical treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Methods: Patients with GERD who were undergoing medical treatment with proton pump inhibitors for more than 8 weeks and those who were scheduled to undergo anti-reflux surgery were enrolled. Efficacy of pre-operative medical treatment was evaluated retrospectively and effect of anti-reflux surgery was prospectively evaluated at 1 week and 3 months after surgery.

Incidence of thyroid cancer and medical cost among patients with newly diagnosed thyroid nodules in Korea: A retrospective cohort study using nationwide data.

Aims: The frequency of newly diagnosed thyroid nodules is increasing in South Korea. However, few studies have investigated the incidence of thyroid cancer in patients with thyroid nodules using national data. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the incidence of thyroid cancer and medical costs among patients newly diagnosed with thyroid nodules in South Korea.

The Impact of National Surveillance for Liver Cancer: Results from Real-World Setting in Korea.

The National Liver Cancer Surveillance Program (NLCSP) was established in 2003 to reduce the socioeconomic burden imposed by liver cancer (LC). We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the NLCSP in South Korea with respect to survival benefits and cost, after adjusting for various confounding factors. We used the National Health Insurance Service claims data linked with the NLCSP from 2004 to 2015.

Positive Association Between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Metabolic Syndrome in a Korean Population: A Multicenter Nationwide Study.

Background And Aim: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection causes extra-gastrointestinal as well as gastric diseases. This analytical cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the association between H.

The cost-effectiveness of medication, laser trabeculoplasty, and trabeculectomy for treatment of open-angle glaucoma in South Korea.

Objectives: Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) imposes high disease burden in South Korea. Although various effective interventions are available to manage the progression of OAG, there is limited data on the cost-effectiveness of these treatment strategies in South Korea.

Methods: Using a Markov cohort model, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of 3 major treatment strategies (medication, laser trabeculoplasty, and trabeculectomy) for South Korean patients with OAG.

Trends in the seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and its putative eradication rate over 18 years in Korea: A cross-sectional nationwide multicenter study.

The aims of this study were to demonstrate the trends in seropositivity and the eradication therapy rate for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) over an 18-year period in an asymptomatic Korean population and to explore the factors associated with H. pylori seropositivity and its eradication therapy.

Patterns of care for glaucoma patients in Korea from 2002 to 2013 using the national health insurance service claims data.

Due to the rapidly increasing life-expectancy, the prevalence of glaucoma has increased steadily in recent years. We aimed to evaluate the patterns of care and primary treatment strategy patterns in Korea according to glaucoma subtypes to assess the quality of care for glaucoma patients.In this serial cross-sectional survey, the claims data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service was used to identify and group glaucoma patients into primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG), other types of glaucoma, and ocular hypertension from 2002 to 2013.

Utility values for glaucoma patients in Korea.

Objectives: Although determining the quality of life among glaucoma patients has important clinical and public health implications, the utility value of glaucoma patients has not yet been determined in Korea.

Methods: The Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database was used to identify 833 glaucoma patients based on ophthalmologic examinations. The adjusted mean utility values, calculated by EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D-3L), of glaucoma patients according to patient demographics and measures of glaucoma severity were determined using multivariate linear regression analysis.

Epithelial Keratitis After Cataract Surgery.

Purpose: To evaluate the incidence, related perioperative factors, clinical characteristics, and possible etiologies of epithelial keratitis after cataract surgery.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 666 eyes in 666 patients who underwent cataract surgery was performed to evaluate the incidence of epithelial keratitis and related factors in the postoperative period.

Results: Postoperative epithelial keratitis developed in 15 eyes.

Effect of trapping vascular endothelial growth factor-A in a murine model of dry eye with inflammatory neovascularization.

Aim: To evaluate whether trapping vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) would suppress angiogenesis and inflammation in dry eye corneas in a murine corneal suture model.

Methods: We established two groups of animals, one with non-dry eyes and the other with induced dry eyes. In both groups, a corneal suture model was used to induce inflammation and neovascularization.

Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass vs. Sleeve Gastrectomy vs. Gastric Banding: The First Multicenter Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study in Obese Korean Patients.

Purpose: Bariatric surgery is relatively new in Korea, and studies comparing different bariatric procedures in Koreans are lacking. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) for treating morbidly obese Korean adults.

Materials And Methods: In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the medical records of 261 obese patients who underwent different bariatric procedures.

Comparison of postoperative corneal changes between dry eye and non-dry eye in a murine cataract surgery model.

Aim: To compare the effects of the surgical insult of cataract surgery on corneal inflammatory infiltration, neovascularization (NV) and lymphangiogenesis (LY) between the dry eye and non-dry eye in murine cataract surgery models.

Methods: We established two groups of animals, one with normal eyes (non-dry eye) and the second with induced dry eyes. In both groups, we used surgical insults to mimic human cataract surgery, which consisted of lens extraction, corneal incision and suture.

Validation of the Korean version Moorehead-Ardelt quality of life questionnaire II.

Purpose: To investigate the weight loss effects with higher sensitivity, disease specific quality of life (QoL) instruments were important. The Moorehead-Ardelt quality of life questionnaire II (MA-II) is widely used, because it was simple and validated the several languages. The aims of present study was performed the translation of MA-II Korean version and the validation compared with EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D), obesity-related problems scale (OP-scale), and impact of weight quality of life-lite (IWQoL-Lite).

Cost comparison between surgical treatments and endoscopic submucosal dissection in patients with early gastric cancer in Korea.

Background/aims: This study was conducted to evaluate whether medical costs can be reduced using endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) instead of conventional surger-ies in patients with early gastric cancer (EGC).

Methods: Pa-tients who underwent open gastrectomy (OG), laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy (LAG), and ESD for EGC were recruited from three medical institutions in 2009. For macro-costing, the medical costs for each patient were derived from the ex-penses incurred during the patient's hospital stay and 1-year follow-up.

Effectiveness of ultrasonographic screening for thyroid cancer: round-table conference in the National Evidence- based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA) in conjunction with the Korean Thyroid Association.

The incidence rate of thyroid cancer has been increasing worldwide in recent years, and it is also the most prevalent cancer when it comes to the number of patients among Korean women. With it, ultrasonographic screening test has also become very common. However, there is still controversy over the performance of this screening test.

Temporal decrease in overall antibiotic consumption accompanying antibiotic prescribing rate disclosure policy: evidence from analysis of national health insurance claims data in South Korea.

The health insurance review and assessment services, responsible for the assessment of quality and quantity of healthcare providers' services, implemented a public disclosure policy for antibiotic prescribing rate in February 2006. The aim of this study was to investigate changes of overall antibiotic consumption following the policy by analysing national healthcare utilization data from 2005 to 2009. Prescription information of systemic antibiotics excluding antifungals and topical antibiotics was retrospectively collected from the population-based health insurance claims sample data for the five years from 2005 to 2009.

Bariatric surgery for the treatment of severely obese patients in South Korea--is it cost effective?

Background: In South Korea, the number of severely obese patients has increased. An economic study comparing bariatric surgery with nonsurgical interventions has not been published for Asia.

Objectives: This study was conducted to evaluate the cost effectiveness of bariatric surgery as compared to nonsurgical interventions for severe obese Korean people.

Genetic characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter spp. isolated from domestic and imported chicken meats and humans in Korea.

This study was conducted to examine the in vitro activity of antimicrobials against Campylobacter spp. isolates from chicken and human sources and the genetic interrelation among them. During 2004-2008, a total of 173 Campylobacter spp.

Prevalence and characterization of Campylobacter spp. isolated from domestic and imported poultry meat in Korea, 2004–2008.

Campylobacteriosis in humans is primarily caused by handling or consuming contaminated poultry or their products. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in domestic and imported poultry meat in Korea and to further characterize the obtained isolates.