Early Fractional Ablative Laser for Skin Cancer Excision Scars: A Randomized Split-Scar Study.

Background: Fractional ablative laser resurfacing has been shown to improve the final cosmetic appearance of surgical scars, but optimal timing is unknown.

Objective: To compare surgical scars treated with fractional carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) laser performed on Day 0 and Day 14.

Methods: Prospective, randomized, split-scar, physician-blinded study of 30 surgical scars on the limbs.

Noninvasive vaginal rejuvenation.

Vaginal rejuvenation procedures are designed to improve the aesthetic appearance and/or function of the female genitalia. The popularity of these techniques continues to increase as more patients seek to reverse the effects of aging, childbearing, and/or hormonal changes. Newer strategies focus on laser and radiofrequency (RF) devices, which have provided noninvasive options for treatment.

Association Between Surgeon-Specific Features and Number of Stages, Flaps, and Grafts in Mohs Micrographic Surgery: A Retrospective Observational Study of 59 Early-, Mid-, and Advanced-Career Mohs Surgeons.

Background: There is limited data available to correlate Mohs surgeons' behavior and years of experience. Moreover, the recent standardization of Mohs surgery training programs may allow for the prediction of future trends in Mohs micrographic surgery surgery based on the current behavior of recently trained Mohs surgeons.

Objective: To better understand the relationship between surgeon-specific characteristics and the number of Mohs micrographic surgery total cases, stages per case, number of grafts, and number of flaps performed by each surgeon.

Porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct nevus: a unique case treated with CO laser.

Porokeratotic eccrine ostial and dermal duct nevus (PEODDN) is a rare eccrine hamartoma, with treatment generally being unsatisfactory. The unique features of PEODDN presented include bilateral and facial lesions, and extensive body involvement. Management with CO laser was successful, and follow-up will be necessary to monitor for recurrent lesions.

National rates and risk factors for stent failure after successful insertion in patients with obstructed, infected upper tract stones.

Introduction: We report the incidence of stent failure, defined as the need for salvage percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) placement following the placement of a ureteral stent, in patients with infection of an obstructed urinary tract secondary to urolithiasis. We also sought to identify risk factors associated with ureteral stent failure.

Methods: Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we used time trend analysis to examine the incidence of ureteral stent failure for infected urolithiasis, as well as the estimated annual percent change (EAPC) from 1998 to 2010.

Bone mineral density and response to treatment in men younger than 50 years with testosterone deficiency and sexual dysfunction or infertility.

Purpose: Testosterone deficiency is a known risk factor for osteopenia and osteoporosis in older men. Less is known about the impact of testosterone deficiency on bone mineral density in younger men.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts at an andrology/infertility clinic and identified 399 men younger than 50 years who underwent baseline dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and had total testosterone less than 350 ng/dl or free testosterone less than 1.

Possible hypoglycemic action of SX-fraction targeting insulin signal transduction pathway.

Background: SX-fraction (SXF) is a bioactive glycoprotein with hypoglycemic activity that has been demonstrated in our pilot clinical study. However, how it would actually work in diabetic patients remains unclear. To explore such a mechanism, the effects of SXF on the insulin signal transduction pathway were investigated using skeletal muscle L6 cells in vitro.