Long-Term Outcomes of Ventral Hernia Repair: An 11-Year Follow-Up.

Background: Ventral hernia repair (VHR) is one of the most common general surgery procedures; however, few studies with long-term follow-up of VHR outcomes exist.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of VHRs performed from 2000 to 2009 at a single institution. Our primary outcome was recurrence, and secondary outcomes were reoperations and complications including seroma, hematomas, abdominal wall abscess, wound infections, and mesh infections.

Continued In-Hospital Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor and Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker Use in Hypertensive COVID-19 Patients Is Associated With Positive Clinical Outcome.

Background: This study investigated continued and discontinued use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) during hospitalization of 614 hypertensive laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients.

Methods: Demographics, comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory data, and ACEi/ARB usage were analyzed. To account for confounders, patients were substratified by whether they developed hypotension and acute kidney injury (AKI) during the index hospitalization.

Machine learning paradigm for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI evaluation of expanding bladder.

Delineation of the bladder under a dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MRI protocol requires robust segmentation. However, this method is subject to errors due to variations in the content of fluid within the bladder, as well as presence of air and similarity of signal intensity in adjacent organs. Introduction of the contrast media into the bladder also causes signal errors due to alterations in the shape of the bladder.

A Platform to Record Patient Events During Physiological Monitoring With Wearable Sensors: Proof-of-Concept Study.

Background: Patient journals have been used as valuable resources in clinical studies. However, the full potential value of such journals can be undermined by inefficiencies and ambiguities associated with handwritten patient reports. The increasing number of mobile phones and mobile-based health care approaches presents an opportunity to improve communications from patients to clinicians and clinical researchers through the use of digital patient journals.

Blood flow augmentation by intrinsic venular contraction in vivo.

Venomotion, spontaneous cyclic contractions of venules, was first observed in the bat wing 160 years ago. Of all the functional roles proposed since then, propulsion of blood by venomotion remains the most controversial. Common animal models that require anesthesia and surgery have failed to provide evidence for venular pumping of blood.