Ureteric embolization for lower urinary tract fistulae: use of two amplatzer vascular plugs and N-butyl cyanoacrylate employing the "sandwich" technique.

Purpose: This study describes and evaluated the effectiveness of occluding distal ureters in the clinical setting of urinary vaginal (vesicovaginal or enterovesicovaginal) fistulae utilizing a new technique which combines Amplatzer vascular plugs and N-butyl cyanoacrylate.

Materials: This is a retrospective study (January 2007-December 2010) of patients with urinary-vaginal fistulae undergoing distal ureter embolization utilizing an Amplatzer-N-butyl cyanoacrylate-Amplatzer sandwich technique. An 8-12-mm type-I or type-II Amplatzer vascular plug was delivered using the sheath and deployed in the ureter distal to the pelvic brim.

Effect of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement on renal function: a 7-year, single-center experience.

Purpose: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation has been shown to improve renal function in small series of patients with hepatorenal syndrome. The present study examined the effect of TIPS creation on renal function in a large series of patients undergoing TIPS creation who had varying degrees of baseline renal function.

Materials And Methods: All de novo TIPS creations during a 7-year period at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed regardless of indication.

TRAM linker: a safety-catch linker for the traceless release of acrylamides.

[reaction: see text] A novel safety-catch linker for the solid-phase synthesis of small-molecule libraries containing electrophilic reactive groups has been developed. Upon cleavage from solid support, the linker generates a Michael acceptor (an acrylamide) on each library member. Utilization of a two-resin system in the final cleavage step provides crude products in high purity, allowing direct use in biological assays following filtration and evaporation.