Racial Disparities in Surgical Treatment of Uterine Fibroids During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Analyze the association between race and surgery performed for uterine fibroids during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Retrospective exploratory cross-sectional study of patients with fibroids who underwent surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. We compared the type of surgery performed (minimally invasive hysterectomy [MIH], uterine-sparing procedure [USP], or total abdominal hysterectomy [TAH]) by White versus non-White patients.

Port-Site Metastasis in Gynecological Malignancies.

Background: Minimally invasive oncologic surgery has become the standard of care in many gynecologic cancers. While laparoscopic surgery provides many benefits to patients, such as faster recovery, there are unique challenges associated with minimally invasive techniques. Port-site metastasis is a rare complication after laparoscopic oncologic surgery in management of gynecologic malignancies.

Laparoscopic Posterior Versus Lateral Transversus Abdominis Plane Block in Gynecology.

Background And Objectives: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a safe and effective type of regional anesthesia technique used in laparoscopic gynecologic surgery to minimize postoperative pain. Our study aimed to compare the analgesic effects of the posterior versus lateral approaches to laparoscopic-assisted TAP block in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

Methods: We performed a randomized controlled trial with 82 patients allocated to either posterior (n = 38) or lateral (n = 44) TAP block groups.

TLR4 Deters Perfusion Recovery and Upregulates Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2) in Ischemic Skeletal Muscle and Endothelial Cells.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in regulating muscle regeneration and angiogenesis in response to ischemia. TLR2 knockout mice exhibit pronounced skeletal muscle necrosis and abnormal vessel architecture after femoral artery ligation, suggesting that TLR2 signaling is protective during ischemia. TLR4, an important receptor in inflammatory signaling, has been shown to regulate TLR2 expression in other systems.

Intraoperative digital specimen mammography: a significant improvement in operative efficiency.

Background: The goal of this study was to determine the length of operative time and its effect on surgeon productivity with the use of intraoperative digital specimen mammography (IDSM) compared to standard specimen mammography (SSM).

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on 344 consecutive patients from a single breast surgeon from 2003 to 2010. Operative time was compared between procedures using SSM vs IDSM.

TLR2 and TLR4 mediate differential responses to limb ischemia through MyD88-dependent and independent pathways.

Introduction: The danger signal HMGB1 is released from ischemic myocytes, and mediates angiogenesis in the setting of hindlimb ischemia. HMGB1 is a ligand for innate immune receptors TLR2 and TLR4. While both TLR2 and TLR4 signal through myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), TLR4 also uniquely signals through TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF).

Reentrant spiral waves of spreading depression cause macular degeneration in hypoglycemic chicken retina.

Spreading depression (SD), a slow diffusion-mediated self-sustained wave of depolarization that severely disrupts neuronal function, has been implicated as a cause of cellular injury in a number of central nervous system pathologies, including blind spots in the retina. Here we show that in the hypoglycemic chicken retina, spontaneous episodes of SD can occur, resulting in irreversible punctate lesions in the macula, the region of highest visual acuity in the central region of the retina. These lesions in turn can act as sites of origin for secondary self-sustained reentrant spiral waves of SD that progressively enlarge the lesions.