Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Pre-symptomatic Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia: A Pilot Study.

Pre-symptomatic frontotemporal dementia (FTD) mutation carriers and first-degree family members that are 50% at-risk for FTD may experience symptoms of anxiety and depression as a result of the ambiguity of when or if symptoms of the disease will manifest. We conducted a pilot study to investigate the use of an online mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in presymptomatic frontotemporal dementia (FTD) mutation carriers and individuals 50% at-risk. Seven known mutation carriers and six individuals 50% at-risk completed a standardized 8-week MBSR course, and filled out pre- and post and two-month follow-up questionnaires.

Editor's Choice - Nationwide Analysis of Patients Undergoing Iliac Artery Aneurysm Repair in the Netherlands.

Objective: The new 2019 guideline of the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) recommends consideration for elective iliac artery aneurysm (eIAA) repair when the iliac diameter exceeds 3.5 cm, as opposed to 3.0 cm previously.

An in vitro method to keep human aortic tissue sections functionally and structurally intact.

The pathophysiology of aortic aneurysms (AA) is far from being understood. One reason for this lack of understanding is basic research being constrained to fixated cells or isolated cell cultures, by which cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix communications are missed. We present a new, in vitro method for extended preservation of aortic wall sections to study pathophysiological processes.

[Fragile X syndrome: new therapeutic strategies].

Fragile X syndrome (fxs) is the most common hereditary cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. Targeted treatment is currently lacking. In the past decades an enormous amount of knowledge has been obtained concerning the involved molecular pathways, introducing potential targets for disease modifying therapy.

Two novel cases expanding the phenotype of SETD2-related overgrowth syndrome.

The SETD2-related overgrowth syndrome is also called "Luscan-Lumish syndrome" (OMIM 616831) with the clinical characteristics of intellectual disability, speech delay, macrocephaly, facial dysmorphism, and autism spectrum disorders. We report on two novel patients a 4.5-year-old boy and a 23-year-old female adolescent with a speech and language developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder and macrocephaly, who were both diagnosed with SETD2-related overgrowth syndrome due to de novo frameshift mutations in the SETD2 gene.

Evaluation of hospital outcomes: the relation between length-of-stay, readmission, and mortality in a large international administrative database.

Background: Hospital mortality, readmission and length of stay (LOS) are commonly used measures for quality of care. We aimed to disentangle the correlations between these interrelated measures and propose a new way of combining them to evaluate the quality of hospital care.

Methods: We analyzed administrative data from the Global Comparators Project from 26 hospitals on patients discharged between 2007 and 2012.

Efficacy versus Complications in Arterial Thrombolysis.

Background: Acute peripheral arterial occlusions threaten life and limb. Thrombolysis is an established, minimally invasive alternative treatment for surgical thromboembolectomy. Yet, there is no consensus regarding an optimal thrombolysis protocol, and current knowledge is largely based on studies from the 1990s.

Testing the construct validity of hospital care quality indicators: a case study on hip replacement.

Background: Quality indicators are increasingly used to measure the quality of care and compare quality across hospitals. In the Netherlands over the past few years numerous hospital quality indicators have been developed and reported. Dutch indicators are mainly based on expert consensus and face validity and little is known about their construct validity.

Treatment of Type IIIb Endoleaks After EVAR Using the Nellix EndoVascular Aneurysm Sealing System.

Purpose: To describe the successful endovascular treatment of 2 patients with type IIIb endoleak using the Nellix EndoVascular Aneurysm Sealing (EVAS) System.

Case Report: Two men aged 75 and 83 years presented with type IIIb endoleak several years (8 and 3, respectively) after initial endovascular aneurysm repair. Dual Nellix endoprosthesis were deployed in the stent-grafts, and the endobags were filled with polymer to seal the defect and eliminate the endoleak.

Recovery of Renal Function after Prolonged Anuria in Acute Suprarenal Aortic Occlusion.

Acute suprarenal aortic occlusion is a rare but often catastrophic event. Despite immediate treatment, mortality and morbidity are high. We present a case of acute suprarenal aortic occlusion presenting with renal failure and dyspnea but without lower limb ischemia.

Intraoperative guidance in parathyroid surgery using near-infrared fluorescence imaging and low-dose Methylene Blue.

Background: Identification of diseased and normal parathyroid glands during parathyroid surgery can be challenging. The aim of this study was to assess whether near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging using administration of a low-dose Methylene Blue (MB) at the start of the operation could provide optical guidance during parathyroid surgery and assist in the detection of parathyroid adenomas.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism planned for parathyroidectomy were included.

Aceruloplasminemia presents as Type 1 diabetes in non-obese adults: a detailed case series.

Aim: To detect features that might lead to the early diagnosis and treatment of aceruloplasminemia, as initiation of treatment before the onset of neurological symptoms is likely to prevent neurological deterioration.

Methods: The PubMed and OMIM databases were searched for published cases of aceruloplasminemia. Diagnostic criteria for aceruloplasminemia were undetectable or very low serum ceruloplasmin, hyperferritinemia and low transferrin saturation.

[Re-use of medical data for research. What do the Dutch think of the requirement for explicit consent?].

Objective: How do healthcare consumers perceive the use of medical data for scientific research, within the framework of protection of their personal data?

Design: Survey among 731 members of the Healthcare Consumer Panel of the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL).

Method: A written and online questionnaire was used, consisting of general questions and 4 cases per respondent. The questions concerned the degree of trust respondents have in the use of previously registered data for different kinds of healthcare research, and their willingness to make data available under various conditions without being asked for explicit consent.

Fewer cancer reoperations for medullary thyroid cancer after initial surgery according to ATA guidelines.

Background: Surgery is still the only curative treatment for medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). We evaluated clinical outcome in patients with locoregional MTC with regard to adequacy of treatment following ATA guidelines and number of sessions to first intended curative surgery in different hospitals.

Methods: We reviewed all records of MTC patients (n = 184) treated between 1980 and 2010 in two tertiary referral centers in the Netherlands.

A combined measure of procedural volume and outcome to assess hospital quality of colorectal cancer surgery, a secondary analysis of clinical audit data.

Objective: To identify, on the basis of past performance, those hospitals that demonstrate good outcomes in sufficient numbers to make it likely that they will provide adequate quality of care in the future, using a combined measure of volume and outcome (CM-V&O). To compare this CM-V&O with measures using outcome-only (O-O) or volume-only (V-O), and verify 2010-quality of care assessment on 2011 data.

Design: Secondary analysis of clinical audit data.

Management of undescended testis: a decision analysis.

Background: Undescended testis (UDT) or cryptorchidism is the most common genital anomaly seen in boys and can be treated surgically by orchidopexy. The age at which orchidopexy should be performed is controversial for both congenital and acquired UDT.

Methods: A decision analysis is performed in which all available knowledge is combined to assess the outcomes of orchidopexy at different ages.

Influences of hospital information systems, indicator data collection and computation on reported Dutch hospital performance indicator scores.

Background: For health care performance indicators (PIs) to be reliable, data underlying the PIs are required to be complete, accurate, consistent and reproducible. Given the lack of regulation of the data-systems used in the Netherlands, and the self-report based indicator scores, one would expect heterogeneity with respect to the data collection and the ways indicators are computed. This might affect the reliability and plausibility of the nationally reported scores.

Intraoperative near-infrared fluorescence imaging of parathyroid adenomas with use of low-dose methylene blue.

Background: Intraoperative identification of parathyroid adenomas can be challenging. We hypothesized that low-doses methylene blue (MB) and near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging could be used to identify parathyroid adenomas intraoperatively.

Methods: MB was injected intravenously after exploration at a dose of 0.

Influences of definition ambiguity on hospital performance indicator scores: examples from The Netherlands.

Research Objective: Reliable and unambiguously defined performance indicators are fundamental to objective and comparable measurements of hospitals' quality of care. In two separate case studies (intensive care and breast cancer care), we investigated if differences in definition interpretation of performance indicators affected the indicator scores.

Design: Information about possible definition interpretations was obtained by a short telephone survey and a Web survey.

Nonelective colon cancer resections in elderly patients: results from the dutch surgical colorectal audit.

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess which factors contribute to postoperative mortality, especially in elderly patients who undergo emergency colon cancer resections, using a nationwide population-based database.

Methods: 6,161 patients (1,172 nonelective) who underwent a colon cancer resection in 2010 in the Netherlands were included. Risk factors for postoperative mortality were investigated using a multivariate logistic regression model for different age groups, elective and nonelective patients separately.

Focusing on desired outcomes of care after colon cancer resections; hospital variations in 'textbook outcome'.

Aims: We propose a summarizing measure for outcome indicators, representing the proportion of patients for whom all desired short-term outcomes of care (a 'textbook outcome') is realized. The aim of this study was to investigate hospital variation in the proportion of patients with a 'textbook outcome' after colon cancer resections in the Netherlands.

Methods: Patients who underwent a colon cancer resection in 2010 in the Netherlands were included in the Dutch Surgical Colorectal Audit.

Successful and safe introduction of laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery in Dutch hospitals.

Objective: To investigate the safety of laparoscopic colorectal cancer resections in a nationwide population-based study.

Background: Although laparoscopic techniques are increasingly used in colorectal cancer surgery, little is known on results outside trials. With the fast introduction of laparoscopic resection (LR), questions were raised about safety.

Surgery in adrenocortical carcinoma: Importance of national cooperation and centralized surgery.

Background: The low incidence rate of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) requires a multidisciplinary approach in which surgery plays an essential role because complete resection of the primary tumor is the only chance of cure. To improve patient care, insight into operative results within the ACC population is essential. In 2007, a Dutch Adrenal Network Registry was created covering care and outcome of patients treated for ACC in the Netherlands since 1965.

Choosing between hospitals: the influence of the experiences of other patients.

Objective: Publicly available information on hospital performance is increasing, with the aim to support consumers when choosing a hospital. Besides general hospital information and information on outcomes of care, there is increasing availability of systematically collected information on experiences of other patients. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of previous patients' experiences relative to other information when choosing a hospital for surgical treatment.