A prospective study of nurse and patient education on compliance with sequential compression devices.

Sequential compression devices (SCD) have become the most common form of prophylaxis against the formation of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) among surgical patients. However, compliance with SCD has traditionally been poor. The aim of this study was to assess the affect of patient and nurse education by surgeons on SCD compliance.

Use of decellularized human skin to repair esophageal anastomotic leak in humans.

Multiple surgical techniques have been described for repair of esophageal leaks. None of the repairs are optimal, and the morbidity and mortality of an esophageal leak remains high. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of use of AlloDerm (Lifecell Corp, Brachburg, NJ) to successfully repair a thoracic anastomotic esophageal leak.

Disability and chronic pain after open mesh and laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.

Proponents of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair maintain that the associated costs and risks are offset by faster recovery and less postoperative pain. It was our hypothesis that the incidence of chronic pain in both groups of our patients was not as high as reported in the literature. Patients for the study were identified from a community hospital medical record database.

Interleukin 10: ability to minimize postoperative intraperitoneal adhesion formation in a murine model.

Objective: To determine the ability of interleukin 10 (IL-10) to suppress postoperative intraperitoneal adhesion formation.

Design: Randomized, controlled trial.

Setting: University animal research facility.