Current status analysis of the prevalence and regional disparities of robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy in Japan using diagnosis procedure combination data.

The introduction of the "da Vinci S HD Surgical System" marked a significant shift towards robotic surgeries in Japan. However, initial high costs and lack of efficacy data posed barriers to its widespread adoption. By 2023, more than 570 da Vinci units were operational in Japan, highlighting the growing acceptance of robotic surgery despite these challenges.

Volume-Outcome Relationships for Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major scenario for the use of an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP), particularly when complicated by cardiogenic shock, although the utilization of mechanical circulatory support devices varies widely per hospital. We evaluated the relationship, at the hospital level, between the volume of IABP use and mortality in AMI.

Methods and results: Using a Japanese nationwide administrative database, 26,490 patients with AMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from 154 hospitals were included in this study.

Association between the quantity of stroke care units and the complement of neurosurgical and neurology specialists in Japan: A retrospective study.

Background: Stroke care units provide advanced intensive care for unstable patients with acute stroke. We conducted a survey to clarify the differences in stroke care units between urban and regional cities and the relationship between the number of stroke care unit beds and neurologists.

Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted in 2,857 and 4,184 hospitals in urban and regional cities in 47 provinces of Japan, respectively, between January 2020 and August 2023.

Volume-outcome relationships for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in acute myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the major scenarios of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) use. The utilization of mechanical circulatory support systems including ECMO varies widely at the hospital level, while whether ECMO volume per hospital is associated with outcomes in acute MI is unclear. Using a Japanese nationwide administrative database, a total of 26,913 patients with acute MI undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention from 154 hospitals were included.

Regional variation in the use of revascularisation for peripheral artery disease in Japan: a cross-sectional observational study.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the regional variations in the number of interventions and surgeries for peripheral artery disease (PAD) and explore the major determinants of the variations.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare National Database and Diagnostic Procedure Combination database in 2018.

Effect of admission in the stroke care unit versus intensive care unit on in-hospital mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Background/objective: Few reports have directly compared the outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who are managed in a stroke care unit (SCU) with those who are managed in an intensive care units (ICU). This large database study in Japan aimed to compare in-hospital mortality between patients with AIS admitted into SCU and those admitted into ICU.

Methods: Patients with AIS who were admitted between April 1, 2014, and March 31, 2019, were selected from the administrative database and divided into the SCU and ICU groups.

Pericardial Grafting of Cardiac Progenitor Cells in Self-Assembling Peptide Scaffold Improves Cardiac Function After Myocardial Infarction.

Many studies have explored cardiac progenitor cell (CPC) therapy for heart disease. However, optimal scaffolds are needed to ensure the engraftment of transplanted cells. We produced a three-dimensional hydrogel scaffold (CPC-PRGmx) in which high-viability CPCs were cultured for up to 8 weeks.

Anagrelide-associated Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure in a Patient with Essential Thrombocythemia: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Anagrelide is used worldwide to treat essential thrombocythemia (ET) by reducing platelet counts. Cardiomyopathy and heart failure (HF) are rare but serious complications associated with anagrelide use, although no cases were reported during Japanese Phase I to III studies. A 46-year-old, otherwise healthy, Japanese ET patient developed HF with reduced ejection fraction after 18 months of treatment with 1.

Volume-Outcome Relationships for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background Lower primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) volume is known to be associated with worse outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) at hospital level. The present study aimed to evaluate the relations of primary, elective, and total PCI volume and primary/total PCI volume ratio per hospital to in-hospital mortality in patients with acute MI undergoing primary PCI. Methods and Results Using a large nationwide administrative database, we included a total of 83 076 patients from 154 hospitals in Japan undergoing PCI for either acute MI or elective cases.

Association between early intensive care or coronary care unit admission and post-discharge performance of activities of daily living in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

The management of acute decompensated heart failure often requires intensive care. However, the effects of early intensive care unit/coronary care unit admission on activities of daily living (ADL) in acute decompensated heart failure patients have not been precisely evaluated. Thus, we retrospectively assessed the association between early intensive care unit admission and post-discharge ADL performance in these patients.

Feasibility of management of hemodynamically stable patients with acute myocardial infarction following primary percutaneous coronary intervention in the general ward settings.

Background: Although current guidelines recommend admission to the intensive/coronary care unit (ICU/CCU) for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI), routine use of the CCU in uncomplicated patients with acute MI remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate the safety of management in the general ward (GW) of hemodynamically stable patients with acute MI after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: Using a large nationwide administrative database, a cohort of 19426 patients diagnosed with acute MI in 52 hospitals where a CCU was available were retrospectively analyzed.

Novel myocardial markers GADD45G and NDUFS5 identified by RNA-sequencing predicts left ventricular reverse remodeling in advanced non-ischemic heart failure: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Left ventricular reverse remodeling (LVRR) has been detected in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) patients following optimal treatment. However, its prediction with only conventional modalities is often difficult. This study sought to examine whether RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of myocardium tissue samples could predict LVRR in NIDCM.

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Enhances Endogenous Cardiomyocyte Regeneration after Myocardial Infarction.

Cardiac stem cells or precursor cells regenerate cardiomyocytes; however, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. We generated CreLacZ mice in which more than 99.9% of the cardiomyocytes in the left ventricular field were positive for 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-d-galactoside (X-gal) staining immediately after tamoxifen injection.

Regeneration of the Cardiac Conduction System by Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells.

Background: Adipose tissue is one of the sources of mesenchymal stem cells, which have the potential to differentiate into various types of cells, including myocytes. Whether brown adipose tissue (BAT)-derived cells might differentiate into the cardiac pacemaking-conducting cells, and have the potential to regenerate the cardiac conduction system (CCS), is investigated in this study.

Methods and results: BAT was isolated from the interscapular area of mice and enzymatically digested before culture.

An Abiotic Glass-Bead Collector Exhibiting Active Transport.

Animals relocate objects as needed by active motion. Active transport is ubiquitous in living organisms but has been difficult to realize in abiotic systems. Here we show that a self-propelled droplet can gather scattered beads toward one place on a floor and sweep it clean.

Anti-inflammatory peptides from cardiac progenitors ameliorate dysfunction after myocardial infarction.

Background: Cardiac cell therapy has been proposed as one of the new strategies against myocardial infarction. Although several reports showed improvement of the function of ischemic heart, the effects of cell therapy vary among the studies and the mechanisms of the beneficial effects are still unknown. Previously, we reported that clonal stem cell antigen-1-positive cardiac progenitor cells exerted a therapeutic effect when transplanted into the ischemic heart.

Urotensin II inhibits the proliferation but not the differentiation of cardiac side population cells.

Urotensin II (UII) induces the development of cardiac remodeling and atherosclerosis by promoting hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes and mitogenesis of fibroblasts and vascular smooth muscle cells. But its effect on cardiac side population cells (CSPs), one of somatic stem cells, is unclear. The present study examined the influences of UII on the differentiation and proliferation of CSPs.

Implantation of cardiac progenitor cells using self-assembling peptide improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction.

Implantation of various types of cells into the heart has been reported to be effective for heart failure, however, it is unknown what kinds of cells are most suitable for myocardial repair. To examine which types of cells are most effective, we injected cell-Puramatrix™ (PM) complex into the border area and overlaid the cell-PM patch on the myocardial infarction (MI) area. We compared cardiac morphology and function at 2 weeks after transplantation.