Beating heart minimally invasive mitral valve surgery in patients with previous sternotomy: the operative technique and early outcomes.

Objective: Reoperative mitral valve surgery is increasingly required and can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The beating heart minimally invasive mitral valve surgery has a proposed benefit in avoiding the risks of repeat sternotomy, with reducing the need for adhesiolysis and cardioplegia reperfusion injury. We describe our experience with such a technique in patients with previous sternotomy.

On-X versus St Jude Medical Regent mechanical aortic valve prostheses: early haemodynamics.

Objective: We aimed to compare the early haemodynamic data of the On-X and St Jude Medical (SJM) Regent bileaflet mechanical prostheses in the aortic position.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed using data collected prospectively for a national database. Thirty-three patients who had aortic On-X valve (On-X group) and 33 matched patients who had aortic SJM Regent valve (SJM group) were included.

A meta-analysis of MitraClip system versus surgery for treatment of severe mitral regurgitation.

Background: Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the second most common valvular heart disease after aortic stenosis. Without intervention, prognosis is poor in patients with severe symptomatic MR. While surgical repair is recommended for many patients with severe degenerative MR (DMR), as many as 49% of patients do not qualify as they are at high surgical risk.

A systematic review of transapical aortic valve implantation.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) through a transapical approach (TAAVI) for severe aortic stenosis becomes the procedure of choice in cases where patients have peripheral artery disease and unfeasible access due to excessive atherosclerotic disease of the iliofemoral vessels and aorta. The present systematic review aimed to assess the safety, success rate, clinical outcomes, hemodynamic outcomes, and survival benefits of TAAVI.

Methods: Electronic searches were performed in 6 databases from January 2000 to February 2012.

A systematic review on the safety and efficacy of percutaneous edge-to-edge mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system for high surgical risk candidates.

Background: MitraClip implantation has emerged as a viable option in high surgical risk patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). We performed the present systematic review to assess the safety and efficacy of the MitraClip system for high surgical risk candidates with severe organic and/or functional MR.

Methods: Six electronic databases were searched for original published studies from January 2000 to March 2013.

Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension : a systematic review.

Purpose: Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) is a treatment option for patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The present systematic review was performed to assess the safety and efficacy of PTE for CTEPH.

Methods: A systematic review was performed, and six electronic databases were searched for published studies from January 1999 to February 2010.

Intrathoracic application of a vacuum-assisted closure device in managing pleural space infection after lung resection: is it an option?

Empyema after lung resection is a challenging condition to manage and is associated with a high mortality. Intrathoracic application of a vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) device is recently introduced as an adjunct in the management of this condition. A best evidence topic was constructed to address whether this approach is effective in successful chest closure and reducing hospital stay.

Aortic valve-sparing operations in aortic root aneurysms: remodeling or reimplantation?

A best evidence topic was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether the reimplantation (David) technique or the remodeling (Yacoub) technique provides the optimum event free survival in patients with an aortic root aneurysm suitable for an aortic valve-sparing operation. In total, 392 papers were found using the reported search criteria, of which 14 papers provided the best evidence to answer the clinical question.

Current treatment of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in children.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a fatal viral hemorrhagic fever and is usually transmitted to humans by tick bite, or exposure to infected blood or tissues of infected livestock or humans. Although children can be infected with the CCHF virus, infection is unusual in the younger age group. Early diagnosis and treatment of CCHF infection is critical to the survival of patients and the control of the disease.

Ahmed glaucoma valve and single-plate Molteno implants in treatment of refractory glaucoma: a comparative study.

Purpose: To report 2-year follow-up data after Ahmed valve implantation (New World Medical, Inc) and Molteno single-plate implantation surgical treatment of refractory glaucoma.

Design: Prospective, randomized, comparative study.

Methods: Patients with refractory glaucoma, defined as uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP) of more than 21 mm Hg despite maximal antiglaucoma medication, previously failed nonseton surgical treatment, or a combination thereof were included.

Antibody response to influenza immunization in coronary artery disease patients: a controlled trial.

Safety of and humoral immune response to the anti-influenza vaccine in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients were evaluated. The trivalent vaccine was administered to 137 eligible CAD patients and 67 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Antibody (Ab) titers were measured before and 1 month after vaccination.

Chronic mustard toxicity on the testis: a historical cohort study two decades after exposure.

We aimed to assess the long-term toxic effects of sulphur mustard (SM) on the testis and male fertility two decades after exposure. A historical cohort study was conducted in 2005. Sixty-four SM-exposed and 64 matched SM-unexposed casualties of the Iraq-Iran conflict were enrolled.

A comparison of corneal endothelial cell changes after 1-site and 2-site phacotrabeculectomy.

Purpose: To compare the corneal endothelial cell (CEC) changes that occurred after phacotrabeculectomy performed at 1 or 2 sites.

Design: A historical cohort study.

Methods: The records of patients who had 1-site (n = 61) or 2-site (n = 52) limbus-based phacotrabeculectomy over a 4-year period (2002-2005) at 1 eye surgery center (Vanak Eye Surgery Center, Tehran, Iran) by a single surgeon were reviewed, and postoperative CEC indices were measured.

Therapeutic aspects of hepatitis C in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Since hemodialysis (HD) patients usually suffer from multiple clinical problems and drug side effects, the treatment of hepatitis C in these patients still remains a challenging problem.

Methods: We identified eligible studies using a wide-spectrum search up to May 2007 in MEDLINE (since 1966) and EMBASE (since 1980). Two researchers (S.

Spontaneous perforation of urinary bladder secondary to Candida cystitis: acute abdomen of urologic origin.

Background: Spontaneous urinary bladder perforation is a rare event; presentation as an acute abdomen is rarer still. Fungal cystitis has seldom, and Candida albicans cystitis has never, to our knowledge, been reported as a cause of perforation.

Methods: Case report and literature review.

Accuracy and coverage of reproductive health information on the Internet accessed in English and Persian from Iran.

Background And Methodology: The Internet is a useful resource for obtaining information. We evaluated the accuracy and coverage of reproductive health information on the Internet in English- and Persian-language sites accessed from Iran. An expert committee decided on five reproductive health topics to be evaluated and specified a checklist of content for these (36 items in total).

Corneal endothelial cell injury induced by mitomycin-C in photorefractive keratectomy: nonrandomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of intraoperative use of mitomycin-C (MMC) on the corneal endothelium during excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy (PRK).

Setting: Vanak Eye Surgery Center, Tehran, Iran.

Methods: This nonrandomized trial comprised 81 patients (162 eyes) with bilateral low to moderate myopia and adequate corneal thickness to allow PRK (estimated postoperative residual stromal thickness >350 microm without considering epithelial thickness).

Clinical and epidemiologic features of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever among children and adolescents from southeastern Iran.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical and epidemiologic features of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever among 34 children and adolescents (mean age, 13.3 +/- 4.6 years) from a highly endemic region.

Antibody response to influenza immunization in kidney transplant recipients receiving either azathioprine or mycophenolate: a controlled trial.

Aims: We aimed to assess humoral immune response to the influenza vaccine in adult kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) subjected to two immunosuppressive regimens containing either mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or azathioprine (Aza).

Methods: 40 eligible KTRs (24 treated with Aza [KTRs-Aza] and 16 treated with MMF [KTRs-MMF]) and 40 matched healthy controls (HCs) were administered the trivalent 2006-2007 anti-influenza vaccine. Antibody (Ab) titers were measured before (pre-vacc) and 1 month after (post-vacc) vaccination.

Hepatitis C in hemodialysis patients: current global magnitude, natural history, diagnostic difficulties, and preventive measures.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The reported prevalence of HCV among the HD population has varied greatly from 1.9 to 84.

Morning report: a survey of Iranian senior faculty attitudes.

Morning report (MR) is a universal component of internal medicine training. Despite its omnipresence, little is known about senior faculty attitudes toward MR. We aimed to survey expert attitudes towards MR.

Effect of eradication of Helicobacter pylori on platelet recovery in patients with chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: a controlled trial.

Several recent studies have suggested that an association exists between Helicobacter pylori (HP) eradication and improvement in platelet count in a significant proportion of patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). In this controlled study, we prospectively examined adult patients with chronic ITP for HP infection, and assessed the effect of HP eradication on platelet count. One hundred forty-two consecutive Iranian patients with chronic ITP were assessed.