Transanal endoscopic microsurgery in small, large, and giant rectal adenomas.

OBJECTIVE To assess the outcomes of transanal endoscopic microsurgery in small (<3 cm), large (3-5 cm), and giant (>5 cm) lesions and compare these with reports of alternative techniques. DESIGN Data from January 1998 to February 2010 were prospectively collected. Lesions were divided into 3 groups according to the maximum diameter (group A, <3 cm; group B, 3-5 cm; and group C, >5 cm) and outcomes were analyzed separately.

Use of a remotely steerable "robotic" catheter in a branched endovascular aortic graft.

We report the use of a remotely steerable catheter to treat kinked renal bridging stents 8 months after branched endovascular repair of a type III thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. Conventional techniques using single, coaxial, and manually steerable sheaths proved too unstable to provide the support required to pass a wire against resistance through the kinked stent. A remotely steerable "robotic" catheter provided sufficient precision and stability to cross the kink and reline it with an additional stent, restoring renal perfusion.

Complications of transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEMS): a prospective audit.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the postoperative complications of Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEMS) excision of rectal lesions.

Method: A prospective audit of 262 consecutive TEMS procedures performed by a single surgeon between 1999 and 2008.

Results: The mean age of patients was 72 years.

Altered monocyte CD44 expression in peripheral arterial disease is corrected by fish oil supplementation.

Background And Aims: CD44 and its splice variants can be expressed on all leukocytes, conferring adhesive properties and enhancing cellular recruitment to the endothelium during inflammation. CD44 expression is increased in inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and CD44 variant 3 (CD44v3) expression may be associated with inflammation. We have examined CD44 and CD44v3 expression on peripheral blood monocytes from patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and healthy controls.