Results of 1236 endoscopic carpal tunnel release procedures using the Brown technique.

In a series of 1236 patients who underwent endoscopic carpal tunnel releases using the two-portal Brown technique, the results were favorable in 98%, the failure rate was 2%, the instance of iatrogenic injury was 0.08% (one tendon injury), and the overall complication rate was 0.97%.

Prevention of seroma formation after dissection of musculocutaneous flaps.

Dissection of musculocutaneous flaps is uniformly followed by the formation of seroma if drains are not used. Drains can be colonized and form deep tissue infection if left in place for a long time. In this study we investigated whether talc poudrage could prevent the formation of seroma following dissection of the latissimus dorsi muscle in a canine model.

The relationship between timing of repair of disruptions and subsequent aneurysm formation in laser-assisted microvascular anastomoses.

In this study we investigated the effects of duration of bleeding after laser-assisted microvascular anastomoses and the amount of laser energy used to control bleeding on aneurysm formation. Eighty femoral arteries were exposed in 40 Sprague-Dawley rats anesthetized with chloral hydrate. The arteries were transected and then anastomosed end-to-end with three nylon stay sutures followed by irradiation of the vessels with energy from a CO2 laser.

A multimodality approach lengthens warm ischemic time during aortic cross-clamping.

To evaluate the effects of exsanguination, cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD), steroids alone and in conjunction with CSFD on spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPP), and neurological outcome following 70 min of normothermic spinal cord ischemia, we monitored proximal (Px BP) and distal (Ds BP) aortic blood pressure, cerebrospinal fluid pressure, and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP) in 29 mongrel dogs. In all animals Px BP during aortic cross-clamping was controlled with partial exsanguination (40-50% circulating blood volume). Dogs were randomized into four groups (gp): gp 1 (n = 6) control; gp 2 (n = 8) steroids only (methylprednisolone 30 mg/Kg 10 min before aortic occlusion and 4 hr later); gp 3 (n = 8) CSFD only; gp 4 (n = 7) steroids and CSFD.

Pericardiotomy improves left ventricular compliance during sepsis-induced pulmonary artery hypertension.

Sepsis-induced pulmonary artery hypertension (SIPAH) causes an increase in right ventricular (RV) afterload, dilatation of the RV, leftward shift of the interventricular septum (IVS), and therefore decreases left ventricular compliance (LVC). This study was designed to evaluate the role of pericardiotomy during SIPAH as an alternative to vasodilators (which cause a detrimental increase in shunt fraction) to improve LVC. Systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics, pulmonary function, RV, and LVC were acquired at baseline (BL), during SIPAH with closed pericardium (PAHCP) and after opening the pericardium (PAHOP).