Surgical management of chronic orchialgia after inguinal hernia repair.

Background: Orchialgia is a rare but significant complication experienced after open and minimally invasive inguinal hernia repairs with or without mesh. Causes have been theorized to include trauma to the spermatic cord, mesh-induced inflammation, vascular insult, fibrosis or mesh scarring of the cord, and neuropathic injury to the autonomic paravasal nerve fibers supplying the testicle. Though less frequently described than inguinodynia, orchialgia can be severely debilitating.

The Association Between Grit and Weight Loss After Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Objective: Grit is a person's ability to establish long-term goals and work to achieve those goals irrespective of any barriers. We examined the relationship between the personality trait grit, obesity, and metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS)-induced weight loss.

Methods: In an ongoing prospective cohort, 104 adult patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) had preoperative grit questionnaires administered.

The Role of Releasing Incisions in Emergency Inguinal Hernia Repair.

The majority of inguinal hernia repairs worldwide are performed on an outpatient basis. However, incarceration and concern for strangulation of abdominal contents necessitates emergent repair in order to address visceral ischemia. In the setting of salvageable ischemia, this necessitates release of strangulation of blood supply by the hernia defect and reduction of visceral contents into the abdominal cavity.

Comparison of Eastern and Western patients undergoing bariatric surgery at two US and Korean institutions: a retrospective analysis of differing bariatric patient populations.

Background: Currently, there are differences in both demographics and indications for bariatric surgery between Eastern and Western countries. We compared postoperative outcomes between Korean and American bariatric programs in order to assess how bariatric surgery differently affects these populations.

Methods: We enrolled 540 patients who underwent bariatric surgery at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and 85 patients who underwent surgery at Kosin University Gospel Hospital (KUGH) between January 2019 and December 2020.

Endoscopic therapies for patients with obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Obesity is a major threat to public health and traditional bariatric surgery continues to have low utilization. Endoscopic treatments for obesity have emerged that offer less risk, but questions remain regarding efficacy, durability, and safety. We compared the efficacy of endoscopic bariatric procedures as compared to other existing treatments.

Correlation of Computed Tomography, Pathological Findings, and Clinical Outcomes for Appendicoliths in Appendicitis.

Objectives: To correlate preoperative imaging of fecaliths with what is seen in surgical specimens.

Background: Early studies considered radiological findings of appendicoliths as a contraindication for nonoperative treatment of appendicitis. There is no standard definition for what is labeled as an appendicolith radiologically and little is known about the pathological correlates of these lesions.

Incidence and risk factors for early gastrojejunostomy anastomotic stricture requiring endoscopic intervention following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a MBSAQIP analysis.

Background: Gastrojejunostomy (GJ) stricture is one of the most commonly recognized complications following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). The risks involving the formation of early GJ stomal stenosis are largely unknown. The aims of this study are to evaluate the rate and risk factors associated with GJ stricture in patients requiring esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) within 30 days after LRYGB.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonists in the prevention and treatment of murine systemic lupus erythematosus.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists are known to have many immunomodulatory effects. We have previously shown that the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone is beneficial when used early in prevention of disease in murine models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and SLE-related atherosclerosis. In this report, we demonstrate that another PPARγ agonist, pioglitazone is also beneficial as a treatment for early murine lupus, indicating that this is a class effect and not agent-specific.

The effect of mycophenolate mofetil on disease development in the gld.apoE (-/-) mouse model of accelerated atherosclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease that is characterized by autoantibody production and inflammatory disease involving multiple organs. Premature atherosclerosis is a common complication of SLE and results in substantial morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). The reasons for the premature atherosclerosis in SLE are incompletely understood, although chronic inflammation is thought to play an important role.

Endoscopic sclerotherapy for the treatment of weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: outcomes, complications, and predictors of response in 575 procedures.

Background: Weight regain after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is common. Endoscopic sclerotherapy is increasingly used to treat this weight regain.

Objectives: To report safety, outcomes, durability, and predictors of response to sclerotherapy in a large prospective cohort.