Experimental study of a new open stent for vessel banding in a swine model: long-term results.

Aim: A new stent was designed, conceived for being placed externally around blood vessels to perform vessel banding in a much simple and fast way. In fact it requires the dissection of a single segment of the aortic wall, as its mechanical features allow it to slide on the tunica adventitia. After previous tests (ex vivo and in vivo test), the new stent has been evaluated in vivo long-term study.

Effects of glucocorticoids and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors on both clinical and molecular parameters in patients with Takayasu arteritis.

Objective: To explore the effect of sequential treatment with glucocorticoid and tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TA).

Materials And Methods: In five patients with TA, the effects of the sequential treatment with prednisone for 5-7 months and then with adalimumab (ADA) + methotrexate (MTX) or infliximab + MTX, or with ADA only, for 12 months on both clinical and laboratory findings were evaluated.

Results: All treatments improved both symptoms and laboratory parameters without the development of side-effects.

Altered metalloproteinase-9 expression as least common denominator between varicocele, inguinal hernia, and chronic venous disorders.

Background: Varicocele, inguinal hernia, and clinical manifestations related to chronic venous disorders are often associated, and collagen metabolism together with metalloproteinases (MMPs) alterations may be implicated. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between these factors.

Methods: We evaluated tissue and plasma samples from patients with varicocele, inguinal hernia, and great saphenous vein reflux, who underwent surgical treatment for their conditions.

Complications and graft survival in kidney transplants with vascular variants: our experience and literature review.

Introduction: In the literature several reconstructive techniques for vascular anastomoses in case of kidney graft vascular variants are reported. This article reports our experience in kidney transplants with vascular anomalies.

Materials And Methods: Between January 1996 and June 2012, 154 cadaveric kidney transplantations were performed at our center.

Extracorporeal portal vein arterialization in man after extended hepatectomy to prevent acute liver failure: a case report.

Experimental studies have shown that increasing the oxygen supply to the liver through portal vein arterialization (PVA) enhances liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. Moreover, our previous study demonstrated a beneficial effect of an extracorporeal device to increase the oxygenated blood to the liver and to improve the survival rate of animals subjected to subtotal hepatectomy. Herein we have reported a case of PVA through an extracorporeal device to treat a man after extended hepatectomy leading to acute liver failure (ALF).

Urologic complications in kidney transplantation: a single-center experience.

Introduction: Urologic complications are an important cause of morbidity in kidney transplantation. To prevent this occurrence, several studies have reported the benefit of stenting. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two different types of stents to protect the urinary anastomosis in kidney transplantation.