Outcomes of Bariatric Surgery Following Insurance Coverage Adoption: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Background: Although bariatric surgery is the most effective obesity treatment, few nationwide cohort studies have evaluated its safety. This study aimed to evaluate surgical trends after insurance coverage implementation and analyze the surgical outcomes of bariatric surgery.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of bariatric surgery in patients with obesity was conducted using data from Korean National Health Insurance System (NHIS) claims.

Long-term Patency and Complications of Endovascular and Surgical Revascularization for Takayasu Arteritis.

Purpose: Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a rare form of chronic vasculitis that is common in Asian female. As TAK predominantly affects young female with a longer life expectancy than those with atherosclerotic diseases, assessing the specific long-term outcomes of TAK treatment is important. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes and post-procedural complications of surgical and endovascular treatment for TAK.

Influence of orthodontic bracket block-out materials on superimposition errors when substituting scanned dental imaging data onto computed tomography images.

Purpose: The study was performed to examine the error associated with image superimposition when computed tomography (CT) images of the dental region are substituted with dental scan data, according to the block-out material used in dental impressions.

Materials And Methods: A typodont model was created by bonding orthodontic brackets to teeth on plaster dental stones using melted dental base-plate wax. In the experiment, 2 groups were compared: one using wax and the other using putty as the block-out material to prevent tearing of the impression material during the acquisition of dental impressions.

Therapeutic role of aripiprazole in cartilage defects explored through a drug repurposing approach.

Articular cartilage has a limited regenerative capacity, resulting in poor spontaneous healing of damaged tissue. Despite various scientific efforts to enhance cartilage repair, no single method has yielded satisfactory results. With rising drug development costs, drug repositioning has emerged as a viable alternative.

Increased risk of injury and adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and effects of pharmacotherapy: a nationwide longitudinal cohort study in South Korea.

Children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at an increased risk of accidents and injuries, and ADHD medication has been shown to mitigate this risk in these populations. However, the injury risk and the influence of ADHD medication in adults with ADHD remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the injury risk in adults with ADHD and assess the impact of ADHD medication on this risk.

Evaluation of the Diagnostic Efficacy of the AI-Based Software INF-M01 in Detecting Suspicious Areas of Bladder Cancer Using Cystoscopy Images.

We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the artificial intelligence (AI)-based software INF-M01 in diagnosing suspected bladder tumors using cystoscopy images. Additionally, we aimed to assess the ability of INF-M01 to distinguish and mark suspected bladder cancer using whole cystoscopy images. : A randomized retrospective clinical trial was conducted using a total of 5670 cystoscopic images provided by three institutions, comprising 1890 images each (486 bladder cancer images and 1404 normal images).

The pattern of the distribution of incompetent segments within the great saphenous vein at C2 lower extremity: A report conforming to the 2024 IAC standards and guidelines.

Objectives: To analyze the distribution of incompetent segments in the great saphenous vein (GSV) in Clinical, Etiological, Anatomical, Pathophysiological (CEAP) classification C2 limbs to provide a reference for appropriate diagnosis and treatment planning.

Methods: We analyzed the distributions of incompetent segments in the GSVs of the C2 lower extremity undergoing duplex ultrasound from September 2017 to December 2023. The examined segments were the saphenofemoral junction (SFJ), GSV at the proximal thigh, GSV at the knee, and GSV below the knee.

Personal variation in patient-centered relevance Index based on individual characteristics and medical conditions among patients with diabetes Mellitus in Korea.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify patients at higher risk for regional disengagement from health services using the Patient-centered Relevance Index (P-RI).

Methods: This nationwide retrospective cohort study analyzed the relationship between the P-RI and individual patient characteristics, including medical conditions and healthcare utilization patterns. The National Health Insurance Service claims database was used to characterize healthcare utilization by 3,046,914 patients with DM from 2017 to 2020.

Early management of adult sepsis and septic shock: Korean clinical practice guidelines.

Background: Despite recent advances and global improvements in sepsis recognition and supportive care, mortality rates remain high, and adherence to sepsis bundle components in Korea is low. To address this, the Korean Sepsis Alliance, affiliated with the Korean Society of Critical Care Medicine, developed the first sepsis treatment guidelines for Korea based on a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: A de novo method was used to develop the guidelines.

Efficacy and safety of everolimus for patients with focal cortical dysplasia type 2.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of everolimus in treating seizures associated with focal cortical dysplasia type 2 (FCD 2).

Methods: A prospective, crossover, placebo-controlled clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03198949) enrolled patients aged 4-40 years with pathologically confirmed FCD 2 and a history of ≥3 seizures per month for two out of the 3 months prior to screening.

Clinical effects of walking exercise program for older adults applied with an exercise assist robot (Bot Fit): A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Interval walking exercise (IWE) consists of repeated walking for 3 min with high intensity, followed by 3 min of walking with low intensity. A wearable robot is an exoskeleton system that is worn on the body and helps the body move.

Research Question: The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of performing IWE using Bot Fit (Samsung Electronics, Korea) on older adults.

Intensive blood pressure lowering in acute stroke with intracranial stenosis post-thrombectomy: A secondary analysis of the OPTIMAL-BP trial.

Background: Intensive blood pressure (BP) management within 24 h after successful reperfusion following endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is associated with worse functional outcomes than conventional BP management in Asian randomized controlled trials. Given the high prevalence of intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) in Asia, ICAS may influence these outcomes.

Aims: We aimed to assess whether ICAS affects the outcomes of intensive BP management after successful EVT.

Antibiotic Exposure and Risk of Parkinson Disease in South Korea: A Nationally Representative Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background And Objectives: Recent studies have suggested that antibiotics could be a contributing factor to Parkinson disease (PD), but validation in other population cohorts, such as Asians, is needed. This study examined the association between exposure to antibiotics and PD risk in the Korean population.

Methods: Using the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database, this population-level cohort research study from Korea included 298,379 people aged 40 years and older who underwent a national health examination in 2004-2005.

Separate apical root formation of injured immature teeth: a case series and literature review.

This report presents three cases of separated root tip formation following traumatic injury with or without inflammation. The first case showed continued separate apical root formation; however, development of the main root with bony ingrowth was absent. The second case showed that separated root formation continued under the 2-year inflammatory conditions, even after apexification.

Post-Transplant Vitamin D Deficiency in Lung Transplant Recipients: Impact on Outcomes and Prognosis.

Despite the recognized clinical significance of vitamin D deficiency in other solid organ transplant recipients, its specific relevance in lung transplantation remains to be fully understood. In this study, we performed a retrospective observational study on the impact of vitamin D deficiency on clinical outcomes and prognosis in 125 lung transplant recipients (LTRs) from October 2014 to March 2020 at a university hospital in Seoul, South Korea. Among 125 LTRs, 51 patients (40.

Accuracy of 3-dimensional surgical guide for endodontic microsurgery with a new design concept: A cadaver study.

Aim: Despite the high success rate of endodontic microsurgery (EMS), it is difficult to suggest EMS as a general treatment option considering the difficulty of the procedure. A surgical guide has been proposed to overcome this problem. This study aimed to evaluate the stability of the surgical guide of a new design concept, as well as the accuracy of root resection, and to introduce the manufacturing method of the newly designed surgical guide.

Romosozumab following denosumab improves lumbar spine bone mineral density and trabecular bone score greater than denosumab continuation in postmenopausal women.

Romosozumab following anti-resorptive can be an effective sequential treatment strategy to improve bone strength. However, whether the transition to romosozumab after denosumab is associated with greater improvement in bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular bone score (TBS) compared to denosumab continuation remains unclear. In this propensity score-matched cohort study, we analyzed data from postmenopausal women who initiated denosumab between 2017 and 2020.

Acellular Particulated Costal Allocartilage Improves Cartilage Regeneration in High Tibial Osteotomy: Data From a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: This study aimed to compare short-term arthroscopic and clinical outcomes between microfractures with (treatment group) and without (control group) acellular particulated costal allocartilage in patients undergoing concurrent high tibial osteotomy (HTO).

Design: This retrospective cohort study enrolled 19 and 21 patients in the treatment and control groups, respectively, and reviewed them at a minimum 2-year follow-up after HTO. Cartilage regeneration status was evaluated according to the International Cartilage Repair Society-Cartilage Repair Assessment (ICRS-CRA) grading and Koshino's macroscopic staging systems during medial locked plate removal.

Inadvertent Detachment of Stent Retrievers: Report of 2 Cases.

Mechanical thrombectomy using a stent retriever is a widely-used technique for recanalizing occluded cerebral arteries in acute ischemic stroke. Although rare, inadvertent stent detachment has primarily been reported with earlier stent retriever designs. We present 2 cases of inadvertent stent detachment with the pRESET stent.