Minimally Invasive Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Prospective Comparative Analysis between Bulking Agent and Single-Incision Sling.

Introduction: The study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of bulking agents and single-incision slings in the treatment of urinary incontinence in 159 patients during a 29-month follow-up period.

Material And Methods: Of the 159 patients suffering from stress urinary incontinence, 64 were treated with bulking agents (PAHG Bulkamid) and 75 with a single-incision sling (Altis). The ICIQ-UI-SF (Incontinence Questionnaire-Urine Incontinence-Short Form), PISQ-12 (Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaires short form), FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index), FSDS (Female Sexual Distress Scale), and PGI-I (Patient Global Improvement Index) were used to assess efficiency and quality of life.

Iodized Salt May Not Be Sufficient to Guarantee an Adequate Iodine Intake in Pregnant Women.

Adequate iodine intake is of crucial importance in pregnancy to meet the thyroid hormone needs of both mother and fetus. In the present study, undertaken as a part of the surveillance actions following the introduction in Italy of a national salt iodination program in 2005, the iodine intake was investigated in 123 pregnant women and 49 control women living in the same area of central Italy. All the participants were screened for urinary iodine concentration (UIC), serum level of thyrotropin, free-thyroxine, free-triiodothyronine, and thyroid volume.

Early and sustained efficacy of fremanezumab over 24-weeks in migraine patients with multiple preventive treatment failures: the multicenter, prospective, real-life FRIEND2 study.

Background: To verify the long-term (24-week) efficacy, safety, and tolerability of fremanezumab in real-life patients with high-frequency episodic migraine (HFEM: ≥ 8 days/month) or chronic migraine (CM: ≥ 15 days/month), and multiple preventive treatment failures.

Methods: This is a prospective, cohort, real-life study at 28 headache centers on consecutive patients affected by HFEM or CM with multiple preventive treatment failures who were prescribed subcutaneous fremanezumab (225 mg monthly/675 mg quarterly) for ≥ 24 weeks. Primary endpoint was the change in monthly migraine days (MMDs) in HFEM and monthly headache days (MHDs) in CM at weeks 21-24 compared to baseline.

Quality of life and sexual function evaluation in women with urogynecological diseases analyzed with telemedicine during the COVID-19 period: the beginning of a new era?

Background: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the implementation of remote medical care in the management of patients suffering from specific urogynecological diseases can be a valid alternative to outpatient visits leading to a huge saving of resources which can be used for real emergencies. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to demonstrate that patients treated with telehealth had the same improvement in symptoms and Quality of Life as those treated with outpatient visits.

Methods: Observational analysis on women with urogynecological diseases was performed during restrictive measures period.

The August 24, 2016, Central Italy Earthquake: Validation of the "Modified Utstein Template for Hospital Disaster Response Reporting" As a New Tool for Reporting Hospitals' Response to Disasters.

Background: After-action reports analyze events and improve knowledge about how to prevent and react to unexpected situations. Anyway, there is no consensus among the templates developed for disaster events reporting, and there is not a specific model for reporting hospital disaster response.

Objective: The study was aimed to pilot the use of a new assessment tool for hospital response to natural disasters.

Golimumab in real-life settings: 2 Years drug survival and predictors of clinical outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis.

Objectives: To assess the drug survival of golimumab, and predictors thereof, in patients affected with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SpA), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in a prospective observational cohort.

Methods: This is a non-interventional, longitudinal study on RA, SpA, and PsA patients starting treatment with golimumab. Endpoints were the 2 years persistence rate of golimumab and predictors of therapy discontinuation.

Role of cardiac dyssynchrony and resynchronization therapy in functional mitral regurgitation.

Functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is a common complication of left ventricle (LV) dysfunction and remodelling. Recently, it has been recognized as an independent prognostic factor in both ischaemic and non-ischaemic LV dysfunctions. In this review article, we discuss the mechanisms through which cardiac dyssynchrony is involved in FMR pathophysiologic cascade and how cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) can have therapeutic effects on FMR by reverting specific dyssynchrony pathways.

A case of disseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis and diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis.

A rare case of simultaneous uncommon pathologies in the same patient is described: diffuse leiomyomatosis and disseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis (DPL). The evolution and monitoring of this rare clinical case together with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are presented.

Effect of infliximab on small bowel stenoses in patients with Crohn's disease.

Aim: To assess prospectively small bowel stenoses in Crohn's disease (CD) patients treated with infliximab using Small Intestine Contrast Ultrasonography (SICUS).

Methods: Twenty patients (M 12, age, 42.7 +/- 11.

Recurrence of functional mitral regurgitation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy undergoing mitral valve repair: how to predict it.

This study was aimed at identifying predictive variables for recurrence of mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) undergoing mitral valve (MV) repair. From January 1997 to December 2005, 142 patients with DCM, 105 (73.9%) ischemic and 37 (26.

The role of the antioxidant vitamin supplementation in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Industrial and technological revolutions have resulted in dramatic shifts in the diseases that are responsible for illness and death. In particular, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has emerged as the dominant chronic disease in many parts of the world. Diet, tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, lipid levels, hypertension and diabetes mellitus have contributed to their wide diffusion.

Pneumatosis coli induced by acarbose administration for diabetes mellitus. Case report and literature review.

The authors report a case report of rare disease interesting the digestive tract and often associated to the other gastrointestinal pathologies and/or pulmonary diseases and can be also associated to not gastrointestinal conditions such as collagen-vascular disease, transplantation, AIDS, use of corticosteroid and chemotherapy; other causes can be iatrogenic such as traumatic gastrointestinal endoscopy (a mucoses biopsy, a polipectomy) or the assumption of lattulosio; in 15-20% of cases the pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is considered primitive. In the our case the Pneumatosis coli was associated to administration of acarbose; in international literature only four papers in the English language were reported. Our patient showed a strongly aspecific symptomatology and easily attributable in first line or to the pathology of base (diabetic patient) or to the assumption of the acarbose; from about 7-8 months she showed unexplained episodes of crampy abdominal pain, diarrhea with 3-4 defecations/die with semiliquid and normochromic stools, tenesmus and a not better specified loss of weight.

Myocardial revascularization with and without cardiopulmonary bypass: advantages, disadvantages and similarities.

Objectives: Off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery is becoming increasingly popular although its effectiveness remains controversial. Our goal was to investigate the effectiveness of on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery on early (30 days) and long-term (5 years) clinical outcome in two groups of patients selected using propensity scores.

Methods: From November 1994 to December 2001, 4381 patients underwent isolated coronary surgery.

Left ventricular aneurysmectomy: endoventricular circular patch plasty or septoexclusion.

Background: Septoexclusion is a technique described by Guilmet in the mid 1980s. Its indications and midterm results are evaluated and compared to those obtained with the Dor operation.

Methods: From January 1998 to April 2001, 79 patients had an exclusion of scars following myocardial infarction in left anterior descending artery (LAD) territory.

Early and late outcome of myocardial revascularization with and without cardiopulmonary bypass in high risk patients (EuroSCORE > or = 6).

Objective: To evaluate 30-day and late results in high risk patients (European score (EuroSCORE) > or = 6) who underwent isolated myocardial revascularization with and without cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: From November 1994 to December 2001, 1266 patients with EuroSCORE > or = 6 underwent isolated myocardial revascularization. Among them, applying the propensity score, we were able to select 1020 patients operated on without CPB (group A, n=510) and with CPB (group B, n=510) with the same preoperative characteristics.

Aortic valve exposure through a combined right atrial-ascending aortic approach in redo cases.

The expanded use of tissue valves in the aortic position lead to an increased number of reoperations in cases o valve failure. The approach to an aortic prosthesis can be difficult because of heavy adhesions, especially if biological glue was used in the first procedure and the interval between the first and second operation is short.

Treatment of vaginal vault prolapse with abdominal sacral colpopexy using prolene mesh.

Background: We report our experience of abdominal sacral colpopexy (ASC) with a prolene mesh in women with total vaginal vault prolapse.

Materials And Methods: From 1994 to 1997, 15 patients (average age 57 years), underwent ASC. All the patients suffered from a serious vaginal vault prolapse.

Left anterior small thoracotomy (LAST): mid-term results in single vessel disease.

Background: Left anterior descending artery grafting using the left internal mammary artery via a left anterior small thoracotomy (LAST) gained new popularity in 1994. We review our experience in 250 of 512 patients who underwent a LAST in single vessel left anterior descending artery disease from November 1994 to October 1997.

Methods: Left anterior descending artery stabilization was obtained pharmacologically and mechanically.

Left internal mammary elongation with inferior epigastric artery in minimally invasive coronary surgery.

Objective: Sometimes the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) is not long enough to reach a too lateral LAD when a left anterior small thoracotomy (LAST operation) is the surgical approach to graft the LAD. LIMA elongation with an inferior epigastric artery (IEA) can be an useful surgical option.

Methods: From November 1994 to June 30, 1996, out of 289 patients who underwent LAST operation; 28 patients had a LIMA elongation with an IEA, 20 patients had single vessel disease, 4 had two vessel disease, and 4 three vessel disease.