Hand surgery

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous clearance of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is rare in adults. A T-lymphocyte response is thought to be involved in HCV-RNA clearance. Splenectomy reportedly has a beneficial effect on T cell immune function in patients with cirrhosis. To the best of our knowledge, the present report is the first to describe spontaneous clearance of serum HCV-RNA within 1 year after splenectomy in a patient with cirrhosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old man with HCV cirrhosis was transferred to our institution with advanced pancytopenia, splenomegaly, and gastric varices...

Objective: Hands-on surgical training (HOST) for congenital heart surgery (CHS), utilizing silicone-molded models created from 3D-printing of patients' imaging data, was shown to improve surgical skills. However, the impact of repetition and frequency of repetition in retaining skills has not been previously investigated. We aimed to longitudinally evaluate the outcome for HOST on two example procedures of different technical difficulties with repeated attempts over a 15-week period. Methods: Five CHS trainees were prospectively recruited...

Given the high risk of complications associated with cesarean hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), any surgical approach and technique can yield utility in reducing the surgical morbidity. Here, we propose the 3-2-1 approach as a schema to be implemented in the proper setting for the surgical management of a PAS cesarean hysterectomy. The 3-2-1 approach begins with the surgical dissection of three anatomical landmarks that ultimately facilitate a safe surgical site for the ligation and transection of the uterine vessels...

Aims In March 2020 the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the COVID-19 virus a global pandemic. The United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) was placed under unprecedented pressure and hospitals were forced to adapt their working practices to continue offering world-leading healthcare. This project aims to highlight the lessons learnt within hand surgical departments throughout Wales. Using this knowledge, we can consider how these lessons can be implemented in both emergency and elective hand practice...

Unlike other body parts, the upper extremity has critical structures close to the skin, making soft tissue injuries more complex. These injuries can result from various causes, including trauma and necrotizing soft tissue infections, necessitating reconstruction. Historically, pedicled flaps from the groin and abdomen were commonly used for upper extremity reconstruction, but they had limitations, such as the need for flap division and debulking, patient discomfort, and stiffness. Free flap reconstruction has become the preferred method, but it still faces challenges like patient and facility issues, the absence of recipient vessels after injury, and multi-surface wounds...

A 29-year-old right-handed woman presented to an outside emergency department with right small finger pain, swelling, and concern for a retained wooden splinter. Diagnosis and treatment were delayed for 2 weeks due to the inability to identify the foreign body clinically or radiographically. Ultimately, ultrasonography by a fellowship-trained specialist was used to localize the wooden splinter. It was embedded within the flexor tendon sheath but had migrated away from its initial point of entry. The patient underwent subsequent surgical extraction, irrigation, and debridement...

There is evidence that COVID-19 vaccines may affect the lymphatic system. We report a case of a 40-year-old female who had undergone lymph node transfer for treating primary lymphedema of the legs. Six months later, the patient developed lymphedema of the right arm closely related to mRNA vaccination against COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Periventricular pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGG) present a surgical challenge due to their deep-seated location, accessibility, and relationship with the subcortical network connections. Minimally invasive parafascicular approaches with tubular brain retractors (port brain surgery) have emerged, in recent years, as an alternative to conventional microsurgical and endoscopic approaches for removal of periventricular tumors. OBJECTIVES: To describe the minimally invasive approach with tubular brain retractors for periventricular pLGG, its technique, applications, safety, and efficacy...

Neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced colorectal cancer has made great progress in the past 20 years, but there are still limitations such as side effects, organ dysfunction and unsatisfactory control of metastasis. In recent years, with the improvement of surgical techniques and further development of molecular research, how to further improve local control, reduce distant metastasis, and even avoid surgery according to clinical remission to achieve organ preservation, is the current demand and research goal...

Congenital craniofacial malformations play an important role in upper airway obstruction. One of the main causes is mandibular hypoplasia which is present in the pierre robin sequence. Mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) is one of the most commonly used treatments for the resolution of upper airway obstruction in patients that do not respond to a conservative treatment. We performed a long term follow up of syndromic and non-syndromic patients with pierre robin sequence where the lateral xrays were studied before surgery (T1), after MDO (T2) and long-term follow-up (T3, at least 5 years)...

AIMS: Fractures of the humeral shaft represent 3% to 5% of all fractures. The most common treatment for isolated humeral diaphysis fractures in the UK is non-operative using functional bracing, which carries a low risk of complications, but is associated with a longer healing time and a greater risk of nonunion than surgery. There is an increasing trend to surgical treatment, which may lead to quicker functional recovery and lower rates of fracture nonunion than functional bracing. However, surgery carries inherent risk, including infection, bleeding, and nerve damage...

BACKGROUND: Trigger finger is one of the most frequent causes of hand pain and disability. Recently, an endoscopic trigger finger release technique was developed, but outcomes have rarely been reported. Here, we present the outcomes of 2,154 endoscopic trigger finger release procedures in a single center. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 2,154 endoscopic trigger finger release procedures were performed on 2,034 patients. Outcome assessment at 90 days after surgery was classified as excellent, good, fair or poor according to a combination of patient satisfaction with the scar and pain at rest or under load on a numeric rating scale...

Introduction and importance: The hand is one of the most vital organ that the surgeon aims to preserve its function and natural appearance. Gunshot injuries are common, especially in a war zone, and unfortunately, they create complex wounds that are hard to reconstruct and infection is very common. In this article, we report rebuilding segment of index finger with a pedicled osteo-tendo-cutaneous radial forearm flap. Case presentation: A 50-year-old man-African with no past medical comorbidities, sustained trauma to his left index finger by high-velocity injury that led to composite tissue loss including metacarpal and proximal phalanx...

Failed implants of the proximal interphalangeal joint may result in bone and soft tissue deficits and joint instability with limited reliable options for reconstruction besides an arthrodesis procedure. The purpose of this report is to illustrate the use of vascularized second toe joint for salvage of failed, multi-operated proximal interphalangeal joint in two active patients. Pre-existing scars are used to define the approach and choice of donor site. Flow through anastomosis was performed on the finger digital artery...

Teaching microsurgery is limited by the availability of appropriate training models. In-vivo models, such as rats, remain the gold standard, but ethical and economic limitations restrict their use for initial training. This study investigated the feasibility of using egg membrane as an inert model, an accessible and economical alternative for introduction to microsurgery. The specifications for inert models include ease of access, low cost, high reproducibility and realistic reproduction of relevant characteristics...

OBJECTIVE: Trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis is the second most common degenerative articular disease. Although initial therapy should be conservative, surgical treatment is often required. Several surgical techniques have been described, but none has proved to be a gold-standard. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical and radiological results of trapeziometacarpal interposition arthroplasty with the PyroDisk implant (Integra LifeSciences). METHODS: A retrospective long-term study of all patients who underwent trapeziometacarpal interposition arthroplasty with a pyrocarbon implant at our institution was performed...

OBJECTIVE: De Quervain's tenosynovitis causes pain and impairment of thumb function. Conservative treatments comprise corticosteroid injection and immobilization, and it is unclear which offers greater efficacy. Previous reviews were limited by the small number of included studies; thus an updated review and meta-analysis is warranted. METHODS: A systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted. Randomized control trials comparing corticosteroid injection to immobilization were included...

PURPOSE: With this prospective randomized control trial (RCT), we aim to provide the outcome analyses of the three most used treatment modalities for distal end of radius (DER) fracture management in the elderly. METHODS: A prospective randomized control trial was performed. Fifty-two patients with DER fractures (AO A2, A3, C1, or C2) were randomized to the casting (n = 17), percutaneous pinning (n = 18), and the volar plating group (n = 17)...

Of the strategies considered to limit the discomfort of corticosteroid injection, one is to inject without lidocaine to reduce the total volume and avoid acidity. In a Bayesian trial, adults receiving corticosteroid injections were randomized to receive 0.5 mL of triamcinolone with or without 0.5 mL of lidocaine. Serial analysis was performed until a 95% probability of presence or absence of a 1.0-point difference in pain intensity on the 0-10 Numerical Rating Scale was reached. Injections with lidocaine were associated with a median of 2...

The aim of the present study was to report our experience in the evolution in surgical strategy and patient satisfaction after upper limb reconstruction in tetraplegic patients. A total of 72 patients (114 upper limbs) underwent surgery between 1997 and 2017. Since April 2003, tenodesis of the extensor digitorum communis tendons was no longer performed because it limited wrist flexion, and two-stage operations to restore active grasp were replaced by one-stage procedures. In total, 34 patients (58 upper limbs) completed questionnaires about function and satisfaction at a mean follow-up of 14 years (range 4-24) since their first operation; 26 were satisfied, 30 would have the operation again and 31 benefitted from the surgery...