Decibel Decisions: The Concept of Intracranial Aneurysm Surgery With a Decibel Meter on Two Surgical Cases.

The present cases were used to investigate the reliability of the intraoperative decibel meter as an objective method of clipping efficiency in cerebral aneurysm surgery and to assess the impact of this method on the surgical procedure itself. Different methodologies have been developed and applied to directly or indirectly evaluate the placement of a clip, for example, intraoperative digital subtraction angiography (DSA), intraoperative micro-Doppler ultrasonography, and, more recently, indocyanine green (ICG). We included two patients with a previously non-treated unruptured brain aneurysm. In both patients, intraoperative micro-Doppler was used in combination with a decibel meter app. Here, we present the cases of two patients. In patient one, the pre-clipping average sound level/equivalent continuous sound pressure level (Avg/Leq) was 96.7 dB, while the post-clipping Avg/Leq was 94.4 dB, indicating a reduction in sound level after clipping. Similarly, the pre-clipping time-weighted average noise level (TWA) was 1.2%, while the post-clipping TWA was 0.5%, indicating a decrease in exposure dose after clipping. In patient two, the average sound level for the post-clipping measurement (94.2 dB) was higher than the pre-clipping measurement (93.5 dB), but the difference was not statistically significant. These cases indicate the potential for using sound measurements as a reliable indicator of adequate aneurysm occlusion during clipping procedures. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Quality of life assessment in ocular toxoplasmosis in a Colombian population.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life in patients with ocular toxoplasmosis. METHODS: The participants were 29 otherwise healthy patients with retinochoroidal lesions consistent with Toxoplasma infection. The controls were 29 gender and age-matched people with normal visual function who came from the same socioeconomic and educational background as the participants. The authors used the version of the National Eye Institute 25-item visual function questionnaire (NEI VFQ25). RESULTS: Patients with ocular toxoplasmosis had statistically significant lower scores than controls for all the subscales, except for color vision. Patients with bilateral lesions were more affected in the mental health, difficulties role, and specific vision subscales. The median of the compound score for the participants was 79 (range 35-99) and for the controls was 95 (range 72-98). CONCLUSIONS: People with ocular toxoplasmosis have worse vision-related quality of life than people without the condition, especially if they have bilateral lesions and more recurrences.

Esterilización tubárica laparoscópica / Tubaric laparoscophic Sterilization

Se presenta un estudio descriptivo de 3340 mujeres las cuales solicitaron voluntariamente al servicio de Ginecobstetricia del Hospital Provincial Docente Dr Antonio Luaces Iraola, la esterilización quirúrgica, desde octubre de 1995 y octubre del 2007, con el objetivo de estudiar el comportamiento de algunas variables, como la edad, los antecedentes obstétricos y ginecológicos, técnica quirúrgica utilizada, hallazgos encontrados y complicaciones. Entre los principales resultados están que las mujeres entre 30 y 34 años ocupan el mayor por ciento (36.4 por ciento). En el número creciente de las gestaciones y la paridad se incremento el número de mujeres que desean esterilizarse por esta vía. El mayor porcentaje refería solo un aborto. Se recoge el antecedente de 100 cesáreas previas y 22 embarazos ectópicos. Fueron los signos de secuela de un proceso inflamatorio pélvico, la presencia de los tumores del útero y del ovario los hallazgos más frecuentes encontrados. Es la oclusión tubárica bilateral con los anillos de silastic la técnica más empleada. Estos resultados se muestran en tablas. Se concluye que éste procedimiento de control de la fecundidad tiene una gran aceptación y demanda por la población femenina de nuestra región.

A descriptive study of 3340 women , which asked for the surgical sterilization from October/1995 to October/2007 to the Gynaecobstetrician Service of the Provincial Docent Hospital “Dr. Antonio Luaces Iraola”, was presented with the purpose to studying the behavior of some variables, such as age, the obstetric and gynaecobstetric antecedents, the surgical technique used, the discoveries made and complications. Among the main results noted were: women between 30 and 34 years represented the highest percent (36.4 percent). The number of women that desire to be sterilized through this method has incresed. The highest persent refered just an abortion. The antecedents of 100 previous cesarotomies and 22 ectopic pregnancies have been collected. The signs of consequence of a pelvic imflammatory process, the presence of womb and ovarian tumours were the discoveries more frequently found. The bilateral tubal occlusion with silastic rings is the most used technique of all. It is arrived to the conclusion that this procedure of control of fecundation owns a great acceptance and demand by the female population of our region.