Recent Advances in the Use of Stem Cells in Tissue Engineering and Adjunct Therapies for Tendon Reconstruction and Future Perspectives.

Due to their function, tendons are exposed to acute injuries. This type of damage to the musculoskeletal system represents a challenge for clinicians when natural regeneration and treatment methods do not produce the expected results. Currently, treatment is long and associated with long-term complications. In this review, we discuss the use of stem cells in the treatment of tendons, including how to induce appropriate cell differentiation based on gene therapy, growth factors, tissue engineering, proteins involved in regenerative process, drugs and three-dimensional (3D) structures. A multidirectional approach as well as the incorporation of novel components of the therapy will improve the techniques used and benefit patients with tendon injuries in the future.

The effect of plasma cytokines on the expression of adiponectin and its receptors in the synovial membrane of joints and the infrapatellar fat pad in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that leads to joint destruction. Numerous pro-inflammatory mediators, including adipokines, play an important role in the pathogenesis of RA. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships between selected plasma cytokines and expression of adiponectin and its receptors in the synovium and the infrapatellar fat pad in patients with RA and osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Blood, synovium and fat pad samples from 18 patients with RA and 18 with OA were collected during joint replacement surgery. Spearman rank correlations between plasma concentrations of selected cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 p40, IL-13, IL-17, G-CSF and GM-CSF) and the expression of adiponectin and its receptors were determined. Plasma levels of cytokines were determined using a magnetic bead-based multiplex assay, mRNA expression of adiponectin and its receptors were determined by real-time PCR. RESULTS: In OA patients, there were significant positive correlations between adiponectin expression in the synovial membrane and plasma levels of IL-1ß, IL-4, G-CSF and GM-CSF, as well as a significant positive correlation between adiponectin expression in the fat pad and plasma levels of GM-CSF. In addition, OA patients showed significant negative correlations between AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 expression in the synovial membrane and plasma IL-6 levels, as well as between AdipoR2 expression in the synovial membrane and plasma MCP-1 and TNF-α levels. In patients with RA, there were no significant correlations between adiponectin expression in the synovial membrane and infrapatellar fat pad and plasma levels of the cytokines studied. In addition, RA patients showed a statistically significant negative correlation between AdipoR1 expression in the synovial membrane and plasma levels of TNF-α, IL-7, IL-12 and IL-13, and a significant negative correlation between AdipoR1 expression in the infrapatellar fat pad and plasma levels of IL-1ß. CONCLUSIONS: Adiponectin and its receptors showed the correlations with several plasma cytokines, however, a thorough understanding of the role of adiponectin in RA and OA requires further investigation.

The Role of Omentin-1 in Cancers Development and Progression.

Adipose tissue serves as an energy store and is also an active endocrine organ, exerting activity that influences obesity-related processes through the production of regulatory proteins called adipokines or adipocytokines. Adipokines play important direct and indirect roles in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, the regulation of local and systemic inflammatory processes, and related metabolic complications. There have been an increasing number of studies showing the relationship between some adipokines and carcinogenesis. This work reviews the current literature concerning the effects of omentin-1 on carcinogenesis.

The Role of Adipokines in the Pathogenesis of Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic and immune-mediated skin condition characterized by pro-inflammatory cytokines and keratinocyte hyperproliferation. Dendritic cells, T lymphocytes, and keratinocytes represent the main cell subtypes involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, while the interleukin-23 (IL-23)/IL-17 pathway enhances the disease progression. Human adipose tissue is an endocrine organ, which secretes multiple proteins, known as adipokines, such as adiponectin, leptin, visfatin, or resistin. Current evidence highlights the immunomodulatory roles of adipokines, which may contribute to the progression or suppression of psoriasis. A better understanding of the complexity of psoriasis pathophysiology linked with adipokines could result in developing novel diagnostic or therapeutic strategies. This review aims to present the pathogenesis of psoriasis and the roles of adipokines in this process.

Minimally invasive and invasive liver surgery based on augmented reality training: a review of the literature.

A liver surgeon's knowledge of anatomy is critical. Due to the patient's small field of vision, patient specific, complex nerve system, and other factors, even a minor loss can result in irreversible damage. Surgeons could benefit from the use of augmented reality (AR) technology, which would bring three-dimensional image data into the operating room. AR visualization can improve surgical procedures, facilitate intraoperative planning, and enhance surgical guidance for the anatomy of interest, all of which contribute to the application's minimal invasiveness. This literature review on image guidance in liver surgery provides the reader with information about AR techniques. To ascertain the current state of Augmented reality technology's application in liver surgery, a PubMed and Embase search were conducted using the following keywords: < (Augmented reality) AND (liver surgery) > and < 'Augmented reality' AND 'liver surgery' > (publication date from January 1991 until Jun 2022). The query yielded a total of 205 publications-excluded papers in other languages, virtual reality (VR), and reviews leaving 135 studies for review. After removing duplication, the titles and abstracts of those studies were manually reviewed. Finally, 31 pertinent studies were determined to be pertinent to the subject. Generally, augmented reality technology includes preoperative planning and three-dimensional reconstruction, intraoperative three-dimensional navigation, and registration. Visualization may be aided by virtual three-dimensional reconstruction models of the liver from Computed Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans. The results demonstrate that by utilizing augmented reality technology, blood vessels and tumor structures in the liver can be visualized during surgery, allowing for precise navigation during complicated surgical procedures. Augmented reality has been demonstrated to be safe and effective in both minimally invasive and invasive liver surgery. With recent advancements and significant effort by liver surgeons, augmented reality technologies have the potential to increase hepatobiliary surgical procedures dramatically. However, further clinical trials will be necessary to evaluate augmented reality as a tool for reducing post-operative morbidity and mortality. The impact of these cutting-edge computerized image guidance techniques on clinically relevant outcome parameters should be assessed in the future.

The effect of cosmetic surgery on mental self-image and life satisfaction in women undergoing breast augmentation: An intermediate role of evaluating the surgery as one of the most important life events.

AIM: To estimate changes in self-perception and satisfaction in women undegoing breast augmentation surgery (BAS). METHODS: Using a quasi-experimental questionnaire study design, we enrolled a cohort of BAS women treated at a private clinic during a 5-year interval. The primary predictor variable was treatment (before/after). The main outcome variables included effect of considering breast augmentation as one of the most important life events on self-image (BAOMILE), and subjective evaluation of physical appearance and life satisfaction. Other study variables were demographic data. The Mann-Whitney and the Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare the outcomes between before and after the surgery. The Spearman rank correlation and the Pearson chi-squared test were computed to analyze the relationships among variables. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 53 subjects (52.3% married; 40.9% from medium-sized towns) with a mean age of 33.2 ± 6.4 years (range, 21-46). Life satisfaction was significantly increased after BAS in the whole cohort (preop., 7.83 vs. postop., 8.42; P = .003; 95% CI, -0.95 to -0.22) as well as in the BAOMILE subgroup (preop., 7.87 vs. postop., 8.56; P = .011; 95% CI, -1.20 to -0.17). Within the BAOMILE subgroup, there was a positive correlation between the appearance assessment and the number of positive traits before surgery (ρ = 0.63; P = .002; 95% CI, 0.27-0.83) and life satisfaction after surgery (ρ = 0.480; P = .03; 95% CI, 0.06-0.74). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that BAS improves self-perception and life satisfaction of the patients. The psychologist's role in understating patient's motivation for cosmetic surgery and the revision of their attitudes towards expected effects require further investigations.

Operative material left in the abdominal cavity during surgical procedures.

The authors present seven cases of surgical drape left in body cavities during surgical operations. The most common symptoms reported by these patients are analysed and the consequences of leaving a foreign body in the abdominal cavity are summarised. In the majority of cases, the time elapsed from the operation to the detection of the foreign body was an average of 17 months. In one case, the foreign body remained in the abdomen for 7 years. The most common symptom reported by patients was abdominal pain. Some patients also developed wound healing disorders with leakage of pus from the wound, fever, nausea and vomiting, weight loss or intermittent tarry stools. In most cases, the foreign body required reoperation to remove it. Major surgery with stoma creation or bowel resection was required. In one case described, the consequence of leaving a surgical drape was the death of the patient. In three cases, there was spontaneous expulsion of the surgical sling by the patient by natural means.

Neuroticism Level and Life Satisfaction in Women Undergoing Breast Augmentation Surgery (a Preliminary Report).

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to verify the relationship between the level of neuroticism and selected aspects of life satisfaction in women undergoing breast augmentation surgery. METHODS: The study group included 109 women, aged 18-46 years, who completed the self-developed survey measuring selected psychological traits before and after (1 year) surgery. Four questions in this survey were related to the level of neuroticism and two pertained to the self-assessment of leading character traits and the level of life satisfaction. Three questions made up the lie scale. RESULTS: The studied women were constant in their truthfulness. No statistically significant difference in the level of neuroticism before and after surgery was noticed. However, an increase in the subjective life satisfaction after surgery was highly significant (p < 0.001). Statistically significant negative correlations of neuroticism level with the self-assessment of positive character traits (rs = - 0.236; p = 0.013) and life satisfaction (rs = - 0.277; p = 0.004) were found before surgery. Also, a significant positive correlation was observed between neuroticism and the change in life satisfaction 1 year after surgery (rs = 0.302; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Breast augmentation surgery did not affect neuroticism level, which proves that constitutional personality traits in women undergoing such operations are not significantly influenced by a surgical intervention. However, neuroticism may play the role of a modulator of the psychological changes in women after breast augmentation (e.g., an increased postsurgical life satisfaction). The preliminary results obtained in our study should be confirmed on a larger sample size in the future. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Surgical instrument left inside abdomen.

Leaving surgical instruments in the patient's body is one of the most difficult situations in the professional career of an operator and it can also have severe consequences for the patient. Contrary to world literature, there are no reports of such incidents in Polish publications. Lack of such reports creates an illusion that leaving surgical instruments in the patient's body does not happen in Poland, which is an unsubstantiated thesis. This paper presents two cases of leaving hemostats in the abdominal cavity. According to the authors, similar publications may facilitate critical assessment of the existing rules for inspecting instruments and surgical material by surgical teams. Importantly, confirming the compliance of instruments and material by surgical nurses is not the only criterion of assessment in this matter for the operator.

Major vascular injury during laparoscopy.

Major Vascular injury during laparoscopy is most deadly complication of laparoscopy. This report is review major vascular injuries based on surgeon's relation and literature. The incidence of MVI is 0,04-0,1%. Extremely important is to learn proper technique of insuflation. According to patient's physique surgeon should consider best technique of insuflation, take caution against slim people, and induct implements with proper angle. We should avoid excesive force during trocar and Verres's needle insertion, we also should avoid redundant movement after Verres needle is inserted in abdomen cavity. Elevation of the anterior abdominal wall at the time of Veress or primary trocar insertion is routinely recomended. Major vascular injury is seriously underestimated problem of laparoscopic operations.

[Extensive basal cell cancer of the scalp - case reports]. / Rozlegly rak podstawnokomórkowy skóry glowy - opis przypadków.

Basal-cell canceris a slow growing, rarely metastasizes, locally malignant skin cancer. Patients with this neoplasm usually have excellent prognosis. Potentially, in some cases, a good prognosis cause a delay in therapy. Delay or withdrawal from treatment might lead to higher local extension of tumour with the destruction of the surrounding tissue. In this article we are presenting two patients with extensive basal cell cancer. The first patient underwent plastic surgery for extensive basal-cell carcinoma located in the parietal and temporal area. The second patient was observed due to recurrence of extensive basal cell carcinoma in the parietal region. Local advancement of the primary tumor could be a reason for the lack of radicality of surgery. Such advancement is rarely seen nowadays. The cases demonstrate the need for awareness about the possible severe course of the disease.

Recording and Analysis of Bowel Sounds.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to construct an electronic bowel sound recording system and determine its usefulness for the diagnosis of appendicitis, mechanical ileus and diffuse peritonitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of 67 subjects aged 17 to 88 years including 15 controls was examined. Bowel sounds were recorded using an electret microphone placed on the right side of the hypogastrium and connected to a laptop computer. The method of adjustable grids (converted into binary matrices) was used for bowel sounds analysis. RESULTS: Significantly, fewer (p ≤ 0.05) sounds were found in the mechanical ileus (1004.4) and diffuse peritonitis (466.3) groups than in the controls (2179.3). After superimposing adjustable binary matrices on combined sounds (interval between sounds <0.01 s), significant relationships (p ≤ 0.05) were found between particular positions in the matrices (row-column) and the patient groups. These included the A1_T1 and A1_T2 positions and mechanical ileus as well as the A1_T2 and A1_T4 positions and appendicitis. For diffuse peritonitis, significant positions were A5_T4 and A1_T4. CONCLUSION: Differences were noted in the number of sounds and binary matrices in the groups of patients with acute abdominal diseases. Certain features of bowel sounds characteristic of individual abdominal diseases were indicated. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS: BS: bowel sound; APP: appendicitis; IL: mechanical ileus; PE: diffuse peritonitis; CG: control group; NSI: number of sound impulses; NCI: number of combined sound impulses; MBS: mean bit-similarity; TMIN: minimum time between impulses; TMAX: maximum time between impulses; TMEAN: mean time between impulses. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Zaborski D, Halczak M, Grzesiak W, Modrzejewski A. Recording and Analysis of Bowel Sounds. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2015;5(2):67-73.

Consent for Surgery in View of an Ambigious Court Decision - Case Report.

Guardianship courts seem to issue decisions in case of the need to obtain consent for surgery, amongst other things, when the patient is unable to consciously express written consent, and at the same time does not have a legal representative or a statutory representative does exist, but settlement with him is impossible. The presented study case demonstrated the abnormalities of applying court procedures, as well as the responsibilities and dilemmas posed in front of a surgeon. A specialist surgeon wanted to help the patient and he was able to accomplish his mission.

Physical attractiveness and self-assessment before and after breast augmentation.

BACKGROUND: This study verifies selected opinions on breast cosmetic surgery in the population of Polish women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 78 women aged 20 to 48 years were surveyed between 2008 and 2010 before and after breast augmentation surgery using a questionnaire. The χ and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used for statistical analysis. Most were married and single women aged approximately 30 years and residents of large cities. RESULTS: The significance of professional success in the hierarchy of values and the level of self-assessment increased after surgery (P = 0.0000 and 0.0213, respectively). The distribution of responses concerning the expectations of surgery and the evaluation of their fulfillment changed significantly (P = 0.0031). In general, the satisfaction with one's life after surgery also increased (P = 0.0000). CONCLUSIONS: A well-thought-out decision on breast cosmetic surgery positively affects at least several spheres of psychosocial functioning and fulfills most women's expectations.

Postoperative interstitial hernia as a cause of obscure incisional wound site pain.

An interstitial hernia is one in which the hernia sac is located between the layers of the abdominal wall. The analysis of contemporary literature shows that interstitial hernias are most often seen in children as a type of inguinal hernia and often accompany undescended testis. The hernia sac is usually located between the external-oblique and internal-oblique muscles in a lateral-cephalic direction. The authors present 3 cases of interstitial hernia found during laparoscopic exploration of the front abdominal wall done due to incisional wound site pain. No previous diagnosis of hernia was considered in all the cases. Hernias were found as complications of appendectomy and wound healing after radiotherapy of uterine and cervical cancer. In conclusion, in obscure wound site pain, the presence of an interstitial postoperative hernia should be considered as a possible reason for the complaint. Laparoscopic examination of the anterior abdominal wall during adhesiolysis in patients with abdominal pain enables proper diagnosis and treatment.

Migration of a foreign body into the colon and its autonomous excretion.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of foreign body retention in the abdominal cavity ranges from 1 in 100 to 1 in 3000 surgeries performed. Worldwide literature describes only a few cases of the migration of misplaced surgical gauze into the colon. CASE REPORTS: The first case is a 60-year-old patient following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, who excreted (on his own) a cotton sheet 30 × 65 cm after 26 weeks, which did not possess a radiological locator. The latter fact caused diagnostic difficulties in interpreting ultrasonography, CT-scans and abdominal X-rays. Colonoscopy after 4 months following the excretion of the sheet showed flat, stretched ulceration of the colonic wall near the hepatic turn. The second case is a 76-year-old who had undergone several abdominal surgeries, including a classical cholecystectomy and extirpation of the uterus along with related tissues, as a result of cancer and with subsequent radiotherapy. The reason for the last intervention was an occlusion, which required a resection due to abscesses inside the peritoneal cavity. Abdominal pain continued after the surgery. Uroscopy and abdominal X-rays were performed 3 months later, which confirmed the presence of foreign matter in the abdominal cavity. CONCLUSIONS: Most foreign objects that have migrated into the colon will be excreted autonomously, which warrants a conservative assessment. Radiologically-tagged materials should be used, which will greatly ease identification in cases of suspected retention of surgical materials in the abdominal cavity.

[Gall bladder stones during pregnancy in the age of laparoscopic cholecystectomy]. / Kamica zólciowa w ciazy, w dobie cholecystektomii laparoskopowej.

Not all pregnant women with gall bladder stones can be treated conservatively--some of them require surgery. The main indications for cholecystectomy are the following: repeated episodes of biliary colic and acute cholecystitis. There is no data indicating which moment during the pregnancy may be the safest to perform the operation. Nowadays, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is more often performed than the traditional procedure. Initial reports about unfavorable results of laparoscopic procedures during pregnancy were not confirmed later on. In most medical centers the preparation of pregnant women for the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, as well as operating technique and postoperative management, do not differ significantly from the management of other patients. There is a general agreement that laparoscopic surgery in case of pregnant patients requires not only a close cooperation between the surgeon and the obstetrician, but also a lot of experience in the laparoscopic technique itself. Further research and publications are needed on this topic, as they might prove the clinical value of this kind of management by showing a significant number of observations regarding laparoscopic cholecystectomies in pregnant women. It is true not only of surgeons but also of the obstetricians.

Effect of 4-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (formestane) on the bile secretion and metabolism of 4-(14)C-cholesterol to bile acids.

4-Hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione (formestane) is a selective aromatase inhibitor. It is indicated for postmenopausal patients with advanced breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 4-hydroxyandrost-4-ene-3,17-dione on the bile secretion and metabolism of 4-(14)C-cholesterol to bile acid. The experiments were carried out in the ovariectomized and sham-operated female Wistar rats. Formestane (20 mg/kg, i.m., daily) was administered to animals for 2 weeks. Twenty four hours after the last drug administration, rats were anesthetized with ethyl urethane. 4-(14)C-cholesterol (740 kBq/kg, s.a. 2.28 GBq/mmol) was infused for 1 min by catheter inserted into the jugular vein. Bile samples were assayed for total 14C radioactivity 14C-bile acids were determined in bile (after thin-layer chromatographic separation) by the use of isotopic technique with liquid scintillator. Previous studies showed that systemic adverse effects occurred in about 12% of patients following intramuscular drug administration. Many of them such as hot flushes, vaginal spotting and emotional lability were related to the mechanism of action of formestane i.e. estrogen suppression. Lethargy, rash, nausea, dizziness, indigestion, ataxia, cramps and facial swelling have also been reported. The results of the present study have shown that formestane administered to the female ovariectomized rats decreased the bile secretion and diminished conversion of 4-(14)C-cholesterol to trihydroxy bile acids. The decreased synthesis of trihydroxy bile acids and increased concentrations of cholesterol and litocholic acid in bile may be associated with increased risk of gallstone formation.