Comprehensive Evaluation of Quality of Life following Upper Eyelid Blepharoplasty: A Prospective Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Upper eyelid blepharoplasty is a surgical procedure that addresses both aesthetic and functional concerns, offering transformative potential for patients' overall well-being. This study systematically evaluates the comprehensive impact of upper eyelid blepharoplasty on patients' quality of life, employing rigorous methodologies and standardized assessment protocols. Materials and Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted, involving 348 patients aged 49 to 87 years. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either continuous or intradermal sutures following upper eyelid surgery. Validated FACE-Q questionnaires were used to assess various outcomes, including early-life impact, expectations, satisfaction with eyes, overall face satisfaction, satisfaction with the outcome, psychological function, social function, and adverse effects. Results: Results indicate significant improvements in multiple domains of patient-reported outcomes following upper eyelid blepharoplasty, including satisfaction with eyes, overall face satisfaction, satisfaction with the outcome, psychological function, and social function. Notably, no significant differences were observed between suturing techniques regarding patient satisfaction and well-being. Adverse effects were minimal and improved over time. Conclusions: The study underscores the transformative nature of upper eyelid blepharoplasty in enhancing patients' quality of life, addressing both cosmetic and functional concerns. Utilizing standardized assessment tools like the FACE-Q questionnaire facilitates a comprehensive understanding of treatment outcomes and enables patient-centered care. Overall, this research contributes to the growing evidence supporting the positive impact of upper eyelid blepharoplasty on patients' well-being, emphasizing the importance of continued research and standardized assessment protocols in advancing patient care in cosmetic surgery.

Evaluation of ocular pulse amplitude changes after the retinal detachment repair.

Purpose: The study was conducted to determine the ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) changes, measured with a dynamic contour tonometer (DCT), after surgical retinal detachment repair. Methods: This was a prospective and comparative study. Thirty patients (30 eyes) who had undergone uncomplicated unilateral scleral buckling and encircling procedures for quadrant or half-retinal rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were referred for DCT one day before the surgery was performed, on the 1st, 7th, and 30th postoperative day. Methods of descriptive (arithmetical mean, standard deviation) and analytical statistics (analysis of variance) were used to analyze the data and evaluate the significance of the difference. A value of P less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The data were evaluated for normality with the single-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Results: OPA values decreased significantly after scleral buckling procedures (p < 0.0001), but regained near to preoperative values one month after the surgery. Conclusion: OPA tends to decrease after retinal detachment surgery. Restoring patients' vision with scleral buckling and encircling procedures gives early changes in blood supply to the choroid and ocular nerve, and since OPA is an indirect parameter of choroidal vascularization, measuring these values can help make an insight into ocular hemodynamics.

Carbohydrate intake, glycemic index, glycemic load and risk of gastric cancer.

The aim of this study was to examine relationship between dietary carbohydrate, glycemic index, glycemic load and gastric cancer risk. This hospital based case-control study was conducted in Nis (Serbia) between 2005 and 2006. Subjects (n=102) with histologically confirmed gastric cancer and controls (n=204) selected from non-cancer patients were interviewed. The structured questionnaire included information on socio-demographic and lifestyle habits. Data from dietary habits were based on Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). We found reductions in gastric cancer risk for diets high in carbohydrate (OR for highest versus the lowest tertile = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.02-0.23) and mono- and disaccharides (OR = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01-0.09) and increased risk (OR = 4.13, 95% CI: 1.73-9.86) for high polysaccharide intake. Total carbohydrate intake (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04-0.66) and mono- and disaccharides intake (OR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.02-0.20) was associated with a reduction in gastric cancer risk, while polysaccharide intake was associated with an increased risk (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 1.67-14.09) for the diffuse type only. In both histological subtypes, there was not significant association between glycemic index, glycemic load and the risk of gastric cancer. Our results suggest that increased intake of foods rich in carbohydrate, particularly mono- and disaccharides, as well as reduced consumption of food rich in polysaccharides, may lower the risk of diffuse type of gastric cancer. Our data do not support association between glycemic index, glycemic load and the risk of gastric cancer.

[Primary colorectal lymphomas].

BACKGROUND/AIM: Colorectal lymphoma is a rare tumor representing 1.4% of human lymphomas, 10-20% of gastrointestinal lymphomas, namely 0.2-0.6% of all malignancies in the colon. The aim of this study was to review clinical characteristics of primary colorectal lymphoma and overall survival. METHODS: A detailed analysis of 16 surgically treated patients included patients age, symptoms and signs, tumor site, type of surgery, histopathologic findings, diagnosis of the disease, disease stage, type of surgery related to the degreee of emergency (elective or urgent), applied adjuvant therapy, patient follow-up and treatment outcomes. Survival was expressed by the Kaplan-Meier curve, while the difference in survival among the two groups by the Log-rank test. RESULTS: The all patients were on an average followed-up for a median of 29 months (range 2-60 months), while those with chemotherapy 48 months (range 4-60 months). An overall mean survival time was 38.65 months. CONCLUSION: Primary colorectal lymphoma is a rare malignant tumor of the large bowel. Therapy usually involves resection of the affected colon or rectum and regional lymphovascular structures, followed by adjuvant therapy. Survival period is short and, therefore, timely diagnosis is crucial in early disease stages when the probability of cure is high.