Combination Surgery of Silicone Tube Intubation and Conjunctival Resection in Patients with Epiphora

PURPOSE: To compare the success rates of performing only silicone tube intubation versus carrying out both conjunctival resection and silicone tube intubation. METHODS: The subjects of this study involved 62 patients (96 eyes) between October 2015 and May 2017 who were diagnosed as having punctal stricture or nasolacrimal duct stenosis. Out of 96 eyes, 47 underwent only silicone tube intubation, and 49 underwent both silicone tube intubation and conjunctival resection. Three parameters were measured at 1, 3, and 6 months after the surgery: the area of the tear meniscus using RTVue-100 anterior segment optical coherence tomography, the height of the tear meniscus using a slit lamp microscope, and the subjective satisfaction of patients as a result of improved sympotms like epiphora. The surgery was considered successful when the patients' experienced the resolution of symptoms and reduction of the area and height of the tear meniscus. RESULTS: The area of the tear meniscus, height of the tear meniscus, and subjective satisfaction of patients was superior in the group that underwent both silicone tube intubation and conjunctival resection compared silicone tube intubation only. Based on these results, the success rate of the surgery was 68.9% in the group that underwent only silicone tube intubation and 78.7% in the group that underwent both silicone tube intubation and conjunctival resection. CONCLUSIONS: The resection of relaxed plica semilunares seems to increase the success rate of silicone tube intubation through the reduction of the area and height of the tear meniscus. Therefore, after determining the degree of conjunctivochalasis, if it was found to be severe, a combination with conjunctival resection was expected to increase the success rate of the surgery.

Effects of different oxygen flow rates on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of different oxygen flow rates during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in rabbits.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty rabbits were randomized equally into groups A, B and C to receive controlled oxygen reperfusion at low, normal and high flow rates (25, 50, and 80 ml.kg(-1).min(-1), respectively). Serum concentration of CK-MB and cTnT were tested by ELISA before the operation (T0) and after 30 min (T1), 2 h (T2), 12 h (T3) and 24 h (T4) of reperfusion. W/D, SOD and MDA of the myocardium were determined before and at 60 min after reperfusion. The ultrastructural alterations of the myocardium were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum concentration of CK-MB and cTnT in the 3 groups increased significantly after the operation, and their levels were the lowest in group A (P<0.05). W/D and MDA in the myocardium was also the lowest, while SOD the highest in group A (P<0.05). Ultrastructural pathologies were found in all the 3 groups, but relatively mild in group A.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Low oxygen flow rate during controlled reperfusion may protect the myocardium from IR injury in rabbits.</p>

Influence and significance of intermittent ventilation on lung cytokines during cardiopulmonary bypass / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the influence and significance of intermittent ventilation on lung cytokines during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).@*METHODS@#Thirty-six patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) were divided into 2 groups randomly: Treatment group (n = 18, given intermittent ventilation once every 5 minutes during CPB; control group ( n = 18), no ventilation during CPB. A brochioalveolar lavage was performed at 2 hours after the CPB. The numbers of granulocytes and the contents of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and LDH in the brochioalveolar lavage fluids were measured, and lung PaO2/FiO2 were measured preoperatively and at 1 hour, 4 hours, and 8 hours after the CPB termination.@*RESULTS@#The numbers of granulocytes and the contents of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and LDH of the treatment group in the brochioalveolar lavage fluids were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05), and the lung PaO2/FiO2 of the treatment group at 1 hour, 4 hours, and 8 hours after the CPB termination significantly increased than those of the control group (P < 0.05). A significant decrease of lung PaO2/FiO2 occurred in both groups at 1 hour, 4 hours, and 8 hours after the CPB compared with the same group at the baseline before the CPB (P < 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Intermittent ventilation has protective effects on the lung injury during CPB by decreasing granulocyte adhesion and the level of lung cytokines, alleviating the lung inflammatory reaction and endothelial cell injury.