Elective and emergency surgery in chronic hemodialysis patients.

PURPOSE: Aim of this study was to report our experience in elective and emergency surgery on chronic hemodialysis (CH) patients for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: All patients on CH for ESRD who underwent various surgical procedures in our unit within the past 9-year period (2001-2010) were included in this study. These patients were divided into two groups according to the type of surgery performed: elective or emergency. Demographic data, indications for surgery, primary causes of ESRD, surgical procedures, postoperative complications, and mortality rates were studied. RESULTS: Of 130 patients, 121 underwent elective surgery while 10 were addressed for emergency operation. In the elective surgery group, the most common diseases were secondary hyperparathyroidism, kidney diseases, cholelithiasis, and diabetic foot gangrene. Complications occurred in nine patients (morbidity rate, 7%) and only one patient died (mortality rate, 0.8%). In the emergency surgery group, the most common diseases were diabetic foot gangrene and obstructed sigmoid colon cancer. In this group, complications occurred in seven patients (total morbidity rate, 70%) and two patients died (mortality rate, 20%). CONCLUSIONS: Elective surgery in patients on CH for ESRD can be performed with acceptable surgical risks provided careful preoperative preparation, intraoperative, and postoperative precautions are taken.

Effects of ACE I/D polymorphism on prostate cancer risk, tumor grade and metastatis.

UNLABELLED: The aim was to substantiate the putative significance of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) (insertion/deletion) I/D polymorphism on prostate cancer risk, BTPSA-A TPSA (before treatment-after treatment prostate-specific antigen) levels and tumor development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 48 prostate cancer patients and 51 healthy volunteers were included. The ACE I/D genotypes were determined by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) techniques. RESULTS: The DD genotype may have detrimental and the II genotype may have protective effect on prostate cancer (p = 0.03). The highest before treatment PSA (BTPSA) values were found in the patient group having the DD genotype (p = 0.017). PSA-AT levels were higher in homozygous mutant DD than homozygous II and the decrease in PSA-AT level was found to be statistically significant in each genotype (p = 0.000). Patients with the D allele showed a higher prevalence of late stage prostate carcinoma when compared to the patients with II genotype (p = 0.022) and the detrimental effects of the D allele, both in lymph node metastases and distant metastasis were observed. CONCLUSION: The risk of prostate cancer development, the PSA level and tumor metastasis may be associated with genetic variation in the ACE I/D genotypes which may be used as an important biomarker for further studies.

The outcome of kidney transplants with multiple renal arteries.

BACKGROUND: The use of grafts with multiple renal arteries has been considered a relative contraindication because of the increased incidence of vascular and urologic complications The aim of this study is to determine whether the kidney grafts with multiple arteries have any adverse effect upon post-transplant graft and patient survival. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 225 adult kidney transplants done consecutively at our institution. Twenty-nine patients (12.8%) had grafts with multiple renal arteries. We analyzed the incidence of post-transplant hypertension and vascular complications, mean creatinine levels, patient and graft survival. In 17 cases reconstruction was done as conjoined anastomosis between two arteries of equal size, and in 6 cases as end-to-side anastomosis of smaller arteries to larger arteries. Multiple anastomoses were performed in 6 cases. RESULTS: In one patient postoperative bleeding occurred. Mean systolic blood pressures, creatinine levels at first year and last follow-up and complication rates were all in acceptable ranges. There was no significant difference in graft and patient survival between multiple and single renal artery allografts. CONCLUSION: Although the kidney grafts with multiple renal arteries have been considered a relative contraindication because of the increased risk of complications, in our study allografts with multiple arteries were used successfully in kidney transplantation.

Analysis of CC chemokine receptor 5 and 2 polymorphisms and renal transplant survival.

Chronic rejection is an immune process leading to graft failure. By regulating the trafficking of leukocytes, chemokines and chemokine receptors are thought to be one of the reasons causing acute renal rejection (ARE), which increases the possibility of chronic rejection and organ destruction. This study was designed to investigate, in the Turkish population, an association of chemokine receptor genetic variants, CCR2V641, CCR5-59029-A/G, CCR5-Delta32 and acute renal rejection after renal transplant surgery. We carried out our study in 85 Turkish renal transplant patients (45 men, 40 women; mean age 39 +/- 2 years) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) techniques. We found no significant difference in the incidence of rejection among patients possessing or lacking CCR5-Delta32. For the groups with and without acute renal rejection, we found a significant difference between the groups in A and G allele distribution in both CCR2V641and CCR559029 gene variants (p = 0.003 and p = 0.003, respectively). According to our findings, the risk of acute rejection in renal transplantation may be associated with genetic variation in the chemokine receptor genes CCR5-59029 and CCR2V641 in Turkey, and studies on these gene polymorphisms could be an ideal target for future interventions intended to prevent renal transplant loss.

Effects of contact lenses on corneal thickness and corneal curvature during usage.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of contact lenses on corneal thickness and curvature. METHODS: Eighty-four eyes of 45 patients (26 female and 19 male) wearing contact lens for the first time with a median age of 23.04 +/- 7.2 years (range, 15-44 years) were included in the study. After all patients had undergone a routine ophthalmic examination, corneal thickness measurements in nine regions and corneal topography were performed before wearing contact lenses and after 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months. Patients were classified into three groups according to duration of wear. Groups were also classified into two subgroups according to the lens type (rigid gas-permeable and soft contact lenses). RESULTS: Mean visual acuity was 0.82 +/- 0.26 with spectacles and 0.92 +/- 0.26 with contact lenses. At the end of 1 month, statistically significant corneal thinning and thickening were noted in different regions in group 1. In group 2, statistically significant corneal thinning was noted in all regions with soft contact lenses and rigid gas-permeable contact lenses except in the inferior temporal region at the end of 6 months. In group 3, corneal thinning was noted in all regions with soft contact lenses and rigid gas-permeable contact lenses. This corneal thinning was statistically significant in all regions with the soft contact lenses except in the inferior nasal region and with rigid gas-permeable contact lenses except in the central region. When corneal curvatures were examined, corneal flattening was seen in groups 1 and 2. In group 3, corneal steepening was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Soft contact lenses and rigid gas-permeable contact lenses cause corneal thickening and corneal flattening in the first months, but they cause corneal thinning and corneal steepening with time. These alterations can be evaluated as evidence that contact lenses negatively influence corneal physiology.