Role of V-Y flap reconstruction in vulvar cancer patients: multicenter retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess if the use of a V-Y reconstructive flap after excisional radical surgery positively influences the surgical outcomes in patients with vulvar cancer. METHODS: This was a multicenter, retrospective, controlled study. Surgical outcomes and complication rates of women with invasive vulvar cancer who underwent radical surgery and vulvar reconstruction and those who underwent radical surgery without the reconstruction step were compared. Only patients who underwent bilateral or unilateral V-Y advancement fascio-cutaneous flaps were included in the reconstruction group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze predicting variables for their association with complication rates. RESULTS: Overall, 361 patients were included: 190 (52%) underwent the reconstructive step after the excisional radical procedure and were compared with 171 (47.4%) who did not undergo the reconstructive step. At multivariate analysis, body mass index >30 kg/m2 (odds ratio (OR) 3.36, p=0.007) and diabetes (OR 2.62, p<0.022) were independently correlated with wound infection. Moreover, increasing age (OR 1.52, p=0.009), body mass index >30 kg/m2 (OR 3.21, p=0.002,) and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages III-IV (OR 2.25, p=0.017) were independent predictors of wound dehiscence. A significant reduction in the incidence of postoperative wound complications among patients who underwent V-Y reconstructive flaps was demonstrated. This was correlated more significantly in women with lesions >4 cm. CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of V-Y flaps in vulvar surgery was correlated with reduced surgical related complications, particularly in vulnerable patients involving large surgical defects following excisional radical procedures.

Safety and efficacy of a class II medical device based on highly purified and standardized plant extracts in the management of post-menopausal patients with vulvar and vaginal atrophy: a single-center prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the gold standard treatment for genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is based on the use of local or systemic estrogen-containing products, the typical long-term side effects of hormonal treatments and, most importantly, the contraindications in patients with history of breast and endometrial neoplasms do limit in some extent its use. As hyaluronic acid and some highly purified botanicals have clearly demonstrated their anti-inflammatory and mucosa-protecting properties, we have tested, in women with GSM, a class II vaginal medical device containing hyaluronate gel and a mucoadhesive active enriched with purified alkylamides from Zanthoxylum bungeanum, triterpenes from Centella asiatica and high molecular weight polysaccharides from Tamarindus indica. METHODS: Our single-center, open-label, prospective and observational study was conducted on 50 menopausal women enrolled at the Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Umberto I Polyclinic Hospital in Rome, Italy. Gel administration lasted 150 days and was performed daily for the first 12 days and every 48 hours for the remaining 138 days. Clinical evaluations were performed at baseline and after 12, 57 and 150 days. Besides product safety, main outcomes of our study were: 1) vaginal health (by Vaginal Health Index score [VHI]); 2) sexual quality of life (by Female Sexual Distress Scale [FSDS]); and 3) percentage of women declaring regular sexual activity. RESULTS: The product was safe with no specific adverse events reported. It significantly improved VHI (about 5% after 57 days and 8% after 150 days), FSDS (about 7% after 57 days and 10% after 150 days), and sexual activity (about 20% after 150 days). It also reduced dryness, dyspareunia, burning, itching, and dysuria incidence, respectively by about 18%, 14%, 14%, 27% and 11% after 150 days. CONCLUSIONS: In women with GSM, the intravaginal administration of a hyaluronate-based gel enriched with purified botanical actives endowed with anti-inflammatory and mucosal-protecting properties, reduced painful sensation during sexual acts and increased regular sexual activity.

An Edible Rechargeable Battery.

Edible electronics is a growing field that aims to produce digestible devices using only food ingredients and additives, thus addressing many of the shortcomings of ingestible electronic devices. Edible electronic devices will have major implications for gastrointestinal tract monitoring, therapeutics, as well as rapid food quality monitoring. Recent research has demonstrated the feasibility of edible circuits and sensors, but to realize fully edible electronic devices edible power sources are required, of which there have been very few examples. Drawing inspiration from living organisms, which use redox cofactors to power biochemical machines, a rechargeable edible battery formed from materials eaten in everyday life is developed. The battery is realized by immobilizing riboflavin and quercetin, common food ingredients and dietary supplements, on activated carbon, a widespread food additive. Riboflavin is used as the anode, while quercetin is used as the cathode. By encapsulating the electrodes in beeswax, a fully edible battery is fabricated capable of supplying power to small electronic devices. The proof-of-concept battery cell operated at 0.65 V, sustaining a current of 48 µA for 12 min. The presented proof-of-concept will open the doors to new edible electronic applications, enabling safer and easier medical diagnostics, treatments, and unexplored ways to monitor food quality.

Case Series of Acute Meconium Peritonitis Secondary to Perforation of the Ileum in the Antepartum Period.

Perforation of the ileum in the antepartum period resulting in meconial peritonitis is a condition that, although rare, is burdened by several complications. In 80-90% of cases, meconial ileus is the first manifestation of a disease, cystic fibrosis. In the remaining 10-20% of cases, it is caused by other situations, such as prematurity. In most cases, the diagnosis of meconial ileus occurs after birth, although in some cases it can be suspected prenatally, with the finding of a hyperechoic intestine on second trimester ultrasound. The prognosis depends on the gestational age, the location of the obstruction and the presence of fetal abnormalities. Mortality is very high and the recovery of intestinal function in the postoperative course is very high risk. In this case series, we describe two meconial peritonitis and our experience at the center.

Preoperative low-residue diet in gynecological surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of preoperative low-residue diet on intra- and postoperative outcomes among gynecological surgical patients. METHODS: This is a surgeon-blind, randomized controlled trial enrolling patients undergoing elective surgery for either benign disease or endometrial carcinoma. Patients were preoperatively randomized to receive either low-residue diet (arm A) or free diet (arm B) starting from three days before surgery. The primary outcome was the quality of the surgical field (scored using a 5-point scale, from poor to excellent). Secondary outcomes were postoperative pain (assessed through VAS scale), postoperative complications, operative time, time to first passage of flatus, length of hospital stay. Perioperative data were collected and compared between groups. RESULTS: A total of 96 patients were enrolled and randomized in arm A (n = 49; 51%) and arm B (n = 47; 49%). The mean age was 47.8 ± 15.6 years in arm A and 48.1 ± 11.3 years in arm B. Endometrial cancer patients were 16.3% in arm A and 10.6% in arm B, and patients with benign disease were 83.7% and 89.4%, respectively. The surgical evaluation of the small intestine was scored < 3 in 2.0% of arm A patients versus 31.9% in arm B (Odds Ratio (OR), 0.04 [95% CI, 0.01-0.35]; p < 0.001), and in 6.1% and 44.7% (OR, 0.08 [95% CI, 0.02-0.30]; p < 0.001), respectively, for large intestine. The mean operative time was 90.4 ± 33.4 min in arm A versus 111.6 ± 37.5 in arm B (Mean Difference (MD): -21.20 [95% CI, -35.43, -6.97]; p = 0.003). The number of patients who reported the time to first flatus within 24 h after surgery was significantly higher in arm A compared with arm B (77.6% vs 44.7%; OR, 4.28 [95% CI, 1.77-10.35]; p = 0.002). No significant differences in terms of postoperative complications, pain, and length of hospital stay were observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Introducing a preoperative low-residue diet could improve the quality of the surgical field and reduce both the operative duration and the time to first passage of flatus among patients undergoing gynecological surgery. Further large-scale studies are required to confirm these findings.

Urinary incontinence in women: state of the art and medical treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Urinary incontinence, the involuntary loss of urine, is a common condition that affects approximately 50% of adult women. This condition increases with age, affecting 10% to 20% of all women and up to 77% of elderly women residing in nursing homes. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Systematic data search performed using PubMed/MEDLINE database up to July 20, 2020. Focus was only for English language publications of original studies on urinary incontinence. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Given the basis of published evidence and the consensus of European experts, this study provides an updated overview on clinical applications and surgical procedures of urinary incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: Urinary incontinence is an underestimated health problem. Patients need an overview of their health condition through a detailed anamnestic collection and physical examination to identify the type of incontinence and offer the best treatment.

Bleeding and venous thromboembolic events in patients with active cancer hospitalized for an acute medical illness.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients hospitalized for an acute medical illness are considered to be at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Information on bleeding and symptomatic VTE in these patients remains scant. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the incidence of bleeding and VTE during hospitalization and after discharge in a prospective cohort of hospitalized medically-ill cancer patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients with active cancer admitted for an acute medical illness. The primary outcome was the incidence of clinically relevant bleeding. Secondary outcomes included symptomatic and incidentally detected VTE. Outcomes were recorded during hospitalization up to three months after discharge. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 330 patients with a mean age of 73.2 (±12.1) years. During a median hospitalization of eight days, six patients (1.8%) developed a clinically relevant bleeding. Pharmacological thromboprophylaxis was administered to four of these six patients (66.6%), and 108 of 324 (33.3%) patients without bleeding. Twelve (3.6%) were diagnosed with VTE, of whom two had received thromboprophylaxis. In ten patients, VTE was detected incidentally. After discharge, 11 patients experienced major bleeding and two developed symptomatic VTE during a median follow-up of 92 days (range 19-110). Two thirds of all major bleeding events were gastrointestinal, and 87% occurred in patients with gastrointestinal or genitourinary cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with active cancer admitted for an acute medical illness, the risk of bleeding and symptomatic VTE appeared to be low during hospitalization. After discharge, the risk of bleeding was higher and significantly outweighed that of VTE.