Establishing a nurse-led thyroid cancer follow-up clinic.

Thyroid cancer is a complex disease requiring management by a large multidisciplinary team. The number of patients with a diagnosis of thyroid cancer is significantly increasing year-on-year, and traditional models of consultant-led follow up are no longer sustainable. Although nurse-led cancer follow-up clinics are becomining increasingly common, thyroid cancer nurse-led follow-up clinics are rare. An excellent understanding of the disease, treatment and management of risk of disease recurrence is essential for safe patient care, and is discussed in this article. The clinic discussed uses the skill set of head and neck nurse specialists, including psychological support, coping strategies for long-term side effects of treatment and non-medical prescribing. A patient survey of the service revealed high levels of patient satisfaction and a desire to continue face-to-face consultations rather than telephone clinics.

A prospective study of scars after breast implantation with different incisions / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To compare the scar condition after breast implantation with axillary, periareolar and inframammary fold (IMF) incisions.@*Methods@#The consecutive patients who were diagnosed as breast hypoplasia and underwent breast implantation surgeries between May 2012 to December 2014 were included in the research. The scars were assessed at 1, 6 and 12 months after surgery with VSS and patient satisfaction scoring. The results were analyzed with Variance and Kruskal-Wallis test based on the data type.@*Results@#The scars of 173 patients were assessed 3 times with the follow-up rate being 82.4%. The VSS scores of every incision declined with time, and the patient satisfaction scores increased gradually. At one month after surgery, the media VSS scores were 6 in axillary group and 4 in periareolar and IMF groups, the differences had statistical significance (P<0.05). The media scores of patients satisfaction were 8 in periareolar group and 7 in axillary and IMF groups. The scores of periareola group were higher than those of axillary with statistical significance(P<0.05). When 6 months after surgery, the media VSS scores were 4 in axillary group and 3 in periareolar and IMF groups. The scores of axillary group were higher than those of IMF with statistical significance(P<0.05). The media scores of patients satisfaction were 8 in 3 groups. When 12 months after surgery, the media VSS scores were 0.5 and 1 in periareolar group (left and right respectively), and 2 in axillary and IMF groups. The media scores of patients satisfaction were 9 in 3 groups. No differences were found in VSS and patients satisfaction scores among three kinds of incisions (P>0.05).@*Conclusions@#The scars of three incisions achieved similar cosmetic effects and patient satisfaction at long-time follow-up.