Engaging technology-resistant elderly people: Empirical evidence from an ICT-enabled social environment.

This paper presents a qualitative investigation on user reactions, opinions, and sentiments about a TV-based technological solution developed within the EasyReach Project of the EU Ambient Assisted Living Joint Program to promote social interaction of less educated elderly people, that is, those individuals who, because of poor scholarization, low income, and, possibly, linguistic barriers, still find it difficult to use computers in order to improve their socialization. Experimental data were collected by extensive trials involving 40 real-end users. A methodology called "scenario engagement" was applied to get participants engaged in a live demonstration with the mediation of a facilitator who assisted elderly people to interact with the system. Results point out that the system can be effectively employed to foster social interaction, particularly when it is introduced in a collective use environment (e.g., Senior Center). Although the focus of the investigation was on information and communication technology-enabled social environments, the end users themselves strongly suggested to include in future system releases extra functions considered as essential opportunities for their potential digital lives: that is, medical or health services and bridges toward public administration.

Repair of large abdominal incisional hernia by reconstructing the midline and use of an onlay of biological material.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility and efficacy of repairing large abdominal incisional hernias by reconstructing the midline using bilateral abdominis rectus muscle sheath (ARS) relaxing incisions and a biological material onlay. METHODS: Between January 2002 and December 2008, 71 patients underwent repair of large incisional hernias at 2 community hospitals. After replacement of hernia sac contents into the peritoneal cavity, a relaxing incision was made in the ARS bilaterally. Then, the midline was closed primarily. The biological material was used as an onlay and sutured to the lateral edges of the relaxed ARS. Main outcome measures were postoperative complications and hernia recurrence. RESULTS: Median defect size was 195 cm(2) (range, 150-420 cm(2)), median surgical time was 125 minutes, and median hospital stay was 6 days. There were no deaths and no wound infections. Wound seroma, the most frequent postoperative complication, occurred in 51 (72%) of the 71 patients. There was 1 (1.4%) recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: In these 71 patients, our technique for repair of large abdominal incisional hernias was safe and effective.

Inguinal hernia repair with Spermatex: the first 100 cases.

We evaluated 100 consecutive cases of surgical repair of inguinal hernia using SpermaTex (Davol, Cranston, RI) to assess postoperative outcome measures of early and late complications and hernia recurrence. SpermaTex is a bilayer surgical mesh prosthesis consisting of a fibrosis-inducing layer of polypropylene mesh bonded to a fibrosis-inhibiting layer of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. One hundred male patients with unilateral primary inguinal hernia, with a mean age of 49 years, underwent hernia repair with the open anterior approach using SpermaTex. Mean operative time was 35 minutes; there was 3% morbidity and no mortality. At a 14-day follow-up, no patients had postoperative pain; within 2-8 weeks, all patients had returned to their presurgical health condition, with no inguinal pain. At follow-ups of 3 months to 4 years, all 100 patients experienced no recurrence, and all had improved, although 3 patients developed chronic sinus tracts. This series shows a favorable postoperative outcome profile for the use of SpermaTex in inguinal hernia repair.