Herbal medicine for external use in acute gouty arthritis: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute gouty arthritis is accompanied by severe pain during an acute attack. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines acting directly on the affected area of acute gouty arthritis for external use. METHODS: An envelope search was performed using 4 electronic databases (CNKI, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane), resulting in 27 clinical studies from inception to February 2023. Randomized controlled trials on external use herbal medicines for acute gouty arthritis were considered. The assessed outcomes were total effective rate, uric acid level, pain score, and inflammatory factor levels such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. Quality assessment and meta-analysis of the included randomized controlled trials were also performed. RESULTS: Twenty-seven randomized controlled trials with a total of 1951 participants were included in the meta-analysis. All assessed outcomes including pain, inflammation, and uric acid levels, indicated that the treatment effects in the external use herbal medicine group were significantly better than those of the western medicine control group. Of the 10 studies mentioning side effects, no side effects were reported in 4, and in the remaining 6, the incidence of complications in the intervention group was much lower than that in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that external use herbal medicines may be a safe and effective alternative for treatment of pain and symptoms of acute gouty arthritis. However, owing to the heterogeneity of interventions, outcomes, and regional bias, further high-quality clinical trials on this topic are needed to confirm the level of evidence.

Intraoperative Fluorescent Ureter Visualization in Complex Laparoscopic or Robotic-Assisted Gynecologic Surgery.

This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of ureteral navigation using intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) and near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging during complex laparoscopic or robot-assisted gynecologic surgery (LRAGS). Twenty-six patients at high risk of ureteral injury with complex pelvic pathology (CPP) due to pelvic organ prolapse (POP), multiple myomas, large intraligamentary or cervical myoma, severe pelvic adhesions, or cervical atresia underwent LRAGS. All patients underwent cystoscopic intraureteral ICG instillation before LRAGS and ureteral navigation under NIRF imaging intraoperatively. Both ureteral pathways were identified from the pelvic brim downwards through NIRF imaging in all patients, even though some were not visualized under the white light mode. The fluorescent ureters were visualized immediately after the beginning of surgery and typically lasted for >5 h during surgery. There were no cases of iatrogenic ureteral injury. The hemoglobin decrement was 1.47 ± 1.13 g/dL, and no transfusion was required. In our study, both ureters in all patients were identified with ICG-NIRF imaging during LRAGS, and these techniques made surgeries easier and safer. Despite the CPP, there was no ureteral injury or transfusion following surgery. Further prospective studies are needed to introduce intraoperative ureteral guidelines for ICG-NIRF imaging during LRAGS with CPP.

Recurrence, Reoperation, Pregnancy Rates, and Risk Factors for Recurrence after Ovarian Endometrioma Surgery: Long-Term Follow-Up of 756 Women.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to evaluate the cumulative recurrence, reoperation, and pregnancy rates after ovarian endometrioma surgery at a single institution for more than a 5-year follow-up period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted as a retrospective chart review of patients with ovarian endometrioma who underwent surgery between January 2008 and March 2016. Study subjects included premenopausal women with at least 5 years of follow-up. Exclusion criteria were patients with stage I or II ovarian endometrioma, those who underwent hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy, and presence of residual ovarian lesions on the first postoperative ultrasonography at 3-6 months. Recurrence was defined as a cystic mass by ultrasonography. RESULTS: A total of 756 patients were recruited. The median follow-up duration was 85.5 months (interquartile range, 71-107 months). Recurrent endometrioma was detected in 27.9% patients, and reoperation was performed in 8.3% patients. Cumulative rates at 24, 36, 60, and 120 months were 5.8%, 8.7%, 15.5% and 37.6%, respectively, for recurrence and 0.1%, 0.5%, 2.9%, and 15.1%, respectively, for reoperation. After multivariable analysis, age ≤31 years [hazard ratio (HR)=2.108; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.522-2.921; p<0.001], no subsequent pregnancy (HR=1.851; 95% CI=1.309-2.617; p<0.001), and postoperative hormonal treatment ≤15 months (HR=2.869; 95% CI=2.088-3.941; p<0.001) were significant risk factors for recurrent endometrioma. Among 315 patients who desired pregnancy, 54.0% were able to have a successful pregnancy and delivery. CONCLUSION: Considering that longer postoperative hormonal treatment is the sole modifiable factor for recurrent endometrioma, we recommend long-term hormonal treatment until subsequent pregnancy, especially in younger women.

Comparison of cesarean delivery outcome after robotic and laparoscopic myomectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether robotic myomectomy (RM) resulted in any measurable clinical improvement over laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) in subsequent cesarean delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 273 patients who had undergone LM or RM followed by subsequent cesarean delivery for the period of September 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into LM (n = 222) and RM (n = 51) groups. The cesarean delivery outcomes between the two groups were compared. RESULTS: RM had significantly more myomas removed (6.0 ± 4.8 vs. 3.6 ± 3.5, p < 0.001) and a larger size of largest myoma (7.7 ± 2.4 vs. 6.1 ± 2.4, p = 0.002) at myomectomy compared with LM. However, there were no significant differences in the groups' surgical characteristics at cesarean section, in their pregnancy complications, or in adhesion formation. CONCLUSIONS: Although more and larger myomas were removed in the RM group, RM showed similar cesarean delivery outcomes and adhesion formation to LM.

Robotic Single-Site Plus Two-Port Myomectomy versus Conventional Robotic Multi-Port Myomectomy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

Background: Robotic single-site plus two port myomectomy (RSTM) was designed to reduce the number of incision sites while retaining the advantage of conventional robotic multi-port myomectomy (CRM). This study aimed to explicate RSTM and compare surgical outcomes between it and CRM. Methods: The medical records of 146 patients who had undergone RSTM and 173 who had undergone CRM were reviewed. The surgical outcomes between them were compared by propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Results: The PSM analysis showed no statistically significant inter-group differences in patient characteristics. With regard to surgical outcomes, the RSTM group enjoyed shorter operative time (148.30 ± 44.8 vs. 162.3 ± 47.4 min, p = 0.011), less hemoglobin decrement (1.8 ± 0.9 vs. 2.3 ± 1.0 g/dL, p < 0.001), and shorter duration of hospital stay (5.4 ± 0.7 vs. 5.8 ± 0.7 days, p < 0.001). Conclusions: RSTM was associated with shorter operative time relative to CRM. Further prospective studies are needed in order to more fully investigate the advantages of RSTM.

Cumulative Recurrence Rate and Risk Factors for Recurrent Abdominal Wall Endometriosis after Surgical Treatment in a Single Institution.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the cumulative recurrence rate and risk factors for recurrent abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) after surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single gynecological surgery center between January 2004 and December 2020. Patients who were surgically treated and followed up for at least 6 months after surgery were selected. RESULTS: Eighteen patients with pathologically diagnosed AWE were included in this study. The median follow-up duration was 22.5 months (range, 6-106). The median age was 37 years (range, 22-48), and 33.3% of the patients were nulliparous. Among the patients included in our study, 55.6% complained of a mass with cyclic pain, and 27.8% had a palpable mass. In addition, 22.2% of patients experienced recurrence with 17.5±9.7 months of mean time to recurrence. The cumulative recurrence rates at 24 and 60 months after surgical treatment of AWE were 23.8% and 39.1%, respectively. There were no statistically significant risk factors for the recurrence of AWE, including postoperative medical treatment. CONCLUSION: The recurrence rate of AWE appears to be correlated with the follow-up duration. There was no statistically significant risk factor for the recurrence of AWE. Unlike ovarian endometriosis, postoperative hormonal treatment does not seem to lower the recurrence of AWE. The findings of the current study may help healthcare providers in counselling and managing patients with AWE.

Therapeutic efficacy of Chinese patent medicine containing pyrite for fractures: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Fractures are a condition in which bone continuity is lost or linear deformity occurs. They are a worldwide public health problem and a significant economic burden. The purpose of this study is to analyze the efficacy of Chinese patent medicine containing pyrite (CPMP) through systematic review and meta-analysis of fracture clinical data. METHODS: A literature search will be carried out from the inception of CPMP studies to September 2022 using EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Korean Studies Information Service System, National Digital Science Library, and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System. Randomized controlled trials which include CPMP will be considered as eligible regardless of the type of fracture. After screening the literature, extracting the data, and assessing the risk of bias from the included studies, a meta-analysis will be performed using Review Manager version 5.4. RESULTS: This study is expected to provide evidence for the efficacy and safety of CPMP for fractures. CONCLUSION: Our findings will provide evidence to determine whether CPMP can be an effective intervention for patients with fractures, which would expand the possible treatment options.

Coaxial-Robotic Single-Site Myomectomy: Surgical Outcomes Compared with Robotic Single-Site Myomectomy by Propensity Score Matching Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to introduce a coaxial-robotic single-site myomectomy (C-RSSM) technique to compensate for the shortcomings of robotic single-site myomectomy (RSSM) using semi-rigid instruments and to compare the surgical outcomes of C-RSSM and RSSM. METHODS: The medical records of 13 consecutive women who had undergone C-RSSM and 131 consecutive women who had undergone RSSM were retrospectively reviewed. Patient characteristics and surgical outcomes after propensity score matching were evaluated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: According to the propensity score matching results, the C-RSSM group had a lower estimated blood loss (75.0 vs. 210.5 mL, p = 0.001) and a shorter operating time (101.0 vs. 146.1 min, p = 0.008) relative to the RSSM group. In RSSM, there was one case of conversion to conventional laparoscopy and four cases of conversion to the multi-site robotic approach. There was no case of conversion from C-RSSM to conventional laparoscopy or the multi-site robotic approach. CONCLUSIONS: C-RSSM was found to be associated with shorter operative time and lower estimated blood loss. However, further prospective studies are needed to confirm these advantages.

Effects of Using Barbed Suture in Myomectomy on Adhesion Formation and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome.

Background: There is still concern regarding postoperative adhesion formation and adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes caused by barbed suture (BS) after myomectomy. The aim of this study was to compare the postoperative adhesion and pregnancy outcomes between conventional suture (CS) and BS after minimally invasive myomectomy (MIM) by robotic myomectomy (RM) or laparoscopic myomectomy (LM). Methods: The medical records of 94 women who had undergone MIM with CS and 97 who had undergone MIM with BS and achieved pregnancy were reviewed. Postoperative adhesion was evaluated following cesarean section. Results: The number of removed myomas was greater (5.3 ± 4.6 vs. 3.5 ± 3.1, p = 0.001) and the size of the largest myoma was larger (7.0 ± 2.2 vs. 5.8 ± 2.7 cm, p = 0.001) in the BS group relative to the CS group. A total of 98.9% of patients in the CS group and 45.4% in the BS group had undergone LM (p < 0.001), while the others underwent RM. There was no significant difference in the presence of postoperative adhesion at cesarean section between the BS and CS groups (45.5 vs. 43.7%, p = 0.095). Additionally, there were no intergroup differences in pregnancy complications such as preterm labor, placenta previa, accrete or abruption. Note also that in our logistic regression analysis, the suture type (BS or CS) was excluded from the independent risk factors regarding postoperative adhesion formation. Conclusions: Our data indicated that the incidence of postoperative adhesion after MIM with BS was similar when compared with CS. Also it seems that the suture type does not have a significant effect on pregnancy outcomes.

A Meta-Analysis of Treatment Effects on Viral Pneumonia Using TCM Injections Specified in the Clinical Guideline for COVID-19 in China.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to analyze the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) injections specified in the clinical guideline for COVID-19 by conducting a meta-analysis of viral pneumonia data. METHODS: TCM injections data on viral pneumonia were collected until July 31, 2021. CNKI, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane electronic database were used to collect the clinical data. "COVID-19," "Viral pneumonia," "Tanreqing," "Xiyanping," "Reduning," "Xingnaojing," "Xuebijing," "Shenmai," "Shengmai," and "Shenfu" were used as keywords. All data collected were mainly about TCM injections and viral pneumonia. Furthermore, studies that included results such as the total effective rate, cough disappearance time, antipyretic time, lung rhomboid disappearance time, and adverse drug reaction were collected for the meta-analysis to identify the efficacy of TCM injections. However, data unrelated to TCM injections specified in the clinical guidelines for COVID-19 or viral pneumonia were excluded. The quality of included RCTs was assessed by the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and Review Manager 5.3 software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies with 1540 patients were included in this study. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate OR = 4.61 (95% CI 2.92, 7.25, p = 1.00/ I2 = 0%); the cough disappearance time SMD -1.23 (-1.37, -1.09, p < 0.00001/ I2 = 94%); the antipyretic time SMD -1.26 (-1.40, -1.11, p < 0.00001/ I2=94%); lung rhomboid disappearance time SMD -1.17 (-1.33, -1.02, p < 0.00001/ I2 = 89%); and adverse drug reaction was OR 0.36 (95% CI 0.20, 0.64, p = 0.21/ I2 = 30%). From the results, the treatment group (TCM injection) showed better efficacy than the control group (Western medication). CONCLUSION: Xiyanping, Reduning, and Tanreqing injections may yield benefits as COVID-19 treatments. However, clinical trials on TCM injections for the treatment of COVID-19 are still lacking. More high-quality clinical trials are still required.

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy: the feasibility in single-site system.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of robotic single-site myomectomy (RSSM). METHODS: Medical records of 355 consecutive women who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical characteristics were compared between multi-site and single-site systems. After 1:1 propensity score matching for the total myoma number, largest myoma size, and total tumor weight (105 women in each group), surgical outcomes were also compared between the 2 systems. RESULTS: A total of 105 (29.6%) and 250 (70.4%) women underwent RSSM and robotic multi-site myomectomy (RMSM), respectively. RSSM was more commonly performed in women with lower body mass index (21.6 vs. 22.5 kg/m2, P=0.014), without peritoneal adhesions (7.6% vs. 24.8%, P<0.001), and less (2.6 vs. 4.6, P<0.001) and smaller (6.3 vs. 7.7 cm, P<0.001) myomas compared to RMSM. After propensity score matching, the largest myoma size (P=0.143), total myoma number (P=0.671), and tumor weight (P=0.510) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Although the docking time was significantly longer in the RSSM group (5.1 vs. 3.8 minutes, P=0.005), total operation time was similar between RSSM and RMSM groups (145.9 vs. 147.3 minutes, P=0.856). Additionally, hemoglobin decrement was lower in the RSSM group than in the RMSM group (1.4 vs. 1.8 g/dL, P=0.009). No surgical complication was observed after RSSM, while 1 ileus and 2 febrile complications occurred in women that underwent RMSM (0% vs. 2.9%, P=0.246). CONCLUSION: Although RMSM is preferred for women with multiple large myomas in real clinical practice, RSSM seems to be a feasible surgical method for less complicated cases, and is associated with minimal surgical morbidity.