Defining competencies in robotic thyroidectomy: development of a model assessing an expert operator's intraoperative performance skills and cognitive strategies.

Background: The changing medical education environment emphasizes the need for time efficiency, increasing the demand for competency-based medical education to improve trainees' learning strategies. This study was performed to determine the competencies required for successful performance of robotic thyroidectomy (RT) and to determine the consensus of experts for performance of RT. Methods: Data were collected through 12 semi-structured interviews with RT experts and 11 field observations. Cognitive task analysis was performed to determine the competencies required for experts to perform RT. A modified Delphi methodology was used to determine how 20 experts rated the importance of each item of RT performance on a Likert 7-point scale. The criteria for the Delphi consensus were set at a Cronbach's α≥0.80 with two survey rounds. Results: After 11 field observations and 12 semi-structured interviews, 89 items were identified within six modules. These items were grouped into sub-modules according to their theme. The modified Delphi survey, involving 21 experts, reached the consensus standard during the second round (Cronbach's α=0.954), enabling the identification of the 64 most important items within six modules related to RT performance: midline incision to isthmectomy (MID module; n=8), lateral dissection (LAT module; n=7), preservation of inferior parathyroid glands (INF module; n=16), preservation of recurrent laryngeal nerve and dissection of the ligament of Berry (BER module; n=21), dissection of the thyroid upper pole (SUP module; n=10), and specimen removal and closure (END module; n=2). Conclusions: This mixed-method study combining qualitative and quantitative methodology identified modules of core competencies required to perform RT. These modules can be used as a standard and objective guide to train surgeons to perform RT and evaluate outcomes.

Morphologic and genomic changes of thyroid cancer cell lines exposed to conditions of simulated microgravity.

Microgravity in space impacts human health. In particular, thyroid cancer, which has a high incidence rate, has been the subject of numerous studies with respect to microgravity. However, most studies have focused on Western follicular thyroid cancer cell lines, while data regarding the effects of microgravity on Asian cell lines are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of simulated ground-based microgravity on two Korean thyroid cancer cell lines, namely SNU-790 and SNU-80. We found that both cell lines formed multicellular spheroids under simulated microgravity. Gene expression analysis revealed that in SNU-790 cells, histone-related genes were upregulated and microRNA-related genes were downregulated. Meanwhile, in SNU-80 cells, genes related to the cellular response to hypoxia were downregulated. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the effects of microgravity on thyroid cancer cells. Further validation studies and clinical significance analyses are needed to fully understand the implications of these findings.

Intraoperative pathologic evaluation of central compartment lymph nodes in patients undergoing lobectomy for unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Although papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has an excellent prognosis, it can cause central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) which can increase local recurrence. Intraoperative pathologic evaluation (IOPE) can provide evidence regarding CLNM and help surgeons determine the appropriate surgical approach. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of IOPE and to determine risk factors associated with CLNM in unilateral PTC without preoperative clinical evidence of CLNM. METHODS: Medical charts of 227 patients who had unilateral PTC without clinical lymph node metastasis preoperatively were reviewed retrospectively. They were scheduled for thyroid lobectomy and prophylactic central lymphadenectomy (CND) from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. RESULTS: Total follow-up period was 47.6 ± 10.6 months. CLNM was identified in 57 (25.1%) patients during IOPE and in 72 (31.7%) patients during final pathological analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of IOPE were 76.4% and 98.7%, respectively. IOPE through central lymph node dissection was safely performed with low complications (vocal cord palsy, 5.7%; hypoparathyroidism, 22.8%). Age < 55 years, echogenic foci on preoperative ultrasonography, and extrathyroidal extension at final pathological report were significantly associated with an increased risk of CLNM (p = 0.006, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). In terms of oncological outcomes, there was no significant difference between the true negative and false negative results in IOPE. CONCLUSION: IOPE can safely provide accurate information for determining disease status and surgical extent. Further long-term studies are needed to evaluate clinical benefits of IOPE.

The association between vitamin D supplementation and the long-term prognosis of differentiated thyroid cancer patients: a retrospective observational cohort study with propensity score matching.

Objective: Benefits of vitamin D in various cancers have been reported, but its effects on differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) have not been established. We aimed to analyze the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the prognosis of DTC. Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted on 9,739 DTC patients who underwent thyroidectomy from January 1997 to December 2016. Mortality was classified as all-cause, cancer-related, or thyroid cancer-related. Patients were divided into the "VD group" (supplemented with vitamin D) and the "control group" (without vitamin D supplementation). Propensity score matching was performed in a 1:1 ratio according to age, sex, tumor size, extrathyroidal extension (ETE), and lymph node metastasis (LNM) status, and 3,238 patients were assigned to each group. Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed. Results: The follow-up period was 10.7 ± 4.2 years. Clinicopathological variables between two groups were similar except for all-cause (p<0.001) and total cancer death (p=0.001). From the Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test, "VD group" had significantly favorable all-cause (p<0.001) and total cancer mortality (p=0.003), but similar thyroid cancer mortality (p=0.23). In Cox regression, vitamin D intake reduced the risk of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 0.617, p=0.001) and total cancer mortality (HR, 0.668, p=0.016) but had no effect on thyroid cancer mortality. Discussion/conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation was positively associated with all-cause and total cancer mortality in DTC and might be a modifiable prognostic factor for improved survival. Further research will be needed to clarify the effect of vitamin D supplementation on DTC.

A Time Trend Analysis of 5,000 Robotic Thyroidectomies via Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the time trends of surgical outcomes in patients who underwent bilateral axillo-breast approach robotic thyroidectomy (BABA RT) over the last 14 years. METHODS: From February 2008 to September 2021, we conducted a retrospective medical chart review of 5,011 consecutive patients who underwent BABA RT at three Seoul National University-affiliated hospitals. The patients were divided into three groups based on the main model of the da Vinci robotic surgical system to evaluate trends in surgical treatment strategies and outcomes after BABA RT. RESULTS: Of the 5,011 patients (4,706 malignant and 305 benign), the most common histological subtype was papillary thyroid carcinoma (n = 4,584; 97.4%). The mean tumor size significantly increased from 0.8 cm to 1.2 cm (p < 0.05). The mean numbers of metastatic and harvested lymph nodes from the central neck dissection and the lateral neck dissection showed a significant difference and tendency to increase (from 0.9 to 1.6, 4.7 to 6.2, p < 0.05, and from 0.6 to 3.9, 5.3 to 17.9, p < 0.05), respectively, throughout the study period. Permanent hypoparathyroidism decreased from 3.4 to 2.9%. The rate of transient and permanent vocal cord palsy decreased from 15.2 to 2.7% and from 0.7 to 0.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: With advancements in robotic surgical systems and improvements in the BABA RT technique, surgical indications have expanded to include more advanced thyroid diseases, and surgical outcomes have improved over the last 14 years.

Effect of a Polyglycolic Acid Mesh Sheet (Neoveil™) in Thyroid Cancer Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer. Surgery for PTC involves resection of the thyroid gland and central lymph node dissection. Central lymph node dissection is associated with an increased amount of fluid from the dissection area and chyle leakage due to thoracic duct injury. There are few studies that deal with reducing fluid drainage and preventing chyle leakage after thyroid surgery with central lymph node dissection. A polyglycolic acid mesh sheet (Neoveil™) has been demonstrated to prevent postoperative fluid leakage in other surgeries. This study aims to evaluate whether a polyglycolic acid mesh sheet can reduce postoperative drainage and chyle leakage in papillary thyroid cancer surgery, and this study was designed as a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial in a single university hospital. The patients were randomly assigned to having only fibrin glue used in the central node dissection area (control group) or to having a polyglycolic acid mesh sheet applied after fibrin glue (treatment group). A total of 330 patients were enrolled, of which 5 patients were excluded. A total of 161 patients were included in the treatment group, and 164 patients were included in the control group. The primary outcome was the drainage amount from the Jackson-Pratt drain, and the secondary outcome was the triglyceride level in the drained fluid on the 1st and 2nd postoperative days. The drainage amount was significantly lower in the treatment group on the 2nd postoperative day (60.9 ± 34.9 mL vs. 72.3 ± 38.0 mL, p = 0.005). The sum of drainage amount during the whole postoperative days (1st and 2nd days) was also significantly lower in the treatment group (142.7 ± 71.0 mL vs. 162.5 ± 71.5 mL, p = 0.013). The postoperative triglyceride levels were lower in the treatment group but were not statistically significant (92.1 ± 60.1 mg/dL vs. 81.3 ± 58.7 mg/dL on postoperative day 1, p = 0.104 and 67.6 ± 99.2 mg/dL vs. 53.6 ± 80.4 mg/dL on postoperative day 2, p = 0.162). No adverse effects were observed in the treatment groups during the postoperative 9-month follow-up. Our study suggests that polyglycolic acid mesh sheets can be safely applied to reduce postoperative drainage amount in thyroidectomy patients who need lymph node dissection.

Anti-adhesive effect and safety of a thermosensitive adhesion barrier (Mediclore) for thyroid surgery: a double-blinded randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Postoperative adhesions after thyroidectomy adversely affect patients' quality of life. This study assessed the anti-adhesive effect and safety of thermosensitive sol-gel agents for patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Methods: A double-blind parallel-group randomized clinical trial involving patients aged 20-70 years undergoing thyroidectomy for thyroid nodules was conducted. From August 2017 to April 2020, 90 patients were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 45, thermosensitive sol-gel agent applied to the surgical site) and control (n = 45, no treatment) groups in a 1:1 ratio. All patients were assessed using a questionnaire for swallowing difficulty, wrinkle problems, and inflammation at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after thyroid surgery. For reoperated patients, the degree of adhesion was evaluated according to the adhesion-evaluation score system (range, 0-4). Results: During the follow-up period of 6.50 ± 1.38 months, the swallowing difficulty, wrinkle problem, and inflammation were improved in both groups. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the control and experimental groups related to swallowing difficulty, wrinkle problems, and inflammation. Two patients in the control group and 1 in the experimental group who underwent reoperation had an adhesion-evaluation score of 3 points. There were no adverse effects or allergic reactions. Conclusion: A thermosensitive sol-gel agent can be safely used as an anti-adhesive barrier. However, this study did not reveal its efficacy for postoperative adhesions. A more objective and systematic study is required in the future.

A prospective randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy and safety of prophylactic central compartment lymph node dissection in papillary thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of prophylactic central compartment lymph node dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma remains controversial. We performed a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic central compartment lymph node dissection in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: In this parallel-group randomized controlled trial, we assessed 101 patients aged 20 to 70 years with small/noninvasive papillary thyroid carcinoma and no clinical metastases or history of cervical surgery/radiation exposure. Randomization ran from April 2015 to November 2017. Data were collected between April 2015 and October 2020. Of the 101 enrolled patients, 50 underwent total thyroidectomy (TTx group) and 51 underwent total thyroidectomy as well as prophylactic central compartment lymph node dissection (TTx+pCND group). Surgical completeness, local recurrence, successful ablation, postoperative complication, and papillary thyroid carcinoma upstaging were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: No patient showed structural recurrence after 46.6 ± 9.1 months of follow-up. Both groups had similar rates of surgical completeness and successful ablation. There was no difference in the incidence of complications. More patients were upstaged to pN1a in the TTx+pCND group compared to those in the TTx group (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic central compartment lymph node dissection detected more lymph node metastases but did not affect recurrence. The 2 groups showed similar outcomes with regard to surgical completeness, successful ablation, and complications. In conclusion, for small/noninvasive papillary thyroid carcinoma without clinical evidence of lymph node metastases, prophylactic central compartment lymph node dissection may not be required if total thyroidectomy is planned.

Robotic Completion Thyroidectomy via the Bilateral Axillo-Breast Approach.

BACKGROUND: Bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) robotic thyroidectomy has been successfully performed for thyroid cancer patients with excellent cosmetic results. Completion thyroidectomy is sometimes necessary after thyroid lobectomy, and whether it has a higher complication rate than the primary operation due to the presence of adhesions remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate surgical outcomes, including operation time and postoperative complications, in patients who underwent BABA robotic completion thyroidectomy. METHODS: From Jan 2012 to Aug 2020, 33 consecutive patients underwent BABA robotic completion thyroidectomy for a thyroid malignancy after BABA robotic thyroid lobectomy. The procedures were divided into five steps: (1) robot setting and surgical draping, (2) flap dissection, (3) robot docking, (4) thyroidectomy, and (5) closure. Clinicopathological characteristics, operation time, and postoperative complications were reviewed. RESULTS: The total operation time was shorter for completion thyroidectomy than for the initial operation (164.8 ± 31.7 min vs. 179.8 ± 27.1 min, p = 0.043). Among the robotic thyroidectomy steps, the duration of the thyroidectomy step was shorter than that of the initial operation (69.6 ± 20.9 min vs. 83.0 ± 19.5 min, p = 0.009. One patient (1/33, 3.0%) needed hematoma evacuation under the flap area immediately after surgery. Three patients (3/33, 9.1%) showed transient hypoparathyroidism, and one patient (1/33, 3.0%) had permanent hypoparathyroidism. Two patients (2/33, 6.1%) showed transient vocal cord palsy and recovered within 3 months following the completion thyroidectomy. There were no cases of open conversion, tracheal injury, flap injury or wound infection. CONCLUSIONS: BABA robotic completion thyroidectomy could be performed safely without completion-related complication.

Comparison of the vessel sealer Extend® with harmonic ACE® in robotic bilateral axillary-breast approach thyroid surgery.

BACKGROUND: Harmonic ACE® (Harmonic) Curved Shears are frequently used for vessel sealing in patients undergoing robotic thyroidectomy. Unlike other robotic devices with articulation, the Harmonic device can only move in a straight-forward direction without articulation. The recently introduced Vessel Sealer Extend® (VSE) provides bipolar sealing and cutting with articulation movement. This study compared the VSE and Harmonic devices in robotic bilateral axillary-breast approach (BABA) thyroid surgery. METHODS: From December 2018 to March 2019, 35 consecutive patients underwent robotic BABA thyroidectomy, 20 using the VSE and 15 using the Harmonic device. Patient characteristics, pathologic results, and clinical outcomes, including complications, were evaluated. RESULTS: The characteristics of patients in the two groups were similar. Surgical time from robot docking to completion of lobectomy was longer in the VSE than in the Harmonic group (45.00±9.52 vs. 39.72±12.76 min; P=0.170). The number of camera cleanings during lobectomy was significantly lower in the VSE group (0.55±0.51 vs. 1.93±1.71; P=0.002). Intraoperative blood loss (53.00±43.29 vs. 28.67±41.03 mL; P=0.102), hospital stay after surgery (3.55±0.95 vs. 3.67±0.90 days; P=0.715), and pain scores on the first (2.85±0.37 vs. 2.93±0.26; P=0.458) and second (2.55±0.51 vs. 2.60±0.51; P=0.775) postoperative days were similar in the VSE and Harmonic groups. No patient experienced vocal cord palsy or postoperative bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: VSE can be safely applied to robotic BABA thyroid surgery.

Comparison between the 4K ultra-high definition (UHD) and high definition (HD) endoscopic systems for transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy.

BACKGROUND: The transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) is the most recently introduced method of minimally invasive thyroid surgery. To our knowledge, no studies have compared TOETVA outcomes using different laparoscopic systems. This study compared outcomes of TOETVA using conventional high definition (HD) and ultra-high definition (UHD) equipment. METHODS: Medical data and surgery videos of 62 patients who randomized to undergo thyroid lobectomy by TOETVA using an HD or UHD system from August 2018 to April 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Endoscopic procedures were divided into four phases: flap creation to isthmectomy (phase I); strap muscle division to upper pole ligation (phase II); trimming recurrent laryngeal nerve (phase III); and ligation of Berry's ligament to complete resection (phase IV). RESULTS: Of the 62 patients, 28 underwent TOETVA using an HD device and 34 using a UHD device. The clinical characteristics of the two groups were not different. Mean operating time for lobectomy was similar in the HD and UHD groups (44.19±9.94 versus 43.47±12.19 min, P=0.825). The times required for phases I (15.02±5.33 versus 13.67±5.44 min, P=0.397); II (12.89±2.84 versus 13.17±5.22 min, P=0.816); III (9.85±4.36 versus 9.98±4.55 min, P=0.918); and IV (6.43±3.69 versus 6.65±3.45 min, P=0.840) were also similar in the HD and UHD groups. The numbers of retrieved lymph nodes did not differ significantly in the HD and UHD groups (3.26±2.62 versus 3.45±2.81, P=0.807). CONCLUSIONS: Applying a UHD system in TOETVA resulted in outcomes similar to those observed with a conventional HD system. Operation time tended to be lower, especially for flap dissection, and numbers of harvest lymph nodes tended to be higher in the UHD group. Large-scale studies are needed to assess the advantages of the UHD system.

Bi-institutional experience of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy: Challenges and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) is a novel remote-access endoscopic approach. In this study, we compared the surgical outcomes of TOETVA with those of conventional transcervical approach (TCA) in two tertiary hospitals. METHODS: A total of 82 patients were done by TOETVA and 233 patients received TCA between January 2018 and April 2019. Propensity score matching was used to reduce selection bias. RESULTS: Operation time of the TOETVA group was longer than that of the TCA group. The mean number or retrieved lymph nodes were significantly higher in the TOETVA group. No significant difference was observed in the overall perioperative complications. CONCLUSION: TOETVA is technically acceptable when compared to TCA in terms of equal baseline characteristics of patients. Although future large-scale multicenter studies with longer follow-up periods are needed, we expect this novel technique can be performed not only for cosmetic purposes but also for patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Initial Experience of Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Using Bilateral Axillary Breast and Transoral Vestibular Approach in Georgia.

Purpose: Remote access thyroid surgery using a bilateral axillary breast approach (BABA) or a transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA) are increasingly performed worldwide. In the Caucasus, these methods were first applied in the Republic of Georgia. This study compares these two methods of endoscopic thyroid surgery performed on patients in a tertiary hospital in Tbilisi, Georgia. Methods: Between December 2015 and January 2018, 41 patients underwent endoscopic thyroid surgery at the Aversi Clinic, including 32 who underwent BABA endoscopic thyroidectomy for benign nodules and nine who underwent TOETVA for thyroid cancers. Patients' medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Tumors were significantly larger (2.38±0.38 cm versus 1.70±0.31 cm, p value <0.001), operation time was significantly longer (177.66±21.02 min versus 116.66±5.59 min, p value <0.001), and blood loss was significantly greater (149.07±28.10 ml versus 102.22±8.33 ml, p value <0.001) in patients who underwent BABA than TOETVA. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications between the two groups. Conclusion: Remote access thyroid surgery, either BABA or TOETVA, was successfully started, without harmful complications, at the Aversi Clinic in Tbilisi, Georgia. BABA is suitable for large sized benign nodules and TOETVA for thyroid cancers with central lymph node dissection.

Efficacy of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring in Reoperation for Recurrent Thyroid Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: The use of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) in thyroid surgery to preserve recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) function has been widely accepted. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of IONM in reoperation for recurrent thyroid cancer patients to help identify the RLN and prevent vocal cord palsy (VCP). METHODS: We analyzed 121 consecutive patients (with IONM group, 48 patients; without IONM group, 73 patients) who underwent reoperation for recurrent thyroid cancer after total thyroidectomy from January 2009 to March 2019 in our institution without VCP due to previous operations. Data including age, sex, number of previous operations, histologic subtype of the malignancy at the initial operation, operation time, RLNs at risk, difficulty of RLN identification, surgical procedure, VCP, and other postoperative complications were reviewed. Vocal cord movement evaluations were performed preoperatively and at 2 weeks postoperatively to evaluate RLN function. In patients with VCP, additional evaluations were performed. VCP exceeding 12 months after surgery was considered permanent VCP. RESULTS: VCP was observed in six (12.5%) and 16 (21.9%) patients with and without IONM (P=0.189). Transient and permanent VCP were found in three (6.3%) and three (6.3%) patients with IONM (P=0.098 and P=0.982, respectively) versus in 12 (16.4%) and four (5.5%) patients without IONM. CONCLUSION: The incidence of transient VCP seems to be lower in reoperations with IONM; however, there was no statistical significances. Further study will be needed to ascertain the efficacy of IONM in reoperation for recurrent thyroid cancer patients.

Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma: outcomes and surgical completeness in 150 single-surgeon cases.

BACKGROUND: Transoral endoscopic thyroid surgery vestibular approach (TOETVA) is a promising technique involving no skin incision. Since its first use in 60 patients in 2015, TOETVA has been adopted by several hospitals worldwide. However, reports of TOETVA for thyroid cancer are scarce. METHODS: Between August 2016 and March 2019, 150 and 125 thyroid cancer patients underwent TOETVA and open thyroidectomy (OT), respectively, by a single endocrine surgeon. Comparative analyses were performed on clinical and pathological findings, complications, and surgical completeness in total thyroidectomy cases, as indicated by the serum thyroglobulin (Tg) level. Data were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Mean age was younger in the TOETVA than in the OT group (43.06 ± 10.90 vs. 51.02 ± 12.42). The percentage of females was 96.7% in the TOETVA group. Total thyroidectomy was higher in the OT group (26.7% vs. 65.0%). Operation time (min) was longer in the TOETVA group for lobectomy (102.12 ± 32.59 vs. 76.38 ± 21.24) and total thyroidectomy (132.65 ± 34.79 vs. 90.71 ± 25.09). The largest tumor diameter was 0.91 (± 1.00) in the TOETVA group and 1.19 (± 1.07) in the OT group. The harvested lymph node number was not significantly different between the two groups for lobectomy (3.19 ± 2.89 vs. 3.49 ± 2.41, p = 0.319) and total thyroidectomy (4.98 ± 3.12 vs. 5.70 ± 4.35, p = 0.714). The thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulated Tg level before administration of the first dose of radioactive iodine was also not different (3.38 ± 10.87 vs. 3.44 ± 11.51, p = 0.595). Percentage of stimulated Tg below 1.0 ng/ml was 80.0% in the TOETVA group. CONCLUSIONS: TOETVA is feasible in selected thyroid cancer patients, not only because it is cosmetically advantageous but also because it is oncologically safe. A large prospective cohort study including recurrence surveillance is needed to consolidate the feasibility of TOETVA.

Correction to: Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma: outcomes and surgical completeness in 150 single-surgeon cases.

The Acknowledgment was omitted from this article and appears below.

Iliac vein stenting as a durable option for residual stenosis after catheter-directed thrombolysis and angioplasty of iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis secondary to May-Thurner syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to evaluate the primary patency and clinical outcomes after stenting for residual iliac venous stenosis during catheter-directed thrombolysis treatment of acute iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis arising from May-Thurner syndome. METHODS: A retrospective study was done for the all patients who underwent iliac vein stenting after catheter-directed thrombolysis treatment of acute iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis due to May-Thurner syndrome from January 2005 to April 2011 in Inha University Hospital. Patient information was assembled from the electronic medical records, imaging and interview. The patency of iliac vein stent was evaluated with serial computed tomography. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients were enrolled. The median age was 70 years (range 44-86). There were 37 females (72.5%). The duration of symptoms of acute deep vein thrombosis before catheter-directed thrombolysis treatment was 6 days (median, range 1-33). Self-expanding stent was used for iliac vein stenting. Initial technical success rate was 94.1%. There were two complications (3.9%): an arteriovenous fistula formation in left popliteal area and a right inguinal hematoma. Mean follow-up was 15.6 months (range 6 days-80.8 months). Primary patency rate after iliac vein stenting was 95.8% at 6 months, 87.5% at 12 months and 84.3% at 24 months. Four patients had recurrent thrombotic occlusion (7.8%) during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Iliac vein stenting showed good primary patency rate with few complications. Iliac vein stenting is a durable option for residual stenosis after catheter-directed thrombolysis treatment of acute deep vein thrombosis in May-Thurner syndrome.

The effect of duodenojejunal bypass for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients below body mass index 25 kg/m(2): one year follow-up.

PURPOSE: The goals of this study are to evaluate the effect of duodenojejunal bypass (DJB) for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients below body mass index (BMI) 25 kg/m(2) in one year follow-up, and to compare the results of 1 week which we have reported in 2011. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, there were 31 type 2 diabetic patients who underwent DJB at Inha University Hospital from July 2009 to January 2011. We did laboratories such as 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), insulin level and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), etc. and compared their changes of preoperative, a week, 3 months, and 12 months. RESULTS: Mean BMI was 23.1 ± 1.3 kg/m(2), mean duration of T2DM was 8.3 ± 4.7 and mean age was 46.6 ± 7.7 years. There were a significant decrease of 75-g OGTT levels and increase of insulin secretion after 3 months. 13.3% showed diabetic remission (HbA1c < 6.0, medication cessation) and 26.7% showed diabetic improvement. The rates of remission and improvement much declined comparing with that of postoperative 1 week although those were determined by fasting and postprandial 2 hour level of glucose. CONCLUSION: This is the first study of metabolic surgery in Korean diabetes patients in the healthy weight range. DJB exerted positive influences on insulin resistance as well as beta cell function. Early effects on T2DM after DJB could be estimated as one of good modalities, although the effectiveness seems to be unacceptable. Further studies are mandatory for evaluation of the effectiveness of metabolic surgery and finding prognostic factors.

Successful treatment of type I endoleak of common iliac artery with balloon expandable stent (Palmaz XL stent) during endovascular aneurysm repair.

Type 1 endoleak of common iliac artery (type I(b) endoleak) should be treated during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). An 86-year-old female was diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysm measuring 6.6 cm in diameter and right internal iliac artery aneurysm measuring 4.0 cm in diameter. She underwent EVAR after right internal iliac artery embolization. There was type I(b) endoleak, which was repaired by balloon-expandable stent, Palmaz XL stent (Cordis). We report successful treatment of type I(b) endoleak with Palmaz XL stent, which may be considered as an alternative option for type I(b) endoleak after EVAR.