Use of Magnets as a Minimally Invasive Approach for Anastomosis in Esophageal Atresia: Long-Term Outcomes.

Introduction: The majority of esophageal atresia (EA) patients undergo surgical repair soon after birth. However, factors due to patient characteristics, esophageal length, or surgical complications can limit the ability to obtain esophageal continuity. A number of techniques have been described to treat these patients with "long-gap" EA. Magnets are a nonsurgical alternative for esophageal anastomosis. The purpose of this study was to report long-term outcomes for the use of magnets in EA. Materials and Methods: Between July 2001 and December 2017, 13 patients underwent placement of a magnetic catheter-based system under fluoroscopic guidance at six institutions. Daily chest radiographs were obtained until there was union of the magnets. Magnets were then removed and replaced with an oro- or nasogastric tube. Complications and outcomes were recorded. The average length of follow-up was 9.3 years (range 1.42-17.75). Results: A total of 85% of the patients had type A, pure EA, and 15% had type C with previous fistula ligation. The average length of time to achieve anastomosis was 6.3 days (range 3-13). No anastomotic leaks occurred, and all of the patients had an expected esophageal stenosis that required dilation given the 10F coupling surface of the magnets (average 9.8, range 3-22). Six patients (46%) had retrievable esophageal stents, and two underwent surgery; yet all maintained their native esophagus without interposition. A total of 92% were on full oral feeds at the time of follow-up. Conclusion: The use of magnets for treatment of long-gap EA is safe and feasible and accomplished good long-term outcomes. The main complication was esophageal stricture, although all patients maintained their native esophagus. A prospective observational study is currently enrolling patients to evaluate the safety and benefit of a catheter-based magnetic device for EA.

Yolk sac tumor of the ovary in a young girl with tuberous sclerosis: A case report and review of the literature.

•We reported the first tuberous sclerosis patient with an ovarian yolk sac tumor.•Although angiomyolipoma is a common benign tumor in TS patients, abdominal malignancies must be considered.

Nonoperative management of a giant omphalocele using a silver impregnated hydrofiber dressing: a case report.

The surgical management of a giant omphalocele is challenging. Many cannot be closed at birth and must initially be managed nonoperatively with a topical agent to facilitate epithelialization. We report the case of a term, 1-day-old female neonate with a giant omphalocele treated initially with a hydrofiber dressing containing silver (Aquacel Ag; ConvaTec Inc, Skillman, NJ) and then with delayed primary closure.

Relapse in schizophrenia: costs, clinical outcomes and quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Relapse is one of the most costly aspects of schizophrenia. AIMS: To compare costs, clinical outcomes and quality of life for patients who experienced relapse in schizophrenia with a control group who did not relapse. METHOD: Patients were randomly selected from current psychiatric case-loads drawn from urban and suburban areas of Leicester. Differences in costs and outcomes by relapse status in the previous 6 months were examined using parametric and non-parametric tests, and multivariate analysis was used to examine factors associated with relapse and costs. RESULTS: Costs for the patients who relapsed were over four times higher than those for the non-relapse group. There were few statistically significant differences in clinical and quality of life measures by relapse status. Multivariate analyses suggested some significant correlates of relapse and costs. CONCLUSIONS: The higher costs associated with relapse will be of interest to policy-makers who face difficult choices concerning new but more expensive treatments for patients with schizophrenia.

Ageing and public satisfaction with the health service: an analysis of recent trends.

One possible explanation for the positive relationship between age and public and user views of health care is that it reflects a generational effect and this relationship has changed over the last decade or so. The analysis carried out in this report examines the relationship between ageing and levels of satisfaction with the health service in the UK using pooled data from the British Social Attitudes Survey, 1983-99. At the descriptive level there is strong evidence of a positive trend between age and satisfaction with general practice and hospital services, and for how the NHS is run but not for NHS primary dental services. Also, when comparing 1983 with 1999 data, there is evidence of a shift down in satisfaction levels for all of these indicators with the widest gap in inpatient services. At the multivariate level there is some evidence to suggest that, over time, the older population value how the NHS is run and GP and dental services at a slightly higher rate compared with the younger population, but the effect is small. This 'age/cohort' interaction effect is, however, negative for inpatient and outpatient services. These findings show little evidence of marked changes in attitude among the elderly or that the elderly are becoming more critical and less positive in their attitude to health care in the UK. The theoretical and methodological implications of these findings are discussed.