BackgroundPostoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication associated with higher mortality rates, prolonged hospitalization, and increased treatment costs.The aimof this cross-sectional longitudinal study is to compare the incidence of POAF after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) performed with different surgical techniques. The primary outcome is defined as a heart rhythm disorder with atrial fibrillation characteristics that lasts longer than 5 min or requires treatment due to clinical instability.MethodsThe study included 229 hemodynamically stable patients with isolated coronary artery disease who underwent elective CABG. 153 patients underwent CABG with use of cardiopulmonary bypass (ONCAB) and 76 patients without it (OPCAB). In the preoperative risk assessment with modified score, the risk of POAF was higher in the ONCAB group.ResultsPOAF occurred in 86 (37.55%) of a total 229 patients. The number of new cases of POAF is lower in the OPCAB 36 (15.72%) compared to 50 (21.83%) in the ONCAB group (p = 0.031). In the postoperative period there was a significant difference in the time of onset of the primary outcome, the time spent in the IUC and the length of hospitalization.ConclusionPOAFs are more common in ONCAB operating technique. The OPCAB technique reduces postoperative complications, shortens the stay in the IUC and the length of hospitalization, and reduces treatment costs.

BACKGROUND: Thanks to modern methods of assisted reproduction (ART), parenthood has become an attainable goal for couples in which the male partner has experienced spinal cord injury (SCI). OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to determine the success of the treatment of infertile patients with SCI with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of cryopreserved sperm obtained by the testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) procedure. METHODS: In this retrospective study 156 infertile couples were included, in which the male partner is primarily infertile due to azoospermia. Infertile couples were divided into two groups. The first group ( n = 82) includes men with SCI, and the second ( n = 74) men with obstructive azoospermia (OA) as the cause of infertility. All infertile men were examined and processed in the diagnostic procedure, and based on the urological findings, surgical extraction of sperm from the testicles was indicated. Exclusion criteria were the age of women over 40 and men over 45. RESULTS: We found that the quality of sperm was worse in the group with SCI, compared to the group with OA, but without statistical significance. Zenica and Johnsen score ( p = 0.001; p = 0.000) showed worse semen characteristics in the group with SCI. There were no significant differences in the average number of embryos ( p = 0.698), pregnancy rates per cycle ( p = 0.979) and pregnancy rates per embrio transfer (ET), clinical pregnancy rates per ET ( p = 0.987) and delivery rates per ET ( p = 0.804) in couples with SCI, compared to couples with OA. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this research, the TESA and ICSI procedures can be recommended as a successful method in the treatment of male infertility caused by azoospermia due to SCI.

BACKGROUND: Despite improvements, survival rates for gastric cancer remain low, even in developed countries, confirming the role of primary and secondary prevention. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to demonstrate the role of additional suspension sutures on the esophagojejunal anastomosis (EJA) to strengthen the anastomosis, i.e., relieve the mechanical suture. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2011 to 2022 at the Clinic for Surgery, University Clinical Center Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The experimental group consisted of patients placed with a suspension suture at the esophagojejunal anastomosis (EJA) site after total gastrectomy. The control group was patients without a suspension suture. The clinical and laboratory parameters available from the medical history were analyzed, X-ray passage, surgical complications, non-surgical complications, the length of hospitalization, the postoperative course, time of onset of postoperative complications, postoperative radiological follow-up and endoscopic postoperative follow-up were then analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 212 patients were included in the study: 87 in the experimental group with suspension sutures on the EJA and 125 in the control group without suspension sutures on the EJA. The two cohorts did not differ in other clinicopathologic parameters except perineural invasion, which was more prevalent in the control group. Patients in both groups were anemic and elevated values of C reactive protein (CRP) and decreased levels of proteins, albumin and globulin, with no significant difference between the two groups. The most common general complication was pleural effusion (28%), followed by pneumonia ( ∼ 22%). The most common complication in the experimental group was an intraabdominal abscess, while in the control group, it was a surgical wound infection. CONCLUSION: Our study did not show a statistically significant difference between the two analyzed EJA techniques created with a circular stapler, when it comes to postoperative course and outcome in patients with gastric cancer.

Background : Both objective and subjective transvaginal sonography (TVS) methods are used to assess the degree of myometrial invasion (MI). Subjective TVS assessment of MI ( < 50% or > 50%) may be as good or better than any objective measurement technique. The aim of this study is to examine the ultrasound characteristics of endometrial cancer (EC) in two groups of patients; with myometrial invasion less and greater than 50%. Methods : This is a prospective cohort study included 60 female patients with pathohistologically (PHD) proven endometrial cancer. Patients were divided into two groups, after surgery and PHD assessment of MI degree, into those with less and more than 50% MI. The degree of MI was performed by subjective assessment ( < 50% and > 50%). Results : The frequency of anteroposterior (AP) diameter of EC greater than 2 cm was statistically significantly higher in the group of subjects with MI > 50% ( p < 0.00001). The volume of EC in the group of patients with MI > 50% is statistically significantly higher, with a difference of 10.48 milliliters compared to the group of subjects with MI < 50% ( p < 0.00014). The difference in the average distance of the EC from the serosa is 0.11 cm between the two examined groups and is statistically significant ( p = 0.0394). The kappa concordance coefficient for the subjective TVS method versus the PHD finding was statistically significant ( p < 0.001), and was kappa = 0.72. Analysis of the diagnostic accuracy showed that the subjective TVS method compared to the gold standard in the diagnosis of MI > 50% has a good diagnostic value: accuracy = 0.87; sensitivity = 0.77; specificity = 0.94; positive predictive value = 0.91; negative predictive value = 0.84; positive likelihood ratio = 13.08; negative likelihood ratio = 0.25. According to the subjective method of TVS, the degree of MI was overestimated in 5.9% of respondents, underestimated in 23.1%. Conclusions : The three dimensions, as well as the volume of endometrial cancer, obtained by TVS, are significantly higher in subjects with > 50% myometrial invasion; there is also a significantly higher frequency of EC diameter greater than 2 cm in the group of subjects with > 50% myometrial invasion.