Portal hypertension(PH)is a major complication of chronic liver disease,often leading to serious clinical consequences such as variceal bleeding,ascites,and splenomegaly.The current gold standard for PH diagnosis,name...Portal hypertension(PH)is a major complication of chronic liver disease,often leading to serious clinical consequences such as variceal bleeding,ascites,and splenomegaly.The current gold standard for PH diagnosis,namely,hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement,is invasive and not widely available.Transient elastography has emerged as a non-invasive alternative for assessing liver stiffness(LS),and recent studies have highlighted the potential role of splenic stiffness(SS)in evaluating PH severity.This narrative review summarizes the available evidence on the utility of splenic transient elastography in assessing PH.We evaluated its diagnostic accuracy,technical challenges,and clinical applications,particularly in distinguishing between cirrhotic PH(CPH)and noncirrhotic PH(NCPH).A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed database,focusing on studies that assess splenic elastography in the diagnosis and prognosis of PH.This review compares splenic elastography with other non-invasive imaging modalities,including MR elastography and shearwave elastography.Additionally,we examined the role of SS using elastography in predicting the presence of esophageal varices and its potential impact on reducing the need for endoscopic screening.Studies have demonstrated that splenic elastography correlates well with PH severity,with cut-off values ranging between 45 kPa and 50 kPa for significant PH detection.Splenic elastography,when combined with platelet count and LS measurements,improves diagnostic accuracy and risk stratification for the occurrence of variceal bleeding.Despite its clinical promise,technical challenges such as patient positioning,body habitus,and probe selection remain key limitations.Notably,splenic elastography may be particularly useful in diagnosing NCPH,where LS remains normal but PH is present.Splenic transient elastography is a valuable adjunct in the non-invasive assessment of PH.Its ability to predict varices,differentiate between CPH and NCPH,and reduce unnecessary endoscopies suggests that it should be incorporated into routine hepatology practice.Future research should focus on refining SS cut-offs,evaluating its cost-effectiveness,and integrating splenic elastography into clinical guidelines for PH management.展开更多
Critical cardiogenic shock remains a problem with staggering mortality,with the best hope of survival depending on timely and aggressive intervention.This often requires the use of extracorporeal mechanical support in...Critical cardiogenic shock remains a problem with staggering mortality,with the best hope of survival depending on timely and aggressive intervention.This often requires the use of extracorporeal mechanical support in addition to vasoactive medications to manage patients through their initial insult.The decision to use such support must be made early in the clinical presentation,and is best done in a multidisciplinary fashion.In this article,we review the literature and provide an algorithm for the treatment of cardiogenic shock.展开更多
Surgical repair has been the standard therapy for severe mitral regurgitation causing symptoms or left ventricular dysfunction.Percutaneous mitral valve repair has become an appealing alternative approach for patients...Surgical repair has been the standard therapy for severe mitral regurgitation causing symptoms or left ventricular dysfunction.Percutaneous mitral valve repair has become an appealing alternative approach for patients who are not suitable for surgery.However,clinical trial data are not available on the institutional impact of a percutaneous mitral valve repair program on mitral valve surgery.The current study retrospectively evaluated the impact of the MitraClip program on the mitral valve surgery volume and outcomes.Patient data were retrieved from the 2 years before and the 2 years after initiation of the MitraClip program.The volume of MitraClip procedures increased from eight cases in 2015 to 91 cases in 2017.Since the initiation of the MitraClip program in 2015,the volume of both mitral valve replacement and mitral valve repair also increased(43 vs.60 and 110 vs.154,respectively).Importantly,we observed improved surgical outcomes,including fewer perioperative complications and lower operative mortality and in-hospital mortality.Data from our single-institution experience indicate that the introduction of the MitraClip program is associated with increased mitral valve surgery volume and improved outcomes.The establishment of the MitraClip program enables the hospital to provide higher quality of care and potentially become a referring center for structural heart patients.展开更多
Posterior urethral stenosis(PUS)is a known complication following prostate cancer treatment as well as other benign endoscopic treatments.Patients with PUS often fail initial endoscopic treatments and have persistent ...Posterior urethral stenosis(PUS)is a known complication following prostate cancer treatment as well as other benign endoscopic treatments.Patients with PUS often fail initial endoscopic treatments and have persistent symp-toms negatively affecting quality of life.In the past decade,a variety of dif-ferent surgical techniques and approaches have changed the landscape of PUS management.The goal of this review is to provide details on the his-torical,current,and future direction of the surgical management for PUS.展开更多
文摘Portal hypertension(PH)is a major complication of chronic liver disease,often leading to serious clinical consequences such as variceal bleeding,ascites,and splenomegaly.The current gold standard for PH diagnosis,namely,hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement,is invasive and not widely available.Transient elastography has emerged as a non-invasive alternative for assessing liver stiffness(LS),and recent studies have highlighted the potential role of splenic stiffness(SS)in evaluating PH severity.This narrative review summarizes the available evidence on the utility of splenic transient elastography in assessing PH.We evaluated its diagnostic accuracy,technical challenges,and clinical applications,particularly in distinguishing between cirrhotic PH(CPH)and noncirrhotic PH(NCPH).A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed database,focusing on studies that assess splenic elastography in the diagnosis and prognosis of PH.This review compares splenic elastography with other non-invasive imaging modalities,including MR elastography and shearwave elastography.Additionally,we examined the role of SS using elastography in predicting the presence of esophageal varices and its potential impact on reducing the need for endoscopic screening.Studies have demonstrated that splenic elastography correlates well with PH severity,with cut-off values ranging between 45 kPa and 50 kPa for significant PH detection.Splenic elastography,when combined with platelet count and LS measurements,improves diagnostic accuracy and risk stratification for the occurrence of variceal bleeding.Despite its clinical promise,technical challenges such as patient positioning,body habitus,and probe selection remain key limitations.Notably,splenic elastography may be particularly useful in diagnosing NCPH,where LS remains normal but PH is present.Splenic transient elastography is a valuable adjunct in the non-invasive assessment of PH.Its ability to predict varices,differentiate between CPH and NCPH,and reduce unnecessary endoscopies suggests that it should be incorporated into routine hepatology practice.Future research should focus on refining SS cut-offs,evaluating its cost-effectiveness,and integrating splenic elastography into clinical guidelines for PH management.
文摘Critical cardiogenic shock remains a problem with staggering mortality,with the best hope of survival depending on timely and aggressive intervention.This often requires the use of extracorporeal mechanical support in addition to vasoactive medications to manage patients through their initial insult.The decision to use such support must be made early in the clinical presentation,and is best done in a multidisciplinary fashion.In this article,we review the literature and provide an algorithm for the treatment of cardiogenic shock.
文摘Surgical repair has been the standard therapy for severe mitral regurgitation causing symptoms or left ventricular dysfunction.Percutaneous mitral valve repair has become an appealing alternative approach for patients who are not suitable for surgery.However,clinical trial data are not available on the institutional impact of a percutaneous mitral valve repair program on mitral valve surgery.The current study retrospectively evaluated the impact of the MitraClip program on the mitral valve surgery volume and outcomes.Patient data were retrieved from the 2 years before and the 2 years after initiation of the MitraClip program.The volume of MitraClip procedures increased from eight cases in 2015 to 91 cases in 2017.Since the initiation of the MitraClip program in 2015,the volume of both mitral valve replacement and mitral valve repair also increased(43 vs.60 and 110 vs.154,respectively).Importantly,we observed improved surgical outcomes,including fewer perioperative complications and lower operative mortality and in-hospital mortality.Data from our single-institution experience indicate that the introduction of the MitraClip program is associated with increased mitral valve surgery volume and improved outcomes.The establishment of the MitraClip program enables the hospital to provide higher quality of care and potentially become a referring center for structural heart patients.
文摘Posterior urethral stenosis(PUS)is a known complication following prostate cancer treatment as well as other benign endoscopic treatments.Patients with PUS often fail initial endoscopic treatments and have persistent symp-toms negatively affecting quality of life.In the past decade,a variety of dif-ferent surgical techniques and approaches have changed the landscape of PUS management.The goal of this review is to provide details on the his-torical,current,and future direction of the surgical management for PUS.
