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Objective: The pseudoaneurysm formation is the most common complication of arterial catheterization. This study aimed to report our clinical experience with the treatment of iatrogenic and post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms of the peripheral arteries. Materials and Methods: One hundred twenty patients, who were treated with the diagnosis of arterial pseudoaneurysm of the lower or upper extremity artery between January 2010 and October 2017, took part in this study. Patients with pseudoaneurysms originated from the anastomotic line of the previous vascular operations were excluded from the study. The diagnosis of pseudoaneurysms was made using ultrasonography and confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan when deemed necessary. Results: The most frequent symptom was a pulsatile mass. The mean diameter of pseudoaneurysms was 4.7±1.8 cm (2.3-8 cm). Among 120, 108 patients underwent surgery, and 10 patients required a blood transfusion during the operation. Wound infection was reported in 20 (15.5%) patients as an early postoperative complication. Arterial thrombosis developed in 6 (4.5%) patients, venous thrombosis in 2 (1.7%) patients, and lymphorrhea in 15 (12.5%) patients. A male patient died on the postoperative 25th day, while two patients died on postoperative 10th and 12th days (2.5%). Conclusion: Although lesser invasive treatment modalities have been described with some advantages or disadvantages, open surgical repair is the standard method of treatment for iatrogenic and traumatic peripheral arterial pseudoaneurysms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The serratus intercostal plane block (SIPB) is a recently defined interfascial plane block. The oblique subcostal transversus abdominis plane block (OSTAP) is another type of interfascial plane block, and it is also used as a part of multimodal analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). In this retrospective study, we evaluated the effects of the bilateral OSTAP and a combination of the right SIPB and bilateral rectus sheath block (RSB) on the postoperative pain and analgesia requirement in patients undergoing LC. Materials and Methods: Data of the patients who underwent LC between May 2018 and November 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. Postoperative pain was evaluated using the numeric rating scale (NRS), and 24-hour tramadol consumption and rescue analgesia requirements were compared. Results: Bilateral OSTAP was applied to 47 patients, and SIPB+RSB was applied to 25 patients. Postoperative pain scores were similar between the two groups. In the first 24 hours, tramadol requirement in the SIPB+RSB group was significantly lower than in the OSTAP block group (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the NRS averages at different time frames between the two block groups. Conclusion: We found that when SIPB is used as a part of multimodal analgesia in a combination with RSB in LS, it improves the quality of analgesia and decreases the analgesic requirement compared to patients undergoing a bilateral OSTAP block. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to compare the effects of SIPB alone and in a combination with other blocks in LC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of kinesio taping (KT) treatments and conventional physical therapy (PT) modalities that are applied to reduce pain and improve physical movements and functions of patients with sub acromial impingement syndrome (SIS). Materials and Methods: Forty patients were randomly divided into two equal groups. The first group was assigned KT plus home exercise program (HEP) for 15 days. The second group was given 15 sessions of PT and HEP Patients were assessed using active joint range of motion (ROM), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS; rest, movement, and night pain), the Society of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Evaluation (ASESS-100), Constant-Murley (C-M) scale, and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index at before and after treatment and at the end of the study (first month control visit). Results: Physical therapy was found to be more effective than KT when these two treatment modalities were assessed based on ASESS-100, WORC index values, night pain, and movement pain. PT and KT treatments have similar effects in active ROM, rest pain, and C-M scale. At the end of the study, they were found to have similar effects except the night pain value. PT was found to be more effective for night pain than KT Conclusion: Physical therapy was concluded to be more effective after treatment. The application of KT does not appear to be an alternative treatment method for SIS, but it can provide a potential supportive care for SIS. However the outcomes suggest that KT can provide a remarkable benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to determine the antibiofilm activity of Mentha longifolia essential oil (EO) against biofilms forming on in-vitro implant surfaces. Materials and Methods: Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida albicans biofilms were used. Stainless steel and titanium samples were grouped as control, water diluted, no EO addition, and reducing amounts of EO doses. The six microorganisms included in the study were investigated to examine if there were differences between the doses on the implant surfaces. The eradication effect of the EO in samples investigated with electron microscope was classified as 0: none, 1: mild, 2: moderate, and 3: severe. The chemical composition of the EO was determined with gas chromatography. Results: In terms of biofilm formation, no difference was observed between implant surfaces. While S. aureus and C. albicans were observed to be the most susceptible, P aeruginosa was identified as the most resistant. According to gas chromatography M. longifolia EO comprised 61.40% carvacrol and 0.28% thymol. Conclusion: In vitro, M. longifolia EO was shown to be effective against gram negative/positive and fungal biofilms forming on the surface of stainless steel and titanium implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The prognosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is directly associated with systolic function based on the measurement of ejection fraction (EF), and many studies have indicated that the left ventricular global strain (LVGS) provides better predictivity than the EF measurement in the diagnosis, prognosis, survival, and CVD staging. However, these studies did not investigate the correlation between the EF measurement and the LVGS parameters, or which parameters are better correlated with LVGS, but we analyzed the association between three EF measurement methods and LVGS. Materials and Methods: This study included 62 patients that applied to the clinic between October 2015 and March 2016. An echocardiography examination of these patients was performed. The exclusion criteria were atrial fibrillation and suboptimal image quality. Results: Sixty-two patients (the average age 61.0±12.6 years; 56% male and 44% female) were enrolled in the study. A statistically significant association was found between the visual EF and Simpson EF measurements and the LVGS parameters (p<0.001). While the visual EF was moderately correlated with the LVGS parameters (r=0.44), there was a good correlation between the Simpson EF and the LVGS parameters (r=0.710). Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrate that the Simpson's rule LVEF correlates better with LVGS than the Teicholtz method or visual EF and that it has a better area under the curve value for determining an abnormal LVGS. Therefore, we recommend the use of the Simpson EF for the EF measurement that has a better correlation with the LVGS values in the patients whose ventricle functions should be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In the present study, we aimed to retrospectively investigate the early and late results of different surgical treatment techniques applied in different age groups with coarctation of the aorta (CoA). Materials and Methods: Between January 2007 and February 2017, 26 patients (12 males, 14 females; mean age: 12.2±12.4 years; range: 29 days-34 years) who underwent surgery with the diagnosis of CoA were evaluated. Overall, 11 of these patients (42.3%) were in the infantile period, whereas 15 patients (57.7%) aged between 6 and 34 years. Resection and end-to-end anastomosis were performed in 13 patients (50%). Bypass grafting was performed in six patients (23.1%), and patch plasty was performed in seven patients (26.9%). Results: A patient (3.8%) who was operated on during the infantile period died early, whereas another patient (3.8%) died 2 years after the surgery. Recoarctation was detected in two patients. A patient underwent balloon dilatation, whereas another patient underwent balloon dilatation and stenting. In patients who underwent resection and end-to-end anastomosis based on postoperative echocardiography results during follow-up, a lower statistically significant gradient was observed compared with the preoperative period. Despite the decrease in the left ventricular systolic diameter (LVSD) and the increase in the ejection fraction (EF) the decrease in LVSD and increase in EF were not statistically significant. In patients who underwent patch plasty or graft interposition, the low values of the gradient and left ventricular diastolic diameter in the postoperative follow-up were statistically significant. However, the decrease in LVSD and increase in EF were not statistically significant. Conclusions: Our clinical experience suggests that repairing with resection and end-to-end anastomosis is a more appropriate treatment option during the infancy, whereas patch plasty or bypass grafting may be preferred in advanced ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by chronic inflammation. Plasma atherogenic index (PAI) is a valuable marker for the cardiovascular disease and cardiac risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role and clinical use of PAI in atherosclerosis and the cardiac risk in SLE patients. Materials and Methods: We included 56 female SLE patients who were selected according to the American College of Rheumatology (1997) diagnosis criteria. Furthermore, we selected age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched 56 female healthy individuals. PAI was measured as a logarithmic value of triglyceride to high-density cholesterol ratio. We used carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) as an inflammatory marker because of its widespread use. The lipid and other biochemical parameters of patient and control groups were examined. Results: The PAI and cIMT values of SLE patients were 0.04±0.23 and 0.78±0.18 mm, respectively. Besides, for the control group, the PAI value was -0.09±0.20 and cIMT value was 0.50±0.15 mm (p=0.002, p<0.001; respectively). There was a strong correlation between cIMT and PAI (r=0.273, p=0.003). According to the multiple logistic regression analysis, we found that PAI value is an independent factor for cIMT in SLE patients (odds ratio: 2.6, 95 % confidence interval; 1.506-4.374; p=0.029). Conclusions: We determined that PAI can be used as an independent indicator for subclinical atherosclerosis in SLE patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) is a variant of acute aortic syndrome, which can be life-threatening. Ascending aorta IMHs, particularly accompanied by penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU), can cause dissection, rupture, and cardiac tamponade. Therefore, early surgical treatment is recommended for IMHs of the ascending aorta. Herein, we present the case of a 60-year-old male patient who was on warfarin sodium treatment and in whom an IMH localized to the arcus aorta was detected incidentally via computed tomography, with the suspicion of pulmonary embolism, and an endovascular stent graft was inserted into the arcus aorta. This case highlights the importance of following ulcerated aortic plaques and suggests that IMH can be successfully treated with endovascular stent grafting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]