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Biomedical subjects

T Terachi

Publications and source records attributed to T Terachi.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Smaller ports result in shorter convalescence after laparoscopic varicocelectomy.

Minimal postoperative pain and a shorter convalescence after laparoscopic surgery are attributable to the small puncture wounds produced to accommodate trocars. We investigated the effects of trocar size on convalescence after 37 laparoscopic varicocelectomies. The initial 21 patients underwent the procedure with 2, 10 mm. ports and 1, 5 mm. port, while the last 16 underwent surgery with 3, 5 mm. ports. Postoperative convalescence was evaluated by a questionnaire. The patients who underwent the 5 mm. port technique achieved complete pain relief, returned to work and could resume work at preoperative levels significantly earlier than those who underwent the 10 mm. port technique (2.4 +/- 1.5 days versus 5.9 +/- 4.8 days, p < 0.03; 8.2 +/- 3.1 days versus 10.0 +/- 2.5 days, p < 0.03, and 10.2 +/- 4.4 days versus 14.3 +/- 6.5 days, p < 0.03, respectively). Our study showed that laparoscopic surgery with smaller ports resulted in less postoperative pain and a shorter convalescence than when larger 10 mm. ports were used.

Adolescent↗

Laparoscopic varicocelectomy: invasiveness and effectiveness compared with conventional open retroperitoneal high ligation.

The invasiveness of laparoscopic varicocelectomy and open retroperitoneal high ligation of the internal spermatic veins were compared and the surgical effects on fertility of these two procedures determined. 48 of 97 men diagnosed with varicocele testis underwent laparoscopic varicocelectomy, while the remaining 49 underwent open retroperitoneal high ligation of the internal spermatic vessels. Operating time, number of post-operative days to walking, length of hospital stay and analgesic use were measured as peri-operative indicators of invasiveness. In addition, seminal parameters were determined in order to evaluate the effects of these procedures on fertility. The operating time required for laparoscopic surgery was significantly longer than that for open surgery (96.6 vs 78.1 min., p = 0.0078). The patients in the laparoscopic surgery group began walking earlier post-operatively than did those who underwent open high ligation (0.97 vs 1.42 days, p = 0.00037). Length of hospital stay for the laparoscopic patients was shorter than for the open surgery group (7.05 vs 9.55 days, p = 0.00001). There were no statistical differences between the groups in terms of semen quality or improvement in the post-operative rate of pregnancy of partners. These findings indicate that laparoscopic varicocelectomy is associated with a shorter period of convalescence than open high ligation of the internal spermatic vessels.

Adolescent↗

Survival and prognostic factors associated with metastatic nonseminomatous testicular and extragonadal germ cell tumors.

To assess prognostic factors in patients with metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumors, 50 patients with testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) and 10 patients with extragonadal germ cell tumors (EGGCT) were studied. The clinical staging system for testicular tumors proposed by The Japanese Urological Association and The Japanese Pathological Society was applied. All patients with EGGCT had primary sites in the retroperitoneum. The 3-year survival rates of TGCT and EGGCT were 71.9% and 60.0%, respectively, and there were no differences in patient characteristics. Patients had significantly worse survival rates if the following applied: choriocarcinoma in the primary tumors, serum lactate dehydrogenase level greater than twice the upper limit of normal, liver, brain, or mediastinal metastases, or retroperitoneal tumors greater than 10 cm. It was concluded that the poor-risk group could be defined as those patients having lymph nodal disease only (stage II or III A) with retroperitoneal tumors greater than 10 cm, having pulmonary disease (stage III B) with retroperitoneal tumors greater than 5 cm, or liver, bone or brain metastases (stage III C), and these criteria will predict the prognosis for patients with advanced disease because the good-risk patients (53% of all patients) and poor-risk patients (47%) in this study had 3-year survival rates of 88.7% and 49.7% (p < 0.0001), and complete response rates of 96.9% and 60.7% (p < 0.005), respectively.

Adolescent↗

Evolving experience with continent urinary diversion using the Indiana pouch.

The Indiana continent urinary reservoir procedure for urinary diversion was performed in 46 patients. After the first 8 cases several modifications were made to the Indiana pouch. These modifications include complete detubularization of the colonic segment, construction of the pouch augmented with a U-shaped patch of ileum and, more recently, the use of stapled plication. The mean postoperative follow-up period was 46 mo (range 4.5-74.1 mo). There was 1 perioperative death and this case was excluded from the follow-up study. Late complications related to the urinary reservoir occurred in 12 (26.7%) of the 45 patients. Stone formation was observed in 5 patients. Out of 45 patients, 42 achieved complete urinary continence while 2 suffered mild nocturnal incontinence and 1 had significant leakage. Three had unilateral hydronephrosis due to ureteroanastomotic stricture. Reservoirgraphy demonstrated no reflux into the upper urinary tract in all of the follow-up cases. Loopography of the efferent limb showed that a staple-plicated ileum functions better than a suture-plicated one in terms of reliability of the continence mechanism and ease of catheterization. The Indiana pouch should be considered for any patient requiring cutaneous urinary diversion because it is technically easy to perform and it has a low revision and high continence rate.

Adult↗

[Endoscopic stone disintegration using the Lithoclast].

We present our experience with a new and unique device for performing intracorporeal lithotripsy known as the Swiss Lithoclast. This simple device uses compressed air to activate a solid probe in a manner of a jackhammer. This device was used to treat 20 patients with stones in the ureter (11), bladder (5) or a Kock pouch (4). The Lithoclast successfully fragmented 90% of the calculi independent of the composition and salvaged 2 failed ESWL treatments. At one month after the procedure, either alone or in combination of with ESWL, 17 of 20 patients became free of stones. There were no complications related to use of the device. We have found the Swiss Lithoclast to be a safe and effective means of performing intracorporeal lithotripsy for urinary calculi.

Adult↗

[A case of incidental renal leiomyosarcoma].

A 68-year-old man visited his home doctor with the chief complaint of left flank pain. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed left hydronephrosis and space occupying lesion in the right kidney. He was referred to our hospital because of suspected left ureteral stone and for further examination. Drip infusion pyelography revealed a left ureteral stone and retrograde pyelography showed extrinsic compression and deformation of the right pyelogram. A computed tomography showed a heterogeneous solid mass, 7 x 4 cm in size, compressing the pelvicocalyceal system and growing out of the kidney. Right radical nephrectomy was performed under the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. The pathological diagnosis was leiomyosarcoma. Seventy-five cases of renal leiomyosarcoma have been reported in the Japanese literature and this is the third case as an incidental tumor. Because of the absence of the characteristic diagnostic signs, this malignant tumor can present diagnostic difficulty. The diagnostic problems and clinical features of renal leiomyosarcoma are discussed.

Aged↗

[Single agent carboplatin therapy for advanced seminoma].

Between May 1990 and August 1992, 5 patients with advanced seminoma were treated with single agent carboplatin at Kyoto University. The mean follow-up period of all patients was 23 months. The clinical stage was IIA: 1, IIB: 1, IIIA: 2, IIIB1: 1. Three to 4 courses of carboplatin at 400 mg/m2, were administered intravenously over 1 hour without hydration every 3 to 4 weeks. One patient achieved complete response (CR). Four patients with a residual mass were observed, in two of them the mass disappeared and they remained free of disease. Two of the 4 patients with a residual mass relapsed 11 and 19 months after the start of treatment, and were successfully salvaged with surgery and adjuvant EP (etoposide and cisplatin) therapy. Subsequently, the overall CR rate was 60% and overall survival rate was 100%. The side effects of carboplatin were compared with those of VAB6 (vinblastine, actinomycin-D, bleomycin, cisplatin and cyclophosphamide), with which another 5 patients were previously treated at our hospital. Leukopenia and alopecia were observed in the VAB6 group with a significant difference (p < 0.05). Severe thrombocytopenia, dyspnea, skin rash, tinnitus and numbness were observed in 4 patients in the VAB6 group. However, no other symptoms but nausea and vomiting were observed in the carboplatin group. It was concluded that single agent carboplatin therapy for advanced seminoma was effective and less toxic, and it would be beneficial for the quality of life of patients, but the residual mass should be treated with surgery, cisplatin-based chemotherapy, or radiotherapy because it possibly has a recurrent potential; otherwise it should be carefully observed.

Adult↗

Long-term followup of the Kock and Indiana pouch procedures.

Between 1984 and 1991, 115 consecutive patients underwent cutaneous continent urinary diversion comprising 76 Kock and 39 Indiana pouch procedures. The 2 different forms of achieving continent urinary diversion were subsequently compared in a long-term followup that evaluated complications, including pouch function and the need for revisions. In the Kock pouch group there were 14 (18.4%) early postoperative complications (3 months), which required 4 subsequent reoperations (5.3%). The Indiana pouch group had a similar incidence of early complications (17.9%) but there were no reservoir related problems. The long-term study group comprised 68 Kock and 37 Indiana pouch patients who were observed for 12 months or longer (mean followup 53 and 34 months, respectively). Of 9 efferent nipple valve malfunctions observed in the Kock pouch group 5 required surgical revision. Of 16 complications related to afferent limb function 15 were caused by the use of polyester fiber fabric for the anchoring collar and 8 of these 15 complications required surgical revision. The first 2 Indiana pouch patients had pouch deformities due to incomplete detubularization of the cecum that required surgical repair. Overall, surgical revisions, including minor repairs, were performed on 15 Kock pouch patients (22.1%) and 4 Indiana pouch patients (10.8%). Both forms of the procedure preserved continence to a satisfactory degree. Urinary tract stones developed in 18 patients (26.5%) from the Kock pouch group, usually on the exposed staples or the eroded, nonabsorbable collar used to construct the nipple valves. Stone formation was rare (5.4%) in the Indiana pouch group. The incidence of ureteral implantation stricture was low in both procedures. There was no significant difference in the incidence of bacteriuria between the 2 methods of urinary diversion. These data demonstrate that the Kock pouch and Indiana pouch procedures can be accomplished with the same early postoperative complication rate. Our 8-year experience showed a high incidence of Kock afferent nipple valve malfunction. However, most of these malfunctions were due to the use of a nonabsorbable collar and can be avoided. When taking this into account, therefore, it can be concluded that the Indiana pouch functions as well as the Kock pouch with roughly the same incidence of late complications and the same reoperation rate but with a lower incidence of stone formation.

Adult↗

[Complications in urological laparoscopic surgery].

Laparoscopic surgery is often associated with complications which never occur in open conventional surgery. We investigated operative and postoperative complications in urological laparoscopic surgery. From February 1990 to November 1992, 91 laparoscopic operations were performed, including 62 varicocelectomies, 5 pelvic lymphadenectomies, 6 adrenalectomies, 5 simple nephrectomies, 2 radical nephrectomies, 1 staged Fowler-Stephens operation and 10 laparoscopies for cryptorchidism or other disorders. The patients ranged from 3 months to 77 years old. Nine (9.9%) of the 91 patients had complications associated with laparoscopic procedures and 4 (4.4%) of them had major complications. Pneumoextraperitoneum occurred in 3 patients. Two patients, who suffered from preperitoneal insufflation or pneumothorax associated with pneumomediastinum, failed to undergo laparoscopy. A small amount of scrotal emphysema developed in one patient, which subsided within 12 hours. Another patient, who underwent radical nephrectomy and para-aortic lymphadenectomy for left renal cell carcinoma, complained of symptoms due to persistent pneumoperitoneum and subcutaneous emphysema, which subsided 2 weeks after the operation. Respiratory acidosis caused by carbon dioxide absorption, which was difficult to be controlled, occurred in the other two patients; one was an adult male with reduced respiratory function and the other was a 1-year-and-8-month-old child. Bleeding during or after the procedure was another serious complication. Vena caval laceration occurred during right simple nephrectomy for pyonephrosis with renal calculi and was managed with laparotomy. Two patients, one after simple nephrectomy and the other after right adrenalectomy, suffered from postoperative bleeding about 300 ml through the penrose drain, which subsided following a bed rest.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

[Long-term complete response of multiple lung metastases from renal cell carcinoma induced by combination therapy with interferon alpha and UFT: a case report].

We report a case of long-term complete response of multiple lung metastases of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by the combination therapy with interferon alpha (IFN alpha) and UFT. A 38 year-old man having left RCC with lung metastases underwent radical left nephrectomy and extended lymph node dissection, the pathological stage being pT2N2. Although metastatic lung tumors increased in size and number against intravenously admitted interferon gamma (IFN gamma) therapy after the surgery, they completely disappeared following the subsequent combination therapy with intramuscularly admitted interferon alpha (IFN alpha) and oral intake of UFT in about 2 years. The patient has been disease-free for 5 years after cessation of the treatment. Combination therapy with IFN alpha and UFT might be more effective on metastases of RCC than single use of IFN alpha or IFN gamma.

Adult↗

Structural analysis of length mutations in a hot-spot region of wheat chloroplast DNAs.

The hot-spot region related to length mutations in the chloroplast genome of the wheat group was precisely analyzed at the DNA sequence level. This region, located downstream from the rbcL gene, was highly enriched in A + T, and contained a number of direct and inverted repeats. Many deletions/insertions were observed in the region. In most deletions/insertions of multiple nucleotides, short repeated sequences were found at the mutation points. Furthermore, a pair of short repeated sequences was also observed at the border of the translocated gene. A sequence homologous with ORF512 of tobacco cpDNA was truncated in cpDNAs of the wheat group and found only in the mitochondrial DNA of Ae. crassa, suggesting the inter-organellar translocation of this sequence. Mechanisms that could generate structural alterations of the chloroplast genome in the wheat group are discussed.

Base Sequence↗

Variations in chloroplast proteins and nucleotide sequences of three chloroplast genes in Triticum and Aegilops.

Two alloplasmic wheat lines having the same common wheat nucleus but the cytoplasms of Aegilops crassa and Ae. columnaris together with the corresponding normal line (control) were used in the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of soluble and thylakoid membrane proteins of the chloroplast. Three chloroplast polypeptides: the Rubisco large subunit, the beta subunit of ATP synthase, and an unidentified 31 kDa protein, differed in the common wheat and two Aegilops cytoplasms. Three chloroplast genes, atpB, atpE and trnM, that respectively encode the beta and epsilon subunits of ATP synthase and tRNA(met), were sequenced. The atpB gene differed by two synonymous base substitutions, whereas the other two genes were identical in the two Aegilops cytoplasms. From the predicted amino acid sequences, the beta subunits of the ATP synthase in the Aegilops cytoplasms were assumed to have three amino acid substitutions: Ala by Val, Asp- by Ala, and Gln by Lys+, in contrast to the cytoplasm of common wheat. This accounts for the difference in pI values found for the common wheat and Aegilops cytoplasms. The two base substitutions for the atpE genes of common wheat and the Aegilops cytoplasms were synonymous. The differences detected in the genes encoding the two subunits of ATP synthase do not appear to be ascribable to the differences in phenotypic effects for the common wheat and Aegilops cytoplasms. The base substitution rate of the atpB-atpE-trnM gene cluster was similar to that of the rbcL gene. From the rate for the atpB gene alone, evolutionary divergence of the wheat-Aegilops complex is assumed to have begun ca. 3.0 x 10(6) years ago, as compared to ca. 8.0 x 10(6) years ago for the divergence of the wheat-Aegilops complex and barley.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[Clinical application of Dornier Lithotripter Compact for upper urinary tract stones].

The results of clinical application of a Dornier Lithotripter Compact (Dornier Medical Systems Co., Ltd.) on upper urinary tract stones are presented. Between October 1991 and June 1992, 30 patients with upper urinary tract stones were treated with ESWL in the Department of Urology, Kyoto University. Although 49 sessions for 32 stones in total were carried out without anesthesia, analgesics such as indomethacin and/or pentazocine were required in 37 sessions (76%). Stone-free rate 3 months after the last session was 12/30 cases (40%) and the success rate, the ratio of the patients without residual stone or with residual stones less than 4 mm to total 30 patients, was 18/30 (60%) at the point. Macrohematuria was seen after the treatment in 42/49 (86%) sessions, but it disappeared within 3 days in all instances. Pain necessitating analgesics after the treatment was seen in 16/49 (33%) sessions. Subcutaneous bleeding and fever-up of less than 38 degrees C were seen in 15/49 (31%) and 8/49 (16%) sessions, respectively, but bacteremia after the treatment was not detected in any case. No serious adverse effects were observed in blood chemistry. The Dornier Lithotripter Compact is considered to be useful in the treatment of renal and upper third ureteral stones.

Adolescent↗

[Experience with laparoscopic nephrectomy].

Laparoscopic procedures are promising techniques which allow less invasive surgery not only for intra-abdominal organs but also for retroperitoneal organs. Laparoscopic nephrectomy was first described by Clayman et al. We removed the left kidney of a 36-year-old male patient using laparoscopic procedures according to Clayman's technique. The kidney had developed hydronephrosis due to congenital ureteropelvic junction stenosis. In the peritoneal cavity the freed kidney was pushed into a Lapsac, minced using scissors and forceps, and removed without elongation of the wound. During the operation, pneumoperitoneum with CO2 gas induced increases in PaCO2, central venous pressure, pulmonary artery wedge pressure and cardiac output, all of which the patient tolerated well. The patient was discharged from the hospital on the 9th postoperative day. Laparoscopic nephrectomy is a useful alternative to the conventional open surgery in selected cases, when surgical techniques and instruments are improved appropriately.

Adult↗

[Laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy in patients with localized prostate cancer].

Laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy is a newly developed technique of lymph node dissection in patients with malignancy of the pelvic organs. Three patients with localized prostatic cancer underwent laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy. The patients were 77 years old with stage C disease, 73 with stage B1, and 65 with stage A2. Five to ten lymph nodes were removed from each patient after laparoscopic procedures lasting 220 to 270 minutes. There were no complications during the procedures and their convalescence was uneventful. All lymph nodes were negative by pathological examination and a radical retropubic prostatectomy was done 2 weeks after the lymphadenectomy in two patients. The other patient was treated with external radiotherapy and bilateral orchiectomy. Patients with stage C cancer, a high serum level of prostate specific antigen or a high grade tumor are the best candidates for this less invasive staging procedure. The disadvantage of this procedure is long operation time and complications due to CO2 pneumoperitoneum.

Aged↗

[Nerve-sparing retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for stage IIA testicular embryonal carcinoma: a case report].

A 32-year-old man who had left testicular embryonal carcinoma with low volume left para-aortic lymph node swelling was treated initially with 3 courses of cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy. Pathological findings of the primary lesion revealed no yolk sac element and no elevation of serum alpha fetoprotein (alpha-FP) and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) levels even before the left orchiectomy. Therefore, the retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) was performed despite marked shrinkage of the enlarged nodes. The L1-3 lumber splanchnic nerves from the right sympathetic truncus were detected in the intra-aortocaval region to prevent impairment of ejaculatory function and the lymph nodes in the area were removed one by one between the preserved neurofibers. On the other hand, the left para-aortic lymphatic tissue which included enlarged nodes was dissected in en bloc manner. The pre-aortic lymphatic tissue caudally to the inferior mesenteric artery was preserved not to be touched. The patient ejaculated normally 3 weeks after the RPLND. Treatment of stage IIA disease with chemotherapy first might be helpful in performing RPLND, if necessary, with keeping both ejaculatory function and radicality.

Adult↗

[Indiana continent urinary reservoir: technical modifications and late complications].

From October, 1987 through September, 1991, 39 patients underwent construction of Indiana pouch for cutaneous urinary diversion. There were 35 men and 4 women, and their ages ranged from 38 to 77 years (a mean age of 62 years). After the first 8 cases, Indiana pouch was constructed with several modifications which included complete detubularization of the cecum, construction of the pouch augmented with U-shaped ileal patch, and the use of stapled plication. There was no major early complication related to the pouch but one postoperative death of blood transfusion related graft versus host disease. End results were evaluated in 37 patients who were followed for 3 to 49 months. Late complications related to urinary reservoir occurred in 8 patients. The early two patients experienced pouch deformity due to incomplete detubularization of the colonic segment. Two patients had difficult catheterization due to a dilatation of the plicated ileum. One patient had metabolic acidosis requiring hospitalization. Patients perform self-catheterization 4-5 times during the day and 0-2 times at night for volumes ranging from 300 to 1,000 cc. Of 37 patients 34 achieved acceptable urinary continence and one had significant leakage requiring cutaneous bag. The remaining two patients suffered mild nocturnal incontinence. Follow up examination with excretory urography showed no upper urinary tract obstruction except one with unilateral hydronephrosis due to ureteroanastomotic stricture. Reservoirgraphy showed no reflux into the upper urinary tract in all the follow up cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Coexistence of autologous antibodies and decay-accelerating factor, an inhibitor of complement, on human renal tumor cells.

Autologous immunoglobulin was detected on the cell surface of tumor cells freshly isolated from cancerous kidneys of patients with renal cell carcinoma by flow cytometry after staining with murine anti-human IgG monoclonal antibodies. Cells isolated in parallel from macroscopically normal regions of the tumorous kidneys were not specifically stained with the anti-human IgG reagents. In further studies, tumor cells were stained with an antibody to decay-accelerating factor (DAF), a known inhibitor of complement. Flow cytometry of these cells revealed that nearly all tumor cells expressed DAF, and that the intensity of staining with the anti-DAF monoclonal antibody correlated with the staining of cells with anti-IgG. The results suggest that tumor cells coated with autologous antibody may be resistant to complement-mediated cytotoxicity in vivo through the expression of high levels of DAF.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗