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Biomedical subjects

David O Hodge

Publications and source records attributed to David O Hodge.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Syncope Evaluation in the Emergency Department Study (SEEDS): a multidisciplinary approach to syncope management.

BACKGROUND: The primary aim and central hypothesis of the study are that a designated syncope unit in the emergency department improves diagnostic yield and reduces hospital admission for patients with syncope who are at intermediate risk for an adverse cardiovascular outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this prospective, randomized, single-center study, patients were randomly allocated to 2 treatment arms: syncope unit evaluation and standard care. The 2 groups were compared with chi2 test for independence of categorical variables. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used for continuous variables. Survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. One hundred three consecutive patients (53 women; mean age 64+/-17 years) entered the study. Fifty-one patients were randomized to the syncope unit. For the syncope unit and standard care patients, the presumptive diagnosis was established in 34 (67%) and 5 (10%) patients (P<0.001), respectively, hospital admission was required for 22 (43%) and 51 (98%) patients (P<0.001), and total patient-hospital days were reduced from 140 to 64. Actuarial survival was 97% and 90% (P=0.30), and survival free from recurrent syncope was 88% and 89% (P=0.72) at 2 years for the syncope unit and standard care groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The novel syncope unit designed for this study significantly improved diagnostic yield in the emergency department and reduced hospital admission and total length of hospital stay without affecting recurrent syncope and all-cause mortality among intermediate-risk patients. Observations from the present study provide benchmark data for improving patient care and effectively utilizing healthcare resources.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

The prognostic significance of exercise-induced atrial arrhythmias.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to determine if atrial ectopy (AE) or atrial arrhythmias during exercise are predictive of an increased risk of cardiac events and death. BACKGROUND: Although stress-induced atrial arrhythmias are common during exercise testing, there is a paucity of data regarding the correlation with underlying heart disease and cardiovascular outcomes. Atrial arrhythmias may reflect underlying left atrial enlargement and diastolic dysfunction, which are prognostic of mortality. We hypothesized that these stress-induced arrhythmias are associated with long-term adverse cardiac events. METHODS: Exercise echocardiography was performed in 5,375 patients (age 61 +/- 12 years) with known or suspected coronary artery disease. An abnormal result was defined as exercise-induced atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), or AE. RESULTS: A total of 311 (5.8%) patients died (132 [2.5%] from cardiac causes) over a period of 3.1 +/- 1.7 years. In addition, 193 (3.6%) patients experienced a myocardial infarction (MI) and 531 (9.9%) patients required revascularization. During exercise testing, 1,272 (24%) patients developed AE, 185 (3.4%) developed SVT, and 43 (0.8%) developed AF. The five-year cardiac death rate was not statistically different between groups (none [3.8%], AE [4.3%], SVT [3.7%], AF [0%], p = 0.43). The five-year rate of MI was significantly different between groups (none [5.7%], AE [8.3%], SVT [0%], AF [9.0%], p = 0.005). The five-year rate of revascularization between groups was not significantly different (none [14.2%], AE [17.0%], SVT [11.8%], AF [14.8%], p = 0.50). A composite of all five-year adverse end points was similar between groups (none [22.7%], AE [27.8%], SVT [17.7%], AF [25.7%], p = 0.10). In stepwise multivariate analysis, AE was not predictive of myocardial infarction when taking into account traditional clinical variables and exercise test results. CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort of patients, the occurrence of AE was predictive of an increased risk of MI. However, the association did not persist after adjustment for clinical and exercise variables known to predict adverse long-term cardiovascular outcomes. The rate of long-term cardiac death or revascularization was not influenced by the development of stress-induced atrial arrhythmias.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Utility of myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with low-risk treadmill scores.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a previously validated clinical score (CS) could identify patients with a low-risk Duke treadmill score who had a higher risk of adverse events and, therefore, in whom myocardial perfusion imaging would be valuable for risk stratification. BACKGROUND: Current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines recommend using a standard exercise test without imaging as the initial test in patients who have an interpretable electrocardiogram and are able to exercise. METHOD: We studied 1,461 symptomatic patients with low-risk Duke treadmill scores (> or =5) who underwent myocardial perfusion imaging. The CS was derived by assigning one point to each of the following variables: typical angina, history of myocardial infarction, diabetes, insulin use, male gender, and each decade of age over 40 years. A CS cutoff > or =5 or <5 was used to categorize patients as high risk (n = 303 [21%]) or low risk (n = 1,158 [79%]). Perfusion scans were categorized as low, intermediate, or high risk on the basis of the global stress score (GSS). RESULTS: High-risk scans were more common in patients with a high-risk CS (26.4% vs. 9.5%, p < 0.0001). The CS and GSS were significant independent predictors of cardiac death. However, in patients with a low CS, seven-year cardiac survival was excellent, regardless of the GSS (99% for normal scans, 99% for mildly abnormal scans, and 99% for severely abnormal scans). In contrast, patients with a high CS had a lower seven-year survival rate (92%), which varied with GSS (94% for normal scans, 94% for mildly abnormal scans, and 84% for severely abnormal scans; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In symptomatic patients with low-risk Duke treadmill scores and low clinical risk, myocardial perfusion imaging is of limited prognostic value. In patients with low-risk Duke treadmill scores and high clinical risk, annual cardiac mortality (>1%) is not low, and myocardial perfusion imaging has independent prognostic value.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Quality-of-life assessment of surgical reconstruction after laparoscopic cholecystectomy-induced bile duct injuries: what happens at 5 years and beyond?

HYPOTHESIS: Quality of life of patients after biliary reconstruction for laparoscopic injuries is comparable to that of patients after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. DESIGN: Outcomes study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Records of 59 consecutive patients undergoing surgical reconstruction of the biliary tract after injury induced by laparoscopic cholecystectomy between 1990 and 1997 were reviewed. Hepp-Couinaud technique or Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was used in 53 patients; other procedures included cholangiojejunostomy, choledochorrhaphy, and hepaticoduodenostomy. INTERVENTIONS: Quality-of-life questionnaires (36-Item Short-Form Health Survey [SF-36]) were mailed to each patient in the group and to patients who underwent uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy, matched individually by year, sex, and age group. Values from the general population matched by age and sex were gathered (national norms). Minimum time of follow-up was 5 years. RESULTS: Eighty-nine (81%) of 110 potential respondents to the survey completed the SF-36 questionnaires. All 8 values evaluated in the SF-36 questionnaire (physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health perceptions, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health index) for patients undergoing biliary reconstruction were similar to those of both their matched controls (all P >.10) and national norms (all P >.05). The standardized physical component scale was also similar between the 2 groups (cases vs controls, 51 vs 48; P =.47), as was the standardized mental component scale (cases vs controls, 55 vs 55; P =.60). CONCLUSIONS: With a minimum of 5 years of follow-up, the quality of life after surgical biliary reconstruction compares favorably with that of both patients undergoing uneventful laparoscopic cholecystectomy and national norms.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Yield of stress single-photon emission computed tomography in asymptomatic patients with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes without clinically apparent coronary artery disease are at increased risk of cardiac death. The value of screening stress testing in these patients remains controversial. The goal of this study was to examine the yield of stress single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in asymptomatic diabetic patients. METHODS: The results of stress SPECT in patients without prior myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization were compared in asymptomatic diabetics (n = 1738) versus symptomatic diabetic patients (n = 2998), asymptomatic nondiabetic patients (n = 6215), and symptomatic nondiabetic patients (n = 16,214). RESULTS: Abnormal scans were present in 58.6% of asymptomatic diabetic patients, approximately equal to the percentage in symptomatic diabetic (59.5%) (P = not significant) and higher than in asymptomatic nondiabetic (46.2%) (P <.001) and symptomatic nondiabetic (44.4%) (P <.001) patients. The breakdown of high-risk scans followed a similar pattern in the 4 patient subsets: asymptomatic diabetic, 19.7% versus symptomatic diabetic, 22.2% (P =.051); asymptomatic nondiabetic, 11.1% (P <.001); and symptomatic nondiabetic, 12.5% (P <.001). Patients with diabetes had more electrocardiographic and scan evidence for silent myocardial infarction versus those without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic diabetic patients have a high prevalence of both abnormal and high-risk SPECT scans. The finding that approximately 1 in 5 of these individuals has a high-risk scan suggests a potentially more widespread application of screening stress SPECT in asymptomatic diabetic patients to identify those with severe coronary artery disease.

Chest Pain↗
PubMed2004

Relationship of myocardial perfusion imaging findings to outcome of patients with heart failure and suspected ischemic heart disease.

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively identified heart failure patients with suspected ischemic heart disease who underwent myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) to examine the relationship of MPI findings to subsequent patient outcomes. METHODS: The study group consisted of 336 patients with heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction <45%, and suspected ischemic heart disease who underwent MPI during the period of January 1991 to December 31, 1997. Patients were divided in 3 subgroups: group A (n = 137), large fixed perfusion defects; group B (n = 77), large reversible perfusion defects; and group C (n=122), absence of a large reversible or fixed perfusion defect. RESULTS: Overall, the 5-year mortality rate was high at 49.2% +/- 3.1%. Mortality was significantly different (P =.009) among the 3 subgroups. Groups A and B had a similar 5-year mortality rates >50%. Group C had a relatively better, but still substantial 5-year mortality rate of 40%. The overall revascularization rate was low (9.7% in 5 years). CONCLUSION: These results indicate a high 5-year mortality rate in patients with large myocardial perfusion defects (fixed or reversible) and presumably an ischemic etiology for their heart failure. Patients with no large or absent perfusion defects had more favorable survival outcomes.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Confocal microscopy evaluation of stromal ablation depth after myopic laser in situ keratomileusis and photorefractive keratectomy.

PURPOSE: To compare the measured ablation depth after myopic laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) with the predicted ablation depth. SETTING: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. METHODS: Twenty-five eyes of 15 patients had PRK and 25 eyes of 15 patients had LASIK to correct refractive errors between -1.50 diopters (D) and -11.00 D. The corneas were examined by in vivo confocal microscopy before and 1 month after both procedures. Thickness measurements were obtained from digital-image analysis of confocal scans. The measured ablation depth, an estimate of the actual photoablation depth, was obtained as the surgically induced stromal thinning between the preoperative and the 1-month post-PRK or post-LASIK central stromal thickness. The predicted ablation depth was recorded from the laser's software program. RESULTS: In LASIK, the measured ablation depth (81 microm +/- 34 [SD]) was 25% greater than the predicted ablation depth (65 +/- 13 microm, P =.007) and the difference between the measured and predicted ablation depths was positively associated with the mean ablation depth (r = 0.81, P<.001). In PRK, there was no difference between the measured ablation depth (48 +/- 19 microm) and the predicted ablation depth (47 +/- 18 microm, P =.84). CONCLUSION: Significantly more tissue than predicted was removed by LASIK than by PRK excimer photoablation with the laser system used in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Incidence, associations, and evaluation of sixth nerve palsy using a population-based method.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of sixth nerve palsy in a population-based study, with particular emphasis on associated coexisting medical conditions and to use these data to develop a management algorithm. DESIGN: Retrospective, population-based case series. PARTICIPANTS: All residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA, diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy between January 1, 1978 and December 31, 1992. METHODS: All cases were identified by using the Rochester Epidemiology Project medical records linkage system, which captures all patient-physician encounters in Olmsted County. The entire medical record of each patient was reviewed to confirm the diagnosis, document county residency, and to determine associated medical conditions. We used stringent predetermined criteria to define diabetes mellitus and hypertension as associations. Incidence rates were adjusted to the age and gender distribution of the 1990 white population in the United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Etiology or systemic associations of the palsy. RESULTS: We identified 137 new cases of sixth nerve palsy over the 15-year period. The age- and gender-adjusted annual incidence of sixth nerve palsy was 11.3/100 000 (95% confidence interval, 9.3-13.2/100 000). Causes and associations were: undetermined (26%), hypertension alone (19%), coexistent hypertension and diabetes (12%), trauma (12%), multiple sclerosis (7%), neoplasm (5%), diabetes alone (4%), cerebrovascular accident (4%), postneurosurgery (3%), aneurysm (2%), and other (8%). When sixth nerve palsy was the presenting sign in cases of neoplasm (n = 1) and aneurysm (n = 3), history and examination revealed the presence of other neurologic symptoms or signs. CONCLUSIONS: We provide population-based data on the incidence of sixth nerve palsy with a notably lower incidence of neoplasm and higher incidence of diabetes and hypertension than previous institution-based series. We suggest that patients with nontraumatic neurologically isolated sixth nerve palsy may undergo a focused medical evaluation followed by close observation, whereas non-neurologically isolated cases warrant a full neurologic evaluation, including prompt neuroimaging.

Abducens Nerve Diseases↗
PubMed2004

Eyelid position measurement in Graves' ophthalmopathy: reliability of a photographic technique and comparison with a clinical technique.

PURPOSE: To evaluate intraobserver reliability and interobserver reliability of a computer-based digital image measurement of eyelid position in Graves' ophthalmopathy and to compare digital image measurement with clinical measurement. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-four eyes of 42 patients with mild to moderate bilateral Graves' ophthalmopathy. METHODS: Digital images were created from 35-mm color slides of both eyes of participants and projected onto a 15-inch flat-screen computer monitor. Three observers (2 oculoplastic surgeons and 1 ophthalmology resident) independently recorded eyelid fissure height, margin-reflex distance, and inferior scleral show for each eye. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraobserver reliability and interobserver reliability of eyelid parameter measurements, as described by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots. Agreement between digital image measurements of the investigators and clinical measurements taken on the same day as the photographs also was assessed. RESULTS: Excellent intraobserver agreement was found for the measurement of all eyelid parameters for all 3 investigators (ICC range, 0.93-0.99). Interobserver agreement for all eyelid parameters was also excellent for all investigators (ICC, 0.86-0.97). Agreement between the photographic and clinical measurements for eyelid parameters was fair to moderate (ICC range, 0.38-0.62). CONCLUSION: Measurement of several eyelid parameters in Graves' ophthalmopathy patients from computer-based digital images is reliable. Associations between photographic and clinical measurements for all parameters are weaker. Relative to clinical measurements, the photographic technique offers the advantages of potential for masking and ease of transmission that might be useful in clinical trials.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2004

Long-term keratocyte deficits in the corneal stroma after LASIK.

PURPOSE: To determine changes in keratocyte density up to 3 years after LASIK. DESIGN: Prospective, nonrandomized, comparative trial. PARTICIPANTS: Seventeen eyes of 11 patients received LASIK with a planned 180-microm flap to correct refractive errors between -2.0 diopters (D) and -11.0 D (mean, -6.56+/-2.44). METHODS: Corneas were examined by using confocal microscopy before LASIK and 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after LASIK. Bright objects that resembled keratocyte nuclei were manually counted by a masked observer. Cell densities were determined in anterior and posterior halves of the stromal flap, anterior and posterior halves of the 100-microm-thick layer immediately behind the ablation (retroablation layer), and the posterior third of the stroma. The region of stroma that was ablated (as measured 1 month after LASIK) was omitted from preoperative analysis. Cell densities after LASIK were compared (using1-factor repeated-measures analysis of variance) with densities in the corresponding layer of the normal preoperative stroma (which served as its own control). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Corneal keratocyte density. RESULTS: Before LASIK, keratocyte densities in the anterior and posterior stromal flap and the anterior retroablation layer were 34 818+/-5108 cells/mm(3) (mean +/- SD), 25 390+/-4045 cells/mm(3), and 21 328+/-2980 cells/mm(3), respectively, and densities in these layers decreased 14% to 20% at 1 month after LASIK (P<0.001). Keratocyte densities in these layers remained stable at 3 and 6 months, and then gradually decreased further (P<0.001) to 26% to 36% below pre-LASIK densities by 3 years. Keratocyte densities in the remaining stromal layers did not change after LASIK. CONCLUSION: Keratocyte densities in the stromal flap and in the anterior retroablation layer decrease during the first 6 months after LASIK and then decrease further during the next 2.5 years. Further studies on these patients and others are warranted to confirm these findings and learn their significance.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Long-term subjective memory function in ventricular fibrillation out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors resuscitated by early defibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Brain injury after a cardiac arrest remains a major cause of morbidity. Programs focusing on early defibrillation have yielded improved survival of patients after hospital discharge following ventricular fibrillation (VF) out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Early defibrillation that promptly restores a circulating rhythm should decrease the hypoxic period and subsequent organ injury. Therefore this study was designed to determine if long-term memory complaints persist in VF OHCA survivors resuscitated in an early defibrillation program when compared with a healthy control population not experiencing cardiac arrest. METHODS: All patients with an OHCA between November 1990 and January 2001 who received defibrillation by emergency medical services personnel in Olmsted County, MN, USA, were included. The memory function questionnaire (MFQ), a 64-item, 7-point Likert-scaled instrument to evaluate the perception of everyday memory functioning was sent to all survivors. The MFQ comprises four scales: general frequency of forgetting (rates general forgetting), retrospective functioning (compares current memory with past ability), seriousness of forgetting (rates how memory impairment impacts daily life), and mnemonics usage (measures adaptation). The MFQ is scaled so that high scores reflect less severe memory complaints. The comparison population comprised members of the Mayo Older Americans Normative Studies (MOANS) cohort. Quality of life was ascertained with a short form (SF)-36 survey. RESULTS: Seventy-nine of the 200 VF OHCA patients (40%) were discharged. Twenty-two patients have died since dismissal, with an overall average length of follow-up of 4.9+/-3.0 years. Thirty-eight (67%) of the survivors completed the MFQ. Compared with the normal, there was a significant decrease in the general frequency of forgetting score of 144.2+/-37.4 versus 168.1+/-27.3 ( P<0.001) and the seriousness of forgetting score of 84.8 +/-26.7 versus 95.2+/-19.7 (P=0.004). The retrospective function-scale scores were not significantly different ( 18.4+/-6.8 versus 18.7+/- 5.0 (P=0.74). Younger patients (lesser than 65 years of age) reported an increase in general forgetting and the seriousness of forgetting compared with older survivors. A comparison with SF-36 scores suggested an association between general forgetting and decreased vitality (P=0.03) and the seriousness of forgetting with a decreased general health (P=0.005), mental health (P=0.009), physical functioning ( P=0.02 ), and vitality ( P=0.05). CONCLUSION: In a cohort of VF OHCA patients, survivors report more memory complaints in comparison with a general healthy older population. There were more long-term-memory complaints in younger patients. Patients with higher long-term quality-of-life score have fewer memory complaints.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Corneal reinnervation after LASIK: prospective 3-year longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: To measure the return of innervation to the cornea during 3 years after LASIK. METHODS: Seventeen corneas of 11 patients who had undergone LASIK to correct myopia from -2.0 D to -11.0 D were examined by confocal microscopy before surgery, and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after surgery. In all available scans, the number of nerve fiber bundles and their density (visible length of nerve per frame area), orientation (mean angle), and depth in the cornea were measured. RESULTS: The number and density of subbasal nerves decreased >90% in the first month after LASIK. By 6 months these nerves began to recover, and by 2 years they reached densities not significantly different from those before LASIK. Between 2 and 3 years they decreased again, so that at 3 years the numbers remained <60% of the pre-LASIK numbers (P <0.001). In the stromal flap most nerve fiber bundles were also lost after LASIK, and these began recovering by the third month, but by the third year they did not reach their original numbers (P <0.001). In the stromal bed (posterior to the LASIK flap interface), there were no significant changes in nerve number or density. As the subbasal nerves returned, their mean orientation did not change from the predominantly vertical orientation before LASIK. Nerve orientation in the stromal flap and the stromal bed also did not change. CONCLUSIONS: Both subbasal and stromal corneal nerves in LASIK flaps recover slowly and do not return to preoperative densities by 3 years after LASIK. The numbers of subbasal nerves appear to decrease between 2 and 3 years after LASIK. The orientation of the regenerated subbasal nerves remains predominantly vertical.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen after surgical wounds.

Transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen (TcPO2) predicts wound healing in critical ischemia. However, no studies have controlled for the effect of wounds on TcPO2. In this study, in 24 hip or knee arthroplasty cases without vascular disease, TcPO2 was measured preoperatively at the incision site, contralaterally, and at a reference site on the chest wall. The measurements were repeated at 2 days and 2 months postoperatively and compared. TcPO2, normal preoperatively, decreased at all sites on the second postoperative day (p < 0.001), with a trend toward a greater decrease at the wound (p = 0.09). All wounds healed, and TcPO2 returned to baseline at all sites 2 months postoperatively. In conclusion, acute surgical wounds are associated with a significant and widespread decrease in cutaneous TcPO2 in the setting of normal arterial perfusion. This decrease is likely multifactorial and deserves further investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Initiation of glucocorticoid therapy: before or after temporal artery biopsy?

OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical findings in patients with suspected giant cell arteritis (GCA) that may help clinicians decide when to initiate glucocorticoid therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Medical diagnostic codes and surgical indexing were used to identify all patients who had temporal artery biopsy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 1997. Patient medical records were abstracted for pertinent clinical data, glucocorticoid use, and final diagnoses. Sensitivities, specificities, predictive values, and likelihood ratios were calculated for the association of the various clinical findings and the presence of a positive biopsy result. Graphic and arithmetic models were constructed to predict positive temporal artery biopsy results. RESULTS: During the 10-year interval, 1113 patients had temporal artery biopsy. The results were positive for GCA in 373 patients (33.5%) and negative in 740 (665%). Twenty percent of all patients were taking glucocorticoids at the time of biopsy. The presence of jaw claudication had a positive predictive value of 78. Combinations of jaw claudication with new headache, scalp tenderness, and decreased vision had still higher values. Positive likelihood ratios in patients with these combinations and in those with diplopia were greater than 3. A normal erythrocyte sedi-mentation rate in patients not taking corticosteroids provided a high negative likelihood ratio of 40. An arithmetic equation provided the probability of a positive biopsy result on a continuous scale using 6 variables identified by logistic regression. Patients with a greater than 80% chance of a positive biopsy result and those with less than a 10% chance were identified. CONCLUSION: Positive predictive values, likelihood ratios, and an arithmetic formula identify patients who have an increased or decreased chance of a positive temporal artery biopsy result. Use of these methods to determine early initiation of glucocorticoid therapy before temporal artery biopsy or deferral until after biopsy may help reduce both vascular complications of GCA and adverse effects of corticosteroids.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2004

Corneal endothelium and postoperative outcomes 15 years after penetrating keratoplasty.

PURPOSE: To determine changes in the central endothelium and thickness of grafted corneas, and the cumulative probability of developing glaucoma, graft rejection, and graft failure 15 years after penetrating keratoplasty. METHODS: In a longitudinal cohort study of 500 consecutive penetrating keratoplasties by one surgeon, regrafted eyes, fellow eyes of bilateral cases, and patients not granting research authorization were excluded, leaving 388 grafts for analysis. At intervals after surgery, we photographed the endothelium and measured corneal thickness by using specular microscopy. The presence of glaucoma, graft rejection, and graft failure was recorded. RESULTS: The 67 patients examined at 15 years represented 30% of the available clear grafts (107 patients had died, 76 grafts had failed). Endothelial cell loss from preoperative donor levels was 71 +/- 12% (mean +/- SD, n = 67), endothelial cell density was 872 +/- 348 cells/mm2, and corneal thickness was 0.59 +/- 0.06 mm. Endothelial cell density was unchanged between 10 and 15 years (minimum detectable difference was 96 cells/mm2, alpha = .05, beta = .20, n = 54), whereas corneal thickness increased (P = .001, n = 55). The mean annual rate of endothelial cell loss from 10 to 15 years after surgery was 0.2 +/- 5.7% (n = 54). The cumulative probability of developing glaucoma, graft rejection, or graft failure was 20%, 23%, and 28%, respectively, and six of the eight graft failures after 10 years resulted from late endothelial failure. CONCLUSIONS: From 10 to 15 years after penetrating keratoplasty, the annual rate of endothelial cell loss was similar to that of normal corneas, corneal thickness increased, and late endothelial failure was the major cause of graft failure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Significant effects of atrioventricular node ablation and pacemaker implantation on left ventricular function and long-term survival in patients with atrial fibrillation and left ventricular dysfunction.

Control of ventricular rate by atrioventricular node ablation and pacemaker implantation in patients with drug-refractory atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with improved left ventricular (LV) function. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of atrioventricular node ablation on long-term survival in patients with AF and LV dysfunction. Survival was determined by the Kaplan-Meier method for 56 study patients with LV ejection fraction (EF) < or =40% who underwent atrioventricular node ablation and pacemaker implantation and 56 age- and gender-matched control patients with AF and LVEF >40%, and age- and gender-matched control subjects from Minnesota. Groups were compared using the log-rank test. In study patients (age 69 +/- 10 years; 45 men), LVEF was 26% +/- 8% and 34% +/- 13% (p <0.001) before and after ablation, respectively. During follow-up (40 +/- 23 months), 23 patients died. Observed survival was worse than that of normal subjects (p <0.001) and control patients (p = 0.005). After ablation, LVEF nearly normalized (> or =45%) in 16 study patients (29%), in whom observed survival was comparable to that of normal subjects (p = 0.37). Coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, chronic renal failure, previous myocardial infarction, and coronary artery operation were independent predictors for mortality. Near normalization of LVEF occurred in 29% of study patients, suggesting that AF-induced EF reduction is reversible in many patients. Normal survival in patients with reversible LV dysfunction highlights potential survival benefits of rate control. Poor survival in patients with persistent LV dysfunction confirms the importance of optimal medical therapy.

Aged↗