Irish journal of medical science
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Colorectal surgery has evolved with the advent of laparoscopic techniques and now robotic-assisted surgery. There is significant literature supporting the use of laparoscopic techniques over open surgery with evidence of enhanced post-operative recovery, reduced use of opioids, smaller incisions and equivalent oncological outcomes. Robotic minimally invasive surgery addresses some of the limitations of laparoscopic surgery, providing surgical precision and improvements in perception and dexterity with a resulting decrease in tissue damage. ⋯ In this early experience, robotic surgery has proven feasible and safe and is comparable to laparoscopic surgery in terms of completeness of resection and recovery. As costs and operating times decline and as technology progresses, robotic surgery may one day replace traditional laparoscopic techniques.
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This study aimed to explore the correlation between circular RNA_0000190 (circ_0000190) and microRNA-767-5p (miR-767-5p), and their correlations with biochemical indices, risk stratification, treatment response, and survival in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. ⋯ Circ_0000190 and its target miR-767-5p are dysregulated, and they are related to risk stratification and prognosis in MM patients.
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Carotid artery stenosis (CAS) is an important risk factor for cerebral ischemia events (CIE). Previous studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the occurrence and development of CAS. ⋯ miR-342-5p was significantly overexpressed in ACAS. And the upregulation of serum miR-342-5p is a valuable diagnostic biomarker and can predict the occurrence of CIE.
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Anal cancer is a relatively rare cancer with 660 cases diagnosed in 2000-2015 in Ireland (1). The current standard treatment is radical chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The aim of our study was to review the treatment and outcomes of patients with localised anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), who received radical treatment in our radiation oncology network between 2008 and 2014 inclusive. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that treatment for anal SCC and outcomes following definitive CRT in Ireland during the study period were comparable to international standards.
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The General Medical Council (GMC) and Irish Medical Council (IMC) recommend the presence of a chaperone for all intimate examinations and that it should be clearly documented. The aim of this report is to assess doctors' compliance with obtaining a chaperone and documenting their presence, determining possible causes of non-compliance and implement interventions to increase compliance. ⋯ In the assessment phase, 126 patients were recruited. A chaperone was present 100% of the time where a male doctor examined a female patient; however, chaperone presence was not documented in any of the medical charts (0/126). A survey was sent to 22 breast surgery doctors to explore causes of non-compliance. Response rate was 95%, 50% did not know documentation was necessary, and 25% forgot to document. One week after intervention, 64 patients were recruited. Chaperone documentation increased to 80% (51/64). Reassessment at six weeks included 120 patients, and chaperone documentation rate was 74% (89/120).