Thomas O’Donnell

Comprehensive Laboratory Evaluation of Impotent Men

A thorough diagnostic evaluation was done on 27 impotent men. In addition to a detailed history and physical examination each patient underwent a psychiatric interview, Doppler penile blood pressure determination and measurement of the bulbocavernosus reflex latency time. Abnormalities in penile blood pressure were detected in 67 per cent of the patients, neurologic abnormalities were found in 41 per cent and psychiatric disorders were noted in 35 per cent. Of the 27 patients 48 per cent had a combination of neurologic, psychiatric and vascular abnormalities. A definite cause-and-effect relationship between these abnormalities and impotence has not been established.

Thromboembolic complications of endovenous thermal ablation and foam sclerotherapy in the treatment of great saphenous vein insufficiency

Objective Portions of these data were presented in a poster at the XVII World Meeting of the International Union of Phlebology, 8–13 September 2013, Boston, MA, USA. We assessed the incidence of venous thromboembolism following treatment of great saphenous insufficiency by endovenous thermal ablation or foam sclerotherapy using meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials and case series. Methods Medline, Embase, Cochrane, and Clinical Trials Registry databases were searched from January 2000 through January 2013 for randomized controlled trials and large case series employing endovenous thermal ablation or foam sclerotherapy as a single modality for the treatment of great saphenous insufficiency, with concomitant postoperative duplex scanning. Pooled (stratified) incidence of venous thromboembolism with 95% confidence intervals was estimated using the DerSimonian–Laird procedure for random effects meta-analysis. A bootstrap analysis was performed to examine between-modality differences. Results Twelve randomized controlled trials and 19 case series investigating endovenous thermal ablation (radiofrequency ablation with VNUS/Covidien ClosureFAST™ catheter only, endovenous laser ablation, or both) were included. Data from 12 randomized controlled trials and 6 case series investigating nonproprietary foam preparations were analyzed. Estimated incidence of venous thromboembolism was low (mostly <1%) and similar across treatment modalities and study types. Conclusions Treatment of great saphenous insufficiency by endovenous thermal ablation or foam sclerotherapy is a common vascular intervention. The stratified incidence of venous thromboembolism appears to be low as reported in both randomized controlled trials and case series investigating these modalities. Although duplex scans were obtained postoperatively, a minority of studies specified protocols for venous thromboembolism detection.

Real-World Assessment of Interventional Treatment Timing and Outcomes for Varicose Veins: A Retrospective Claims Analysis.

PURPOSE To evaluate the impact of delaying interventional treatment on varicose vein disease progression, complications, and health care costs in a real-world setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of adults diagnosed with varicose veins between January 2008 and June 2010. Patients were followed for 2 years after diagnosis and categorized into three cohorts based on the timing of interventional therapy: early (≤ 2 mo), intermediate (> 2 mo but ≤ 6 mo), and late (> 6 mo). Disease progression and all-cause health care costs were evaluated. RESULTS A total of 44,206 patients were included, with 43% classified as receiving early interventional therapy, 33% as intermediate, and 24% as late. Early interventional treatment was associated with lower disease progression rates (29.2%) compared with intermediate (42.5%; P < .0001) and late treatment (52.2%; P < .0001). Also, early interventional treatment was associated with lower costs (

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of wound dressings for chronic venous ulcer

17,564) than intermediate (

Usual Care in the Management of Chronic Wounds: A Review of the Recent Literature

17,923; P > .05) and late treatment (

NESVS25. Most Patients Are Eligible for Transcarotid Revascularization Despite Its Anatomic Restrictions

18,399; P < .05). Each 30-day delay in treatment initiation was associated with a 7% higher risk of disease progression (P < .0001) and a 1% increase in costs (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that early initiation of interventional varicose vein treatment was significantly associated with a decreased risk of disease progression and costs.