Journal of Artificial Organs : the Official Journal of the Japanese Society for Artificial Organs

Presepsin, which is used as a biomarker for sepsis, is thought to be removed by dialysis, but the actual removal properties of dialysis are unknown. We investigated the presepsin removal properties of continuous hemodiafiltration using the high concentration of presepsin from human plasma drained by plasma exchange. Each solution in plasma exchange was connected to a continuous hemodiafiltration blood circuit and circulated at 4 conditions. The results show that presepsin was confirmed to be removed more efficiently in hemofiltration than in hemodialysis...

A 72-year-old female with type 1 diabetes, a history of interstitial pneumonia, and diabetic ketoacidosis was admitted to our hospital with dysphagia. Endoscopy revealed a circumferential neoplastic lesion in the upper to middle esophagus, and a biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma. Computed tomography revealed invasion of the left main bronchus, and induction chemotherapy was initiated with a diagnosis of unresectable locally advanced esophageal cancer. After one course of induction chemotherapy, the tumor size reduced, bronchial invasion improved, and thoracoscopic esophagectomy was performed...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

This study aimed to demonstrate whether impregnating the graft bone with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) accelerates graft bone catabolism in lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF). Consecutive patients who underwent LLIF were assessed. Of the two spaces for bone grafts in the intervertebral cage, one space was filled with graft bone impregnated with PRP, and the other was filled with graft bone without PRP, which divided the graft bones into PRP and non-PRP groups. The mean Hounsfield units (HU) of the graft bone at the center of the cage space in the coronal and axial slices were measured using computed tomography (CT) images 1 week and 6 months after surgery...

PURPOSE: Hemi-resurfacing arthroplasty (Hemi) and metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty (HR) were proposed as alternatives to conventional total hip arthroplasty (THA) for patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Long-term results were evaluated. METHODS: Twenty-three hips with ONFH were treated, using Hemi in 12 and HR in 11. Mean follow-up was 15 years in the Hemi group and 10 years in the HR group. Long-term outcomes were reviewed retrospectively...

Models of urea kinetics facilitate a mechanistic understanding of urea transfer and provide a tool for optimizing dialysis efficacy. Dual-compartment models have largely replaced single-compartment models as they are able to accommodate the urea rebound on the cessation of dialysis. Modeling the kinetics of urea and other molecular species is frequently regarded as a rarefied academic exercise with little relevance at the bedside. We demonstrate the utility of System Dynamics in creating multi-compartment models of urea kinetics by developing a dual-compartment model that is efficient, intuitive, and widely accessible to a range of practitioners...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

We report a case in which excessive negative pressure may have been applied to the proximal side hole of a drainage cannula during venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO), resulting in abnormal stenosis of the drainage cannula. V-V ECMO was introduced in a 71-year-old male patient who was transferred from another hospital for severe respiratory failure associated with varicella pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Drainage was performed using a PCKC-V™ 24Fr (MERA, Japan) cannula via the right femoral vein with the tip of the cannula near the level of the diaphragm under fluoroscopy...

In veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) treatment, the mixing zone is a key hemodynamic factor that determines the efficacy of the treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of a novel ultrasound technique called vector flow imaging (VFI) for visualizing complex flow patterns in an aorta phantom under VA-ECMO settings. VFI experiments were performed to image aortic hemodynamics under VA-ECMO treatment simulated in an anthropomorphic thoracic aorta phantom using a pulsatile pump (cardiac output: 2...

During continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) support, hemodynamic shear stress causes a burden on aortic valve (AV) leaflets, leading to de novo aortic insufficiency (AI). This study investigated the influence of preoperative hemodynamic parameters on de novo AI in CF-LVAD recipients. We reviewed 125 patients who underwent CF-LVAD implantation without concomitant AV surgery between 2005 and 2018. De novo AI was defined as moderate or severe AI in those with none or trivial preoperative AI...

This study aimed to modify a laser Doppler flowmeter designed and assembled at our institute. After measuring sensitivity evaluation in ex vivo experiments, we confirmed the efficacy of this new device for monitoring real-time esophageal mucosal blood flow changes after thoracic stent graft implantation by simulating various clinical situations in an animal model. Thoracic stent graft implantation was performed in a swine model (n = 8). Esophageal mucosal blood flow decreased significantly from baseline (34...

Despite the high prevalence of sleep disturbance in the heart failure population, information about its consequence on daytime function in patients with left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs) is limited. This study examined the nighttime and daytime sleep patterns and changes from pre-implant to 6 months post-implant. This study included 32 LVAD patients. Demographics, nighttime and daytime sleep variables were collected pre-implant and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-implant. Wrist actigraphy and self-report questionnaires measured objective and subjective sleep, respectively...

The "Avalon Elite® " cannula is a double-lumen cannula used to establish veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. The reported advantages are that extracorporeal circulation can be established by cannulating through the right internal jugular vein only, and there is less re-circulation than with a two-cannula technique. It is available in a wide range of cannula sizes and can be used in a variety of patients, from children to adults. We herein report three pediatric cases in which an Avalon Elite® cannula was useful...

ExtraCorporeal Liver Support (ECLS) systems were developed with the aim of supporting the liver in its detoxification function by clearing the blood from hepatic toxic molecules. We conducted a retrospective comparative analysis on patients presenting with liver failure who were treated with different extracorporeal techniques in our intensive care unit to evaluate and compare their detoxification abilities. To verify the effectiveness of the techniques, mass balance (MB) and adsorption per hour were calculated for total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB), and bile acids (BA) from the concentrations measured...

The St. Jude Medical Epic Supra valve is a porcine bioprosthesis designed for complete supraannular implantation. No report has shown the hemodynamic performance and clinical outcomes of aortic valve replacement with the Epic Supra valve for severe aortic stenosis in a Japanese cohort. We retrospectively evaluated 65 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement using the Epic Supra valve for aortic stenosis at our department between May, 2011 and October, 2016. The mean follow-up period was 68.7 ± 32...

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a catastrophic complication after total hip arthroplasty. A new drug-loaded carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) prosthesis with a sustained drug-release mechanism is being developed for one-stage surgery. We aimed to examine the diffusion dynamics of vancomycin from vancomycin paste-loaded CFRP implants. The differences in the in vitro diffusion dynamics of vancomycin paste were investigated using the elution test by varying parameters. These included the mixing ratio of vancomycin and distilled water (1:0...

Few reports have examined the association between changes in cerebral oxygenation and clinical factors, including blood pressure (BP), upon standing after hemodialysis (HD). This study aimed to clarify the factors affecting the changes in cerebral regional oxygen saturation (rSO2 ) upon standing after HD and monitor the differences in cerebral rSO2 changes that occur upon standing after HD in patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). Changes in mean BP and cerebral rSO2 were tracked in 43 HD patients during 120 s of standing after HD using an INVOS 5100c oxygen saturation monitor...

PURPOSE: A narrow terminal aorta is a risk factor for endograft occlusion after endovascular aneurysm repair. To minimize limb complications, we used Gore Excluder legs positioned side-by-side at the terminal aorta. We investigated the outcomes of our strategy for endovascular aneurysm repair in patients with a narrow terminal aorta. METHODS: We enrolled 61 patients who underwent endovascular aneurysm repair with a narrow terminal aorta (defined as < 18 mm in diameter) from April 2013 to October 2021...

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the main causative bacteria for polyurethane catheter and artificial graft infection. Recently, we developed a unique technique for coating diamond-like carbon (DLC) inside the luminal resin structure of polyurethane tubes. This study aimed to elucidate the infection-preventing effects of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating on a polyurethane surface against S. aureus. We applied DLC to polyurethane tubes and rolled polyurethane sheets with our newly developed DLC coating technique for resin tubes...