Prenatal diagnosis, as one of the core components in the prevention and control of birth defects, is constrained by both “time sensitivity” and “data availability”. The diagnostic model driven by expert experience and manual interpretation can no longer meet the demands of rapidly evolving detection technologies, which generate massive, high-dimensional data. Additionally, issues such as delayed professional training and regional development imbalances further hinder the overall improvement of prenatal diagnosis efficacy. This article systematically elaborates on typical application scenarios of artificial intelligence-assisted prenatal diagnosis from two core aspects: the intelligent optimization of diagnostic technologies and the standardization of institutional and personnel management. It also explores the potential of emerging intelligent technologies like federated learning and digital twins, aiming to promote the transformation and upgrading of the prenatal diagnosis field from standardization and normalization toward precision and systematic high-quality development.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH), characterized by diverse etiologies and intricate pathological mechanisms, is a complex cardiopulmonary vascular disorder featuring high morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous pulmonary artery denervation (PADN) represents an emerging interventional treatment method, which shows good prospects in the clinical practice of PH. The PADN has attained preliminary achievements in terms of safety and efficacy. Nevertheless, its long-term prognosis, the characteristics of the appropriate patient populations, and the optimization strategies combined with targeted pharmacotherapy remain to be further explored. This article reviews the current clinical applications of PADN as well as the challenges it confronts.
Objective To summarize the application progress of three-dimensional (3D) printed metal prosthesis in joint surgery. Methods The related literature was extensively reviewed. The effectiveness of 3D printed metal prosthesis in treatment of joint surgery diseases were discussed and summarized, including the all key issues in prosthesis transplantation such as prosthesis stability, postoperative complications, bone ingrowth, etc. Results 3D printed metal prosthesis has good matching degree, can accurately reconstruct and restore joint function, reduce operation time, and achieve high patient satisfaction in short- and medium-term follow-up. Its application in joint surgery has made good progress. Conclusion The personalized microporous structure prostheses of different shapes produced by 3D printing can solve the problem of poor personalized matching of joints for special patients existing in traditional prostheses. Therefore, 3D printing technology is full of hope and will bring great potential to the reform of orthopedic practice in the future.
This consensus aims to elucidate the applications of 3D fluorescence technology in thoracic surgery, summarizing its clinical value and prospects in areas such as sub-lobar resection, mediastinal structure protection, and lymph node dissection, providing a reference for the clinical practice of 3D fluorescence technology in thoracic surgery. Furthermore, this consensus is committed to advancing the research and innovation of domestically produced 3D fluorescence medical endoscopes. It seeks to clarify clinical practice needs and technical development directions, promote the widespread application of high-quality domestic medical endoscopes, and support the independent innovation and development of China's medical equipment industry.
It has been 20 years since the first transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was performed internationally in 2002, and the development of TAVR technology in China has also been more than 10 years. The reliability of TAVR has been clinically proven, and it has also brought good benefits to patients with aortic stenosis. With the gradual progress of technology, TAVR has a trend to surpass surgical aortic valve replacement and become the mainstream surgery for patients with aortic stenosis. This article will review the relevant issues in the development of TAVR technology in recent years, based on existing research, and provide certain clinical references for the future development of TAVR technology.
The postoperative symptom burden in patients with lung cancer is severe and adversely impairs their quality of life. Symptom management is the cornerstone of medical care. Patient-reported outcome (PRO)-based symptom management is being increasingly recognized as the best "patient-centered care" model in clinical practice. However, the precise implementation of this model in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery is hindered by the lack of a lung cancer surgery-specific scale, implementation standards, clinical application parameters and high-quality researches. The use of a precise and simple PRO scale and an electronic PRO platform may greatly improve the feasibility of implementing this model. Currently, the application of PRO-based symptom management in lung cancer surgery is still being explored and needs to be improved in clinical research and practice.
Objective To investigate the relationships between the bony structures, nerve, and indentations of ligamentum flavum of the upper lumbar spine by using CT three-dimensional reconstruction technique, in order to guide the unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) technique via contralateral approach in the treatment of upper lumbar disc herniation (ULDH). Methods Twenty-one ULDH patients who were admitted between June 2019 and July 2021 and met the selection criteria were selected as the research subjects. There were 12 males and 9 females with an average age of 62.1 years (range, 55-72 years). The disease duration was 1-12 years (mean, 5.7 years). There was 1 case of L1, 2, 4 cases of L2, 3, and 16 cases of L3, 4. The CT myelography data of T12-S3 segment was saved in DICOM format and imported into Mimics21.0 software for three-dimensional reconstruction. The relationship between the intersection (point Q) of spinous process and the inferior margin of lamina, the indentation of superior margin of ligamentum flavum, the inferior margin of nerve root origin, intervertebral space, and foramen were observed. The Mimics21.0 software was used to create a 3-mm-diameter cylinder to simulate the UBE channel and measure its abduction angle (∠b1), as well as measure the following lumbar vertebra-related indicators: in L1,2-L3,4 segments, the vertical distance from the point Q to the inferior margin of the contralateral lumbar pedicle of the same lumbar vertebra (a1), the superior margin of the contralateral pedicle of the lower lumbar vertebra (a2), the lower endplate of the same lumbar vertebra (a3), the upper endplate of the lower lumbar vertebra (a4); the vertical distance from the lower endplate of lumbar vertebra to the inferior margin of the lumbar pedicle (c1), the vertical distance from the upper endplate of the lower lumbar vertebra to the superior margin of the lumbar pedicle (c2); the vertical distance from the inferior margin of the nerve root origin to the superior margin (d1) and the inferior margin (d2) of the lumbar pedicle, respectively; the vertical distance from the intersection (point P) of the indentation of superior margin of ligamentum flavum and the medial margin of the lumbar pedicle to the superior margin (e1) and the inferior margin (e2) of the lumbar pedicle, respectively; the horizontal distance from the lateral margin of the dural mater (f1) and the narrowest part of the lumbar isthmus (f2) to the facet joint space, respectively. Thirteen of the patients included in the study chose the UBE surgery via contralateral approach. There were 8 males and 5 females with an average age of 63.3 years (range, 55-71 years). The disease duration was 2-12 years, with an average of 6.2 years. There were 3 cases of L2, 3 and 10 cases of L3, 4. The perioperative complications and surgical decompression were recorded. And the effectiveness were evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI), and short form-36 health survey (SF-36) score. Results The imaging results showed that there was no significant difference in a1, a3, a4, e1, e2, f1, and f2 between segments (P>0.05), and there were significant differences (P<0.05) in a2 and c2 between L1, 2 and L3, 4 segments, in ∠b1 and d2 between L1, 2, L2, 3 segments and L3, 4 segments, and in c1 and d1 between L1, 2 and L2, 3, L3, 4 segments. The 87.30% (110/126) of point Q of L1, 2-L3, 4 segments corresponded to the inferior articular process, and 78.57% (99/126) of the lower endplate corresponded to the level of the isthmus. All 13 patients completed the UBE surgery via contralateral approach, and none were converted to open surgery. All patients were followed up 12-17 months (mean, 14.6) months. The VAS score of low back pain and leg pain, ODI, and SF-36 score at 6 and 12 months after operation significantly improved when compared with those before operation (P<0.05), and further improved at 12 months after operation when compared with 6 months after operation (P<0.05). The imaging review results showed that the herniated disc was removed and the dura mater was decompressed adequately. Conclusion The point Q, the superior margin of ligamentum flavum, and lumbar pedicle can be used as the markers for the treatment of ULBD with UBE surgery via contralateral approach, making the procedure safer, more precise, and more effective.
The development of immunotherapy has revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment. Personalized neoantigen vaccines are attractive systemic immunotherapies that trigger specific T-cell responses against highly specific neoantigens, and activate and expand helper and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes to enhance anti-tumor immunity. Based on the rapid development of bioinformatics and the continuous update of sequencing technology, cancer immunotherapy with tumor neoantigens has made promising breakthroughs and progress. Researchers are exploring the value of neoantigen vaccines alone or in combination in different tumor types. We provide an overview of the complex process that is necessary to generate a personalized neoantigen vaccine, discuss the current status of clinical studies and application testing personalized neoantigen vaccines in patients with cancer and future perspectives on this novel, personalized approach to immunotherapy.
Median nerve electrical stimulation is a common peripheral nerve electrical stimulation treatment technology in clinic. With simple operation, it has been widely used in clinical to promote coma after craniocerebral trauma, relieve pain, improve cognition, Parkinson’s disease and so on. However, its mechanism has always been a hot topic and difficult part. At present, there are a large number of clinical efficacy studies and animal experiments of median nerve electrical stimulation at home and abroad. This article reviews the clinical application and animal experiments of median nerve electrical stimulation in recent years, and summarizes its mechanism, hoping to contribute to relevant clinical applications and research.
Objective To systematically review the effect of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on postoperative clinical outcomes among esophageal cancer patients. Methods The PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data and VIP databases were searched from inception to January 16th, 2022 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies on the clinical application of IMT among postoperative esophageal cancer patients. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Meta-analysis was then performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results Eight studies were included, including 7 RCTs and 1 cohort study, involving 728 participants. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that IMT significantly enhanced postoperative respiratory muscle function [maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP): MD=5.75, 95%CI 0.81 to 10.70, P=0.02; maximum expiratory pressure (MEP): MD=8.19, 95%CI 4.14 to 12.24, P<0.001] and pulmonary function (FEV1%: MD=6.94, 95%CI 5.43 to 8.45, P<0.001; FVC%: MD=4.65, 95%CI 2.70 to 6.60, P<0.001; MVV: MD=8.66, 95%CI 7.17 50 10.14, P<0.001; FEV1/FVC%: MD=8.04, 95%CI 4.68 to 11.40, P<0.001). Additionally, the results indicated that IMT could substantially improve postoperative functional performance [six-minute walk test (6MWT): MD=66.99, 95%CI 10.13 to 123.85, P=0.02; Borg index: MD=?1.03, 95%CI ?1.26 to ?0.81, P<0.001]. However, no significant reduction in the incidence of postoperative complications was observed. Conclusion IMT can improve the postoperative clinical outcomes of esophageal cancer patients and facilitate patient recovery after surgery, which has high clinical value. Due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.
