More practice - better results: applicable even in visceral surgery

Eight years ago, the Swiss Cantons decided to elect a Decision Board and an additional Scientific Board for the concentration of highly specialised medicine in order to improve outcome quality.

The role of pharmacotherapy in the management of chronic subdural haematoma

Exploring the role of pharmacological interventions in the management of cSDH patients is important because these interventions could target specific underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

A mini-overview of single muscle fibre mechanics: the effects of age, inactivity and exercise in animals and humans

Muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass are important social issues in an aging population. One of the safest and most effective ways to delay and prevent the negative effects of aging and inactivity is physical exercise.

Acute aortic dissection: pathogenesis, risk factors and diagnosis

Because of its extremely high lethality of 1 to 2% per hour after symptom onset in untreated patients, aortic dissection should have an important place in the awareness of physicians in the evaluation of emergency patients with acute chest pain.

Inert gas washout: background and application in various lung diseases

Multiple breath inert gas washout is a lung function technique to measure ventilation inhomogeneity, potentially of great usefulness where spirometry tests are less sensitive.

Osteoporosis drug treatment: duration and management after discontinuation. A position statement from the SVGO/ASCO

On the basis of available data on the efficacy and safety of antiresorptive drugs, the authors propose an approach to aid decisions about the management of patients with osteoporosis on long-term therapy.

Right retroperitoneoscopic living donor nephrectomy does not increase surgical complications in the recipient and leads to excellent long-term outcome

Right-sided retroperitoneoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LDN) has been shown to be safe for the donor but it is unknown whether the short renal vein is associated with complications or an impaired long-term outcome in the recipient.

First trimester combined screening for preeclampsia and small for gestational age – a single centre experience and validation of the FMF screening algorithm

Preeclampsia is associated with severe maternal and fetal morbidity in the acute presentation, and may also be an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease later in life. Therefore, preventive strategies are of utmost importance.

Treatment strategies and outcome of surgery for synchronous colorectal liver metastases

Approximately 20% of newly diagnosed patients with colorectal cancer have ­synchronous liver metastases. The optimal treatment approach, tailored to the specific needs of the patient, is unclear.

Early complications after living donor nephrectomy: analysis of the Swiss Organ Living Donor Health Registry

Despite the increase of living kidney donation during past decades there are only a few articles reporting prospectively collected cohort data about perioperative, short-term and long-term complications after living donor nephrectomy.