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Purpose: Preoperative evaluation and educational training are required before metabolic and bariatric surgery. This study evaluates patient's comprehension prior to the operation and identifies the relationship between certain sociodemographic parameters and surgery outcomes., Materials and Methods: An analysis of patients who completed a preoperative questionnaire and underwent metabolic and bariatric surgery between 2019 and 2021 was performed. The questionnaire evaluated surgery preparation and factors influencing weight loss after surgery., Results: In total, 81 patients completed the preoperative questionnaire. Mean age was 44 ± 11.69 years, 63 females (77%). Mean BMI was 42.85 ± 5.72 kg/m 2 . Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, and one anastomosis gastric bypass was performed in 10 (12.3%), 28 (34%), and 43 (53%) patients respectively. Out of the patients, 38 (47%) were Israeli born Jews, 14 (17.3%) were Russian born Jews, and 29 (35.8%) were Israeli born Arabs. Mean follow-up was 30.71 ± 8.66 months. Questionnaire scores average was 67.7 ± 16.15. Based on univariate analysis, younger, single, higher educated, fewer offspring, and Israeli born Jews significantly scored higher in the questionnaire (p = 0.03, 0.05, 0.01, 0.0002, 0.02 respectively). Postoperational weight loss was significantly inferior among older patients, revisional procedures, and patients with lower educational levels (p = 0.02, 0.006, 0.05 respectively). Patients with a higher BMI, and fewer offspring had a significantly higher weight loss postoperatively (p = 0.0001, 0.02 respectively)., Conclusion: The number of factors can influence optimal weight loss following metabolic and bariatric surgery. Identifying groups with certain characteristics and addressing their weaknesses may improve weight loss outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose of Review: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a minimally invasive and reversible therapy for the treatment of severe neuropathic pain. There are several biologic complications that can arise during the implantation of SCS systems. This review aims to consolidate recent research on complications associated with SCS, specifically focusing on biologic complications., Recent Findings: Biologic complications are less frequently encountered compared to device-related complications but may have more severe consequences. Biologic complications covered in this review include infection, seromas, hematomas, dural puncture, nerve/spinal cord injury, and therapy habituation., Conclusion: The application of SCS remains a viable and effective choice for managing neuropathic pain conditions. It is crucial for physicians to carefully consider potential complications before proceeding with SCS trials and implantation. Familiarity with biologic complications is critical for patient safety and to optimize patient outcomes.

Purpose of Review: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an increasingly utilized therapy for the treatment of neuropathic pain conditions. Though minimally invasive and reversable, there are several important device-related complications that physicians should be aware of before offering this therapy to patients. The aim of this review is to synthesize recent studies in device-related SCS complications pertaining to cylindrical lead implantation and to discuss etiologies, symptoms and presentations, diagnostic evaluation, clinical implications, and treatment options., Recent Findings: Device-related complications are more common than biologic complications. Device-related complications covered in this review include lead migration, lead fracture, lead disconnection, generator failure, loss of charge, generator flipping, hardware related pain, and paresthesia intolerance. The use of SCS continues to be an effective option for neuropathic pain conditions. Consideration of complications prior to moving forward with SCS trials and implantation is a vital part of patient management and device selection. Knowledge of these complications can provide physicians and other healthcare professionals the ability to maximize patient outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: The purpose of this prospective observational cohort study was to examine sex differences in glycemic measures, diabetes-related complications, and rates of postdischarge emergency room (ER) visits and hospital readmissions in non-critically ill, hospitalized patients with diabetes., Research Design and Methods: Demographic data including age, body mass index, race, blood pressure, reason for admission, diabetes medications at admission and discharge, diabetes-related complications, laboratory data (hematocrit, creatinine, hemoglobin A1c, point-of-care blood glucose measures), length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition were collected. Patients were followed for 90 days following hospital discharge to obtain information regarding ER visits and readmissions., Results: 120 men and 100 women consented to participate in this study. There were no sex differences in patient demographics, diabetes duration or complications, or LOS. No differences were observed in the percentage of men and women with an ER visit or hospital readmission within 30 (39% vs 33%, p=0.40) or 90 (60% vs 49%, p=0.12) days of hospital discharge. More men than women experienced hypoglycemia prior to discharge (18% vs 8%, p=0.026). More women were discharged to skilled nursing facilities (p=0.007)., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that men and women hospitalized with an underlying diagnosis of diabetes have similar preadmission glycemic measures, diabetes duration, and prevalence of diabetes complications. More men experienced hypoglycemia prior to discharge. Women were less likely to be discharged to home. Approximately 50% of men and women had ER visits or readmissions within 90 days of hospital discharge., Trial Registration Number: NCT03279627., Competing Interests: Competing interests: DJR receives research funding from AstraZeneca. The other authors have no multiplicity of interest to disclose., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to examine the patient comprehension of diabetes self-management instructions provided at hospital discharge as an associated risk of readmission., Methods: Noncritically ill patients with diabetes completed patient comprehension questionnaires (PCQ) within 48 hours of discharge. PCQ scores were compared among patients with and without readmission or emergency department (ED) visits at 30 and 90 days. Glycemic measures 48 hours preceding discharge were investigated. Diabetes Early Readmission Risk Indicators (DERRIs) were calculated for each patient., Results: Of 128 patients who completed the PCQ, scores were similar among those with 30-day (n = 31) and 90-day (n = 54) readmission compared with no readmission (n = 72) (79.9 ± 14.4 vs 80.4 ± 15.6 vs 82.3 ± 16.4, respectively) or ED visits. Clarification of discharge information was provided for 47 patients. PCQ scores of 100% were achieved in 14% of those with and 86% without readmission at 30 days (P = .108). Of predischarge glycemic measures, glycemic variability was negatively associated with PCQ scores (P = .035). DERRIs were significantly higher among patients readmitted at 90 days but not 30 days., Conclusion: These results demonstrate similar PCQ scores between patients with and those without readmission or ED visits despite the need for corrective information in many patients. Measures of glycemic variability were associated with PCQ scores but not readmission risk. This study validates DERRI as a predictor for readmission at 90 days., (Copyright © 2021 AACE. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Analogous to learning and memory storage, long-term potentiation (LTP) is divided into induction and maintenance phases. Testing the hypothesis that the mechanism of LTP maintenance stores information requires reversing this mechanism in vivo and finding out whether long-term stored information is lost. This was not previously possible. Recently however, persistent phosphorylation by the atypical protein kinase C isoform, protein kinase Mzeta (PKMz), has been found to maintain late LTP in hippocampal slices. Here we show that a cell-permeable PKMz inhibitor, injected in the rat hippocampus, both reverses LTP maintenance in vivo and produces persistent loss of 1-day-old spatial information. Thus, the mechanism maintaining LTP sustains spatial memory.