Active clinical trials for "Constriction, Pathologic"

Spinal stenosis is a common orthopedic spine condition that limits individuals ability to walk and stand because of nerve compression. Surgical treatment can alleviate leg pain and improve function such as increasing physical activity. This study will use Fitbit technology to monitor patient's post-operative physical activity. It will evaluate the efficacy of a Fitbit incentive based walking program on improving post-operative physical activity and rehabilitation.

There is a correlation between endothelial progenitor cells (stem cells) and stenosis of the aortic valve.

General and specific objectives of the search: evaluate the effects of the administration of Antithrombin III (ATIII) on the activation of the coagulation system and of the fibrinolysis, platelet function, inflammatory response and markers of organ damage in patients undergoing cardiac surgery by cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with low plasma levels of post-operative Antithrombin (AT).

Conventional urethrography is the standard diagnostic evaluation for patients with a suspicion of urethral stricture. The radiation dose of this examination is 5-9 mSV. Sono-urethrography was introduced in 1988 (McAninch et al. , J Urol 1988); the diagnostic accuracy of sono-urethrography is equal compared to conventional urethrography, with even a better measurement of stricture length and degree of spongiofibrosis with sono-urethrography. However, sono-urethrography remained underused among urologists and radiologists. Patients will be randomly assigned into two groups: Group A: conventional urethrography Group B: sono-urethrography In case sono-urethrography is inconclusive or of poor quality, a conventional urethrography will be performed. The radiation dose in the two groups will be measured. The stricture length and location will be recorded and compared with the perioperative findings in order to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy. The complications of the procedure(s) will be recorded with a questionnaire directly after and two weeks after the conventional or sono-urethrography.

Background: In a previous study, information verbally presented as relative risk (e.g. "50% less likely") or qualitative risk (e.g. "significantly less likely") resulted in many more people (66%) choosing a surgical procedure for narrowing or artery in the neck than people presented with absolute risk (e.g. "11% versus 5% over 5 years"), annualized risk (e.g. "2% versus 1% per year for 5 years") and event-free survival (e.g. "95% versus 89% over 5 years") (33%). Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine whether the same observations are true for information that is presented visually as a bar graph. In addition, the investigators also seek to determine whether subjects feel that they understand the information better when presented visually as compared with verbally. Methods: 450 subjects will be approached in the neurology clinic as they are waiting for their office visit. If the subject agrees to participate in this 10 minute study, they will be taken to a quiet room where they will watch a 1 minute video on a laptop. The video will feature an acting physician. The presenter will be the same for all experiment groups. The presenter will describe a hypothetical medical situation in which a narrowing of one of the carotid (neck) arteries is present. The presenter will then describe the risk of a stroke related to that condition if the subject chooses medical therapy versus medical and surgical therapy. The presentation of risk will vary and may be presented in one of 3 different ways including a qualitative description, an absolute risk reduction over a fixed time period, and a relative risk reduction. These three risk groups will be presented either verbally or visually through bar graphs. In the visual subject groups, the presenter will be holding up a graph and remain silent while the graph is shown. The amount of time allotted for the graph on the video will be equal to the amount of time it takes the presenter to say the information in the auditory subject groups. Given that there will be 2 sensory modalities (verbal of visual) and 3 different presentation formats, there will be a total of 6 different videos. After the video is complete, the subject will be asked to complete a 1 page survey which will ask about the patient's age, gender, educational level, reason for the medical visit, and final decision about choice of treatment. The subjects will also answer how well they understood the data by making a mark on a 10 cm horizontal line.

Aortic valve pathology is the third most common cardiovascular disease after coronary artery disease and hypertension, which is responsible for severe morbidity and mortality in elderly patients and requires surgical treatment in its most severe form of progression. The purpose of this study is to find a link between arterial stiffness and degenerative aortic stenosis. If this link is established, arterial stiffness may become a medical therapeutic target in order to delay the evolution of the disease.

Severe aortic stenosis is a condition with poor life expectancy once it becomes symptomatic. There are no prospective studies illustrating the utility of cardiopulmonary stress (CPX) testing in diagnosing and prognosticating patients with paradoxically low gradient and low flow severe aortic stenosis. We aim to prospectively investigate the utility of CPX in this patient population with the hypothesis that utilizing CPX parameters would better identify higher risk patients warranting further evaluation and possibly intervention sooner.

Cholangioscopy, or direct visualization of the bile ducts was first documented in the late 1970s and has made many advances over the last few decades. The advent of mother-baby scopes allowed for both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, though the early scopes were often fragile, and cumbersome due to the need for two endoscopists. Ultraslim endoscopes later became popular as a method to digitally view the bile ducts, however, often needed guide-wire or balloon-assistance to allow for cannulation. Other disadvantages of these systems included limited steerability, and poor irrigation capabilities. The advent of Spyglass, a single-operator peroral cholangioscopy method allowed for a fiberoptic, catheter-based system that could be easily used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in the biliary system. However, image quality was often lacking due to the fiberoptic technology. The new digital Spyglass system rectifies this inadequacy by introducing a digital sensor for better image quality, which will allow for better visualization and diagnosis of indeterminate strictures. Furthermore, modification of the scope platform allows for efficient use, reliable directionality of the scope tip, and improved ease of passage of accessories during therapeutic procedures such clearing stones or stent placement.

This preliminary study will compare the effectiveness of two-dimensional and three-dimensional echocardiographic measurements of wall thickness and left ventricular mass in patients with Aortic Stenosis

Multicenter registry data analysis of aortic valve stenosis patients that underwent elective, isolated transcutaneous aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or surgical aortic valve replacement between 2015 and 2019. In TAVI group only transfemoral access was considered.