Interdisciplinary crossover for rapid advancements: Collaboration between medical and engineering scientists with the focus on Serbia

Napretku medicine su poslednjih decenija veoma mnogo doprineli pronalasci iz različitih oblasti inženjerstva. Polovinom dvadesetog veka uspostavlja se nova naučna oblast, biomedicinsko inženjerstvo (BI), koje se do sada razvilo u veoma složenu naučnu disciplinu koja je zahtevala i poseban obrazovni profil. Na univerzitetima širom sveta, kao i na nekoliko univerziteta u Srbiji ustanovljeni su različiti programi iz oblasti biomedicinskog inženjerstva. Takođe, u nekoliko naučnih institucija u Srbiji sprovode se intenzivna istraživanja u ovoj oblasti. U ovom radu prikazani su rezultati istraživanja nekoliko grupa naučnika iz oblasti inženjerstva i medicine sa ciljem da se ilustruje koliko je široko polje istraživanja u oblasti biomedicinskog inženjerstva i kakve su mogućnosti njihove primene u dijagnostici i lečenju različitih bolesti.Over the past decades, development of engineering sciences has vastly contributed to advancements in medicine by production of numerous devices for diagnostics and treatment. In the middle of the 20th century, a new scientific field, biomedical engineering (BE), was established, which has developed into an extremely complex scientific discipline requiring a distinctive educational profile. Various study programs in BE have been established at universities around the world but also at several universities in Serbia. Also, intensive research in this field is performed at several scientific institutions in Serbia. In the present paper, short summaries of the research results of several groups of engineers and medical doctors are presented as an illustration of the wide field of BE research and possibilities of its application in diagnosis and therapy of various diseases

Interdisciplinary crossover for rapid advancements - collaboration between medical and engineering scientists with the focus on Serbia

Over the past decades, development of engineering sciences has vastly contributed to advancements in medicine by production of numerous devices for diagnostics and treatment. In the middle of the 20th century, a new scientific field, biomedical engineering (BE), was established, which has developed into an extremely complex scientific discipline requiring a distinctive educational profile. Various study programs in BE have been established at universities around the world but also at several universities in Serbia. Also, intensive research in this field is performed at several scientific institutions in Serbia. In the present paper, short summaries of the research results of several groups of engineers and medical doctors are presented as an illustration of the wide field of BE research and possibilities of its application in diagnosis and therapy of various diseases

Techniques of the tympanomastoidectomy with reconstruction of the posterior bone wall of the external auditory canal

A combined tympanoplasty method, the mobile-bridge tympanoplasty, has been applied at the Clinic for Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases in Novi Sad since 1998. Mobile-bridge tympanoplasty is performed at our Clinic by applying Feldmann’s procedure utilizing a microsurgical oscillating saw. It is a combination of closed and open techniques for surgical treatment of middle ear diseases. In addition to this technique, a method for reconstruction of the posterior bone wall of the external auditory canal was introduced. This procedure is applied in cases of damage or impairment of the bony ear canal wall using mastoid cortical temporal bone graft or modeled cartilage of the concha. Maintenance of general anatomical relations in the middle ear enables good ventilation of pneumatic spaces of the middle ear and Eustachian tube permeability, thus providing good conditions for ossicular chain reconstruction. The incidence of recurrent cholesteatoma in combined mobile-bridge tympanoplasty and tympanoplasty with reconstruction of the posterior bone wall was 6% in total. The incidence values for the recurrent cholesteatoma in closed tympanoplasty and in cases of open techniques were 10%. Mobile-bridge tympanoplasty and reconstruction of the posterior bone wall of external auditory canal are methods of choice in surgical treatment of middle ear cholesteatoma that progressed to the attic space, sinus tympani and facial recess

Complications in cochlear implantation at the Clinical Center of Vojvodina

Introduction. The first modern cochlear implantation in Serbia was performed on November 26, 2002 at the Center for Cochlear Implantation of the Clinic for Ear, Nose and Throat Diseases, Clinical Center of Vojvodina. Objective. The aim of the paper is the analysis of intraoperative and postoperative complications. Major complications include those resulting in the necessity for revision surgery, explantation, reimplantation, severe disease or even lethal outcomes. Minor complications resolve spontaneously or can be managed by conservative therapy and do not require any prolonged hospitalization of the patient. Methods. In the 2002-2013 period, 99 patients underwent surgical procedures and 100 cochlear implants were placed. Both intraoperative and postoperative complications were analyzed in the investigated patient population. Results. The analysis encompassed 99 patients, the youngest and the oldest ones being one year old and 61 years old, respectively. The complications were noticed in 11 patients, i.e. in 10.5% of 105 surgical procedures. The majority of procedures (89.5%) were not accompanied by any post-surgical complications. Unsuccessful implantation in a single-step procedure (4.04%) and transient facial nerve paralysis can be considered most frequent among our patients, whereas cochlear ossification (1.01%) and transient ataxia (2.02%) occurred rarely. Stimulation of the facial nerve (1.01%), intraoperative perilymph liquid gusher (1.01%), device failure and late infections (1.01%) were recorded extremely rarely. Conclusion. Complications such as electrode extrusion, skin necrosis over the implant or meningitis, which is considered the most severe postoperative complication, have not been recorded at our Center since the very beginning. Absence of postoperative meningitis in patients treated at the Center can be attributed to timely pneumococcal vaccination of children

Hippocrates-The father of modern medicine

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Congenital cholesteatoma of mastoid origin: A multicenter case series

Background/Aim. The mastoid is the rarest site for the onset of congenital cholesteatoma (CC). The symptoms are atypical and minimal. The aim of this multicenter retrospective descriptive study was to define this extremely rare condition and its clinical presentation, diagnosis and management. Methods. We analyzed data files for a 15- year period in 4 tertiary otology centers and discovered 6 patients with the diagnosis of CC of the mastoid. Results. The clinical presentation of CC varied from incidental findings in patient to patient with otogenic meningitis. The most common findings during surgical procedures were mastoid cortex erosion, sigmoid plate dehiscence, dural exposure and external canal wall destruction. Conclusion. CC of mastoid origin tends to occur in adult patients probably because of minimal symptoms and the delayed diagnosis. It can exist for years in a nonaggressive state and develop to giant sizes. In children it is almost incidentally diagnosed. Early imaging is necessary in order to prevent serious complication

DOI: 10.2298/AOO0602057V Nasal glioma

Congenital midline nasal masses are rather rare anomalies that occur in about one in 20 000- 40 000 live births. Nasal gliomas account for approximately 5 % of all congenital nasal swellings. The most common are dermoid/epidermoid tumors, nasal cerebral heterotopias (nasal gliomas), and nasal encephaloceles, with clinical significance that some of them have an actual or potential central nervous system connection. We present a case of an 8-year-old boy who complained of slight hearing loss dating 2 month before. Anterior rhinoscopy showed an oval, elastic, smooth, uncompressible mass, at the upper third of the nasal septum, unchanged in size on the Valsalva test. The mass causes breathing difficulties on that left naris. Clinical diagnosis was hemangioma. In the histopathologic laboratory, on gross examination, the mass measured 1.0 x 0.7 x 0.5 cm, was well demarcated, smooth, elastic, homogeneous, firm and whitish-gray in color. On cut section, the mass was homogenous, firm whitish gray in color. It consisted of astrocytic neuroglial cells with fibrous connective tissue and covered by the normal respiratory mucosa. The diagnosis of a nasal glioma was made