Introduction: Laser sheath-assisted removal of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters with long dwelling time is a technique that utilizes laser-tipped sheaths. The laser light only penetrates vascular tissue by one hundred microns, causing the target tissues to disintegrate into particles less than 5 microns in size. This approach reduces the energy used during difficult retrieval procedures, allowing permanent filters to be removed in less fluoroscopic and procedural time overall.Materials and methods: The radiology information system and electronic health records were used in this retrospective cohort study to retrieve the data. A total of nine consecutive patients who underwent laserassisted filter removal utilizing GlideLightTM were included in the study between January 2016 and January 2017. The study took place at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. In this study, five patients were male and four were female with ages ranging from 19 to 57 years with a median age of 31.Results: During the period of the study, a total of nine patients had their IVC filters removed using a laser. The success rate was 100%. The indications were trauma (n=4) followed by deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (n=3) and one patient indication was prolonged immobilization. The dwelling time ranged from seven to 70 months, with a dwelling median of 19 months. Conclusion:A laser sheath might be necessary for closed-cell filters in order to improve the likelihood of a successful and secure retrieval. Technical efficiency, filter type, the necessity of applying a laser sheath based on an open versus closed filter design, dwell times, and unfavorable results. As a result, after typical procedures failed to successfully retrieve IVC filters with long dwell durations, laser-assisted filter removal is thought to be practical and safe.

Background Somatoform disorder (SD), known as the presence of physical symptoms suggesting a physical condition, for which there are no demonstrable organic findings or established physiological mechanisms with positive evidence that the symptoms are related to psychological causes. The aim of this study was to highlight the epidemiological characteristics, demographic features, comorbidities, and clinical presentations of patients with SD. Materials and methods This was a retrospective study of SD patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We reviewed the patients' electronic health records from January 2015 to December 2020 for collecting the patients’ demographic information, including gender, age, marital status, and occupation. The types of SD, presenting symptoms of each disorder, department to which patients initially presented, comorbidities, and management were also documented. The diagnosis of SD was based on the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Results In total, 89 patients were included in the study. The majority (n=50, 56.2%) were female, with a mean age of 42.7±17.1 years. More than half of the sample was married (n=54, 60.7%). The most common subtype of SD was somatization disorder followed by conversion disorder, pain disorder, and hypochondriasis, diagnosed in 69 (77.5%), 12 (13.5%), 5 (5.6%), and three (3.4%) patients, respectively. Neurological symptoms and pain were the most frequent presenting symptoms for all the somatoform patients. More than half of the sample (n=48, 53.9%) initially presented at an outpatient clinic. Conclusions The number of SD patients was less than expected, and a third did not receive any treatment. This emphasizes the need for more SD awareness among clinicians in various medical specialties. Appropriate SD and other mental disorders education for physicians may support achieving a better identification of SD and subsequently an improved quality of life for the patients.

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Objectives: It is well-known that prostheses help people with special needs to adapt and have a better quality of life; however, the community’s perception and acceptance of patients with prosthetic devices have not been fully assessed. This study aimed to measure the community’s perception and acceptance of patients with prostheses in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-developed questionnaire. The questionnaire included 20 questions to assess three main domains; marriage, employment, and friendship. The questionnaire was distributed for around 4 months to achieve the required sample size. The assessment of community acceptance of people with prostheses was measured by the Prosthesis Acceptance Assessment Test, which is 20 items on a five-point Likert scale. A score of 60 and above indicate a high acceptance rate for a participant. Results: A total of 526 participants responded to the questionnaire, of which only 68 (12.9%) participants knew someone with a prosthesis. Most participants were female (n = 292, 55.5%) and bachelor’s degree holders (n = 90, 26.1%). The acceptance rate was higher in females (n = 78, 26.7%) than males (n = 58, 24.8%), with most participants (n = 390, 74.1%) not accepting people with prostheses. Conclusion: Most participants in the study were not socially accepting people with a disability using prostheses. Reasons were not explored as there was no age, gender, or educational status differences that may have potentially explained the low acceptance rate.