Henry P. H. Chow

Objective: Proximal ureteric stricture is one of the many challenging problems urologists face. We aim to evaluate the results of buccal mucosal graft ureteroplasty at our institution.Methodology: All buccal mucosal graft ureteroplasties performed at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong, between December 2020 and July 2022 were reviewed. This review included patients with ureteric strictures of different aetiologies and various stricture lengths. Collected data consisted of patients' demographics, previous interventions, surgical approach, early and intermediate outcomes.Results: Six patients (median age 59.5 years) were included in this case series. Four had previously failed ureteral interventions. Pre‐operatively four had ureteral stents and two were on nephrostomy tubes. Five had a robotic‐assisted laparoscopic repair while one had an open repair. Onlay graft was performed in five patients and augmented anastomotic repair in one patient. The median stricture length was 2 cm. Median operative time was 268 min, estimated blood loss was 200 mL, and length of stay was 7.5 days. Four patients with adequate follow‐up were considered successful at a median follow‐up of 13.7 months.There were no intra‐operative complications. Anastomotic leakage and donor site bleeding were observed in one patient (Clavien‐Dindo III).Conclusion: Buccal mucosal graft ureteroplasty is suitable in appropriately selected patients with proximal ureteral strictures. Robotic surgical approaches have made this technique promising. Long‐term outcomes are eagerly awaited.

The growth of Internet users in Canada has been phenomenal. The most recent Canadian Internet Use Survey revealed that 83% of Canadian households had access to the Internet at home in 2012, compared with 79% in 2010 (Statistics Canada, 2013). Doubtlessly, the Internet has become an increasingly important feature of the learning environment for students. Excessive use of the Internet, however, can pose various serious risks for the users. In fact, the negative consequences that can arise from excessive Internet usage have attracted increasing research attention. Studies have demonstrated that academic under-performance, failure to exercise and to engage in faceto-face social activities, negative affective states, sleep deprivation, decreased ability to concentrate, health problems, and family conflicts were the frequently reported consequences of excessive internet use (Gür, Yurt, Bulduk, & Atagöz,

Using data collected from a questionnaire survey of 501 university students in a western Canadian city, this article explores the death anxiety among young adults and the factors influencing their levels of death anxiety. Results demonstrated that respondents displayed a moderate level of death anxiety. Multiple regression analysis further revealed that females, non-Caucasians and those who demonstrated to be less religious, indicated a higher level of loneliness, scored lower on the purpose in life scale, expressed dissatisfaction with their self-image, and reported a higher socio-economic status were found to exhibit a higher level of death anxiety.

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Objective. Immigrants are a vital component of the current and future ethnic aging population in Canada. This study was undertaken to explore the health status of elderly Chinese immigrants in a western Canadian city and to identify the major determinants of their physical and psychological well-being. Method. Using a 50% random sample of elderly Chinese residing in three residential complexes occupied exclusively by individuals of ethnic Chinese origin located in downtown Calgary, a total of 147 Chinese seniors were interviewed in their homes by trained, bilingual interviewers using a structured questionnaire that covered a wide range of topics including health status, social network, living arrangements, use of health-related services, and socio-demographic information. Data analysis. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. A principal component factor analysis using varimax rotation was performed to explore the underlying factorial structure of the seven items measuring well-being. The internal consistency of all scales used was assessed by Cronbach's alpha reliability test. Two multiple ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression models were constructed to identify the major determinants of respondents' physical and psychological well-being. Results. The findings revealed that a majority of the participants described their physical health as good or very good. Results of multiple OLS regression analysis demonstrated that education, country of origin, use of medications, physical mobility, and perceived financial needs were significantly associated with physical well-being, whereas sex, marital status, length of residence, education, and physical mobility were significantly related to psychological well-being. Conclusion. Healthcare professionals, service providers, and policy-makers need to understand the significant impact of the various socio-demographic and background variables that contribute to the well-being of community-dwelling Chinese elderly immigrants. The provision of culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate healthcare, social, and medical services is needed for the growing older Chinese population. Future studies should compare the health status of foreign-born Chinese seniors with those who were native-born, as well those co-residing with adult children.