Biliointestinal bypass: another surgical option.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Restelli.
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To study why the symptoms of abdominal bloating occurring in a number of patients after jejuno-ileal bypass for morbid obesity become resistant to antibiotics, we used a method which combined a hydrogen breath test after lactulose with an X-ray examination of the abdomen after barium. Ten operated patients with bloating symptoms resistant to antibiotics, ten operated patients without symptoms or with pre-existing symptoms, that had remitted after antibiotic treatment and ten nonoperated obese controls were investigated. There was a significant correlation between post-surgical symptoms persisting after antibiotics and the exhalation of large amounts of hydrogen of colonic origin (> 100 parts per million) after lactulose. Furthermore, symptomatic patients had high prevalence of colonic motility disorders (slow transit). In these patients, treatment with a prokinetic (cisapride 40 mg/kg/day for 10 days) reduced colonic transit time, colonic hydrogen production and bloating symptoms. Abdominal symptoms in these patients may therefore have other causes than small bowel bacterial overgrowth alone. All operated patients with persistent abdominal bloating should therefore be investigated before starting empirical treatment with antibiotics.
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Intestinal microflora settlement was evaluated in this retrospective study of 49 patients with jejunoileal bypass who required reoperation. Colonic microflora was observed in the samples of the contents of the functioning jejunum and ileum but not in 55% of the samples from the middle of the excluded loop. Colonization of the excluded loop was not detected in patients without clinical signs of bacterial overgrowth but was significantly frequent (p < 0.01) in those with clinical signs (bloating, migratory arthralgias, rashes, skin lesions). However, positive excluded loop cultures were not always associated with clinical manifestations. No significant correlation was observed between bacteriology of the contents of the excluded loop and bypass results. The success of an intestinal bypass may depend not only on anatomic and functional adaptation to the new, surgically created conditions, but also to the attainment of microbiological equilibrium in the intestinal ecosystem.
Two groups of 25 severely obese patients underwent 3 months of hypocaloric diet therapy either alone or associated with a glucomannan-based fibrous diet supplement (approx. 4 g/die in 3 doses). The comparative analysis of the results obtained in both groups showed that the diet + glucomannan group had a more significant weight loss in relation to the fatty mass alone, an overall improvement in lipid status and carbohydrate tolerance, and a greater adherence to the diet in the absence of any relevant side effects. Due to the marked ability to satiate patients and the positive metabolic effects, glucomannan diet supplements have been found to be particularly efficacious and well tolerated even in the long-term treatment of severe obesity.
Since 1954 the aim of surgical treatment of severe obesity has been to perfect a specific treatment capable of obtaining a massive, long-lasting and well tolerated loss of weight in severely obese subjects in which different and repeated attempts using conservative medicine have proved inefficacious or non-resolutive. During the course of almost 40 years, bariatric surgery has gradually evolved in the search for the "ideal" surgical treatment: for this purpose, operative methodologies and techniques have been proposed and experimented using differing physiopathological concepts and means of application. After a brief analysis of the history of bariatric surgery, there is a short summary of the most internationally widespread surgical methods and the most recent techniques now used for the surgical treatment of severe obesity based on the Authors' ten year experience of 321 intestinal bypasses (jejuno-ileal and biliointestinal), 110 horizontal gastroplasties and 23 vertical gastroplasties with a silastic ring. Intestinal bypass almost always allows sufficient weight loss to be achieved (85% of operated patients lose 80% of excess body weight) and the various postoperative problems of differing degrees of severity can be prevented by adequate replacement therapy and regular outpatient monitoring. Gastroplasties lead to a slightly smaller loss of weight (73% of excess body weight) within a shorter period of time, with fewer postoperative problems, but at the expense of a drastic and continual reduction in food intake. All patients operated require intense and long-term postoperative follow-up carried out by experts in order to achieve the desired results.
Horizontal gastroplasty has been performed on 100 pathologically obese patients over the last nine years. In our series, the mean age was 39.3 +/- 8.2 years and the mean body weight was 120.8 +/- 19.6 kg. One year after surgery the average weight loss was 29.7 kg which corresponds to a reduction of 24.6% of the preoperative weight (BMI:-24%). After three years, the body weight stabilised, reaching a total weight reduction of 30.5% (BMI:-28.7%), corresponding to 36.8 kg. The incidence of complications directly related to surgery was generally acceptable. The absence of specific malabsorption problems, the low incidence of severe complications and the satisfactory weight loss induced and maintained make, in our opinion, horizontal gastroplasty one of the most suitable and effective interventions in the long-term management of morbid obesity.
Jejuno-ileal bypass has been widely used for the surgical treatment of morbid obesity since 1954, but from 1978 onwards the operation has met with increasing disfavor, especially in the USA as a result of its unacceptably high complication rate. From 1982 onwards, 235 morbidly obese patients had a side-to-side jejuno-ileal bypass in our Department. Our data concerning weight loss and the overall incidence of complications show that jejuno-ileal bypass can still play a role in the surgical treatment of morbid obesity.
In order to evaluate the incidence of side-effects (S.E.), the withdrawal rate and the type of S.E. of the new antiinflammatory agent imidazole salicylate, we performed an analysis of 33 clinical trials involving 1408 patients treated with 750 mg t.i.d. (tablets or solution) or 1000 mg b.i.d. (granulated powder), taking into account all the factors (treatment duration, pharmaceutical form, indications, etc.) that could influence the type and incidence of S.E. Slight and transient episodes of pyrosis or epigastric pain represented the great majority of S.E. The overall rate of withdrawal was 1.8%. According to the duration of therapy, the incidence of S.E. was: 2-3 days, 3.3%; 5-7 days, 5.6%; 10-14 days, 8.8%; 30 days, 10.2%. The pharmaceutical forms, the treated pathologies and the various experimental designs adopted (double-blind, open, etc.) did not influence the S.E. rate. With imidazole salicylate the overall incidence of S.E. was always lower than other NSAID's ranging from 10% to 64% of that observed with the reference drugs (other salicylates, ibuprofen, naproxen, flurbiprofen, piroxicam, diclofenac). In conclusion, this analysis showed a linear relationship between S.E. and exposure time up to 10-12 days, followed by a clear trend toward a plateau of 10% of S.E. with treatments up to 30 days. Therefore the risk-benefit ratio, particularly when compared with that of the reference drugs, seems to be very favourable.
In the present study the interaction of zetidoline, a new antipsychotic, with the serotonergic system of the rodent brain was investigated in comparison with known neuroleptics. The pharmacological tests were L-5-hydroxytryptophan syndrome in mice and tryptamine-induced clonic seizures in rats. Biochemical tests were the in vitro binding of 3H-zetidoline to rat brain membranes and the serotonin metabolism and turnover in vivo in the rat cerebral cortex and brainstem. The results indicate that zetidoline, unlike haloperidol and chlorpromazine, at doses higher than those active on the dopaminergic system, shows no or very weak antiserotonergic activity in behavioral tests.
The effect of a new neuroleptic agent, zetidoline, 1-(3-chlorophenyl)-3-[2-(3,3-dimethyl-l-azetidinyl)ethyl]imidaz olidin-2-one (ZET), on prolactin release was studied in both male and female rats and compared to that of the classic antipsychotic drugs chlorpromazine and haloperidol. Time-course and dose-effect studies showed that ZET induces a rapid and short lasting increase in plasma prolactin levels, with a significant increase after a dose as low as 0.33 mg/kg, i.p.. The overall patterns of prolactin release appeared to be similar in both sexes but the response was markedly greater in females than in males. The prolactin-releasing effect of ZET was counteracted by apomorphine and L-dopa, which indicates that blockade of dopamine receptors is the basis of its neuroendocrine action. As a prolactin-releaser, ZET was found to be about 5 times as potent as chlorpromazine and about one-ninth as potent as haloperidol.
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The pharmacology of 11 alpha, 21-dihydroxy-2'-methyl-5' beta H-pregna-1,4-dieno[17,16-d]oxazole-3,20-dione-21-acetate (deflazacort) was studied by oral and parenteral administration in acute, short- and long-term experiments in rats. Deflazacort has antiinflammatory activity in various laboratory models, such as carrageenin and nystatin oedema, cotton pellet granuloma, adjuvant arthritis and on liver glycogen storage. The antiinflammatory potency of deflazacort is greater than that of prednisolone, but lower than that of dexamethasone. Absorption from the gut and duration of action appear to be highly satisfactory, as deduced from pharmacological and biochemical measurements. Glucose tolerance curves seem less affected by deflazacort than by prednisolone, while cardiovascular and central nervous system findings do not show unexpected responses.
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A multiple choice test concerning etiopathogenesis, prevention and therapy of caries and periodontal disease was presented to dental assistants during a meeting in May '91. Despite an adequate information about these subjects, an incomplete view of dental-periodontal health was noted. This is a reason to confirm the need of professional Schools, in order to improve the knowledge about dental health.
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