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Biomedical subjects

C D Mercer

Publications and source records attributed to C D Mercer.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Laser fulguration for palliation of rectal tumours.

Palliative therapy for rectal carcinoma includes control of bleeding, tenesmus, mucous discharge, obstruction and pain. These local symptoms can cause serious morbidity for patients with locally advanced or metastatic rectal cancer. As an alternative to surgical resection for palliation, the authors applied endoscopic laser fulguration in 15 patients with rectal tumours; 14 experienced immediate relief of symptoms. At 6.4 months' follow-up, two patients had recurrent tenesmus and two required a colostomy. A high degree of patient acceptance makes laser fulguration for rectal tumours an important modality, for palliation; however, control of tenesmus may be temporary.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser vaporization for palliation of obstructing esophageal carcinoma.

Palliative therapy for obstructing esophageal carcinoma is more often necessary than curative surgery. The neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser was used for vaporization of obstructing esophageal carcinoma in 18 patients requiring 24 treatments. Three women and 15 men (age range 42 to 87 years) had esophageal carcinoma (seven squamous cell and nine adenocarcinoma). Twelve tumors were at the esophagogastric junction, four at the midesophagus, and two in the cervical esophagus. Lengths varied from 3 to 7 cm. Inoperability was due to diffuse metastases in eight patients, local invasion in five, poor operative risk in one patient, and patient refusal for operative treatment in four patients. Energy use was 1000 to 22,600 J per session (mean 6120 J). Good results were achieved in 16 patients (88.9%): Seven returned to full diet, five to soft diet, and four to full fluids without dysphagia. Four patients required retreatment 1 to 3 months later because of recurrent dysphagia. One patient was not benefited by the treatment and died of carcinomatosis 1 week later. No intraoperative complications occurred. Postoperatively, one patient had laryngeal edema and another had a bronchoesophageal fistula 3 weeks later. The mean survival time is 3 1/2 months. Neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser vaporization for obstructing esophageal carcinoma is effective palliation regardless of histologic tumor type. It can be performed under direct vision with a low frequency of postoperative complications.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1988

Post Nissen syndrome.

The Nissen fundoplication is the most common anti-reflux operation performed. Gas bloat and inability to vomit after repair may be severe, but infrequently require reoperation; in contrast, other complications can be very debilitating or life-threatening. One hundred and sixteen patients who required reoperation for serious complications after Nissen repair are presented and classified according to the cause of the failed repair. Nissen complications resulted in recurrent reflux (86 per cent), severe dysphagia (60 per cent), esophageal dysmotility (48 per cent) and gastric perforation and fistualization (5 per cent). The "classic" Nissen fundoplication involves a blind 360 degree wrap, which includes the acid-producing parietal cell mass. The resulting pouch drains poorly and is, therefore, subject to gastric ulceration. Reoperation at our institution, using principally the Hill antireflux procedure, gave excellent or good results in 86 per cent, fair in 9 per cent and poor in 5 per cent. Three operative deaths (2.6 per cent) and one late death (0.9 per cent) occurred.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Sutureless bowel anastomosis using Nd:YAG laser.

Small bowel anastomoses were performed without sutures by using the Nd:YAG laser to produce welded enterotomies. Optimal energy levels for contact and noncontact laser were determined. Anastomoses produced using five target energy levels between 100 and 500 J were examined. Short-term anastomotic strength of these enterotomies was measured 1 min after the welding. Bursting pressure of the laser welded enterotomies was compared to the bursting pressure of traditional two-layer, inverting, interrupted sutured bowel anastomoses. The overall mean bursting pressure of non-contact-welded enterotomies was 50.6 mmHg. Optimal laser settings determined in this initial phase were then used to produce anastomoses in rabbits which are recovered postoperatively for 1 or 2 weeks in order to examine long-term viability and integrity of the anastomoses. All chronic rabbit preparations recovered without complication. The mean bursting pressure was 200 mmHg, not significantly different from that of uncut bowel or two-layer sutured anastomosis.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed1987

Lower esophageal sphincter pressure and gastroesophageal pressure gradients in excessively obese patients.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship of the gastroesophageal pressure gradient (GEPG) to lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) in normal and in severely obese subjects. Eight lean volunteers with no clinical evidence of gastroesophageal reflux and eight asymptomatic severely obese patients (at least 80% over their ideal weight) underwent esophageal manometric studies with measurements of the LESP and GEPG in both inspiration and expiration. The LESP/GEPG ratio was also calculated in both inspiration and expiration. Acid sensitivity was assessed by means of infusion of 0.1 N HCl subsequent to the baseline motility study. There was no significant difference between the LESP in obese patients (O.P.) and normal subjects (N.Sb.) in either inspiration (mean +/- SEM in mm Hg: N.Sb. = 16.4 +/- 1.6, O.P. = 18.7 +/- 2.5), or expiration (N.Sb. = 16.6 +/- 1.5, O.P. = 20.6 +/- 2.6). However, the GEPG in both inspiration (N.Sb. = 13.3 +/- 1.6, O.P. = 23.1 +/- 2.0; p less than 0.001) and in expiration (N.Sb. = 2.1 +/- 0.5, O.P. = 8.1 +/- 1.1; p less than 0.001) was significantly higher in obese patients than in controls. As a result, the GEPG/LESP ratios were also higher (expiration N.Sb. = 0.15 +/- 0.03, O.P. = 0.46 +/- 0.10; p less than 0.01) in obese patients; and for inspiration (N.Sb. = 0.86 +/- 0.13, O.P. = 1.33 +/- 0.12; p less than 0.01) in the obese patients the ratio was greater than 1. None of the normal subjects exhibited acid sensitivity, but 6 of the 7 obese patients tested developed heartburn during acid infusion. In conclusion, the GEPG/LESP ratio in inspiration was greater than unity for obese patients inspite of normal LESP. Such a change in the ratio could facilitate reflux in obese patients.

Aluminum Hydroxide↗
PubMed1986

Reoperation after failed esophagomyotomy for achalasia.

Of 49 patients with achalasia treated surgically between 1975 and 1985, 12 (8 women, 4 men) had undergone transthoracic esophagomyotomy previously. Four had had concomitant upper gastrointestinal surgery. All 12 patients complained of dysphagia; other symptoms included regurgitation, nocturnal aspiration, heartburn, chest pain, vomiting, upper gastrointestinal bleeding and weight loss. The average time from initial operation to onset of symptoms was 9 months. Preoperative investigations and operative findings identified the cause of dysphagia as inadequate or healed esophagomyotomy with persistent or recurrent achalasia (eight patients--two had partially disrupted fundoplications contributing to their dysphagia), hiatus hernia with reflux esophagitis causing esophageal spasm or peptic esophageal stricture (two patients) and incorrect initial diagnosis and treatment (two patients). Treatment, with the aid of intraoperative manometry, included repeat Heller myotomy (five patients), Hill antireflux repair (four patients), takedown of Nissen fundoplication and extension of myotomy (two patients). The average follow-up was 16 months. Eight patients had good results, two required further operation and one underwent multiple dilatations postoperatively. The causes of recurrent dysphagia following surgery for achalasia are diverse and patients require individualized investigation and treatment. Remedial surgery for achalasia can correct postoperative dysphagia but results are less successful than those following an adequate initial operation.

Adolescent↗