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Biomedical subjects

G Ramsey-Stewart

Publications and source records attributed to G Ramsey-Stewart.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Vertical banded gastroplasty for morbid obesity: weight loss at short and long-term follow up.

A standardized vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) was carried out by the one surgeon on 60 consecutive morbidly obese patients. All patients were followed at 4 week intervals for 1.5 years. Long-term follow up was carried out at medians 5.7 and 9.6 years. All patients had significant weight loss at 1.5 years. However, at long-term follow up, despite an apparently intact gastric restrictive procedure, only 40% of patients had maintained their weight loss. Sixty per cent had regained significant weight and 31% had returned to or were above their pre-operative weight level.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1995

Mammary lymphoscintigraphy in breast cancer.

UNLABELLED: Lymphoscintigraphy has previously been used to define lymph drainage patterns and locate sentinel lymph nodes, prior to surgery, in patients with cutaneous melanoma. The aim of this study was to apply this technique to patients with breast cancer using intramammary injections placed around the primary tumor in the breast. METHODS: Lymphoscintigraphy using 99mTc-labeled antimony sulphide colloid was performed in 34 patients with a suspected primary breast cancer. Images were recorded immediately and at 2.5 hr using a LFOV digital gamma camera. Sentinel lymph node location was marked when possible. RESULTS: Lymphatic drainage patterns were successfully recorded in all but three patients. Lymph drainage was to the axillary, internal mammary, supraclavicular and, in one patient, infraclavicular node fields in various combinations but always on the same side of the body as the breast tumor. There was unexpected drainage across the center line of the breast to axillary or internal mammary nodes in 32% of patients with inner or outer quadrant lesions. Direct drainage to supraclavicular or infraclavicular nodes occurred in 20% of upper quadrant lesions. Drainage to the ipsilateral axilla occurred in 85% of patients, where a single sentinel node was seen in all cases. CONCLUSION: Intramammary lymphoscintigraphy can be used to define the lymphatic drainage patterns of individual breast cancers. The surface location of sentinel lymph nodes in the draining node fields can be marked and in the axilla their depth can be measured. It should therefore be possible to use lymphoscintigraphy, along with a blue dye injection technique or the gamma probe at surgery, to locate sentinel lymph nodes in patients with breast cancer.

Antimony↗
PubMed1995

Home parenteral nutrition: the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital experience.

This paper reviews the outcomes for 14 patients treated with long-term home parenteral nutrition at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital between 1978 and 1994. Prior to the introduction of home parenteral nutrition, all patients were unable to maintain adequate nutrition by enteral means and all had experienced repeated and/or long term admissions to hospital for total parenteral nutrition. The median time patients had been on home parenteral nutrition was 468 days (range 7 days to 5,352 days) and seven patients were on home parenteral nutrition at the time of the review. The majority of patients were able to resume a reasonable place in society for varying periods and four of the patients returned to work. The conclusion from the Royal Prince Alfred experience is that home parenteral nutrition is a cost-effective method of maintaining nutrition in selected patients with chronic intestinal failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Surgical management of breast cancer. Experience of the Central Sydney Area Health Service Breast X-ray Programme, 1988-1991.

OBJECTIVE: To review the breast cancers detected in the first three years of the Central Sydney Area Health Service Breast X-ray Programme, their histopathology and their surgical management within the program. DESIGN: Between March 1988 and March 1991, women screened in the program who had a suspicious lesion were referred for surgical assessment at the program assessment centre at Rachel Forster Hospital. These women were seen by staff of the assessment centre, including program surgeons, and were then treated at either Rachel Forster Hospital or Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Features examined include cancer detection, clinical findings, diagnostic techniques, histopathological diagnosis of the lesions and surgical management. RESULTS: One hundred and eight cancers were detected in 105 women, with 59% of the cancers impalpable. The benign to malignant ratio was 1.0:1.5. Twenty-four cancers (22%) were ductal carcinoma-in-situ with or without microinvasion, and 84 (78%) were frankly invasive. Of the 86 axillary dissections, 63 (73%) showed no node involvement on histological examination. At the time of diagnosis, 27% of the women had axillary node involvement proven by axillary dissection. The overall mastectomy rate was 58%. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and tamoxifen were used in both stage I and stage II disease. CONCLUSION: The surgical management of cancers reflects similar findings reported in other screening programs. There is an increasing trend towards breast conservation surgery and up to 90% of the women in this study present with favourable prognostic factors for long term survival.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Psychosocial Outcome and Long-term Weight Loss after Gastric Restrictive Surgery for Morbid Obesity.

Forty-five of 60 consecutive morbidly obese patients who had a vertical banded gastroplasty carried out by the one surgeon between 1982 and 1988 were assessed by questionnaire at long-term follow-up in 1993. Eighteen patients (40%) had maintained their BMI at close to the lowest achieved levels. Twenty-seven patients (60%) had had a significant rise in BMI, and 14 of these (31%) had gained weight to return close to or above their pre-surgery BMI levels. No reliable predictors of successful long-term weight loss were detected in the pre-operative data. Forty-eight patients (84%) were satisfied with their surgical treatment. Twenty patients (44%) reported improved social life after surgery. Twenty-one patients (46%) reported a similar social life and only four patients (9%) a worse social life. At follow up five patients (12%) reported emotional problems related to their weight loss surgery and two of this group had had psychiatric counseling for depression. Pre-operative psychiatric assessment appeared to have facilitated intervention by the psychiatrist with these patients. Gastric restrictive surgery, however, remains unpredictable in its long-term weight loss effect.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Percutaneous insertion of long-term venous access catheters via the external iliac vein.

Long-term venous access using Hickman catheters and implantable subcutaneous ports is a well established technique. These devices have customarily been inserted via the internal jugular, subclavian or cephalic veins. On occasions, these routes may be unavailable. This article reviews the outcome of 53 prolonged venous access catheters (39 Hickmans and 14 catheters attached to implantable ports) inserted percutaneously via the external iliac vein into 37 patients over a period of 5.7 years. The indications for insertion were chemotherapy (40%), total parenteral nutrition (36%), intravenous antibiotics (13%), poor venous access (7%) and bone marrow transplantation (4%). The main reasons for use of the external iliac vein were thrombosis of the subclavian veins or superior vena cava and subclavian central line sepsis. The only complication of insertion was one inadvertent puncture of the external iliac artery. Twenty-seven catheters (51%) remained complication free and functioning for the time for which they were required. Four catheters (7%) are still functioning in situ having been present for 1-5 years. Sixteen catheters (30%) became infected, with a 17% incidence of septicaemia. Venous thrombosis was associated with three catheters (6%). Catheters remained in situ for a median period of 30 days (range 5-569 days). The authors conclude that long-term venous access using percutaneous external iliac vein insertion is a useful technique when other routes are unavailable, but there is a relatively high incidence of catheter-related sepsis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Radical "Fleur-de-Lis" Abdominal after Bariatric Surgery.

The massive weight loss produced by bariatric surgical procedures on the morbidly obese can result in gross redundancy of abdominal and trunk skin. Standard abdominoplasty procedures may be insufficient to correct this debilitating deformity. A radical version of the "Fleur-de-Lis" abdominoplasty has been carried out on 45 such patients, with good cosmetic and functional results and low morbidity.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Hepatic Steatosis and Morbid Obesity.

One hundred and twenty-seven consecutive morbidly obese patients who presented for bariatric surgery underwent open wedge liver biopsy at the completion of their gastric restrictive procedure. All hepatic specimens were graded histologically for degrees of steatosis. Three-quarters of the patients had histological evidence of hepatic steatosis and in one-fifth this was severe and diffuse. No patient had histological evidence of fatty hepatitis, portal fibrosis, or cirrhosis. There was no significant correlation between the degree of obesity (measured as percentage over ideal weight), age, sex, or preoperative liver function tests and the degree of fatty change observed. Insufficient data were available to Implicate alcohol and poor protein nutrition in the etiology of the observed fatty liver change. Other factors such as diabetes mellitus or drugs were not etiologic factors in this series of patients.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Use of a specimen-evaluation device for the diagnosis of impalpable breast lesions detected by mammography.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a method for accurate excision and exact histopathological diagnosis of impalpable breast lesions, considered suspicious of carcinoma, and detected on mammographic examination alone. SETTING, PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: Eight-five patients referred with a suspicious but impalpable mammographic lesion underwent preoperative radiological localisation followed by surgical excision biopsy. Specimen radiology with a radiolucent acrylic compression-grid specimen-evaluation device confirmed that the lesion had been excised. By use of the grid coordinates, exact histopathological examination of the radiological area of suspicion was carried out to provide a definitive pathological diagnosis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (33%) were found to have invasive carcinoma or extensive intraduct breast carcinoma requiring further surgical and adjuvant management. Nineteen of these patients (68%) had no axillary node metastases. CONCLUSION: The use of an acrylic compression-grid specimen-evaluation device in the diagnosis of suspicious mammographic breast lesions facilitates confirmation of excision by specimen radiology, and expedites accurate histological examination of suspicious radiological lesions.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1992

Eutrophication: spontaneous progressive dermatoliponecrosis. A Fatal Complication of Gross Morbid Obesity.

Spontaneous and progressive dermatoliponecrosis and panniculitis is an unusual complication of morbid obesity. A fatal case is reported, and the term eutrophication is suggested as an appropriately descriptive name for this intractable condition. A 45-year-old grossly morbidly obese female (weighing 286.4 kg) presented with spontaneous necrosis of skin and fat-folds of the abdomen, trunk, and thighs. She also had congestive cardiac failure, respiratory insufficiency and anemia. Congestive cardiac failure and anemia were treated aggressively. However, all attempts at control of the superficial tissue necrosis and the supervening infection failed. Superficial gangrene and putrefaction of the fat-folds progressed relentlessly, and death finally ensued due to sepsis and multiple system failure. The early signs of panniculitis, especially of grossly dependent fat and skin-folds in the morbidly obese must be recognized early and treated with aggressive weight loss, if this potentially fatal complication of morbid obesity is to be avoided.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Sequential laparotomy and zipper closure in the management of gross peripancreatic sepsis.

Four cases of gross peripancreatic sepsis have been managed with repeated laparotomies and packing of the lesser sac. A zipper was used for abdominal closure in three patients and the abdomen was left open in one. Sequential laparotomy enabled repeated debridement of non-viable pancreatic and peripancreatic tissue and prevented intra-abdominal septic accumulations. An additional benefit of this technique was the frequent detection and correction of clinically unsuspected complications of the septic abdomen.

Abscess↗
PubMed1989

Percutaneous infraclavicular insertion of long-term central venous Hickman catheters.

Percutaneous infraclavicular subclavian vein insertions of single lumen Hickman right atrial catheters (n = 342) were performed on 308 patients at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. The indications for insertion were administration of total parenteral nutrition (44.8%), intravenous chemotherapy (40.9%), intravenous therapy in patients with inaccessible peripheral veins (11.7%), and intravenous antibiotic administration (2.6%). Three percutaneous catheter insertions were complicated by pneumothorax (0.88%). There were no other complications of insertion. Catheters remained in situ for a median period of 30 days (range: 2-853 days). The majority of catheters (69.6%) remained functioning and complication-free until the completion of therapy or until the patient died of their original disease. Some catheters became infected (9.9%) and there was a 0.6% incidence of septicaemia due to infected catheters; 8.5% of catheters were removed because of a suspicion of infection that was not subsequently proven. The incidence of infection was highest within the first month after catheter insertion, and decreased thereafter. Percutaneous subclavian insertion of Hickman right atrial catheters appears to be the insertion method of choice in patients requiring long-term central venous access.

Catheterization, Central Venous↗
PubMed1988

The treatment of symptomatic benign breast disease with danazol.

A prospective randomized double blind trial, using danazol in a dose of 200 mg twice a day, was carried out on 80 women presenting with severe cyclical symptomatic benign mammary dysplasia. Standardized scores for 4 parameters of disease severity (breast pain, breast tenderness, breast nodularity and breast cysts) were defined and measured monthly on all patients admitted to the trial. Using nonparametric statistical analysis, significant improvement in breast pain, tenderness and nodularity, was found in both the double blind and crossover arms of the trial. An insufficient number of patients presented with breast cysts to draw any conclusions regarding the efficacy of danazol on cysts. Six months of treatment may produce a more sustained response, than 3 months of treatment. Danazol appears to be efficacious in managing patients with severe breast symptoms due to benign disease.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1986

Pre-operative psychiatric assessment of patients presenting for gastric bariatric surgery (surgical control of morbid obesity).

One hundred and fifty-three consecutive patients referred to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for consideration of gastric bariatric surgery (surgery for obesity) were assessed pre-operatively by the one psychiatrist, with regard to social, psychological and psychiatric factors. Fifty-one patients (33%) were considered to be uncomplicated from a psychiatric point of view. Eighty-eight patients (58%) had identifiable psychopathology and 14 patients (9%) were of doubtful motivation. Thirty patients (20%) were rejected from the treatment programme after the initial assessment because of overt psychiatric illness, severe situational stress, insufficient motivation or lack of significant support. Six of these patients after further assessment or after responding to psychiatric treatment were reviewed and found suitable for a bariatric operation. Of the 113 patients who had a bariatric procedure performed, 17 patients (15%) required postoperative psychiatric management. while the need for psychiatric assessment of patients presenting for bariatric surgery is disputed by some, our experience would indicate that careful pre-operative screening by a liaison psychiatrist, familiar with morbid obesity and its surgical management, is useful in any bariatric surgical programme. Such screening should identify and enable exclusion of the small number of patients who for psychiatric reasons, are poor risk candidates. A number of other patients in whom identifiable psychopathology will be discerned, will require pre-operative psychiatric management. While such a programme will decrease postoperative psychiatric problems, these will not be eliminated in the morbidly obese, and the assessing liaison psychiatrist will have a valuable role to play in the collaborative postoperative management of such patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Complications associated with indwelling venous Hickman catheters in patients with hematological disorders.

During a 28 month period, 77 Hickman catheters were inserted in 66 patients with hematological disorders. Complete follow-up was possible for 72 catheter insertions. Catheters remained in situ for a median period of 77 days (range 5-474 days). Fourteen (19%) catheters required removal because of complications which included sepsis, blockage, or displacement. Catheter-related infection was the major complication and Staphylococcus epidermidis and diphtheroids (Corynebacterium species) were the organisms most commonly isolated.

Adolescent↗