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Biomedical subjects

Ian J Beckingham

Publications and source records attributed to Ian J Beckingham.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

A prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing n-butyl cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive (LiquiBand) with sutures for skin closure after laparoscopic general surgical procedures.

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of n-butyl-cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive (Liquiband) with nonabsorbable monofilament sutures for laparoscopic port site closure. Adult patients having elective laparoscopic procedures were randomly allocated to wound closure with sutures or tissue adhesive. End points included skin closure time, wound dressing requirements, wound complications, and cosmesis, assessed at discharge, 4 to 6 weeks and 3 months. Seventy-eight patients randomized to receive sutures and 76 to receive tissue adhesive were eligible for final analysis. Mean closure time was significantly longer for sutures (220 vs. 125 s, P < 0.001). Fewer dressings were required in the tissue adhesive group immediately postoperatively (21% vs. 97%, P < 0.001) and at discharge (24% vs. 82%, P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in wound complications or in cosmesis at either 4 to 6 weeks or at 3 months. Tissue adhesive for laparoscopic port site closure offers potential savings with respect to time and has comparable wound complication rates and cosmetic outcomes when compared with nonabsorbable monofilament sutures.

Adult↗

Scaffolds for liver tissue engineering.

This review focuses on the expanding role for biomaterials and polymer scaffolds in liver tissue engineering. Studies are subdivided into in vitro and in vivo approaches. The in vitro section of the review discusses the challenges specific to liver tissue engineering, and how the choice of scaffold and its structure influences the success of the regenerative medicine strategy. The in vivo section evaluates early attempts to stimulate liver repair with cell and growth factor therapies, their failings and how current approaches aim to solve these problems.

Animals↗

Percutaneous biliary metal wall stenting in malignant obstructive jaundice.

BACKGROUND: Most patients with advanced stage malignant obstructive jaundice will be suitable for palliation only. Metallic stents are safe, effective and minimally invasive. DESIGN: A review of case notes of patients who had Wallstents inserted percutaneously from January 1996 to December 2000. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients with a median age of 72 years underwent percutaneous insertion of biliary metal stents. The diagnoses were cholangiocarcinoma (41.5%), pancreatic carcinoma (40.5%), nodal metastases at the porta hepatis (14.6%) and gall bladder cancer (3.4%). Ninety-six per cent of patients improved their hyperbilirubinaemia to normal levels by 1 month. The median post-procedure hospital stay was 16 days. Early overall complications (within 30 days of stenting) occurred in 30% of patients (70% of these were disease related). The 30 day mortality rate was 20% (n = 18). Fifty (70%) patients were readmitted to hospital, most commonly because of carcinomatosis (16) or stent obstruction (12). The symptom-free period ranged from 2 weeks to 13 months. Median survival for all patients was 3.5 months. Survival correlated inversely with serum bilirubin at presentation (r = -0.34, P = 0.001), but not with other liver function tests. DISCUSSION: Metal wall stenting for malignant obstructive jaundice provides good palliation with low, procedure-related morbidity and mortality, but poor overall survival from disease-related morbidity. Survival significantly correlates with pre-stenting serum bilirubin levels. There is a need to identify the subgroup of patients in whom stenting has no beneficial effect.

Aged↗

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography versus endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis.

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has become established as the gold standard in imaging of the biliary tree. Recently, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) has been introduced as a new, non-invasive imaging modality for the detection of bile-duct stones and other pathology related to the biliary tract and pancreas. The aim of this study was to determine how MRCP compared with ERCP in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis. DESIGN AND METHODS: A prospective study of 133 patients referred for either ERCP or MRCP was carried out to compare the results of both these methods in determining the presence of choledocholithiasis. RESULTS: 18 patients were excluded from the analysis: ERCP was unsuccessful in eight of these patients and MRCP was not possible in the remaining 10 patients. There were six false negative results with MRCP; in five of these the calculi were less than 5 mm in diameter. MRCP showed a sensitivity of 84%, specificity of 96%, positive predictive value of 91%, negative predictive value of 93% and diagnostic accuracy of 92% when compared to ERCP as the gold standard. CONCLUSIONS: MRCP has high sensitivity and high specificity for stones greater than 5 mm in diameter and should be performed in preference to ERCP as the first-line investigation in patients with gallstones and abnormal liver function tests in the elective setting. Adoption of this guideline at our institution would result in a 9% reduction in the number of ERCPs performed.

Adolescent↗