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Biomedical subjects

J S McLaughlin

Publications and source records attributed to J S McLaughlin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Surgical management of lung cancer with solitary cerebral metastasis.

Between 1964 and 1986, 19 patients underwent resection of both a primary lung cancer and the associated brain metastasis. One patient underwent resection of 2 separate primary lung cancers and the associated metastases. The 12 men and 7 women ranged in age from 42 to 67 years (mean, 54.6 years). The cell type was adenocarcinoma in 12 tumors, squamous or adenosquamous cell in 5, large cell undifferentiated or anaplastic in 2, and malignant carcinoid in 1 tumor. The types of resection were as follows: lobectomy for 12 neoplasms, pneumonectomy for 5, bilobectomy for 2, and wedge resection for 1 neoplasm. Radiotherapy to the brain was given in connection with sixteen of the twenty craniotomies. The patient with 2 separate primary neoplasms survived 19 years before dying 5 months after the second craniotomy. The mean survival is 8.0 +/- 2.1 years (+/- the standard error), and the median survival is 1.67 years. Survival at 1 year was 65 +/- 10.7% and at 5 years, 45 +/- 11.1%. On univariate analysis, the following factors were found to correlate significantly with longer survival: a lung tumor in Stage I or II; negative mediastinal nodes; curative rather than palliative resection of the lung tumor; and age younger than 55 years. However, on multivariate analysis, only curative resection was a significant factor (p less than 0.01). We believe these results justify continued application of this combined surgical approach to patients having limited-stage lung cancer with a solitary brain metastasis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Experimental repair of ventricular septal defects using autologous right ventricular muscle flaps: preliminary report.

Survival after repair of postinfarction ventricular septal defects remains poor, often due to extensive loss of contractile muscle in the septum or left ventricle. We evaluated whether a contractile flap of right ventricular muscle could be used to repair a similar ventricular septal defect to augment left ventricular performance in 7 fully instrumented mongrel dogs (weight, 23 to 28 kg). By using hypothermic bypass and cold fibrillatory arrest, a trapezoidal right ventricle flap was fashioned from the free wall of the mid to lower right ventricle, basing its widest portion anteriorly on the septum and left ventricle. A large, 2-cm-diameter core of septum was excised beneath this flap to simulate a postinfarct ventricular septal defect. The right ventricular flap was then invaginated through the defect and sewn to the left ventricular side of the septum with pledgeted sutures taken full thickness through the flap and septum in a "vest-over-pants" fashion. Contraction of the right ventricular flap was confirmed visually and by postbypass multiple gated acquisition scans. The right ventricular defect was closed with fascia lata. All dogs were weaned from bypass without inotropes. Precardiac and postcardiac outputs of 2.5 +/- 0.5 versus 2.3 +/- 0.4 L/min and left ventricular end-diastolic pressures of 4 +/- 2 versus 4 +/- 3 mm Hg were identical. No shunts were detected by oxygen saturation. Autopsies confirmed the integrity of the repair. We conclude that septal defects can be repaired by using contractile right ventricular muscle, thus preserving left ventricular function. This technique offers promise for repair of postinfarction ventricular septal defects by using autologous, already conditioned to contract, cardiac muscle, but its application in humans must await long-term testing.

Animals↗

Use of a zipper in cardiac surgical operations.

A simplified technique to gain repeated access to the median sternotomy incision is presented. The technique involves the use of a sterile polyester zipper attached to the skin edge. The sternum remains open. Unzipping the zipper allows for repeated relief of cardiac tamponade and viewing of cardiac action. Other advantages include prevention of cardiac compression or kinking of assist device cannulas from sternal closure, ease in changing of dressings, and quick removal of ventricular assist devices without reopening the sternum.

Bandages↗

Transhiatal esophagectomy for carcinoma of the esophagus: experience with 26 patients.

Transhiatal esophagectomy was performed in 26 patients with esophageal carcinoma. The patients were selected for this procedure by means of transhiatal palpation of the tumor at laparotomy. Twenty had squamous cell carcinoma and 6, adenocarcinoma. The tumor locations were the upper third in 8, middle third in 12, and lower third in 6. On postoperative staging, 15 patients had Stage III and 6, Stage IV neoplasms. Among 25 elective resections there was 1 hospital death, which was due to severe coronary artery disease. One patient who had an urgent resection for a perforated carcinoma died of multisystem failure 32 days postoperatively. Complications included splenic injury requiring splenectomy in 5 patients; tracheal laceration in 2 patients (only 1 requiring a thoracotomy); azygos vein laceration requiring sternotomy for repair in 1 patient; chylothorax in 1; recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis in 3 (temporary in 2); and transient anastomotic leaks in 3. Five patients had pneumonia with transient respiratory failure. Twelve of the operative survivors died of cancer 3.2 to 32 months postoperatively, and 12 are alive 3 to 28 months after operation. The actuarial survival is 53 +/- 11% (+/- standard error) at one year and 46 +/- 12% at two years. Transhiatal esophagectomy is a reasonable, safe operation that should be considered for tumors at all levels of the esophagus.

Actuarial Analysis↗

On antibiotic prophylaxis in cardiac surgery: a risk factor for wound infection.

During a 30-month period, median sternotomy wound infections or endocarditis developed during the first 60 days postoperatively following 20 of 1,204 (1.7%) adult cardiac procedures at the University of Maryland Hospital. Fifty percent of the infected patients received perioperative clindamycin prophylaxis. A retrospective study was conducted in which the odds ratio estimate of the relative risk of sternotomy infection or endocarditis for patients receiving clindamycin prophylaxis compared with patients receiving cefamandole was found to be 17.0 (p less than .001) using population controls and 8.25 (p less than .001) using matched controls. Seventy-five percent of the organisms causing infections, principally Staphylococcus epidermidis, were resistant in vitro to clindamycin. Perioperative clindamycin administration was not fully effective in preventing wound infection following cardiac surgery at our hospital, thus providing indirect evidence for the efficacy of prophylaxis with cephalosporin-containing regimens. Trials of alternative antibiotics to clindamycin for prophylaxis in penicillin-allergic patients undergoing cardiac surgery are indicated.

Adult↗

Bronchial adenoma: a review of 51 patients.

The cases of 51 patients with bronchial adenomas were reviewed. There were 43 bronchial carcinoids, 5 adenoid cystic carcinomas, 2 mixed tumors, and 1 mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The carcinoid group was divided into typical (31, 72%) and atypical (12, 28%) subgroups. Nine carcinoids (20%) were categorized as metastasizing adenomas; in this group, 7 lesions were atypical and 2 were typical. Thirty-two lobectomies, 7 bilobectomies, 8 pneumonectomies, 2 sleeve resections, and 2 tracheal resections were performed. Ten-year survival was 88% for patients with typical carcinoids and 59% for those with atypical carcinoids. In the group with adenoid cystic carcinoma, 1 patient died postoperatively, 1 had recurrence of the tumor, 2 were alive and free from disease 16 and 23 years later, and 1 died of heart disease at 11 years. The patient with mucoepidermoid carcinoma was alive without recurrence 15 years after operation. In conclusion, bronchial adenomas of the carcinoid type are potentially malignant. Their prognosis depends on the histology of the tumor, and on the presence of metastasis to the regional lymph nodes and distant organs.

Adenoma↗

Thymectomy for myasthenia gravis: 14-year experience.

Forty-eight consecutive patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) attended by generalized weakness were treated by complete thymectomy, performed transsternally in 46 patients and through a left thoracotomy in two with thymomas. There were no operative deaths. A 12-year-old child with fulminating MG died of acute pneumonia shortly after hospital discharge. Of the remaining 47 evaluable patients, thymectomy resulted in complete remission in six, marked improvement with a reduced need for medication in 20, and mild improvement on the same dosage of medication in 18. Neither the age of the patient, nor the histopathology of the excised thymus, nor the postoperative change in acetylcholine receptor antibody titer were found to have a significant influence on the response to thymectomy. If the ten patients who were 20 years of age or younger were excluded, the patients with a shorter duration of MG achieved a better response to operation. The authors conclude that thymectomy is effective treatment for MG, regardless of the age of the patient or the type of thymic pathology.

Adolescent↗

Colon interposition for benign esophageal disease: experience with 23 patients.

Twenty-four colon interpositions were performed in a group of 23 patients comprising both adults and children between 1965 and early 1982. The indications for operation were caustic injury in 13 patients, peptic stricture in 6, congenital atresia or stenosis in 2, and gunshot or foreign body injury in 2. Long colon segments, consisting of isoperistaltic left colon in seven instances, antiperistaltic left colon in four, and right colon in five, were utilized for 16 procedures in 15 patients. Short segments of left colon were used in 8 patients, isoperistaltic in 6 and antiperistaltic in 2. There were no operative deaths. Ischemic complications necessitated removal of the transplant and replacement with another segment in 1 patient and revision or drainage procedures in 2 others. Strictures of the esophagocolic anastomosis occurred in 6 patients. Five of these strictures occurred among the 13 patients with caustic injury and appeared to be due to unrecognized caustic damage in the esophageal segment used for the anastomosis. Three patients died of unrelated causes eight months to 4 1/2 years after operation, and 3 others were lost to follow-up. Seventeen patients were available for current follow-up 1 to 16 years after operation, including 7 who were followed more than 7 years. When the swallowing ability of these 17 patients was assessed using rigorous criteria, 9 were found to have an excellent to good result; 5, a good to fair result; and 3, a poor result. No patient showed late deterioration of function. We conclude that interposed colon is the ideal esophageal substitute for the patient with benign disease.

Adolescent↗

Management of penetrating cardiac injuries: the role of emergency room thoracotomy.

Sixty-four consecutive patients with penetrating cardiac injuries were treated between January, 1977, and January, 1983, at the University of Maryland Hospital. Twenty-eight patients had major associated injuries of other organs. The patients were divided into groups according to their clinical status on arrival. An aggressive approach was utilized including early emergency room (ER) thoracotomy for "lifeless" or deteriorating patients. Three patients required immediate cardiopulmonary bypass for repair of their injuries. Twenty-one (57%) of the 37 patients undergoing ER thoracotomy survived; most of the deaths occurred in patients arriving "lifeless" from gunshot wounds. Twenty-four (89%) of the 27 patients who were in stable enough condition to undergo initial repair in the operating room (OR) survived. Overall survival was 45 patients (70%). Though superficial wound infections developed in 18 patients, there were no deep or systemic infections. None of the survivors sustained severe neurological sequelae. Five patients underwent late reoperations for closure of a ventricular septal defect (2), mitral valve replacement (1), and pericardiectomy (2) with no deaths. Though repair of penetrating cardiac injuries should preferably be carried out in the OR, immediate thoracotomy for "lifeless" or deteriorating patients can be performed in the ER with a low incidence of direct surgical complications and with high patient survival.

Adolescent↗

Prolonged venous access for chemotherapy by means of the Hickman catheter.

One hundred and six long-term right atrial (Hickman) catheters have been used to establish permanent venous access in 99 patients undergoing prolonged chemotherapy for leukemia and other malignancies at the University of Maryland/Baltimore Cancer Research Center over the 30-month period from November 1978 to May 1981. A uniform technique for insertion, using cannulation of the external or internal jugular vein and atraumatic dissection of the subcutaneous tunnel, has resulted in no episodes of hemorrhage or tunnel infection in the last 55 placements in these high-risk granulocytopenic, thrombocytopenic patients. Twelve catheters have now been in place for over one year, and two catheters have been in place for over two years without apparent ill effects. A low catheter related infection rate is attributed to meticulous adherence to catheter care guidelines, supervised by a single trained and interested nurse.

Adolescent↗

Circular esophageal myotomy in the rhesus monkey: anatomical and physiological effects.

Thirty-one rhesus monkeys were divided into six groups: a control group of 4 monkeys in which resection of 33% of the thoracic esophagus with end-to-end anastomosis was performed without myotomy, and test groups of 4 to 6 monkeys each in which circular myotomy in the proximal segment, distal segment, or both was combined with a 25% or 33% resection. In the control group, 2 of 4 monkeys survived. In the test groups, myotomy reduced longitudinal tension by 20 to 58%. Among the survivors were 4 of 6 animals that had 25% resection with proximal myotomy, 3 of 5 having 25% resection with distal myotomy, and 3 of 4 having 25% resection with combined proximal and distal myotomy. However, 4 of 5 monkeys that had 33% resection plus proximal myotomy and all 5 having 33% resection plus distal myotomy died of anastomotic leaks or strictures. Cineesophagography in surviving monkeys showed no motility disturbance at the myotomy sites. Manometry in 5 monkeys showed no change in resting lower esophageal sphincter pressure from that measured preoperatively. Postmortem examination in long-term survivors showed no stricture or dilatation at the myotomy sites. It is concluded that circular myotomy in the rhesus monkey reduces longitudinal tension, but compromise of the esophageal blood supply limits the usefulness of the procedure in bridging long gaps in the esophagus. Myotomy did not result in any motility disturbance or late anatomical sequelae, and therefore is still a valid procedure to facilitate the repair of short defects.

Animals↗

Carcinoma of the esophagus: twelve years' experience with a philosophy for palliation.

Twelve years of experience have now been gained with a new therapeutic approach to carcinoma of the esophagus. In this approach, the primary goal of treatment is palliation, with cure an important but secondary objective. Carcinomas in the upper third of the esophagus are treated by radiation therapy unless there is severe obstruction or tracheal invasion, in which case colon interposition is performed. Limited resection with esophagogastrostomy is performed through a right thoracotomy and midline laparotomy for neoplasms in the middle third of the esophagus and through a left thoracotomy for carcinomas in the lower third. Since 1969, 161 patients have been evaluated, of whom 107 (66%) have been managed according to the new protocol. Twenty patients with carcinomas of the upper third of the esophagus were treated primarily by radiotherapy and 7 by colon interposition. Resection was performed in 78 of the 80 patients with carcinomas of the middle and lower thirds. There were 9 operative deaths (10%). Palliation, of superior quality to that obtained by previous methods, was provided to 95 of the 107 patients. Survival also is at least on a par with that obtained before.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

Pericardial window for malignant pericardial effusion.

Seventeen patients with malignant pericardial effusion were treated by the creation of a pericardial window. This was done through a subxiphoid approach in 13 patients and through limited anterior thoracotomy or sternotomy incisions in 4. There were no deaths and no major complications attributable to the operation. In all patients, relief of the cardiac compression caused by the effusion was immediate and complete. No patient showed a clinically significant recurrence of the effusion, although 1 patient who had received irradiation required pericardiectomy for constriction 5 months later. Survival was determined principally by the extent of the primary malignancy. Six patients died of the primary tumors within 30 days, but 6 survived 3 to 12 months and 2 are alive at 8 and 21 months. It is concluded that creation of a pericardial window, preferably by the subxiphoid approach, is the treatment of choice for malignant pericardial effusion. The procedure provides an accurate diagnosis, carries virtually no mortality or morbidity, and affords immediate and long-lasting relief of cardiac compression.

Adult↗

Cardiac myxoma.

Ten patients with cardiac myxoma were reviewed. The ranged from 23 months to 60 years old. Echocardiography was the most helpful noninvasive diagnostic technique. The tumor was demonstrated by angiocardiography, left atrial myxomas frequently migrating to the left ventricle in diastole. Hemodynamically, left atrial myxomas were associated with moderately severe pulmonary hypertension and simulated mitral stenosis or insufficiency and right atrial myxomas, with right atrial hypertension. There were 7 myxomas in the left atrium, 2 in the right atrium, and 1 in the right ventricle. Eight patients underwent open-heart operation with removal of the myxoma, 1 had concomitant tricuspid valve replacement, and 1 had biopsy of the right ventricle only. The other patient was a Jehovah's Witness and refused operation. One patient died of cardiac arrest intraoperatively, and another died of a bilateral cerebral infarct. One patient had recurrence requiring reoperation. Postoperative hemodynamic and clinical improvement was more striking in patients with a left atrial myxoma presumably due to a normal mitral valve in contradistinction to the tricuspid valve.

Adult↗

Palliation of esophageal carcinoma with intraluminal tubes: experience with 30 patients.

Between 1968 and 1978, 26 patients with carcinomas of the thoracic esophagus and 4 with adenocarcinomas involving the esophagogastric junction were treated by the insertion of indwelling intraluminal (endoesophageal) tubes. Four different types of tube were inserted by the pull-through technique. Thirteen of the 30 patients died in the hospital within 30 days. However, among the 20 patients who did not have neoplasms of the upper third of the thoracic esophagus or who had not had a prior resection, only 5 died. The principal cause of death was aspiration pneumonia. Survival averaged 2.5 months. Four patients survived 5 to 7 months. Deglutition was adequate in most patients but was not as satisfactory as after esophagogastrectomy. Our best results were obtained in patients with carcinoma of the middle or lower third of the esophagus, with or without an esophagorespiratory fistula, who had not had a previous resection.

Adenocarcinoma↗