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J W Braasch

Publications and source records attributed to J W Braasch.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Primary adenocarcinoma of third and fourth portions of duodenum. Favorable prognosis after resection.

Duodenal adenocarcinoma, a rare malignant lesion, is associated with a poor 5-year survival. Few series have addressed differences between resectable tumors of the proximal and distal duodenum. We reviewed records of 17 consecutive patients with adenocarcinoma of the duodenum who underwent resection: 10 had adenocarcinoma of the proximal duodenum, and seven had tumors of the distal duodenum. Most patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy. Five patients with adenocarcinoma of the distal duodenum underwent segmental resection. No perioperative deaths occurred. Six of 10 patients with proximal tumors died of metastatic disease. Of the seven patients with tumors of the distal duodenum, five are alive without evidence of disease, and two died of unrelated causes. The survival of patients with adenocarcinoma of the distal duodenum is surprisingly good, and segmental resection is the procedure of choice.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1992

Laparoscopic bile duct injuries. Risk factors, recognition, and repair.

Records of 11 patients undergoing biliary reconstruction after laparoscopic cholecystectomy are reviewed. Ductal injuries resulted from failure to define the anatomy of Calot's triangle. Risk factors include scarring, acute cholecystitis, and obesity. Presenting findings included anorexia, ileus, failure to thrive, pain, ascites, and jaundice. All patients required hepaticojejunostomies, which were multiple and above the hepatic bifurcation in four patients. Given the extensive nature of these injuries and the frequent need for intrahepatic anastomosis and early stenosis of repairs by referring physicians, we recommend reconstruction be undertaken by an experienced hepatobiliary surgeon. To avoid injuries, a greater appreciation of risk factors and anatomic distortion and variance and strict adherence to principles of dissection and identification of anatomic structures are suggested. The use of cholangiography and a low threshold for conversion to the open procedure are advised.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1992

Primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a condition of unknown cause. It is recognized by liver dysfunction and its characteristic radiologic appearance, which is related to portal tract inflammation, bile duct proliferation, and periductal fibroses involving small intrahepatic and large extrahepatic ducts. The disease lasts about 10 years from the time of diagnosis. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is recognized by abnormal results on routine liver function tests or by the development of clinical jaundice. An autoimmune cause has been suggested because of its strong association with inflammatory bowel disease, certain antigens, AIDS, and immunoregulatory abnormalities. Results of medical management of sclerosing cholangitis have been disappointing. Immunosuppressive drugs, copper chelating agents, and antibiotics have failed to alter progression of the disease. Colectomy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease also has no influence. The judicious use of dilations of strictures, bypass procedures, or resection can palliate jaundice in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, but liver transplantation is the definitive treatment. Because palliative operations increase the hazards of liver transplantation, percutaneous dilations and stentings are preferred initially. Cirrhosis and portal hypertension are indications for transplantation. In the future, transplantation may be indicated earlier in the course of the disease.

Cholangitis, Sclerosing↗
PubMed1991

Pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy--technical aspects.

Pylorus-preserving pancreatododenectomy is the resection of choice for patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas and periampullary area and for certain patients with chronic pancreatitis. Preoperative preparation, operative technique, and results are discussed.

Duodenum↗
PubMed1991

Surgical management of nonparasitic cystic liver disease.

We report clinical features, surgical management, recurrences, and follow-up study of 12 patients with simple hepatic cyst, 11 patients with polycystic liver disease, and 19 patients with cystadenoma who were surgically treated over a 25-year period. The median age of patients was 48 years, and 37 women and 5 men were in the series. The most common presenting symptom and physical finding were chronic abdominal pain and tenderness in the right upper quadrant. The most commonly associated disease was polycystic kidney disease, which was an associated finding in 5 of the 11 patients with polycystic liver disease (45%). The most valuable diagnostic studies in all groups were computed tomography and ultrasonography. The location of the disease was bilobar in patients with polycystic liver disease, with a right lobe predominance in 18% of patients. The right lobe was also predominant in 83% of patients with simple hepatic cyst and 58% of patients with cystadenoma. Of all solitary cystic lesions in the left lobe, 75% of them were cystadenomas. Of the 66 surgical procedures performed, aspiration was associated with a failure rate of 100%; partial excision, a failure rate of 61%; and total excision and liver resection, a failure rate of 0%. Orthotopic liver transplantation was performed in three patients and was associated with two early deaths. Partial excision relieved symptoms in three patients (43%) with polycystic liver disease. Total excision, enucleation, or liver resection with cyst(s) is the treatment of choice for non-parasitic cystic lesions of the liver.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Common operative problems in hepatobiliary surgery.

The pace of change in hepatobiliary surgery requires a sound foundation in basic surgical principles. Further reductions in morbidity and mortality rates and appropriate use of alternative therapies require careful attention to preoperative risk assessment and patient selection. To operate safely and successfully on the liver and bile ducts, the surgeon must be well versed in normal and variant hepatobiliary anatomy, understand the underlying disease and therapeutic alternatives, and known techniques of reoperative biliary surgery. Surgeons who operate on the gallbladder must be prepared to confront a host of unexpected and difficult operative problems. Bile duct injuries must be repaired properly at the first attempt. Complex biliary operations require a great level of technical expertise and judgment to obtain successful results and should only be undertaken by experienced hepatobiliary surgeons. As proficiency with the more routine procedures improves, increasingly complex and extensive procedures become possible. We must constantly police ourselves to be certain that these more extensive procedures truly benefit our patients.

Bile Ducts↗
PubMed1991

Common difficulties and complications in pancreatic surgery.

Pancreatic surgery requires dedicated surgeons to optimize results. Difficult operative situations faced during the course of pancreatic procedures and ways of dealing with them are suggested. The horizons of surgery on the pancreas will expand as the morbidity and mortality rates fall.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Analysis of morbidity and mortality rates in right hepatectomy with the preoperative APACHE II score.

Morbidity and mortality rates in 70 patients who underwent major liver resection for liver tumors (primary and metastatic) were determined and correlated with the preoperative APACHE II score. Patients were divided into three groups according to their preoperative APACHE II score: low (0 to 3), mid (4 to 7), and high (8 and above). A higher score was closely correlated with increased postoperative morbidity and operative mortality rates. The group with low scores had a postoperative morbidity rate of 34% and a mortality rate of 0%, the group with mid scores had a postoperative morbidity rate of 54% and a mortality rate of 3%, and the group with high scores had a postoperative morbidity rate of 80% and a mortality rate of 20%. Age did not correlate with morbidity. It was therefore postulated that morbidity and mortality rates were related to the combination of points for abnormal physiologic variables and points for chronic health, or APACHE II score minus points for age. As the combination of these points increases the postoperative morbidity and operative mortality rates increase significantly (from 24% in the 0-point group to 69% in the greater than or equal to 3-point group). Also the two deaths occurred in the group with 3 or more points. The preoperative APACHE II score may be used by clinicians to evaluate before surgery the risk of postoperative morbidity and death in elective major liver surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Novel approach to iatrogenic bile peritonitis.

Bile peritonitis after injury to the biliary tree is a serious complication that requires exploratory laparotomy. Our patient had an obstructing ampullary carcinoma, and generalized bile peritonitis developed from attempted percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography. The patient's condition was managed by peritoneal lavage and endoscopic transampullary stenting, with immediate relief of pain and toxicity. Exploratory laparotomy was avoided, and an eventual pylorus-sparing Whipple resection was the definitive treatment. We believe this to be the first report of successful nonoperative treatment of a patient with bile peritonitis with obstructive jaundice.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1990

Clinical and pathologic correlations in patients with periampullary tumors.

Perioperative data on 87 patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors were correlated with pathologic study of operative specimens to identify the accuracy of diagnosis and the factors affecting survival. Accuracy of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and computed tomography in locating lesions was 75% and 44%, respectively. Histologic diagnosis before or at the time of resection was available in only 61% of the patients. Carcinoma was correctly diagnosed clinically by the pathologist or the surgeon in 95% (83/87) of patients with 4 patients found to have benign disease on final pathologic examination. Intraoperative diagnosis of site of origin was incorrect in 18% (16/87) of patients. In 28% (23/83) of patients, pathologists identified nodal metastatic disease missed by the surgeon. Survival correlated with nodal and margin status and tumor grade. Tumor size demonstrated no predictive capacity. Although preoperative diagnostic accuracy is less than optimal, surgeons can usually diagnose malignant lesions but more often fail to identify tumor origin and nodal disease. We continue to advocate resection for patients with periampullary lesions thought to be malignant and resectable without a positive histologic diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Fibrous bile duct obstructions. Diagnosis, treatment, prognosis.

International experiences with operative repair of fibrous strictures indicate that satisfactory results are obtained with 80% to 85% of patients at least three years after the stent is removed. Although opinion regarding the length of time stents should be left in place is not unanimous, stents usually can be removed six months after operation. The mortality rate associated with this operative procedure should be between 1% and 2%. Benign fibrous obstruction of the bile duct occasionally occurs, especially after cholecystectomy. Operative repair, usually with the use of anastomosis of the hepatic duct to the jejunum, gives the best long-term results. Percutaneous transhepatic dilation with the long-term use of a stent to prevent restricture at times is indicated and can be curative.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗
PubMed1990

Long-term results of pancreatic resection and segmental pancreatic autotransplantation for chronic pancreatitis.

Thirteen patients who underwent extensive pancreatic resection and segmental autotransplantation and who have a median follow-up of 62 months are presented. Eleven patients had technically successful grafts. Three of six patients who underwent total pancreatectomy and three of five patients who underwent near-total resection remain insulin-independent. Those patients who require insulin require small doses and have stable diabetes. Pain has recurred in 7 of the 11 patients who underwent distal subtotal resection; 5 of them required pancreatoduodenectomy and completion pancreatectomy for pain relief. Because of the high rate of recurrence of pain after distal resection, we favor pancreatoduodenectomy as the initial procedure of choice. When distal near-total or total pancreatectomy is required, the addition of segmental autotransplantation offers definitive, although at times transient, benefits in glucose homeostasis compared with no transplantation.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Surgical aspects of sclerosing cholangitis. Results in 178 patients.

Of 178 patients with sclerosing cholangitis treated since 1950, 88 patients had associated inflammatory bowel disease, 72 had no such history, and 18 had iatrogenic injury or stone disease. A total of 233 biliary operations were performed, with a 75% rate of temporary improvement after initial operation. Subsequent operations resulted in a lower success rate and a higher mortality rate. Radiologic findings included predominant extrahepatic, intrahepatic, and diffuse disease in 29%, 28%, and 43% of patients, respectively; no survival differences were noted. Seventy-five of one hundred three deaths (73%) were related to liver failure, bleeding, or sepsis. Of 14 patients undergoing portosystemic shunt, 13 died of surgical complications or related disease. Orthotopic liver transplantation was performed in 16 patients and resulted in eight deaths, mainly in patients who had previously undergone extensive surgical treatment. No survival differences were seen between the patients with inflammatory bowel disease, those without the condition, or those who had colectomy. Surgical treatment in patients with sclerosing cholangitis should be minimized. Orthotopic liver transplantation should be offered as the treatment of choice for patients with portal hypertension, refractory cholangitis, advanced cirrhosis, or progressive liver failure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Management of pancreatic fistulas.

Conservative management of pancreatic fistulas resulting from trauma, operation for tumor, or operation for pancreatitis has met with variable success. To assess optimal management strategies and outcome, we reviewed the records of 35 patients with external pancreatic fistulas (26 patients), pancreatic ascites (6 patients), or pancreatic pleural effusion (3 patients). Treatment included no operation in 5 patients, oversewing of the fistula in 7 patients, internal drainage in 11 patients, and resection in 12 patients. One (3%) postoperative death occurred. The overall rate of operative success was 83% (25 patients). The incidence of recurrent fistulas was about the same regardless of the procedure. Patients treated successfully without operation did not have pancreatitis as an underlying disease. Patient selection is of great importance in the decision to resect or to drain and is based in part on imaging the pancreatic duct and fistula.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

During the period 1963 to 1988, we treated 45 patients with cystic neoplasms of the pancreas. The patients were divided into group 1, which included 26 patients treated between 1963 and 1983, and group 2, which included 19 patients treated between 1984 and 1988. The rate of resection for cystadenoma was 67% for group 1 (n = 15) and 100% for group 2 (n = 11). The operative mortality rate was 0% for both groups. Pathologically, 17 patients (69%) had serous cystadenoma and nine (31%) mucinous adenoma. Except for 5 of the 15 patients from group 1 who died of other causes, all patients are healthy. The resection rate for cystadenocarcinoma was 36% for group 1 (n = 11) and 100% for group 2 (n = 8). In 2 patients from group 1 and 1 patient from group 2, the tumors had been diagnosed previously as benign by operative biopsy of the cyst wall. There was no operative mortality in either group. Cystic neoplasm was suspected from the results of ultrasonography and computed tomography in 70% of the patients in group 2. In 2 patients (25%), the preoperative diagnosis of pseudocyst associated with chronic pancreatitis was made. Adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 3 patients by needle biopsy and cytologic examination of pancreatic juice. Eighty-two percent (9 patients) of group 1 died of recurrent carcinoma; 2 patients were alive without disease at 5 and 8 years. Thirty-eight percent (3 patients) of patients in group 2 died of recurrent carcinoma, two patients died of other causes, and 3 patients are still alive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗