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James M Nottingham

Publications and source records attributed to James M Nottingham.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Laparoscopic-assisted percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy: its role in providing enteric access when percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is not possible.

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) replaced open surgical gastrostomy (OSG) as the preferred method for enteric access soon after its introduction in 1980. Since that time, laparoscopic gastrostomy (LG), percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy (PRG), and laparoscopic-assisted PEG (LAPEG) have been introduced. PEG and PRG have been found to be over 95 per cent successful, convenient, economical, and associated with less morbidity than OSG. However, there are patients that are not appropriate candidates for, or have failed attempts at, PEG or PRG placement. At one time, OSG was the only option left for these patients, but they may be better served by LAPEG or, in some cases, LG. LAPEG offers less morbidity than OSG by having less pain and wound complications, and potentially may avoid the use of general anesthesia. We present a series of patients that underwent successful LAPEG placement after an unsuccessful attempt at PEG placement, and we describe its role in patient care.

Adult↗

Richter's hernia in the laparoscopic era: four case reports and review of the literature.

Richter's hernia can occur at trocar sites after laparoscopic procedures, and 10-mm or larger ports are the usual culprits. Most surgeons now routinely close the fascia of these sites to prevent herniation. The usual presentation is of crampy abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting. Treatment is reduction of the bowel that is incarcerated and then repair of the fascial defect. We describe four cases of Richter's hernia after laparoscopy, two that were repaired by open procedure and two that were repaired laparoscopically, and review the literature. A laparoscopic hernia repair is acceptable treatment at the time of diagnosis, especially in the obese patient, as long as the incarcerated bowel is not compromised or frankly ischemic.

Adult↗

Maxillofacial injuries and life-threatening hemorrhage: treatment with transcatheter arterial embolization.

BACKGROUND: There are many reasons for hypotension in trauma patients with multiple injuries; one uncommon source is facial fractures. The treatment algorithm is volume replacement and local control of the bleeding. A retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the treatment of patients with life-threatening hemorrhage secondary to facial fractures, and to develop a treatment algorithm. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was undertaken to determine the incidence of hemorrhagic shock in patients with facial fractures exclusive of others sources, and the use of transcatheter arterial embolization to control the bleeding was evaluated. RESULTS: Over a 4-year period, 7562 patients were treated at Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital, a Level I trauma center. There were 912 patients with facial injuries, with 11 of these patients presenting with life-threatening hemorrhage secondary to facial fractures. The incidence of life-threatening hemorrhage from facial fracture was 1.2%. The mechanism of injury was blunt in 10 patients and penetrating in 1. The blunt injuries resulted from six motor vehicles crashes, three motorcycle crashes, and one plane crash. The one penetrating injury was a shotgun blast. There were six patients with Le Fort III fractures, two patients with Le Fort II fractures, and three patients with a combination of Le Fort II and III fractures bilaterally. The average volume infused before the embolization was 7 L; this included blood and crystalloid. There were four complications: two minor groin hematomas, one partial necrosis of the tongue, and one facial nerve palsy. There were two deaths, both secondary to concomitant intracranial injury as a result of blunt trauma. CONCLUSION: The incidence of severe hemorrhage secondary to facial fractures is rare; however, it can be life threatening. When common modalities of treatment such as pressure, packing, and correction of coagulopathy fail to control the hemorrhage, transcatheter arterial embolization offers a safe alternative to surgical control.

Algorithms↗

Use of a vacuum-assisted device to facilitate abdominal closure.

The inability for abdominal closure in critically ill surgical patients provides a complex problem. Often, these patients are left with a large ventral hernia, which requires readmission for abdominal wall repair. We are reporting on the use of a vacuum-assisted device (VAD) to facilitate abdominal wall closure. Fifteen patients were enrolled for placement of a VAD. Selection was based on the diagnosis of abdominal compartment syndrome, the inability for abdominal closure at the initial operation, or the inability to close the abdomen upon re-exploration. Ten (67%) patients were successfully closed within 11 days using the VAD. Predictors of successful closure were the duration of VAD placement (< 12 days, P < 0.001), the total amount of VAD output (< 3 L, P < 0.04), the patient's cumulative fluid balance within the first 2 weeks (< 2 L, P < 0.002), or the presence of a systemic infection at the time of attempted closure (P < 0.001). After 6 months, there have been no complications in patients successfully closed with this device. There have been a few recent reports describing VAD abdominal closures. While not successful for every case, the majority of our patients were able to have their abdominal wall closed primarily. We plan to use this technique to help shorten hospital stay and prevent readmission for hernia repair.

Abdominal Muscles↗

Mechanical small bowel obstruction from a loose linear cutter staple after laparoscopic appendectomy.

Laparoscopic linear cutting staplers are commonplace in advanced laparoscopic techniques. Most of the loose staples are probably inert, but we present a case of a mechanical small bowel obstruction after a laparoscopic appendectomy. The etiology of the bowel obstruction was a loose linear cutter staple from the load that fired across the appendiceal stump. We recommend retrieving as many loose staples as possible with the laparoscopic grasper or suction at the termination of the laparoscopy.

Adult↗

Laparoscopic repair of large incisional hernias.

Incisional hernias after abdominal operations are a significant cause of long-term morbidity and have been reported to occur in 3 to 20 per cent of laparotomy incisions. Traditional primary suture closure repair is plagued with up to a 50 per cent recurrence rate. With the introduction of prosthetic mesh repair recurrence decreased, but complications with mesh placement emerged ushering in the development of laparoscopic incisional herniorrhaphy. The records of patients who underwent laparoscopic incisional hernia repair between June 1, 1995 and September 1, 2001 were reviewed. Patient demographics, hernia defect size, recurrence, operative time, and procedure-related complications were evaluated. Fifty patients (22 male and 28 female, mean age 57 years with range of 24-83) were scheduled for laparoscopic incisional hernia repair between June 1, 1995 and September 1, 2001. The average patient was obese with a mean body mass index of 35.8 kg/m2 (range 16-57 kg/m2). Two patients (4%) had primary ventral hernias. Forty-eight patients (96%) had incisional hernias with 22 (46%) of these previously repaired with prosthetic mesh. Mean defect size was 206.1 cm2 (range 48-594 cm2). The average mesh size was 510.2 cm2 (range 224-1050 cm2). Gore-Tex DualMesh and Bard Composite Mesh were used in 84 and 16 per cent of the repairs, respectively. Mean operating time was 97 minutes. There were no deaths. Complications were seen in 12 per cent patients (six occurrences) and included two small bowel enterotomies, a symptomatic seroma requiring aspirate, a mesh reaction requiring a short course of intravenous antibiotics, and trocar site pain (two patients). There were no recurrences during a mean follow-up of 41 months (range 3-74 months). We conclude that laparoscopic incisional herniorrhaphy offers a safe and effective repair for large primary and recurrent ventral hernia with low morbidity.

Adult↗

Massive incisional hernia of the bowel and urinary bladder: a case report.

Abdominal hernias are not rare in women, but incisional bladder herniation is uncommon. Incisional hernias are an iatrogenic condition caused by protrusion of the abdominal viscera through the abdominal fascia. Omentum and small intestines are by far the most common viscera involved, and the condition is diagnosed on clinical examination either visually or by palpation of an abdominal bulge. We describe a case of bladder and bowel herniation through a lower transverse abdominal incision (Pfannenstiel), which followed emergent operative intervention for ectopic pregnancy.

Adult↗