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Biomedical subjects

L W Way

Publications and source records attributed to L W Way.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The efficacy and limitations of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

We analyzed 64 percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy procedures performed by us between 1986 and 1990. Thirty patients had neurologic disease; 16 had head and neck cancers; eight had other malignancies; two had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; and eight had other problems. Seven patients died within 30 days of complications (n = 4) or the primary illness (n = 3). Mean follow-up was 6 months; an additional patient died of aspiration and eight others died of their underlying illness. There were 19 complications (32%). Four wound complications occurred. Nine patients developed aspiration pneumonia within 3 days of the procedure, four of whom died in the hospital. Of the 24 patients with a history of aspiration, nine experienced aspiration during or after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Patients with a history of aspiration were more likely to have perioperative aspiration pneumonia, and patients who experienced aspiration were more likely to die.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The ultrasonic dissector facilitates laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The ultrasonic dissector disrupts tissues in proportion to their fluid content by ultrasonically induced cavitational forces. Since sturdy tissues are spared, the instrument tends to follow tissue planes and to dissect fat and other soft tissues selectively. We performed a prospective, randomized, controlled trial in 73 patients comparing the safety and efficacy of a prototype ultrasonic dissector with that of electrosurgery and laser during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Randomization was as follows: ultrasonic dissector, 37 patients; electrosurgery, 21 patients; and laser, 15 patients. The results were not different with respect to patient characteristics, amount of blood loss, technical difficulties, length of hospital stay, or return to work. Subjectively, the ultrasonic dissector was thought to be of special value in isolating the hilar structures, particularly when they were edematous or embedded in fat. The ultrasonic dissector disintegrated the fat, which was rapidly cleared up the suction channel, allowing the cystic duct and artery to be bared with less risk of injury. We concluded that the ultrasonic dissector has unique attributes that contribute to the ease and safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Impact of transhiatal esophagectomy on cardiac and respiratory function.

We studied the impact of transhiatal esophagectomy on the cardiac and respiratory function of 44 consecutive patients. Preoperatively, 31 patients had associated medical problems (22 with cardiac disease, 31 with pulmonary disease). Mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was 2.1 liters, but it was less than 1.2 liters in six patients. Postoperatively, mechanical ventilation was given for a mean of 49 hours. Of the six patients with FEV1 less than 1.2 liters, five were ventilated for an average of 44 hours, and one was ventilated for 221 hours. Intraoperative hypotension, which averaged 8 minutes, was longer in patients with a history of cardiac disease (10 of 14 patients) and in those with a midesophageal tumor (9 of 14 patients). Atrial arrhythmias (14 patients) were more common in patients with a history of cardiac disease and were all successfully treated medically. Nine patients developed congestive heart failure, and they all recovered. Average hospital stay was 15 days. Transhiatal esophagectomy has a greater impact on pulmonary and cardiovascular physiology than previously believed, but the majority of complications can be treated successfully. Transhiatal esophagectomy can be performed safely in patients with poor respiratory function, who constitute about 10% of those who need esophageal resection.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Differential diagnosis of sclerosing cholangiocarcinomas of the common hepatic duct (Klatskin tumors).

Although it is recognized that some other lesion may be the cause, a presumptive diagnosis of Klatskin tumor is usually made when a focal stenotic lesion of the common hepatic duct is seen on a cholangiogram of a jaundiced patient. Biopsy is so often nondiagnostic that decisions about therapy are usually made on the basis of the imaging tests and lack of evidence for some other disease. Because the accuracy and consequences of this strategy have never been tested, we contrasted the preoperative diagnosis of Klatskin tumor with the final diagnosis in 98 consecutive patients treated from 1985 to 1990. Preoperative investigations included ultrasound and computed tomographic scans, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and angiography. Sclerosing cholangiocarcinomas of the bile duct were correctly diagnosed in 68 cases. The final diagnosis was other than a sclerosing adenocarcinoma in 30 (31%) cases. There were 5 papillary bile duct carcinomas, 12 gallbladder carcinomas invading the bile duct, 5 metastatic tumors to the bile duct, 2 cases of Mirizzi syndrome, 3 granulomas, and 3 cases of idiopathic benign focal stenosis. Patients with papillary adenocarcinomas had an extensive filling defect of the duct, which was often thought to be unresectable. However, four of these five lesions could be completely excised, and the tumor was confined to the duct wall in all four. The outcome of surgical treatment of the other eight patients with benign lesions was good in most cases. These findings demonstrate the pitfalls of assuming that a focal stenosis of the hepatic duct represents a sclerosing adenocarcinoma. The diagnosis is much less specific than is generally thought, so there is considerable opportunity for mismanaging such patients.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗
PubMed1991

Surgical therapy for gallstone disease.

Surgery, in particular laparoscopic cholecystectomy, will probably remain the preferred treatment for symptomatic gallbladder stones. It is unlikely that other methods of treatment, such as oral dissolution therapy or lithotripsy, can match the results and patient acceptance of this procedure. With the advent of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, however, more patients with choledocholithiasis will undergo endoscopic sphincterotomy and endoscopic common bile duct clearance. This may change, however, if the common bile duct can be explored safely through the laparoscope. Finally, severe gallstone pancreatitis will continue to be treated by early endoscopic sphincterotomy followed by cholecystectomy. Nevertheless, endoscopic sphincterotomy alone will be used more often as a definitive treatment to prevent recurrent attacks, especially in elderly patients who are poor candidates for cholecystectomy.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

The modified Puestow procedure for chronic relapsing pancreatitis in children.

Chronic relapsing pancreatitis in children is an unusual condition that often goes undiagnosed and untreated for years. In light of recent reports in adults that endocrine and exocrine function may be preserved by early pancreaticojejunostomy, we reviewed our experience with this procedure (one Duval, 10 Puestows) in 10 children between 1969 and 1989. The underlying etiology was familial pancreatitis in four patients, one case of unknown etiology, congenital ductal anomalies in four (one pancreas divisum, one annular pancreas, one choledochal cyst, and one ductal stenosis), and posttraumatic in one. All 10 had intractable recurrent abdominal pain. Preoperatively, only three patients evidenced exocrine insufficiency and none had endocrine insufficiency. There was complete resolution of pain in eight patients and improvement in two during a mean observation period of 4 years (range, 7 months to 19.75 years). Exocrine insufficiency resolved in two patients but has persisted in the third patient now on Viokase. Endocrine insufficiency has developed during follow-up in one patient. Pancreaticojejunostomy provides excellent relief of recurrent pain in chronic relapsing pancreatitis in children. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is indicated when the diagnosis of chronic relapsing pancreatitis is suspected to define the ductal anatomy. Pancreaticojejunostomy may prevent the progression of exocrine and endocrine insufficiency if performed early in the course of the disease.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1989

Gallstone disease. The clinical manifestations of infectious stones.

Gallstones from 82 patients were examined under a scanning electron microscope for evidence of bacteria, and the findings were compared with the clinical manifestations of the disease. Bacteria were present in 68% of pigment stones and the pigment portions of 80% of composite stones. These gallstones were referred to as infectious stones. No bacteria were found in cholesterol gallstones. Acute cholangitis was diagnosed in 52% of patients with infectious stones and in 18% of patients with noninfectious stones. Over half of the patients with noninfectious stones presented with mild symptoms. Infectious stones were more often associated with a previous common duct exploration, an urgent operation, infected bile, a common duct procedure, and complications. These data show that gallstone disease is more virulent in patients whose gallstones contain bacteria.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

An analysis of the reduced morbidity and mortality rates after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

We examined the course of 51 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomies between 1979 and 1987. Fifteen patients (30%) had a traditional pancreaticoduodenectomy and 36 (70%) had a pylorus-preserving procedure. Operative blood loss, resumption of oral intake, and time to discharge from the hospital were not different for the two operations. One patient (2%) died of complications of the operation, and 14 patients (27%) had nonlethal intra-abdominal complications. Two patients required reoperation: 1 had a hemoperitoneum and 1 had a breakdown of a choledochoenterostomy. Of the patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer, 26 (74%) of 35 survived 1 year, 9 (47%) of 19 survived 3 years, and 3 (33%) of 10 patients survived 5 or more years postoperatively. Our data showed that (1) on a service where a large number of these operations is performed, the mortality rate of patients who have undergone a pancreaticoduodenectomy is substantially lower than in the past and that (2) the main reasons for these improved results are greater experience of a few surgeons who perform the procedure regularly and the availability of computed tomographic scans and skilled interventional radiologists, which allows postoperative infection and pancreatic fistulas to be controlled. Although pancreaticoduodenectomy is only palliative in most patients with cancer, it provides the best palliation and the only chance of cure, and the procedure can be recommended when performed in tertiary care centers that possess these elements of success.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1989

The treatment of achalasia. A current perspective.

We analyzed the course of 79 adult patients treated for achalasia between 1977 and 1988. Sixty-six patients (84%) had pneumatic dilatation as the primary therapy. Fifty-three patients (80%) had immediate improvement in swallowing. Three patients required immediate redilatation, 2 developed pulmonary aspiration, and 8 (12%) suffered esophageal perforation. Esophageal perforation was treated by closure plus Heller's myotomy in 3 patients, closure only in 3, chest tube in 1, and antibiotics and nasogastric suction in 1. At 4 years' follow-up, 50% of patients who had dilatation remained asymptomatic, 30% had symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, and 20% had persistent dysphagia. Eight Heller myotomies were performed, with excellent results in 7 and 1 postoperative death from respiratory failure. Seven additional patients with disabling esophageal symptoms after multiple operations for achalasia were ultimately treated by esophagectomy (n = 5), hemigastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy (n = 1), and repeated myotomy (n = 1). All recovered and are able to eat solid food. Thus, our experience indicates that pneumatic dilatation remains unperfected (ie, the line between undertreatment and overtreatment is finer than generally recognized), and unless improvements can be made, the role for surgery may need to be reexpanded.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Esophageal perforation.

Sixty-nine patients with perforation of the esophagus were treated at the University of California, San Francisco, from 1977 to 1988. The perforation was iatrogenic in 33 (48%) of the patients, spontaneous in 8 (12%), and a result of external trauma in 23 (33%). Clinical findings included chest pain in 36 (52%) of 69 patients, subcutaneous emphysema in 22 (32%) of 59 patients, and pneumomediastinum in 21 (36%) of 59 patients. Esophagograms demonstrated the perforation in 40 (93%) of 43 patients. Treatment delays of more than 24 hours occurred in about half of spontaneous and iatrogenic perforations, but when the perforation was due to external trauma, treatment was delayed infrequently. Operative therapy in 59 (86%) of the patients included primary closure in 44 patients, drainage alone in 9 patients, and Celestin tube placement in 1 patient. Four patients with benign strictures had esophagectomy, and 4 patients with achalasia had Heller myotomy in addition to closure of the perforation. Eight (12%) of the patients were treated nonoperatively. For thoracic perforations, nonoperative treatment was reserved for patients who were diagnosed late but who had minimal evidence of sepsis. Seven (10%) of the patients died. Factors that influenced outcome included cause of perforation, anatomic location, and patient age. Our study shows that a high index of suspicion, aggressive use of esophagography, and individualized treatment are necessary for the best results when treating esophageal perforation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Trends in the treatment of gallstone disease: putting the options into context.

The new nonsurgical methods of treating gallstone disease rely on fragmentation, such as with extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL), or dissolution, such as with ursodiol. Fragmentation alone is usually insufficient for gallbladder stones, and dissolution is only possible for cholesterol stones. Although oral dissolution with or without ESWL is an attractive alternative to surgery, only 25 percent of patients are candidates for this therapy. Dissolution of gallbladder stones by topical application of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is another option whose safety is still open to question. Therefore, cholecystectomy will remain the principal treatment for symptomatic gallbladder stones. Common duct stones can be eliminated in 90 percent of cases by endoscopic sphincterotomy alone, and fragmentation of large common duct stones by mechanical endoscopic lithotripsy or ESWL can bring the success rate up to about 95 percent. Unless cholecystectomy is also required, surgery will have a secondary role in the treatment of common duct stones.

Ampulla of Vater↗
PubMed1989

Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy of bile duct calculi. An interim report of the Dornier U.S. Bile Duct Lithotripsy Prospective Study.

A multi-institutional study to evaluate the efficacy, clinical application, and safety of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) with the Dornier HM-3 or HM-4 lithotripter for bile duct calculi (BDC) was initiated in September, 1987. Symptomatic patients who entered into this prospective trial had BDC in the common bile duct and/or the intrahepatic, cystic or lobar ducts of the liver that were inaccessible or untreatable by papillotomy or percutaneous stone extraction. The study excluded gallbladder stones. Nasobiliary (54.4%) or transhepatic catheters (10.5%) and T-tube or cholecystostomy tubes (17.5%) or combinations (14.0%) permitted access for radiographic contrast to allow fluoroscopic monitoring of stone position and fragmentation. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy, failure to localize the stone, disturbances of coagulation, pacemakers, or vascular aneurysms or large bones that lie in the focal axis of the shock waves. Eleven institutions treated 42 patients (23 male, 19 female) with BDC; age range was 25 to 95 years (mean +/- SD, 73.5 +/- 13.8) and ASA risk category was 1 to 4 (mean, 2.3 +/- 0.8). Fourteen patients (33.3%) had a single BDC; 28 had 2 to 8 stones (mean, 2.7 +/- 1.8) ranging in size from 6 mm to 30 mm (mean, 18.5 +/- 6.4). The majority (66.7%) of patients were postcholecystectomy. The 42 patients received 57 ESWL treatments consisting of 600 to 2400 shocks per treatment (mean, 1924 +/- 289) at 12 to 22 kV (mean, 18.5 +/- 1.9) administered over 20 to 125 minutes (mean, 52.9 +/- 20.8). General anesthesia was used in 32% of the treatments; the majority were treated with epidural or regional block (42.1%), local infiltration (28.1%), or intravenous sedation (38.6%). Fifteen patients (35.7%) required two ESWL treatments. Stone fragmentation occurred in 94.6% of evaluable patients and in 90.4% of ESWL treatments, respectively; however, BDC fragments remained in 59.5% of patients 24 hours after treatment (diameter less than or to 3 mm, 12%; 4 to 9 mm, 16%; greater than or equal to 10 mm, 68%). Some patients (50%) required adjunctive procedures to achieve stone removal that included endoscopic extraction (n = 10; 47.6%), biliary lavage (n = 8; 38.1%), endoscopic bile duct prosthesis (n = 1; 4.8%), and operation (n = 2; 9.5%). ESWL treatment complications during hospitalization were observed in 15 patients (35.7%) and were present in four (9.5%) at discharge. Complications included macrohematuria (5%), biliary pain (15%), biliary sepsis (5%), hemobilia (10%), ileus (2.5%), and adverse pulmonary changes (7.5%). One patient developed pancreatitis before ESWL at ERCP that resolved prior to discharge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Anatomic correlates of bacterial cholangiovenous reflux.

The purpose of these studies was to define the pathways by which bacteria pass from bile duct to bloodstream during acute bacterial cholangitis in the rat. The respective roles of biliary obstruction and intrabiliary pressure during the reflux of biliary bacteria were defined by the infusion of bacteria via the bile duct into rats with or without prior bile duct obstruction. As determined by quantitative blood culture analysis, bacterial reflux from bile to blood was enhanced by increased intrabiliary pressure regardless of presence or absence of biliary obstruction. Light microscopic examination of rat liver 48 hours after bile duct obstruction revealed bile ductular proliferation and bile canalicular dilatation. Light microscopic autoradiographs showed aggregates of tritiated thymidine-labeled Escherichia coli outside of interlobular bile ducts in the portal tracts. Transmission electron microscopic examination of rat liver perfused with a bacterial suspension via the common bile duct showed disruption of liver cells and formation of intracellular vacuoles. Bacteria appeared to enter the sinusoidal spaces via these intracellular vacuoles. We conclude that during retrograde biliary infusion (1) increased intrabiliary pressure is the main determinant of increased bacterial reflux into blood; (2) bacteria enter the bloodstream by predominantly intracellular pathways; and (3) prior biliary obstruction is not a significant factor in bacterial reflux from bile to bloodstream.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

In vitro investigation of gallstone shadowing with ultrasound tomography.

A phantom was constructed to simulate the in vivo situation of gallstone detection. Gallstone specimens from 37 patients were scanned. All gallstones cast acoustic shadows, regardles of the specific properties of the stones. Experimental evidence concerning factors that affect the detection of acoustic shadows from gallstones is discussed.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1979

The pancreatic duct mucosal barrier.

The main pancreatic duct in cats possesses a relatively strong barrier to the diffusion of bicarbonate ions (HCO3-). We studied some of the characteristics of this barrier by perfusing the duct with a solution similar in composition to pancreatic juice before and after exposing the duct mucosa to various test agents. The difference in net flux of HCO3- across the duct before and after exposure to the test agent reflected damage to the barrier. The barrier was damaged by infected bile, aspirin (pH 2.3), hydrochloric acid (pH 2.3), ethanol (5 to 10 per cent), and secondary bile acids. It was not damged by sterile bile, aspirin (pH 6.5), and primary bile acids. These data indicate that the barrier to back diffusion in the pancreatic duct has unique properties, different in some respects from the properties of the gastric mucosal barrier. Furthermore, the barrier is vulnerable to some agents thought possibly to have a role in the pathogenesis of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.

Animals↗