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Biomedical subjects

R M Heddle

Publications and source records attributed to R M Heddle.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Conservative treatment of major aortic graft infection.

Major infections of Dacron aortic grafts involving the proximal anastomosis or the whole graft are rare but lethal. Traditional surgical treatment involves radical excision of the graft and extra-anatomic revascularisation of the lower limbs, and carries a forbidding mortality and complication rate. This paper describes an alternative conservative approach used on four patients, three of whom appear to have been successfully treated by continuous antibiotic irrigation of the prosthesis without removal of the graft, whilst the fourth died 42 months later of recurrent graft infection. This is the first time that prolonged survival has been reported following conservative treatment of major graft infection. The authors believe this method may offer substantial advantages over the traditional surgical treatment for this dreaded complication of aortic surgery.

Aged

Primary restorative colectomy in malignant left-sided large bowel obstruction.

A series of 18 consecutive patients who underwent primary resection and immediate anastomosis as the treatment for malignant left-sided large bowel obstruction are presented. Intraoperative mechanical preparation of the colon was omitted. There was no clinical evidence of anastomotic dehiscence or wound infection. The mean duration of hospital stay was 11 days. It is suggested that colonic continuity can be restored immediately and safely without mechanical bowel preparation, providing attention is directed to constructing an anastomosis that has a good blood supply and is free from tension.

Aged

The use of myocutaneous flaps by general surgeons.

This is a study of the use of myocutaneous flaps by general surgeons in a district general hospital over a 5 year period, and shows that such work can be satisfactorily performed by general surgeons.

Adult

Prolene plug repair for femoral hernia.

We present the technique and our results in using a plug of Prolene mesh to repair femoral hernias. By filling the femoral canal with a Prolene plug we achieved a sound hernia repair. Our results allow us to recommend the technique to others.

Female