Biomedical subjects

Y Brühlmann

Publications and source records attributed to Y Brühlmann.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Breast reduction improves symptoms of macromastia and has a long-lasting effect.

A retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the long-term results of reduction mammaplasties. Of special interest was the extent to which the amount of breast tissue removed correlated with pain relief after reduction mammaplasty. One hundred fourteen patients underwent an average reduction of 1,266 g. The follow-up time was 7.7 years. Ninety-one percent of the patients noticed a decrease in shoulder, neck, and back pain, and lessening of brassiere shoulder grooves. Nine percent noticed no change at all, and only 1 patient complained of increased breast pain after the operation. In 11% of the patients, pain was not an indicator for the operation. We could find a significant correlation (r = 0.36, p = 0.001) between the amount of tissue resected and pain relief after surgery. The follow-up time did not correlate with a regaining of the physical complaints (r = 0.15, p = 0.2). Patients gained an average of 1.2 kg and had an average preoperative overweight of 118%. From the results of our study we were able to conclude that an average reduction of 500 to 600 g of breast tissue on both sides has a long-lasting effect in reducing shoulder and back pain.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

[Cervico-brachialgias, a delicate differential diagnosis: apropos of a patient with recurrent loss of consciousness in herniated disk].

A protrusion of a intervertebral disc can be the cause of a painful hand-shoulder syndrome. Such a situation can be difficult to interpret particularly if it is associated with repeated (recurrent?) loss of consciousness. The presented patient illustrates the complexity of this syndrome and emphasizes the importance of the history and clinical examination. One should not be reluctant to repeat these investigations, in particular the examination of reflexes. The value of nuclear magnetic resonance studies in the diagnostic approach is outlined. A cervical disc protrusion is part of the differential diagnosis of unconsciousness of undetermined cause. Its pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. In the presented patient the causal relation is unquestionable since symptoms subsided after surgery. It is an example over our limited knowledge about the pathophysiology of peripheral nervous-system diseases.

Cervical Vertebrae↗

PubMed1985

[Intracerebral cavernous angiomas].

8 cases of cavernous haemangiomas operated and histologically proven are presented. 5 patients (5/8) were admitted because of epileptic seizures, one patient (1/8) because of pure headache, another one because of a focal neurological defect and the last because of intracranial hypertension. Computed axial tomography is a sensitive procedure for detection of cavernomas. Of 7 cases examined by this technique, 7 (7/7) have shown a well circumscribed round or oval hyperdense nodule, with calcifications in 6/7 cases, a slight surrounding oedema in 3/7 cases and without mass effect, except if there is a visible hematoma at operation (2/8). After contrast administration, 5/7 malformations were enhanced and 2/7 displayed draining veins, a fact that we underline. The differential diagnosis includes a low grade calcified glioma, a thrombosed arterio-venous malformation, a venous angioma or an intracerebral hematoma. Surgical excision is the best treatment of these vascular malformations that bleed frequently, and improved all the patients in this series (8/8).

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The Swiss training in plastic surgery: a special case in Europe?

The author, a young plastic surgeon who just finished his training, evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of the Swiss postgraduate medical training from a critical point of view based on his Canadian experience as a senior resident in plastic surgery. In Switzerland, after an undergraduate curriculum of six years in medicine, the newly qualified doctor looking for specialization has to search for a professor who will teach him the specialty. After a postgraduate training of 7 to 8 years, if the candidate has fulfilled the general conditions, he can submit his candidacy for the specialist certificate to the committee. In Switzerland, an examination will be introduced in 1995 for every specialty. He is of the opinion that the programme has to be upgraded and renewed if the medical community wants to be ready for the integration into Europe.

Canada↗