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At least 613 records · Page 34Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

Acoustic tumors: operation versus radiation--making sense of opposing viewpoints. Part II. Acoustic neuromas: sorting out management options.

Patients with acoustic neuromas have several options available to them. Large tumors with significant brain stem compression usually require surgical resection. For patients with small or medium-sized tumors, radiosurgery has become a common treatment, with excellent long-term results being reported. Patients must be comfortable with the concept of tumor control rather than tumor removal. Most seem to be satisfied with this concept if it allows them to avoid brain surgery. Surgeons should strive to educate their patients with information from the peer-reviewed literature. Confusion exists among patients, because the information from Internet sources, newsletters, support groups, and physicians has not always been validated and supported by outcomes data. Although we are asked to provide our opinions, our comments should not be based on myth, conjecture, training bias, or socioeconomic concerns.

Decision Making↗

PubMed1993

A double-blind, prospective, randomized trial of ketoconazole, a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, in the prophylaxis of the adult respiratory distress syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if ketoconazole, a thromboxane A2 synthetase inhibitor, given within the first 24 hrs after diagnosis and arrival in the intensive care unit (ICU) would decrease the frequency of adult respiratory distress syndrome in the septic patient population. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. SETTING: Twelve-bed, surgical ICU in a university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: Fifty-four consecutive patients admitted to the surgical ICU with the diagnosis of sepsis composed the study sample. Sepsis was defined as including two or more of the following signs in a patient with a systolic blood pressure of < 80 mm Hg or a systemic vascular resistance of < 800 dyne.sec/cm5: a) temperature > or = 39 degrees C or < or = 35 degrees C; b) white blood cell count of > 12,000 leukocytes, or < or = 4000 leukocytes/microL, or > or = 20% immature cells; c) positive blood culture; d) known or strongly suspected source of infection from which a known pathogen was cultured. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomized to receive either ketoconazole (400 mg) or placebo in a double-blind fashion as early as possible and in < 24 hrs after surgical ICU admission or after the diagnosis of sepsis was established. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was diagnosed if the following criteria were met: a) intrapulmonary shunt of > 20%, or a PaO2/FIO2 ratio of < 150 requiring ventilatory support for > 48 hrs; b) pulmonary artery occlusion pressure of < 18 mm Hg and no clinical signs of heart failure; and c) diffuse infiltrates on chest radiograph. Treatment resulted in significant (p = .002) reduction in the frequency of ARDS compared with the placebo group, 64% vs. 15% in the ketoconazole treated group. The mortality rate was also reduced from 39% in the placebo group to 15% in the ketoconazole group (p = .05). A statistically significant reduction in ventilator and ICU days was not achieved. CONCLUSIONS: Ketoconazole (400 mg through the gastrointestinal tract) given early in the septic course may prevent ARDS and decrease the mortality rate in high-risk, septic patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1981

Endoscopic YAG-laser treatment in massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Report of a controlled randomized study.

In patients with massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding the results of endoscopic control by coagulation with YAG-laser have been compared with the results of an active surgical approach with early operation in a controlled randomized study. The laser coagulation was done at admission in patients in whom an actively bleeding lesion was diagnosed at endoscopy. Of the 66 patients belonging to the laser group, 23 were bleeding at admission and endoscopy, and in 15 of these coagulation was attempted and initial haemostasis was achieved in 14. Seven of the latter rebled and five of them were then operated upon with on postoperative death. Two patients died from bleeding oesophageal varices and hepatic failure. In the patient in whom haemostasis was not achieved, an operation was done for a duodenal ulcer. She died postoperatively. Of the 43 patients belonging to the laser group and not bleeding at endoscopy, nine patients rebled and three of them were operated upon, the with on postoperative death. An additional four patients died in this group, three of bleeding oesophageal varices in combination with hepatic failure and one of bleeding from an unknown source. Sixty-nine patients belonged to the control group and in 19 of these patients bleeding lesions were diagnosed at endoscopy. Five of these were operated upon, with two postoperative deaths. An additional three patients died of bleeding oesophageal varices and hepatic failure. Of the 50 patients belonging to the control group and not bleeding at endoscopy, eight later showed signs of recurrent bleeding. Four of them had oesophageal varices and two died. The other four with recurrent bleeding were operated upon with no postoperative mortality. Thus nine patients (five with oesophageal varices) died in the laser group and seven (five with oesophageal varices) in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding mortality, need of blood transfusion or time of treatment in the hospital. However, the material is too small to make any definite conclusions, and further studies are necessary in which laser treatment is compared with an aggressive surgical policy with early operations.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

Billing, coding, and documentation in the critical care environment.

Optimal conduct of modern-day physician practices involves a thorough understanding and application of the principles of documentation, coding, and billing. Physicians' role in these activities can no longer be secondary. Surgeons practicing critical care must be well versed in these concepts and their effective application to ensure that they are competitive in an increasingly difficult and demanding environment. Health care policies and regulations continue to evolve, mandating constant education of practicing physicians and their staffs and surgical residents who also will have to function in this environment. Close, collaborative relationships between physicians and individuals well versed in the concepts of documentation, coding, and billing are indispensable. Similarly, ongoing educational and review processes (whether internal or consultative from outside sources) not only can decrease the possibility of unfavorable outcomes from audit but also will likely enhance practice efficiency and cash flow. A financially viable practice is certainly a prerequisite for a surgical critical care practice to achieve its primary goal of excellence in patient care.

Accounting↗

PubMed1996

Effects of a supportive protocol processing system (ProtoVIEW) on clinical behaviour of residents in the accident and emergency department.

A randomized two period crossover trial was performed at the Accident and Emergency (A & E) department of the University Hospital in Nijmegen (The Netherlands). We assessed what the impact was of (mandatory) consultation of a protocol for the management of isolated traumas on treatment decisions of residents. All eight surgical residents who regularly worked in the A & E department participated in the trial. All patients who entered the A & E department between October 13, 1992 and June 9, 1993, of age 16 years or older with an isolated fracture without concomitant lesions were admitted to the study. During the experimental periods, the management protocol was available on computer (using ProtoVIEW) and during the control periods on paper. Main measurements were treatment adjustments made by residents (after consulting different information sources), and their opinion about ProtoVIEW as an information source assessed by means of a questionnaire. When protocol consultation was mandatory, residents changed their treatments almost four times more often towards the protocol than during the control periods (P = 0.01 Chi-square test). Most residents found ProtoVIEW easy to use, liked it as a useful training source while half of them said they would use the system in daily clinical practice. We conclude that mandatory protocol consultation using ProtoVIEW influenced protocol adherence positively.

Attitude↗

PubMed2006

The modern surgical management of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia disorder. Its incidence is especially high among patients with valvular heart disease. Patients with atrial fibrillation are at a six-fold increased risk of stroke and a two-fold increased risk of mortality. Medical management for rhythm control of patients with atrial fibrillation is suboptimal and no better than simple rate management. However, catheter-based therapies are undergoing intense development. The surgical management of atrial fibrillation has undergone considerable innovation in the last two decades; it is the subject of this review. The "cut-and-sew" Cox-maze III is considered the standard for surgical therapy for atrial fibrillation. More recently, several modifications of the Cox maze lesion set and the development of alternative energy sources to achieve transmural atrial lesions have led to a more simplified maze procedure. This simplified left-sided maze procedure has demonstrated excellent efficacy at intermediate and long-term follow-up. Therefore, the modified maze procedure should be offered to all mitral valve surgery patients and potentially to all cardiac surgery patients with a history of paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent atrial fibrillation.

Atrial Fibrillation↗

PubMed1999

Heterosexual transmission of hepatitis C in Italy.

Data from a surveillance system for type-specific acute viral hepatitis in Italy has been used to evaluate the risk of heterosexual transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) associated with sexual activity with multiple partners in subjects > or = 15 years of age. Hepatitis A cases were used as controls. During the period 1991-1996, 1,359 acute hepatitis C and 4,365 hepatitis A cases were recorded among subjects > or = 15 years of age. Intravenous drug use was the most frequent source of infection (35.9%) reported by HCV cases; two or more sexual partners during the 6 months before disease onset accounted for 34.9% of hepatitis C cases. Adjusting by multiple logistic regression analysis for the confounding effect of all risk factors considered (blood transfusion, intravenous drug use, surgical intervention, dental therapy, other parenteral exposure), and for age, sex, area of residence, and educational level of subjects, showed that having two or more sexual partners is an independent predictor of the likelihood of hepatitis C (OR=2.2; 95% CI=1.7-2.7). After excluding intravenous drug users and patients transfused with blood from analysis, the increase in the adjusted OR for the association between HCV and the number of sexual partners correlated with the increase in the number of sexual partners. The risk of hepatitis C was 2.0 times higher (95% CI=1.4-2.9) for subjects with two sexual partners and 2.8 times higher (95% CI=2.1-3.8) for subjects with three or more sexual partners, as compared to subjects with less than two sexual partners. These findings suggest that heterosexual transmission may play an important role in the spread of hepatitis C in Italy.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Hybrid 3D visualization of the chest and virtual endoscopy of the tracheobronchial system: possibilities and limitations of clinical application.

OBJECTIVE: A hybrid rendering method which combines a color-coded surface rendering method and a volume rendering method is described, which enables virtual endoscopic examinations using different representation models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 14 patients with malignancies of the lung and mediastinum (n=11) and lung transplantation (n=3) underwent thin-section spiral computed tomography. The tracheobronchial system and anatomical and pathological features of the chest were segmented using an interactive threshold interval volume-growing segmentation algorithm and visualized with a color-coded surface rendering method. The structures of interest were then superimposed on a volume rendering of the other thoracic structures. For the virtual endoscopy of the tracheobronchial system, a shaded-surface model without color coding, a transparent color-coded shaded-surface model and a triangle-surface model were tested and compared. RESULTS: The hybrid rendering technique exploit the advantages of both rendering methods, provides an excellent overview of the tracheobronchial system and allows a clear depiction of the complex spatial relationships of anatomical and pathological features. Virtual bronchoscopy with a transparent color-coded shaded-surface model allows both a simultaneous visualization of an airway, an airway lesion and mediastinal structures and a quantitative assessment of the spatial relationship between these structures, thus improving confidence in the diagnosis of endotracheal and endobronchial diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid rendering and virtual endoscopy obviate the need for time consuming detailed analysis and presentation of axial source images. Virtual bronchoscopy with a transparent color-coded shaded-surface model offers a practical alternative to fiberoptic bronchoscopy and is particularly promising for patients in whom fiberoptic bronchoscopy is not feasible, contraindicated or refused. Furthermore, it can be used as a complementary procedure to fiberoptic bronchoscopy in evaluating airway stenosis and guiding bronchoscopic biopsy, surgical intervention and palliative therapy and is likely to be increasingly accepted as a screening method for people with suspected endobronchial malignancy and as control examination in the aftercare of patients with malignant diseases.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

[Cushing's disease in the 90's: a review].

Since 1932 when Cushing's disease has been described, several important advances have been made in diagnosis and management. However several points remain obscure and there is no general agreement among authors. An accurate biological diagnosis is one of the difficulties found when we face a patient with hypercortisolism. In addition, corticotropin dependent syndrome should be distinguished from the independent one, as well as identifying the source of ACTH hypersecretion. The main problem in Cushing's disease is to localise the secreting adenoma and at the moment there is not any diagnostic method with absolute sensibility and specificity. Magnetic Resonance Imaging shows a sensibility of 77% and 87% especificity; inferior petrosal sinus sampling may help in localising the side, where the adenoma lies, although an appropriate technique is mandatory. New developing techniques, such as intraoperative doppler and assessment of ACTH levels in the peripituitary veins may help us in localising the source of ACTH hypersecretion. Sometimes the adenoma cannot be identified and a surgical exploration of the pituitary is required. If an adenoma is found, a 89% probility of curation has been reported; on the contrary, incomplete tumor removal, no tumor found at surgery, or the presence of the so-called corticotrop hyperplasia where followed of bad results and may explain the failed surgery. Then, hypofisectomy, hemi-hypofisectomy, radiotherapy, photon knife or gamma knife, may be of help in the control of this condition. We reviewed the recent literature and analysed the diagnostic strategies and teatments currently available for this illness. In addition we propose an algohritm for diagnosis and treatment and analyze our results in a consecutive series of 38 patients.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1992

Abbreviated laparotomy and planned reoperation for critically injured patients.

The triad of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy in critically injured patients is a vicious cycle that, if uninterrupted, is rapidly fatal. During the past 7.5 years, 200 patients were treated with unorthodox techniques to abruptly terminate the laparotomy and break the cycle. One hundred seventy patients (85%) suffered penetrating injuries and 30 (15%) were victims of blunt trauma. The mean Revised Trauma Score, Injury Severity Score, and Trauma Index Severity Score age combination index predicted survival were 5.06%, 33.2%, and 57%, respectively. Resuscitative thoracotomies were performed in 60 (30%) patients. After major sources of hemorrhage were controlled, the following clinical and laboratory mean values were observed: red cell transfusions--22 units, core temperature--32.1 C, and pH--7.09. Techniques to abbreviate the operation included the ligation of enteric injuries in 34 patients, retained vascular clamps in 13, temporary intravascular shunts in four, packing of diffusely bleeding surfaces in 171, and the use of multiple towel clips to close only the skin of the abdominal wall in 178. Patients then were transported to the surgical intensive care unit for vigorous correction of metabolic derangements and coagulopathies. Ninety-eight patients (49%) survived to undergo planned reoperation (mean delay 48.1 hours), and 66 of 98 (67%) survived to leave the hospital. With the exception of intravascular shunts, there were survivors who were treated by each of the unorthodox techniques. Of 102 patients who died before reoperation 68 (67%) did so within 2 hours of the initial procedure. Logistic regression showed that red cell transfusion rate and pH may be helpful in determining when to consider abbreviated laparotomy. The authors conclude that patients with hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy are at high risk for imminent death, and that prompt termination of laparotomy with the use of the above techniques is a rational approach to an apparently hopeless situation.

Acidosis↗

PubMed2003

Low-back pain in morbidly obese patients and the effect of weight loss following surgery.

BACKGROUND: Although low-back pain (LBP) is a common health problem and a source of significant discomfort, disability and work absences, its incidence, severity and outcome have not been extensively investigated in morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. METHODS: 50 morbidly obese candidates for vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) were asked to fill in a questionnaire, to assess the incidence and severity of any existing LBP symptoms. 50 non-obese patients, admitted to our surgical unit for management of several benign conditions, were also asked to fill in the same questionnaire and served as controls. 24 months after VBG, the morbidly obese patients were again evaluated for their LBP symptoms. RESULTS: LBP was identified in 29 morbidly obese patients (58%) preoperatively and in only 12 (24%) of the lean controls (P<0.01). 2 years after VBG, with a significant excess weight loss (P<0.0001), only 10 patients continued to have LBP but less frequently and requiring reduced doses of medications compared with the preoperative condition. In the remaining 19 patients with preoperative positive LBP history, the postoperative weight loss was associated with complete resolution of the symptoms. CONCLUSION: The frequency of LBP is significantly higher in morbidly obese patients than in lean subjects. Surgical weight reduction results in significant improvement and even disappearance of this obesity co-morbidity.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Quality assurance in breast cancer brachytherapy: geographic miss in the interstitial boost treatment of the tumor bed.

PURPOSE: To assess the role of geographic misses in the interstitial boost treatment of breast cancer patients and to evaluate methods of optimizing breast implants in design, performance, and dosimetry. METHODS AND MATERIALS: During lumpectomy, the tumor excision sites of 89 patients were marked by five hemoclips. Postoperative radiographs demonstrated the clips' positions with respect to the extension of the surgical cavity, which was demarcated by air and hematoseroma. Twenty-seven selected patients received interstitial boosts to the tumor bed. The implant was first designed according to the clinical assumptions of the tumor bed's topography and then compared with the radiological findings. Prior to brachytherapy, the planning of the implant's dimension and the needle guidance was performed under simulator control. Dose distributions were first calculated following the Paris System and then electively optimized for the target volume by changing source positions and dwell times. RESULTS: Compared to clinical estimations, the radiological determination of the tumor bed's location revealed an overall potential of topographic errors of 51.8% (14 out of 27 patients), rising up to 78.5% in patients with large adipose breasts (11 out of 13 patients). This observation was due to a high mobility of the tissue, leading to varying tumor site projections at the time of mammography, surgery, and brachytherapy. In all patients, the presimulation of the implant resulted in an adequate coverage of the target volume. In 17 of the 27 treated patients, dose distributions were modified to achieve a higher dose delivery in zones where a higher residual tumor load was expected (boost-in-boost). CONCLUSION: Breast implants have a high potential of geographic misses that can be avoided by intraoperative clip demarcation. The delineation of the tumor bed allows for dose reports actually referring to the target volume and not to the implant system to be obtained. In addition, modern afterloading techniques offer possibilities of individual dose planning with regard to high risk subvolumes within the implanted tissue.

Brachytherapy↗

PubMed2000

Endometriosis-associated infertility.

This review summarizes the recent literature examining the relationship between endometriosis and infertility. It is clear that the advanced stage of the disease and the mechanical disruption of the pelvic anatomy may cause infertility. The link between early stage endometriosis and infertility remains a source of controversy. Management plans must be individualized contingent upon the stage of disease, the age of the patient and the duration of infertility. The preponderance of data suggests that ablative therapy at the time of laparoscopy is as good as, or superior to expectant or medical therapy. With the exception of IVF/ET, ovarian suppression with GnRH agonists is not warranted in endometriosis-associated infertility. Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation with IUI is appropriate therapy in women with minimal-to-mild and surgically corrected endometriosis.

Endometriosis↗

PubMed2000

Systematic reviews of wound care management: (3) antimicrobial agents for chronic wounds; (4) diabetic foot ulceration.

BACKGROUND: Chronic wounds, including pressure sores, leg ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers and other kinds of wounds, healing by secondary intention are common in both acute and community settings. The prevention and treatment of chronic wounds includes many strategies, including the use of various wound dressings, bandages, antimicrobial agents, footwear, physical therapies and educational strategies. This review is one of a series of reviews, and focuses on the prevention and treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and the role of antimicrobial agents in chronic wounds in general. OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of (1) prevention and treatment strategies for diabetic foot ulcers and (2) systemic and topical antimicrobial agents in the prevention and healing of chronic wounds. METHODS - DATA SOURCES: Nineteen electronic databases were searched, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Relevant journals, conference proceedings and bibliographies of retrieved papers were hand-searched. An expert panel was consulted. METHODS - STUDY SELECTION: Randomised and non-randomised trials with a concurrent control group, which evaluated any intervention for the prevention or treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, or systemic or topical antimicrobials for chronic wounds (diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers, leg ulcers of various aetiologies, pilonidal sinuses, non-healing surgical wounds, and cavity wounds) and used objective measures of outcome such as: (1) development or resolution of callus; (2) incidence of ulceration (for diabetic foot ulcer prevention studies); (3) incidence of pressure sores (pressure sore prevention studies); (4) any objective measure of wound healing (frequency of complete healing, change in wound size, time to healing, rate of healing); (5) ulcer recurrence rates; (6) side-effects; (7) amputation rates (diabetic foot ulcer treatment studies); (8) healing rates and recurrence of disease, among others, for pilonidal sinuses. Studies reporting solely microbiological outcomes were excluded. Decisions on the inclusion of primary studies were made independently by two reviewers. Disagreements were resolved through discussion. Data were extracted by one reviewer into structured summary tables. Data extraction was checked independently by a second reviewer and discrepancies resolved by discussion. All included studies were assessed against a comprehensive checklist for methodological quality. INCLUDED STUDIES - DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS: Thirty-nine trials which evaluated various prevention and treatment modalities for diabetic foot ulcers: footwear (2), hosiery (1), education (5), screening and foot protection programme (1); podiatry (1) for the prevention of diabetic foot ulcers; and footwear (1), skin replacement (2), hyperbaric oxygen (2), ketanserin (3), prostaglandins (3), growth factors (5), dressings and topical applications (9), debridement (2) and antibiotics (2) for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. INCLUDED STUDIES - ANTIMICROBIALS: Thirty studies were included, 25 with a randomised design. There were nine evaluations of systemic antimicrobials and 21 of topical agents. QUALITY OF STUDIES: The methodological and reporting quality was generally poor. Commonly encountered problems of reporting included lack of clarity about randomisation and outcome measurement procedures, and lack of baseline descriptive data. Common methodological weaknesses included: lack of blinded outcome assessment and lack of adjustment for baseline differences in important variables such as wound size; large loss to follow-up; and no intention-to-treat analysis. RESULTS - PREVENTION OF DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS: There is some evidence (1 large trial) that a screening and foot protection programme reduces the rate of major amputations. The evidence for special footwear (2 small trials) and educational programmes (5 trials) is equivocal. A single trial of podiatric care reported a significantly greater reduction in callus in patients receiving podiatric care. RESULTS - TREATMENT OF DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS: Total contact casting healed significantly more ulcers than did standard treatment in one study. There is evidence from 5 trials of topical growth factors to suggest that these, particularly platelet-derived growth factor, may increase the healing rate of diabetic foot ulcers. Although these studies were of relatively good quality, the sample sizes were far too small to make any definitive conclusions, and growth factors should be compared with current standard treatments in large, multicentre studies. Topical ketanserin increased ulcer healing rate in 2 studies, while systemic hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduced the rate of major amputations in 1 study. Preliminary research into the effects of iloprost and prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on diabetic foot ulcer healing suggests possible benefits. However, good quality, large-scale confirmatory research is needed. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed2002

[Diagnosis and therapy of thrombophlebitis with special consideration of low molecular weight heparin].

The clinical diagnosis of superficial thrombophlebitis is characterized by the occurrence of painful and inflamed cords along superficial veins and varices. Duplex sonography is recommended to rule out asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis which may be present in about 20% and to check potential sources of entrance of the thrombotic process into deep veins, like the junctions of great and small saphenous veins. Classic therapy is based on firm compression therapy and walking exercises. Incisions with expression of clots and anti-inflammatory drugs may reduce pain and inflammation. When phlebitis involves also the thigh and especially the proximal part of the great saphenous vein surgical ligation of the junction and local thrombectomy can be considered, preferably on an outpatient basis. Recent data from one randomised controlled trial demonstrate the efficacy of unfractionated heparin in a dose of 12,500 I.U. s. c. twice a day in this indication. According to another randomised controlled trial low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) may reduce the development of thromboembolic complications and also the relatively frequent extension of the thrombi in the superficial veins. Therapeutic doses seem to be more effective than prophylactic doses. While conventional therapy with compression and walking is sufficient for the majority of cases, the additional use of low molecular heparin is recommended in increased thromboembolic risk and when the thigh is involved. In the few studies available treatment time of 6-12 days is reported. More studies with special focus on indication, dosage and duration of therapy with LMWH are needed for the recommendation of clear therapeutic guidelines.

Anticoagulants↗

PubMed2005

Urethral reconstruction using buccal mucosa urethroplasty in the treatment of urethral injury.

A 52-year-old Japanese man was referred to us with a urethral injury caused by masturbation. His penis was swollen and about one and a half times its size due to urine extravasation and infection. Foreign bodies were surgically removed, and debridement and excision of necrotic tissue were performed. After confirming that the infection was under control, we planned the reconstruction of the urethra and penis, following endoscopic urethrotomy for the bulbous urethra stricture. A free graft from the buccal mucosa was harvested, placed over the defect and fixed with interrupted suture as ventral onlay. The patient could achieve satisfactory voiding and no complication was seen during the 18-month follow up. In our experience, buccal mucosa is a useful source of urethral grafting material and excellent results can be expected in case of urethral injury.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of photodynamic therapy on normal fibroblasts and colon anastomotic healing in mice.

Photodynamic therapy as an adjuvant modality to surgical resection of colon cancer is feasible provided that it does not affect healing of the anastomosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of photodynamic therapy on the viability of normal fibroblasts and on the healing process of colonic anastomosis in mice. Both in vitro and in vivo methods were employed. For in vitro study, 2 x 10(to the fifth power); human fibroblasts were incubated in triplicate with 5-aminolevulinic acid (2.5 microg/well) for 48 hours. Cells then underwent photoradiation at light doses of 50, 100, and 200 joules/cm(2) using a nonlaser light source. Viability was assessed by methylene blue dye exclusion. For in vivo studies, 60 mice were randomized into study and control groups and underwent laparotomy involving colonic anastomosis. The anastomosis underwent photodynamic therapy using 5-aminolevulinic acid (60 mg/kg) as a photosensitizer and a nonlaser light (40 joules/cm(2)). On postoperative days 1, 4, 7, 14, and 21, six mice were killed and subjected to bursting pressure and histologic examinations. Results of in vitro study showed pretreatment cell viability to be 96% to 99% in both groups. Photodynamic therapy caused no significant change in fibroblast viability at all light doses. Results of in vivo studies showed that the mean bursting pressure of both groups dropped to a low peak on day 4. Subsequently there was a gradual increase in bursting pressure along the examined time points (P <0. 001). There was no difference in bursting pressure between the two groups for all time points examined. It was concluded that photodynamic therapy has no effect on viability of normal human fibroblasts and no adverse effects on healing of colonic anastomosis.

Aminolevulinic Acid↗

PubMed2000

Is lymphocele in renal transplantation an avoidable complication?

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the impact of surgery in the incidence of lymphocele after kidney transplantation (KTx). METHODS: A prospective randomized study was conducted during a 6-year period on a group of patients undergoing KTx and operated on by the same surgeon (CVS). A total of 280 patients undergoing KTx were randomly allocated into two groups: (1) group C (control group) was 140 patients who were submitted to KTx with standard technique: implantation of the kidney in the controlateral iliac fossa with vascular anastomoses on the external iliac vessels; and (2) group M (modified technique group) was 140 patients who underwent a modified technique with a cephalad implantation of the graft in the ipsilateral iliac fossa and vascular anastomoses in the common iliac vessels. Both groups were comparable for age, cold ischemia time, incidence of rejection episodes, presence of adult polycystic kidney disease, and source of donor graft. RESULTS: Group M showed an incidence of lymphocele production (3 patients, 2.1%) significantly lower than group C (12 patients, 8.5%). Eight patients (1 in group M and 7 in group C) required surgical treatment by peritoneal fenestration. No allograft or recipient was lost as a result of fluid collection but the hospitalization was shorter in group M than in group C. CONCLUSIONS: A cephalad implantation of the renal graft in the ipsilateral iliac fossa has been associated with a lower incidence of lymphocele, probably because vascular anastomoses on the common iliac vessels cause less lymphatic derangement than those performed on the external iliac vessels.

Adult↗