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Biomedical subjects

A Montori

Publications and source records attributed to A Montori.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Relationship between diet and helminths in Gallotia caesaris (Sauria: Lacertidae).

Diet and helminth fauna were analysed in Gallotia caesaris, a small lacertid lizard endemic to El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain) in order to study the evolutionary and functional relationships between the two traits. This species is omnivorous but consumed a high proportion (82.13%) of plant matter including not only seeds but also leaves and other vegetative parts. Helminth fauna included many helminth species typical of herbivorous reptiles. Both herbivory and helminth presence were higher than expected for a lizard of its size. Comparison with other lacertids suggests that both traits result from an adaptation to insular conditions but that some "evolutionary time" to develop them is needed. Canarian Gallotia lizards, a separate lineage evolving for a long time in insularity, constitutes the most advanced lacertid group in this way. Nevertheless, results for G. caesaris indicate that helminth fauna also changes seasonally tracking variation in diet (and herbivory) throughout the year, which suggests a dynamic interaction between diet and helminth parasites.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2000

Gallstones in elderly patients: impact of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The use of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in elderly patients may pose problems because of their poor general condition, especially of cardiopulmonary function. Moreover, these patients present with acute cholecystitis and associated common bile duct stones more often than their younger counterparts. From 1990 to 1999, the authors performed 943 LCs; 31 (3.2%) were attempted on elderly patients, 11 (35%) of which were on an emergency basis because of acute cholecystitis, cholangitis or acute biliary pancreatitis. Ten per cent of LCs needed to be converted to an open cholecystectomy, most often because of an increase in the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood produced by excessive operative time. A gasless procedure was used in the last three years of the study on eight cases; the overall rate of conversion from LC to open cholecystectomy in this group was 0%. Associated gallbladder and common bile duct stones were found in five (16%) patients (four preoperative LC endoscopic sphincterotomy and one transcystic approach). The success rate in both of these cases was 100%, overall morbidity was 29% and there was no mortality. These results show that LC is a feasible and safe procedure for use in elderly patients. Gasless LC should be preferred in patients classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists' class III because an excessive duration of operation is the most common reason for converting to an open cholecystectomy.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Hemorrhoidectomy with ropivacaine (Naropin) local anesthesia. Preliminary experience].

BACKGROUND: The use of local anesthesia in non-septic anal surgery is now well established. Tolerance to local injection, duration of local effect and the risk of local or systemic complications still represent unsolved issues. Ropivacaine, a new local anesthetic, seems particularly indicated for this kind of surgery because of its pharmacologic properties which reduce patient's discomfort during infiltration and provide good antalgic coverage in the first hours following the operation. METHODS: The first 20 consecutive cases operated with local anesthesia by ropivacaine have been prospectively studied. All patients have been given an 11-point box VAS scale which is used for subjective evaluation of pain. RESULTS: Mean pain score resulted 1.1, 1.6 and 1.4 at 1, 2 and 3 postoperative hours, respectively. Thirty percent of patients subsequently required pain medication up to the first bowel movement. No complications related to the use of ropivacaine has been observed. CONCLUSIONS: This new drug can be safely used in the outpatient or Day-Surgery treatment of hemorrhoids.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Endoscopic and surgical integration in the approach to biliary tract disease.

Several techniques are available today to access the bile ducts, all equally safe and effective. Since 1990, we have studied three groups of patients treated with different methods: the sequential endoscopic sphincterotomy + laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the single-stage laparoscopic approach, and the single laparoscopic-endoscopic approach. The results obtained in 127 patients to date suggest that one single-stage treatment is more convenient for the patient, while the combination of endoscopic sphincterotomy with laparoscopic cholecystectomy is preferable in terms of efficacy and safety.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Surgical rehabilitation of stomal disease].

The Authors report their experience in the surgical rehabilitation of patients with complicated ileo- or colostomy. Mechanical and psychosocial implications as well as different rehabilitative methods are discussed. The results of a surgical protocol in the treatment of stomal diseases observed in 63 patients are herein reported. In 14 patients the surgical treatment was performed in general anaesthesia, while in 49 local anaesthesia was used. The latter was better tolerated by the patients. In conclusion, surgery should play a major role in this rehabilitation protocol, either in terms of prevention or definitive treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Results of the local excision of rectal cancer after high-dose radiotherapy associated or not to chemotherapy].

Local excision of rectal cancer in low-risk patients is appealing but it provides limited control of the disease. Postoperative radiation therapy may improve results. The Authors report on their experience with preoperative high dose radiation therapy for rectal cancer patients; more recently, chemoradiation was used. Local excision is advised only for those patients with minimal or no residual disease. The results obtained in 34 cases are encouraging; moreover, a better control of the disease seems to be offered combining chemo- and radiotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Gastric resection and subtotal gastrectomy. Principles and updated surgical technique].

The Authors describe their last 10 years experience in gastric surgery. They report the results obtained in 12 gastric resections performed for complications following gastric and/or duodenal peptic ulcers, in 33 cases of total gastrectomies (34%), and 48 cases of subtotal gastrectomies (49%) for early and advanced cancer. The results lead to interesting conclusions: first of all achieving a wide jejunojejunostomy between the afferent and the efferent loop the problems related to gastric resection (as postoperative sequelae, dumping syndrome, reflux esophagitis, alkaline gastritis, etc.) are avoided. Problems regarding lymphadenectomy in patients submitted to subtotal gastrectomy (D2-D3) are then reported. After a brief history of gastric reconstruction following gastric resection the evolution in surgical techniques and the results obtained during the last 10 years are described. The good long term results allow to conclude that our strategy in gastric surgery ensures a good quality of life of the patients as well as a radical operation in case of gastric cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Use of human fibrin glue (Tissucol) in the treatment of recurrent fistulas].

In this study, the treatment of either primitive or secondary abdominal relapsed fistulas with Human Fibrin Glue (Tissucol) is reported. Twelve patients with different types of fistulas were treated in day hospital with the above mentioned procedure. Apart from two patients, the good percentage of success obtained in a short period of time is stressed. Results show that such a technique may be favourably adopted, nevertheless a correct first surgical procedure is recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Gall stone pulverisation strategy in patients treated with extracorporeal lithotripsy and follow up results of maintenance treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid.

Between November 1988 and July 1992 70 patients with radiolucent gall stones were treated with extracorporeal lithotripsy (ESL) and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA; mean (SD) dose 11.2 (1.9) mg/kg/day). Fifty three patients have been followed for one year. One week after lithotripsy, 30.6% had completely eliminated all stone fragments from the gall bladder and one year later 93.9% were free of stones. Three factors were considered important in achieving these results. 'Pulverisation' of the stone--that is, its fragmentation into echogenic dust (crystalline aggregates, some few hundred mu in size) or particles similar to grains of sand, smaller than 1 mm in diameter, or both, is required. Secondly, dust and particles were rapidly eliminated, strongly suggesting a mechanical elimination process by physiological gall bladder contractions. Thirdly, there must be chemical dissolution with biliary acids. This therapeutic approach gave excellent results without causing any clinically relevant side effects. The first 20 patients who became free of stones after ESL were given oral bile acid maintenance treatment--300 mg/day of UDCA at bedtime, for two years. All were asymptomatic and none had suffered a recurrence after two years. In four patients, crystalline aggregates, detected in gall bladder bile by ultrasound, were subsequently dissolved between one and three months after resuming a full dose regimen of UDCA.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

[Lymphoma of the residual gastric stump].

The authors report a case of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (lymphoplasmocytoid type) arisen on the gastric stump of a patient operated 18 years before according to Billroth II gastric resection for peptic ulcer. They underline the extraordinary rarity of the event because this type of neoplasia never arises on the gastric stump, where would be more likely to find, due to irritative chemical stimuli of the biliary reflux, phenomena of intestinal metaplasia or severe dysplasia highly predisposing to adenocarcinomas. Furthermore, they stress the importance of a "deep" bioptic examination for a diagnosis as early as possible of this type of pathology.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

["Telescopic" terminoterminal pancreatico-jejunal anastomosis after duodenocephalopancreatectomy].

Pancreaticojejunostomy represents the most important step of the reconstructive process following pancreaticoduodenectomy. Anastomotic dehiscence at this level accounts for two thirds of total postoperative mortality. In order to reduce the incidence of anastomotic complications, we have recently adopted a new technique of "telescopic" end-to-end-pancreaticojejunostomy where, differently from our previous technique, we are not any longer invaginating the small bowel over the pancreatic stump. Our preliminary results obtained in 5 consecutive patients appear to be promising.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

[Knight-Griffen ileo-proctostomy after total colectomy].

The double stapled colo-rectal anastomosis according to Knight e Griffen is currently used following an anterior resection of the rectum. The technical feasibility and the reduced risk of contamination represent the major advantages of the procedure. Accordingly, the Authors have adopted this technique to perform an ileo-rectal anastomosis following total colectomy. Furthermore, the use of a circular stapler with a small diameter allows to create a pseudo-valvular mechanism between the ileum and the rectum. Preliminary results obtained in 7 patients are presented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Endoscopic approach to patients with portal hypertension: a complex diagnosis. A retrospective study based on 10 years' experience.

We analyzed the endoscopic findings in 788 patients with esophageal and gastric varices who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 1988. Of these, 154 patients (19.6%) had gastric varices associated in various patterns with esophageal varices. Congestive gastropathy, occurring with esophageal and gastric varices (43.4%), was the most frequent pathology detected in our patients. Esophagitis was present in 15.8% of patients, but did not correlate with variceal bleeding. Endoscopy performed at 1 day to 1 week post-hemorrhage in 313 patients accurately identified the source of bleeding in only 57.2% of patients. This figure increased to 98.2% when we performed the examination within the first 24 h of hemorrhage. In this group varices were the source of hemorrhage in 72.3% of patients while the hemorrhage came from other sources, such as erosive gastritis, duodenal and gastric ulcer in 27.6% of patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Endoscopic dilation of colonic postoperative strictures.

After the use of surgical staplers had become widespread, the number of colonic postoperative stenoses was observed to have increased. Nevertheless, the clinical relevance of this observation is minimal since only 2-5% of the patients complain of chronic constipation or obstruction symptoms. In such cases medical therapy is somewhat troublesome, and surgical treatment always implies a major operation. Endoscopic dilation has proved to be a reliable, simple, and safe therapeutic alternative. Forty-two patients with evidence of stenosis of either colocolic or colorectal anastomosis underwent mechanical or pneumatic dilation in our unit: 19 patients with a temporary diverting stoma were dilated before the colostomy was removed; in the remaining 23 cases, treatment was given according to the patients' symptoms or because it was not possible to pass the anastomosis with an endoscope. The overall failure rate was 2.4%, and no morbidity or mortality was found. When the percentages of patients successfully treated in one session alone were compared (76.9% versus 51.8%), balloon dilation was found to be more effective than bougienage. In our opinion, endoscopic dilation represents the mainstay of treatment of colonic anastomotic strictures, with surgery being reserved for the rare failures, when recurrence of cancer should be suspected.

Aged↗