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Biomedical subjects

B M Rodgers

Publications and source records attributed to B M Rodgers.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Real-time ultrasound in determination of portasystemic shunt patency in children.

Portasystemic anastomoses continue to play an important role in the management of children with extrahepatic and intrahepatic portal venous obstruction. Postoperative documentation of shunt patency has depended upon demonstration of early caval filling with visceral angiography. This report details the use of real-time ultrasound in the demonstration of the patency of portasystemic anastomoses in seven children. The shunts, of various anatomic configuration, have been imaged and calibrated successfully in each case. Real-time ultrasound is an accurate and noninvasive method for evaluating portasystemic anastomoses and should replace visceral angiography in most children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

The use of preserved human dura for closure of abdominal wall and diaphragmatic defects.

The surgical management of large body wall defects presents special challenges. The prosthetic materials employed for these defects, although readily available, have the disadvantage of susceptibility to infection. Autologous tissue is frequently not available in sufficient quantity. The long-term functional and histologic results of the use of preserved human dura for closure of abdominal wall and diaphragmatic defects have been evaluated. Dural patches were sutured into abdominal wall and diaphragmatic defects of six dogs, using interrupted sutures of Dexon and Prolene. The animals were killed eight, 16 and 24 weeks after patch placement. The strength of the material was tested with a pneumoperitoneum prior to death and in all animals it appeared firmly incorporated into the host tissue. Histologically there was a mononuclear inflammatory response seen at eight weeks, with resolution by 24 weeks. Ingrowth of surrounding collagen and muscular tissue produced a firm union between the homologous material and the host tissue. The results of this study indicate that preserved human dura is an excellent material for closure of body wall defects. It appears to be well tolerated by host tissue and maintains its strength over prolonged periods of time.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1981

Thoracoscopy in children.

In the past four and one-half years we have used thoracoscopy as the primary technique for pulmonary biopsy in children. During that interval, over 80 thoracoscopic procedures have been performed with no mortality and minimal morbidity. The ages of the patients have ranged between 2 weeks and 20 years. The procedure is carried out in the general operating room under regional and intravenous anesthesia, avoiding the need for endotracheal intubation. Fourty-two of the procedures have been performed in immunosuppressed patients, attempting to determine the presence of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Twenty-four of the procedures have been performed for the diagnosis of intrathoracic tumors while 15 procedures have been performed for the diagnosis of localized pulmonary infiltrates. The diagnostic accuracy in immunosuppressed patients has been 100 persons and in the tumor patients has been 92 percent. The complications of this technique have been minimal. Four patients developed pneumothoraces which responded to manipulation of the chest tube and 3 patients have had sufficient postoperatoire bleeding to require transfusion, while none have required re-exploration. The technique of thoracoscopy has provided a safe and rapid method of pulmonary diagnosis in this aged patient.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Pulmonary metastases in childhood sarcoma.

A retrospective analysis of 56 patients less than 19 years old with pulmonary metastases from previously diagnosed sarcomas was performed. Thirty patients had primary osteogenic sarcoma. Eighteen of them underwent a total of 37 thoracotomies. Overall survival was 20%. Twelve patients were noted to have metastatic Wilms' tumor, and 5 of them underwent 7 thoracotomies. This group had a 25% overall survival. Six patients had pulmonary metastases from Ewing's sarcoma. Four of these required pulmonary resection. The overall survival in these patients was 50%. The remaining 8 patients had pulmonary resection for various soft tissue malignancies, with an overll survival of 50%. The results of this review indicate a role for aggressive pulmonary resection in patients in whom the primary tumor is controlled and there is no other evidence of metastatic disease. The frequency of bilaterality and multicentric implants in patients with osteogenic sarcoma and Wilms' tumor suggest the efficacy of a median sternotomy approach in these patients.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Encephalopathy in children with chronic renal failure.

Progressive encephalopathy with characteristic clinical features and electroencephalographic findings has been reported many times in adult patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis. Two children with chronic renal failure developed a similar encephalopathy prior to their second birthdays and before the initiation of dialysis. Both children required parathyroidectomy for control of severe hyperparathyroidism with persistent hypercalcemia. Slight improvement followed this procedure in one patient. Selected biochemical abnormalities in serum and in brain tissue specimens were compared to those of neurologically unaffected children. Results of thes studies suggest that a direct toxic effect of either aluminum or calcium on the brain does not play an etiologic role in this disorder.

Aluminum↗
PubMed1979

Use of Teflon mesh for repair of abdominal wall defects in neonates.

Since 1975, we have employed Teflon mesh sutured to the fascial rim in four newborns with giant omphaloceles, with approximation of skin flaps over the mesh. By stabilizing the anterior abdominal wall, the Teflon mesh has prevented formation of large ventral hernias. The mesh has been retained in place for a year or longer, until the growth of the child permits excision of the prosthesis and fascial approximation without difficulty. A similar technique has been successfully employed in a fifth neonate following transabdominal correction of congenital bilateral eventration of the diaphragm to avoid unacceptable increase in intra-abdominal pressure with primary closure of the abdominal wall. The Teflon mesh appears ideally suited for this technique. It is well incorporated into the fascial rim with minimal foreign body reaction. At the time of secondary repair, the mesh can easily excised from the smooth underlying pseudomembrane covering the bowel. All infants achieved stable abdominal walls by this technique. Three patients have undergone excision of the Teflon mesh and fascial repair at 12, 15, and 36 mo of age without difficulty.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1979

Distal spleno-renal shunt for portal decompression in childhood.

Successful portal decompression presents a unique challenge in children. The meso-caval shunt, utilizing the large caliber iliac vein in constructing the anastomosis, has been accepted as the standard operative procedure for treating these patients. Technical and anatomic difficulties, however, often prevent the successful performance of this shunt. The proximal spleno-renal shunt, advocated by many as an alternative in children, incurs the penalty of splenectomy. Furthermore, in both techniques, portal venous blood is preferentially shunted from the liver, posing a potential for subsequent development of hepatic encephalopathy as the patients mature. The distal spleno-renal shunt avoids these problems by selectively decompressing the esophageal venous plexus through the spleen. With this procedure, the majority of portal venous blood flow is maintained and the spleen is preserved. The present report describes three children in whom the distal spleno-renal shunt has been successfully employed for portal decompression. The youngest of these patients was 2 1/2 yr of age at the time of operation and has a patent portal-systemic shunt 18 mo postoperatively. This experience confirms the effectiveness of the distal spleno-renal shunt as an alternative to the meso-caval shunt, especially in children with inflammatory involvement of the superior mesenteric vein.

Child↗
PubMed1979

Thoracoscopy in children.

Dissatisfied with standard techniques for pulmonary diagnosis in children, we have evaluated the usefulness of thoracoscopy for diagnosis of intrathoracic pathology. Between July 1, 1975, and May 1, 1978, 65 thoracoscopy procedures have been performed in 57 children at the University of Florida. Thirty-four procedures were performed in immunosuppressed patients to rule out Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Twenty of these patients were proven to have Pneumocystis pneumonia, a diagnostic accuracy of 100%. Twelve nonimmunosuppressed patients underwent thoracoscopy for the diagnosis of persistent pulmonary infiltrates with a 100% diagnostic accuracy. Fifteen procedures were performed for the diagnosis of intrathoracic tumors. In two patients, previously unsuspected areas of involvement were encountered while in two patients false-negative biopsies were obtained. Four patients underwent therapeutic thoracoscopy. In three small infants, unsuccessful attempts were made to unroof pulmonary cysts through the thoracoscope and one patient underwent a talc poudrage. Thoracoscopy has proven to be a safe and rapid procedure which may be performed under local anesthesia without need for endotracheal intubation. In patients with pulmonary infiltrates, the accuracy has been 100%. The capability of viewing the entire hemithorax has proven valuable in evaluating children with intrathoracic tumors. Complications have included pneumothorax in six patients and bleeding in two.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Thoracoscopy. Early diagnosis of interstitial pneumonitis in the immunologically suppressed child.

Interstitial pneumonitis in immunosuppressed patients demands prompt diagnosis and treatment. In an effort to achieve a simple yet highly accurate method of diagnosis, we have evaluated the usefulness of thoracoscopic examination. Twenty-seven procedures have been performed in 24 patients between the ages of 17 months and 18 years. All patients were immunosuppressed, most for treatment of malignant processes. All procedures have been performed under anesthesia with intravenously administered ketamine, without endotracheal intubation. A definitive diagnosis has been made in every case, with pneumonia due to Pneumocystis carinii being identified in 18 instances. Complications have been minimal and include four minor pneumothoraces, two instances of bleeding, and two instances of prolonged air leak. Mortality attributable to the procedure has been nil, although five patients have died due to their underlying diseases within 30 days of the thoracoscopic procedure. Thoracoscopy has proven to be a rapid and safe technique for providing accurate histologic and bacteriologic diagnoses in these critically ill children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Morphologic and functional effects of esophageal cryotherapy.

With advances in equipment design, cryotherapy has been applied increasingly in the management of various integumentary disorders. Recently, endobronchial cryotherapy has been utilized in the treatment of acquired tracheal strictures. To evaluate the effects of cryotherapy upon the esophagus, we cooled the distal esophagus of 12 cats to -70 degrees to -80 degrees C. for 2 minutes with a specially constructed cryoprobe. The animals were put to death in pairs 90 minutes, 4 days, 10 days, 14 days, 28 days, and 42 days following cryotherapy. Immediately prior to sacrifice, all animals were studied with esophageal cinefluoroscopy and esophageal manometrics. All animals tolerated this degree of cryotherapy and gained weight on an ad libitum diet. Manometric studies demonstrated diminished amplitude of peristalsis immediately following cryotherapy, but prompt return to a normal manometric pattern. There was no evidence of esophageal dysfunction on esophageal cinefluoroscopy. Morphologic examination demonstrated superficial ulceration between 4 and 10 days following cryotherapy, with subsequent healing. The esophagus in animals put to death 28 and 42 days following cryotherapy appeared histologically normal. These studies demonstrate the safety of cryotherapy to -70 to -80 degrees C. upon the esophageal wall and suggest investigation of the usefulness of this modality in the treatment of local esophageal webs and strictures.

Animals↗