Short segment colon and jejunal interposition.
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Colon↗
Biomedical subjects
D J Mathisen
Publications and source records attributed to D J Mathisen.
Surgical management of tracheobronchial disease.
Management of tracheobronchial disease requires careful preoperative evaluation and close cooperation between anesthesiologic and surgical procedures. Techniques are available to resect and reconstruct most benign and malignant diseases of the tracheobronchial tree. Good surgical results depend on proper selection of patients, precise surgical technique, and careful attention to postoperative care.
Airway Obstruction↗
A pilot study of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin with surgical resection and postoperative radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.
Fifteen patients with potentially resectable adenocarcinoma of the esophagus were treated with two cycles of preoperative chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin (DDP). Response to chemotherapy was evaluated by comparative barium swallow, computerized chest tomography, esophagoscopy, and change in clinical symptomatology. Eleven patients (73%) were resected, two (13%) were explored and found inoperable, and two (13%) were not subjected to surgery (one because of death related to toxicity and one due to progressive disease). Ten of eleven patients (91%) had gross residual tumor. One patient (9%) had residual microscopic disease only. One patient (7%) had complete clinical responses (CCR), five (33%) had partial clinical response (PCR), and nine (60%) had no response (NR). Five of 15 patients (or 45% of resected patients) remain free of disease. Median survival time was 18.47 months for all patients and 23.83 months for resected patients.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Main bronchial sleeve resection with pulmonary conservation.
Twenty-seven main bronchial resections (19 left, 8 right) were performed without pulmonary resection between 1975 and 1991. The patients were 17 men and 9 women with an average age of 35 years (range, 20 to 65 years). Tumors comprised 55% of the lesions, including 9 carcinoid tumors (33%), 2 mucoepidermoid tumors, 2 fibrous histiocytomas, 1 hemangiopericytoma, and 1 large cell carcinoma. Scarring and stenosis secondary to multiple causes occurred in 10 patients (37%). Two patients had miscellaneous lesions. Presenting symptoms included dyspnea (52%), wheezing or stridor (44%), cough (41%), hemoptysis (37%), and pneumonia (18%). Preoperative chest roentgenogram was abnormal in 60% of patients, whereas tomograms delineated the lesion in 94%. All patients had bronchoscopy for lesion evaluation. Anesthesia was accomplished through a long single-lumen endotracheal tube in 19 cases and a double-lumen tube in 8 cases. Mobilization and exposure techniques to create a tension-free anastomosis were critical for left main bronchial resections and included pretracheal mobilization (100%), neck flexion (100%), tracheal and main bronchial retraction (85%), aortic and pulmonary artery retraction (44%), and intrapericardial hilar release (33%). All resections were for cure; there was no operative mortality. Morbidity in 4 patients (15%) included an anastomotic stenosis (successfully reresected), prolonged air leak and pneumonia, transient recurrent nerve palsy, and atelectasis. Median 5-year follow-up revealed 92% of patients alive, with only one of two late deaths being disease-related. Main bronchial resection is an ideal technique for selected benign and malignant lesions, allowing complete pulmonary parenchymal preservation.
Adult↗
J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Paper. Role of staging in prognosis and management of thymoma.
Eighty-five patients operated on for thymoma from 1972 to 1989 were evaluated, 32 with myasthenia gravis and 53 without. Masaoka staging revealed stage I disease in 45 (53%), stage II in 23 (27%), stage III in 14 (16%), and stage IVa in 3 (4%). There was no operative mortality. Actuarial survival at 10 years was 63.7% for all patients: 78.3% for those in stage I, 74.7% for those in stage II, and 20.8% for those in stage III. There was no recurrence in patients in stage I. Mediastinal recurrence developed in 4 patients in stage II considered to have noninvasive disease by the surgeon. It is recommended that all patients be followed up for a minimum of 10 years and that all patients in stages II and III receive postoperative radiotherapy. The presence of myasthenia gravis is no longer considered as an adverse factor in survival.
Adolescent↗
Bronchogenic carcinoma with chest wall invasion.
Bronchogenic carcinoma with chest wall involvement continues to present a major clinical challenge. We have treated 52 patients since 1973, excluding those with superior sulcus tumors. There were 37 male and 15 female patients with an average age of 62.9 years. Chest pain was an initial symptom in 37%. All patients had negative mediastinoscopy results. Squamous cell carcinoma was present in 53% and adenocarcinoma in 35%. The median number of ribs resected was two (range, one to six), and only 2 patients required chest wall reconstruction. Pathologic staging was T3 N0 M0 in 83% and T3 N1 M0 in 17%. Operative mortality was 3.8%. Absolute 5-year survival was 26.3%. Patients who had N1 disease had a 5-year survival of only 11%. Radiation therapy was employed in 46% for positive nodes or close margins. Bronchogenic carcinoma with chest wall invasion remains potentially curable if N2 nodes are not involved. The role of radiation therapy has not been clearly defined. Morbidity and mortality should be minimal.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Management of acquired nonmalignant tracheoesophageal fistula.
Acquired, nonmalignant tracheoesophageal fistula is an uncommon and difficult problem to manage. The most common cause is a complication of endotracheal or tracheostomy tubes. Most are diagnosed while patients still require mechanical ventilation. We use a conservative approach until patients are weaned from ventilation. A tracheostomy tube is placed so that the balloon rests below the fistula, if possible, to prevent contamination of the tracheobronchial tree. A gastrostomy tube is placed for drainage and a separate jejunostomy tube for nutrition. Single-stage repair is done after the patient is weaned from mechanical ventilation. Esophageal diversion is rarely required. We have performed 41 operations on 38 patients. Simple division and closure of the fistula was done in 9 patients and tracheal resection and reconstruction in the remainder. The esophageal defect was closed in two layers and a viable strap muscle interposed between the two suture lines. There were four deaths (10.9%). There were three recurrent fistulas and one delayed tracheal stenosis. All were successfully managed. Of the 34 surviving patients, 33 aliment themselves orally and 32 breathe without the need for a tracheal appliance.
Adolescent↗
Late complications of tracheotomy.
Complications of tracheotomy are largely preventable. Although some authors cite these complications as indications for prolonged endotracheal intubation to avoid tracheotomy, others believe that the laryngotracheal complications of prolonged endotracheal intubation warrant early tracheotomy. Obviously, unnecessary tracheotomies should not be performed, and the controversy regarding the timing of conversion of endotracheal intubation to tracheotomy is handled in an earlier article in this issue. We feel, however, that a properly performed tracheotomy has a low incidence of complications that are more easily managed than are the complex laryngotracheal complications of prolonged endotracheal intubation. Significant post-tracheotomy tracheal stenosis occurs in 8% of patients and is secondary to an overly large tracheotomy stoma or damage at the tracheostomy tube cuff site. Stoma stenosis can be minimized by not making an overly large tracheal stoma and by prevention of undue leverage on the tracheostomy tube. Cuff stenosis can be minimized by the use of the high-volume low-pressure cuffs with careful prevention of overdistention of the cuff. Bronchoscopic dilatation, laser resection, and Silastic T-tube placement provide control of the airway until definitive surgical resection and reconstruction can be performed safely. Tracheoesophageal fistula is an uncommon but life-threatening complication that can be prevented by avoiding overdistention of the tracheostomy tube cuff and by avoiding the concomitant use of a stiff nasogastric tube. These patients are best managed conservatively until they are able to be weaned from a ventilator. A single-stage repair of both the esophagus and the trachea should then be done. Tracheoinnominate artery fistula can be avoided by correct placement of the tracheostomy stoma through the second and third tracheal rings rather than lower in the trachea and by avoidance of overinflation of tracheostomy tube cuffs.
Brachiocephalic Trunk↗
Carinal resection for bronchogenic carcinoma.
Techniques are available for carinal resection and reconstruction for bronchogenic carcinoma involving the carina. Successful outcome depends on careful patient selection, thorough preoperative evaluation, careful anesthetic management, strict attention to surgical technique, and compulsive postoperative care. Since 1973 we have performed 37 carinal resections for bronchogenic carcinoma: 21 right carinal pneumonectomies, 7 carinal resections, 7 carina plus lobe resections, and 2 carina plus pneumonectomy stump resections. Five patients had diseased N2 nodes and 13 patients had diseased N1 nodes. Complications included pulmonary (8), vocal cord paresis (3), atrial fibrillation (9), anastomotic stenosis (4), and anastomotic separation (3). There were 3 early postoperative deaths (8%). All were related to adult respiratory distress syndrome and were unresponsive to aggressive treatment. There were 4 late postoperative deaths between 2 and 4 months (10.9%). All late postoperative deaths were related to anastomotic complications (stenosis [1] and separation [3]). There are 5 absolute 5-year survivors and an actuarial 5-year survival rate of 19%.
Adult↗
Cervical exenteration.
Cervical exenteration is a radical operation to remove the larynx, portion of the trachea, and the esophagus, and frequently requires a mediastinal tracheostomy. Highly selected patients with obstructing neoplasms of the esophagus and airway can be palliated and sometimes cured by this aggressive surgical approach. Fatal hemorrhage from pressure or exposure of the innominate artery is avoided by elective division of the artery (preoperative angiograms and intraoperative electroencephalographic control are essential), using the omentum to separate the trachea and great vessels, and removal of a bony plaque of chest wall to allow a well-vascularized bipedicled skin flap to drop into the mediastinum for the tracheocutaneous anastomosis. Eighteen exenterations were performed. Mediastinal tracheostomy was performed in 14 patients and division of the innominate artery was performed in 7. Esophageal replacement was predominantly with the left colon. Complications include esophageal leak (2 patients), stomal separation (2), transient hemiplegia (1), colonic obstruction by substernal tunnel (1), and need for prolonged mechanical ventilation (4). There was a single operative death. Postoperative survival was disease dependent. All patients achieved an excellent airway and relief from dysphagia.
Adult↗
Primary tracheal tumors: treatment and results.
One hundred ninety-eight patients with primary tracheal tumors were evaluated in 26 years. One hundred forty-seven tumors were excised (74%): 132 (66%) by resection and primary reconstruction, seven by laryngotracheal resection or cervicomediastinal exenteration, and eight by staged procedures. Eleven more were explored. Forty-four squamous cell carcinomas were resected, 60 adenoid cystic, and 43 assorted tumors, benign and malignant. Eighty-two patients underwent tracheal resection with primary reconstruction, and 50 had carinal resection and reconstruction. Surgical mortality for resection with primary reconstruction was 5%, with one death after tracheal and six after carinal repair. Six patients had stenosis after tracheal or carinal resection; all underwent reresection successfully. Nearly all patients with squamous or adenoid cystic carcinoma were irradiated postoperatively. Twenty of 41 survivors of resection of squamous cell carcinoma are living free of disease (some for more than 25 years), 39 of 52 with adenoid cystic carcinoma (up to nearly 19 years), and 35 of 42 with other lesions (5 lost to follow-up). Comparison of length of survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma who are alive without disease with those who died with carcinoma supports surgical treatment (usually followed by irradiation). Positive lymph nodes or invasive disease at resection margins appear to have an adverse effect on cure of squamous cell carcinoma; such an effect is not demonstrable with adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Adolescent↗
Clinical experience with minitracheostomy.
Minitracheostomy is a technique to assist in the removal of airway secretions while maintaining glottic function. A flanged, reclosable cannula 4.0 mm in internal diameter is inserted through the cricothyroid membrane into the trachea. Sixty procedures were performed in 56 patients from July 1988 to June 1989. Indications for placement included excessive postoperative secretions (46/60), difficulty with endotracheal suctioning (4/60), preoperative secretions (4/60), postpneumonic secretions (5/60), and acute airway obstruction (1/60). Successful intratracheal placement was possible in all instances, and the device was well tolerated. Major intratracheal bleeding necessitating endotracheal intubation occurred in 2 patients. Minor complications included local hematoma (5 patients), subcutaneous emphysema (2 patients), and hoarseness (1 patient). No deaths occurred. Cannulas remained in place for one day to 35 days. Removal resulted in closure within 48 hours. No adverse laryngeal effects were seen. A successful result, not requiring other invasive methods to remove secretions, was obtained in 43 (72%) of the 60 procedures. Minitracheostomy is a useful adjunct for secretion removal in the hospitalized patient.
Bronchi↗
Percutaneous tracheostomy. A cautionary note.
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Emergencies↗
Surgical techniques for chest wall reconstruction.
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Bibliographies as Topic↗
Mucoepidermoid lung tumors.
Mucoepidermoid lung tumors are uncommon, representing 0.2% of all lung tumors and 1% to 5% of bronchial adenomas. Eighteen patients with mucoepidermoid tumors are reported. There were 10 male and 8 female patients with a mean age of 36.8 years (range, 9 to 62 years). On the basis of mitotic activity, cellular necrosis, and nuclear pleomorphism, we subclassified these tumors as low grade (15 patients) or high grade (3 patients). The achievement of complete resection and low-grade versus high-grade staging correlated with prognosis. All 12 patients who had a low-grade tumor that was completely excised are alive with no evidence of disease at a mean follow-up of 4.7 years (range, 1 to 27 years). All high-grade tumors proved fatal within 16 months. Two of the 3 high-grade tumors were unresectable because of extensive local disease. Patients with low-grade tumors and microscopically positive margins require close follow-up and can undergo a successful repeat resection. Nine of the 16 resections were sleeve resections, high-lighting the importance of conservative lung-sparing procedures in these central airway tumors. Both patients with an unresectable high-grade tumor had radiation therapy postoperatively and died 11 months later. The role of radiation therapy with high-grade tumors or incomplete resection has yet to be determined.
Adult↗
Endoscopic relief of malignant airway obstruction.
The ability to manage acute airway obstruction can be life-saving. Airway relief should be expeditious and immediate, with low morbidity and mortality. It should not interfere with future definitive therapy. In patients with terminal malignancy, it should be economical in cost and should minimize hospitalization. We used biopsy forceps and the rigid bronchoscope to "core out" 56 patients with obstructing airway neoplasms. The location of the obstruction was trachea in 16 patients, carina in 24, main bronchi in 8, and distal airway in 8. Improvement in the airway was accomplished in 90% of patients. A single bronchoscopy was sufficient in 96%. Nineteen complications occurred in 11 patients: pneumonia in 5, bleeding in 3, pneumothorax in 2, hypoxia/hypercarbia in 2, arrhythmias in 6, and laryngeal edema in 1. There were four deaths within 2 weeks of core-out related to respiratory failure. Further therapy consisted of resection in 28.6% (tracheal in 9, carinal in 3, pulmonary in 4), irradiation alone or in combination with chemotherapy in 60.7%, and no therapy in 10.7%. Palliation of symptoms and establishment of an airway in acute obstruction is the goal. Survival depends on the effectiveness of the proposed treatment. We find this time-honored method superior to use of the laser.
Adult↗
Transthoracic esophagectomy: a safe approach to carcinoma of the esophagus.
Transthoracic esophagogastrectomy is a safe operation. Mechanical staplers and a cervical anastomosis have been emphasized to avoid catastrophic consequences of anastomotic leaks in the chest. Transhiatal esophagectomy has been proposed to bring the anastomosis into the neck. It is meant to be a palliative procedure and consequently denies the patient the best chance for surgical cure. The emphasis should be on anastomotic technique and sound principles of surgical oncology. Since 1980, we have performed 104 esophagectomies for carcinoma of the esophagus. We used a left thoracoabdominal incision for distal tumors (64) and the Ivor Lewis technique (40) for more proximal tumors. A two-layer inverting interrupted silk suture technique was used for all anastomoses. More than 90% of the procedures were performed by resident staff. The operative mortality was 2.9% (3 patients). There were no anastomotic leaks. Five patients required between one dilation and three dilations postoperatively. A positive smoking history was present in 83 patients and substantial alcohol use, in 33. Median estimated blood loss was 500 ml, and 60% of patients required no transfusions. Major complications included pneumonia (12 patients) and reexploration for bleeding (2). Minor complications included atelectasis (71 patients), atrial fibrillation (9), ventricular arrhythmias (9), urinary tract infection (3), and wound infection (2). Squamous cancer was present in 31 patients and adenocarcinoma, in 73. Positive lymph node metastases were present in 75%. Anastomotic recurrence was documented in 6 patients. Standard techniques of esophagogastrectomy and a two-layer anastomosis will give excellent results with low mortality and acceptable morbidity.
Actuarial Analysis↗