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Biomedical subjects

G Fradet

Publications and source records attributed to G Fradet.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Intratympanic gentamicin instillation as treatment of unilateral Menière's disease: update of an ongoing study.

A prospective study using intratympanic gentamicin instillation as treatment for disabling unilateral Meniere's disease has been ongoing at our institution for 4 years. Treatment effectiveness is evaluated based on the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) 1985 guidelines. This report is based on 30 patients who have become eligible for assessment. We conclude that gentamicin intratympanic instillation as currently used in our protocol is an effective, safe, and easily administered method of achieving a predictable measure of vertigo control.

Adult↗

Transhiatal esophagectomy for carcinoma of the esophagus and cardia. Experience with 160 cases.

We reviewed our experience from 1979 to 1990 with 160 cases of transhiatal esophagectomy for carcinoma of the lower esophagus and cardia to evaluate trends in patient selection, management, and outcome. Patients treated in the past 6 years (n = 110) and those treated before 1985 (n = 50) were similar in terms of age and sex distribution, medical history, and weight loss. The majority of tumors seen were adenocarcinoma, with patients in the latter group having significantly lower stages. Significant decreases in anesthetic time, units of blood transfusions, chest tube insertions, length of postoperative ventilation, incidence of postoperative pneumonia, and length of hospital stay were seen during the past 6 years. Wound infections increased significantly during the same period. The decrease in the 30-day mortality rate from 6% to 0.9% was not significant. Survival rates did not differ between groups, with overall rates of 62%, 40%, and 21% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Esophagogastrectomy and the variant left hepatic artery.

A variant left hepatic artery occurs at a rate of approximately 10%. In standard esophagogastrectomy and some proximal gastric operations this variant artery is sacrificed, which has led to reported fatalities secondary to hepatic necrosis. We report our method of esophagogastrectomy in the presence of an aberrant left hepatic artery.

Esophagectomy↗

Structural valve deterioration in elderly patient populations with the Carpentier-Edwards standard and supra-annular porcine bioprostheses: a comparative study.

From 1975 to 1989, over 1400 patients in the elderly population and over 1700 patients under 65 years of age received the Carpentier-Edwards standard (CE-Standard) and supra-annular porcine (CE-SAV) bioprotheses. The mean ages of the patients receiving the two protheses within the three subgroups of the elderly population-65-69 years, 70-79 years, and 80 years and over-were relatively similar. There was no statistically significant difference in the performance of the prostheses regarding structural valve deterioration (SVD) at seven years. The freedom from SVD for aortic valve replacement in the 65-69 years group at seven years was 98.7% +/- 1.3% for the CE-Standard and 98.7% +/- 1.0% for the CE-SAV, for both the 70-79 years group and the 80 years and over group the figure was 100% for both prostheses (p = NS). The freedom from SVD after mitral valve replacement in the 65-69 years group at seven years was 90.0% +/- 4.3% for the CE-Standard and 84.8% +/- 7.5% for the CE-SAV, for the 70-79 years group it was 95.3% +/- 3.2% and 95.5% +/- 3.6% respectively and for the 80 years and over group the figure was 100% for both prostheses (p = NS within groups). The long term freedom from SVD after aortic valve replacement was 98.4% +/- 3% at 15 years for the CE-Standard in the 65-69 years group, 94.9% +/- 5% at 13 years for the 70-79 years group and 100% at 13 years for the 80 years and over group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Distribution↗

Management following heart and lung transplantation: five years experience.

Since April 1984, 70 patients have received heart-lung transplants at our institution. Actuarial survival is 76% at 1 year and 68% at 2 years. All but 4 surviving patients have an unrestricted life style. Rejection was confirmed by lung transbronchial biopsy (TBB) on 277 occasions in 66 patients. Forty-two percent of episodes occurred within 1 month of surgery. Eight patients have developed evidence of chronic rejection with progressive irreversible fall in FEV1, of whom 4 have died or undergone single lung retransplantation. Seven patients had primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) of whom 4 patients died. Eight patients developed pneumocystis pneumonia of whom 1 died. Seven episodes of herpes simplex pneumonitis occurred of which one episode was fatal. Heart-lung transplantation is a valuable treatment for terminal cardiopulmonary disease and offers increasing hope of long-term survival.

Biopsy↗

Cystic fibrosis: a new challenge for cardiothoracic surgery.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common fatal inherited disease in caucasian populations. Between 80-120 CF patients die each year in England and Wales, the majority from pulmonary disease. Since October 1985, 17 patients with CF have undergone heart-lung transplantation (HLT) at our institution. Only 3 early deaths have occurred in the first 2 postoperative months. Another patient died 9 months after transplantation. Thirteen patients are now alive 1-46 months (mean 14 month) post transplantation. Actuarial survival at 6 months is 80% for CF patients compared to 73% for non-CF patients. Both groups of patients have similar profiles of rejection and infection. In the Caucasian population, CF patients form the largest potential recipient group for HLT and our experience suggests that those CF patients who undergo HLT have a favourable outcome.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Transbronchial biopsies in children after heart-lung transplantation.

Sixty transbronchial biopsies have been performed in eight children after heart-lung transplantation. The selection of fiber-optic bronchoscope or a small (4 mm; 30 cm) rigid bronchoscope was made according to the size of endotracheal tube required at surgery. If the endotracheal tube was size 7.5 or greater, a fiber-optic bronchoscope was used, whereas if the endotracheal tube size was below 7, a rigid bronchoscope was used. For the diagnosis of lung rejection, the histology of biopsies revealed a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 69% (similar to the result in adults). The histology also distinguished lung infection from rejection. Complications included three pneumothoraces and two clinically significant episodes of hemorrhage, one of which led to a cardiorespiratory arrest, which may have been caused by hypoxia. As a result, arterial oxygen saturation is now monitored during the procedure using a pulse oximeter.

Adolescent↗

Aortic dissection: current expectations and treatment. Experience with 258 patients over 20 years.

Aortic dissection, the most common acute disease of the thoracic aorta, is associated with high mortality and morbidity. The authors reviewed their experience over the last 20 years with 258 patients who had aortic dissection (259 dissections). The diagnosis was made at autopsy in 69 (27%) patients (59 type A, 10 type B). Of the remainder, 97 patients had type A dissection (78 acute, 19 chronic) and 93 had type B dissection (56 acute, 37 chronic). The sudden onset of severe, unremitting chest pain associated with hyper- or hypotension or a history of hypertension are suggestive of acute aortic dissection. The diagnosis should be followed by prompt investigation and treatment. The 30-day survival rate for patients with type A dissection who underwent surgical treatment was 62%; survival rates for patients with type B dissection, acute and chronic, were 70% and 86% respectively with pharmacotherapy and 66% and 91% with surgery. The authors stress the importance of early, accurate diagnosis and immediate surgical treatment for all patients who have type A dissection and complicated or unresponsive (carefully monitored pharmacologic control of blood pressure) type B dissection.

Adult↗

[Clinical applications of the heart-lung transplant. Clinical results 5 years after the start of the program at Papworth].

In this study is reviewed the experience at Papworth Hospital, Cambridgeshire, and Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, with combined heart-lung transplantation. Between April 1984 and June 1989, 73 patients have undergone heart-lung transplantation. Donors and recipients were carefully matched with regards to serology, morphology and cytomegalovirus compatibility. Heart preservation was based on use of cold St. Thomas' cardioplegic solution; a pulmonary preservation fluid has been developed that allows distant organ procurement with a single pulmonary artery flush technique (Papworth solution). The recipients were: 21 pts with Eisenmenger's syndrome, 15 pts with pulmonary hypertension, 37 pts with pulmonary disease (including 22 cystic fibrosis). The results are: no surgical mortality; no acute cardiac rejection episodes. Twenty-three patients died (16 with infections, 3 with obliterative bronchiolitis, 2 with cerebral embolism and 2 others). The actuarial survival rate at one year is 73.2%; 63% at two years and 47.4% at four years. The use of transbronchial biopsy of the lung has provided accurate early and safe diagnosis of pulmonary rejection. Development in organ preservation and patient management, as well as careful selection of recipients and donors, have led to the effective use of resources and thereby to these good results.

Adolescent↗

Primary anterior mediastinal tumours: "an investigational algorithm".

A review of 33 months' experience with primary anterior mediastinal masses in 31 patients disclosed that in 9 (29%) the tumour was benign. Nineteen (86%) of the 22 malignant tumours and only 2 of the 9 benign tumours were symptomatic. Diagnosis was established by histopathologic examination of a biopsy specimen or resected tissue and serum radioimmunoassay for alpha-fetoprotein or human chorionic gonadotropin, beta-subunit. The authors present an investigational algorithm, using modern procedures, to facilitate the diagnosis of this relatively uncommon and challenging condition.

Adolescent↗

Aortic dissection. A six year experience with 117 patients.

Acute aortic dissection is a medical emergency that demands immediate recognition and early precise angiographic diagnosis. One hundred seventeen patients were found to have aortic dissection between 1980 and 1986. Clinical presentation is of importance since hypertension favors the presence of type B dissection, whereas normotension or hypotension is usually indicative of a type A lesion. Supportive treatment should allow stabilization for diagnosis by angiography or computerized tomography in order to proceed with early surgical repair of all type A dissections. Management of the acute type B patient should initially be medical, but immediate surgical treatment should be carried out if there is failure to control the hypertension, continued pain, expansion or rupture of the aneurysm (including appearance of a pleural collection), development of a neurologic deficit, or evidence of compromise of a major infradiaphragmatic aortic branch. Any delay in surgical treatment once an indicative complication is identified will have an early adverse effect on prognosis. By applying these guidelines, an overall 65 to 75 percent hospital survival rate should be achieved.

Acute Disease↗

Inferior constrictor myotomy in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy: clinical and manometric evaluation.

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is an autosomal dominant transmitted condition seen mainly in the French Canadian population. Twenty-one patients with an established diagnosis of this rare disease underwent inferior constrictor myotomy. All patients were evaluated clinically and 12 of them underwent pharyngoesophageal manometric evaluation both preoperatively and postoperatively. All patients presented with severe oropharyngeal dysphagia and frequent aspiration together with pharyngooral and pharyngonasal regurgitation. Our results showed that all symptoms were significantly improved after inferior constrictor myotomy. Manometric assessment showed significant differences in pressure, duration and frequency of pharyngeal contraction when compared with a control group. After surgery pharyngeal contraction frequency was significantly lowered toward the normal level but other parameters of pharyngeal function remained unchanged. At the level of the upper esophageal sphincter, resting and closing pressure, relaxation time, relaxation and coordination were studied. There was no significant difference between control subjects and OPMD patients for these variables. Surgery significantly lowered the resting and closing pressure of the sphincter but did not modify significantly the other parameters.

Aged↗

Antibiotic prophylaxis in vascular surgery: pharmacokinetic study of four commonly used cephalosporins.

Plasma levels of antibiotics often do not correlate well with their tissue levels. To determine optimal antibiotic coverage for prophylactic effect in vascular surgery, we studied the tissue pharmacokinetics of four cephalosporins in dogs: cefazolin, cefoxitin, cefamandole, and moxalactam for 3 hours after a single (25 mg/kg) intravenous injection. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these antibiotics for the three most common pathogens involved in graft infections (Staphylococcus aureus, S. albus, and Escherichia coli) and their tissue concentration (TC) in the plasma, muscle, subcutaneous tissue, and aortic wall were assayed. The data are presented as TC/MIC ratio. Cefoxitin and moxalactam failed to achieve an effective therapeutic TC/MIC ratio (greater than 10) for S. aureus and S. albus in all the tissues studied whereas cefoxitin and cefamandole were above therapeutic levels. All antibiotics achieved an effective therapeutic ratio against E. coli, but cefamandole performed better (p less than 0.05) than cefoxitin; the latter reached effective levels at 3 hours. Cefamandole attained the most effective bioactive aortic tissue levels when the three most common pathogens were considered together and should therefore be considered as an antibiotic agent of choice for prophylaxis in vascular surgery.

Animals↗

Transforming skeletal muscle for myocardial assist: a feasibility study.

Canine experiments were undertaken to determine the feasibility of transforming skeletal muscle for myocardial assistance. Initially, a rectus-muscle pedicle flap was used to power a ventricular assist conduit. A specially designed "pulse-train" stimulator produced skeletal muscle contractions capable of augmenting myocardial function. Statistically significant increases in either systolic or diastolic pressures were achieved by appropriate synchronization and signal delays of the stimulator. Then, the left rectus muscle was conditioned by stimulating it at low frequencies (2 to 10 Hz) for 6 to 12 weeks. The degree of transformation from type II (fast) to type I (slow) fibres was examined and the resultant tolerance to fatigue studied. Preliminary data show that a greater proportion of type I fibres is associated with increased resistance to fatigue. Such transformed skeletal muscle should therefore be more suited to power the cardiac assist devices.

Animals↗