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Biomedical subjects

G Simonetti

Publications and source records attributed to G Simonetti.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Portal thrombosis: high incidence following splenectomy for portal hypertension.

The authors report the incidence of portal thrombosis in their experience, of patients who have been operated on for splenectomy as treatment for portal hypertension with splenomegaly and hypersplenism without a portal systemic shunt. In 161 patients studied angiographically for portal hypertension due to cirrhosis, portal thrombosis was shown in 19 patients. Of these 19 patients 13 previously splenectomized. Only 6 were never operated upon.

Adolescent↗

Transcatheter therapeutic arterial embolization.

Transcatheter therapeutic arterial embolization was employed in 11 patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage and 8 patients with bleeding from other sites. Hemorrhage was stopped successfully in all of the patients with gastrointestinal bleeding and 6 of the 7 patients with active bleeding from other sites. There were no significant complications or sequelae, although ischemia msy cause problems in such patients. Embolization is of considerable value when pharmacological therapy fails or is not appropriate due to the site of bleeding. In some cases it may represent the definitive treatment, as in pelvic trauma or renal hemorrhage; in others, embolization may serve to halt bleeding long enough to permit surgery. Therapeutic embolization should be considered whenever active extravasation of contrast material is demonstrated.

Adolescent↗

Preservation of the superior hemorrhoidal artery in resection of the colon and rectum.

As an alternative to anterior resection of the rectum requiring ligature of the inferior mesenteric artery at its origin, it is proposed to carry out this procedure preserving the inferior mesenteric artery and freeing it as far as the origin of the superior hemorrhoidal artery and its division into rectal branches to improve the blood supply to the rectal stump. The results of this new procedure were compared with those of anterior resection. Post-operatively, the blood supply of the rectum was studied by means of angiography. The results of 84 anterior resections for neoplastic disease of the colon were studied. In 56 patients, the inferior mesenteric artery was preserved and in 28 the inferior mesenteric artery was ligated. Postoperative complications due to leakage of the colorectal anastomosis rarely occurred in the first group and were frequent in the latter. In patients in whom the inferior mesenteric artery was preserved, arteriograms showed that vascularization of the preserved rectal stump is supplied essentially by the branches of the superior hemorrhoidal artery.

Angiography↗

Percutaneous treatment of hepatic cysts by aspiration and sclerotherapy.

We treated 35 patients who had hepatic cysts (30 congenital cysts, 5 hydatid cysts) with percutaneous puncture and sclerotherapy. After puncture and drainage of the cyst, a 95% alcohol solution was instilled as sclerosing agent into the cystic cavity. In all the patients, cyst puncture and drainage was successful. Follow-up in all cases was at least 12 months. In three uncooperative patients, cysts recurred due to incomplete sclerosis of the lining epithelium of the cyst wall. No major complications were encountered in all cases. All congenital cysts were treated on an outpatient basis. Patients with hydatid cyst were hospitalized for 48 h after puncture and aspiration. In our opinion, percutaneous drainage and sclerosis of congenital hepatic cysts can be considered an effective alternative to surgical treatment.

Adult↗

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in the treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia: results and 3 years of follow-up in 23 patients.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the clinical efficacy of visceral angioplasty in the treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia. METHODS: Over a 14-year period, we performed percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of 41 occlusive diseases of visceral arteries founded by angiography in 23 patients with chronic mesenteric ischemia. All but one (fibrodysplasic) stenoses were atherosclerotic, and 13 were localized in the ostial tract. Clinical follow-up was evaluated at 2, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months (mean follow-up = 27 months). RESULTS: Angioplasty demonstrated a residual stenosis of 30% or less in 37 procedures, for a technical success rate of 90%. Seventeen of 20 patients had symptom remission after the first treatment, for a short-term clinical success of 77%; two patients needed a reangioplasty after 2 months, and one was referred for aortomesenteric bypass. During a mean follow-up of 27 months (range = 2-36), the clinical success was 88%; 2/15 patients underwent successful repeat angioplasty at 24 and 36 months, for a 100% secondary long-term clinical success. Only two minor complications were encountered. CONCLUSION: Although surgical results are undoubtedly positive, visceral angioplasty is justified in relation to both the high surgical mortality and the low incidence of complications arising from visceral angioplasty.

Aged↗

Bilateral renal artery aneurysm: percutaneous treatment with stent-graft placement.

A 51-year-old man with an 8-year history of hypertension (170/115 mmHg with two drugs) and altered renal function (5.6 mg/dl serum creatinine, 101 mg/dl BUN) was referred to our Department to evaluate the renal arteries and rule out renovascular hypertension. Doppler ultrasound and magnetic resonance angiography revealed significant bilateral renal artery stenosis and the presence of bilateral renal artery aneurysms. A self-expandable polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-covered nitinol stent-graft was deployed in each renal artery to treat the stenoses and to exclude the aneurysm. Postprocedural digital subtraction angiography confirmed the resolution of the renal artery stenoses and the complete exclusion of the aneurysms. At the 6 month follow-up, color Doppler confirmed normal patency of the renal arteries with complete exclusion of the aneurysms and significant reduction of the blood pressure (130/85 mmHg with one drug) and serum creatinine levels (2.1 mg/dl).

Aneurysm↗

Computed tomography of the ethmoid labyrinth and adjacent structures.

The architecture of ethmoid labyrinths as well as their relationships with adjacent structures are reviewed, giving special emphasis to the anatomic variants common in this area. The study was performed on six young normal subjects who were submitted to high resolution computed tomography. Approximately 25 axial scans, parallel to the floor of the anterior cranial fossa, were performed on each subject; four to five coronal CT scans were also added. Further data were supplemented by examinations of 62 patients affected by nonneoplastic disease of the paranasal sinuses. Microsurgery is replacing classic macrosurgery in the treatment of nonneoplastic disease of the paranasal sinuses. This new trend requires a perfect preoperative delineation of the anatomy. For this purpose, the present paper contains a list of 10 questions which can be answered exhaustively by computed tomography on the basis of the data illustrated. The answers cover most requirements of sinus microsurgery.

Adult↗

Percutaneous biliary drainage in neoplastic jaundice. Statistical data from a computerized multicenter investigation.

Technical and clinical data concerning 731 controlled patients submitted to nonsurgical percutaneous biliary drainage (PBD) for preoperative or palliative purposes were collected from eight institutions. Using a computerized analysis program, general and special statistics were obtained, with special attention given to 536 neoplastic cases. Technical success, type, level and nature of the lesions, purpose of drainage, surgery performed, complications, and other clinical and technical information were considered and compared with the clinical results. Statistically significant data were obtained comparing, respectively, bilirubin levels with duration of drainage, survival with type of treatment (PBD alone or followed by radical or palliative surgery), operative with post PBD mortality, survival with type of PBD (external catheter, internal catheter, and endoprosthesis), and complications with type of PBD used.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗

Minimal sentinel node procedure for staging early breast cancer.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) has recently been evaluated as a new staging technique for early breast cancer. To minimize the extent of surgery, the feasibility of eradicating primary breast lesions and the relative sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) under regional anesthesia was evaluated in this study. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A selected population of 76 patients with suspected operable breast cancer and no clinically palpable lymph nodes was enrolled in the study. Intra- and perilesional administration of a radiotracer was performed. Lymphoscintigraphy was carried out to confirm the drainage pathway and locate the SLN. The following day, after inducing a nervous block induction of the ipsilateral intercostal nerves, we performed the surgical procedure with the help of a hand-held gamma-detecting probe. In case the primary lesion was diagnosed as invasive carcinoma by frozen section, the SLN and the remaining axillary lymph nodes (non-SLNs) were removed. The status of SLN and non-SLNs was compared. RESULTS: The primary breast lesion was located and excised in all cases (identification rate: 100%). Lymphoscintigraphy positively identified SLNs in 40/45 (89%) patients; in five patients no lymphatic drainage was detected. In 38 cases an average of 1.5 SLNs and 14 non-SLNs per patient were removed and pathologically analyzed; the remaining two patients showed SLNs in the internal mammary chain, which were not excised. Twenty-nine percent of the patients showed metastatic disease in the lymph nodes examined. Of all patients with affected nodes, 55% had cancer cells only in the SLN. No false negatives (skip metastases) were found. No immediate or long-term anesthesia-related complications (e.g., pleural lesions, intravascular injection) were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm the feasibility of single radiotracer administration for both occult lesion and SLN localization as well as the usefulness of SLND in staging early breast cancer. Regional anesthesia resulted in easy management and good patient compliance. This time-saving procedure allowed the completion of the whole surgical plan, reducing the recovery time without modifying the effectiveness of surgery.

Adult↗