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Biomedical subjects

H Feussner

Publications and source records attributed to H Feussner.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[Bile duct lesions in laparoscopic cholecystectomy].

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is both resulting in a slightly higher incidence of biliary lesions and a change of prevalence of the type of lesions. Damage to the biliary system occurs in 4 different types: The most severe case is the lesion with a structural defect of the hepatic or common bile duct with (IVa) or without (IVb) vascular injury. Tangential lesions without structural loss of the duct should be denominated as type III (IIIa with additional lesion to the vessels, type IIIb without). Type II comprehends late strictures without obvious intraoperative trauma to the duct. Type I includes immediate biliary fistulae of usually good prognosis. The increasing prevalence of structural defects of the bile ducts appears to be a peculiarity of laparoscopic cholecystectomy necessitating highly demanding operative repair. In the majority of cases, hepatico-jejunostomy or even intraparenchymatous anastomoses are required. Adaptation of well proven principles of open surgery is the best prevention of biliary lesions in laparoscopic cholecystectomy as well as the readiness to convert early to the open procedure.

Biliary Fistula↗

[Quantifying intestino-esophageal reflux with a fiberoptic bilirubin detection probe].

Currently available methods to assess reflux of duodenal contents into the esophagus are cumbersome, unphysiologic, and inaccurate. The role of intestino-esophageal reflux has therefore been controversial. We assessed intestino-esophageal reflux using a new system which allows prolonged intraesophageal measurement of bilirubin, the major pigment of bile. Measurements were made with a newly developed fiber-optic sensor electrode connected to a portable data processing unit (BILITEC 2000, Synectics Medical Inc., Sweden). Light absorption was measured at the absorption peak of bilirubin and a reference point. Studies were performed in 9 subjects without esophagitis, 9 subjects with esophagitis and primary reflux disease and 7 subjects with erosive esophagitis after a total or subtotal gastrectomy. The fiberoptic electrode was placed 5 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter. In vitro studies showed linear correlations between absorbance measurements obtained with the BILITEC-unit and known bilirubin and bile acid concentrations, respectively (p < 0.01). Compared to both other groups, light absorption was markedly increased in the subjects who had esophagitis after a total or subtotal gastrectomy (p < 0.05) indicating severe biliary reflux. An increase in bilirubin absorption occurred particularly during the post-prandial and supine periodes (p < 0.01). A Roux-en-Y biliary diversion procedure completely abolished bile reflux in 2 of these patients. These data indicate that ambulatory 24-hour fiberoptic measurement of bilirubin in the esophagus is feasible and allows quantitation of intestino-esophageal reflux. Intestino-esophageal reflux occurs particularly during the postprandial period and the early morning hours in patients who had a previous subtotal or total gastrectomy.

Adult↗

[Is cholecystectomy a risk factor for colorectal cancer? A meta-analysis].

The number of patients subjected to cholecystectomy has increased since the introduction of laparoscopic methods. Therefore, the question of an association between colorectal cancer (CR-Ca) and cholecystectomy (CHE) is again topical. Several studies have been performed investigating the possibility of a link between cholecystectomy and large bowel cancer. The findings recorded in these studies have been varied and in some cases contradictory. In meta-analyses of the different types of studies (prospective and retrospective) the main question, "Is the risk of colorectal cancer higher after cholecystectomy?" was examined. In prospective matched-pairs studies, 1158 patients who had undergone CHE were compared with 1222 controls. The relative risk (RR) was 1.48, and this result was not significant. The four prospective cohort studies compared the frequency of CR-Ca of 22,783 CHE patients with the expected frequency in the population (RR = 0.99). The retrospective studies compared the frequency of previous CHE in 11,797 patients with CR-Ca with the frequency in 33,940 controls without CR-Ca. The calculated odds ratio (O. R.) of the meta-analysis was 1.15, a significant but not clinically relevant increase in risk. Similar results was shown for evaluation of sex difference both in the prospective studies, with an RR of 0.99 for women and 1.00 for men, and in the retrospective studies, with a RR of 1.17 (p < 0.05) for women and 1.09 (n.s.) for men. The results for different location of the tumour show no significant risk differences in prospective studies either for the colon or for the rectum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cholecystectomy↗

The place of esophageal manometry in the diagnosis of dysphagia.

Esophageal manometry allows to quantify intraluminal pressure changes as the basis of normal or abnormal esophageal motility. It is a complementary diagnostic procedure which should only be performed after endoscopic and fluoroscopic examinations and may be helpful in the detection of various motility disorders like diffuse esophageal spasm, nutcracker esophagus and vigorous achalasia. Manometry is recommendable for therapy control after medical and surgical therapy, and mandatory prior to surgical reflux therapy.

Deglutition Disorders↗

pH monitoring: the gold standard in detection of gastrointestinal reflux disease?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the most frequent benign diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and in some cases the diagnosis may be very difficult. There are many diagnostic procedures but none of them could prove or definitely exclude the disease. The 24-h pH-monitoring is the "gold standard" for detection of gastroesophageal reflux and in many patients the reflux correlates with the GERD. The evaluation of a diagnostic method has to be done in a similar manner to the evaluation of therapeutic study (phase 1 to phase 4). For the definition of the "gold standard" for detection of a special diagnosis (e.g., the gastresophageal reflux disease), the results of phase 3 studies for different methods had to be compared. The method with the best values for sensitivity and specificity is yet to be discovered. Until now, pH monitoring has been the gold standard for the diagnosis of GERD. However, there are many problems connected with using this method in clinical practice.

Esophagus↗

The surgical management of motility disorders.

Surgical treatment is either the therapy of choice or a facultative procedure in various types of esophageal motility disorders. In achalasia, cardiomyotomy, frequently combined with fundoplasty, achieves good or excellent results in > 80% of cases, and is, therefore, advised in cases when pneumostatic dilatation fails. Diverticulectomy and myotomy of the upper or lower esophageal sphincter are proven procedures to treat cervical and epiphrenic diverticula, leading to good/excellent results or at least an improvement in more than 95%. If, exceptionally, parabronchial diverticula require therapy, they should be excised transthoracically. Cervical myotomy is indicated in cases of cervical achalasia, when sufficient pharyngeal propulsion is preserved. In systemic diseases like scleroderma reflux induced complications may require surgical intervention in medically intractable cases. In these rather few cases, subtotal gastrectomy with a Roux-en-Y anastomosis is advised. In patients suffering from diffuse esophageal spasm or symptomatic "nutcracker" esophagus, extended esophageal myotomy can relieve symptoms. If a clear diagnosis is provided, about 75% of patients will have an improvement of symptoms.

Esophageal Diseases↗

Endodissection of the thoracic esophagus. Technique and clinical results in transhiatal esophagectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Transhiatal esophagectomy (THE), mostly performed in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, bears the risk of damage to mediastinal structures because the physician's vision is poor during esophageal dissection. The authors report a new endoscopic technique, which enables microsurgical dissection of the esophagus under visual control, that can be performed simultaneously to the abdominal approach. The clinical results in unselected patients with malignant esophageal disease were compared with those of patients undergoing conventional THE. METHODS: Thirty unselected patients (24 men and 6 women; median age, 60 years; age range, 35 to 80 years), mostly with adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, underwent endodissection between April 1991 and July 1992. Thirty patients, who underwent conventional THE between January 1986 and December 1990, were selected using a matched pair algorithm. RESULT: Three significant intraoperative complications were recorded during endodissection (one case of mediastinal bleeding; one case of postoperative bleeding; and one case of a lesion of the right main bronchus), and all were managed without further patient morbidity. The mortality rate (30 days) was 6.6% in the endodissection group (vs. 9.9% THE; not significant [NS]). The frequency of postoperative severe pulmonary complications was 13.3% in the endodissection group (vs. 30% in THE; p < 0.05). The rate of recurrent nerve palsy was only 6.6% in the endodissection group (vs. 13.3% in THE; NS). CONCLUSIONS: Endodissection is especially helpful during esophageal dissection at or above the trachea. It allows identification of mediastinal structures and controlled biopsy of mediastinal lymph nodes. This study showed that endodissection eliminates the "blind angle" during conventional THE, prevents recurrent nerve damage, and reduces pulmonary distress during transhiatal esophagectomy.

Adult↗

[The resorption of carbon dioxide from the pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic cholecystectomy].

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is claimed to be a minimally invasive procedure, but uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the pneumoperitoneum (CO2-PP) can cause clinically relevant hypercapnia. In this prospective study, CO2 resorption during laparoscopic cholecystectomy was investigated. METHODS. In 30 patients (ASA I and II) total intravenous anesthesia was performed with propofol and fentanyl. Controlled ventilation was started with a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg min, a respiratory rate of 10/min, and FiO2 = 0.4 using an Engström Erica ventilator. When end-tidal CO2 (PeCO2) rose to 42 mmHg the respiratory rate was increased. In addition to standard monitoring, intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) was measured. Minute volume (VI), CO2 elimination (VCO2), oxygen uptake (VO2), and the respiratory quotient (RQ) were registered by indirect calorimetry from the Erica Metabolic Monitor. The CO2 resorption (delta VCO2) was calculated from the equation: delta VCO2(Mi) = VCO2(Mi) RQ(M1)VO2(Mi). (i = 1; 2; ...;5) All values are medians (interquartile range) or ranges. All parameters were compared at five measuring points that are characteristic for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: M1 baseline, 30 min after induction of anaesthesia, M2 10 min after starting CO2 insufflation, M3 while mobilising the gallbladder from the liver bed, M4 while extracting the gallbladder from the abdominal cavity, and M5 10 min after desufflating the CO2-PP (spontaneous breathing). RESULTS. A typical pattern of VCO2 was observed (Fig. 1). Baseline VCO2 was 165 (145-180) ml/min, PeCO2 was 33 (31-35) mmHg, and VI was 6.0 (6.0-7.0) l/min. After insufflation of CO2 to an IAP of between 14 and 20 mmHg, an increase in VCO2 to 201 (179-222) ml/min was registered (P < 0.05). During mobilisation of the gallbladder, the IAP was between 12 and 18 mmHg and no further increase in VCO2 (200 (179-229) ml/min) was observed. During extraction of the gallbladder from the abdominal cavity, the CO2-PP deflated and IAP dropped to 1-5 mmHg. In this phase, maximal VCO2 and delta VCO2 were measured at 232 (206-245) ml/min and 43 (30-57) ml/min (P < 0.05), respectively. PeCO2 rose to 40 (37-42) mmHg (P < 0.05) although VI was increased to 7.0 (6.0-8.4) l/min (P < 0.05). The complete pattern of VO2 is shown in Fig. 2, the RQ in Fig. 3, and delta VCO2 in Fig. 4. The values of PeCO2, IAP, and VI are listed in Table 2. DISCUSSION. The combination of increased VCO2 and stable VO2 during CO2-PP must be interpreted as indicating resorption of CO2 from the abdominal cavity. Essential CO2 resorption must be assumed during insufflation of the CO2-PP and immediately after a decrease in IAP. During dissection of the gallbladder no increase in CO2 resorption was observed, so the experimental finding [19] can be confirmed clinically that an IAP higher than the venous capillary pressure protects from further CO2 resorption by compressing the venous capillaries of the peritoneum. CO2 resorption is clinically relevant because VI must be increased to maintain normocapnia. Therefore, capnography is absolutely necessary during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Adult↗

[Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: ERCP as standard preoperative diagnostic technique].

In a prospective study 250 patients with proven cholelithiasis and clinical, biochemical and ultrasound indications for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP) and (if bile-duct stones had been shown) endoscopic papillotomy (EPT). The biliary system was demonstrated in 229 patients (91.6%). Biliary tract stones were confirmed in 18 of 68 patients in whom they had been suspected clinically. In addition, ERCP revealed small stones in the bile-duct in eight of 154 patients with normal biochemical results and unremarkable ultrasound imaging, and in seven patients bile-duct anomalies which required EPT or open cholecystectomy. However, in retrospect five of the patients with cystic duct anomalies could have been treated by LC. The complication rate of ERCP/EPT was 3.2%. It is concluded from these results that, in view of the cost and potential risk to the patient, ERCP before LC can be limited to patients suspected of having bile-duct stones, even though small stones may be missed.

Adolescent↗

[Can gastroesophageal reflux be prevented by inducing a scar tissue ring around the cardia?].

Severe gastroesophageal reflux was accomplished in 18 dogs by circular cardiomyectomy. After this intervention a Vicryl scarf was placed around the cardia in 12 dogs. The Vicryl scarf was absorbed within 6 months and in its place remained a scarred tissue. In the follow up gastroesophageal reflux could not be detected by manometry, pH-metry, radiology and endoscopy. In the control group all 6 dogs died within 3 weeks due to complications of gastroesophageal reflux. On the basis of these data the Vicryl scarf implantation is an effective, simple, new antireflux operation which can be initiated into the human surgical practice.

Absorption↗

Interaction of gastroesophageal reflux and esophageal motility. Evaluation by ambulatory 24-hour manometry and pH-metry.

The present study addresses the question of whether esophageal motility shortly before, during, and after gastroesophageal reflux (GER) is different in patients with GER disease and healthy controls. Twenty-four-hour continuous recordings of intraesophageal pressures and pH were performed in 12 unselected patients with clinically proven GER disease and in 11 volunteers using a new ambulatory and digital recording device. All GER episodes in each studied subject were classified according to their associated motility pattern shortly before (induction period) and during (response period) GER. More GER episodes were analyzed in patients than in volunteers (median: 41 vs 26, P less than 0.05), and a total of 917 GER episodes (593 in patients, 324 in volunteers) was recorded. During the induction period patients more often had irregular esophageal contractions (median: 23% vs 13%, P less than 0.05) and less often had a peristaltic sequence (median: 6% vs 21%) than normals. No difference between patients and controls existed when comparing the frequency of negative pressure peaks or common cavity phenomena shortly before GER. During the response period peristaltic motility in patients was decreased (median: 10% vs 47%, P less than 0.05). We conclude that: (1) GER events in GER patients are more often associated with irregular esophageal contractions than in healthy controls; (2) GER patients present with a diminished, if any, esophageal peristalsis during GER; and (3) combined ambulatory manometry and pH-metry provides clinically useful information on the individual pathogenesis of GER disease, which is superior to the information retrieved by pH-metry alone.

Adult↗

Vicryl-scarf-induced scarring around esophagogastric junction as treatment of esophageal reflux disease. An experimental study in the dog.

A ringlike structure around the cardia has proven to be sufficient in preventing gastroesophageal reflux, as seen with the Angelchick prosthesis. To avoid the insertion of a nonabsorbable foreign body, a scarring was induced by implanting a Vicryl scarf around the esophagogastric junction. Reflux disease was induced in 18 dogs by circular cardiomyomectomy. In 12 dogs, a Vicryl scarf was laid around the cardia; six dogs served as controls. All of the dogs in the control group either died or had to be sacrificed due to severe reflux esophagitis. All animals receiving the scarf survived the entire duration of the experiment. Endoscopically, only one case of temporary reflux esophagitis could be detected. Long-term pH-metry demonstrated complete reflux suppression after the third postoperative month. Radiographically, esophagogastric transit was always unimpaired. On autopsy, the scarf was found to have changed into a slim scarring after the sixth postoperative month and then remained unaltered. We conclude that inducing scarring around the cardia is as effective in reflux prevention as the silicone ring.

Animals↗

Aerobilia and hypomotility of the sphincter of Oddi in a patient with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

A 50-year-old woman with a typical history of chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction was admitted to hospital because of an acute episode of abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. The diagnosis of chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction had been established in this patient who had malnutrition and extreme weight loss as a result of severe malabsorption syndrome. The abdominal roentgenogram showed a typical hypotonic intestine with an enlarged stomach and distended intestinal loops with the radiological signs of an ileus. In addition to former episodes, there was also a transient aerobilia. The patient had not undergone biliary surgery or endoscopic sphincterotomy. To investigate the cause of the findings, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic manometry of the sphincter of Oddi were performed. The endoscopy showed the stomach and duodenum with a wide and dilated lumen and no spontaneous motility. Endoscopic manometry of the biliary tract and the sphincter of Oddi showed several abnormalities compared with a group of normal volunteers or patients who were examined via biliary manometry for other reasons. There was a low basal pressure (3.5 mm Hg) in the sphincter of Oddi together with low-amplitude phasic contractions (25-30 mm Hg), but the contraction frequency was in the normal range. Further investigations of the motility of the gastrointestinal tract in this patient showed diffuse esophageal spasms and a markedly delayed gastric emptying. The findings of biliary manometry in this patient suggest involvement of the sphincter of Oddi and the biliary system in chronic idiopathic pseudo-obstruction.

Air↗

Prospective evaluation of the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Preoperative cholangiography and subsequent removal of bile duct stones may increase the efficacy of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and reduce the rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy. Since there is little data on the incidence of choledocholithiasis in this group of patients, we undertook a prospective study on the routine performance of ERC in 288 patients selected for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. ERC succeeded in 264 of the 288 patients (91.7%) and showed a normal bile duct system in 227 (86.0%). Atypical bile duct anatomy was seen in eight patients. Open cholecystectomy was performed in seven of them but was judged to be absolutely necessary in only two cases (one patient each with Caroli syndrome and Mirizzi syndrome). ERC also revealed bile duct stones in 29 of 264 patients (11.0%) which had not been suspected on the basis of clinical, laboratory and ultrasonographic findings in nine cases (3.4%). EPT succeeded in all of the 29 patients with choledocholithiasis but open cholecystectomy was subsequently performed in four patients due to incomplete bile duct clearance (n = 3) or temporary bleeding after EPT (n = 1). The rate of ERC/EPT-related morbidity was 2.8%. It is concluded from a risk-benefit analysis in these patients that ERC should be restricted to patients with suspected bile duct stones. Following this strategy, small ductal concrements and bile duct abnormalities will be missed in 6.4% of cases but the clinical relevance of these findings is still unclear. In patients with combined gallbladder and common bile duct stones, preoperative EPT plus subsequent laparoscopic cholecystectomy appears to be an effective and time-saving therapeutic regimen which should be compared with open cholecystectomy plus common bile duct exploration in future studies.

Bile Duct Diseases↗