Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Troidl.
A case of a coincidental finding of hepatic carcinoid micrometastases, barely visible to the eye, during routine laparoscopic cholecystectomy is reported. The micrometastases were possibly recognized as a result of a beneficial aspect of laparoscopic surgery, namely the >10x enlargement of tissue/pathologic structures.
PURPOSE: To examine the quality of life after repair of esophageal atresia, follow-up studies were performed in 58 of 71 surviving patients (81.7%). METHODS: Fifty patients with primary anastomosis and all eight surviving patients with colon interposition were seen. The mean age was 25.3 years (range, 20 to 31). Symptoms were evaluated by a standardized interview. Quality of life assessment was performed using a visual analogue scale (0 to 100 points), the Spitzer Index (5 dimensions, 10 points), and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI, 5 dimensions, 128 points). RESULTS: After primary anastomosis the estimated meal capacity was unrestricted in 46 patients (92%), but numerous symptoms such as recidivating cough (60%), hold up (48%), and short breath (30%) were reported. All symptoms except cough were seen more frequently in patients with colon interposition, and all of these patients suffered from periods of short breath. Quality of life scores were higher in patients with primary anastomosis compared with colon interposition. The difference in the visual analogue scale score did not reach statistical significance, but the mean Spitzer Index was 9.7 compared with 8.8 after colon interposition (P < .05). The GIQLI after primary anastomosis was similar to that in healthy controls and was significantly lower in patients with colon interposition. This was because of specific symptoms, which scored 49.3 after colon interposition compared with 61.7 after primary anastomosis (P < .05) and to 54.8 (SD 5) in healthy controls (P < .05). Physical and social functions, emotions, and inconvenience of a medical treatment scored similar in patients with primary anastomosis, colon interposition, and healthy volunteers. CONCLUSIONS: The long-term quality of life after primary anastomosis was excellent. Patients with colon interposition suffer more frequently from various gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms, but they lead an otherwise normal life.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the current practice of incisional hernia repair in Germany and analysis of the results of the Mayo duplication technique done in our hospital over a 10-year period. DESIGN: Nationwide survey, retrospective analysis. SETTING: University department, Germany. SUBJECTS: Survey of most surgical departments and of 114 patients with 135 incisional hernias in our unit. INTERVENTION: Mayo duplication repair incisional hernias. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Common practice, recurrence rates, quality of life. RESULTS: The Mayo overlap is the preferred technique in most surgical departments. The estimated failure rates (12% or less) in general practice are grossly underestimated. In our hospital the recurrence rate after Mayo duplication repair was 61/114 (54%) during a follow up time of 5.7 years with a follow-up-rate of 84%. Univariate and multivariate analyses failed to identify any predisposing factors. All patients with incisional hernias had limitations their physical function. CONCLUSIONS: The widely used Mayo procedure leads to unacceptable results for repair of incisional hernias and other techniques should be evaluated and used more often. Repair of an incisional hernia does not improve overall quality of life.
In a study in pigs pathophysiological effects of a pneumoperitoneum (PP) established during endotoxemia (2 micrograms/kg b.w./hr) were investigated. In this situation a PP with carbon dioxide (CO2) or helium induces a deterioration of systemic hemodynamics or acid-base-stability. Some of these effects threaten vital stability. PP with either gas causes a mucosal acidosis of the small bowel within the meaning of an impairment of intestinal oxygen supply. A CO2-PP adversely affects the intestinal energy metabolism and leads to significantly increased endotoxin levels in contrast to helium after desufflation of the abdominal cavity. Data of this study at least demand for a careful monitoring, if laparoscopy is performed in septic and critically ill patients.
The experimental study investigates the resuscitation of livers procured from non heart beating donors by venous systemic oxygen persufflation in a pig transplantation model. In group 1 livers were harvested from donor animals after 60 min of potassium induced cardiac arrest. Livers were then flushed and preserved in 4 degrees C cold University of Wisconsin solution for 4 hrs. Then liver transplantation was performed in recipient animals. Animals of group 2 received the same treatment, but during hypothermic storage we applied venous systemic oxygen gas persufflation (VSOP) via the supra-hepatic vena cava. Livers of group 3 were harvested without warm ischemia and without oxygen treatment during cold ischemic storage and were then transplanted. All recipient animals of group 2 and 3 survived the five day follow-up time. All recipient animals of group 1 died a few hours after liver reperfusion due to circulatory shock or liver failure. The liver quality of group 2 recipient animals was similar to group 3 livers, because serum transaminase levels and blood coagulation test showed no significantly different values between those groups. Our data suggest that livers procured from non heart beating donors after 1 hr of cardiac arrest can be resuscitated and successfully transplanted by therapeutic treatment with VSOP.
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Out of 234 elective patients 162 (69%) with colorectal disease were resected by laparoscope. The conversion rate was 8.5%. Mortality and morbidity were low. Patients' recovery was quick. A total of 96 patients were operated because of colorectal cancer. The number of resected lymph nodes and resection margins was sufficient. No port metastases were observed. Six patients developed either perineal or hepatic tumor recurrence.
All 1994 publications of four leading journals in surgery, orthopedics and internal medicine in Germany (Der Chirurg, Der Unfallchirurg, Langenbecks Archiv für Chirurgie, Medizinische Klinik) were reviewed by means of a structured analysis. The type of article, authorship, number of references, geographical location, quality, and main conclusion (positive; neutral; negative) of each article were documented. The journals focused on clinical studies (32.2-59.6%), case reports (11.0-26.1%) and reviews (6.4-40.9%). Articles about surgical techniques were mainly found in Der Chirurg (16.9%), experimental studies in Der Unfallchirurg (14.7%) and Langenbecks Archiv für Chirurgie (25.7%). Most articles were written by university clinic personnel (62.6-81.4%). In 11.0-22.6% of all articles, the head of a clinic was the first author and the co-author in 36.5-58.7%. Women were found to be first author in 4% in surgery, and in 10.4% in internal medicine. Of a total of 495 publications, 53.9% were written in Northrhine-Westphalia, Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg and only 1.6% in the five new federal states. Of all articles 16.4% were by foreign authors, with 10.5% originating from German-speaking countries. The portion of controlled randomized trials ranged between 4.9% (Der Unfallchirurg) and 11.3% (Der Chirurg) of all published studies. Studies and case reports with negative results were found to be more evident in Der Chirurg and Langenbecks Archiv für Chirurgie (ca. 20%) as compared to Der Unfallchirurg and Medizinische Klinik (ca. 6%). All journals provided good general information about the actual developments in a variety of topics to the reader. However, some improvement concerning international contributions, participation of the new federal states, and the quality of studies is recommended.
The aim of this study was to access the importance of the laparoscopic colorectal resection. Of 131 patients 80 were operated on laparoscopically. The conversion rate was 14% (13/93). A total of 47 patients suffered from cancer. Curative resection was performed in 41 patients (87%). For comparison, 48 patients who underwent open resection were used. The complication rate was lower after laparoscopy and no reoperation was performed. Patients recovered quicker and their first oral food intake and bowel movement were earlier. Hospital stay was shorter (15.3 vs. 8.1 days), and pain at rest and in motion was significantly reduced. Equal numbers of mesenteric lymph nodes were retrieved; adequate margins of resection could be obtained and the length of resected bowel did not differ. No port metastases were observed. Reduced morbidity, reduced hospital stay, reduced abdominal pain, quicker reconvalescence, and reduced overall health care costs are strong arguments in favor of laparoscopic colectomy.
Quality assurance is a concept intended to ensure the quality of a surgical therapy on a defined level. But what is "quality" in surgical therapy? Quality can be described in a lot of different ways. Quality has something to do with taste, especially with individual preferences. The testing of the quality of wine is a good example. Even though this is quite difficult, it can still be done and has been done for hundreds of years. In surgery we are still at the beginning. Discussions regarding the definition of quality, the best method of quality assurance and, not least, who is responsibility for its measurement are well-known obstacles on the path to improvement. Quality has basically little to do with research. It is not a matter of finding the right technique, but of ensuring that the right technique, when found, is correctly used. Defined quality standards will allow this. Quality standards in inguinal hernia surgery are: outstanding comfort directly before and after the therapy, few or no side effects troubling the patient, most of all no disastrous side effects, disaster, low rate of relapse and, in our times, decent economy. The question: "Is the target to be oriented on the average or must the standard be brought nearer the best performance?" has to be answered. Surgery and average performance do not match; surgical performance cannot be oriented on the average. The next question is: "Which methods are suitable for this?". The "tracer method" is one method, one aspect within quality assurance methods in general. It is designed for obtaining information on the quality of a clinic/department. The obtained data on complication rates, for example (10%), and their striking points should above all give insight into the complete department, i.e., on complication rates of a surgical department in general. The same counts for infection rates or striking points. The essential question remains: "Who should carry it out?" Bureaucrats lacking expertise will buy it. The principle of autonomy, "expertise connected to competence" has to be kept when answering the question of who should do it and how. The tracer method, using hernia surgery as a tracer, is not necessarily suitable as a measure of the quality of inguinal hernia surgery. Even though it supplies--as a side effect--information about inguinal hernia surgery, like complication rates (10%) and relapse operations (10%), as well as the varying anaesthetic procedures, or the use for changes in therapeutic procedures, the tracer method is not suitable to sufficiently inform about the quality of inguinal hernia surgery in particular. A further essential aspect when analysing quality assurance--showing up clearly at the moment--is the fact, that "another" control will develop if this inactivity remains. In this case the "controllers" will certainly not be the surgeons. The nightmare vision of bureaucrats (insurance companies or other parties) as controllers is in sight. This would be the same situation as if Michael Schumacher's Ferrari were checked by clerks and not by engineers.
Cholecystotomy has been suggested for symptomatic gallstone disease in selected children. This suggestion is supported by a potential reduction in the frequency of the so-called postcholecystotomy syndrome. To our knowledge, laparoscopic cholecystotomy has not been reported yet. However, gallstone recurrence has been reported up to 4 years after conventional cholecystotomy and therefore we waited to publish our results for that period of time. A 12-year-old girl with idiopathic symptomatic gallstone disease and a normal kinetic of the gallbladder underwent laparoscopic cholecystotomy. The laparoscopic technique was similar to laparoscopic cholecystectomy but the gallbladder was left in place and multiple gallstones were removed. Intraoperative cholecystoscopy revealed three additional small stones. They were removed by subsequent lavage of the gallbladder. Choledocholithiasis was excluded by intraoperative cholangiography and the gallbladder was closed using an Endo GIA. There were no intraoperative or postoperative events. The patient is free of complaints without recurrent gallstones on ultrasound examination today, 4 years after the operation. Laparoscopic cholecystotomy represents a feasible alternative to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
BACKGROUND: Most standard trauma score systems have been developed and validated in the United States. However, trauma differs between the United States and Germany. This prospective study tested the validity of eight current trauma scoring systems (Glasgow Coma Scale, Trauma Score, Revised Trauma Score, Injury Severity Score, TRISSTS, TRISSRTS, Prehospital Index, Polytraumaschluessel) in 612 patients in Cologne. METHODS: Between January 1, 1987, and December 31, 1987, 2,136 trauma related emergencies were seen by emergency physicians in the field. All trauma patients with a Trauma Score below 16 and a random sample of 10% of patients with a Trauma Score of 16 were included in the study (n = 625). Follow-up was successfully completed for 612 patients (97%). Their hospital outcome was correlated with their individual score result. RESULTS: All trauma score systems under study showed high accuracy rates. TRISSRTS and TRISSTS performed best with values of above 0.97 for the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the standard trauma score systems are valid tools for patient classification and support TRISSRTS as the international reference score system for the assessment of injury severity. This validation will allow comparisons between different trauma care systems.
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Viscerosyntheses represent an unrenouncable component of several endoscopic procedures. The extra cost for a laparoscopic viscerosynthesis of approximately 2000 DM in the year 1994 are economically well invested with regard to a reduced postoperative pain, a reduced amount of postoperative analgesics, a faster recovery, and most of all drastically reduced morbidity of the abdominal wall. The unfortunate structure of the healthcare system burdens the hospital with additional financial expenditures, thus shifting the profits to the insurance companies. A change in this profit structure would allow for a faster spread of efficient and promising therapies. Economical studies including patients, physicians, hospital administrations and insurance companies are considered to be imperative in order to promote the development of efficient therapies.
In both jurisdiction and medical science, given conditions require appropriate intervention, which may in turn result in norms being created. Norms, however, counteract individuality. An essential prerequisite for free decision--making is an absolute awareness of all possibilities available. Therefore the physician/surgeon too, is obliged to impart all relevant information to the patient prior to an operation to enable the patient to reach a decision, either to agree to or refuse the operation. This process of information transfer may sometimes fail on one or both sides. Treatment errors are usually classified according to scientific medical practice. In the case of "breach to duty in information patient" the final decision is the judges. As judicial decisions are not foreseeable, the communication between patient and surgeon thus becomes standardized and doctors tend to become defensive, resulting in the information becoming even more extensive covering all possible situations. There is no guarantee of success in surgery. Selective perception on the part of the patient is unavoidable and confidence in the relationship between patient and surgeon is beneficial to the patient's rehabilitation. Therefore, we should strive to decriminalize the preoperative talk held between surgeon and patient.
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The recurrence rates following the "simple" incisional hernia repair procedures (Mayo-procedure or direct adaptation) are unacceptably high, in literature up to 50%. In order to reduce the recurrence rates alternative procedures are necessary, e.g. the additional support of the anterior abdominal wall by implantation of a non resorbable mesh or autodermal plasty. Our national inquiry of 669 hospitals showed that the technique of autodermal hernioplasty is almost unknown among the German surgeons. In this article a comparison of the history, morphology, healing process and possibilities of cutis implantation as well as technical aspects of different types of autodermal hernioplasty (cutis lacing plasty, onlay and sublay corium mesh plasty) are described. By literature analysis the results of autodermal hernioplasty are compared with the results of mesh implantation. The autodermal hernioplasty is discussed as an alternative operative procedure to the implantation of artificial meshs.
The importance of so-called oncological standards is stressed every time an innovation is introduced in surgical practice. It has been stated that for colorectal cancer surgery the following oncological rules must be followed: wide tumor resection with gentle tumour removal, en bloc resection of the tumour without tumour cell spillage, no-touch isolation technique, primary ligation of the vessels and systematic lymph node dissection. Most of these oncological standards and rules are imprecise and unproven. Prognosis of the patients is not improved. Operative trauma has been shown to be associated with reproducible alterations in host immune function. This weakening of the immune system may increase risk of distant recurrence arising from exfoliated malignant cells during the operation. Up to now it is not known if laparoscopic technique diminishes these adverse effects on the immune response.