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Biomedical subjects

J Lerut

Publications and source records attributed to J Lerut.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Acute thrombosis of the splanchnic veins.

The consequence of an acute thrombosis in the splanchnic veins on the viability of the intestine has not been well defined in the literature. Spontaneous recovery or total necrosis of the bowel have both been described. We treated seven patients with thrombosis of the splanchnic veins and adopted a surgical approach in three patients with extended and complete thrombosis of the superior mesenteric vein, portal vein, and splenic vein, while four patients with partial thrombosis of the superior mesenteric vein or protal vein recovered with conservative treatment. A 22-year literature review has identified 64 cases of acute thrombosis in the splanchnic veins, with complete information regarding the location and extent of the thrombosis, the treatment, and the outcome. Different anatomical patterns of thrombosis with mortality rates varying between 0% and 76% seem to be related to the extent and completeness of venous obstruction.

Acute Disease↗

Management of traumatic liver injuries.

Liver injuries in Europe are usually caused by blunt trauma and a high mortality rate is generally reported. The severity of liver injury in 175 patients was graded from I to V and the Injury Severity Score assessed. Seventy-five patients in a prospective study (1987-1990) were treated according to a defined protocol. Non-operative management was used for those who were haemodynamically stable on admission. In unstable patients who proceeded to surgery, liberal use of packing was made and a low threshold for relaparotomy employed. Increasing experience resulted in fewer indications for resection and a 40 per cent rate of non-operative treatment in the prospectively managed group. The overall mortality rate was 12 per cent (15 per cent in the retrospective and 8 per cent in the prospective group). Death in patients with multiple injuries should only rarely result from liver trauma.

Adolescent↗

An "open-closed" technique for the treatment of necrotizing pancreatitis.

Open packing or closed continuous irrigation of the lesser sac are used for the debridement of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Multiple explorations are often required with either technique, and morbidity remains high. The authors describe a new method of treatment combining laparostoma and continuous lavage. This technique permits continuous atraumatic débridement of necrotic tissues with closed continuous lavage while maintaining a readily available laparostoma for further exploration. The exposure and debridement of the necrotic pancreatic bed and isolation of the bowel, with construction of a closed continuous irrigation system and laparostoma, are described in detail.

Acute Disease↗

The unreliability of the lidocaine/monoethylglycinexylidide test for assessment of liver donors.

The serum monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) level 15 min (t15) after i.v. administration of lidocaine (1 mg/kg) in liver donors was retrospectively correlated with graft outcome and early hepatic function. Among the 35 orthotopic liver transplants studied, 4 recipients had to be retransplanted within 10 days post-OLT because of early graft nonfunction or dysfunction, and 3 recipients died, with a median (range) donor MEGX t15 (ng/ml) of 100 (86-119) and 169 (146-182), respectively. The remaining 28 OLT patients living with functioning grafts had a donor MEGX of 87 (18-245). No significant correlations could be found between donor MEGX t15 and recipient mean and peak glutamic-oxaloacetic and -pyruvic transaminases, total serum bilirubin, or mean and minimum prothrombin time values studied from day 1 to day 5 post-OLT. Moreover, categorization of donors using the MEGX t15 cut-off point of 80 ng/ml could not predict liver graft quality, as previously suggested. In summary, MEGX t15 in liver donors correlated neither with graft outcome nor with early functional parameters. Accordingly, the MEGX test should not be used as an isolated discriminatory evaluation for organ utilization.

Adult↗

Impact of innovative techniques on the waiting list and results in pediatric liver transplantation.

The wide application of liver transplantation in children is hampered by the shortage of size-matched pediatric donors; this results in high mortality rate on the waiting list, a long waiting time, worsening of the clinical condition of the waiting patient, deterioration of the overall results, and an increase in the cost. Reduced-size liver transplants have been shown to be a safe way to alleviate the shortage of size-matched organs. We have retrospectively analyzed the impact of the reduced-size liver transplants on the waiting list and the results in a consecutive series of 314 transplants performed in 261 children over an 8-year period (1984-1991). Among these 314 grafts, 160 (51%) were innovative techniques including 86 reduced livers (stricto senso), 66 partial livers (with preservation of the recipient vena cava), and 8 split livers. Such an extensive use of these technical variants allowed a sharp decrease in the waiting list mortality: from 14.9% between 1984 and 1989 to 6.6% in 1990 and 5% in 1991; the corresponding figures for infants registered under the age of 1 year were 25%, 13.3%, and 8.3%, respectively. Results obtained with a full-size graft or a technical variant were similar regarding surgical complications (with a significantly lower incidence of arterial thrombosis for the reduced transplants), graft loss, and patient survival. The 5-year survival of the whole group was 78.1% without any significant difference regarding type of transplant, indications (with the best results: 89.4% 5-year survival obtained in 41 children grafted for metabolic diseases), or age (the 5-year survival was 82.2% for the 41 infants transplanted under the age of 1 year, 78.9% for the 124 children transplanted between 1 and 3 years, and 81.3% for the 96 children transplanted between 6 and 15 years). This series of reduced-size liver transplants, which is the largest worldwide single institutional experience, confirms that the extensive use of reduced transplants in children is safe; this study also shows that innovative techniques, including the split liver, allow a drastic decrease of the waiting list mortality of candidates in the pediatric age range without alterations of the results.

Adolescent↗

Indications and limitations of percutaneous cholecystostomy for acute cholecystitis.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) was used as an alternative to operative therapy in 21 elderly or critically ill patients with suspected acute cholecystitis. All had associated disabling diseases, ten (48 percent) were older than 65 years, nine (43 percent) were in the intensive care unit and eight (38 percent) were recovering from recent operations. Among the 21 patients, 18 had cholecystitis (eight calculous and ten acalculous); in three patients, the procedure was only diagnostic. In 16 of 18 patients with acute cholecystitis, immediate relief of symptoms and significant improvement of laboratory signs of cholecystitis occurred. Persistent signs of peritonitis and uncertainty of diagnosis led to cholecystectomy without complication in one patient. Colonic perforation, as a result of technical complications, necessitated laparotomy in another patient. No other complication of PC was noted. Mortality rate of a patient with cholecystitis, treated by PC, was 5.5 percent (one of 18). Among ten patients with acalculous cholecystitis, only one patient underwent cholecystectomy because of a direct complication of PC. The other nine patients are alive and symptom-free with an intact gallbladder after a mean follow-up period of 16 months. Among eight patients with calculous cholecystitis, four later underwent cholecystectomy, three died from underlying disease, and one patient had stones extracted percutaneously. These results indicate that PC is an effective temporary measure in elderly or critically ill patients with acute cholecystitis and, under close clinical supervision, a safe alternative to surgical intervention. In patients with acalculous cholecystitis, PC can be used as an immediate and definitive therapy, and cholecystectomy can be avoided.

Acute Disease↗

[Organ procurement].

Organ transplantation is increasing by becoming an important part of medicine and surgery. Its development is mainly restricted by a lack of organ donation. The authors describe the methods of donor treatment and organ procurement. Medical and paramedical professionals should be aware of the actual achievements in organ transplantation. Their motivation and their responsiveness should become the mainstays in the further development of transplantation.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

[The role of surgery in portal hypertension].

Following a historical review of the treatment of portal hypertension, the evaluation of the patient with bleeding esophageal varices is discussed. The aim of preoperative evaluation is to determine the best option for either emergency or elective treatment of bleeding esophageal varices. The most recent medical and surgical randomized studies with meta-analyses are discussed.

Esophageal and Gastric Varices↗

Pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy. Experience in 20 patients.

Twenty patients underwent a pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy for benign or malignant periampullary and pancreatic disease. Eighteen patients had a partial and two patients a total pancreatectomy. There were 19 elective and 1 emergency operations. Post-operative mortality was 4% (1/20 patients) and the median follow up was 31 months (range, 15-75 months), during which period 8 patients with a malignant disease died. Pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy did not compromise survival in ampullary cancer. One patient developed a marginal ulcer during the study period and one of twelve patients, examined by technetium scintigraphy (done more than 3 months after the procedure), had delayed gastric emptying. Two patients presented with a gastric retention as the first sign of recurrent pancreatic cancer. The result of the operation was judged as excellent in 7 patients, good in 8 and as bad in only 2 of the 17 patients who survived more than 6 months. Body weight was studied in 15 patients surviving more than one year after operation; five patients had gained weight, two had lost weight and in 8 there was no difference. Pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy seems to be a valuable alternative in the treatment of patients with benign and selected malignant pancreaticobiliary disease.

Adult↗

Chronic rejection and extrahepatic biliary tract obstruction 8 years after orthotopic liver transplantation using the gallbladder-conduit technique.

A case of delayed biliary obstruction and cholangitis, occurring in the setting of chronic allograft rejection, 8 years after liver transplantation using the gallbladder-conduit, is presented. Extrahepatic biliary obstruction may be seen in the late follow-up of liver grafting and rejection phenomena may play a significant role in the development of such obstruction.

Adult↗

Fluctuation of anti-A and anti-B histo-blood-group antibodies in a patient after liver transplantation.

The concentrations of anti-A and anti-B IgM and IgG antibodies have been studied in the serum of a patient with blood group AB who received a type A donor liver. A newly developed ABO-ELISA was used for this purpose and the values were compared to hemagglutination titers. During the postoperative study period over 8 weeks, the anti-A and anti-B levels showed a higher fluctuation than was measured in preoperative samples. Thus, in this AB-type patient, anti-A IgM varied 10-fold, anti-A IgG 20-fold and anti-B IgG 16-fold. Peak values corresponded to rejection episodes. Immunoactivation in the patient was further documented by the presence of abnormally high levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R) in serum samples. The study shows that monitoring of anti-A/B antibodies may represent a further criterion to follow-up transplanted patients during the critical postoperative graft acceptance period.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

Hepatic abscess following biliary tract surgery. Etiology, treatment and results.

Experience of seven consecutive cases of liver abscess following biliary tract surgery is presented. The age range was 41-83 years, and six of the patients were women. The interval from operation to appearance of abscess was 10 days to 14 months. Primary surgical drainage was used in two patients, who remained clinically well 6 months and 2 years later. Four of five patients with initially percutaneous drainage subsequently underwent operative drainage, but one refused further surgery and died 8 days later of sepsis. Multiple factors may predispose to both cholangitis and hepatic abscess following biliary tract surgery. Radiologic investigation of abscess must also focus on identifying underlying biliary pathology. Bactericholia and obstructed bile flow are two of the most important etiologic factors in hepatic abscess after biliary surgery. Experience with these cases suggests that a surgical approach may be preferable to percutaneous techniques in management also of the associated biliary pathology.

Adult↗

[Surgery of benign and malignant primary liver tumors].

Better, noninvasive, diagnostics, better knowledge of anatomy and of surgical techniques have been responsible for a considerable development of liver surgery during recent years. Primary malignant liver tumours can only be cured by resection. The decision for resectional surgery should be based on different tumor characteristics, of whom the nature of the liver tissue (normal or cirrhotic) in which the tumor develops in of utmost importance. A malignant tumor should be resected with save, tumor-free margins, leaving behind as much normal functional parenchyma as possible. The role of complementary therapies as e.g. chemotherapy, chemo-embolisation and arterial ischemia must be further developed. Liver transplantation will probably play a more important role in the future development of liver cancer treatment. Surgery for benign liver tumors can be restricted most of the time to a limited resection; extended hepatectomies are rarely necessary. The more deliberate use of intraoperative ultrasound and hepatic vascular exclusion as well as the more frequent use of ultrasound dissectors will allow safer liver surgery; this applies especially for the excision of benign solid liver tumors. Because of their degenerative risks, liver adenomas should be excised. Focal nodular hyperplasia and haemangioma remain rare indications for surgery. The low morbidity and mortality of elective liver resections should favour a more widespread use of surgery for the treatment of malignant as well benign liver tumors.

Adenoma↗