Microsurgery permits the carrying out of pancreatic isografts in inbred rats. By this experimental pattern, it is possible to study the technical problems of pancreatic transplantation without interference from the immune reaction. The research of suppressing exocrine function in the graft by intraductal chloroprene injection and the study of the short-term effects of this procedure on endocrine function of the pancreas are the aim of this work. These experiments show that injection of chloroprene into the main pancreatic duct is an effective method of selective suppression of pancreatic exocrine function without interference with endocrine function. This procedure prevents the high mortality and morbidity which characterizes the other procedures with pancreatic juice derivation.

Animals↗

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Amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis: is there a place for surgery?

Amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism has on most instances been reported as mild, and thyroid functions return to normal after discontinuation of the drug. Nevertheless, life-threatening amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis has also been described. Conventional treatments such as antithyroid drugs (thionamide) and corticosteroids are essentially ineffective or fail to alter the dramatic course of the thyroid crisis. This limited effectiveness of medical therapy, particularly in patients with previously neglected or unknown thyroid disease, prompted us to intervene surgically. We report a series of nine patients who underwent total or near-total thyroidectomy as a first-line therapy for five of them. Surgery resulted in rapid resolution of thyrotoxicosis with an uneventful postoperative course. This approach has the advantage of immediate effectivity, low risk of relapse, and appears to be the only treatment that permits continued therapy with amiodarone when the drug appears needed to control a life-threatening arrhythmia.

Aged↗

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Oxidative stress in the liver and the brain of rats in fulminant hepatic failure.

The etiological mechanisms of brain edema in fulminant hepatic failure are incompletely understood. In a surgical model of fulminant hepatic failure in the rat, we tested whether oxidative stress may be involved in the early steps of brain edema. Moreover, we took advantage of this model to determine if oxidative stress may be involved in the hepatocyte dysfunction observed in the setting of fulminant hepatic failure. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measurement of tissue ascorbic acid in the brain and liver of rats at 6 hours after induction of fulminant hepatic failure versus in control or partially hepatectomized rats. After 6 hours, the level of ascorbic acid was not different in the brain tissue of the various groups, indicating no oxidative stress. The liver showed a significant decrease in ascorbic acid levels, both in ischemic and nonischemic liver tissue, suggesting that oxidative stress might be involved in the failure of liver regeneration in fulminant hepatic failure. In this rat model no oxidative stress was demonstrated in the brain during the early phase of fulminant liver failure.

Animals↗

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Right lobe living related liver transplantation in adults without venous drainage of the paramedian sector.

INTRODUCTION: There is some controversy on the necessity of venous reconstruction of the right paramedian sector (segments V and VIII) during right lobe living related liver transplantation. In this report we describe the evolution of posttransplant graft function in five consecutive right lobe recipients without specific drainage of the right paramedian sector. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The technique of common right hepatectomy for right lobe graft harvesting and transplantation did not include the middle hepatic vein in the graft. The mean total ischemic time was 51 minutes (ranges: 35 to 64 minutes). The mean graft to recipient weight ratio was 1.35% +/- 0.15%. No patient developed small-for-size syndrome. RESULTS: All patients showed a rise in transaminases with a maximum at postoperative day 2 (mean aspartate aminotransferase: 1067 +/- 432 IU/mL). Liver function improved rapidly, with coagulation normalized at postoperative day 5. Bilirubin decreased progressively to normalize in three patients at postoperative day 14. Ultrasonography and computed tomography demonstrated that the paramedian sector of the right liver was congested, a state that was temporary with normalization of the liver tests and congestion disappeared at follow-up. No complication was linked to congestion. DISCUSSION: This series showed that in right lobe liver transplantation with a relatively large-size graft, reconstruction of the hepatic veins of the paramedian sector may not be necessary despite the induction of some degree of venous congestion. In smaller grafts, this congestion might be avoided by reconstruction of the large veins draining segments V and VIII.

Adult↗

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Avoiding blood products during liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation is a major surgical procedure usually requiring large amount of blood products (red cells, platelets, fresh-frozen plasma). We developed a multidisciplinary transfusion-free protocol for liver transplantation in Jehovah's witnesses who refuse the use of blood products but accept organ transplantation. Between September 1998 and November 2004, 9 of 29 Jehovah's witnesses evaluated for liver transplantation were transplanted after medical preparation. None of these patients received any blood product during the surgical procedure. This experience may be beneficial for the entire liver transplantation population, as excessive transfusion has been linked to increased morbidity and mortality in liver transplantation.

Adult↗

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Adjuvant hyperthermic intraperitoneal peroperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) associated with curative surgery for locally advanced gastric carcinoma. An initial experience.

AIM OF THE STUDY: After macroscopic radical (R0) surgery for advanced gastric carcinoma, 40 to 50% of the tumors recur in the abdomen as locoregional or peritoneal disease. We initiated a protocol in which patients with suspicion of macroscopic serosal, lymphatic or peritoneal invasion, treated with R0 resection, underwent adjuvant HIPEC. METHODS: Between June 1998 and January 2003, 16 patients with locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach were included in the study. Surgery consisted of a total gastrectomy with a D2 lymphadenectomy. Splenectomy (n = 1), splenopancreatectomy (n = 4), transverse colectomy (n = 3), left hepatectomy (n = 1), localized peritonectomy (n = 3) were associated to obtain a R0 resection. HIPEC protocol consisted of heated (42.5 degrees C) intraperitoneal mitomycin C (15 mg/m2) for a planned duration of 90 minutes. RESULTS: HIPEC median duration was limited to 73(20-90) min because of central hyperthermia recognition in half of the cases. One patient died in the postoperative period of sepsis secondary to a duodenal fistula. Postoperative morbidity included pancreatic fistula (n = 2), pulmonary oedema (n = 1), pulmonary embolus (n = 1) and transient renal failure (n = 1). UICC staging was IB (n = 2), II (n = 2), IIIA (n = 5), IIIB (n = 1), IV (n = 6). Nine of the 16 patients are alive without recurrence with a median follow-up of 52 months. Four patients developed a recurrence, intraperitoneal (n = 2), systemic (n = 1), or combined (n = 1). Two patients were lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive surgical therapy and HIPEC might represent the standard of care in a selected population with locoregional disease and for whom a R0 resection can be achieved. This protocol was associated in this study with a 75% 5-year survival with a low peritoneal recurrence rate and an acceptable morbidity.

Adenocarcinoma↗

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Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for colorectal peritoneal carcinomatosis: higher complication rate for oxaliplatin compared to Mitomycin C.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from colo-rectal cancer carries a very poor prognosis with a mean and median overall survival times of 6.9 and 5.2 months. It has been proved that a locoregional therapeutic approach of this disease with cytoreduction followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) improved survival of these patients. However, this combined treatment presents a high complication rate. METHODS: 21 patients with PC of colorectal origin underwent complete cytoreduction followed by HIPEC using Mitomycin-C (13 patients) or oxaliplatin (8 patients) and the open coliseum technique. For each case the medical datas were retrospectively analysed to determine feasibility, morbidity, mortality, survival time and prognostic factors. RESULTS: All patients presented a Sugarbaker's Peritoneal Cancer index inferior to 15. The mean operating time was 453 minutes. After a median follow-up of 24.9 months, actuarial disease-free survival was 36.6% at 5 years. The median survival time was 34 months. The morbidity rate was 33.3% with a significant higher complication rate in the oxaliplatin group (5/8) than in the Mytomycin-C (MMC) group (2/13). One patient (4.7%) died two months after treatment with MMC (endocarditis). CONCLUSIONS: This series confirm positive impact of cytoreduction and HIPEC on PC. We obtained a moderated complications rate thanks to a high degree of selection of the patient. Oxaliplatin scheme is responsible of a higher morbidity than in MMC group. Phase III trial comparing these two drugs is needed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Diverticulosis and diverticulitis in the immunocompromised patients.

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Diverticulitis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The inferior non recurrent laryngeal nerve: a major surgical risk during thyroidectomy.

It is now widely established that systematic intraoperative location and diligent dissection of the recurrent inferior laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy are the keystones to assure its anatomic and functional preservation. The possibility of abnormal routes, like a non-recurrent cervical course of the inferior laryngeal nerve is an additional major argument for its systematic identification to avoid surgical damage. In 2517 cervicotomies performed between 1992 and 1997 for at least right thyroid lobe excision or parathyroid glands exploration, 20 cases of non recurrent laryngeal nerve were identified (0.79%). The embryological nature of such a nervous anatomical variation results originally from a vascular disorder, named arteria lusoria in which the fourth right aortic arch is abnormally absorbed, being therefore unable to drag the right recurrent laryngeal nerve down when the heart descends and the neck elongates during embryonic development. The surgeon must be aware of the possibility of a non recurrent laryngeal nerve, which arises directly from the cervical vagus and therefore represents a severe potential pitfall during thyroidectomy. Given the absence of reliable clinical symptoms and signs or investigations indicating preoperatively the possibility of a non recurrent nerve, guidelines are given to prevent intraoperatively this major surgical risk.

Aorta↗