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Biomedical subjects

P Buchmann

Publications and source records attributed to P Buchmann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Adrenalectomy after snowboard fall. A pheochromocytoma becomes clinically apparent in an unusual way].

A 33-year-old snowboarder fell and underwent radiological examination, which was suspicious for a vertebral body fracture. Accidentally we found a tumour of the left suprarenal gland. Two days after the fall, he developed a hypertensive crisis with peak blood pressure levels up to 280/120 mmHg. Further endocrinologic testing indicated a pheochromocytoma which was confirmed by post-operative histology. The fall is supposed to have activated the pheochromocytoma. The course of examinations and significance of the tumour are described.

Accidental Falls↗

[Progress of the laparoscopic colorectal surgery with special consideration regarding cancer treatment].

The development of laparoscopic surgery began with the diagnostic coelioscopy in 1901 and the first appendectomy in 1983. Its worldwide spread started in 1987 with the cholecystectomy. Four years later the right hemicolectomy and sigmoid resection were also described. The initial euphoria however evaporated when the first reports of port-site-metastasis appeared. The controversy whether one should be allowed or not to operate carcinomas laparoscopically, provoked a boom in research with as result that in 2000 it had been confirmed that the incidence of port-site-metastasis was about the same as drain-site-metastasis after open procedures (0.9%). Randomized studies comparing laparoscopic interventions and open surgery showed no difference in the long-term results of colon-carcinoma. For experienced surgeons this is also the case for rectum-carcinoma. Hereby the learning curve is of great importance and has been put at 30 to 70 procedures, taken into account the duration of the operation or other criteria such as conversion to open surgery and complications. With growing experience the amount of material used during an operation goes down, which results in a lower overall cost of the minimal-invasive technique compared with open surgery. In cost calculations one should also take into account the fact that the recovery time and the return to every-day life is generally quicker for patients after laparoscopic surgery while overall they also have a significant better quality of life score (SF-36) in the longer term. Currently, i.e. in 2006 the laparoscopic colorectal surgery has become an established procedure. It is thought that laparoscopic interventions give additional advantages because the immune system is less affected but this must still be confirmed through research.

Animals↗

[Is open appendectomy still up-to-date?].

The acceptance of the laparoscopic technique for appendectomy can't be compared with the success in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The discussion is still controversial. A lower rate of wound infection in comparison to open appendectomy has been proven statistically in many studies. There is no evidence of a higher rate of complications. Postoperative pain may be reduced and return to work is often earlier. Cosmesis shows better results. Operation time and hospital stay are comparable to open appendectomy. The total of direct and indirect costs is not higher with laparoscopic than with open appendectomy. Excellent indications for laparoscopic appendectomy are atypical pain in the right lower abdomen, uncertain diagnosis in fertile and elderly women, obesity and complicated appendicitis. Controlled double-blinded randomized studies are necessary in the future to define the advantages and further indications.

Adult↗

[Learning curve--calculation and value in laparoscopic surgery].

The learning curve shows the progress in mastering a new method. It is completed when the monitored parameters reach a steady state and when the final results can be compared with literature. The earlier used analysis of the performance-improvement with its "on the spots" appraisals at certain time-intervals is replaced by a continuous assessment. The multimode learning curve is particularly useful for it, because not only one parameter (f.e. operation-time), but also several important factors can be put together into one single graphic. For the operation-time, the Moving Average Method is useful. For incidents, which may happen or not like a conversion from laparoscopy to laparotomy as well as complications, the Cusum-method is of practical use. The learning curves of the technique of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, colo-rectal surgery, fundoplicatio and hernia surgery have been completed. Also, the learning curve of the industry is well advanced. Reliable data for the learning curves of individual surgeons for certain operations cannot be given, as, only now, young doctors are being trained on a large scale in laparoscopic technique as used to be the case in the open abdominal surgery. This will influence greatly the learning curves and will shorten the time till their completion. Different bias concerning the individual surgeons and their clinics prohibit the production of comparable curves. Several factors like the patient respectively his abdomen are complicating all this. That's why the learning curves cannot be used as benchmarks to compare different surgeons or clinics, as long as no valid scoring system concerning the complexity of a surgical intervention exists. Learning curves which become quality curves after reaching a steady state, can be used for the individual monitoring of a surgeon's performance and serve as a quality measurement of a clinic. The learning curves of the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, fundoplicatio, colo-rectal surgery and hernia surgery are discussed in particular The mandatory number of operations needed to learn a new method cannot yet be established today, even if all the existing data are consulted. Therefore, the learning curve is a useful instrument to monitor the individual progress and the results of a clinic in the meaning of an individual quality-management. After completion of the learning curve, a quality curve using the same parameters will be given, which shows the deviations of its own standard.

Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic↗

Comparison of resource utilization and long-term quality-of-life outcomes between laparoscopic and conventional colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: The outcomes of laparosopic and conventional colorectal surgery, with special reference to costs of treatment and patients' quality of life, were compared. METHODS: A partly retrospective cohort study was designed to assess the use of resources, and a follow-up interview was undertaken to evaluate patients' quality of life after both to define laparoscopic (LAP) and conventional (CON) surgery. RESULTS: The length of hospital stay was significantly lower in the LAP group (median, 11 days; interquartile range [IQR], 9-15) than in the CON group (median, 16 days; IQR, 13-23; p < 0.0001), which is reflected in lower costs of hospitalization calculated for the three most frequent surgical interventions. Statistically significant improvements were noted between the median scores in the domains of physical functioning (LAP 85 vs CON 68; p < 0.05) and vitality (LAP 85 vs CON 69; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy is a promising alternative for the treatment of patients with colorectal diseases, offering lower costs and a better quality of life in the long term.

Aged↗

[Surgical therapy of fecal incontinence].

The algorithm of the treatment of the stool-incontinence starts with the differentiation between soiling and incontinence for flatus, liquid or formed faeces. In case of soiling, first all the causes that can be surgically solved should be treated. If this is not successful, the scheme of the incontinence-treatment should be followed. The first step is a dietary consultation, which includes prescription of appropriate drugs against diarrhoea, constipation and proctitis. The anal-physiological examinations will inform about the elasticity of the ampulla recti, which can be reduced in inflammatory processes, it will as well inform about the innervations of the ano-rectum and allow an objective sphincter pressure. If dietary therapy and drugs intake fail, the anal sphincter should be more closely examined. An endosonography or a perineal sonography and in case of a rectocele with incontinence a defecography need to be performed. In case of intact or defective sphincter a biofeedback training is started. If this is not successful, a sphincter-repair is performed in case of defective sphincter. To maintain the result the biofeedback training is continued. In case of failure as well as in case of intact sphincter that cannot be treated with the help of the biofeedback training, sacral nerve stimulation is indicated. If this does not work, the next step will be a dynamic graciloplasty or an artificial bowel sphincter. Both these methods are also indicated when the sphincter is missing. If this fails an anus praeter would definitively improve the quality of life of the patients. With bedridden or heavy demented patients, the anus praeter is often the first choice of procedure. The costs of the expensive pacemaker of the sacral nerve stimulation or the dynamic graciloplasty as well as the artificial bowel sphincter scare the insurances. Talking about cost and benefit these appliances are interesting as already in two years the costs a permanent anus praeter is causing are higher than the price of these medical appliances. In this overview article, different surgical procedures are described considering their indications, results and operative principles. The step-by-step use of the proposed algorithm leads to an optimal treatment of the stool-incontinence.

Algorithms↗

[Standard technique of oncologic colorectal surgery].

Who ever is writing about standards should put himself the question: What is a standard? How is it produced? Who is defining it? How compulsory is it? A standard should only be understood as guiding principles or as following guidelines and never as a dogma, while otherwise every operative technical or therapeutical progress is prohibited. On the basis of the onco-surgical guidelines for the colo-rectal carcinoma is shown how standards can begin to sway. The Turnbull "no-touch isolation technique" does not stand up to the criteria of the evidence based medicine. The usefulness of the high ligation of the veins and the intestinal occlusion has not been proven by any studies. The central ligature of the Arteria mesenterica inferior in left resection is wrong according more recent anatomical knowledge. Ligation near to the aorta leads obligatory to lesions of the plexus hypogastricus. Animal experiments are controversial concerning the dissemination of tumour cells during crushing of the cancer. And a prospective controlled study does not show any advantage of respecting the Turnbull criteria. Independent prognostic factors are the surgeon, the frequency of performing the procedure in the hospital concerned, the pT and N stage, the R-0 resection and according to American pathologists the pre-operative CEA titre. Also are mentioned the infiltration of veins and lymph vessels, micro metastases in lymph nodes and the grading. The resection should if possible be performed in anatomical layers, specially considering the meso-rectum. What should be done in the distal 8 cm till the pelvic floor has not yet been clarified. On the contrary, the laparoscopic surgery has definitively also found its acceptance in oncological surgery. The discussions about port-metastases and tumour-cell-dissemination by the pneumoperitoneum-gas have silenced. Already, partially better long-term results are mentioned. In the beginning of 2003, the pillars of the standard technique of oncological colo-rectal surgery are besides the orthograde intestinal flushing, the pre-operative low molecular Heparin and the antibiotic prophylaxis, the open or laparoscopic R-0 en bloc resection, the minimal safety distance in the low rectum of 1 cm, the ligature of the Arteria mesenterica inferior 2-3 cm distally to its origin from the aorta in case of left resection, respectively the Arteria ilio-colica at its origin from the Arteria mesenterica superior in case of right resection, the cytotoxic intestinal flushing in case of left resection and the flushing of the abdominal cavity as well as the port-site with Taurolin 0.5%. In case of rectum-carcinoma uT3 or uN+, a neo-adjuvant radio-chemotherapy is administered and adjuvant chemotherapy is given by positive nodal colon-carcinoma.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

[The learning curve in surgery: possibilities and limits of this method].

The learning curve is a graphic representation of the relationship between the experience of a surgeon and one or more performance indicators. The operation time alone is an insufficient indicator to assess the performance of a surgeon. The procedure time has to be set in relation to the complication rate and in laparoscopic surgery to the conversion rate. Techniques to visualize the changes over time are the moving average method for the operation time and the Cusum method for dichotomous outcomes, like the conversion and the complication rates. At the time when the learning curve reaches the plateau phase this representation can be used to assess the quality of a surgeon or a team in one hospital. As far as there is no validated complexity scale for laparoscopic procedures available it is difficult to compare patient populations between different hospitals. Out of this reason the learning curve is no legitimate instrument to rank surgeons or different hospitals.

Clinical Competence↗

[Early postoperative nutrition after laparoscopic and open colorectal resection].

BACKGROUND: Discussions concerning postoperative nutrition were brought up again with laparoscopic colorectal surgery. We are looking whether there is any difference between open and minimal invasive procedures with respect to the start of oral intake. METHODS: In a prospective controlled trial 152 patients were analysed after laparoscopic (n = 85) or open (n = 67) colorectal resections. At the first postoperative day fluid intake was unlimited and from the second day regular food was permitted according to the patients desire. RESULTS: No influence on the beginning of nutrition was by age, diagnoses, type of operation nor their duration. Wound infection and specially cardiopulmonal decompensation prolonged lack of appetite, however, not a pneumonia. There was no increase of anastomotic leak rate. At day 4, a highly significant difference was found between laparoscopic and open surgery with 90% and 60% of patients having started regular nutrition (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Early postoperative oral nutrition does not increase complication rate. Patients after laparoscopic procedures start earlier eating compared with those after conventional surgery. We recommend early postoperative oral intake after both techniques according to the patients desire.

Adult↗

Comorbid conditions in old patients with femur fractures.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: The incidence of preexisting medical diseases (comorbid conditions) and their influence on the high rate of falls, associated severe injuries, operative treatment, and outcome including mortality rate, duration of hospitalization, and rehabilitation success was retrospectively evaluated in a group of 102 patients (mean age, 81 years; 81% women) with femoral fractures. A comparison of polymorbidity rates in a control group of 102 patients (mean age, 79 years; 86% women) with proximal humeral fractures was added. RESULTS: The associated polymorbidity rate among patients with femoral fractures (FF) usually was statistically significantly higher than among patients with proximal humeral fractures (PHF) despite a comparable age and sex distribution: 80% of the patients with FF presented with cardiovascular (p < or = 0.001), 41% with pulmonary (p < 0.001), 67% with gastrointestinal (p < or = 0.001), 71% with neurologic (p < or = 0.001), 55% with urologic (p < or = 0.001), 75% with musculoskeletal (p < or = 0.1), and 61% with psychiatric (p < or = 0.001) disorders and complaints. Ninety percent of the patients used different medications (diuretics, cardiac agents, anticoagulants, antidiabetic agents, steroids, hypnotics, analgesics, psychotropic agents). The postoperative mortality rate was 11%, and the mean hospitalization period was 30 days. Forty-nine percent of the patients were discharged to their homes. Only 56% of the patients with PHF, however, presented with cardiovascular, 8% with pulmonary, 11% with gastrointestinal, 8% with neurologic, 9% with urologic, 64% with musculoskeletal, and 10% with psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: The polymorbidity in the old patient probably is a major intrinsic cause of the high incidence of falls and associated severe femoral fractures. It influences the perioperative and postoperative medical and anesthesiologic treatment, the postoperative mortality rate, and the duration and success of the postoperative rehabilitation phase.

Accidental Falls↗

[Defecation problems: incontinence, constipation and impeded defecation; why and what can be done?].

Defaecation disorders may be subsumed in three categories: Inability to control motions = incontinence. Difficulty of evacuation = constipation [inertia coli, outlet obstruction]. Impeded defaecation: Rectocele, enterocele, intussusception. Etiology, examination and therapy are described in detail. Characteristic complaints of patients are listed and matched with probable diagnoses. Beside routine proctologic examination endosonography, estimation of transit time, endoscopy and defecography are discussed. The role of nutrition is stressed and emphasis layed on fibre and fluid intake. The advice, "take more fluid and fibres" does not help a lot, because no individual help is given. A time consuming nutrition and defaecation history has to be taken to establish nutritional support. This attention gives confidence to the patient and helps a great deal in the treatment. A checklist of the therapy of constipation and summarizing tables on different types of fibres are included. Additional conservative treatments are pelvic exercises and biofeedback training. Operative therapy is directed towards etiology of the disorder. Therefore many different methods exist and their diagnose related indication are discussed.

Anal Canal↗

[Intraperitoneal tumor seeding in colorectal carcinoma surgery--follow-up of a comparison of laparoscopic versus open procedure].

Follow-up 71 patients during 20 months (12-29) operated on for colorectal cancer by laparoscopic or open surgery demonstrated no correlation between port-side metastases (1/35) or tumor recurrences (5/71) and intraperitoneal tumor cells. All these patients were cytologic-negative; however, all were initial in an advanced tumor stage (pT3-4, N1-3). We conclude from these results that free tumor cells during operation do not seem to influence outcome or the development of port-side metastases.

Adult↗

Intestinal non-rotation and pseudoobstruction in myotonic dystrophy: case report and review of the literature.

Myotonic dystrophy is an autosomal dominant inherited disease of the skeletal and cardiac musculature that involves the pharyngeal and gastrointestinal smooth and striated muscles, resulting in velopharyngeal insufficiency, Swallowing difficulties, gastrointestinal motility disorders and anal incontinence. Gastrointestinal symptoms are found in a large proportion of patients suffering from this disease and may herald the onset of muscular disorders, in rare cases they are even the predominant feature of the disorder. We report on a 31-years-old patient with formerly undiagnosed myotonic dystrophy in combination with a non-rotation of the intestinal tract, an association of disorders that to our knowledge never has been reported before. Our patient was admitted as an emergency with signs of an acute abdomen with ileus, associated with acute aspiration pneumonia. Surgical intervention was avoided once the diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy had been confirmed and the patient was treated successfully by conservative therapy. A review of the literature indicates that conservative treatment of motility disorders of the bowel in patients with myotonic dystrophy is to be recommended.

Adult↗

Angioplasty balloon catheters used for distraction of the ankle joint.

Arthroscopy of the ankle joint is now routinely performed in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions but is still a demanding and difficult operative procedure in this very small and tight joint. Arthroscopy can be facilitated by a sufficient distraction that gives a better overview of the joint space. However, it is still a matter of debate how to obtain the adequate distraction. Distention by manual strength as well as by the help of a technical device have been proposed. We report our experience with distraction of the ankle joint by the help of one or two intraarticularily located and secondarily insufflated angioplasty balloon catheters that are routinely used in interventional radiology. These special catheters allow a careful and controlled distention of the joint with a fixed space of distraction and, according to our limited experience, without any morbidity.

Adolescent↗

Anal sphincter defects in fecal incontinence: correlation between endosonography and surgery.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic ultrasound provides accurate information about the anatomy of the anal sphincter. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the use of flexible echo endoscopes to examine the anal sphincters, to validate the diagnosis of internal and external sphincter defects obtained using echo endoscopes by comparison with surgical findings, and to assess the outcome after surgical sphincter repair. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients (13 women, 15 men, median age 50 years, range 30-83) with fecal incontinence--which was of traumatic origin in all but one (childbirth: n = 8; anorectal surgery: n = 17; biopsy of the prostate: n = 2; no trauma: n =1)--were prospectively investigated by endosonography using an echo colonoscope (n = 14) or an echo gastroscope (n = 14) (CF-UM20, GF-UM20, Olympus Optical). The location and extent of the defects of the internal or external sphincters, or both, were compared with the surgical findings in all patients. The surgical outcome was defined as excellent, improved, or unchanged. RESULTS: At surgery, 25 of the 28 patients had an isolated internal sphincter defect (n = 15) or combined sphincter defect (n = 10). Endoscopic ultrasound identified all of the external anal sphincter defects (n = 10), and correctly excluded a defect in 15 of 18 patients (sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy 100%, 83% and 89%, respectively). All of the internal sphincter defects (n = 25) were detected by endosonography. In three patients, a postulated intact internal sphincter was confirmed by surgery (accuracy 100%). In two patients, the extent of the sphincter defect was underestimated. Despite good visualization of the internal and external anal sphincters, as well as of the puborectal muscle in all patients, the shape, diameter, and full radial image sector (360 degrees) of the echo gastroscope made this instrument more practicable than the echo colonoscope. Nineteen of 25 patients who underwent surgery (76%) with proved sphincter defects experienced improvement, the figure reaching 87% (13 of 15) in patients who received isolated internal sphincter defect repair. CONCLUSIONS: Anal endosonography, even using flexible echo endoscopes, is an accurate method for identifying anal sphincter defects, and is the method of choice for preoperative sphincter mapping with special regard to internal sphincter repair, which can be carried out with excellent results.

Adult↗