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Biomedical subjects

R D Bapat

Publications and source records attributed to R D Bapat.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Leech therapy for complicated varicose veins.

Several methods of limb bandaging have been described to reduce the oedema and enhance ulcer healing in complicated varicose veins, with varying success rates. Leech therapy has never before been tried for the same. We evaluated the effectiveness of medicinal leech therapy in producing venous decongestion, reversal of oedema, hyperpigmentation and healing of varicose ulcer(s). Whether the leech selectively sucks venous blood was also investigated. Hirudo medicinalis (medicinal leech) was applied to the area surrounding the varicose ulcer(s) in 20 patients with varicose veins with complications and the patients monitored for ulcer healing, and decrease in hyperpigmentation, oedema and limb girth. The partial pressure of O2 (pO2) of 7 patients' arterial and venous blood was compared to that sucked by the leech. After leech therapy all the ulcers showed healing, while 95 per cent of patients showed a decrease in oedema and limb girth. Seventy five per cent patients demonstrated a decrease in hyperpigmentation. The mean pO2 of blood sucked by the leech was 40.05 +/- 7.24 mmHg, which was similar to the mean pO2 of the patients' venous blood (34.33 +/- 8.4 mmHg). Thus it appears from this study that the medicinal leech sucks venous blood and aids ulcer healing, and can probably therefore be used as an effective adjunct in the management of complicated varicose veins. This however requires further evaluation by controlled trials.

Adolescent

Modified Partington's procedure for pancreaticojejunostomy in chronic pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Various techniques have been described for pancreaticojejunostomy for chronic pancreatitis. We prospectively evaluated a modification of Partington's procedure with Roux-en-Y anastomosis for chronic calculous pancreatitis. METHODS: From 1980 to 1994, 53 patients with chronic calculous pancreatitis (46 men, 7 women; aged 14-70 years, mean 38) underwent surgery by the modified technique and were followed up for 1-14 years. The inclusion criterion for this procedure was pancreatic duct dilated to greater than 7 mm. End-to-side pancreaticojejunostomy was done by fishmouthing the jejunal end to a required length and anastomosing it to the pancreatic duct which is opened along its whole length. The procedure was evaluated in terms of feasibility of anastomosis, time required for surgery, perioperative complications and postoperative results. RESULTS: There were no anastomotic leaks or obstructive bowel symptoms in the immediate postoperative period. Excellent pain relief was seen in 81% of cases, and substantial relief in 12.8%. Average weight gain in the postoperative period was 4.2 Kg. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography six months after surgery showed patency of anastomosis with free flow of dye into the jejunal loop across the anastomosis. CONCLUSION: The modified Partington's procedure is easy to perform and functions well without any complications. Pain is relieved successfully in a majority of cases.

Adult

Ksharsootra (medicated seton) treatment for fistula-in-ano.

BACKGROUND: Recurrence and incontinence are common after conventional surgery for fistula-in-ano. Medicated seton (ksharsootra) is a time-tested therapy. METHODS: Seton treatment was given to 114 patients with anal fistulae. The initial loose seton was changed weekly to achieve fistulotomy. RESULTS: Application of non-medicated seton did not show any cutting action; hence all patients were treated with ksharsootra after 3 weeks. Anal discharge (n = 114) and burning pain (35) were noted in the first 48-72 hours. The cut-out rate was around 1 cm/week, with mean cut-out time 8.3 weeks (range 3-18). All wounds healed well and patients remained ambulatory. Local induration developed in 18 patients; four had an abscess. There was no incontinence or recurrence over a follow-up of 6 months to 2 1/2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Ksharsootra treatment for anal fistulae is safe and effective, with low complication rates.

Adolescent

Colonic chemobezoar--intestinal obstruction due to barium inspissation.

A 72-year-old man presented with constipation of 45 days' duration, with history suggestive of recurrent episodes of subacute intestinal obstruction relieved by passage of fluid and flatus; he had noticed an abdominal lump 30 days prior. Examination revealed a lump corresponding to the contours of the entire large intestine. X-ray showed barium outlining the colon. Enquiry revealed that he had undergone a barium enema study 10 days prior to appearance of the lump. The diagnosis of barium inspissation was confirmed at laparotomy; total colectomy with ileo-rectal anastomosis was done.

Aged

Mesenteric vasculopathy in intestinal tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND: Involvement of mesenteric vessels in intestinal tuberculosis and its role in the pathogenesis of the intestinal changes have not been studied histologically. AIM: To study mesenteric vessels in patients undergoing surgery for complications of intestinal tuberculosis. METHODS: Resected intestinal specimens from 68 patients presenting with intestinal perforation and intestinal obstruction were examined; involvement of the major mesenteric vessels was evaluated. RESULTS: Granulomas were seen in the vessel wall in one case and near the vessel wall in 11 cases, intraluminal thrombi were seen in 23 cases, and subintimal fibrosis in nine cases. Perivascular cuffing was seen in intramural and subserosal vessels in ten cases. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in the vessel wall may lead to gut ischemia, which may contribute to the development of strictures and stercoral perforation in intestinal tuberculosis.

Adolescent

Adult intrahepatic solitary choledochal cyst.

A 20-year-old woman presented with dull ache in the abdomen. Ultrasonography and CT scan showed a solitary liver cyst. Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy was done since there was bile in the cyst. Histology of the cyst wall revealed it to be a choledochal cyst. Solitary intrahepatic choledochal cyst and presentation in adult life are rare.

Adult

Laparoscopic versus mini-lap cholecystectomy for gallstone disease.

AIM: To compare the outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and mini-lap cholecystectomy (MC) in patients with symptomatic gallstone disease. METHOD: One hundred patients undergoing LC (50) or MC (50) were evaluated for duration of surgery, morbidity, need for analgesia, duration of hospitalization and interval to return to normal work. RESULTS: The mean operative time was significantly longer in the LC group (94 +/- 17 vs 129 +/- 33 min; p < 0.05). The rate of morbidity and conversion to open surgery were similar in the two groups. Patients in the MC group required more oral analgesia (p = ns). The mean post-operative hospital stay in this group was 3.3 +/- 1.5 days as compared to 3.3 +/- 2.7 days in the LC group (p = ns). Patients in the LC group took the same time to return to normal work (19.1 +/- 3.2 days) as those in the MC group 19.5 +/- 5.4 days (p = ns). CONCLUSION: MC and LC are comparable procedures for treatment of gallstone disease in our country.

Cholecystectomy

Biliary sepsis: an ascending infection.

AIM: To study the bacteriology of normal and obstructed biliary tree and determine the mode of biliary infection. METHODS: Fifty seven patients undergoing elective biliary surgery for calculous biliary disease cholecystitis 45, obstructive jaundice 12) were studied. Bile samples collected separately from gall bladder, common bile duct and duodenum at the time of surgery were processed for aerobic and anaerobic cultures and antibiotic assays. To locate endogenous foci of infection, urine, nasal swab and throat swab cultures were done. Isolates from/biliary tract were compared with those from other sites. RESULTS: Thirty eight patients (66.7%) had bactobilia. The prevalence was higher in patients with obstructive jaundice (10/12, 83.3%) than (p = 0.5) in those with non-obstructed biliary tree. Single bacterial infection (31 cases, 81 %) was more common than mixed infection (7 cases, 19%). Colonization of more than one segment of the biliary tree was seen in 30 patients (79%). E coli was the most frequently isolated organism. In 24 cases (63.2%), strains of organisms from the common bile duct and gall bladder were similar to those from the duodenum, and in only 10 cases (23.2%) were similar to those found in the nose, throat and urine. The antibiotic concentrations in the common bile duct after single doses of preoperative antibiotic (gentamicin and cephazolin) were lower in the obstructed biliary tree (1.5 +/- 0.4 milligrams/mL and 2.8 milligrams/mL respectively) than in the non-obstructed system (3.9 +/- 1.7 milligrams and 12.6 milligrams/mL/mL respectively) (p = 0.5 for both antibiotics). CONCLUSION: Ascending infection forms the mode of biliary sepsis in a majority of cases. Prophylactic antibiotics give low levels in the bile in an obstructed biliary tree.

Adult

Bleeding ileal schwannoma.

We report a case of ileal schwannoma who presented with bleeding per rectum. Three-vessel angiogram was the only diagnostic investigation, and revealed tumor blush in the mid-ileal region. On exploration, an intraluminal mass was found in the mid-ileal region along with a feeding vessel in the mesentery. Resection of the involved ileum with end-to-end anastomosis was done. Histopathology showed benign schwannoma of ileum involving the submucosa, muscularis propria and serosa.

Aged

Emblica officinalis: a novel therapy for acute pancreatitis--an experimental study.

Acute necrotising pancreatitis is associated with an unacceptably high mortality for which no satisfactory remedy exists. Emblica officinalis (E.o.) is a plant prescribed in Ayurveda, the Indian traditional system of medicine, for pancreas-related disorders. This study was carried out to evaluate the protective effect of E.o. against acute necrotising pancreatitis in dogs. Pancreatitis was induced by injecting a mixture of trypsin, bile and blood into the duodenal opening of the pancreatic duct. Twenty eight dogs were divided into 4 groups (n = 6-8 each): GpI--control, GpII--acute pancreatitis, GpIII--sham-operated, GpIV--pretreatment with 28 mg E.o./kg/day for 15 days before inducing pancreatitis. Serum amylase increased from 541.99 +/- 129.13 IU/ml to 1592.63 +/- 327.83 IU (p <0.02) 2 hrs after the induction of pancreatitis in GpII. The rise in serum amylase in both GpIII and GpIV was not significant. On light microscopic examination, acinar cell damage was less and the total inflammatory score was significantly lower in the E.o. treated group as compared to GpII. Electron microscopy confirmed this and showed an increased amount of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and small, condensed granules embedded in a vacuole. More studies are needed to explore the clinical potential of E.o. and its mechanism of action.

Acute Disease

Can we do away with PTBD?

Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD) is performed in surgical jaundice to decompress the biliary tree and improve hepatic functions. However, the risk of sepsis is high in these patients due to immunosuppression and surgical outcome remains poor. This raises a question--can we do away with PTBD? To answer this query a study was carried out in 4 groups of patients bearing in mind the high incidence of sepsis and our earlier studies, which have demonstrated immunotherapeutic potential of Tinospora cordifolia (TC): (A) those undergoing surgery without PTBD (n = 14), (B) those undergoing surgery after PTBD (n = 13). The mortality was 57.14% in Group A as compared to 61.54% in Group B. Serial estimations of bilirubin levels carried out during the course of drainage (3 Wks) revealed a gradual and significant decrease from 12.52 +/- 8.3 mg% to 5.85 +/- 3.0 mg%. Antipyrine half-life did not change significantly (18.35 +/- 4.2 hrs compared to basal values 21.96 +/- 3.78 hrs). The phagocytic and intracellular killing (ICK) capacities of PMN remained suppressed (Basal: 22.13 +/- 3.68% phago. and 19.1 +/- 4.49% ICK; Post drainage: 20 +/- 8.48% Phago and 11.15 +/- 3.05% ICK). Thus PTBD did not improve the metabolic capacity of the liver and mortality was higher due to sepsis. Group (C) patients received TC during PTBD (n = 16) and Group (D) patients received TC without PTBD (n = 14). A significant improvement in PMN functions occurred by 3 weeks in both groups (30.29 +/- 4.68% phago, 30 +/- 4.84% ICK in Group C and 30.4 +/- 2.99% phago, 27.15 +/- 6.19% ICK in Group D). The mortality in Groups C and D was 25% and 14.2% respectively during the preoperative period. There was no mortality after surgery. It appears from this study that host defenses as reflected by PMN functions play an important role in influencing prognosis. Further decompression of the biliary tree by PTBD seems unwarranted.

Adolescent

Adult Hirschsprung's disease.

Hirschsprung's disease in adulthood is a rare entity. We report Hirschsprung's disease in a 35-year-old woman who had absence of anorectal inhibitory reflex on manometric studies.

Adult

Intraperitoneal abscesses: diagnostic dilemmas and therapeutic options.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of intraperitoneal abscesses is difficult, resulting in delay in treatment and poor prognosis. Although recent advances in the management have led to significant improvement in prognosis, the choice of therapeutic modality is unclear. AIMS: The role of clinical features and investigations in the diagnosis of intraperitoneal abscesses was studied. The relation of prognosis to delay in diagnosis was also analyzed. Also assessed was the efficacy of various therapeutic modalities. METHODS: Thirty consecutive patients diagnosed to have intraperitoneal abscesses were analyzed. Abscesses were analyzed. Abscesses were divided on the basis of ultrasonography findings into simple and complex (with or without fecal fistula). The following points were evaluated: clinical features, and hematological, biochemical and microbiological reports, imaging findings and the role of therapeutic modalities like percutaneous aspiration (single or multiple), catheter drainage and operative drainage (transperitoneal, extraperitoneal and percutaneous). RESULTS: Clinical features and hematological investigations, though sensitive, were non-specific in diagnosis. Klebsiella was the commonest organism cultured, followed by Proteus, E coli and Pseudomonas. Blood culture was positive in only 6 percent of cases. Real-time ultrasonography had an accuracy of 84%. Contrast X-rays were required in 43% of cases. All the deaths (4 of 30) occurred when the diagnosis and treatment were delayed by more than 4 days. USG-guided aspiration (single and multiple) and USG-guided catheter drainage were effective in simple abscesses but failed in complex abscesses. Transperitoneal operative drainage was successful in 15 of 18 cases (6 of 8 simple abscesses and 9 of 10 complex abscesses). The mortality in patients with simple and complex abscesses was 2 of 17 and 2 of 13 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Early detection with consequent early treatment is vital for good prognosis of intraperitoneal abscesses. Early diagnosis requires a high degree of clinical suspicion and appropriate use of imaging modalities. USG-guided percutaneous drainage is effective for simple abscesses whereas complex abscesses require operative drainage, sometimes in combination with initial USG-guided drainage.

Abscess

Leiomyosarcoma of the duodenum.

Leiomyosarcoma of the duodenum is a rare tumor. These tumors manifest with unexplained melena, anemia and sometimes partial duodenal obstruction. Diagnosis is difficult on account of inaccessibility for biopsy. Treatment involves excision of the duodenum with reconstruction, a difficult task with high morbidity and mortality. However, if the tumor is successfully treated, its prognosis is usually good because of its non-aggressive nature.

Duodenal Neoplasms

Immunotherapy with Tinospora cordifolia: a new lead in the management of obstructive jaundice.

OBJECTIVE: Immunosuppression associated with deranged hepatic function and sepsis results in poor surgical outcome in extrahepatic obstructive jaundice. The effect of an ayurvedic agent, Tinospora cordifolia (TC), which has been shown to have hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory properties in experimental studies, on surgical outcome in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice was evaluated. METHODS: Thirty patients were randomly divided into two groups, matched with respect to clinical features, impairment of hepatic function (as judged by liver function tests including antipyrine elimination) and immunosuppression (phagocytic and killing capacities of neutrophils). Group I received conventional management, ie vitamin K, antibiotics and biliary drainage; Group II received Tinospora cordifolia (16 mg/kg/day orally) in addition, during the period of biliary drainage. RESULTS: Hepatic function remained comparable in the two groups after drainage. However, the phagocytic and killing capacities of neutrophils normalized only in patients receiving Tinospora cordifolia (28.2 +/- 5.5% and 29.47 +/- 6.5% respectively). Post-drainage bactobilia was observed in 8 patients in Group I and 7 in Group II, but clinical evidence of septicemia was observed in 50% of patients in Group I as against none in Group II (p < 0.05). Post-operative survival in Groups I and II was 40% and 92.4% respectively (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Tinospora cordifolia appears to improve surgical outcome by strengthening host defenses.

Adolescent

Ureteral obstruction in hydatid disease.

A case of ureteric obstruction in renal hydatid disease is reported. This unusual complication possibly occurred following surgery. To the best of our knowledge, this has not been previously reported.

Echinococcosis

Comparative study between modified Freyer's prostatectomy, classical Freyer's prostatectomy and Millin's prostatectomy.

Classical Freyer's method was modified in which, prostatic fossa was packed after the enucleation of the gland for hemostatic purpose; and the pack and suprapubic drain were brought out laterally. The pack was removed after 48-72 hours postoperatively and catheter was introduced per urethrum for early closure of suprapubic ostomy. Fifty such cases of Modified Freyer's prostatectomy were compared with cases of classical Freyer's prostatectomy (n = 25) and Millin's prostatectomy (n = 25). The duration of surgery and requirements for perioperative blood transfusion were found to be less with our method.

Humans