Surgical indication in Schistosomiasis mansoni portal hypertension: follow-up from 1985 to 2001

The study had the objective to evaluate the benefits of surgical indication for portal hypertension in schistosomiasis patients followed from 1985 to 2001. Schistosoma mansoni eggs were confirmed by at least six stool examinations or rectal biopsy. Clinical examination, abdominal ultrasonography, and digestive endoscopy confirmed the diagnosis of esophageal varices. A hundred and two patients, 61.3% male (14-53 years old) were studied. Digestive hemorrhage, hypersplenism, left hypochondrial pain, abdominal discomfort, and hypogonadism were, in a decreasing order, the major signs and symptoms determining surgical indication. Among the surgical techniques employed, either splenectomy associated to splenorenal anastomosis or azigoportal desvascularization, esophageal gastric descompression and esophageal sclerosis were used. Follow-up of patients revealed that, independent on the technique utilized, a 9.9% of death occurred, caused mainly by digestive hemorrhage due to the persistence of post-treatment varices. The authors emphasize the benefits of elective surgical indication allowing a normal active life.

Laparoscopic versus open splenectomy in the management of hematologic diseases

Splenectomy is the best available treatment for severe forms of hereditary spherocytosis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, and other hematologic conditions when these prove refractory to conservative management. It has been employed for many decades with low mortality and favorable remission rates. The use of laparoscopic splenectomy in recent years has been rapidly and even enthusiastically adopted in this field. However, the exact role of laparoscopic versus open surgery for hematologic diseases is still debated. In this study of 58 adult patients, laparoscopic procedures were compared with conventional splenectomies for similar indications. METHODS: All patients were operated on within an 8-year period. Subjects underwent similar procedures under the supervision of the same surgical school and were compared regarding age, gender, body mass index, and diagnosis. Laparoscopically managed cases (Group I, n = 30) were prospectively followed according to a written protocol, whereas the same investigation was retrospectively done with regard to traditional laparotomy (Group II, n = 28). Methods included general and demographic findings, duration and technical steps of operation, blood loss, weight of spleen, need for conversion (in minimally invasive subjects), intraoperative and postoperative complications, time until realimentation, postoperative hospitalization, mortality, and late follow-up including recurrence rate. RESULTS: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura was the surgical indication in over 50% of the patients in both groups, but familial spherocytosis, thalassemia, myelodysplasia, and lymphomas were also represented in this series. Laparoscopic procedures took more time to perform (P = 0.004), and postoperative hospitalization was 2 days shorter, but this difference was not statistically significant. Postoperative hematocrit and volume of blood transfusions was equivalent, although the laparoscopic cases had a somewhat lower preoperative hematocrit (NS) and displayed better recovery for this measurement (P = 0.03). More patients in Group I were able to accept oral food on the first day than subjects undergoing conventional operations (P < 0.05). Relatively few conversions were necessary during the minimally invasive surgeries (13.3%), and postoperative early and late complications as well as recurrences occurred in similar proportions. Also, the mean weight of the spleen was not statistically different between the groups, although there was a marked numerical tendency toward larger masses in conventional procedures. No spleen in Group I exceeded 2.0 kg, whereas in Group II values up to 4.0 kg occurred, and the mean weight was 50% higher in the latter group. CONCLUSIONS: 1) Minimally invasive splenectomy was essentially comparable to open surgery with regard to safety, efficacy, and late results; 2) Advantages concerning shorter postoperative hospitalization could not be shown, despite earlier food intake and a non-significant tendency toward earlier discharge; 3) This new modality should be considered an option in cases of hematologic conditions whenever the spleen is not hugely enlarged.

Total laparoscopic hysterectomy: impact of body mass index on outcomes

Total laparoscopic hysterectomy: impact of body mass index on outcomes

Can patients with left main coronary artery disease wait for myocardial revascularization surgery?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence of cardiac events in patients diagnosed with left main coronary artery disease on diagnostic cardiac catheterization and waiting for myocardial revascularization surgery. METHODS: All patients diagnosed with left main coronary artery disease (stenosis > or = 50%) consecutively identified on diagnostic cardiac catheterization during an 8-month period were selected for the study. The group comprised 56 patients (40 males and 16 females) with a mean age of 61±10 years. The cardiac events included death, nonfatal acute myocardial infarction, acute left ventricular failure, unstable angina, and emergency surgery. RESULTS: While waiting for surgery, patients experienced the following cardiac events: 7 acute myocardial infarctions and 1 death. All events occurred within the first 60 days after the diagnostic cardiac catheterization. More patients, whose indication for diagnostic cardiac catheterization was unstable angina, experienced events as compared with those with other indications [p=0.03, relative risk (RR) = 5.25, 95% confidence interval = 1.47 - 18.7]. In the multivariate analysis of logistic regression, unstable angina was also the only factor that independently contributed to a greater number of events (p = 0.02, OR = 8.43, 95% CI =1.37 - 51.7). CONCLUSION: Unstable angina in patients with left main coronary artery disease acts as a high risk factor for cardiac events, emergency surgery being recommended in these cases.

Hallux valgus: résumé pratique [Hallux valgus: practical summary].

Hallux valgus arises from static and dynamic unbalance of the forefoot. Possibilities of conservative treatment are limited. This paper recalls the essentials of physiopathology and exposes briefly to the non-operators the most current amongst 150 operative techniques described. While becoming more complex, the surgery of hallux valgus has proven to gain efficiency. Surgical indication, based on biomechanics, should be very careful, which gives a greater interest to this discipline.

Mortality, complications and loss of pulmonary function after pneumonectomy vs. sleeve lobectomy in patients younger and older than 70 years.

Retrospective single institution analysis of all patients undergoing sleeve lobectomy or pneumonectomy between 2000 and 2005. Seventy-eight patients underwent pneumonectomy (65 patients <70 years, 13 patients >70 years) and 69 sleeve lobectomy (50 patients <70 years, 19 patients >70 years). Pre-existing co-morbidity, surgical indication and induction therapy was similarly distributed between treatment by age-groups. In patients <70 years, pneumonectomy and sleeve lobectomy resulted in a 30-day mortality of 3% vs. 0 and an overall complication rate of 26% vs. 44%, respectively. In patients >70 years, pneumonectomy and sleeve lobectomy resulted in a 30-day mortality of 15% vs. 0 and an overall complication rate of 23% vs. 32%. In both age groups, pneumonectomy was associated with more airway complications (NS) and a significantly higher postoperative loss of FEV(1) than sleeve lobectomy (P<0.0001, P<0.03). Age per se did not influence the loss of FEV(1) and DLCO for a given type of resection. Sleeve lobectomy may have a therapeutic advantage over pneumonectomy in the postoperative course of elderly patients.

Hérnia diafragmática traumática crônica e fístula gastropleurocutânea

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is defined as a laceration of the diaphragm with an abdominal viscera herniation into the thorax. It is usually asymptomatic, with the exception of the cases with obstruction, strangulation, necrosis or perforation of the herniaded viscera. It is classified as acute, latent or chronic, in accordance with the evolutive period. At the latent phase, symptoms are indefinite and the radiological signals, which are suggestive of thoracic affections, are frequent and can induce a diagnosis error, leading to inadequate treatment.This article presents a case of chronic traumatic diaphragmatic hernia which was complicated by a gastricpleuralcutaneous fistula, due to an inadequate thoracic drainage. Considering that this is a chronic affection with an unquestionable surgical indication, due to the complications risk, it is essential to have a detailed diagnostic investigation, which aims at both avoiding an intempestive or inadequate therapeutics behaviour and reducing the affection morbimortality. Recently, the videolaparoscopic approach has proved to be more precise when compared to the other diagnostic methods, by direct visualization of the diaphragmatic laceration, allowing its correction by an immediate suture.

Evolution in the profile of thyroid cancer cases treated in an oncology reference service: what changed in the last 20 years

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of thyroid carcinoma cases treated at a reference hospital for cancer between 2008 and 2010.Methods: we studied 807 cases and analyzed the following clinicopathologic variables: symptoms, risk factors, diagnostic tests, staging, histological type, treatment performed and complications.Results: Females were more affected, with 660 cases (82%). The average age at diagnosis was 44.5 years. Prior exposure to ionizing radiation was reported by 22 (3%) patients, a family history of thyroid cancer by 89 (11%), and 289 (36%) individuals reported other types of cancer in the family. The fine needle aspiration biopsy was the main parameter for surgical indication and was suggestive of carcinoma in 463 patients (57%). Papillary carcinoma was the most common histological type, with 780 cases (96.6%). There were 728 (90%) total thyroidectomies, 43 (5.3%) reoperations or partial thyroidectomies followed by totalization, 23 (2.8%) extended thyroidectomies and only 13 (1.6%) partial thyroidectomies (lobectomy with isthmectomy). Neck dissection associated with thyroidectomy was done in 158 patients (19.5%). We observed a predominance of tumors classified as T1 in 602 (74.6%) patients. Transient hypocalcemia was the most frequent complication.Conclusion: The results show that the worldwide increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer has changed the profile of patients seen at a referral service. In addition, there were changes in the type of surgical treatment used, with increased use of total thyroidectomy in relation to partial and subtotal ones, and decreased use of elective neck dissections.

Nuss procedure for Pectus excavatum repair: critical appraisal of the evidence

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of correction of pectus excavatum by the Nuss technique based on the available scientific evidence.Methods: We conducted an evidence synthesis following systematic processes of search, selection, extraction and critical appraisal. Outcomes were classified by importance and had their quality assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).Results: The process of selection of items led to the inclusion of only one systematic review, which synthesized the results of nine observational studies comparing the Nuss and Ravitch procedures. The evidence found was rated as poor and very poor quality. The Nuss procedure has increased the incidence of hemothorax (RR = 5.15; 95% CI: 1.07; 24.89), pneumothorax (RR = 5.26; 95% CI: 1.55; 17.92) and the need for reintervention (RR = 4.88; 95% CI: 2.41; 9.88) when compared to the Ravitch. There was no statistical difference between the two procedures in outcomes: general complications, blood transfusion, hospital stay and time to ambulation. The Nuss operation was faster than the Ravitch (mean difference [MD] = -69.94 minutes, 95% CI: -139.04, -0.83).Conclusion: In the absence of well-designed prospective studies to clarify the evidence, especially in terms of aesthetics and quality of life, surgical indication should be individualized and the choice of the technique based on patient preference and experience of the team.

Retrospective study of pre-anesthetic electrocardiogram examination of 700 dogs conducted at the Veterinary Hospital of UFMG (2013-2014)

Abstract: Pre-operative electrocardiograms performed in 700 dogs were analyzed in order to establish correlation between sex, age, indication for surgery, body condition score, breed and weight. Initially a clinical questionnaire was filled out from each owner, including age, breed, sex, weight, clinical history and surgical indication. Dogs above 6 years of age or those showing any kind of cardiac auscultation disturbances were referred to electrocardiogram (ECG) evaluation. All ECG were performed and analyzed by the same veterinary specialist. Abnormalities at ECG were founnd in 364 of 700 (52%) evaluated dogs, and the most frequent variation was sinus arrhythmia, observed in 293 dogs (25.4%). No significant correlation was found between the electrocardiographic alterations with weight, sex and age of the animals. Therefore ECG should be conducted routinely regardless of age, sex, breed or surgical indication, highlighting its value for determining a safe anesthetic protocol that promotes minimal cardiopulmonary depression and allows rapid post-surgical recovery.

Isolated greater tuberosity fractures of the proximal humerus : validation and clinical implications for a new radiologic measurement method and classification

Pre-publication drafts are reproduced with permission and copyright © 2013 of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma [Mutch J, Rouleau DM, Laflamme GY, Hagemeister N. Accurate Measurement of Greater Tuberosity Displacement without Computed Tomography: Validation of a method on Plain Radiography to guide Surgical Treatment. J Orthop Trauma. 2013 Nov 21: Epub ahead of print.] and copyright © 2014 of the British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery [Mutch JAJ, Laflamme GY, Hagemeister N, Cikes A, Rouleau DM. A new morphologic classification for greater tuberosity fractures of the proximal humerus: validation and clinical Implications. Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:In press.]

Calidad de vida en salud en pacientes con insuficiencia venosa mixta luego de varicosafenectomia

INTRODUCCIÓN: Estudios demuestran la mejoría de la insuficiencia venosa profunda luego de realizar varicosafenectomía, la amplia brecha entre resultados positivos (30-70%) deja en cuestionamiento la realización de cirugía para esta condición. Sin embargo, la mejoría en la calidad de vida en el postoperatorio pudiera ser otra razón para realizar varicosafenectomía en pacientes con insuficiencia venosa mixta. METODOLOGÍA: Se realizó un estudio de corte transversal en pacientes con diagnóstico de insuficiencia venosa mixta llevados a varicosafenectomía. En el periodo post operatorio se practicaron encuestas de calidad de vida de tipo genérico y específico realizando un análisis uni y bivariado de dicha información mediante el programa Stata. RESULTADOS: Se obtuvieron 60 pacientes, al practicar las encuestas de calidad de vida se encontraron datos estadísticamente significativos (p 0.04) en la percepción de su salud con respecto al año anterior y escalas de las encuestas referentes a estados generales de salud como función física y vitalidad. Adicionalmente, se encontró mejoría en el estado de la piel y no se evidenciaron complicaciones tales como Tromboembolismo pulmonar o Trombosis venosa profunda. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados del presente estudio demuestran que la mayor parte de los pacientes luego de varicosafenectomía tienen una buena percepción de calidad de vida en salud, reflejada en las altas puntuaciones en la mayoría de las escalas de la SF-36, y los bajos puntajes en el cuestionario específico de insuficiencia venosa. La mejoría en la piel de la mayoría de los pacientes en el periodo postoperatorio y la mínima presencia de complicaciones como TEP o TVP hacen que la remoción de los troncos safenos incompetentes en este tipo de pacientes pueda establecerse como indicación quirúrgica

Dilatacao pneumatica no megaesofago avancado. Resultados do sequimento tardio

Six patients with advanced Chagas' megaesophagus with poor condition for surgical indication due to severe malnutrition and concomitant diseases were submitted to pneumatic dilatation with the aid of the endoscope. The method consists in leading the tip of the pneumatic dilatator into the cardia with the tip of the endoscope. Insufflation of the balloon must be slow and progressive with visualization of the mucosa of the cardia after insufflating of 2 pounds of air pressure. An excellent symptomatic relief was seen in the five-year follow-up but without improvement in the degree of the esophageal dilatation.

Estudo das alterações funcionais respiratórias em pacientes submetidos à colecistectomia videolaparoscópica

Pós-graduação em Bases Gerais da Cirurgia - FMB

Avaliação transversal dos maxilares em pacientes submetidos à adenoidectomia: análise em modelos de gesso

Pós-graduação em Odontologia - FOA