Adult groin hernia surgery in sub-Saharan Africa: a 20-year systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To realize a systematic review to evaluate groin hernia surgery for adults in sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, the primary objective of which was to determine the surgical techniques used for unilateral groin hernia surgery in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies published in the last 20 years were considered. A meta-analysis estimated the pooled prevalence with 95% confidence interval (CI) of mortality, chronic pain and recurrence. A subgroup analysis compared the rate of complications between complicated or uncomplicated hernia. RESULTS: We included 113 articles. The most used technique was Bassini in 40.1%, followed by Lichtenstein in 29.9% and Shouldice in 12.6%. The overall mortality rate was 0.6% (95% CI 0.4-0.9). The pooled recurrence rate was 1.4% (95% CI 1.05-1.9). The pooled rate of chronic pain was 2.7% (95% CI 1.9-3.7). We found that mortality rate for complicated hernias (6.4%) was higher compared to uncomplicated hernias (0.2%). This difference was statistically significant [p ≤ 0.001; OR = 47.7; 95 CI (27.2-83.47)]. CONCLUSION: This review showed that pure tissue repairs are the most used techniques with Bassini and Shouldice as leading procedures. The post-operative rates of recurrence and chronic pain are low. However, there is a high heterogeneity between studies than can underestimate these pooled prevalences. The consultation at complication stage remains frequent and associated with a higher mortality. Futures studies should focus on improving the quality of studies in terms of design and follow-up to increase the degree of evidence.

Short bowel syndrome: difficulties of management in rural areas.

INTRODUCTION: The causes of short bowel syndrome are multiple, but most often in sub-Saharan Africa they result from extensive surgical resection that leaves less than 200 cm. Intestinal failure appears rapidly with a major hydroelectrolytic deficiency and malabsorption. Management requires parenteral nutrition that can be life-long. OBSERVATION: A 53 year-old patient underwent surgery in 1986 for peptic ulcer disease and recovered successfully. He was admitted in July 2015 for acute bowel obstruction of more than 8 hours duration. Intraoperative exploration showed irreversible ischemia in the small bowel, related to tight adhesions. An extensive resection leaving 110 cm of bowel was carried out. Postoperatively, nutritional monitoring and oral supplementation were prescribed and associated with proton pump inhibitors and antidiarrhea drugs. Parenteral feeding was not available. The postoperative period was characterized by temporary stability followed by a significant weight loss, then by two hospitalizations for severe malnutrition and intercurrent infection. Death occurred 7 months after the operation. CONCLUSION: Parenteral nutrition is essential in short bowel syndrome. Availability, especially for a long-term use, is a major problem in our context, and alternatives are rare.

Complications inattendues de la chirurgie: deux cas de brûlure par plaque de bistouri électrique.

There is a real risk of electrical accidents in the operating theatre, with the growing number of electrical, electronic and flammable liquids used. Electrocautery remains the most commonly used device for its electrosurgical effect of coagulation or tissue section. When it is defective or misplaced on a small area of the skin, it can cause a typically deep, slow healing skin burn. It adds an unexpected iatrogenic morbidity to the initial condition, with devastating consequences for the patient, the surgeon and sometimes the hospital. We report two cases of cutaneous burn by the neutral plate that occurred intraoperatively when using electrocautery in monopolar mode, and discuss etiology, clinical and prevention aspects.

[Management of sigmoid volvulus in the tropical area of Thies (Senegal)]. / Prise en charge du volvulus du côlon sigmoïde en milieu tropical à Thiès (Sénégal).

The aim of this study is to report our experience in the management of sigmoid volvulus in a tropical environment. This retrospective study covers the period from June 1, 2010, to December 31, 2013, in the department of emergency surgery at the regional hospital of Thiés: 40 patients were admitted with sigmoid volvulus: 36 men and 4 women, with a mean age of 45 years (20-89 years). Twelve had chronic constipation. All four signs of occlusion were present in 72.5% of cases. Abdominal radiography confirmed the diagnosis in all cases. The volvulus resolved spontaneously in one patient, while the other 39 required laparotomy: 25 had a one-stage colectomy, and 11 patients a sigmoidectomy with a temporary colostomy. Two patients underwent a sigmoidopexy, one with a simple closure of a perforated duodenal ulcer. The morbidity rate was 7.5%, due mainly to complications of infection. The mortality rate was 10%. After a mean follow-up of 2.77 months (range: 15 days-12 months), no recurrences were observed. Sigmoid volvulus is a common condition in Africa especially in younger patients. The diagnosis is easy, based on clinical and abdominal radiography findings. Several procedures have been described but the one-stage colectomy remains the method of choice, especially in tropical areas where socioeconomic conditions are difficult.

[Management of giant inguinal hernias: five cases]. / Prise en charge des hernies inguinales géantes: à propos de cinq observations.

In Africa, difficulties in health care access and illiteracy promote the development of giant inguinal hernias. Management of these hernias can be very challenging, according to the risk of replacing the intestines into the abdominal cavity. We report five cases in Senegal.

[Liver arterial ischemia after cephalic pancreatico-duodenectomy. A case report]. / Ischemie arterielle hepatique apres duodenopancratectomie cephalique.

Cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy is the best treatment for cephalic pancreas cancers. A rare complication is the liver ischemia after the divison of gastroduodenal artery. This complication can occur when a celiac trunk stenosed by the median arcuate ligamentous is not recognised. We report the case of a 40 old woman who underwent cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy for an adenocarcinoma of pancreas head. There was no complication immediatly. Two weeks later, she presented two episodes of angiocholitis. An abdominal tomodensitometry showed a liver arterial ischemia associated with a celiac trunk stenosis. There was a left hepatic artery wich came from the left gastric artery. Medical treatment of the angiocholitis was successful. Surgical revascularization was not necessary. Nine months after, arterial revascularization by the left hepatic artery and biological hepatic tests were restored. This case report talks about the importance of angioscanner before pancreatic surgery when celiac and mesenteric angiography is not available. Also, it underlines the importance of the gastroduodenal artery occlusion test before his ligation during pancreaticoduodenectomy.

[Congenital choledocal cyst of adult: report of two cases]. / Kyste congenital du choledoque de l'adulte : a propos de deux observations.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital choledochal cyst is a congenital dilatation of the biliary tract often associated with a long common bilio-pancreatic duct without obstruction. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We report the case of two women who presented a congenital choledochal cyst. RESULTS: For the first patient, the diagnosis was effected during a laparoscopic cholecystectomy for a gall bladder lithiasis. The second one presented repeted access of angiocholitis. Echography and abdominal tomodensitometry found the congenital choledochal cyst. Percutaneous opacification of the cyst found a long common biliopancreatic duct in the second patient. A complete resection of the cyst with a cholangiojejunal anastomosis was performed for both patients. The treatment was successfull for the first one and the second one was deceased three days after the operation. CONCLUSION: This case report underlines the clinical polymorphysm, the morphologic anomaly and the treatment of congenital choledochal cyst which require total resection.

[Evaluation of the management of femoral shaft fractures in children by flexible intramedullary nailing]. / Evaluation du traitement des fractures de la diaphyse fémorale chez l'enfant par embrochage centromédullaire elastique stable (ECMES).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the morphological and functional outcomes of femoral shaft fractures of the child using a centromedullary elastic nailing. We led a retrospective study including 22 children operated from January 1997 to December 2000 at the surgical emergency department of "Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec". The follow-up was made in the department of paediatric surgery. The patients included 16 boys and 6 girls presenting a total of 23 femoral shaft fractures. The main circumstance was traffic accident(15 cases). All the children underwent an ascending centromedullary elastic nailing controlled by a C-arm after a period of traction. The outcomes were appreciated after a period of 10 months. We observed: A union in all cases, four infections well managed by antibiotics, one vicious callus of 15 degrees, a mobility limitation of knee in two cases (45 degrees and 100 degrees), an inferior limb length inequality in one case, scabs in one patient who died at the 3rd month of a septicopyohemia. The functional evaluation of the outcomes (flexion, extension, limb length inequality) and morphological outcomes (axis, consolidation) showed 21 good results and one bad result. The centromedullary elastic nailing is a safe procedure owing to the low complication rates and the rapid consolidation allowing an early walk in femoral shaft fractures, compared with the orthopaedic treatment.