The Global Experience of Laryngeal Transplantation: Series of Eleven Patients in Three Continents.

BACKGROUND: The loss of laryngeal function affects breathing, swallowing, and voice, thus severely compromises quality of life. Laryngeal transplantation has long been suggested as a solution for selected highly affected patients with complete laryngeal function loss. OBJECTIVE: To obtain insights regarding the advantages, weaknesses, and limitations of this procedure and facilitate future advances, we collected uniform data from all known laryngeal transplants reported internationally. METHODOLOGY: A case series. Patients were enrolled retrospectively by each institutional hospital or clinic. Eleven patients with complete loss of laryngeal function undergoing total laryngeal transplantation between 1998 and 2018 were recruited. RESULTS: After a minimum of 24 months follow-up, three patients had died (27%), and there were two graft explants in survivors, one total and one partial, due to chronic rejection. In the remaining cases, voice was functional in 62.5% and 50% achieved decannulation. Swallowing was initially restricted, but only one patient was gastrostomy-dependent by 6 months and all had normal or near-normal swallowing by the end of year two after transplantation. Median follow-up was 73 months. Functional (voice, swallowing, airway) recovery peaked between 12 and 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Laryngeal transplantation is a complex procedure with significant morbidity. Significant improvements in quality of life are possible for highly selected individuals with end-stage laryngeal disorders, including laryngeal neoplasia, but further technical and pharmacological developments are required if the technique is to be more widely applicable. An international registry should be created to provide better quality pooled data for analysis of outcomes of any future laryngeal transplants. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV Laryngoscope, 2024.

Niveles de glucemia intraoperatoria y su relación con la morbimortalidad a corto y largo plazo en pacientes con trasplante de hígado en un hospital de alta complejidad / Levels of intraoperative glycemia and their relations to short and long term morbidity and mortality in liver transplant patients at a highly complex hospital

Resumen Objetivo: se realizó un estudio en pacientes sometidos a trasplante de hígado (TH) con el objetivo de determinar los valores de glucemia en cada una de las fases de la cirugía del TH y su relación con la morbimortalidad postoperatoria. Materiales y métodos: se identificaron los trasplantes hepáticos entre 2013 y 2015 en los registros institucionales. La información se tomó de la nota operatoria, registros de laboratorio y evoluciones de historia clínica. Se buscaron diferencias en la glucemia en las 3 fases del trasplante entre diabéticos y no diabéticos, la presencia de infección y rechazo. Resultados: en total, se estudiaron 73 pacientes trasplantados, 54,8% (n = 40) de sexo masculino, con una mediana en la edad de 59 años (rango intercuartílico [RIQ] = 52-53). El 32,9% (n = 24) tenía antecedente de diabetes mellitus (DM). Se encontraron diferencias en la glucemia inicial y final (127 mg/dL frente a 212 mg/dL) en diabéticos (p = 0,001), así como en los no diabéticos (glucemia inicial: 105 mg/dL frente a la final: 190 mg/dL) (p <0,000). La proporción de rechazo fue mayor en diabéticos (14,3%, n = 7). No se encontraron diferencias significativas en la presencia de infecciones entre diabéticos y no diabéticos. Se confirmó el diagnóstico de diabetes postrasplante en el 15,1%. Conclusiones: un adecuado control glucémico en los diferentes períodos del transoperatorio en el TH logra igualar la tasa de complicaciones a nivel infeccioso en pacientes diabéticos y no diabéticos; el rechazo continúa siendo más frecuente en pacientes diabéticos. Es necesaria una búsqueda activa de la diabetes postrasplante en cada uno de nuestros pacientes.

Abstract Objective: This study was of patients who underwent liver transplantation has the objective of determining glycemia values ​​in each phase of liver transplant surgery and their relationships with post-operative morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods: Liver transplant patients were identified in institutional records from 2013 to 2015. The information was taken from operative notes, laboratory records and clinical histories. We searched for differences in blood glucose levels during the three phases of transplantation and compared the incidences of infections and rejections for diabetics and non-diabetics. Results: A total of 73 transplant patients were studied: 54.8% (n = 40) were male, the median age was 59 years (RIQ = 52-53), and 32.9% (n = 24) had histories of Diabetes Mellitus. Differences were found between initial and final serum glucose levels of diabetics (127 mg/dl vs. 212 mg/dl, p = 0.001) as well as in non-diabetics (105 mg/dl vs. 190 mg/dl, p < 0.000). The proportion of rejection was highest among diabetics (14.3%, n = 7). No significant differences were found in the proportions of diabetic and non-diabetic patients who developed infections. Diagnosis of post-transplant diabetes was confirmed in 15.1% of the sample. Conclusions: Adequate monitoring of blood glucose levels during all trans-operative periods of liver transplantation can equalize the rate of infectious complications in diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Rejection continues to be more frequent among diabetic patients. An active search for post-transplant diabetes is necessary for every patient.

Gunshot wounds of abdomen: evaluation of stable patients with triple-contrast helical CT.

PURPOSE: To assess helical computed tomography (CT) with contrast material administered intravenously, orally, and rectally (triple contrast helical CT)) in the prospective evaluation of stable patients with abdominal gunshot wounds in whom there is no clinical indication for immediate exploratory laparotomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted for 19 months. All patients met the following inclusion criteria: age of 16 years or older, hemodynamic stability, no clinical signs of peritoneal irritation, and signed consent to participate. Patients with obvious indications for laparotomy, such as gastrointestinal bleeding or evisceration, were excluded from the study. Forty-seven patients fulfilled the criteria and underwent abdominal triple-contrast helical CT. CT findings were evaluated by one of four radiologists for evidence of peritoneal penetration and injury to solid organs or hollow viscera. Patients were followed up clinically for 13 weeks. CT findings were compared with those at surgery and/or clinical follow-up. RESULTS: CT demonstrated abnormalities in 27 (57%) patients. Laparotomy was performed in 11 (23%) patients; 10 procedures were therapeutic and one was nontherapeutic. The remaining 20 patients had a negative CT scan. These patients were treated conservatively. One injury was missed at CT. For prediction of the need for laparotomy, sensitivity of CT was 96%; specificity, 95%; positive predictive value, 96%; negative predictive value, 95%; and accuracy, 96%. CONCLUSION: In stable patients with gunshot wounds to the abdomen in whom there is no indication for immediate surgery, triple-contrast helical CT can help reduce the number of cases of unnecessary or nontherapeutic laparotomy (negative laparotomy) and can help identify patients with injuries that may be safely treated without surgery.