Endovascular Management of Isolated Spontaneous Superior Mesenteric Artery Dissecting Aneurysm.

OBJECTIVES: The aim is to present the technique of successful management of a superior mesenteric artery (SMA) dissecting aneurysm by a purely endovascular approach. METHODS: This was a single centre case report. RESULTS: Isolated spontaneous SMA dissecting aneurysm is rare, and previously was usually treated by an open or hybrid approach. This is a single centre case report of the successful management of a SMA dissecting aneurysm by a purely endovascular approach. CONCLUSIONS: A pure endovascular approach is feasible and effective in the management of isolated SMA dissecting aneurysm, which is a rare but life threatening condition.

Three-in-one protocol reduces mortality of patients with haemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures-a five year multi-centred review in Hong Kong.

PURPOSE: The mortality rate in patients with haemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures is as high as 40-60%. Despite the new advances in trauma care which are in phase in trauma centres in Hong Kong, the management of haemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture is still heterogeneous. The aim of this study is to review the results of management of haemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture patients in Hong Kong over a five year period. METHODS: This is a retrospective multi-centred cohort study of patients with haemodynamic and mechanically unstable pelvic fractures from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014. The primary outcome investigated is mortality of patients (including overall, 30-day, 7-day and 24-hour mortalities). RESULTS: Implementation of three-in-one pelvic damage control protocol was identified to be a significant independent predictive factor for overall, 30-day, seven-day and 24-hour mortalities. The overall in-hospital and 30-day mortality rates for patients managed with three-in-one protocol was 12.5%, while it was 11% for seven day mortality and 6% for 24 hour mortality. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics, physiological measurements, types of pelvic fracture, severity and mechanism of injury between patients managed with or without three-in-one protocol. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the multidisciplinary three-in-one pelvic damage control protocol reduces mortality and therefore should be highly recommended. The results are convincing as it has eliminated the limitations of our previous single-centred trial.

Predictive model integrating dynamic parameters for massive blood transfusion in major trauma patients: The Dynamic MBT score.

BACKGROUND: Currently existing predictive models for massive blood transfusion in major trauma patients had limitations for sequential evaluation of patients and lack of dynamic parameters. OBJECTIVE: To establish a predictive model for predicting the need of massive blood transfusion major trauma patients, integrating dynamic parameters. DESIGN: Multi-center retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Four designated trauma centers in Hong Kong. METHODS: Trauma patients aged >12years were recruited from the trauma registries from 2005 to 2012. MBT was defined as delivery of ≥10units of packed red cells within 24h. Split sampling method was adopted for model building and validation. Multivariate logistic regression was adopted for model building, with weight assigned based on logarithmic of adjusted odds ratios. The performance of the dynamic MBT score (DMBT) was compared with the PWH score and the Trauma Associated Severe Hemorrhage (TASH) score in the validation data set. RESULTS: 4991 patients were included in the study. The DMBT was established with 8 parameters: systolic blood pressure, heart rate, hemoglobin, hemoglobin drop within the first 2h, INR, base deficit, unstable pelvic fracture and hemoperitoneum in radiological imaging. At cut-off score of 6 the DMBT achieved sensitivity of 78.2% and specificity of 89.2%. In the validation set, the AUCs of the DMBT, PWH score, and TASH score were 0.907, 0.844, and 0.867 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The DMBT score allows both snapshot and sequential activation along the trauma care pathway and has better performance than the PWH score and TASH score.

Improvement in institutional protocols leads to decreased mortality in patients with haemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures.

BACKGROUND: The mortality rate in patients with haemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures is as high as 40-60%. In recent years, angioembolisation and pelvic packing have been introduced as part of a multimodality treatment for these patients. Protocol-driven management has been shown to improve outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a Level III retrospective cohort study of patients suffering from unstable pelvic fractures from 1 January 1996 to 30 September 2011. The aim of the study was to review our results, particularly in terms of mortality through the evolution of three phases of treatment protocols: preangiography, angiography and pelvic packing. RESULTS: The overall 30-day mortality rate for all patients was 47.2%, with a rate of 63.5% in the preangiography phase, 42.1% in the angiography phase and 30.6% in the pelvic packing phase. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the use of retroperitoneal packing as a significant independent predictive factor for 24 h mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed an improvement in patient survival with sequential protocols over the study period, during which we incorporated a multidisciplinary approach to managing these complicated pelvic fractures. The results strongly suggest that retroperitoneal packing should be highly recommended for bleeding subsequent to pelvic fracture, in addition to other modalities of treatment.

Endovascular management of aortoduodenal fistula arising from recurrent mycotic aneurysm in an aortic stump.

BACKGROUND: We present a case of successful endovascular exclusion of an aortoduodenal fistula using an endovascular graft iliac plug. This treatment modality of aortoduodenal fistula arising from a recurrent mycotic aortic aneurysm stump has not yet been described in the literature. CASE REPORT: An 80-year-old man underwent emergency repair of a ruptured infrarenal mycotic aortic aneurysm with an axillobifemoral vascular bypass. Four months after the operation, a pseudoaneurysm arising from the aortic stump invaded the third part of the duodenum, forming an aortoduodenal fistula. An endovascular graft iliac plug and a chimney stent were used to achieve endovascular exclusion of the aortoduodenal fistula. CONCLUSION: The management of aortoduodenal fistula arising from recurrent mycotic aortic aneurysm stump with an endovascular graft iliac plug is successful, especially in patients with a previous history of abdominal aortic surgeries. This procedure reduces the mortality and morbidity associated with open surgery. Further validation with a greater number of cases and longer follow-up times would be required to prove that this is a viable definitive treatment modality.

Early outcome after emergency gastrectomy for complicated peptic ulcer disease.

OBJECTIVE. To analyse outcomes of patients who underwent emergency gastrectomy for complicated peptic ulcer disease. DESIGN. Prognostic study on a historical cohort. SETTING. A regional hospital in Hong Kong. PATIENTS. Patients who underwent emergency gastrectomy from 2000 to 2009 in our hospital. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Primary outcome measures were in-hospital mortality and the predictors of such deaths. Secondary outcome measures were 7-day mortality, 30-day mortality, and morbidities. RESULTS. In all, 112 patients had emergency gastrectomies performed for complicated peptic ulcer disease during the study period. In-hospital mortality was 30%. In the univariate analysis, old age, duodenal ulcer, failed primary surgery, gastrojejunostomy anastomosis for reconstruction, hand-sewn technique for duodenal stump closure, use of a sump drain, low haemoglobin level, preoperative blood transfusion, prolonged prothrombin time, and high creatinine or bilirubin levels were associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. In the multivariate analysis, failed primary surgery, old age, and high creatinine level turned out to be independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS. Emergency gastrectomy should be considered seriously as the primary treatment option in appropriately selected elderly patients, instead of salvage procedures to repair a perforation or control bleeding by plication.

Retroperitoneal pelvic packing in the management of hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures: a level I trauma center experience.

BACKGROUND: Our objective is to evaluate the mortality and outcomes of hemodynamically unstable patients with pelvic fractures treated with a protocol that directs the patient to either early pelvic angiography or early retroperitoneal pelvic packing. METHOD: This is a retrospective review of prospectively collected database at a local trauma center. Hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture patients received treatment according to our hospital protocol during two different time periods. Before June 2008, these patients underwent early angiography (ANGIO group, n=13), and from June 2008 onward, these patients underwent early pelvic packing and subsequent angiography if there was continued hemorrhage from the pelvis (PACKING group, n=11). The mechanism of injury, physiologic parameters, blood transfusion requirements, time to intervention, trauma scores, and mortality were recorded. RESULTS: Mean time to intervention in the ANGIO group was longer than that in the PACKING group, although this was not statistically significant (139.5 minutes vs. 78.8 minutes, respectively, p=0.248). Mortality in the ANGIO group was higher than that in the PACKING group; however, this was also not significant (69.2% vs. 36.3%, p=0.107). After univariate analysis, factors associated with mortality included systolic blood pressure, Glasgow Coma Score, Injury Severity Score, Revised Trauma Score, Trauma and Injury Severity Score, pH, and base excess. In the PACKING group, one patient died of uncontrolled hemorrhage from a liver laceration. In the ANGIO group, three patients died of uncontrolled hemorrhage from the pelvic fracture. CONCLUSION: Early experience in our institution suggests that early pelvic packing with subsequent angiography if needed is as good as angiography with embolization in treating patients with hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures.

Oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy for foreign body ingestion: is it necessary for everyone?

OBJECTIVE: To identify the possible predictive factors for positive identification of a foreign body by oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (OGD). METHODS: A series of 343 patients who underwent OGD in 2008 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: Foreign bodies were identified and removed by OGD in 80 patients (23.3%). The most common type of ingested foreign body was fishbone (259 patients; 80%). Foreign bodies were mostly found at or above the level of the cricopharyngeus (70.4%). The most common site of foreign body impaction was at the valleculae (30.9%). Neck X-ray showed low sensitivity of 17.1% and high specificity of 91.5% in detecting ingested foreign bodies. Univariate analysis showed that early presentation, emergency admission, male sex, positive X-ray findings, and old age were associated with positive OGD findings. In multivariate analysis, only male sex, old age and early presentation were shown to be independent predictive factors. CONCLUSION: Patients with predictive factors for positive endoscopic results, including male sex, old age and early presentation, were justified for OGD, during which identification and removal of the foreign bodies were carried out. As for the low risk group, a more conservative approach, for example with the use of computed tomography as a diagnostic tool, could help to reduce the number of negative endoscopies.

Radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: a survival analysis of 117 patients.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world especially in Asia. Radiofrequency ablation is now commonly use as either first line or in combination with other treatment modality for patients with HCC. It is the objective of this article to report our experience in a tertiary referral hospital. METHODS: Patients who diagnosed with HCC and underwent RFA in Queen Elizabeth Hospital during the period from May 2002 to February 2009 were included and analyzed. RESULTS: During this period, 138 sessions of RFA were performed in 117 consecutive patients with HCC. The calculated rate of primary (single attempt) successful ablation during this entire period was 89.2%. The in-hospital/30-day mortality rate was zero, and morbidity was 24.1%. Hospital stays were significantly longer in the open group (4.4 days versus 8.9 days, P = 0.000). Median follow-up in this study was 21 months. 11 (9.4%), 10 (8.5%) and 49 (41.0%) patients developed local tumor progression (LTP), systemic recurrence and Intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR), respectively. The mean and median times to recurrence were 15.4 and 11 months, respectively. Most patients (91%) with LTP developed in the first 24 months. Disease-free survival was 65% at 1 year, 40% at 3 years and 25% at 5 years. Overall survival at 1, 3 and 5 years was 85, 66 and 40%, respectively. Alpha fetoprotein, aFP > 1,000 ng/ml and multiple tumor ablation predicted increased risk of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Radiofrequecy ablation is useful tool in treating patients with HCC with high successful rate. However, intrahepatic recurrence is common and a well designed post ablation follow up protocol based on a sound knowledge of recurrence pattern is vital.