Outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a new gold standard for cholecystectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To contribute our experience for five years in the implemetation of outpatient laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). PATIENTS: Between January 1999 and March 2004 we performed 504 outpatient LCs. We applied both exclusion and inclusion criteria, an anesthetic and surgical protocol, and discharge-specific criteria. Postoperative management in "fast track" regime. Postoperative period controlled by protocol, including phone calls after cholecystectomy. RESULTS: The ambulatory percentage in the global series was 88.8%, and mean hospital stay was 6.1 hours. Fifty-one patients required overnight stays (10.1%), most of them for "social" causes. Five patients required admission (between 24 and 48 hours) for different causes (conversion to laparotomy, intraoperative neumothorax, and postoperative medical complications). Six patients (1.1%) were readmitted, and we observed 11.6% postoperative complications in the global series, with abdominal parietal pain being most frequent. Phone localization by 22.00 p.m. in the same day of surgery was 100% complete for outpatient cases. Postoperative surveillance within the first month after surgery was completed in 93.9%, and within th first year in 86.7% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient LC is safe and feasible, and probably represents a new "gold standard" in the treatment of symptomatic cholelithiasis.

Quality of life (GIQLI) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy usefulness in patients with gallbladder dysfunction or chronic non-lithiasic biliary pain (chronic acalculous cholecystitis).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, clinical features and role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in patients with chronic acalculous cholecystitis (CAC) in comparison with a control group of patients who underwent cholecystectomy for chronic calculous cholecystitis (CCC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective evaluation of 34 patients with CAC in contrast with 297 patients with CCC. OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical presentation, quality of life using the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI), usefulness derived from the therapeutic procedure as measured in quality of life units by GIQLI, and clinical efficacy at one year of follow-up. RESULTS: The incidence of complicated biliary disease was higher in CAC (27%), in comparison with CCC (13.8%). The histological study of the excised gallbladder revealed a higher incidence of cholesterolosis associated with chronic cholecystitis in the CAC group (64.9%). GIQLI showed significant differences between preoperative and postoperative measurements in both groups. The associated usefulness of LC was similar in both groups (73 versus 67.3 percent), confirming an important increase in quality of life for both categories. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of CAC is 11 per cent with a high association with cholesterolosis. Quality of life and LC usefulness are similar to those of patients with CCC. Due to the fact that cholecistogammagraphy is a technique not available in daily clinical practice, and that oral cholecystography and dynamic ultrasound are reliable when a positive result is obtained, extended clinical evaluation is still the most reliable indicator for cholecystectomy.

Acute typhlitis in inmunocompromised patient: an eight year experience.

INTRODUCTION: Acute typhlitis is usually associated with severe immunosuppressive conditions. Initially described as closely associated with infantile myeloid leukaemia, its incidence increased along the last decade. DESIGN: retrospective review. PATIENTS: 12 immunodepressed patients affected of acute typhilis in our hospital between 1994 and 2001. Suspected diagnosis was established by clinical symptoms and abdominal CT findings, and was confirmed with pathological finding in the surgical specimen. Clinical and radiological diagnosis, treatment, complications and survival of patients are discussed. RESULTS: 3 patients with a previous diagnosis af acute myeloid leukemia, 2 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 2 patients with aplastic anaemia, one patient with AIDS, and 4 patients with kidney transplantation were included in our study. Prednisone, cyclosporine, Ara-C and vincristine were the most frequently involved drugs. Most frequent clinical findings included abdominal pain, fever, nausea-vomiting and abdominal distension. CT diagnosis revealed caecum and colic involvement with rarefaction of pericaecal fat. Medical treatment was successful in only 33% of all patients, the other patients requiring a surgical procedure including right hemicolectomy with or without intestinal anastomosis. Mortality reached 58.3 per cent, representing multiorganic sepsis the main cause of death. CONCLUSIONS: although early diagnosis of acute typhlitis bears a better prognosis, mortality rates are up 50 % in spite of an established treatment.

Total quality management in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Quality of care and quality perception in ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of acceptance and perception of quality in patients undergoing ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy. PATIENTS: 84 consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy within SVS (Servei Valencia de Salut) through a special plan for waiting lists. METHODS: A prospective analysis of related variables with quality perception evaluated by a specialized nurse with no interaction with the surgical team. RESULTS: Ambulatory acceptance, 80 percent; return to work or daily activities at 72 hours after surgery, 40 percent. Extra need of medical attention was as follows: emergency general practitioner 2.7 percent, emergency room attention in 1.3 percent, extra telephone interview with the surgeon 6.0 percent. Global estimation of the procedure was very good or good by 94.7 percent. CONCLUSIONS: High acceptance rate, high quality perception. Up to 20 percent of patients would change from ambulatory to traditional surgery, possibly due to cultural factors.

Prospective analysis of marlex mesh repair for symptomatic rectocele with obstructive defecation.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of perineoplasty with marlex mesh in symptomatic rectocele with obstructive defecation and evaluation of the incidence of postobstetric perineal tear in patients with symptomatic rectocele. DESIGN: Prospective analysis of 11 consecutive patients undergoing elective rectocele repair. Prospective analysis of sphicnter postobstetric tears in patients with rectocele. RESULTS: Incidence of postobstetric perineal tears in 100 per cent of patients. Absence of obstructive defecation symptoms in 100 per cent of patients. Mesh displacement in 5/8 cases. CONCLUSIONS: Endoanal ultrasound secreening in patients with symptomatic rectocele is mandatory. Prosthetic repair eliminates obstructive defecation symptoms in 100 per cent of patients. Mesh is well tolerated although it has to be fixed in the suprasphincteric area and with non reabsorbable stitches.

[Course of postoperative pain in laparoscopic cholecystectomy under multimodal anesthesia-analgesia in ambulatory care]. / Evolución del dolor postoperatorio en la colecistectomía laparoscópica bajo anestesia-analgesia multimodal en régimen ambulatorio.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the evolution of postoperative pain and convalescence in a group of patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy under a multimodal anesthesia-analgesia treatment protocol. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eighty-four consecutive patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were given intramuscular ketoprofen during induction, anesthesia, with minimal use of opioids, and intraperitoneal irrigation with bupivacaine. We assessed the rate of conversion to hospitalization, hospital stay in hours, duration of the pain-free interval, oral analgesics per day at home, and intensity of postoperative pain and physical activity daily on a visual analog scale. RESULTS: The procedures were carried out on an outpatient basis in 90.5% of the cases, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.2 +/- 0.9 hours. Eight patients required an overnight stay. No postoperative analgesics were required by 27.3% of the patients. Patients requiring analgesics had pain-free intervals lasting 17.3 +/- 11.8 hours after discharge. On the third day after surgery 80% had used no analgesics and over 75% had no pain or only minor pain. On the fourth postoperative day 50% were able to perform activities of daily living without help, and 50% returned to work on the eleventh day after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The multimodal analgesia-anesthesia treatment proposed allows a high percentage of laparoscopic cholecystectomies to be performed on an outpatients basis. The protocol provides good control of postoperative pain and nausea and rapid return to habitual activity.

[Hereditary angioneuritoc edema with exclusive abdominal manifestation. Report of a case]. / Edema angioneurótico hereditario de manifestación exclusiva abdominal. A propósito de un caso.

A new case of C1 inhibitor deficiency is described, pointing out the relationship between laboratory and radiological findings (increase haemoglobin and hematocrit index, and BUN) and presence of free intraperitoneal fluid (ultrasonography and radiology). In patients with this rate condition undergoing laparotomy because acute appendicitis or other surgical condition suspected, the evidence of massive intraperitoneal effusion should indicate the possibility of C1 inhibitor deficiency.

[Idiopathic segmental infarct of the epiploon. Apropos a new case and a review of the literature]. / Infarto segmentario idiopático de epiplón. A propósito de un nuevo caso y revisión de la literatura.

A case of epiploic segmental infarction is presented. The presenting symptoms were compatible with acute appendicitis, which was excluded by the pathological examination.

[Synchronous or metachronous extragastric neoplasms associated with gastric neoplasia. Common pathogenesis of gastric intestinal and colonic carcinoma?]. / Neoplasias extragástricas síncronas o metacronas asociadas a neoplasia gástrica. Patogénesis común del carcinoma gástrico intestinal y cólico?

Coexistence of syncronous or metacronous extragastric carcinomas, particularly of the colon and small bowel may favour the hypothesis of a common origin with gastric carcinoma. Three cases of colonic carcinoma coexisting with early gastric cancer, are presented. The etiopathogenesis of intestinal-type gastric cancer and colonic cancer are discussed in the light of a possible common mechanism.

[Adenocarcinoma at the site of colostomy. Is it local recurrence or subsequent cancer?]. / Adenocarcinoma de colostomía. Recidiva local o cáncer metacrónico?

This paper presents on case of adenocarcinoma at the site of colostomy in a patient treated by abdominoperineal amputation five years earlier due to rectal cancer. The case raised the doubt as to whether the carcinoma represented a late, local recurrence or a second metachronic neoplasia. The most frequent location and pathogenesis of each were analyzed. The role of follow-up of these patients in detecting cases such as the one presented here are discussed.

[Significance of peroperative cholangiography in elective geriatric surgery of the bile ducts]. / Valor de la colangiografía peroperatoria en cirugía biliar geriátrica electiva.

We present a retrospective study on the value of peroperative cholangiography (POC) in geriatric patients submitted to elective surgery of the biliary tract. We analyze the results of the present series and compare them with a previous study of 200 cases of cholelithiasis in the general population. Our conclusion is that in geriatric patients, POC should be a routine practice in order to avoid an unnecessary choledochotomy and/or residual lithiasis post-cholecystectomy.

[Immune thrombocytopenia and HIV-1 infection. Response to splenectomy]. / Trombocitopenia inmune e infección por HIV 1. Respuesta a esplenectomía.

We present a case of thrombocytopenic purpura associated to acquired immunodeficiency; this disease is very infrequently associated to AIDS; the clinical characteristics are similar to the classical Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, including the response to splenectomy. We discuss the therapeutic approach of this condition and review the literature, adding this new case of a patient with AIDS, Walter and Reed's stage II, who responded to splenectomy.

[Neoplasms of the Meckel diverticulum. Apropos of 2 new cases]. / Neoplasias del divertículo de Meckel. A propósito de dos nuevos casos.

We present two new cases of cancer in a Meckel's diverticulum, representing 3.3% of the complicated Meckel's diverticula encountered in our department. The first case was a carcinoid tumor encountered in a pathology study of an inflamed Meckel's diverticulum, and the second case was a leiomyosarcoma on a Meckel's diverticulum that presented as diverticular perforation. We emphasize the advanced age of the two patients and review the cases reported in Spain and in the Western literature.

[Colonic perforation in patients with kidney transplant]. / Perforación cólica en pacientes con trasplante renal.

Of a total of 320 renal transplants performed at our center in the last 8 years, two patients presented colonic perforation (0.62%). We emphasize the clinical manifestations, which were masked by the antiinflammatory properties of the steroids; for this reason, careful and repeated physical exams should be made out in the case of any episode of abdominal pain in these patients, as well as ancillary studies for early diagnosis. Surgical measures, which consist of exclusion of the septic focus in the peritoneal cavity, do not differ from those carried out in the general population with the same colonic pathology, although they require more cautious maneuvers and meticulous lavage of the peritoneal cavity. Alternatively, when exclusion is not possible, proximal colostomy and adequate drainage must be performed.