Intestinal obstruction caused by omphalomesenteric duct remnant: usefulness of laparoscopy.

The anomalies related to omphalomesenteric duct remnant constitute an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction, of which Meckel"s diverticulum and its variants represent the most important clinical presentation. In most cases they are asymptomatic and usually affect young patients. When symptomatic, they usually present episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding or acute abdomen syndromes caused by strangulation of intestinal loops as a result of fibrous intraabdominal remnants or inflammation produced by the diverticulum. In most cases, the unexpected presence of these alterations makes intraoperative diagnosis necessary. Treatment is surgical and consists in exeresis of the diverticulum or the fibrous band causing the clinical picture. We report two cases of persistence of the vitelline duct resolved by laparoscopic approach.

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.