'Cross-section gastroenterostomy' in patients with irresectable periampullary carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The most frequent complication following gastroenterostomy (GE) for gastric outlet obstruction is delayed gastric emptying (DGE), which occurs in roughly 20% of patients. There is evidence that DGE may be linked to the longitudinal incision of the jejunum and that a transverse incision (cross-section GE) may decrease the incidence of DGE following GE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In contrast to the orthodox GE, the jejunum is severed transversely up to a margin of 1.5 cm at the mesenteric border and the anastomosis is created with a single running suture. A Braun anastomosis is added 20-30 cm distally to the GE. Patients were followed prospectively with special regard to the occurrence of DGE. RESULTS: Between 1 August 1994 and 1 August 1998, 25 patients underwent cross-section GE, mostly because of an irresectable periampullary carcinoma. Eight patients exhibited clinical signs of gastric outlet obstruction preoperatively, while in 17 the GE was performed on a prophylactic basis. A biliary bypass was added in 15 patients. There was no disruption of the GE, but one patient died in hospital (4%). The nasogastric tube was withdrawn on the first postoperative day (range 0-6 days), a liquid diet was started on the fifth day (range 2-7 days) and a full regular diet was tolerated at a median of 9 days (6-14 days).The incidence of DGE was 4%: only the single patient who died fulfilled the formal criteria for DGE. DISCUSSION: In contrast to orthodox GE, DGE seems to be of minor clinical importance following cross-section GE. As the technique is easy to perform, is free of specific complications and leads to a low incidence of DGE, it should be considered as an alternative to conventional GE.

[Traumatic pulmonary hernia]. / Die incarcerierte traumatische intercostale Lungenhernie.

The traumatic pulmonary hernia is a rare and uncommon observation. We report a case of a 52-year-old patient who had a car accident. Beside multiple polytraumatic injuries we were able to diagnose an incarcerated pulmonary hernia. Hernia size, incarceration and the respiratory insufficiency of the patient necessitating immediate surgical intervention. We relocated the hernia into the chest and stabilized the thoracic wall. The postoperative course was uneventful.