Body composition changes in adolescents after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a commonly used bariatric procedure in severely obese adolescents. Weight loss after SG is associated with marked changes in body composition, but factors associated with such changes have not yet been described in adolescents. OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with changes in body weight and composition in adolescents 1 year after SG. SETTING: University Hospital, Tel Hashomer, Israel. METHODS: Age, sex, weight, height, preoperative body mass index (BMI), and body fat percent measured by bioimpedance were collected in 25 adolescents (16 males, 9 females, age 16.6±1.5 yr) before and 1 year after SG. Obesity-related complications, preoperative weight loss, and physical activity after surgery were also recorded. Repeated-measures analyses of variance and linear mixed model analyses were performed. RESULTS: One year after SG, weight decreased by 32%, fat mass by 55%, and fat-free mass by 9% from baseline. Male participants lost significantly more weight than female participants, with larger decreases in fat mass (-65% versus -41%, P<.001) and body fat percent (-48% versus -21%, P<.001). The amount of physical activity at 1-year follow-up was also associated with larger reductions in body fat percent in both genders. Age or baseline BMI, fat mass, and fat-free mass were not associated with changes in BMI or body composition. CONCLUSION: Among obese adolescents 1 year after SG, the only modifiable factor associated with larger decreases in body fat percent was physical activity. Larger studies are needed to formally identify other possible predictors of body composition changes after SG.

[Open versus laparoscopic appendectomy in children in a regional hospital in Israel].

UNLABELLED: Although laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has already been found to be associated with greater diagnostic accuracy, less post-operative pain and shorter hospital stay as compared to open appendectomy (OA), questions remain regarding the advantages of this approach and it is still not widely practiced in children, especially in regional hospitals. AIM: This study aims to evaluate Ha'emek Medical Center's initial experience with pediatric OA and LA between July 2002 and October 2003. METHODS: This study is a retrospective outcome analysis of pediatric OA and LA. Records of all children aged 0 to 14 years who underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis, were reviewed. Operating time (OT), antibiotic treatment, analgesic needs, length of stay (LOS) and complications were analyzed and were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Seventy-one children with acute appendicitis underwent appendectomy in Ha'emek Medical Center between July 2002 and October 2003. Fifty-two children underwent OA and 19 underwent LA. There were no differences in age, sex, race, or stage of the appendicitis between the groups. LA took longer than OA (68 vs 37 minutes), length of stay was shorter for LA (2.8 vs 4.3 days), complications rate was not significantly different and overall hospital expenses were less for LA (NIS 5,756.95 vs. NIS 6,055.47). CONCLUSION: LA is as safe as OA and although it takes longer, recovery is faster. We, therefore, conclude that LA can be safely recommended for treating children with acute non-perforated appendicitis.

Splenic artery embolization for post-traumatic splenic artery pseudoaneurysm in children.

Although rare, traumatic splenic artery pseudoaneurysm (SAP) can be life threatening. The diagnostic approaches as well as the methods of treatment of SAP are yet to be determined. We present the case of a 10-year-old boy treated conservatively for a grade III blunt splenic injury (BSI). The child was discharged to home after a 5-day uneventful hospitalization but was found on routine follow-up CT scan to have a large SAP. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully angiographically embolized and subsequent abdominal CT demonstrated successful resolution of the pseudoaneurysm with a small residual splenic cyst. We reviewed the eight cases of post-traumatic SAP in children that have been published in the English literature. Unlike SAP in adult patients, the severity of the splenic injury does not have predictive value for development of SAP in children. Abdominal pain was the most frequent symptom of SAP, but three children were asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, the possibility of SAP should be investigated even in the asymptomatic child with mild splenic injury. When a splenic pseudoaneurysm is diagnosed, we believe splenic artery embolization is indicated.

Delayed versus immediate surgery in acute appendicitis: do we need to operate during the night?

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Over the last 4 years, the authors changed their management of acute nonperforated appendicitis from emergent surgery within the first 2 to 6 hours of admission to initiation of antibiotic therapy with operation within 24 hours of admission in those seen in the late evening or early morning. They examined, therefore, whether a delay in operation for acute appendicitis would affect outcome measures of patient morbidity and resource use. METHODS: The medical records of 126 patients with acute appendicitis occurring between 1998 and 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. Incidence of perforation at surgery, length of stay (LOS), hospital charges, operating time, and complications as a function of duration between emergency room (ER) triage and operation (ER-OR) or admission and operation (Admit-OR) were analyzed by Student's t test, and regression analysis with P less than.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Thirty-eight children (26%) were operated on within 6 hours of ER triage, whereas the remaining 88 children (74%) were operated on between 6 and 24 hours from ER triage. No significant difference was noted in perforation rate, LOS, costs, or operative time, nor were substantial changes in complications noted between those with an ER-OR < or =6 hours and greater than 6 hours. Likewise, no significant differences in these outcome measures were noted for Admit-OR greater than 6 when compared with < or =6 hours. Only costs with ER-OR greater than 12 hours and LOS with Admit-OR greater than 6 hours were significantly (without Bonferroni correction) different than < or = 6 hours. Multivariable linear regression analysis identified only LOS as a significant predictor of time to OR. CONCLUSIONS: In children with acute appendicitis, delaying surgery until the daytime hours did not significantly affect operating time, perforation rate, or complications. Delayed management allows greater efficiency and effective use of physician and hospital resources, including decreased resident involvement in operations during the night.

Gastric transposition for esophageal replacement in children: experience with 41 consecutive cases with special emphasis on esophageal atresia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the authors' experience with gastric transposition as a method of esophageal replacement in children with congenital or acquired abnormalities of the esophagus. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Esophageal replacement in children is almost always done for benign disease and thus requires a conduit that will last more than 70 years. The organ most commonly used in the past has been colon; however, most series have been fraught with major complications and conduit loss. For these reasons, in 1985 the authors switched from using colon interpositions to gastric transpositions for esophageal replacement in infants and children. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 41 patients with the diagnoses of esophageal atresia (n = 26), corrosive injury (n = 8), leiomyomatosis (n = 5), and refractory gastroesophageal reflux (n = 2) who underwent gastric transposition for esophageal replacement. RESULTS: Mean +/- SE age at the time of gastric transposition was 3.3 +/- 0.6 years. All but two transpositions were performed through the posterior mediastinum without mortality or loss of the gastric conduit despite previous surgery on the gastric fundus in 8 (20%), previous esophageal operations in 15 (37%), and previous esophageal perforations in 6 (15%) patients. Complications included esophagogastric anastomotic leak (n = 15, 36%), which uniformly resolved without intervention; stricture formation (n = 20, 49%), all of which no longer require dilation; and feeding intolerance necessitating jejunal feeding (n = 8, 20%) due to delayed gastric emptying (n = 3), feeding aversion related to the underlying anomaly (n = 1), or severe neurological impairment (n = 4). No redo anastomoses were required. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric transposition reestablishes effective gastrointestinal continuity with few complications. Oral feeding and appropriate weight gain are achieved in most children. Therefore, gastric transposition is an appropriate alternative for esophageal replacement in infants and children.