High sacrectomy for locally recurrent rectal cancer: Can long-term survival be achieved?

BACKGROUND: Locally recurrent rectal cancer involving the upper sacrum is generally considered a contra-indication to curative surgery. The aim of this study was to determine if a survival benefit was seen in patients undergoing high sacrectomy. METHODS: All patients with locally recurrent rectal cancer involving the sacrum above the 3rd sacral body between 1999 and 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: Nine patients were identified with a median age of 63 years. The proximal extent of sacral resection was through S2 (n = 6), S1 (n = 2), and L5-S1 (n = 1). All patients had R0 negative-margin resection. Median operative time was 13.7 hr, and median operative blood transfusion was 3.7 L. Thirty-day mortality was nil. Postoperative complications requiring surgical intervention occurred in three patients. Local re-recurrence in the pelvis occurred in one patient. The overall median survival was 31 months (range, 2-39 months). Three patients still alive are free of disease after 40, 76, and 101 months, respectively. Ultimately, all deaths were due to metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS: High sacrectomy that achieves clear margins in patients with recurrent rectal cancer is safe and feasible. A majority will die of metastatic disease, but long-term survival may be possible in some patients.

Pain on injection from propofol may be avoided by changing its formulation.

BACKGROUND: After using propofol for a decade, pain on injection had been considered routine by patients and medical personnel. When given propofol from a different manufacturer, patients did not complain. Two preparations of propofol were compared. METHODS: A comparative, double-blind, randomized study was conducted in 22 adult patients undergoing pain relief procedures; they received sedation by an intravenous injection of 1.7 mg/kg of propofol and then were treated with paravertebral injections. Pain on injection was assessed by verbal complaint, movement of the extremity, of the whole body and recollection of pain at induction, when discharged. Propofol from Baxter Laboratories, mixed with either 5 ml of 2% lidocaine or 5 ml of NaCl 0.9%, was compared with propofol Laboratorios Gray, which was similarly mixed. Injections were randomly administered four times, blindly, to each of 22 patients. Statistical analysis was conducted using the analysis of variance method. RESULTS: A total of 352 propofol injections were given. Each of the four propofol solutions was administered 88 times; of patients receiving Baxter propofol+saline, 74 (84%) had pain; when mixed with 2% lidocaine 45 (50.2%) complained. After propofol Gray with NaCl 0.9% was given, two patients (2.2%) experienced pain. Propofol Gray with 2% lidocaine produced no pain. None of the latter group remembered having pain, whereas, those given propofol Baxter 54 (61.3%) and 26 (29.5%) remembered experiencing pain at injection. Pain on injection was prevented and statistically reduced (<0.01) with the propofol from Laboratorios Gray. CONCLUSIONS: By changing the formulation (size of molecules and their dispersion) of propofol, pain on injection was avoided.

Absence of histological changes after the administration of a continuous intrathecal clonidine in Wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: The administration of epidural and spinal clonidine has demonstrated an antinociceptive effect in animals and humans. For that reason, its spinal administration has been proposed as an adjuvant in chronic pain management. However, there is limited information about its possible neurotoxic effect after its continuous neuraxial administration. METHOD: Twelve male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups. Using an osmotic mini-pump a continuous infusion of intrathecal clonidine, (21.4 micrograms/day, Group A) or saline solution (Group B), was administered for 14 consecutive days. For evaluating the neurological damage a neuropathological analysis of the spinal cord was performed by light microscopy. RESULTS: Neurohistopathologic examination of the spinal cord specimens failed to show evidence of neurotoxic damage in either group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings showed that continuous intrathecal administration of clonidine did not produce evidence of histological neurotoxicity; therefore it is possible that continuous administration of intrathecal clonidine might be a safe option for treatment of chronic intractable pain; however, further investigations are necessary for evaluating diverse doses and periods of time, and to define its possible behavioral effects.

Chronic subarachnoid administration of 1-(4chlorobenzoyl)-5methoxy-2methyl-1H-indole-3 acetic acid (indomethacin): an evaluation of its neurotoxic effects in an animal model.

Neuraxial administration of nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs has been suggested as an alternative in the management of intractable pain, but there is little evidence that the neurotoxic effects of indomethacin by this route of administration have been evaluated. In this study, we evaluated histological neurotoxicity of indomethacin after its subarachnoid administration in guinea pigs. The hypothesis tested was "Does subarachnoid administration of indomethacin produce damage in the spinal cord of guinea pigs?" Ten male guinea pigs were anesthetized, and a polyamide catheter connected to a subcutaneous osmotic micro-pump was implanted at the L2-3 level. Animals were randomly assigned in 2 groups of 5 animals each. Indomethacin or saline solution was administered by continuous infusion (0.5 microL/h) for 14 days. Neurotoxicity was determined by spinal cord histopathology. There was no evidence of toxicity in the histological examinations of either group. These data suggest that subarachnoid administration of indomethacin infusion, at these doses, did not produce lesions typical of neurotoxicity in the spinal cord. We have concluded that epidural administration of indomethacin may be considered an alternative for application in human pain management, although more studies to determine its safety are required.

Exacerbation of preexisting neurological deficits by neuraxial anesthesia: report of 7 cases.

We undertook this case series to determine if preexisting neurological disease is exacerbated by either spinal or epidural anesthesia. In the website of the Arachnoiditis Foundation, we posted an offer to advise anesthesiologists in cases of neurological problems after either of these techniques was used. Contacts were made first by way of the Internet, confirmed by telephone, and maintained by fax, e-mail, or by special mail. Patients here described were cared for and observed by one of the authors, in a hospital, in Argentina or in Mexico. A total of 7 adult, ASA physical status I and II patients, including 3 men and 4 women, with subtle symptoms of neurological disease before anesthesia, are described. Two patients had continuous lumbar epidural anesthesia, 3 had spinals; in 2 more, attempted epidural blocks led to accidental dural puncture and were converted to subarachnoid anesthetics. All patients accepted neuraxial anesthesia without informing the anesthesiologists that they had mild neurological symptoms before surgery. Because anesthesiologists did not specifically inquire about subclinical neurological symptoms or prior neurological disease, anesthesiologists are advised to carefully inquire about prior neurological disease whether neuraxial anesthesia techniques are considered.

[Cervical epidural anesthesia for upper extremity surgery using three different formulations of local anesthetics]. / Anestesia epidural cervical para la cirugía de miembro torácico con tres formulaciones de anestésicos locales.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency and safety of the cervical epidural blockade (CEB) in upper extremity surgery, using lidocaine 2%, bupivacaine 5% and a mixture of both local analgesics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty five patients were submitted to upper limb surgery under CEB. They were assigned into one of three groups: group I received 100 mg of 2% lidocaine; group II received 30 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine, and group III received a mixture of 60 mg of 2% lidocaine and 15 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine. We evaluated their effects on vital signs, blockade quality, adverse effects, and patient comfort. RESULTS: Anesthesiologist and surgeon evaluated the technique as "good" in 80% of the patients. Significant differences were found for motor blockade. Group II developed complete motor block (100%). Observed adverse effects were vomiting in groups II and III and dural puncture was present in 6.7% of the cases in group II. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the safety of cervical epidural anesthesia for upper limb surgery using three different formulations of local anesthetics.

Changes of plasma cholinesterase activity during orthotopic liver transplantation in man.

Variations of plasma cholinesterase activity were studied in eight patients with end stage liver disease having orthotopic liver transplantation and five other patients with hepatic cirrhosis undergoing surgical procedures. Serum cholinesterase activity was found to be below normal limits in every patient, even more so in those having hepatic homotransplantation, probably because of the greater severity of their disease. Blood transfusions increased pseudocholinesterase activity to normal or nearly normal levels; but only after successful transplantation did these levels remain within normality, thus suggesting that the homografts promptly assume production of the serum enzyme.

The anesthetic management of the severely burned patient.

The anesthetic management of patients with major burns must be based on pathophysiological knowledge of the disease. In the immediate post-burn period hemodynamic changes are of major importance. Because in severe cases any of the determinants of cardiac output can be implicated in these changes, precise physiological measurements are required. Arterial pressure, urinary output, central venous pressure and right heart catheterization can help in choosing the appropriate intervention. The metabolic response to the injury is initially protective, providing enough substrate, but later will lead to extreme levels of catabolism which can impair wound healing and immunological response. The anesthesiologist can decrease that response by providing calories, adequate room temperature, a reduction of the NPO period to the minimum necessary, and avoiding stress situations. Respiratory injury can either affect the upper airway or produce the picture of ARF, which may require special treatment before, during and after surgery. Several technical problems are usually present in the anesthetic management of these patients: 1) difficult airway, 2) scarce venous access, 3) no places available for monitoring, 4) drug dependency, 5) multiple anesthetics, 6) tendency to hypothermia, 7) inaccurate estimation of blood loss, 8) hyperkalemia after succinylcholine administration, and 9) systemic effect of topical medications.

Reversibility of severe hepatic damage caused by jejunoileal bypass after re-establishment of normal intestinal continuity.

This case report attempts to document the reversibility of advanced hepatic anatomical and clinical alterations compatible with advanced hepatic cirrhosis that occasionally develop in patients with jejunoileal bypass performed for morbid obesity. The advanced stage of this complication can be fatal unless the intestinal continuity is returned to normal.

Economics of pancreatoduodenectomy in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: Managed care and the increasing percentage of surgical procedures performed in the elderly have renewed the focus on hospital charges and expenditures. The objective of this study was to determine whether septuagenarians and octogenarians accrue more hospital charges or have a higher risk of morbidity and death. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charges and pertinent clinical outcomes data that were available on 70 of the last 100 pancreatoduodenectomies performed at our institution (1989 to 1994). Charges from four cost centers were analyzed and normalized to 1995 dollars by using the Consumer Price Index and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1, 70 years of age or older (n = 21); group 2, younger than 70 years of age (n = 49). RESULTS: Anesthetic charges were $2657 +/- $835 for group 1 versus $2815 +/- $826 for group 2, which was not a statistically significant difference. Laboratory charges were $4650 +/- $3284 for group 1 versus $5969 +/- $5169 for group 2, which was not a significant difference. Pharmaceutical charges were $5424 +/- $4435 for group 1 versus $9243 +/- $9695 for group 2, which was not a significant difference. Charges for operative units were $6198 +/- $1671 for group 1 versus $7469 +/- $2116 for group 2, p < 0.02. Total charges were $41,180 +/- $20,635 for group 1 versus $50,968 +/- $33,783 for group 2, which was not a significant difference. No difference was noted in morbidity, mortality, length of stay, or survival. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatoduodenectomy in the elderly can be performed safely without accruing higher cost, increased morbidity, or increased mortality.

Postponement of operations: its prevention in patients found to be mildly hypertensive.

Changes of arterial blood pressure (ABP) and heart rate (HR) occurring during anesthesia and in the immediate postoperative period were recorded in three groups composed of 30 hypertensive patients each, having noncardiac surgery. Group 1 was untreated, group 2 received 100 mg of phenytoin orally the evening before and on the morning of the operation, whereas group 3 received 200 mg of phenytoin orally at the same intervals. During anesthesia and in the recovery room, there were more moderate and severe alterations of ABP and HR in the control group than in the treated grups, with the only statistically significant differences being those between group 1 and group 3. This pattern continued for up to 24 hours after surgery. The administration of 200 mg of phenytoin orally the night before and on the morning of surgery seems to provide greater hemodynamic stability to mildly hypertensive patients during the surgical and anesthetic experiences.

Internal retrovesical hernia producing intestinal obstruction. Report of a case.

A patient with clinical signs of complete intestinal obstruction was found at celiotomy to have a loop of small intestine caught in the narrow opening of a defect located in the transverse peritoneal fold of the urinary bladder and extending into the retrovesical space. This report aims at bringing attention to internal retrovesical hernias, an entity scarcely mentioned in the literature, as a possible cause of small bowel obstruction.

Radical resection for periampullary carcinomas: results in 53 patients.

Radical pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary cancer was performed in 53 patients over a 22-year period. All tumors were adenocarcinomas: 35 patients had adenocarcinoma involving the head of the pancreas, nine, the Vater ampulla, seven, the distal common bile duct, and two, the duodenum. There were nine hospital deaths (17%). The postoperative course was classified as uneventful in 33 patients (62%). Thirty of the 39 patients who left the hospital died later, with evidence of recurrent carcinoma. The actuarial survival rate for the 53 patients was 51% +/- 6.9% at one year, 12% +/- 4.6% at five years, and 7% +/- 3.9% at ten years. Patients surviving 3.5 or more years appeared to have a decrease in their cancer mortality. We discuss actuarial survival rates, according to the location of the tumor. This experience suggests that radical pancreaticoduodenectomy id indicated to remove small, localized periampullary carcinomas in patients who are otherwise in good health.

Spontaneous rupture of the spleen. An unusual complication of anticoagulant therapy.

A 44-year-old man, who had been taking warfarin sodium because of a previous myocardial infarct, suddenly developed abdominal pain and signs of peritoneal irritation, requiring exploratory laparotomy. The spleen was ruptured. There were not any systemic diseases nor antecedents of trauma that could be considered predisposing factors for the apparently spontaneous rupture of the spleen. The only abnormality recorded was an elevated prothrombin time. Thus, a coagulopathy produced by the anticoagulants appeared to be the only possible predisposing factor for his splenic rupture.

Colorectal hepatic metastases: resection, local ablation, and hepatic artery infusion pump are associated with prolonged survival.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver is not uniform. We describe the management of metastatic colorectal cancer of the liver at a single institution during a 10-year period. METHODS: From January 1, 1990, through December 31, 1999, 174 patients were identified from the tumor registry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a diagnosis of metastatic colorectal cancer to the liver. Patient, tumor, laboratory, operative, and adjuvant therapy factors were analyzed, with overall survival as the endpoint. Log-rank tests were used for univariate analysis, Cox-proportional hazards model for multivariate analysis, and Kaplan-Meier curves were used for graphical representation of survival. Significance was defined as P<.05. RESULTS: Median age was 60 years (age range, 18-92 years). Seventy-nine percent of patients had synchronous liver metastases at the time of diagnosis of the primary colorectal tumor. The primary tumor was in the colon and rectum 75% and 25% of the time, respectively. Of the 89 patients who underwent operation, 73 received definitive surgical treatment for their liver metastases. Fifty-two patients underwent lobectomy or wedge resection, 5 underwent cryotherapy, and 16 had a hepatic artery infusion pump (HAIP) inserted. Median follow-up duration of surgically treated patients was 26 months. Operative mortality was 1.3%. The 3-year actuarial survivals for patients who underwent resection, HAIP, or those with unresectable disease were 70 months, 32 months, and 3 months, respectively (P<.001). By multivariate analysis, surgical intervention, a carcinoembryonic antigen level less than 200 microg/L, or a low T stage of the primary tumor were associated with prolongation of survival. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection should be attempted for hepatic colorectal metastases, as this is associated with prolonged overall survival. Hepatic artery infusion pump insertion seems to prolong overall survival for those with unresectable hepatic metastases, but it is not equal to resection. Aggressive surgical management of patients with hepatic colorectal metastases is safe, may prolong overall survival, and therefore should be considered in all patients with metastases confined to the liver.

Cytomegalovirus colitis presenting as hematochezia and requiring resection.

Cytomegalovirus infection is one of the most prevalent viral infections affecting recipients of cardiac allografts. Of the various severe systemic manifestations, those in the gastrointestinal tract have a unique way of presenting, specifically in the colon where a process related to cytomegalovirus infection that involves all layers, with dilatation as a prominent clinical feature, has been suggested. We report herein a case of patient with a heart allograft who had severe episodes of rejection that responded to boosting doses of steroids. Because of persistent fever, diarrhea, hematochezia, and computed tomographic findings of the abdomen that showed a highly abnormal appearance of the ascending and transverse segments of the colon, this patient subsequently underwent celiotomy. The involved segment of the colon was found to have severe inflammation with mucosal necrosis; a subtotal colectomy was done. The abundant cytomegalovirus inclusions found in the vascular endothelium of the removed damaged segment of the colon suggest that cytomegalovirus may have been a causal factor in this form of colitis. The patient recovered uneventfully.

Bullet emboli to the pulmonary artery: a report of 2 patients and review of the literature.

Bullet embolization to the pulmonary artery is a rare event. The purpose of this study is to report our experience with 2 patients and to review the 15 patients reported in the literature, with special emphasis on a rather peculiar complication that has occurred in 4 of the 9 patients who underwent bullet embolectomy: dislodgment of the missile during the surgical procedure and migration to the down-side lung, for which a second thoracotomy was required in 3 of those patients. The usual untoward effects of foreign bodies in the vascular system were seen in this series: embolization with thrombosis, sepsis, erosion and hemorrhage, and vascular occlusion with infarction. This review suggests that operative removal of a bullet in the pulmonary artery is necessary. The operation is safe and uncomplicated if precautions are taken to prevent the missile from migrating during manipulation of the lung.

Leg edema from intrathecal opiate infusions.

Despite the increasing popularity of intrathecal infusions to treat patients with long-term non-cancer-related pain, this therapy is not without serious side-effects. Five out of 23 patients who had intrathecal infusions of opiates for longer than 24 months developed leg and feet edema. As predisposing factors, cardiovascular disease, deep venous thrombosis, peripheral vascular disease, and venous stasis of the lower extremities were considered. Every patient who developed pedal and leg edema after the implantation of an infusion pump was also found to have leg edema and venous stasis prior to the time when the pump was inserted. This complication was severe enough to limit their physical activity, and to produce lymphedema, ulcerations and hyperpigmentation of the skin. Reduction of the edema occurred when the dose of the opiate was decreased, and in two cases in which the infusion was discontinued, there was almost complete resolution of the syndrome. It appears that the pre-existence of pedal edema and of venous stasis is a relative contraindication to the long-term intrathecal infusion of opiates in patients with chronic non-cancer pain.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy for metastatic tumors to the periampullary region.

Although operative resection of metastatic lesions to the liver, lung, and brain has proved to be useful, only recently have there been a few reports of pancreaticoduodenectomies in selected cases of metastases to the periampullary region. In this report we present four cases of proven metastatic disease to the periampullary region in which the lesions were treated by pancreaticoduodenectomy. Metastatic tumors corresponded to a melanoma of unknown primary site, choriocarcinoma, high-grade liposarcoma of the leg, and a small cell cancer of the lung. All four patients survived the operation and had no major complications. Two patients died of recurrence of their tumors, 6 and 63 months, respectively, after operation; the other two patients are alive 21 and 12 months, respectively, after operation. It can be inferred from this small but documented experience, as well as a review of the literature, that pancreaticoduodenectomy for metastatic disease can be considered in selected patients, as long as this operation is performed by experienced surgeons who have achieved minimal or no morbidity and mortality with it.

Epidural fibrosis after permanent catheter insertion and infusion.

Forty-six permanent epidural catheters and life-port units were implanted in 43 patients with severe, recurrent low back pain who had been considered not to be candidates for surgical intervention and in whom other therapeutic modalities had failed. Eight cases developed epidural fibrosis (EF). For analgesia, patients received either infusions with preservative-free solutions of fentanyl and bupivacaine or daily boluses of morphine and bupivacaine. Catheters remained from 75 days to 433 days. Signs of EF appeared from 21 days to 320 days after implantation. Pain at injection or resistance to injection were initial manifestations of EF, followed by poor, and eventually, nil analgesic effect. The epidural catheters were made of either polyamide, silicone, or polyurethane. Epidurograms revealed encapsulation, narrowing, and loculation of epidural space with gradually reduced spread of the contrast material. The occurrence of EF limits the permanency of implanted epidural catheters. The infusate does not cause this complication, which appears to be a foreign body reaction due to the presence of the catheter in the epidural space.