Complex abdominal wall reconstruction, harnessing the power of a specialized multidisciplinary team to improve pain and quality of life.

INTRODUCTION: Patients who require highly complex abdominal wall hernia repair with composite soft tissue free flap coverage represent the most challenging population, and the most difficult to definitively treat. For many, this combined procedure represents their last chance to restore any sense of normalcy to their lives. To date, patient reported post-operative outcomes have been limited in the literature, in particular, quality of life has been an under-reported component of successful management. METHODS: Patient-reported outcomes were analyzed using the 12-question HerQLes survey, a validated hernia-related quality of life survey to assess patient function after complex abdominal wall reconstruction. Using synthetic mesh for structural stability, and microsurgical flaps for soft tissue coverage, ten consecutive heterogeneous patients underwent repair of massive abdominal wall defects. Baseline preoperative HerQLes and numerical pain scores were then compared to those obtained postoperatively (at or greater than 6 months). RESULTS: All patients experienced improvement in their quality of life and pain scores post operatively with average follow-up at 15.9 months, even in those who experienced complications. All microsurgical flaps survived. There were no hernia recurrences. CONCLUSION: Despite the extraordinary preoperative morbidity of massive abdominal wall defects, with an experienced General Surgery and Plastic Surgery multidisciplinary team, these highly complex patients are able to achieve a significant improvement in their pain and quality of life following repair and reconstruction with complex mesh hernia repair and microsurgical free tissue transfer.

[Nephrological paradox]. / Il paradosso nefrologico.

Patients that are followed by nephrologists from the beginning of the illness, they show a deceleration in the progression of the Chronic Kidney Disease towards dialysis and a better quality of life (less osteodystrophy, anaemia and fluids overload, better pressure management). However, in 2013 it still exists a great lack of knowledge about the professional figure of nephrologist. Residents of Nephrological School of Catania decided to conduct a survey to evaluate common knowledge of renal diseases and their treatments. The survey was conducted in two cities of Sicily. The results show that people are generally uninformed and disoriented about renal illness and their risks.