Side-to-side stapled intra-thoracic esophagogastric anastomosis reduces the incidence of leaks and stenosis.

Trans-hiatal esophagectomy with a hand-sewn anastomosis was for 2 decades the preferred approach in our institution for patients with esophageal cancer. In our experience, this anastomotic technique was associated with a 12% leak rate and a 48% rate of stricture requiring dilatation. We sought to determine if a side-to-side intra-thoracic anastomosis was associated with a lower rate of anastomotic stricture and leak. Thirty-three consecutive patients with distal esophageal cancer or Barrett's esophagus with high grade dysplasia underwent a trans-thoracic esophagectomy with a side-to-side stapled intra-thoracic anastomosis. The overall morbidity was 27%, with no anastomotic stricture or leaks. One patient died (3%). The median time to the resumption of an oral diet was 7 days (range 5-28), and the median length of stay in hospital was 9 days (range 6-45). Trans-thoracic esophagectomy with a side-to-side stapled anastomosis is safe and it is associated with a very low rate of anastomotic complications. We consider this to be the procedure of choice for patients with distal esophageal cancers.

Diagnosis and operative treatment of intracavitary liposarcoma of the right ventricle.

A case of successful operative treatment of an intracavitary liposarcoma of the right ventricle is presented. Comparison with the only other reported case is made and methods of diagnosis and treatment are discussed.

The use of medical audits in surgical education.

Quality of medical care audits conducted in the form of a conference attended by surgical residents, faculty, and medical students accomplish the following: (1) provide an excellent educational experience for all participants; (2) are enthusiastically received by all concerned; (3) accomplish considerably more than audits performed in the manner prescribed by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH); and (4) fulfill JCAH/Professional Standards Review Organization (PSRO) requirements. This modified type of audit can be used successfully as a variant of a teaching seminar in which learning is more predictable because of the active participation of all concerned. Criteria sets which include simple and complex criteria must be developed if audits are to alter patterns of care for complex surgical problems.

The intestinal phase of gastric secretion: a pharmacological profile of entero-oxyntin.

In dogs with denervated fundic pouches, antrectomy, and gastrojejunostomy, feeding a meal of cooked liver and 5 percent bone dust stimualted acid secretion from the fundic pouches without increasing serum gastrin concentrations. Simultaneous administration of pentagastrin, histamine, octapeptide of cholecystokinin, or bethanecol produced potentiation of acid secretion, suggesting that the mediator of the intestinal phase is different from these secretagogues. Secretin and glucagon failed to inhibit the intestinal stimulus but both atropine and metiamide were potent inhibitors. We conclude that entero-oxyntin, the hormone responsible for the intestinal phase of gastric secretin, has a unique pattern of effects for acid secretion.

Gallbladder filling and response to cholecystokinin are not affected by vagotomy.

We studied the effects of vagotomy on gallbladder (GB) motility in prairie dogs and humans with infusion cholescintigraphy. Twelve male prairie dogs were anesthetized and given an intravenous infusion of 120 microCi of diethyl-HIDA for 150 minutes. Images were acquired every 10 minutes. Then cholecystokinin (CCK)-8, 1.5 micrograms/kg, was given as a bolus, and images were acquired for another 30 minutes. We repeated the studies giving 300 micrograms/kg of atropine 20 minutes before administration of CCK-8. All animals underwent truncal vagotomy, and the studies were repeated 1 and 3 months later. The GB filled in a stepwise fashion; partitioning of bile varied from one 10-minute period to the next and averaged 20% +/- 2%/80% +/- 3% during the 150-minute period. Episodic partial GB emptying (ejection fraction 19% +/- 2%; intervals of 70 +/- 5 minutes) occurred during this phase. GB filling and partitioning of bile were unchanged after vagotomy. GB ejection fraction in response to CCK-8 was 69% +/- 6% in controls, 74% +/- 5% after atropine, 78% +/- 8% 4 weeks after vagotomy, and 66% +/- 6% 3 months after vagotomy. Sixteen human subjects were studied after parietal cell vagotomy (six patients) or truncal vagotomy and drainage (10 patients). GB filling average 2.5% +/- 2% per minute in patients who underwent truncal vagotomy and 3% +/- 1% per minute in patients who underwent parietal cell vagotomy. GB emptying in response to CCK-33 (0.02 U/kg/min) was 74% +/- 7% in patients who underwent truncal vagotomy and 82% +/- 4% in patients who underwent parietal cell vagotomy. Thus neither GB filling nor GB emptying in response to CCK was altered by cholinergic blockade or vagotomy.

Anatomic correlates of bacterial cholangiovenous reflux.

The purpose of these studies was to define the pathways by which bacteria pass from bile duct to bloodstream during acute bacterial cholangitis in the rat. The respective roles of biliary obstruction and intrabiliary pressure during the reflux of biliary bacteria were defined by the infusion of bacteria via the bile duct into rats with or without prior bile duct obstruction. As determined by quantitative blood culture analysis, bacterial reflux from bile to blood was enhanced by increased intrabiliary pressure regardless of presence or absence of biliary obstruction. Light microscopic examination of rat liver 48 hours after bile duct obstruction revealed bile ductular proliferation and bile canalicular dilatation. Light microscopic autoradiographs showed aggregates of tritiated thymidine-labeled Escherichia coli outside of interlobular bile ducts in the portal tracts. Transmission electron microscopic examination of rat liver perfused with a bacterial suspension via the common bile duct showed disruption of liver cells and formation of intracellular vacuoles. Bacteria appeared to enter the sinusoidal spaces via these intracellular vacuoles. We conclude that during retrograde biliary infusion (1) increased intrabiliary pressure is the main determinant of increased bacterial reflux into blood; (2) bacteria enter the bloodstream by predominantly intracellular pathways; and (3) prior biliary obstruction is not a significant factor in bacterial reflux from bile to bloodstream.

Bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Factors that influence the results of treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the treatment of bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy to discern the factors affecting outcome. DESIGN: An analysis of the treatment of 88 patients with laparoscopic bile duct injuries. SETTING: A university hospital. PATIENTS: Eighty-eight patients with major bile duct injuries following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Success of treatment, morbidity rate, mortality rate, and length of illness. RESULTS: Operations to repair bile duct injuries were unsuccessful in 27 (96%) of 28 procedures when cholangiograms were not obtained preoperatively, and they were unsuccessful in 69% when cholangiographic data were incomplete. In some cases, lack of complete cholangiographic information led to an inappropriate and harmful operation. When cholangiographic data were complete, the first repair was successful in 16 (84%) of 19 patients. A primary end-to-end repair over a T tube (13 patients) was unsuccessful in every case in which the duct had been divided. Direct closure of a partial defect in the duct was successful in four of seven patients. Fifty-four (63%) of 84 Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomies were successful. Factors responsible for the unsuccessful outcomes were the following: incomplete excision of the scarred duct, use of nonabsorbable suture material, use of two-layer anastomosis, and failure to eradicate subhepatic infection before the attempted repair. Dilatation and stenting was uniformly unsuccessful as primary treatment (three patients) and was unsuccessful in only seven of 26 patients following a previous operative repair. Patients first treated by the primary surgeon had an average length of illness of 222 days (P < .01). Only 17% of primary repair attempts and no secondary repair attempts performed by the laparoscopic surgeon were successful. Patients whose first repair was performed by tertiary care biliary surgeons had a length of illness of 78 days (P < .01), and 45 (94%) of 48 repairs by tertiary care biliary surgeons were successful. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons who specialize in the repair of bile duct injuries achieve much better results than those with less experience. The worse results of other surgeons could be attributed in many instances to specific correctable errors. Nonsurgical treatment was usually unsuccessful and substantially increased the duration of disability.

Laparoscopic jejunostomy using T-fasteners as retractors and anchors.

We developed a new technique for performing laparoscopic jejunostomies using T-fasteners to secure the jejunum to the abdominal wall. The proximal jejunum is identified with laparoscopy. Four T-fasteners are introduced percutaneously into the jejunal lumen for retraction, and an 8F catheter is inserted through a peel-away introducer via a J-wire. The jejunum is drawn up against the abdominal wall by pulling on the T-fasteners. Tube placement is checked with laparoscopy and roentgenography. We performed laparoscopic jejunostomies in five patients using this method, and the results were excellent. Jejunostomies can be performed safely, easily, and reliably this way.

The treatment of achalasia. A current perspective.

We analyzed the course of 79 adult patients treated for achalasia between 1977 and 1988. Sixty-six patients (84%) had pneumatic dilatation as the primary therapy. Fifty-three patients (80%) had immediate improvement in swallowing. Three patients required immediate redilatation, 2 developed pulmonary aspiration, and 8 (12%) suffered esophageal perforation. Esophageal perforation was treated by closure plus Heller's myotomy in 3 patients, closure only in 3, chest tube in 1, and antibiotics and nasogastric suction in 1. At 4 years' follow-up, 50% of patients who had dilatation remained asymptomatic, 30% had symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux, and 20% had persistent dysphagia. Eight Heller myotomies were performed, with excellent results in 7 and 1 postoperative death from respiratory failure. Seven additional patients with disabling esophageal symptoms after multiple operations for achalasia were ultimately treated by esophagectomy (n = 5), hemigastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy (n = 1), and repeated myotomy (n = 1). All recovered and are able to eat solid food. Thus, our experience indicates that pneumatic dilatation remains unperfected (ie, the line between undertreatment and overtreatment is finer than generally recognized), and unless improvements can be made, the role for surgery may need to be reexpanded.

Postcholecystectomy abdominal bile collections.

HYPOTHESIS: The clinical syndromes caused by bile collections in the abdomen span a wide spectrum and their natural history and risks are not fully appreciated. DESIGN: Analysis of 179 patients with bile fistulas after cholecystectomy, of which 154 patients had undrained bile collections. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the manifestations and natural history of abdominal bile collections. SETTING: A tertiary care teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical findings in 179 patients with bile fistulas resulting from iatrogenic laparoscopic bile duct injuries and other miscellaneous operations between 1990 and 1999 were analyzed. The group of main interest consisted of 154 patients with undrained bile collections. Of these 154 patients, 21% had serious complications, including sepsis and multiorgan failure. The data were analyzed to identify the variables associated with this undesirable outcome. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptoms, physical findings, course of illness, and laboratory and imaging findings. RESULTS: The clinical manifestations of intra-abdominal bile collections were initially discounted in 77% of patients, so the problem went unsuspected for a variable and often lengthy period. Abdominal pain and tenderness (bile peritonitis) gradually developed in 18% of patients with bile ascites. There were no differences in the initial clinical findings in this group compared with those who did not develop peritonitis. Nineteen percent of patients with undrained bile collections experienced serious morbidity. The initial clinical findings did not differ in these patients compared with those with a less complicated illness. Serious illness, however, was associated with the following: (1) a longer period of undrained bile (15.4 vs 9.2 days, P=.04) and (2) a higher incidence of infected bile (45% vs 7%, P=.001). CONCLUSIONS: (1) Prominent abdominal pain and tenderness developed in only 21% of patients with abdominal bile collections; (2) the symptoms caused by bile collections were often subtle and their significance was overlooked, which resulted in a delay in diagnosis; (3) the early clinical findings could not distinguish patients who did become critically ill from those who did not; and (4) seriously ill patients more often had delayed drainage and infected bile. Still, failure to drain a bile collection within just 5 days resulted in serious illness in a few patients. Surgeons must watch for the clinical manifestations of bile ascites after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This diagnosis should be suspected whenever persistent bloating and anorexia last for more than a few days; failure to recover as smoothly as expected is the most common early symptom of bile ascites. If bile collections were promptly diagnosed and drained, the rate of serious illness resulting from this complication would decline.

An analysis of the reduced morbidity and mortality rates after pancreaticoduodenectomy.

We examined the course of 51 consecutive patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomies between 1979 and 1987. Fifteen patients (30%) had a traditional pancreaticoduodenectomy and 36 (70%) had a pylorus-preserving procedure. Operative blood loss, resumption of oral intake, and time to discharge from the hospital were not different for the two operations. One patient (2%) died of complications of the operation, and 14 patients (27%) had nonlethal intra-abdominal complications. Two patients required reoperation: 1 had a hemoperitoneum and 1 had a breakdown of a choledochoenterostomy. Of the patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer, 26 (74%) of 35 survived 1 year, 9 (47%) of 19 survived 3 years, and 3 (33%) of 10 patients survived 5 or more years postoperatively. Our data showed that (1) on a service where a large number of these operations is performed, the mortality rate of patients who have undergone a pancreaticoduodenectomy is substantially lower than in the past and that (2) the main reasons for these improved results are greater experience of a few surgeons who perform the procedure regularly and the availability of computed tomographic scans and skilled interventional radiologists, which allows postoperative infection and pancreatic fistulas to be controlled. Although pancreaticoduodenectomy is only palliative in most patients with cancer, it provides the best palliation and the only chance of cure, and the procedure can be recommended when performed in tertiary care centers that possess these elements of success.

Gastric emptying and small bowel transit of solid food after pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy.

We examined the gastric emptying and small bowel transit of solid food in ten patients one to 45 months after pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy. Gastric emptying and small bowel transit were measured by computer analysis of data from a scintillation camera using technetium Tc 99m-tagged chicken liver mixed with beef stew and were compared with the results in five control subjects. The nutritional status of the patients was also evaluated. Gastric emptying was normal in six patients, rapid in three patients, and delayed in one patient. Small bowel transit was normal in two patients, rapid in seven patients, and delayed in one patient. Most of the patients were asymptomatic, ate three meals a day, and gained weight after the operation. These findings show that after pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy, most patients consume a regular diet and achieve an excellent nutritional status. Gastric emptying is normal, not slowed. Small bowel transit is faster than normal but is without clinical sequelae.

Abdominal abscess. A surgical strategy.

To reassess the role of laparotomy and extraserosal drainage in the treatment of patients with abdominal abscess, we analyzed the course of 79 patients who underwent 97 operations to treat 120 abdominal abscesses during a five-year period. In 66 clinical episodes the abscess was drained by the most direct approach. Sepsis resolved with a single operation In 80% of these patients, five patients (8%) required a second operation for drainage for an abscess, and eight patients (12%) died. In 31 clinical episodes, the abscess was drained by a laparotomy. Sepsis resolved with a single operation in 61% of these patients, seven patients (21%) had a second abscess, six patients (19%) required a second operation to drain a metachronous abscess, and six patients (19%) died. When the location or number of abscesses was diagnosed incorrectly, the success rate of therapy fell substantially. Since most abdominal abscesses can now be accurately diagnosed preoperatively, most abscesses should be drained by a direct approach. Exploratory laparotomy is indicated when preoperative localization is unsuccessful, when sepsis has not resolved after other methods of drainage, or when the patient has a concomitant abdominal condition that must be treated surgically.

Peritoneovenous shunt for refractory ascites: operative complications and long-term results.

We studied the clinical course of 35 patients with refractory ascites who underwent 51 peritoneovenous shunts. Nine of them had hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). Operative complications included shunt malfunction, shunt infection, ascitic leak, fluid overload, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. Two of the patients without HRS died postoperatively. The survival rate in this group was 67% at one year and 43% at two years. Ascites was completely controlled in 83% of the survivors at two months and 50% at two years. Neither survival nor shunt patency were predictable. The shunt reversed HRS in three patients, but failed to do so in the other six. Late complications included shunt malfunction and infection. During the first two years of follow-up, five patients bled from esophageal varices. Liver failure was the sole cause of late death. Peritoneovenous shunt should be reserved for patients with truly refractory ascites, for whom it provides excellent palliation.

Gallstone disease. The clinical manifestations of infectious stones.

Gallstones from 82 patients were examined under a scanning electron microscope for evidence of bacteria, and the findings were compared with the clinical manifestations of the disease. Bacteria were present in 68% of pigment stones and the pigment portions of 80% of composite stones. These gallstones were referred to as infectious stones. No bacteria were found in cholesterol gallstones. Acute cholangitis was diagnosed in 52% of patients with infectious stones and in 18% of patients with noninfectious stones. Over half of the patients with noninfectious stones presented with mild symptoms. Infectious stones were more often associated with a previous common duct exploration, an urgent operation, infected bile, a common duct procedure, and complications. These data show that gallstone disease is more virulent in patients whose gallstones contain bacteria.

The ultrasonic dissector facilitates laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The ultrasonic dissector disrupts tissues in proportion to their fluid content by ultrasonically induced cavitational forces. Since sturdy tissues are spared, the instrument tends to follow tissue planes and to dissect fat and other soft tissues selectively. We performed a prospective, randomized, controlled trial in 73 patients comparing the safety and efficacy of a prototype ultrasonic dissector with that of electrosurgery and laser during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Randomization was as follows: ultrasonic dissector, 37 patients; electrosurgery, 21 patients; and laser, 15 patients. The results were not different with respect to patient characteristics, amount of blood loss, technical difficulties, length of hospital stay, or return to work. Subjectively, the ultrasonic dissector was thought to be of special value in isolating the hilar structures, particularly when they were edematous or embedded in fat. The ultrasonic dissector disintegrated the fat, which was rapidly cleared up the suction channel, allowing the cystic duct and artery to be bared with less risk of injury. We concluded that the ultrasonic dissector has unique attributes that contribute to the ease and safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Esophageal perforation.

Sixty-nine patients with perforation of the esophagus were treated at the University of California, San Francisco, from 1977 to 1988. The perforation was iatrogenic in 33 (48%) of the patients, spontaneous in 8 (12%), and a result of external trauma in 23 (33%). Clinical findings included chest pain in 36 (52%) of 69 patients, subcutaneous emphysema in 22 (32%) of 59 patients, and pneumomediastinum in 21 (36%) of 59 patients. Esophagograms demonstrated the perforation in 40 (93%) of 43 patients. Treatment delays of more than 24 hours occurred in about half of spontaneous and iatrogenic perforations, but when the perforation was due to external trauma, treatment was delayed infrequently. Operative therapy in 59 (86%) of the patients included primary closure in 44 patients, drainage alone in 9 patients, and Celestin tube placement in 1 patient. Four patients with benign strictures had esophagectomy, and 4 patients with achalasia had Heller myotomy in addition to closure of the perforation. Eight (12%) of the patients were treated nonoperatively. For thoracic perforations, nonoperative treatment was reserved for patients who were diagnosed late but who had minimal evidence of sepsis. Seven (10%) of the patients died. Factors that influenced outcome included cause of perforation, anatomic location, and patient age. Our study shows that a high index of suspicion, aggressive use of esophagography, and individualized treatment are necessary for the best results when treating esophageal perforation.

Comparison of medical and minimally invasive surgical therapy for primary esophageal motility disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To compare medical with minimally invasive surgical therapy in the treatment of primary esophageal motility disorders. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University-based tertiary care center. PATIENTS: Eighty-nine patients (46 men and 43 women) with either achalasia or nutcracker esophagus and diffuse esophageal spasm (DES). Choice of treatment was based not on randomization but on the preference of the referring physician, the patient's choice, and/or the patient's eligibility to access the University of California, San Francisco, for treatment. INTERVENTIONS: Nineteen patients with achalasia and 30 patients with nutcracker esophagus and DES were treated with dilatations and/or medications. Thirty patients with achalasia and 10 with nutcracker esophagus and DES underwent a thoracoscopic myotomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Dysphagia, pain, and overall quality of life. RESULTS: In the surgical group, 80% of the patients with nutcracker esophagus and DES and 87% of the patients with achalasia had good or excellent results. In contrast, in the medical group, 26% of the patients with nutcracker esophagus and DES and 26% of the patients with achalasia had good or excellent results. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery by minimally invasive techniques offers a better chance than does medical therapy or dilatation of rendering the patient with achalasia, nutcracker esophagus, and DES asymptomatic.

The efficacy and limitations of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

We analyzed 64 percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy procedures performed by us between 1986 and 1990. Thirty patients had neurologic disease; 16 had head and neck cancers; eight had other malignancies; two had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; and eight had other problems. Seven patients died within 30 days of complications (n = 4) or the primary illness (n = 3). Mean follow-up was 6 months; an additional patient died of aspiration and eight others died of their underlying illness. There were 19 complications (32%). Four wound complications occurred. Nine patients developed aspiration pneumonia within 3 days of the procedure, four of whom died in the hospital. Of the 24 patients with a history of aspiration, nine experienced aspiration during or after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Patients with a history of aspiration were more likely to have perioperative aspiration pneumonia, and patients who experienced aspiration were more likely to die.

Laparoscopic Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication for achalasia: analysis of successes and failures.

BACKGROUND: In the treatment of achalasia, surgery has been traditionally reserved for patients with residual dysphagia after pneumatic dilatation. The results of laparoscopic Heller myotomy have proven to be so good, however, that most experts now consider surgery the primary treatment. HYPOTHESIS: The outcome of laparoscopic myotomy and fundoplication for achalasia is dictated by technical factors. SETTING: University hospital tertiary care center. DESIGN: Retrospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred two patients with esophageal achalasia underwent laparoscopic Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication. Fifty-seven patients had been previously treated by pneumatic dilatation or botulinum toxin. The design of the operation involved a 7-cm myotomy, which extended 1.5 cm onto the gastric wall, and a Dor fundoplication. Esophagrams, esophageal manometric findings, and video records of the procedure were analyzed to determine the technical factors that contributed to the clinical success or failure of the operation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Swallowing status. RESULTS: In 91 (89%) of the 102 patients, good or excellent results were obtained after the first operation. A second operation was performed in 5 patients to either lengthen the myotomy (3 patients) or take down the fundoplication (2 patients). Dysphagia resolved in 4 of these patients. The remaining 6 patients were treated by pneumatic dilatation, but dysphagia improved in only 1. At the conclusion of treatment, excellent or good results had been obtained in 96 (94%) of the 102 patients. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that a Heller myotomy was unsuccessful in patients with an esophageal stricture; a short myotomy and a constricting Dor fundoplication were the avoidable causes of residual dysphagia; a second operation, but not pneumatic dilatation, was able to correct most failures; and that the identified technical flaws were eliminated from the last half of the patients in the series.