Surgical and anesthetic considerations in histrelin capsule implantation for the treatment of precocious puberty.

BACKGROUND: Precocious puberty treatment traditionally meant anxiety-provoking monthly depot injections until the advent of the annually implanted histrelin capsule. This study is the first to evaluate the surgical and anesthetic aspects of histrelin implantation for precocious puberty. METHODS: All cases from one surgeon at a tertiary pediatric hospital were reviewed for patient age, anesthetic type, technical difficulties, and complications. RESULTS: From 12/2007 to 3/2013, 114 cases (49% implantations, 25% removals/re-implantations, 25% removals) were performed. Local anesthesia was employed in 100% of non-general anesthesia cases (n=109, 96%), augmented by inhaled N2O in 49%. Five patients (4%) underwent general anesthesia: three neurologically-impaired and two coordinated with scheduled MRIs. Procedural difficulties (n=18, 16%) included implant fracture during removal (n=16/58 removals, 28%). Fracture never occurred during implantation. Three children (3%) suffered complications. One infection was treated with antibiotics, and two implants were removed for systemic allergic reaction. Six children (5%) had unscheduled post-operative checks for pain (n=3, 3%), allergy to elastic dressing (n=2, 2%), or rash (n=1, 1%). Mean charges for general anesthesia were $10,188±1292 versus $528±147 for N2O or local alone (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: While histrelin implantation is straightforward, removal presents technical challenges. Local anesthesia, with possible N2O supplementation, is well-tolerated and introduces substantial resource and cost savings.

The role of MR cholangiopancreatography in preoperative assessment for repair of major iatrogenic biliary injury: 10-year experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Major iatrogenic biliary injury is a potentially life-threatening complication after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Early diagnosis is essential to improve outcomes, however, to date, there is no consensus regarding the best imaging approach for preoperative assessment of these injuries. METHODOLOGY: From March 2002 to February 2012, 40 patients with postoperative major biliary injury underwent biliary reconstruction at our Institution. Mean age was 51.7 ± 18.1 years (19-86) with 30 (75%) females. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) were compared with different diagnostic modalities and definitive intraoperative findings. RESULTS: Of 40 patients, 10 (25%) had Bismuth type I, 10 (25%) Bismuth type II, 6 (15%) Bismuth type III injury, 10 (25%) Bismuth type IV and, 4 (10%) Bismuth type V. MRCP has similar accuracy to define injury site, but is superior in delineating proximal ductal anatomy that was often not visualized with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). CONCLUSION: MRCP is a reliable, accurate and readily available diagnostic tool to assess complex biliary injuries. It provides adequate visualization of the proximal and distal biliary trees and may be considered as first-line test in the management of major iatrogenic biliary injuries. Revision of current guidelines for diagnostic approach of this condition is warranted.