Does the nasogastric tube has a role in elective colo-rectal surgery?

INTRODUCTION: Routine use of nasogastric tubes (NGT) after abdominal operations is intended to hasten the return of bowel function, diminish the risk of anastomotic leakage and prevent pulmonary complications. The aim of our study was to prospectively assess the tolerability and the safety of the non use of NGT after elective colorectal open operations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between March 2009 and December 2010, 110 consecutive patients underwent colo-rectal elective open surgery for neoplasm without nasogastric decompression. We analyzed the incidence of nausea and vomiting, the pulmonary complications, the return of bowel function the deep wound breakdown (fascial dehiscence) and the anastomotic leakage. RESULTS: Only 15 patients (13,6%) reported nausea without vomiting immediately after surgery and 9 cases of vomiting were observed (8%), requiring the insertion of the NGT (nasogastric tube) in 5 (4,5%). A total of 105 patients (96,3%) were NGT free. No deep wound dehiscence was observed and only one real pneumonia occurred. Anastomotic dehiscence occurred in 4 patients (3,6%) and a second surgical procedure was needed in three cases. The return of bowel function, except in the last four patients, occurred in 3,8 days average (range 2-7 days). CONCLUSION: We confirm the uselessness of the NGT in the framework of fast track program adopted in elective open colo-rectal surgery.

Primary hyperparathyroidism. Our experience.

We report our experience in the clinical presentation and management of 12 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, who underwent successful surgery. Comparing our results with those previously reported in the literature, we have attempted to correlate the kind of parathyroid lesion, the magnitude of hypercalcemia and PTH increase, and clinical symptoms. Often these relationships are intriguing; we have tried to classify our patients describing four groups, according to clinical and humoral findings: 1) patients with very mild hypercalcemia and aspecific symptoms; 2) patients with a finding of recurrent hypercalcemia and prevalent renal involvement; 3) patients with severe hypercalcemia, plurisystemic involvement and general decay; 4) patients with medical emergencies. Finally, some considerations on rare histological pictures (hyperfunctioning carcinoma, oxyphil cell adenoma) are reported.

[Coexistence of hyperthyroidism and thyroid carcinoma. Description of a clinical case]. / Coesistenza di ipertiroidismo-carcinoma tiroideo. Segnalazione di un caso clinico.

The association of hyperthyroidism and thyroid carcinoma, especially multicentric forms, is an unusual event. We present the case of a 49-year-old woman with clinical and radiological findings of hyperfunctioning thyroid nodule that showed, after a subtotal thyroidectomy, histologic evidence of multicentric carcinoma in one lobe and adenoma in the other lobe. The interest of this clinical case is in the coexistence of an independent adenoma with a multicentric carcinoma, revealed by radical surgery that was necessary for the occurrence of a multinodular goiter. The incidence of this situation could be underestimated in consequence of the current surgical approach to the single "hot" nodule and suggests we pay attention to these patients for the possible presence of malignancy in functionally-inhibited thyroid tissue.

[Feasibility and reliability of the study of sentinel lymph nodes with immunohistochemical technique in colonic carcinoma]. / Fattibilità e accuratezza dello studio del linfonodo sentinella con tecnica immunoistochimica nel carcinoma del colon.

Sentinel lymph node sampling, in patients with resectable colon cancer, improved identification of lymph node disease and identified patients likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy. This study examined whether sentinel node sampling accurately predicted lymph node status for patients with resectable colon cancer.