Is the transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunt procedure beneficial for liver transplant recipients?

Recent reports document the efficacy of transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunts (TIPS) for the prevention of portal hypertensive bleeding and have advocated its use as a bridge to liver transplantation. There are no reports, however, analyzing liver transplant results for patients with indwelling TIPS. We reviewed the records of all adult primary recipients with a history of portal hypertensive bleeding or unmanageable ascites transplanted since the TIPS procedure became available in our institution in July 1991. Seven of 20 recipients underwent TIPS before transplant. There were no significant differences between patients with or without TIPS in age, United Network for Organ Sharing status, Child-Pugh score, preoperative prothrombin time, operative time, operative blood product requirement, overall length of stay, and 6-month patient survival after transplant. We noted a trend toward less operative red cell (26.0 +/- 26.2 vs. 31.8 +/- 38.1 U, mean +/- SD) and autologous blood (4,762 +/- 3,335 vs. 13,355 [corrected] +/- 20,460 ml) transfusion and improved patient survival for those with a TIPS. Patients with a TIPS in place waited significantly longer for their transplant (282 +/- 113 vs. 149 +/- 113 days, P = 0.014). There were 2 technical complications related to the TIPS, 1 in a patient who died after rupture of the suprahepatic vena caval anastomosis where the device had traversed the caval/hepatic vein junction and weakened the tissues, and the other in a survivor in whom the device extended into the right atrium and was extracted during the transplant procedure. Three patients with TIPS in place died of sepsis while waiting for a donor organ. We conclude that while the TIPS offers benefits for the liver transplant recipient, placement of the device in small shrunken cirrhotic livers must be precise. Immediate benefits for the transplant candidate may be offset by increased waiting time and technical complications at the transplant operation.

Severe access recirculation secondary to free flow between the lumens of a dual-lumen dialysis catheter.

Over the last decade, it has been increasingly recognized that recirculation is present to some extent in all dual-lumen dialysis catheters. In addition, despite the recognition that dual-lumen dialysis catheters are not ideal as long-term hemodialysis access, their use for this purpose has increased secondary to both poor vascular access in an older and sicker dialysis population as well as their convenience. Although infection and thrombosis remain the most common complications of dialysis catheters, we report a case of severe access recirculation secondary to free flow between the two lumens of a tunneled, cuffed silicone dual-lumen dialysis catheter. We take this opportunity to discuss recirculation in dialysis catheters and to review potential causes of catheter breakdown.

Using IP-videoconferencing systems in a surgery consulting.

In this paper we describe how to use IP-videoconferencing systems in medical surgery consulting. We started to think about how we could use special doctor's services without patients having to travel a long way. The answer to this question is that the information goes from one place to another, not the patient. First we had a pilot project, where we used the 3xISDN transmission rate and now we are using ATM. We have here in Satakunta a local area network between our Satakunta Central Hospital and the Health Care Center in Noormarkku and Kankaanpää, so we have very good environment to do this kind of research. Our network is quite fast, we can use the 10 Mbps bitrate and in this network there are no other activities in this moment, so there are not any interferences. There is a surgery specialist in the hospital and a doctor in the health care center with a patient. The specialist looks at the monitor, where there is a videopicture of the patient from the health care center. Then the specialist makes the treatment plan for the patient.

Fibrinolytic therapy in a patient with Denver peritoneovenous shunt occlusion.

Urokinase thrombolytic therapy was used on three separate occasions to lyse thrombosed Denver peritoneovenous shunts in a 51-year-old woman. Shunt patency was preserved over a 2-year period, with a fatal complication following the third procedure. The authors suggest that thrombolytic therapy might be a viable alternative to immediate surgical revision in patients with failed Denver shunts.

A new method for surgical consultations with videoconference.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our prospective study was to examine the technical ability and the medical suitability of a realtime teleconferencing system in surgical consultations. METHOD: A personal computer-based-videoconferencing system was used over an architecture of the IP (Internet Protocol) over ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) area network connecting Satakunta Central Hospital, Pori with a health center in the community of Noormarkku (15 km apart from Pori). A document camera was used for transfering the radiographs and paper documents. The material consisted of 50 patients who needed surgical consultation. The patients were examined by a physician in the health center of Noormarkku, and the surgeon interviewed and observed the physical examination with the aid of teleconference. RESULTS: Technically the videoconferencing system functioned reliably, and the visual quality of the videopicture was good after more powerful personal computers (Pentium II with a 266 MHz prosessor and 64 Megabits RAM-memory) were changed for the videoconferencing system. All patients, except one, saved the travelling to the face-to-face appointment because they got a definite decision of the treatment already at the videoconsultation. According to the opinion of the consulting surgeon, the decision which was made in the teleconference was good or very good, except in one case very poor. The physicians of the health centers were satisfied both with the decisions of the treatment of their patients and with the educational effect of a consultation where two physicians are present at the same time. All patients thought that it was good to be in consultation with two doctors. CONCLUSION: Surgical videoconsultations are a reliable method and a real alternative to sending a patient to a distant place for consultation.

The carotid artery as alternative access for endoluminal aortic aneurysm repair.

Endograft treatment of aortic aneurysms has become a common procedure in many centers. However, not all patients are candidates for this new technology, because of their vascular anatomy and device limitations. One common problem is iliofemoral occlusive disease, which when present, even in a moderate degree, may preclude introduction of the large-diameter delivery devices currently in use. We present a case of a high-risk male patient with a thoracic aortic aneurysm and severe occlusive disease of the iliac arteries. An alternative approach for device delivery through the carotid artery was used and the procedure was successful with no neurologic complications. We recommend this technique for highly selected patients with an aneurysm who can undergo tube endograft repair without feasible access through the iliac or femoral arteries.