Gastrojejunal anastomosis stricture after laparoscopic gastric bypass. Our experience with 62 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Gastrojejunal stricture (GYS), not only is a common complication after laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGBP), but its frequency is about 15% according to bibliography. Our aim is to present our experience after 62 LGBP. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From January 2004 to September-2006, we performed 62 consecutive laparoscopic gastric bypass (Wittgrove's technique). The gastrojejunal anastomosis is performed with auto suture material type CEAA No 21 termino-lateral (ILS, Ethicon). In 4 cases (6.45%) was converted to laparotomy, perform the anastomosis in the same way. Monitoring has a range of 3-35 months, conducted in 61 patients because one patient died of pulmonary thromboembolism in the immediate postoperative period after reoperation, after two weeks of gastric bypass, by necrosis of a small fragment of the remnant gastric. In all patients with persistent feeding intolerance were performed barium transit and/or gastroscopy. When gastrojejunal stricture showed proceeded to endoscopic pneumatic dilation (recommending dilate the anastomosis to a maximum 1.5 cm). RESULTS: Five cases (8.1%) developed a gastrojejunal stricture, in 4 of these cases the initial diagnosis was made by barium transit and in 1 case by endoscopy. Two patients had a history of digestive bleeding that required endoscopic sclerosis of the bleeding lesion (circumferentially sclerosis within 48 hours of surgery and sclerosis of bleeding points). All cases were resolved by endoscopic dilatation. At follow-up has not been detected re-stricture. CONCLUSION: Clinically, gastrojejunal stricture results in a progressive oral intolerance, revealing stenosis between 1 and 3 months postoperatively. The situations of sclerosis of the bleeding lesions favor, especially in cases of extensive sclerosis. In cases of suspected barium transit offers us a high diagnostic yield. Endoscopic dilatation resolved, so far, all cases.

Adult intussusception - 14 case reports and their outcomes.

AIMS: To analyze diagnostic and therapeutic options depending on the clinical symptoms, location, and lesions associated with intussusception, together with their follow-up and complications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients admitted to the Morales Meseguer General University Hospital (Murcia) between January 1995 and January 2009, and diagnosed with intestinal invagination. Data related to demographic and clinical features, complementary explorations, presumptive diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and complications were collected. RESULTS: There were 14 patients (7 males and 7 females; mean age: 41.9 years-range: 17-77) who presented with abdominal pain. The most reliable diagnostic technique was computed tomography (8 diagnoses from 10 CT scans). A preoperative diagnosis was established in 12 cases. Invaginations were ileocolic in 8 cases (the most common), enteric in 5, and colocolic in 2 (coexistence of 2 lesions in one patient). The etiology of these intussusceptions was idiopathic or secondary to a lesion acting as the lead point for invagination. Depending on the nature of this lead point, the cause of the enteric intussusceptions was benign in 3 cases and malignant in 2. Ileocolic invaginations were divided equally (4 benign and 4 malignant), and colocolic lesions were benign (2 cases). Conservative treatment was implemented for 4 patients and surgery for 10 (7 in emergency). Five right hemicolectomies, 3 small-bowel resections, 2 left hemicolectomies, and 1 ileocecal resection were performed. Surgical complications: 3 minor and 1 major (with malignant etiology and subsequent death). The lesion disappeared after 3 days to 6 weeks in patients with conservative management. Mean follow-up was 28.25 months (range: 5-72 months). CONCLUSIONS: A suitable imaging technique, preferably CT, is important for the diagnosis of intussusception. Surgery is usually necessary but we favor conservative treatment in selected cases.

Incisional pubic hernia: treatment of a case with congenital malformation of the pelvis.

Parapubic hernia is a rare entity, the aetiology of which is usually associated with pelvic surgery, traumatisms and bone malformations. Treatment is difficult because the defect is usually limited by altered fibrotic anatomical planes. We present a case of incisional pubic hernia in a patient with congenital bladder exstrophy and multiple surgeries for pelvic reconstruction, who was treated using a plasty combined with a double intra-abdominal/supra-aponeurotic mesh. The therapeutic possibilities are described for the laparoscopic and open approaches in the management of these complex hernias.

Open vs laparoscopic repair of secondary lumbar hernias: a prospective nonrandomized study.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar hernias are uncommon defects of the posterior abdominal wall. Surgical treatment is still controversial in these cases. The aim of this study was to compare outcome and costs of the laparoscopic approach vs the open method. METHODS: We conducted a prospective nonrandomized study of 16 patients who underwent operation for secondary lumbar hernia between January 1997 and January 2003. Nine were treated via the laparoscopic approach and seven with an open technique. The following variables were analyzed: clinical data, hospital data (operating time and length of stay), patient comfort (consumption of analgesics and time to return to normal activities), and recurrences. Hospital costs were also analyzed. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups in terms of age and history, although the defects of the patients in the laparoscopic group were smaller. Mean operating time, postoperative morbidity, mean hospital stay, consumption of analgesics, and time to return to normal activities were significantly lower in the laparoscopic group (p < 0. 01). No were there any statistical differences between the two types of surgical procedure in terms of hospital costs. However, the final cost did show differences when expenses for readmissions and recurrences were taken into account (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic approach to secondary lumbar hernia repair is more efficient and more profitable than the traditional open technique.

Intestinal obstruction and bezoars.

BACKGROUND: Bezoars are large conglomerates of vegetable fibers, hairs, or concretions of various substances located in the stomach or small intestine of humans and certain animals, mainly ruminants. Gastrointestinal bezoars have constituted a relatively common clinical reality ever since the introduction of truncal vagotomy associated with drainage or gastric resection in the treatment of gastroduodenal peptic ulcer. STUDY DESIGN: This study presents a series of 87 cases of intestinal bezoar treated in our department of general surgery. Analysis was made of data obtained retrospectively from clinical histories, together with a clinical and endoscopic review of the patients. RESULTS: Most of the patients had had previous operative treatment (76.3 percent), the most commonly used technique being bilateral truncal vagotomy plus pyloroplasty (75.8 percent). An excessive intake of vegetable fiber was revealed in 39.5 percent of the cases, and alterations in dentition and mastication in 24 percent. Operative treatment was used in all patients. We attempted to fragment the bezoar and milk it to the cecum. Enterotomy and bezoar extraction were reserved for cases where fragmentation was impossible, as enterotomy was associated with more complications (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral truncal vagotomy plus pyloroplasty and a excessive ingestion of vegetable fiber are the main factors predisposing to bezoar formation. Clinically, intestinal bezoars manifest themselves in most cases as complete intestinal obstruction. Simple roentgenography of the abdomen is the fundamental technique for diagnosing the occlusive syndrome. Treatment must be operative, during which the bezoar is fragmented and milked to the cecum. The stomach must be explored for associated bezoars.

Quantification of duodenogastric reflux in patients with choledochoduodenostomy.

BACKGROUND: Frequently, patients present with symptoms after cholecystectomy (pain or discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen, postprandial fullness, bile vomiting, among others). Duodenogastric reflux has been associated with these symptoms in some patients. Therefore, this study was done to investigate this relationship. STUDY DESIGN: We evaluated duodenogastric reflux (DGR) in ten healthy patients, in ten patients who had asymptomatic simple cholecystectomy, in ten patients who had asymptomatic cholecystectomy with supraduodenal choledochoduodenostomy (CD), and in ten patients who had cholecystectomy plus CD followed by discomfort in the upper abdomen, postprandial fullness and bile vomiting, but no colicky pain or acute cholangitis. Duodenogastric reflux was quantified using continuous intravenous infusion of technetium-99m labeled hepatoiminodiacetic acid (99mTc-HIDA) and subsequently determining its concentration in gastric juice. RESULTS: All of the patients who underwent operation, whatever the technique used, had higher reflux rates than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Moreover, reflux rates were comparable in the patients who underwent simple cholecystectomy compared with patients in the asymptomatic cholecystectomy plus CD group. Conversely, when patients with cholecystectomy plus CD presented with discomfort in the upper part of the abdomen as well as bile vomiting, they had higher reflux rates than patients who underwent simple cholecystectomy (p < 0.001) and asymptomatic patients with associated CD (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that DGR must be involved in the genesis of these dyspeptic symptoms.

Bariatric surgery, a risk factor for rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis has been increasingly recognized as a complication of bariatric surgery. We report a case of this complication and its consequences, in a patient who had undergone bariatric surgery, with a very high creatine kinase (CK) concentration, and whose renal function failed. Obesity causes a range of effects on all major organ systems. Knowledge of these effects and issues specific to the intensive care unit care of bariatric patients can help to predict and manage this underestimated complication in this population in which early diagnosis can alter the outcome.

Estenosis de la anastomosis gastroyeyunal en el bypass gástrico laparoscópico. Nuestra experiencia con 62 pacientes / Gastrojejunal anastomosis stricture after laparoscopic gastric bypass. Our experience with 62 patients

Objetivo: la estenosis de la anastomosis gastroyeyunal representauna complicación nada desdeñable en la cirugía bariátricapor laparoscopia, llegándose, en algunas series, a alcanzar el15%. Presentamos nuestra casuística en una serie de 62 casosconsecutivos y el manejo realizado.Pacientes y método: desde enero-2004 a septiembre-2006hemos realizado de manera consecutiva 62 bypass gástricos porlaparoscopia según técnica de Wittgrove modificada. La anastomosisgastroyeyunal se realiza con material de autosutura tipoCEAA nº 21 término-lateral (ILS; Ethicon) y después de comprobarla estanqueidad anastomótica se dan dos puntos de válvulatipo Hoffmeister a cada lado de la anastomosis. En 4 casos(6,45%) se reconvirtió a laparotomía, realizándose la anastomosisde la misma manera. El seguimiento tiene un rango de 3-35 meses,realizado en 61 enfermos, pues un paciente falleció por tromboembolismopulmonar en el postoperatorio inmediato tras reintervención,a las dos semanas del bypass gástrico, por necrosis deun pequeño fragmento del remanente gástrico.En todos los pacientes con intolerancia persistente a la alimentaciónse realizó tránsito baritado y/o gastroscopia. Cuando seevidenció estenosis gastroyeyunal se procedió a dilatación neumáticaendoscópica (recomendando dilatar la anastomosis hastacomo máximo 1,5 cm).Resultados: en 5 casos (8,1%) se desarrolló una estenosisgastroyeyunal, en 4 de estos casos el diagnóstico inicial fue portránsito baritado y en 1 caso por endoscopia. Dos pacientes teníanantecedentes de HDA que precisaron esclerosis endoscópicade la lesión sangrante (esclerosis circunferencial a las 48 horas dela cirugía y esclerosis de puntos sangrantes). Todos los casos seresolvieron mediante dilatación endoscópica, precisando en doscasos dos sesiones de dilatación y el resto una. En el seguimientono se han detectado re-estenosis...(AU)

Objective: gastrojejunal stricture (GYS), not only is a commoncomplication after laparoscopic gastric bypass (LGBP), butits frequency is about 15% according to bibliography. Our aim isto present our experience after 62 LGBP.Patients and method: from January 2004 to September-2006, we performed 62 consecutive laparoscopic gastric bypass(Wittgrove´s technique). The gastrojejunal anastomosis is performedwith auto suture material type CEAA No 21 termino-lateral(ILS, Ethicon). In 4 cases (6.45%) was converted to laparotomy,perform the anastomosis in the same way. Monitoring has arange of 3-35 months, conducted in 61 patients because one patientdied of pulmonary thromboembolism in the immediate postoperativeperiod after reoperation, after two weeks of gastric bypass,by necrosis of a small fragment of the remnant gastric. In allpatients with persistent feeding intolerance were performed bariumtransit and/or gastroscopy. When gastrojejunal strictureshowed proceeded to endoscopic pneumatic dilation (recommendingdilate the anastomosis to a maximum 1.5 cm).Results: five cases (8.1%) developed a gastrojejunal stricture,in 4 of these cases the initial diagnosis was made by barium transitand in 1 case by endoscopy. Two patients had a history of digestivebleeding that required endoscopic sclerosis of the bleeding lesion(circumferentially sclerosis within 48 hours of surgery andsclerosis of bleeding points). All cases were resolved by endoscopicdilatation. At follow-up has not been detected re-stricture.Conclusion: Clinically, gastrojejunal stricture results in a progressiveoral intolerance, revealing stenosis between 1 and 3months postoperatively. The situations of sclerosis of the bleedinglesions favor, especially in cases of extensive sclerosis. In cases ofsuspected barium transit offers us a high diagnostic yield. Endoscopicdilatation resolved, so far, all cases(AU)

Intususcepción en el adulto. Revisión de 14 casos y su seguimiento / Adult intussusception - 14 case reports and their outcomes

Objetivos: analizar las opciones terapéuticas en función de laclínica, localización y lesión asociada a la intususcepción, asícomo, su seguimiento y complicaciones.Pacientes y métodos: pacientes ingresados en el HGU MoralesMeseguer (Murcia) desde enero de 1995 hasta enero 2009,con diagnóstico de invaginación intestinal. Se recogieron datosdemográficos, clínicos, exploraciones complementarias, diagnósticopresuntivo, tratamiento, seguimiento y complicaciones.Resultados: 14 pacientes (edad media 41,9 años, rango: 17-77), 7 varones y 7 mujeres, que debutaron principalmente condolor abdominal. La exploración más fiable en el diagnóstico fuela tomografía computerizada, TC (8 diagnósticos, de 10 exploraciones).El diagnóstico preoperatorio se obtuvo en 12 casos, encontrando,invaginaciones ileocólicas en 8 casos (las más frecuentes),entéricas en 5 casos y colocólicas en 2, teniendo en cuentaque son 14 los pacientes y 15 las lesiones debido a la coexistenciade 2 invaginaciones en un mismo sujeto. La etiología de las intususcepcioneses idiopática o secundaria a una lesión que hace de cabeza de invaginación. Según la naturaleza de dichas lesiones lacausa de intususcepciones entéricas fue benigna en 3 casos y malignaen 2. De las ileocólicas, se repartieron equitativamente (4benignas y 4 malignas); y de las colocólicas, sus lesiones fueronbenignas (2 casos). Se realizó tratamiento conservador en 4 pacientesy quirúrgico en 10 (7 urgente). Con 5 hemicolectomías derechas,3 resecciones de intestino delgado, 2 hemicolectomías izquierdasy una resección ileocecal. Las complicacionesquirúrgicas: 3 menores y 1 mayor (de etiología maligna y consecuenteexitus). En los pacientes con manejo conservador desaparecióla lesión entre 3 días y 6 semanas. Se siguieron durante28,25 meses de media (rango 5-72 meses)...(AU)

Aims: to analyze diagnostic and therapeutic options dependingon the clinical symptoms, location, and lesions associated withintussusception, together with their follow-up and complications.Patients and methods: patients admitted to the MoralesMeseguer General University Hospital (Murcia) between January1995 and January 2009, and diagnosed with intestinal invagination.Data related to demographic and clinical features, complementaryexplorations, presumptive diagnosis, treatment, followup,and complications were collected.Results: there were 14 patients (7 males and 7 females; meanage: 41.9 years-range: 17-77) who presented with abdominal pain.The most reliable diagnostic technique was computed tomography(8 diagnoses from 10 CT scans). A preoperative diagnosis was establishedin 12 cases. Invaginations were ileocolic in 8 cases (themost common), enteric in 5, and colocolic in 2 (coexistence of 2 lesionsin one patient). The etiology of these intussusceptions was idiopathicor secondary to a lesion acting as the lead point for invagination.Depending on the nature of this lead point, the cause of theenteric intussusceptions was benign in 3 cases and malignant in 2.Ileocolic invaginations were divided equally (4 benign and 4 malignant),and colocolic lesions were benign (2 cases). Conservativetreatment was implemented for 4 patients and surgery for 10 (7 inemergency). Five right hemicolectomies, 3 small-bowel resections,2 left hemicolectomies, and 1 ileocecal resection were performed.Surgical complications: 3 minor and 1 major (with malignant etiologyand subsequent death). The lesion disappeared after 3 days to6 weeks in patients with conservative management. Mean follow-upwas 28.25 months (range: 5-72 months).Conclusions: a suitable imaging technique, preferably CT, isimportant for the diagnosis of intussusception. Surgery is usuallynecessary but we favor conservative treatment in selected cases(AU)

Treatment of long-standing extensive perianal hidradenitis suppurativa using double rotation plasty, V-Y plasty and free grafts.

BACKGROUND: Perianal hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic recurrent inflammatory, suppurating, and fistulizing disease of apocrine glands, adjacent anal canal skin, and soft tissues. The standard treatment used for extensive cases is a staged surgical procedure allowing the wound to heal by secondary intention or the delayed use of skin grafts. CASE PRESENTATION: A long-standing case, disabling for the patient, with extensive involvement of the buttock region, treated in one stage, which for reconstruction required the use of sliding plasties and free skin grafts, is reported. RESULTS: The outcome was satisfactory. Primary closure after wide excision using plastic-surgery techniques may help us resolve complex situations and obtain good results and a rapid recovery. CONCLUSION: The method of closure with a combination of skin flaps and skin graft in one stage can be considered a valid surgical option for a group of patients with extensive perianal hidradenitis.

Laparoscopic surgery in the management of traumatic hemoperitoneum in stable patients.

Unnecessary laparotomies in patients with abdominal traumatism (AT) who present hemoperitoneum with stable hemodynamics may be avoided if a diagnostic/therapeutic laparoscopy is performed. Between July 1992 and December 1994, 24 patients with AT and hemoperitoneum underwent this exploration: 5 were found to have a large retroperitoneal hematoma; 2, a tear in the intestinal mesenterium; 4, hepatic injuries; and 13, splenic lesions. Of the 24 patients, 9 needed conversion to open exploration: 8 during the laparoscopy and 1 shortly after operation. Mean hospital stay was 7 days (5-9). There was no morbidity or mortality in the series. Diagnostic/therapeutic laparoscopy is a method that is efficient and economical and can easily be undertaken by surgeons with experience in laparoscopy; it may be a valid alternative to conservative treatment or laparotomy in AT and hemoperitoneum patients who are hemodynamically stable.

Duodenogastric reflux in patients with biliary lithiasis before and after cholecystectomy.

Duodenogastric reflux is quantified in ten patients with biliary lithiasis and a functioning gallbladder, before and six months after performing cholecystectomy. The results are compared with those of a control group (n = 10) with similar age and gender, without gastric or hepatobiliary pathologic factors. To evaluate reflux, we used six hour continuous intravenous infusion and subsequent determination in gastric juice of 99mTc-diethyliminodiacetic acid. Our results showed that patients with cholelithiasis have higher reflux rates than those in the control group (p < 0.001). When comparing patients before and after cholecystectomy, we confirmed that removal of the gallbladder produces a significant increase (p < 0.001) in reflux rates compared with preoperative values.

Role of Helicobacter pylori infection and duodenogastric reflux in the pathogenesis of alkaline reflux gastritis after gastric operations.

In patients undergoing gastric operations, we studied the relationship between data suggesting alkaline reflux gastritis (symptoms, endoscopic alterations and histologic lesions) and two factors that produce chronic gastritis (helicobacter pylori and duodenogastric reflux). Of 225 patients who underwent operations for gastroduodenal gastric ulcer at our General Surgery Unit between 1980 and 1982, 63 agreed to undergo endoscopy and biopsies. Of these 63 patients, 38 agreed to a test to quantify duodenogastric reflux (24 hour gastric pH monitoring associated with the determination of bile acids in gastric juice). According to the clinical questionnaire, patients were classified as symptomatic and asymptomatic. Endoscopy was considered either normal with mucosal lesions or mucosal lesions plus bile. In the histologic study, we considered normal mucosa, superficial chronic gastritis and atrophic chronic gastritis. Furthermore, the presence of atrophy, metaplasia, foveolar hyperplasia and helicobacter pylori was studied. Symptoms, endoscopic alterations and histologic lesions were not significantly related to helicobacter pylori, but were significantly related to the quantity of duodenogastric reflux. The symptomatic patients presented with a greater quantity of reflux than the asymptomatic patients (p < 0.05). The patients with mucosal lesions plus bile who had endoscopy showed a greater quantity of reflux than those with normal endoscopy (p < 0.001) and those with mucosal lesions without bile (p < 0.02 for pH values and p < 0.001 for bile acids). The patients with atrophic chronic gastritis presented with a greater quantity of reflux than those with normal mucosa and superficial chronic gastritis (p < 0.05, respectively), and the patients with atrophy and metaplasia and foveolar hyperplasia had more reflux than those without (p < 0.001, respectively). The patients who were helicobacter positive and negative presented with similar quantities of reflux.

Management of the perineal wound following abdominoperineal resection: prospective study of three methods.

A prospective study was made of three procedures for treating the perineal wound and presacral cavity in 102 patients undergoing abdominoperineal excision for cancer of the rectum: (1) packing of the presacral space after suture of the pelvic peritoneum; (2) suture of the pelvic peritoneum and perineal wound, leaving two drains through the perineum; and (3) no suture of the pelvic peritoneum, and primary closure of the perineal wound, leaving drains through the abdomen for physiological saline irrigation. The parameters analysed were incidence of infection, primary healing of the perineum, extraperineal complications and mean hospital stay. Primary healing of the perineum was best with method 3, and overall incidence of infection highest with method 2. There were no differences between the methods with regard to extraperineal complications. Hospital stay was shortest with method 3.

Bariatric surgery, a risk factor for rhabdomyolysis

La rabdomiolisis tras cirugía bariatrica es una complicación rara pero posible. Presentamos un caso de rabdomiolisis y fallo renal agudo tras by-pass gástrico laparoscópico en paciente con obesidad mórbida. Su conocimiento puede ayudar a predecir y manejar esta complicación infradiagnosticada cuyo diagnostico precoz mejora el tratamiento de estos pacientes y previene las complicaciones posteriores (AU)

Rhabdomyolysis has been increasingly recognized as a complication of bariatric surgery. We report a case of this complication and its consequences, in a patient who had undergone bariatric surgery, with a very high creatine kinase (CK) concentration, and whose renal function failed. Obesity causes a range of effects on all major organ systems. Knowledge of these effects and issues specific to the intensive care unit care of bariatric patients can help to predict and manage this underestimated complication in this population in which early diagnosis can alter the outcome (AU)