A review of posttraumatic bowel injuries in ibadan.

Background. Bowel injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality following trauma. Evaluating patients who sustained abdominal trauma with bowel injury may pose a significant diagnostic challenge to the surgeon. Prompt recognition and timely intervention is necessary to improve outcome. Aim. This study was undertaken to evaluate treatment and outcome of patients with bowel trauma. Methods. A 5-year retrospective study of all patients presenting with abdominal trauma requiring surgical intervention seen in the UCH Ibadan, Nigeria was undertaken. Results. There were 71 patients (59 males and 12 females). The majority of cases (70%) occurred between the 3rd and 5th decades of life. Some 37 patients (52%) sustained blunt abdominal injury, while 34 patients (48%) sustained penetrating abdominal injury. There were 27 patients with bowel injuries (38%). Isolated bowel injuries occurred in 19 patients (27%). The most common surgical operation performed was simple closure. There were 3 deaths in patients with bowel injuries. Conclusion. Most cases of bowel injury can be managed by simple closure, a technique that is not so technically demanding for surgeons in less-developed countries. This study has also incidentally identified a "rule of six" for patients with bowel injuries and abdominal trauma.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumour in Ibadan, Nigeria: a case report and review of current treatment.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), though rare, present to the gastric surgeon not infrequently making a heightened awareness of this condition a pre-requisite of prompt recognition and timely treatment.. We describe the presentation, diagnosis and the limitations of treatment and follow up of a patient with GIST in a developing country. Surgery still remains as the only readily available modality of treatment in developing countries.

Changes in intestinal electrical activity during ischaemia correlate to pathology.

The gastrointestinal tract possesses an omnipresent electrical slow wave called the basic electrical rhythm (BER). It has been shown that the frequency of the BER falls during intestinal ischaemia. The correlation between changes in the BER and pathology that occur during acute ischaemia are not completely understood. To study this, the electrical activity of the ileum in 14 adult male rabbits was recorded during ischaemia. At baseline, 60, 120 and 210 minutes of ischaemia, segments of bowel were resected for histopathologic evaluation. The BER frequency was determined using the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) spectral analysis. The BER amplitude and FFT spectral power were also determined. The results showed significant decrease (p<0.05, Student's T-test) in the BER frequency, amplitude, and spectral power at all time points. Between 60 and 120 minutes, while there was a decrease in BER activity the pathologic grade remained the same (focal loss of surface epithelium). By 210 minutes of ischaemia when the BER could not be recorded, there was diffuse mucosal infarction. The results indicate that changes in the electrical activity of the bowel during acute mesenteric ischaemia occurred prior to the pathologic changes. The presence of electrical activity indicates that there was viable bowel. Thus it should be possible to use recordings of electrical activity to evaluate bowel viability during acute ischaemia.

Histopathologic changes during mesenteric ischaemia and reperfusion.

The basic electrical rhythm (BER) of the intestine is known to decrease during mesenteric ischaemia. Some studies have reported the relationship between the BER and the pathologic changes that occur in the bowel during vascular injury. However, these changes have not been completely elucidated. This study describes the histopathologic pattern when the rabbit small intestine was subjected to ischaemia of varying time lengths (30-150 minutes) and subsequent reperfusion for six hours. Intestinal biopsies were taken at baseline, at the end of ischaemia, and at hourly intervals during reperfusion. Microscopic examination of the biopsies revealed evidence of progressive infarction of the mucosa during ischaemia. There was an acute worsening of the pathology during reperfusion, the severity being greater when reperfusion was preceded by longer periods of ischaemia. These changes were statistically significant. The observed pattern in this study shows clearly that reperfusion injury is reflected in the histopathologic response and that this is worse in severity than the response to ischaemia. Studies of longer duration should further clarify the picture during recovery in ischaemia/reperfusion injuries of the bowel.

Blunt chest trauma.

A retrospective study was conducted at the cardiothoracic surgical unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan on all consecutive, blunt chest injury patients treated between May 1975 and April 1999. The period of study was divided into 2 periods: May 1975-April 1987, May 1987-April 1999. The aim was to determine the pattern of injury, the management and complications of the injury among the treated. Blunt chest trauma patients were 69% (1331 patients) of all chest injury patients (1928 patients) treated. Mean age for the 2 periods was 38.3 +/- 15 years and 56.4 +/- 6.2 years, the male:female ratio was 4:1 and 2:1 respectively. The incidence of blunt chest trauma tripled in the second period. Blunt chest trauma was classified as involving bony chest wall or without the involvement of bony chest wall. Majority of the blunt chest injuries were minor chest wall injuries (68%, 905 patients), 7.6% (101 patients) had major but stable chest wall injuries, 10.8% (144 patients) had flail chest injuries. Thoracic injuries without fractures of bony chest wall occurred in 181 patients (13.6%). Seven hundred and eighty-seven patients (59.1%) had associated extra-thoracic injuries, in 426 patients (54.1%) two or more extra-thoracic systems were involved. While orthopaedic injury was the most frequent extra-thoracic injury (69.5%) associated with blunt chest trauma, craniospinal injury (31.9%) was more common injury among the patients with severe or life threatening chest trauma. The most common extra-thoracic operation was laparotomy (221 patients). Nine hundred and seventy patients (72.9%) had either closed thoracostomy drainage or clinical observation, 361 patients (27.1%) had major thoracic surgical intervention (emergent in 134 patients, late in 227 patients). Most of the severe lung contusion that needed ventilatory care (85 patients) featured among patients with bony chest wall injury, 15 were without chest wall injury. Majority of patients 63.2% (835 patients) had no significant complications, 486 patients (30.8%) of 1321 survivors had 741 complications. The commonest complications were atelectasis (201 patients) and pleural space complications (263 patients). Overall mortality was 36.2% (154 patients) among 426 patients. We conclude that majority of blunt chest trauma can be managed by simple procedures with minimal complications. Severe soft tissue chest injuries can occur without bony chest wall fractures.

The "Ibadan intussusception"; now a myth? A 10 year review of adult intestinal obstruction in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Caecocolic intussusception was a significant cause of adult intestinal obstruction in Ibadan where it earned itself the appellation "Ibadan Intussusception". Recently, it has been noticed that there is a significant drop in the cases of adult intussusception. A retrospective review of the intra-operative diagnoses of adult patients who presented to the University College Hospital, Ibadan with intestinal obstruction between June 1990 and June 2000 was carried out. The most common cause of adult intestinal obstruction was obstructed groin hernias followed by adhesions. There was a significant paucity of cases of intussusception, hence the paper queries the veracity of the appellation "Ibadan intussusception" in the present day.

Pattern of intrathoracic goiter in Ibadan, Nigeria.

This study is to review the pattern of intrathoracic goiter in a large black population. In a retrospective review, the cardiothoracic unit managed ninety-eight primary mediastinal masses of which sixteen patients with intrathoracic goiters were treated during the same period. This constitutes 1.3% of treated goiters and 16.3% of primary mediastinal masses. Seventy-five per cent of the intrathoracic goiters were in association with cervical goiters. Twelve of the intrathoratic goiters were located in the anterosuperior mediastinum, and two in the middle mediastinum. There were three goiters in the posterior mediastinum. Six patients had cervical exploration and median sternotomy, three had cervical exploration and thoractomy, 3 had only thoractomy, two had only median sternotomy for excision. Thirteen patients (81.3%) had either simple colloid or multinodular intrathoracic goiter, one had follicular adenoma, and 2 patients had malignant goiters. One patient had recurrent cervical goiter. The endemicity of thyroid disease does not seem to increase the frequency of intrathoracic goiter.

Diaphragmatic injuries.

This study seeks to define the clinical presentation, the usefulness of diagnostic tests, surgical management approach and outcome of treatment among patients with diaphragmatic injuries. One hundred and sixteen patients with diaphragmatic injuries were treated. This was 6.5% of 1,778 chest trauma patients. Eighty-four of these patients (6.8%) were among 1230 patients who had blunt chest injury and the remaining 32 patients (5.8%) were among 548 patients who had penetrating chest injury. The commonest mechanisms of injury were motor vehicle accidents (48.8%) for blunt and gunshot wounds (56.3%) for penetrating diaphragmatic injuries. The left diaphragm was most commonly involved (86.9% for blunt, 59.4% for penetration), 12.5% of the patients with penetrating chest injury had bilateral diaphragmatic injuries. There were no bilateral diaphragmatic injuries amongst the patients with blunt chest injury. Chest radiographs gave a highly positive yield in the diagnosis of blunt diaphragmatic hernias (67.9%) while nonspecific chest radiological findings (59.4%) were more common among those with penetrating injuries. In 57 patients (49.1%) out of 116, preoperative diagnosis of diaphragmatic hernia was certain. In the remaining 59 patients (50.9%), diagnosis was intraoperative (40 patients), or at postmortem (19 patients). Surgery was emergent in 69 patients (71.1%), semi emergent in 21 patients (21.6%) and elective in 7 patients (7.2%). Surgical approaches were mainly thoracotomy (57 patients), laparotomy (17 patients), laparotomy and thoracotomy (20 patients). In seventy seven patients (79.4%) the diaphragmatic injuries were left sided and in 20 patients (20.6%), the diaphragmatic injuries were right sided. There were 19 preoperative and 21 postoperative deaths. The overall mortality was 34.5%. Associated abdominal and thoracic injuries were the commonest causes of mortality among the patients with diaphragmatic injuries in this study. We conclude that diaphragmatic injury should be suspected in all thoracoabdominal trauma. Lack of specific signs and symptoms is common and a high index of suspicion is required. Routine chest radiograph remains the best screening test for diaphragmatic rupture. Diaphragmatic injury may be a predictor of severity of injury in blunt trauma patient. Surgical approach should be individualized.

The Ibadan conjoined twins: a report of omphalopagus twins and a review of cases reported in Nigeria over 60 years.

An omphalopagus set of female conjoined twins, undiagnosed prenatally, who presented as obstructed labour needing operative delivery is reported. Their anatomic characteristics and clinical features, including overwhelming sepsis in twin II which forced early separation, and those which led to their demise are described. Twelve other cases reported in Nigeria over the past 60 years are reviewed with reference to the aetiology and epidemiology of conjoined twinning and the determinants of successful surgical separation.

Ogilvie's syndrome (colonic pseudo-obstruction) occurring in an 18-year-old Nigerian female.

Ogilvie's syndrome which is colonic obstruction without an identifiable distal mechanical cause is reported in an 18 year old female Nigerian. A high index of awareness is required to diagnose this condition.

Penetrating chest injuries in civilian practice.

The purpose of this retrospective study is to show the pattern of penetrating chest injury, methods of management and the outcome. Were viewed all consecutive penetrating chest injured patients admitted to the Cardiothoracic Surgical Unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan between May 1975 and April 1999. We found that 597 patients had penetrating chest injuries. This was 31% of all chest injuries treated. To analyse pattern of injuries, period of study was divided into 2 periods of 12 years each, May 1975 to April 1987 (Group A) and May 1987 to April 1999 (Group B). Mean ages of the patients in group A and B were, respectively, 27 +/- 12.5years and 48 +/- 10.2 years; male:female ratio for the 2 groups were 20:1 and 17:1, respectively. The main mechanisms of injury were gunshot wounds (GSW) in 364 patients (61%) and stab wounds (SW) in 214 patients (35.8%). The ratio of GSW to SW was reversed for the 2 periods, 1:3 for group A and 7:1 for group B. Nine patients died during resuscitation. Four hundred and eleven patients of 588 patients (69.9%) were managed conservatively. Sixty-five (11.1%) by clinical observation and 346 (58.8%) by closed thoracostomy drainage. Mortality among the conservatively managed was 2.2%, morbidity was 18.2% (75 out of 411 patients). Ninety patients had early major surgery, 75 had late major surgical management of complication of conservative management. The operative mortality was 22% (in 39 patients). The determinant of mortality were haemorrhage, respiratory insufficiency and sepsis. We conclude that penetrating injury is a third of chest injuries we see. It is commoner in men and currently involves the older age group and it is most frequently inflicted by gunshot. Majority may be managed conservatively with low incidence of complications. Prompt major surgery limits mortality among the salvageable.

Intestinal tachyarrhythmias during small bowel ischemia.

The electrical control activity (ECA) of the bowel is the omnipresent slow electrical wave of the intestinal tract. Characterization of small bowel electrical activity during ischemia may be used as a measure of intestinal viability. With the use of an animal model of mesenteric ischemia, serosal electrodes and a digital recording apparatus utilizing autoregressive spectral analysis were used to monitor the ECA of 20 New Zealand White rabbits during various lengths of ischemia. ECA frequency fell from 18.2 +/- 0.5 cycles per minute (cpm) at baseline to 12.2 +/- 0.9 cpm (P < 0.05) after 30 min of ischemia and was undetectable by 90 min of ischemia in all animals. Tachyarrhythmias of the ECA were recorded in 55% of the animals as early as 25 min after ischemia was induced and lasted from 1 to 48 min. Frequencies ranged from 25 to 50 cpm. These tachyarrhythmias were seen only during ischemia, suggesting that they are pathognomonic for intestinal ischemia. The use of the detection of ECA changes during intestinal ischemia may allow earlier diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia.

Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux after laparoscopic Heller myotomy.

BACKGROUND: There is still some controversy over the need for antireflux procedures with Heller myotomy in the treatment of achalasia. This study was undertaken in an effort to clarify this question. METHODS: To determine whether Heller myotomy alone would cause significant gastroesophageal reflux (GER), we studied 16 patients who had undergone laparoscopic Heller myotomy without concomitant antireflux procedures. Patients were asked to return for esophageal manometry and 24-h pH studies after giving informed consent for the Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved study at a median follow-up time of 8.3 months (range, 3-51). Results are expressed as the mean +/- SEM. RESULTS: Fourteen of the 16 patients reported good to excellent relief of dysphagia after myotomy. They were subsequently studied with a 24-h pH probe and esophageal manometry. These 14 patients had a significant fall in lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure from 41.4 +/- 4.2 mmHg to 14.2 +/- 1.3 mmHg, after the myotomy (p < 0.01, Student's t-test). The two patients who reported more dysphagia postoperatively had LES pressures of 20 and 25 mmHg, respectively. Two of 14 patients had DeMeester scores of >22 (scores = 61.8, 29.4), while only one patient had a pathologic total time of reflux (percent time of reflux, 8%). The mean percent time of reflux in the other 13 patients was 1.9 +/- 0.6% (range, 0.1-4%), and the mean DeMeester score was 11.7 +/- 4.6 (range, 0.48-19.7). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic Heller myotomy is effective for the relief of dysphagia in achalasia if the myotomy lowers the LES pressure to <17 mmHg. If performed without dissection of the entire esophagus, the laparoscopic Heller myotomy does not create significant GER in the postoperative period. Clearance of acid refluxate from the aperistaltic esophagus is an important component of the pathologic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) seen after Heller myotomy for achalasia. Furthermore, GERD symptoms do not correlate with objective measurement of GE reflux in patients with achalasia. Objective measurement of GERD with 24 h pH probes may be indicated to identify those patients with pathologic acid reflux who need additional medical treatment.

Noninvasive detection of ischemic bowel.

PURPOSE: Acute mesenteric arterial occlusion is an abdominal catastrophe that carries high morbidity and mortality rates. Current diagnostic methods, however, lack sensitivity and specificity and do not provide information about the viability of the affected bowel. Early diagnosis and intervention would improve patient outcomes and survival rates. The basic electrical rhythm (BER) is the omnipresent electrical slow wave of the gastrointestinal tract that characterizes the underlying electrical activity of the bowel. BER frequency is known to fall with ischemia. Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) can detect BER by measuring the magnetic fields generated by the electrical activity of the smooth muscle of the small bowel. The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of a SQUID to detect mesenteric ischemia in a free-lying section of small bowel in an animal model of acute superior mesenteric artery occlusion. METHODS: Seven adult male rabbits (six experimental and one control) were studied with transabdominal SQUID and electrode recordings during baseline and after the induction of mesenteric ischemia with balloon occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery. Continuous recordings were taken for 120 minutes of ischemia and analyzed with autoregressive spectral analysis to determine the BER frequency during specific time points of the study. Two independent investigators blinded to the experimental preparation examined the results to determine whether there was decreased BER frequency and thus ischemia. The results are expressed as mean +/- SEM, and paired t tests were used to determine statistical significance. RESULTS: BER was detected in all seven animals and fell from 10.7 +/- 0.5 cpm to 7.0 +/- 1.8 cpm after 30 minutes of ischemia in the magnetic channels (P <.05, with t test). The fall in BER was detected by the SQUID in all six experimental animals. The blinded observers correctly identified healthy and ischemic magnetic data recording, with a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 100%. CONCLUSION: SQUIDs can noninvasively detect bowel ischemia early in a free-lying segment of small bowel in this animal model with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity.

The human vector magnetogastrogram and magnetoenterogram.

Electrical activity in the gastrointestinal system produces magnetic fields that may be measured with superconducting quantum interference device magnetometers. Although typical magnetometers have detection coils that measure a single component of the magnetic field, gastric and intestinal magnetic fields are vector quantities. We recorded gastric and intestinal magnetic fields from nine abdominal sections in nine normal human volunteers using a vector magnetometer that measures all three Cartesian components of the magnetic field vector. A vector projection technique was utilized to separate the magnetic field vectors corresponding to gastric and intestinal activity. The gastric magnetic field vector was oriented in a cephalad direction, consistent with previously observed data, and displayed oscillatory characteristics of gastric electrical activity (f = 3.03 +/- 0.18 cycles/min). Although the small bowel magnetic field vector showed no consistent orientation, the characteristic frequency gradient of the small bowel electrical activity was observed. Gastric and intestinal magnetic field vectors were oriented in different directions and were thus distinguished by the vector projection technique. The observed difference in direction of gastric and intestinal magnetic field vectors indicates that vector recordings dramatically increase the ability to separate physiological signal components from nonphysiological components and to distinguish between different physiological components.

Effects of mesenteric ischemia and reperfusion on small bowel electrical activity.

UNLABELLED: Previous studies involving basic electrical rhythm (BER) have not been carried out far enough to fully characterize the relationship between mesenteric ischemia and BER. The phenomenon of reperfusion injury has also not been correlated with BER activity. The goal of this study was to characterize changes in BER during mesenteric ischemia and reperfusion and to correlate them with changes in pathology. METHODS: Serosal electrodes were used to record the electrical activity of rabbit jejunum (n = 20) at baseline, during ischemia (90-210 min), and during reperfusion (120-240 min). BER frequency and amplitude were monitored, and biopsies were taken at the end of ischemia and reperfusion. A pathologist blinded to the specimen identity graded the histology on a scale of 0 (no changes) to 6 (transmural necrosis). Paired t test, the Kruskal-Wallis test of non-parametric ranks, and Fisher's r to z test were used for statistical significance where appropriate. RESULTS: BER frequency and amplitude fell significantly after 15 min of ischemia and became undetectable by 90 min of ischemia in all animals. The likelihood that BER would return during reperfusion was highly correlated with length of ischemia (r = 0.99). Longer periods of reperfusion were associated with increasing pathologic grade. CONCLUSIONS: BER frequency and amplitude are very sensitive to ischemia and their changes occur well before histopathologic changes. The variation in electrical activity of the small bowel during ischemia and reperfusion is a dynamic process that reflects the metabolic state of the smooth muscle. If electrical activity of the bowel is to be used for assessment of viability, continuous recordings more accurately reflect the metabolic state of the smooth muscle.

Laparoscopic surgical treatment of achalasia.

BACKGROUND: The authors have performed 11 myotomies in 10 patients (aged 12 to 77) with achalasia using minimally invasive techniques. METHODS: The initial 3 patients were treated via transthoracic approach; the subsequent 7 patients via transabdominal approach. The length of the myotomy was determined in conjunction with intraoperative endoscopy to facilitate dissection and demonstrate division of the lower esophageal sphincter. RESULTS: Only 1 patient required intravenous and intramuscular narcotics more than 24 hours postoperatively; 2 patients required no postoperative narcotics. The average hospital stay for those patients successfully treated endoscopically averaged 2.0 +/- 0.5 days (range 1.5 to 3). One patient was converted to open thoracotomy secondary to perforation of the mucosa. One patient required repeat laparoscopic myotomy at 3 months due to recurrent dysphagia. Follow-up conducted at clinic visits showed all patients to have benefitted with relief of dysphagia; 80% (8) reported excellent results, 10% (1) reported good results, and 10% (1) fair results. CONCLUSION: We converted from thoracic to laparoscopic myotomy because the abdominal approach simplified anesthetic and surgical management. We conclude that laparoscopic myotomy is a simple and effective treatment of achalasia.

Surgery of toxic goitre in non-euthyroid patients: a preliminary report.

In recent years, the cost of medical care has skyrocketed and since medical treatment is not free, some drugs are now beyond the reach of some patients. One of such drugs is the antithyroid drug, carbimazole, which has been priced beyond the reach of our thyrotoxic patients. We have therefore been forced to operate on these patients whenever they present, even while thyrotoxic. The principle of our management is to anticipate the development of thyroid crises and to prevent its occurrence post-operatively by using saturated solution of potassium iodide (SSKI) or Lugol's iodine, propranolol, diazepam, and hydrocortisone. This is a preliminary report of the first twelve consecutive patients so treated.

Experience with 5-fluoro-uracil and levamisole in the management of advanced rectal carcinoma.

Eleven cases of bulky rectal carcinoma occupying the whole of the pelvis are presented. We refer to this advanced rectal carcinoma as "frozen" pelvis. Management of these cases includes performing a divided stoma colostomy, intravenous administration of 5-fluoro-uracil, intraperitoneal instillation of 5-fluoro-uracil when ascites is present, intra-rectal perfusion with 5-fluoro-uracil, administration of levamisole, and radiotherapy. We think this regimen improves, to some extent, the quality of life and probably prolongs survival period, although disturbing tenesmus does not disappear completely. This will buttress the argument that abdomino-perineal resection is justified when possible, even if only as a palliative measure to prevent disturbing tenesmus.