Association of N-acetylcysteine and glucagon during percutaneous cholangiography in the treatment of inspissated bile syndrome.

Inspissated bile syndrome (IBS) is a rare neonatal disease. In the majority of cases, it resolves spontaneously and treatment is conservative. Follow-up is recommended with close monitoring of laboratory tests. When IBS does not resolve spontaneously, a catheter can be inserted into the gallbladder for cholangiography, which allows irrigation and drainage. Despite this treatment, some biliary tract obstruction may persist. We report on the case of a 3-month-old infant whose continuous biliary obstruction caused by IBS was successfully managed by interventional radiology with the association of N-acetylcysteine and glucagon. Even as first-line agents, these would allow more rapid clearance of gallstones and prevent infectious complications of indwelling catheters as well as decrease the need for surgery.

[Aortofemoral bypass: gold-standard or outdated?]. / Le pontage aorto-bifémoral: traitement de référence ou intervention du passé?

Although aorto-bifemoral bypass procedures have proven efficacy for the treatment of aortoiliac occlusion, complications have led to a preference for less invasive interventions. A precise knowledge of this morbidity is thus necessary to evaluate and compare outcome with alternative techniques. The purpose of this study was to analyze the course of complications observed in a large group of patients who recently underwent aorto-bifemoral bypass performed by the same team. Between 1975 and 1996, 720 patients underwent aorto-bifemoral bypass procedures for occlusion. Indication for surgery was invalidating claudication in 68%, pain at rest in 28% and trophic disorders in 4%. Mean follow-up was 9.6 years. Twenty-three patients were lost to follow-up. One hundred sixty cases of prosthesis complications were recorded (21.3% of patients): ten infections (1.3%), 14 false aortic aneurysms (2%), 40 false femoral aneurysms (5.5%), 82 prosthetic thrombotic events (11.2%), and 14 femoral anastomotic strictures (1.9%). These complications led to death in nine patients (1.2%) and amputation in 23 (3.2%). Analysis of the results show that late mortality attributable to the prosthesis was minimal compare with other causes of death. Numerous complications occur late after prosthetic repair but their impact on mortality and amputations is limited. Aorto-bifemoral bypass is a safe technique that remains the gold standard for evaluation of other revascularization methods.

Late reoperations after surgical and endovascular lower limb revascularisation.

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the rate of late reoperations after primary lower limb revascularisation. METHODS: a prospectively collected database of 639 consecutive patients, undergoing 763 primary arterial reconstruction for lower limb occlusive disease during the five-year period 1989 through 1993, was analysed with regard to the rates and locations of late (after 30 days) re-operation. The reconstruction was supra-inguinal in 527 (69%) cases, surgical in 391 (Group IA) and endovascular in 136 (Group IB). Infra-inguinal reconstruction had been performed in 236 (31%) cases, surgical in 160 (Group IIA) and endovascular in 76 (Group IIB). The 499 men and 140 women were followed during an average of 32 (range 1-122) months. RESULTS: the 5-year cumulative reoperation rates were 25% after supra-inguinal surgery and 28% after supra-inguinal angioplasty, respectively (NS). The rates were 47% and 33% after infra-inguinal surgery and angioplasty, respectively ( p=0.04). CONCLUSION: limbs treated for occlusive arterial disease carry a high risk of late reoperation whether the initial procedure is open surgery or angioplasty. Reoperations were twice as common for infra-inguinal procedures.

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase function in pig lung after chronic pulmonary artery obstruction.

Because long-term pulmonary artery (PA) obstruction is associated with expansion of the systemic blood supply to the lung, chronic ischemia may not occur, and endothelium nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) function may be preserved in postobstructive pulmonary arteries. To test this hypothesis, we studied piglets 2 d or 5 wk after left PA ligation or a sham operation. We measured left lung ATP and lactate lung concentrations; calcium-dependent and calcium-independent NOS activities and eNOS protein; and left PA relaxations in response to acetylcholine, calcium ionophore, and sodium nitroprusside. Decreases in ATP and increases in lactate concentrations were significantly attenuated after 5 wk PA occlusion (p < 0.05 versus sham and 2-d ligation). Compared with sham and 2-d PA occlusion, calcium-dependent NOS activity and eNOS protein were lower in the long-term PA occlusion group. Calcium-independent NOS activity was unchanged. Acetylcholine and calcium ionophore relaxations were impaired after 5 wk, whereas only acetylcholine relaxation was impaired after 2-d PA occlusion. Relaxation to sodium nitroprusside remained unchanged. In conclusion, despite relative conservation of lung energy metabolism, prolonged PA occlusion decreased eNOS function and protein in postobstructive pulmonary arteries.

[Surgery of the internal carotid: locoregional or general anesthesia?]. / Chirurgie de la carotide interne: anesthésie locorégionale ou générale?

AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this retrospective study was to assess the advantages of regional anesthesia over general anesthesia in carotid artery surgery. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From January 1989 to December 1998, 670 patients with severe internal carotid artery stenosis were operated in the same center and were classified into two groups according to the type of anesthesia: group I, general anesthesia (n = 312) and group II, regional anesthesia (n = 358). Characteristics of the two groups were almost similar except for a higher rate of unstable heart disease in group I and bypass grafts in group II. RESULTS: A shunt was used in 16.3% of cases in group I and in 8.4% in group II. Complications resulting from the use of a shunt and intraoperative complications observed with regional anesthesia were reported. There was a conversion from regional to general anesthesia in 6 patients. Median duration of clamping was longer in group II (30 min vs 25 min). Cardiac complication rates were similar in the two groups, particularly cardiac mortality (0.6%). There were more pulmonary and miscellaneous complications in group I. Neurological complications were more frequent in group I, particularly fatal strokes (1% versus 0%). Neurological mortality and morbidity cumulative rates were 3.1% and 1.5%, respectively, not significantly different. CONCLUSION: These results, in agreement with those of the literature, confirm that carotid artery endarterectomy is associated with a low rate of neurological mortality and morbidity. Although regional anesthesia was associated with a lower rate of complications, we are not allowed to conclude to its superiority, as the present study was retrospective and the difference was not statistically significant.

[Radiation-induced aorto-ilio-femoral arterial arteritis. Mediocrity of the long-term results after conventional surgery]. / Artérites radiques aorto-ilio-fémorales. Médiocrité des résultats à long terme après chirurgie conventionnelle.

OBJECTIVES: To assess long-term outcome after surgical cure of radiation-induced aorto-ilio-femoral arterial occlusion and to deduce therapeutic indications. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Over a 20-year period, 15 patients were treated for occlusion of the aorto-ilio-femoral vessels 4 to 28 years after receiving radiotherapy. Primary treatment was medical (n=1), balloon dilatation (n=5), anatomic revascularization (n=5), and extra-anatomic bypass (n=4). Mean follow-up was 6.8 years. RESULTS: Among the 5 balloon dilatations, there was one failure requiring right axillofemoral bypass that was followed shortly by fatal septic shock; the 4 others have remained patent at 2 to 15 years, one having required stent dilatation at 6 months. Among the 5 patients who had anatomic revascularization, excepting on patient who died shortly after surgery from her cancer, all have required revision; 2 patients died of infection at 9 and 10 years; the two others are alive at 5 and 18 years. Among the 4 patients with extra-anatomic bypass (one aortothoracic-bifemoral bypass, two axillofemoral bypasses and one cross-over bypass), 2 died with prosthetic sepsis at 3 and 7 years and 2 others have had a bypass replacement. Overall, at last follow-up, half of the operated patients have died from infection (n=5) or cancer (n=2). DISCUSSION: In reports in the literature, revision and infection after conventional surgery is frequent. There is less risk with the endovascular approach, but it can be only applied for short occlusions. CONCLUSION: Excepting easily accessible occlusions with an apparent minimal risk for percutaneous balloon dilatation, irradiated arteries should be operated on only in case of severe ischemia. Patients with claudication should be treated conservatively because of the high risk of complications for prosthesis implantation with irradiated arteries.

Indications and benefits of simultaneous endoluminal balloon angioplasty and open surgery during elective lower limb revascularization.

Combined balloon angioplasty and conventional revascularization are occasionally performed but some points are still controversial: which patients are eligible for this associated procedure?; should the procedures be performed simultaneously or successively?; and in case of simultaneous procedure, which one should be performed first? To answer these questions, the notes of 64 patients consecutively submitted to this procedure at the Henri Mondor hospital were reviewed. Arterial dilatation was performed on the iliac artery, superficial femoral artery, popliteal artery or tibioperoneal trunk in 31, 26, four and four patients, respectively. Reasons for simultaneous procedures were multiple occlusive lesions in 67% of patients and inflow improvement in 14%. The others reasons included iliac obstruction in poor risk patients, unilateral failure of planned bilateral iliac balloon angioplasty, outflow improvement, local contraindication to arterial approach, shortness of vein graft, clamp injury during open surgery and inadequate patient position for both procedures. Complications were rare. One patient died of recurrent sepsis of the femoro-femoral bypass. The 5-year limb salvage rate was 91%. In this study, simultaneous procedures were associated with three advantages: the risk of septic complications associated with graft implantations in a previously punctured site was decreased, anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet therapy did not need to be modified before the second procedure, hospital length of stay and cost appeared to be lower. On a simultaneous procedure, it is recommended that the balloon angioplasty be performed after the conventional procedure in order to avoid clamping a recently dilated artery when performing the bypass.

[Atherosclerotic lesions of the subclavian artery. Indications for subclavian carotid transposition]. / Lésions athéroscléreuses de l'artère sous-clavière. Place de la transposition sous-clavière carotide.

PURPOSE: To analyze the clinical and anatomical outcome after subclavian carotid transposition and to compare the results with other surgical procedures. METHODS: The hospital records of 51 patients undergoing subclavian carotid transposition were reviewed retrospectively for preoperative symptoms, Doppler and arteriography findings, preoperative details and postoperative complications. Long-term patency and symptoms were determined by physical and Doppler examination during the follow-up. RESULTS: The indications for subclavian transposition were: vertebrobasilar ischemia (24%), ischemia of the upper limb (45%), asymptomatic occlusion or non-specific symptoms (31%). Subclavian artery transposition was associated with vertebral revascularization (7 cases), and homolateral carotid surgery (11 cases). There were no deaths. Early occlusions occurred in two cases, one required reoperation. Minor complications were observed in 21% of the patients with no permanent morbidity. Overall patency after a mean 54 months follow-up was 96%. CONCLUSION: Subclavian carotid transposition is a good method for the treatment of proximal subclavian occlusive disease. Long-term patency can be achieved. Carotido-subclavian bypass should be limited to cases with extensive occlusive lesions as patency rate is lower.

[Long-term results of aorto-bifemoral prostheses in the surgery for atheromatous stenosis of the aortic bifurcation]. / Résultats à long terme des prothèses aorto-bifémorales dans la chirurgie des sténoses athéromateuses du carrefour aortique. 700 malades suivis pendant 20 ans.

Seven hundred patients operated consecutively by the same surgical team for atheromatous stenosis of the aortic bifurcation were followed up for 20 years with only 5 patients lost to follow-up. There were 94.5% of men with a mean age of 58 years. The operative mortality was 2.7% with few deaths due to true cardiovascular causes (0.7% of patients). The secondary mortality was very high with two main causes: cancer (39% of patients) and cardiovascular diseases (37%). Other causes were responsible for only 24% of deaths. The principal complications of the prostheses were: infection (0.6% of operated patients), thrombosis (6.7%), pseudo-aneurysm of the aorta (1.57%) and pseudo-aneurysm of Scarpa's triangle (4%). The benefits of surgery are unquestionable both on terms of survival, as amputation, bed confinement and invalidity are avoided, and in terms of function, as amputation was avoided in 84% of the 32% of patients in Stages III or IV before surgery. Only 5% of patients were amputed during the observation period. Moreover, 79% of survivors had a good functional result at 15 years. Improvement of results depends on better hygienic measures, systematic screening for high risk cancers and a better management of the arterial disease with early treatment of other arterial diseases (coronary, carotid) in order to reduce postoperative and mostly medium- and long-term cardiovascular mortality.

Some popliteal aneurysms are congenital.

Although the majority of popliteal aneurysms are of atherosclerotic origin and are discovered in patients aged more than 50, the aetiology of a small minority may be attributed to arterial trauma, septic disruption, Behcet's disease, a medial fibromuscular dysplasia, or popliteal entrapment. The aim of this study was to propose a possible congenital origin for popliteal aneurysms without evidence of any other aetiology. A retrospective review of five younger patients (aged 20-45 years) with seven non-atherosclerotic popliteal aneurysms was performed. In patient nos 1 and 2, histological examination showed that the arterial wall had been replaced by an abundant collagenic tissue. After replacement by a saphenous bypass graft, these patients did well with a follow-up ranging from 1 to 15 years. Patient no. 3 was not operated on because of a symptomless occlusion of the tibial and peroneal arteries, and remains well 10 years later. Patients nos 4 and 5 were treated with a saphenous bypass graft. The last patient also had associated bilateral congenital anomalies of the division of the popliteal arteries. In the absence of any evidence of any classical aetiology, particularly fibromuscular dysplasia and popliteal entrapment, a congenital aetiology is proposed in aneurysms diagnosed in younger patients. The complex composition of the popliteal artery, being composed by an association of three original segments, may induce a fragility of the arterial wall that may be responsible for aneurysmal deterioration as well as abnormal branching or popliteal artery entrapment. These aneurysms are associated with the same risk of thrombosis as atherosclerotic aneurysms and therefore, they should be subjected to the same therapeutic considerations.

Simultaneous endoluminal dilatation and conventional surgery. Importance of programmed revascularization of the legs. / Dilatation endoluminale et chirurgie conventionnelle simultanées. Intérêt dans les revascularisations programmées des membres inférieurs.

OBJECTIVE: evaluate the benefit of synchronous arterial reconstruction and endoluminal balloon dilatation for occlusive arterial disease during non-urgent procedures. METHOD: late results of forty arterial reconstructions combining open surgery with simultaneous endoluminal dilatation have been reviewed. Balloon dilatation was performed on iliac (N = 18), femoral (N = 18), popliteal (N = 3) and infra-popliteal arteries (N = 2). Reasons were rapidity in 31 cases, local reasons in five cases (such as brievity of available vein for bypass), heavy operative risk in two cases and partial failure of transluminal angioplasty in two cases. RESULTS: during the first post-operative month, there were one death (due to sepsis) and two reocclusions (one of the dilated artery and the other of the bypass). They were successfully reoperated. At the moment of the study, the mean follow-up being thirty months, seven patients are deceaded (six of them from intercurrent disease), one has been amputated, three suffer intermittent claudication and twenty-nine are cured (but eight of them have been reoperated). CONCLUSION: synchronous arterial reconstruction and transluminal dilatation are a good option in case of multiple arterial occlusive disease particularly in poor risk patients and when inflow or outflow of bypasses should be improved. Associated balloon dilatation is very useful in case of too short vein graft or arterial stenosis due to a clamp injury. Nowadays in our department, these combined procedures are more and more frequent One stage procedure is associated with less complications, shorter length of hospitalization and lower cost.

The human saphenous vein in pharmacology: effect of a new micronized flavonoidic fraction (Daflon 500 mg) on norepinephrine induced contraction.

Local acidosis (pH 6.4) depresses reactivity of vascular smooth muscle and especially the response of human isolated saphenous veins to exogenous norepinephrine. Experiments were performed to study, under acidosis conditions, the interaction between Daflon 500 mg, a micronized fraction of 90% diosmin and 10% hesperidin, and norepinephrine on human rings of veins. Varicose veins were obtained by conservative varicose veins surgery and normal veins from patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Isometric tension was recorded from venous rings in organ chambers filled with Krebs-Henseleit solution (pH 7.4; 37 degrees C). Metabolic acidosis (from pH 7.4 to 6.4) was obtained by lowering the HCO3- concentration of the Krebs-Henseleit solution. Cumulative concentration-response curves for norepinephrine (10(-7) to 10(-5)M) were obtained at pH 6.4 in the presence or in the absence of Daflon 500 mg (10(-5)M) added 20 min previously to the organ bath. Under acidotic conditions, Daflon 500 mg induced a shift to the left of the concentration-response curves for norepinephrine. This potentiation was significant in both normal and varicose veins and was increased in proportion with the pathological status of the venous rings. These results support the therapeutic benefits of Daflon 500 mg in chronic venous insufficiency.

Long-term of patients receiving an aorto-bi-femoral prosthesis for atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the aortic bifurcation.

Over a 14-year period (1975-1989), 547 patients with a mean age of 57 years received an aorto-bi-femoral prosthesis for atherosclerotic occlusive disease (AOD) and underwent regular follow-up over a 13-year period. Immediate post-operative mortality was 2.5% with few deaths due to cardiovascular causes (0.5%). The long-term mortality was significantly elevated at 5 years (10% higher than controls) and at 10 years (16%). These deaths were due to the AOD and its surgical treatment (10%), other cardiovascular disease (30%) and cancer (41%). Approximately 5% of patients required an immediate post-operative, or delayed amputation, compared to 33% which had a threatened limb before the operation. Thrombosis of the prosthesis was relatively rare. At 5 years, 81% of the survivors remained largely improved; at 10 years, 67% and at 13 years, 62%. The benefit of this intervention is therefore unquestionable with regards to the functional state and survival. Also, in avoiding immobility due to the disabling intermittent claudication or amputation, it considerably improves the quality of life which largely compensates for the low mortality rates and subsequent complications of the prosthesis.

[Bilateral aorto-iliac prosthesis. Long-term results]. / Prothèses aorto-bi-fémorales. Résultats à long terme.

Over a 12-year period (1975-1987), 565 patients (male: 94.5 percent; female: 5.5 percent) underwent aorto-iliac bilateral reconstruction. The operations were performed by the same surgical team and all patients were followed up for 13 years. The patients' mean age was 59.4 years; 16.6 percent were over 70; 16 percent had a non-fissured aneurysm. The postoperative mortality rate was 2.8 percent, with relatively few deaths of cardiovascular origin (0.5 percent). The late mortality rate was significantly higher than that of an age-matched control population. Arteritis and its surgical treatment accounted for a low proportion of late deaths: 10.7 percent as opposed to other cardiovascular diseases (33 percent) and chiefly to cancer (39 percent)--a figure not found in other reports. Five percent of the patients had to be amputated soon after the operation or later; this is a low figure compared with the 33 percent of patients who had one limb threatened before reconstructive surgery. After the aorto-iliac reconstruction 81 percent of the patients remained considerably improved at 5 years and 67 percent at 10 years. Long-term arterial patency was satisfactory (95 percent at 5 years, 90 percent at 10 years). This type of surgery, therefore, benefits the patients' functions and their life: it avoids rupture of aneurysms and sedentarity due to a disabling intermittent claudication, and it considerably increases the duration of life.

[Survival and causes of secondary mortality in patients undergoing coronary bypass. Comparison with a same age control population]. / Survie et causes de mortalité secondaire des malades opérés de pontages coronaires. Comparaison avec une population témoin de même âge.

During 10 years, 867 patients in whom the same surgical team had performed coronary bypass were followed up regularly without any of them being lost sight of. Moreover, the cause of all deaths in this group could be determined fairly accurately. A comparison of mortality between these patients and an age-matched control population studied longitudinally, year after year, showed that the mortality rate in the surgical group was slightly higher than in the control group (84 vs 77). Conversely, when the operative mortality was discounted, it appeared that the patients who survived coronary bypass had a much better survival than the control population (47 vs 77). Without any doubt, the prognosis for life is improved by surgery. In particular, patients with three-vessel disease (58 per cent), tight stenosis of the common coronary artery (10-25 per cent) or altered ventricular ejection fraction (about 30 per cent) would probably have died without myocardial revascularization. However, this study produced a rather astonishing result: compared with the control population, the decrease of long-term mortality in patients who survived coronary bypass was due not only to the decrease of cardiovascular deaths (16 vs 24) but also of deaths due to cancer (15 vs 27) or to other causes (16 vs 26). This suggests that a more hygienic life and a correct medical follow-up contribute to a large extent to the long-term survival of these surgical patients.

[Long-term clinical results of coronary surgery. Apropos of 400 patients followed for 5 to 11 years]. / Les résultats cliniques à long terme de la chirurgie coronaire. A propos de 400 malades suivis de 5 à 11 ans.

Between 1976 and 1982 four hundred consecutive patients underwent coronary artery bypass surgery and were operated by the same surgical team: 345 men (88.5%) and 46 women (11.5%). The average age was 56 years (7.5% were over 75 years of age); 86% of patients were infunctional classes III and IV; 46% had triple vessel disease and 9.25% had severe stenosis of the left main stem. Left ventricular ejection fractions were decreased in 26% and very poor in 4.5% of patients. The average number of bypass grafts was 1.72 per patient and the operative mortality was 3.5%. The 10 year survival rate was 81% and 75% of these patients still thought that their condition had been improved by surgery although only 30% were completely asymptomatic and had had no further coronary event. A comparison with a control population of the same age showed better survival in the surgical group in patients surviving operation. Contrary to traditional thinking, the surgical patients suffered relatively few deaths of cardiac causes but as many, if not more, of cancer. The operated patients died of approximately the same diseases as the control population of the same age but in lower proportions for each cause of death (17 cardiovascular deaths in the control population compared with 13 in the operated group; 18 versus 10 deaths of cancer, and 18 versus 8 deaths of other causes in the control and operated patients, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)