Late results of patients undergoing remedial operations for alkaline reflux gastritis syndrome.

PURPOSE: Many different remedial operations for alkaline reflux gastritis have been described. Analysis of their efficacy is difficult, because while many of the procedures have good early results, there are long-term failures due to their own complications. The aim of this study is to evaluate our experience with patients undergoing remedial operations for alkaline reflux gastritis syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The clinical features and results of remedial operations of 65 patients with alkaline reflux gastritis syndrome were reviewed retrospectively. Data on the hospital course were collected by interviewing patients directly or by telephone contact. An assessment of each patient's response to remedial operation was then made and a Visick score assigned. RESULTS: All patients had been tried on a medical treatment and dietary restriction or both prior to remedial operation. Long-term follow up was possible in 46 patients. Seventy-six percent of patients who at the final state had a truncal vagotomy, distal gestrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy have been found to show satisfactory results (Visick-I/Visick II). Three patients who had previously undergone a Roux-en-Y conversion later required re-operation for Roux-stasis syndrome and a near-total gastrectomy was performed on these patients. Other operations performed for alkaline reflux gastritis were converted to "uncut" Roux-en-Y in five patients and dismantling of gastrojejunostomy in two patients. CONCLUSIONS: For patients unresponsive to medical treatment, we reccommend the following strategy: a) for patients with truncal vagotomy plus gastrojejunostomy, dismantling of gastrojejunostomy should be the first choice b) for patients with prior Billroth-II gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y conversion is the most effective corrective operation, although it has its proper including Roux statis syndrome.

Lack of evidence that obesity is a cause of pilonidal sinus disease.

OBJECTIVE: To find out whether pilonidal sinus is more common among obese people. DESIGN: Retrospective study from hospital records. SETTING: Two university hospitals, Turkey. SUBJECTS: 419 patients who were operated on for pilonidal sinus disease; and 213 age and sex matched patients with benign diseases other than pilonidal sinus disease and who were not morbidly obese acted as controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of body mass index (BMI) in the two groups. RESULTS: Patients with BMI of 25-30 were classified as overweight (61/419, 15% compared with 28/213, 13%), and those with BMI of 30 or more as obese (7/419 compared with 4/213, 2% in each group). Mean (SD) BMI of patients with pilonidal sinus disease was 26.0 (3.9) compared with 25.6 (3.9) in the control group (p = 0.4). CONCLUSION: Obesity alone is not an important factor in the aetiology of pilonidal sinus disease.

Rupture of the hydatid disease of the liver into the biliary tracts.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the diagnosis and the surgical treatment of intrabiliary ruptured hydatid disease of the liver. METHODS: Between 1990 and 1995, 263 patients with hydatid cysts of the liver underwent surgery in a university hospital. Twenty-five (9.43%) patients with intrabiliary rupture of hepatic hydatid cyst were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Diagnosis was principally made using ultrasonography and computed tomography scanning and was confirmed by the findings of other tests. In 12 patients (48%) partial cystectomy with primary closure; 5 patients (20%) partial cystectomy with drainage; 5 patients (20%) cystotomy with drainage; 3 patients (12%) left hepatic resection (atypic, segmentary or lobar) was performed. Omentoplasty was performed in 6 patients. The common bile duct was explored in all patients and it was drained by a T-tube in 22 patients, and by a choledochoduodenostomy in 3 others. The average postoperative hospitalization time was 8.3 and 22.5 days in patients treated with choledochoduodenostomy and T-tube drainage respectively. Cholecystectomy was performed in 18 patients. Complications were seen in 4 patients (16%) with 1 pleural effusion and 3 wound infections. There was only 1 death (4%) due to duodenal peptic ulcus perforation with intrabiliary ruptured hydatid cyst. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that T-tube drainage and choledochoduodenostomy in intrabiliary ruptured hydatid cysts are effective procedures with low morbidity and mortality rates.

The effects of hyperbaric oxygen on normal and ischemic colon anastomoses.

BACKGROUND: Leakage from colonic anastomoses is a major complication causing increased mortality and morbidity, and ischemia is a well-known cause of this event. Inadequate tissue oxygenation could be reversed by using hyperbaric oxygen. This study was designed to investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen on the healing of ischemic and normal colon anastomoses in the rat model. METHODS: Standardized left colon resection 3 cm above the peritoneal reflection and colonic anastomosis were performed in 40 Wistar rats divided into four groups. The control group (I) received no further treatment. To mimic ischemia, 2 cm mesocolon was ligated on either site of the anastomosis in group II and IV rats. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was started immediately after surgery in group III and IV rats (therapeutic groups). All animals were sacrificed on the fourth postoperative day. After careful relaparotomy, in situ bursting pressure was measured. The hydroxyproline contents of the anastomotic segments in equal length were determined. RESULTS: The hydroxyproline assay revealed that rats in group II with ischemic colonic anastomosis have significantly lower levels (P <0.05). The highest levels are in the group III rats with normal colonic anastomosis treated by hyperbaric oxygen (P <0.05). There was no significant difference in hydroxyproline levels between group II and group IV animals (P >0.05). Group III animals had significantly higher bursting pressures than any other group (P <0.05). Group II rats had lowest bursting pressures (P <0.05). Group IV animals had significantly higher levels than group II (P <0.05). Mean bursting pressure values both in groups III and IV and hydroxyproline levels in group III were significantly increased by hyperbaric oxygen therapy (P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ischemia impairs anastomotic healing. Hyperbaric oxygen increases anastomotic healing of both normal and ischemic colonic anastomosis and reverses ischemic damage. This study demonstrated that hyperbaric oxygen improves anastomotic healing.

Colorectal cancer in patients younger than forty years of age.

The records of the General Surgery Department of the Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty of 10 years duration (1981-1991) were studied retrospectively to determine prognostic factors in colorectal cancer patients younger than 40-year old. Fifty patients between the ages of 10-39 were identified. The family history was positive in 7 of the 50 patients. We found Hematochezia (60%), abdominal pain (64%), alterations in bowel movements (60%) among the presenting symptoms. The pathologic examination revealed no patients in Dukes Stage A, 14 patients in stage B (28%), 36 patients in stage C and D (72%). Distant metastases were present in 10%. Mucinous adenocarcinoma was found in 40% of the patients in whom an histological differentiation could be made. The 5-year survival rate was 25.7% and the 5-year disease free survival rate was 17.1% in the patients who were followed up. The mean survival was 30 months. Poor prognostic factors were Dukes Stages C and D, sex, age, mucinous/nonmucinous histology, tumour differentiation and grade. Patients presenting with one or more of the symptoms above should be carefully examined for colorectal cancer regardless of age because of the importance of delay and presentation with progressive disease on survival. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in the U. S. A. Although colorectal cancer is a disease of older group of patients, the incidence of colorectal cancer in younger patients is being increasingly reported.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Intestinal perforation due to phytobezoar obstruction.

Phytobezoars are rare causes of acute abdomen cases. Here we are reporting two cases which were presented with acute abdomen symptoms and later were found to be small intestinal perforation due to bezoar.

[Neoplastic transformation of a cyst in the thyroglossal tract. Apropos of a case]. / Cancérisation d'un kyste du tractus thyréoglosse. A propos d'un cas.

Cancers of the thyroglossal tract are very rare. Seventy-four patients with a cyst of the thyroglossal tract were operated in our hospital between 1978 and 1991. A papillary carcinoma was discovered on histological examination in one case. This cancer was treated by Sistrunk's operation. The patient had no sign of recurrence one five years after the operation. This paper presents the case report of this unusual cancer of which fewer than 100 similar cases have been reported in the literature.