Anaesthesia in colorectal carcinoma surgery at the Clinic for Digestive Surgery from 1997 to 2007.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancers are one of the most present neoplasms in human population. This pathology is one of the most frequent ones at the Clinic for Digestive Surgery in Belgrade. AIM: To investigate if there were any changes in both number and structure of patients with colorectal cancers (age, gender, co-morbidity) as well as in both type and duration of surgical procedures and in providing and maintaining anaesthesia in patients with this disease. METHODS: This is a retrospective study. Research materials were anaesthesiological cards written for patients undergoing surgery in order to treat colorectal cancers at the Clinic for Digestive surgery in both 1997 and 2007. Demographics, co-morbidity, ASA score were the parameters we followed in our survey as well as the type of the resection and duration of these surgical interventions. Besides that providing and maintaining anaesthesia and balance of circulatory volume were considered too. RESULTS: The number of the colorectal surgical interventions has been increased up to 489 (13.1% of all) in 2007 comparing to the number of 379 (13.55% of all) in 1997. The percentage has remained the same because the number of all surgical procedures has been increased. The percentage of the rectal resections is increased highly significante in 2007 (50.1% in 1997; 62.6% in 2007). During the same year the duration of the operations was shortened (mean value 176.31 minutes in 1997, 157.5 minutes in 2007). In 2007 highly statistically significant is bigger amount of colloid and crystalloid infusions that were given for supplementation of circulatory volume (mean value 3294.89 ml in 2007; 2552.22 ml in 1997). On the other hand lower amount of blood was given in 2007 than in 1997 (mean value 102.76 opposite to 488.07) what is statisticly significant. The number of the patients with co-morbidities is not statisticly importantly changed in these two followed years. Anaesthesiology technique has been changed and is monitored by higher use of inhalation anesthetics. They were used more in 2007 (29.65%) for these types of surgical procedures than in 1997 when they had been used almost never. CONCLUSION: In these two followed years there have been significant changes in surgical interventions (type and duration of the operation). Surgical teams are higher specialised for the procedures they use modern technology such as stapplers have better equipment for diagnosing the illnes. The use of modern inhalation anaesthetics has been increased along with reduced amount of blood and derivates used for supplementation of circulatory volume.

[Plantago ovata].

Plantago ovata is a high fibre bulk forming laxative. It absorbs water and expands to provide increased bulk and moisture content to the stool. The increased bulk encourages normal peristalsis and bowel motility. Clinical Indications: Constipation, Fecal Incontinence, Hemorrhoids, Ulcerative Colitis, Appetite, Hyperlipidemia, Diabetes mellitus.

[Plantago ovata (Laxomucil) after hemorrhoidectomy]. / Plantago ovata (Laxomucil) posle hemoroidektomije.

The aim of this prospective randomized study is to describe the effects of laxative plantago ovata after open hemorrhoidectomy (Milligan-Morgan). Sixty patients divided into 2 equal groups were included in this study. The first group was treated postoperatively with 2 sachets of bulk agent Laxomucil (3.26 g plantago ovata), twice daily, for a period of twenty days, while the control group was treated with glycerin oil. The p.ovata group patients had a statistically significant shorter postoperative length of hospital stay (2.9 v.s. 4.1 days). Pain after stool was statistically significant more tolerable in the p.ovata group. In conclusion, the application of bulk agent plantago ovata after hemorrhoidectomy shortens the mean postoperative hospital stay, expedites digestive function recovery and lessens the pain after stool.

[Aspects of anesthesiology in the treatment of the TRALI (transfusion-related acute lung injury) syndrome]. / Anestezioloski aspekti lecenja TRALI sindroma.

Definition--signs and symptoms which include dispnea, hypertension, high temperature and high productive tracheobronchial secretion. Physical findings are lung oedema in first four hours. Such patients usually require respiratory help. After adequate therapy, symptoms disappeared in 96 hours. In the beginning. TRALI used to be a part of ARDS and it were treated that way. Today, TRALI is understand like substantive group of symptoms.

[New surgical approaches in splenic diseases]. / Novi terapijski pristupi u hirurgiji oboljenja slezine.

To improve the success of postoperative results, in the surgeries of the spleen diseases new procedures had been developed from hematological pretreatment to further operative and postoperative treatment of the patient. Elective splenectomy is quite a big anesthetic challenge. In the period from 1996 to 1998 in the Institute for digestive diseases 147 splenestomies had been done as a consequence of the spleen diseases. Before the operation there is no reason for compensate the platelets if their number is equal or bigger than 50 x 10(9)/l unless the patient is bleeding. If the patient has less than 50 x 10(9)/l the operation shouldn't postponed if we have previously prepared enough doses of platelets from the separator the pool, or the ordinary platelets. Now days at our clinic we operate the patients with extremly plateleptema. The operations have been very successful. The team work of surgeons, anestehsiologists and hemathologist is the most important thing.

[Giant epithelioid leiomyosarcoma of the stomach]. / Gigantski epiteloidni lejomiosarkom zeluca.

Epithelioid leiomyosarcoma of the stomach is an uncommon tumour, predominantly in old persons. The majority of tumours are small, giant tumours are rare. A tumour is more frequent in the upper part of the stomach. It rarely gives secondary deposits, almost only large ones. In a few big published series of patients, secondary deposit were not found in lymph nodes or other organs. Gastrointestinal bleeding, easy fatigue and pain are the usual symptoms of the disease. Endoscopic and fine needle biopsy was successful in single cases. A limited wedge gastric resection is considered as one of the most appropriate surgical treatments. Major resections are reserved for giant tumours infiltrating surrounding organs, and for recurrencies. Due to rare involvement of lymph nodes, systematic lymph node dissection is not regarded as a necessary procedure. The recurrencies can be successfully removed in a number of cases. Chemo- and radiotherapy are generally regarded as useless. We present a 61-year old male patient who had discomfort in the upper abdomen. CT scan was performed but radiologist missed to diagnose an obvious mass in the upper mid-abdomen. Three years later he came with high temperature and leukocytosis. The preoperative examination showed conflicting results, ultrasonography that the tumour did not belong to the liver but CT scan showed that the tumour arose from the left lobe of the liver. Barium swallow showed signs of external pressure on the stomach from the right toward left and downwards. During the operation, a giant gastric tumour (215 x 139 x 135 mm) originating in the antral part of the small gastric curvature was removed with distal 2/3 of the stomach. Histologic examination showed epithelioid leiomyosarcoma of the stomach with umbilical ulceration. About 50% of the tumour was necrotic. There were no lymph node deposits. Temperature and WBC count dropped to the normal value soon after surgery. The patient stayed symptom-free so far, five months after the operation.

[Acute lung injury related to blood transfusion]. / Akutno ostecenje pluca zbog transfuzije krvi ("transfusion-related acute lung injury"-TRALI).

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a second most serious complication of the blood transfusion. It is a group of symptoms and signs such as dyspnoea, hypotension, cyanosis, cough, elevated temperature, fever and lung oedema that usually develops within an hour or two after transfusion. The full stage clinical presentation is developed between 4th and 6th hours after transfusion. The syndrome is caused by leucoagglutinins or by other lymphocytotoxic antibodies specific for some antigens present on the donor's leukocytes. Alveoles of the lung are the main place of the pathological changes such as intra-alveolar oedema, haemorrhage, hyaline membrane formation, alveolar cell hypertrophy and scant interstitial inflammation. Chest X-ray showed bilateral pulmonary infiltrates but without vascular congestion and with normal cardiac silhouette comparing to the status before transfusion. The syndrome has to be distinquished from pulmonary oedema caused by acute cardial insufficiency, overhydration, trauma and sepsis.