[Acute abdomen : What does the nonradiologist expect from the radiologist?] / Akutes Abdomen : Was erwartet der Nicht-Radiologe vom Radiologen?

BACKGROUND: The acute abdomen is a life-threatening condition that demands urgent intervention. The required diagnostics should address the core problem and has to be chosen based upon the diagnostic strength of each diagnostic tool. Modalities with limited discriminating information regarding differential diagnosis have to be avoided. Expectancy and thoughts of the radiologist often differ from the view of the clinician in the emergency department. OBJECTIVE: The decision about which diagnostic tools are valuable or unnecessary in the emergency setting is made from a surgeon's point of view. Close communication with radiologists is mandatory. We demonstrate the importance of clinical signs and symptoms and their correlation with helpful radiologic diagnostics. CONCLUSION: The emergency radiologic diagnostic workup of acute abdomen has to be targeted and the radiologist must answer the questions in order to clarify whether an operation is indicated and to help define the surgical strategy. In emergency surgery as in acute abdomen extended diagnostics to reach a decision is a dangerous waste of time and must be avoided at all costs. Therefore close communication with the radiologist is crucial.

[Demographic perspective on the concept of the tailored approach in surgery : Analysis of the quality of life exemplified by inguinal hernia repair]. / Die demografische Perspektive auf maßgeschneiderte Therapieansätze : Eine Analyse der Lebensqualität am Beispiel der Leistenhernie.

INTRODUCTION: The constant increase in life expectancy for over 170 years is one of the biggest achievements of modern society. In Germany the probability of an 80-year-old person becoming 100 years old has increased by a factor of 20 since the 1950s. This fact has various implications for the clinical routine and therapeutic guidelines. In addition to the quantitative factors (e.g. complications, recurrence rate), the quality of life (QoL) as a patient-centered subjective factor should be taken into consideration in the treatment options for hernia repair. To compare heterogeneous cohorts of patients regarding the QoL, a standardization based on representative reference values is absolutely essential. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was based on data from the follow-up of 310 patients who underwent inguinal hernia repair at the surgery department of the University Hospital Rostock. The preoperative clinical examination of the patients and a questionnaire were supplemented by a postal follow-up survey postoperatively at a median of 20 months (follow-up rate 66%). Patient pain level was assessed by a visual analogue scale (VAS) and health-unspecific QoL by the EQ-5D questionnaire. Standardization of the EQ-5D was based on a survey on a normative German reference population. RESULTS: Analysis of the patients in the various treatment arms showed significant differences in age composition and health states (American Society of Anesthesologists, ASA scores) of the patient cohorts. A comparison of the QoL between the two mesh-based procedures, the transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) procedure and the Lichtenstein procedure, showed that complete recovery is possible after 6 months. A slight decrease in the QoL of the Lichtenstein cohort patients was ascertainable, which can be explained by the method and the higher age of the group. Taking the differences in age of the two groups into account led to a change of the QoL outcome. CONCLUSION: The concept of QoL is currently becoming increasingly more important in the assessment of treatment procedures. When comparing several therapeutic procedures, a standardization must be undertaken to take the heterogeneity of patient cohorts into consideration. Analogous to the relative survival in cancer epidemiology, the measured QoL scores should be put in the relationship to the age and sex-specific reference of the general population in order to demonstrate the actual effect of the disease in question and its treatment.

Assessing the effect of different operation techniques on postoperative duplex ultrasound quality after carotid endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Duplex ultrasound is the first choice in diagnostics and surveillance of stenoses of the internal carotid arteries before and even after surgery. Therefore, the quality of duplex ultrasound is crucial to investigate these vascular pathologies. OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study was the evaluation whether different surgical techniques affect the postoperative quality of duplex ultrasound. METHODS: In a time period from January to May 2015 duplex ultrasound of the cervical vessels was performed in 75 patients after unilateral endarterectomy of the internal carotid artery at our department between 2006 and 2012. Thereby, the non-operated contralateral side served as a control. Study groups were defined by the surgical techniques of eversion- or thrombendarterectomy with patch plasty using different patch materials and/or a haemostatic sealant. Duplex ultrasound analysis included acoustic impedance, extinction of ultrasound, thickness of skin and individual anatomic aspects of the patients. RESULTS: Carotid endarterectomy itself reduced intravascular grey levels, skin thickness and increased extinction of duplex ultrasound when compared to the non-operated side of the neck. In contrast, neither the kind of chosen operative technique nor the use of different patch materials or the application of a haemostatic sealant showed an effect in this regards. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas carotid endarterectomy per se worsens the quality of postoperative duplex ultrasound, the different analysed surgical techniques as well as used patches and the application of a haemostatic sealant can be assumed to be equal regarding the quality of postoperative ultrasound.

[Prevention of perioperative hypothermia : Implementation of the S3 guideline]. / Vermeidung perioperativer Hypothermie : Umsetzung der S3-Leitlinie.

To improve perioperative quality and patient safety, the German S3 guideline should be consistently implemented to avoid perioperative hypothermia. Perioperative normothermia is a quality indicator and should be achieved by anesthesiologists and surgeons. To detect hypothermia early during the perioperative process, measuring body temperature should be started 1-2 h preoperatively. Patients should be actively warmed for 20-30 min before starting anesthesia. Prewarming is most effective and should be included in the preoperative process. Patients should be informed about the risks of perioperative hypothermia and members of the perioperative team should be educated. A standard operating procedure (SOP) to avoid hypothermia should be introduced in every operative unit. The incidence of postoperative hypothermia should be evaluated in operative patients every 3-6 months. The goals should be to measure body temperature in >80% of patients undergoing surgery and for >70% to exhibit a core temperature >36 °C at the end of surgery.

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pancreatic Disease - Current Status.

Laparoscopic procedures have advanced to represent the new gold standard in many surgical fields. Although application in pancreatic surgery is hampered by the friable nature of the gland and the difficulty of its exposure, advanced technology and surgeons' experience are leading to an expansion of minimally invasive pancreatic surgery. Addressing the whole range of main operative procedures, this review analyzes the literature data so far to give an overview about the current status of minimally invasive pancreatic surgery, its indications and limitations. In acute pancreatitis, a step-up approach from percutaneous drainage to retroperitoneoscopic necrosectomy seems beneficial. Transgastric necrosectomy also preserves the retroperitoneal compartment in contrast to the laparoscopic approach, which has widely been abandoned. In tumor pathology, laparoscopic access is adequate for small benign lesions in the pancreatic tail and body. Oncological outcome shows to be at least equal to the open procedure. Concerning laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy, there is no evidence for a patients' benefit currently although several studies prove that it can be done.

[Venous Access Port Implantation is an Ideal Teaching Operation - An Analysis of 1423 Cases]. / Portimplantation als idealer Ausbildungseingriff - eine Analyse von 1423 Eingriffen.

AIM: The aim of this study was the analysis of total, early and late complications following venous access port implantation between 1998 and 2008 at the Department of Surgery of the University of Rostock, Germany. A comparison between different implantation techniques addressing success rate, complication rate and duration of operation was performed. These results were further analysed in regard to the level of training of the participating surgeons. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 1423 venous access port implantations between 1998 and 2008 was performed. RESULTS: The rate of total complications was 13.8%. Among 4.7% early complications pneumothorax was the most common. The rate of late complications was 9.1%. Most common were infection (4.9%) followed by dysfunction of the catheter (3.5%). 1322 venous access port implantations were performed using puncture of the subclavian vein and Seldinger's technique. 101 operations were performed by direct access through dissection of the cephalic vein and open introduction of the catheter. Operation time in the open group was significantly longer than in the puncture group (46.5 min vs. 38.7 min, p = 0.005). There were significantly more late complications (9.6% vs. 2%, p = 0.01) and total complications (14.5% vs. 4%, p = 0.005) in the puncture group vs. the open access group. Primary success rates of open access vs. puncture were 100% and 96.8%, respectively. The rate of complications was independent of the experience status of the surgeon. However, the rate of total and late complications significantly decreases with number of performed operations. CONCLUSION: Venous port implantation is a relatively simple procedure despite its possible complications. An open access technique is safer than puncture. The rate of complications significantly decreases with increasing number of performed operations. Therefore venous port implantation and especially the open access method is an ideal teaching operation in a structured surgical training programme.

Volume-outcome relationship in pancreatic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Volume-outcome relationships related to major surgery may be of limited value if observation ends at the point of discharge without taking transfers and later events into consideration. METHODS: The volume-outcome relationship in patients who underwent pancreatic surgery between 2008 and 2010 was assessed using claims data for all inpatient episodes from Germany's largest provider of statutory health insurance covering about 30 per cent of the population. Multiple logistic regression models with random effects were used to analyse the effect of hospital volume (using volume quintiles) on 1-year mortality, adjusting for age, sex, primary disease, type of surgery and co-morbidities. Additional outcomes were in-hospital (including transfer to other hospitals until final discharge) and 90-day mortality. RESULTS: Of 9566 patients identified, risk-adjusted 1-year mortality was significantly higher in the three lowest-volume quintiles compared with the highest-volume quintile (odds ratio 1·73, 1·53 and 1·37 respectively). A similar, but less pronounced, effect was demonstrated for in-hospital and 90-day mortality. The effect of hospital volume on 1-year mortality was comparable to the effect of co-morbid conditions such as renal failure. CONCLUSION: Although mortality related to pancreatic surgery is influenced by many factors, this study demonstrated lower mortality at 1 year in high-volume centres in Germany.

English language version of the S3-consensus guidelines on chronic pancreatitis: Definition, aetiology, diagnostic examinations, medical, endoscopic and surgical management of chronic pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis is a disease of the pancreas in which recurrent inflammatory episodes result in replacement of pancreatic parenchyma by fibrous connective tissue. This fibrotic reorganization of the pancreas leads to a progressive exocrine and endocrine pancreatic insufficiency. In addition, characteristic complications arise, such as pseudocysts, pancreatic duct obstructions, duodenal obstruction, vascular complications, obstruction of the bile ducts, malnutrition and pain syndrome. Pain presents as the main symptom of patients with chronic pancreatitis. Chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor for pancreatic carcinoma. Chronic pancreatitis significantly reduces the quality of life and the life expectancy of affected patients. These guidelines were researched and compiled by 74 representatives from 11 learned societies and their intention is to serve evidence-based professional training as well as continuing education. On this basis they shall improve the medical care of affected patients in both the inpatient and outpatient sector. Chronic pancreatitis requires an adequate diagnostic workup and systematic management, given its severity, frequency, chronicity, and negative impact on the quality of life and life expectancy.

[Inguinal Hernia Repair According to Desarda - Implementation of a Mesh-Free Method in a German University Hospital]. / Operation der Leistenhernie nach Desarda - Implementierung einer netzfreien Reparationsmethode an einer deutschen Universitätsklinik.

Inguinal hernia repair shows a clear tendency towards mesh-based as well as laparoscopic approaches. This is widely reflected in data-based statistics and guidelines. In contrast we have initiated and hereby illustrate the surgical method according to Desarda using autologous fascia to repair inguinal hernia.

Influence of local hemostatic and antiplatelet agents on the incidence of bleeding complications in carotid endarterectomies.

BACKGROUND: For the reduction of cardio- and cerebrovascular events in carotid endarterectomies continuation of antiplatelet medication is recommended perioperatively. As a result, this patient population is at increased risk for postoperative bleeding complications. Intraoperative application of local hemostatic agents might reduce the incidence of bleeding complications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All 565 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy between January 2005 and January 2011 were analysed retrospectively. Most patients in the earlier cohort years of the study had no perioperative antiplatelet medication. In contrast antiplatelet medication was usually continued perioperatively in the later cohort years. To reduce the risk of perioperative bleeding local hemostatic agents were applied increasingly. RESULTS: Revision surgery, due to postoperative bleeding or massive hematoma, was necessary in 20 cases (3.5 %). Overall, 383 carotid endarterectomies (67.8 %) were performed with perioperative antiplatelet medication. Local hemostatic agents were applied in 259 cases (45.8 %) intraoperatively. Initially, operations performed in patients taking antiplatelet medication resulted in an increased need for surgical revision. Following an accelerated practice of using local hemostatic agents, the need for revision surgeries fell. Nevertheless, when patients from all years were analysed together there was no significant benefit from the application of local hemostatic agents. CONCLUSION: Application of local hemostatic agents might have contributed to a reduction of bleeding complications in carotid endarterectomies. However, this could not be shown of statistical significance. Other confounding factors such as different operative techniques or forms of anesthesia might also have influenced this decline.

[Treatment of a subsequently detected, iatrogenic colonic perforation via minimal-invasive rendezvous procedure]. / Versorgung einer spät entdeckten, iatrogenen Kolonperforation via minimalinvasivem Rendezvous-Verfahren.

Laparoscopic surgery as primary therapeutical option for iatrogenic colonic perforation after colonoscopy can be complemented by intraoparative colonoscopy in order to detect and treat even difficult accessible lesions. Via the presented method minimal invasisve detection and therapy of perforation can be conducted safely and can lead to reduction of morbidity.

[Loss of domain-a surgeon's challenge. Surgical approach to an enormous scrotal hernia]. / Das "verlorene Heimatrecht" - eine chirurgische Herausforderung : Operative Versorgung einer monströsen Skrotalhernie.

We report on the one-stage procedure surgical approach to an enormous scrotal hernia bearing the whole small bowel and part of the large bowel as a loss of domain situation. Using a mesh-based component separation abdominal wall technique according to Ramirez we managed to retrieve the hernia content into the abdominal cavity allowing reduction of the resulting intra-abdominal pressure. We present our surgical approach in detail and report on the postoperative process based on focused intensive care surveillance and specific surgical complication management leading to hospital discharge of the patient on postoperative day 57.

Surgical endoscopic vacuum therapy for anastomotic leakage and perforation of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency operations for perforations and anastomotic leakage of the upper gastrointestinal tract are associated with a high overall morbidity and mortality rate. An endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT) has been established successfully for anastomotic leakage after rectal resection but only limited data exist for EVT of the upper GI tract. METHODS: We report on a series of nine patients treated with EVT for defects of the upper intestinal tract between March 2011 and May 2012. In four patients, initial endoscopic sponge placement was performed in combination with open surgical revision. Median follow-up was 189 (range, 51-366) days. RESULTS: In total, 52 vacuum sponges were placed in upper GI defects of nine patients. Indication for EVT were anastomotic leakage after esophageal resection or gastrectomy (n = 5) and iatrogenic or spontaneous esophageal perforations (n = 4). The mean number of sponge insertions was six (range, 1-13) with a mean changing interval of 3.5 days (range, 2-5). A successful vacuum therapy for upper intestinal defects was achieved in eight of nine patients (89 %). CONCLUSION: EVT is a promising approach for postoperative, iatrogenic, or spontaneous lesions of the upper GI tract. If necessary the endoscopic procedure can be combined with operative revision for better control of the local septic focus.

[Surgical expertise in the management of abdominal injuries from the perspective of general and GI surgery. Reality of care at a level-1 trauma centre]. / Chirurgische Kompetenz in der Versorgung von Höhlenverletzungen aus Sicht der Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie. Versorgungsrealität im Klinikum der Maximalversorgung.

The new Polytrauma Guidelines represent an improvement in the interdisciplinary treatment of trauma patients. Due to the potentially vital hazard of abdominal trauma a general or GI surgeon must be a member of the initial emergency room team. Abdominal injuries which necessitate emergency laparotomy must be recognized. In addition, conservative management of blunt abdominal trauma requires special expertise, which is no longer acquired outside general and GI surgery in Germany. With respect to thoracic trauma at least one surgeon in the primary emergency room team must be able to insert a thoracic drain. If control of the injury is not achieved straight away, a thoracic surgeon must join in.

Primary Malignant Vaginal Melanoma - Case Report and Review of the Literature.

With fewer than 250 cases published worldwide, primary vaginal melanoma is an extremely rare malignant entity which is mostly diagnosed in advanced stages. The estimated incidence of vaginal melanoma is 0.026/100 000 women per year. The poor prognosis for advanced tumour stages and different therapies used in very limited numbers of patients require precise preoperative staging and a planned interdisciplinary therapeutic approach.

[Pancreas-preserving duodenectomy in acute situations. Surgical treatment of an iatrogenic hemorrhage in the duodenal wall]. / Pankreaserhaltende Duodenektomie in der Akutsituation.: Operative Therapie einer iatrogenen Einblutung in die Duodenalwand.

We report the case of a 24-year-old patient who underwent a duodenal biopsy due to the suspicion of graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic stem cell transplantation 3 months previously. The patient developed severe upper abdominal pain after the biopsy. A computed tomography scan revealed diffuse hemorrhaging in the duodenal wall and mesenteric root. Following supraselective angioembolization to stop the bleeding a control computed tomography scan was carried out the following day and revealed increasing destruction of the duodenal wall due to a dissecting aneurysm. A pancreas-preserving duodectomy was carried out.