Elderly POSSUM, a dedicated score for prediction of mortality and morbidity after major colorectal surgery in older patients.

BACKGROUND: Several scores have been developed to evaluate surgical unit mortality and morbidity. The Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) and derivatives use preoperative and intraoperative factors, whereas the Surgical Risk Scale (SRS) and Association Française de Chirurgie (AFC) score use four simple factors. To allow for advanced age in patients undergoing colorectal surgery, a dedicated score-the Elderly (E) POSSUM-has been developed and its accuracy compared with these scores. METHODS: From 2002 to 2004, 1186 elderly patients, at least 65 years old, undergoing major colorectal surgery in France were enrolled. Accuracy was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (discrimination) and calibration. RESULTS: The mortality and morbidity rates were 9 and 41 per cent respectively. The E-POSSUM had both a good discrimination (AUC = 0.86) and good calibration (P = 0.178) in predicting mortality and a reasonable discrimination (AUC = 0.77) and good calibration (P = 0.166) in predicting morbidity. The E-POSSUM was significantly better at predicting mortality and morbidity than the AFC score (P(c) = 0.014 and P(c) < 0.001 respectively). CONCLUSION: The E-POSSUM is a good tool for predicting mortality, and the only efficient scoring system for predicting morbidity after major colorectal surgery in the elderly.

Insulin release from isolated islets of Langerhans after segmental-pancreas autotransplantation in dogs.

Pancreas transplantation is warranted essentially by the quality of glucose regulation. Although the fasting blood glucose is invariably normal, this may not be the case during glucose load tests. The purpose of this study was to examine dysregulation within the isolated islet originating from a segmental-pancreas autograft in the dog. Results show an increased basal insulin secretion by the graft islets in static incubation compared with that of islets originating from the head of the pancreas and left in situ. This abnormal secretion may be accounted for by various factors intervening within the graft or the isolated islet, thus suggesting a possible improvement in the surgical model.

[Digestive surgery in the elderly]. / Chirurgie digestive du grand âge.

The dramatic increase in digestive surgery among patients of advanced age is the logical consequence of the aging population demographics in developed countries. Surgery in the aged is not fundamentally different, but it demands precise and tailored assessment and management of surgical indications and surgical and anesthetic techniques. Advanced age is not a contraindication to even major digestive surgery, but every effort must be made to avoid urgent operations by attention to pre-existing symptoms which are all-too-often neglected in the aged. Intensive care may help to shorten the hospital stay which should ideally occupy only a minor portion of the numbered days of the patient (whose life expectancy may be significantly longer than one may intuitively foresee).

The arteriovenous fistula in segmental pancreatic transplantation in dogs--a hemodynamic study.

Arterial and/or venous thrombosis is a frequent complication in experimental or human pancreatic transplantation. A canine experiment was used to study the hemodynamic effects of spleno-splenic arteriovenous fistula during segmental pancreatic transplantation. An increase in blood flow, without "steal" syndrome in the pancreatic blood supply or pressure increase, was found. Thus this technique can help prevent vascular thrombosis in pancreatic transplant in dogs.

Differential transferrin receptor density in human colorectal cancer: A potential probe for diagnosis and therapy.

Transferrin receptor density was investigated in human colorectal surgical specimens. Crude membranes were prepared from 23 cancer tumors (adenocarcinoma or malignant villous tumor) and 3 non-cancer tumors (polyadenoma or villous tumor) and 26 adjacent control mucosa. Contrary to non-cancer tumors, Scatchard analysis of 125I-transferrin binding data evidenced higher maximal transferrin binding capacity and lower dissociation constant in cancer tissues (Bmax cancer 1.828+/-0.320 nmol/g, Kd 24.1+/-4.7 nM), as compared to paired control colonic mucosa (Bmax contol 0.851+/-0.182 nmol/g, Kd 30.7+/-7.3 nM), paired t-tests: Bmax p<0.001, Kd p<0.05). As the cancer/control Bmax ratio was 2.6+/-0.4,transferrin carrier constructs should be proposed for cancer imaging or therapy.

Prevalence and mechanisms of small intestinal obstruction following laparoscopic abdominal surgery: a retrospective multicenter study. French Association for Surgical Research.

HYPOTHESIS: The prevalence and mechanisms of intestinal obstruction following laparoscopic abdominal surgery have not been studied extensively. DESIGN: Retrospective review of cases of intestinal obstruction after laparoscopic surgery. SETTING: Sixteen surgical units performing laparoscopy in France. PATIENTS: Twenty-four patients with intestinal obstruction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence values and descriptive data. RESULTS: The 3 most frequent primary procedures responsible for intestinal obstruction were cholecystectomy (10 cases), transperitoneal hernia repair (5 cases), and appendectomy (4 cases). Prevalences of early postoperative intestinal obstruction after these procedures were 0.11%, 2.5%, and 0.16%, respectively. Intestinal obstruction was due to adhesions or fibrotic bands in 12 cases and to intestinal incarceration in 11 cases. Obstruction was located at the trocar site in 13 cases (9 incarcerations and 4 adhesions), mainly at the umbilicus, and in the operative field in 10 cases (2 incarcerations in a wall defect after transperitoneal inguinal hernia repair, 4 adhesions, and 4 fibrotic bands). The small intestine was involved in 23 of 24 cases; the other was due to cecal volvulus following unrecognized intestinal malrotation. Intestinal obstruction was treated by laparoscopic adhesiolysis in 6 patients and by laparotomy in 18 patients, 6 of whom required small intestine resection. Three postoperative complications but no deaths occurred. CONCLUSION: Intestinal obstruction following laparoscopic abdominal surgery can occur irrespective of the type of operation; the prevalence is as high as (cholecystectomy and appendectomy) or even higher than (transperitoneal hernia repair) that seen in open procedures.

Primary retroperitoneal teratoma in the adult: correlation of MRI features with CT and pathology.

Primary benign teratoma of the retroperitoneum is a rare tumor in the adult population. Only one case with an MRI examination has been reported in the English literature. This paper describes the CT and MRI features of a retroperitoneal teratoma in a 24-year-old male and discusses the value of MRI in the diagnosis and the preoperative imaging of such a tumor.

Giant cavernous hepatic hemangiomas in adults: enucleation under selective blood inflow control.

Among hepatic hemangiomas (the most common solid hepatic tumor in adults), "giant hemangiomas" are those defined by a diameter greater than 4 cm. The natural history of such lesions is unclear, and many surgical procedures have been described. In five women and one man (mean age 49), we successfully used enucleation of the tumor under blood inflow control. This technique was made possible by a cleavage plane between the hepatic parenchyma and the hemangioma. This straightforward and safe procedure required a low rate of transfusion (mean 200 mL/patient) and spared a maximum amount of hepatic tissue.

Priapism and pudendal arteriovenous fistula.

The authors report a case of recurrent priapism treated by saphenocavernous bypass and accompanied by a congenital internal pudendal arteriovenous fistula. In the light of this case and the literature, they discuss the physiopathology of priapism and the sound basis of the various therapeutic methods proposed.

Aorto-digestive fistulae.

On the basis of a case of aorto-duodenal fistula due to fissuration of a tuberculous sub-renal aneurysm, the authors review the difficult question of primary and secondary aorto-digestive fistulae. Primary fistulae are due to the rupture of an artheromatous or infectious aneurysm. The latter possibility must always be borne in mind. Aneurysms secondary to an aortic suture are more common in practice. There is also often a troublesome infectious element, requiring axillobifemoral bypass prior to treatment of the aneurism itself.

[Cystadenoma of the liver. Clinical, radiological and anatomopathological study of 5 cases, one associated with cystadenocarcinoma]. / Cystadénome du foie. Etude clinique, radiologique et anatomopathologique de 5 cas, dont un associé à un cystadénocarcinome.

We describe the clinical, radiological and pathological features of 5 cases of cystadenoma, one associated with cystadenocarcinoma. In 3 of these patients, the presence of thick wall, endoluminal buds and septations at imaging investigations was suggestive of the diagnosis of cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma. In 2 of these patients, these imaging features were lacking. In 2 of these patients, partial surgical resection was performed and was followed by recurrence of the tumor. In all cases, the diagnosis was confirmed by pathology examination of the resection specimen. In conclusion, this study shows that diagnosis of cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma may be very difficult because of the absence of suggestive imaging features in some cases, and confirms that complete resection of the tumor, allowing pathology confirmation, is needed for the optimal treatment of cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma.

Foreign bodies and intraperitoneal post-operative adhesions.

The presence of foreign bodies is one of the recognized causes of fibrous bands and intraperitoneal post-operative adhesions. The objective of this study was to identify foreign bodies actually present in fibrous bands and intraperitoneal post-operative adhesions. From a series of 211 consecutive patients re-laparotomized by the same surgeon over a period of two years, 193 (91%) showed fibrous bands or adhesions; of these, 133 (69%) also showed reactions to foreign bodies. Comparison with a reference list established in animal work showed than in 127 (66%) of the cases the foreign bodies were of cellulose textile origin; in 3% of the cases, they were of diverse origin--starch powder, synthetic textiles, sutures, or unidentifiable particles.

[Pancreatectomy and diabetes]. / Pancréatectomie et diabète.

Post total pancreatectomy diabetes is a clearly defined form of unstable diabetes, requiring low doses of insulin, with frequent and severe hypoglycemic events. This is due to both deficiency of pancreatic glucagon, hormone of primary importance for hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, and exocrine failure. The management of this form of diabetes is difficult, involving exact correction of malabsorption and low doses of insulin. Whenever possible, partial pancreatectomy should therefore to be preferred. After partial pancreatectomy, the likelihood of diabetes depends on the volume of the remaining pancreas, the type of resection and above all the preexisting pancreatic status. Prevention of postoperative hyperglycemia could minimize the risk of long-term diabetes. Pancreatic cancer is a particular case: the onset of diabetes could be a manifestation of occult pancreatic cancer and glucose metabolism may improve after tumour excision with preservation of some pancreatic tissue.

[Is visceral surgery justified in patients over 90 years of age?]. / La chirurgie viscérale chez les patients de plus de 90 ans est-elle licite?

The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of visceral surgery in patients over the age of 90 years by defining the indications, prognostic factors and short-term and intermediate results. This study was based on 50 patients operated between 1983 and 1987, consisting of 46 women and 4 men with a mean age of 92 years and a range of 90 to 98 years. 74% of the patients lived in long-stay hospitals, 26% lived at home, 28% were autonomous, 30% were semi-autonomous and 42% were bed-ridden. The majority of the patients were classified as ASA III. The mean number of visceral lesions was 3. 20% suffered from a malignant disease and 80% from a benign disease. 60% underwent emergency surgery and 40% underwent elective surgery. Postoperative complications were observed in 48% of cases, 58% of which had a fatal outcome. Sixteen patients (32%) died during the first postoperative month. The factors with a significant influence on mortality were: emergency in institutionalized patients (p less than 0.05), the ASA classification (ASA III and more, p less than 0.05), autonomy (bed-ridden patients, p less than 0.05), medical history (more than 4 associated organ defects, p less than 0.01) and malignant disease (p less than 0.001). The most pejorative complications in terms of mortality appeared to be postoperative septic shock, a pulmonary complication or a neurological complication. Cardiovascular disease, frequently reported in the history of theses patients, did not appear to specifically affect mortality. Surgery in patients over the age of 90 years appears to be justified in active patients in good general health presenting with a benign disease likely to become complicated if not treated, which should be preferably operated electively.

[Surgical imperatives in pancreatic transplantation in dogs]. / Impératifs chirurgicaux de la transplantation pancréatique chez le chien.

The authors report their experience of segmental pancreatic autotransplantation in dogs. The most reliable model seems to be: segmental heterotopic pancreas transplantation with bladder diversion of the exocrine secretion and spleno-splenic arterio-venous fistula allowing monitoring of the exocrine secretion and a reduction in the thrombosis rate.

[Gastrointestinal tract in the elderly]. / Radiologie digestive de la personne âgée.

Patient's age no longer is a major factor when discussing the diagnosis and treatment of hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal diseases. However, discussing with the physician in charge of the patient is the only adequate way to propose the quickest, least invasive and most comfortable imaging modality that will give a proper answer to the clinical problem. Cross sectional imaging, especially ultrasound, CT and in some cases MRI, plays an important role in the diagnosis of these diseases.

[Patients, surgeons and surgical gloves]. / Malades, chirurgiens et gants chirurgicaux.

Consumption of surgical gloves in progressing constantly. All proposed products do not have the same qualities in terms of protection, comfort, and safety for the surgeon, the surgical team and the patient. Latex is the basic material used to manufacture surgical gloves even if it does raise the problem of side-effects and requires use of starch powder for lubrification. The surgeon should be aware of the different products and participate in choosing this indispensable tool. There is a general and advisable trend to using non-powdered gloves.

[Post-operative bowel obstruction. Part 2: Mechanical post-operative small bowel obstruction by bands and adhesions]. / Pathologie occlusive postopératoire. 2. Occlusions mécaniques postopératoires du grêle par brides ou adhérences.

Small Bowel obstruction due to post-operative adhesions is a common problem in a general surgical practice. Any laparotomy initiates the lifelong risk of this complication. Mortality rates have improved dramatically in the last three decades. The basic evaluation and treatment of small bowel obstruction is well defined but many individual strategies may result from the variety of clinical presentations and from techniques and equipment available to a local surgical practice. Recent advances in surgical techniques and preventive strategies may improve overall results. Results will remain linked to the continuous aging of the populations of Western countries.

[Post-operative bowel obstruction. Part 1: Intraperitoneal bands and adhesions--causes and prevention]. / Pathologie occlusive postopératoire. 1. Les brides et adhérences intra-péritonéales, causes et moyens de prévention.

Postoperative peritoneal bands and adhesions are very common and may occur after any surgical procedure within the peritoneal cavity. Certain factors have been shown to contribute to their formation. The abdominal surgeon should take account of these factors in his daily practice; a reasoned and preventive surgical approach and the use of techniques and products with proven clinical efficacity are to be recommended. This should permit the surgeon to simplify and minimize post surgical work and to diminish the incidence and complications of adhesions in both the immediate and long-term post-operative periods such as post-surgical pain syndromes, mechanical bowel obstruction, and adhesive peritonitis complicating reinterventional surgery.

[Catheters with implantable chamber, technique of implantation. 168 consecutive patients in a single year]. / Cathéters à chambre implantable, technique d'implantation. 168 patients consécutifs en un an.

Our experience with 168 consecutive implantable chamber catheters over a one year period led us to establish the criteria for this implantation technique. Implantation should be carried out under local anaesthesia and be well tolerated and comfortable for the patient who is often weak. It should be a first indication technique in order to save the venous capital. Based on our experience, subclavian implantation corresponds best to these criteria.