The use of latissimus dorsi muscle flap in reconstructive heart surgery.

Dynamic cardiomyoplasty is a technique for ventricular assistance indicated for the correction of left ventricle aneurysm and for cardiomyopathies in which heart transplantation is contraindicated. In this article, our first four patients to undergo cardiomyoplasty (from February 1991 until April 1992) with a left latissimus dorsi island flap, rotated into the thorax after a 3-week training period, are reviewed. Therapeutic indications were cardiomyopathy with contraindication for heart transplant in patients 1 and 4 and associated to surgery for left ventricle aneurysm for patients 2 and 3. Patient 1 died 4 months after surgery because of a cerebral embolism when he was at functional class II. The other three patients remain at functional class I, carrying out normal activities. All the data were evaluated with the paired t test. Ejection fraction values (obtained through echocardiography and scintigraphy studies) and maximum minute flow rate of blood (measured with an echo-Doppler) have increased significantly (p < 0.001, p < 0.05, and p < 0.01, respectively) after heart surgery. Clinical improvement has been found after cardiomyoplasty, which correlates with an increase in ejection fraction and maximum minute flow rate of blood.

[Silicone in autoimmune diseases and cancer]. / Silicona, enfermedades autoinmunes y cáncer.

In 1992 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the restriction of silicone gel-filled breast implants until research protocol studies evaluate the relationship of silicone to connective tissue diseases, and the association of the silicone implants with breast carcinoma. Since them comprehensive epidemiologic studies have concluded that there is no connection between breast implants and the known connective tissue diseases or between the implants and breast carcinoma. During the same year, The American College of Rheumatology said that it have not been demonstrated the relationship between silicone gel breast implants and any systemic disease. Although this, the FDA restriction continues.

Primary vaginal and pelvic floor reconstruction at the time of pelvic exenteration: a study of morbidity.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze our experience with the influence of reconstructive techniques at the time of pelvic exenteration on morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 1986 and December 1998, 60 pelvic exenterations for gynecologic malignancies were performed in our hospital. Forty-five were selected for this study because they met two criteria: they were performed by the same team (gynecologic oncologist), and they had similar primary tumors. There were 38 cervical, 2 vaginal, and 5 uterine malignancies. Sixteen patients underwent reconstructive surgery: 11 (68.8%) with placement of a myocutaneous flap with left rectus abdominis, 3 (18.8%) with gracilis muscle, and 2 (12.5%) with the Singapore fasciocutaneous flap. Twenty-nine patients had no reconstruction. Records were reviewed and statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: Attachment of the grafts was complete in 14 of 16 (87.5%), with a partial vulvovaginal dehiscence in 2 cases. Morbidities included secondary infection in 3 (18.8%), partial necrosis in 3 (18.8%), and partial stenosis in 5 (31.6%); the last was significantly associated with a gracilis flap (P = 0.015). There were no statistical differences between neovagina and nonneovagina groups with respect to the rate of fever, small bowel fistula, bowel obstruction, wound infection or dehiscence, hernia, colorectal leak, colostomy or urostomy prolapse, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, intraoperative blood transfusions, or hospital stay. There were no pelvic abscesses in the neovagina group compared with 27% (6/29) in the other group (P = 0.050). Surgery was significantly longer (P = 0.019) for the reconstructive surgery group, with no statistical difference between different kinds of flaps. There were no deaths in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Reconstruction of the vagina and pelvic floor at the time of pelvic exenteration can be done safely. Although this increases surgical time, morbidity is not significantly increased. The rectus abdominis flap seems to be the preferable option for primary vaginal and pelvic floor reconstruction.

Effect of L-ornithine 8-vasopressin on blood loss during liposuction.

In this comparative study, we carried out liposuction on 20 patients randomly divided in two groups to find an alternative medication to epinephrine that would not result in secondary effects at the cardiovascular level but would offer a similar vasoconstricting capacity. Also, a variation of the wet technique is described that decreases blood loss secondary to liposuction. The area to undergo liposuction is infiltrated with a cannula of our own design. Epinephrine is not used as a vasoconstrictor but rather L-ornithine 8-vasopressin at a concentration of 0.01 IU/ml chilled saline. With this new technique, the amount of blood removed is minimal, even in the case of extraction of large volumes of fat.

The viability of cryopreserved onlay cranial bone allografts: a comparative experimental study versus fresh autografts.

It is well known that calvarial bone autografts are the bone grafts that are the least reabsorbent and have the best long-term evolution in craniofacial surgery. However, they do have certain limitations: (1) reabsorption results in repeated surgery and the need for new donor areas, (2) a limited amount of autogenous cranial bone is available (due to avoiding areas close to cranial sutures and venous sinuses, and because the temporal bone is very fragile and the cranium has not fully developed in children), and (3) graft extraction increases surgical time and morbidity. Because of this, we present an alternative to calvarial bone autografts: cryopreserved allografts. This paper is an experimental prospective study carried out on sheep with the following goals: (1) to assess the behavior of calvarial onlay bone grafts cryopreserved at -80 degrees C, using fresh autografts implanted under the same conditions as controls; (2) to compare reabsorption percentages statistically over time; and (3) to study qualitatively any histological variations. The results obtained are (1) more reabsorption of allografts when compared to autografts (at 90 days, 21.97% versus 20.21% of grafted volume), although this difference is not statistically significant; (2) a reduction in height in all onlay grafts as a consequence of the loss of the diplöe; (3) the absence of any type of inflammation caused by a reaction to cryopreserved allografts; and (4) bone substitution performed using frozen allografts is histologically similar to that using fresh autografts.

Reconstrucción primaria de la vagina durante la exenteración pélvica / Primary vaginal reconstruction at the time of pelvic exenteration

Objetivo: Analizar nuestra experiencia sobre la morbilidad de las técnicas reconstructivas (reconstrucción vaginal y suelo pélvico) realizadas durante la exenteración pélvica.Material y métodos: Entre junio de 1986 y diciembre de 1998 se han realizado 60 exenteraciones pélvicas por tumores malignos del aparato genital femenino en nuestro hospital. Se seleccionaron 45 de ellas para este estudio, ya que reunían los criterios de haber sido intervenidas por el mismo equipo quirúrgico (Ginecología Oncológica) y por presentar tumores primarios similares. La localización de dichos tumores fue la siguiente: cáncer de cérvix (n = 38), vagina (n = 2) y útero (n = 5). A 16 pacientes, con edad media de 57 años, se les practicó cirugía reconstructiva, a 11 de ellas se les realizó neovagina con colgajo músculo-cutáneo de recto anterior de abdomen (MRA), a tres con colgajo músculo-cutáneo de músculo Gracilis (MG) y a dos pacientes con colgajo fascio-cutáneo tipo Singapur. El grupo control estuvo formado por 29 pacientes con edad media de 52 años, a las que no se les practicó ningún tipo de reconstrucción vaginal. Resultados: Hubo dehiscencia parcial de la anastomosis vulvovaginal en dos pacientes (12,5 por 100) y estenosis parcial de la neovagina en cinco (31,6 por 100), estando este hecho asociado estadísticamente al colgajo de MG (p = 0,015). Infección secundaria en tres (18,8 por 100) y necrosis parcial en tres (18,8 por 100). No hubo diferencias significativas entre los dos grupos en relación con la tasa de fiebre, fístulas intestinales, obstrucción intestinal, infección o dehiscencia de la herida laparotómica, hernia, fuga colorrectal, TVP, embolismo pulmonar y estancia hospitalaria. No hubo absceso pélvico en el grupo de reconstrucción vaginal y fue del 27 por 100 (6/29) en el grupo control (p = 0,050); igualmente la cirugía fue significativamente más larga (p = 0,019) para el grupo de reconstrucción, sin diferencias entre los distintos tipos de colgajo. No hubo muertes en ninguno de los dos grupos. Conclusiones: La reconstrucción vaginal y del suelo pélvico en el momento de la exenteración pélvica puede realizarse con seguridad y sin incremento signiticativo de la morbilidad. El colgajo miocutáneo de RAM parece ser el más ideal para este procedimiento, debido a su tamaño, movilidad y accesibilidad (AU)