The value of intra-operative cystoscopy at the time of laparoscopic hysterectomy. (25/1806)

The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of routine intra-operative cystoscopy in documenting ureteral injury during total laparoscopic hysterectomy with vault suspension and to document the incidence of this complication in a large series. The charts of 118 patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy with vault suspension from January 1992 to January 1998 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients underwent intra-operative cystoscopic evaluation to verify ureteral permeability and bladder integrity. Intra-operative ureteral obstruction occurred in four patients (3.4%). All complications were immediately fixed and there were no postoperative ureteral problems. No late ureteral complications were observed. Intra-operative cystoscopy allows for early recognition and treatment of obstructive ureteral injuries and may reduce the rate of late postoperative complications during advanced laparoscopic procedures.  (+info)

Increased incidence of periprocedural complications among patients with peripheral vascular disease undergoing myocardial revascularization in the bypass angioplasty revascularization investigation. (26/1806)

BACKGROUND: Risks of coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) may be different in the presence of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). METHODS AND RESULTS: We analyzed outcomes of 550 patients with PVD enrolled in the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation randomized trial and registry. Compared with 1770 patients without PVD, those with PVD were older and had a greater prevalence of medical comorbid conditions. No significant differences in coronary anatomy or PTCA success rates were found. The risk of any major complication (death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coma, or emergency revascularization) after PTCA was significantly higher among patients with PVD (11.7% versus 7.8%, P=0.027). In multivariate analysis, this represented a 50% increase in the odds of having any major complication (multivariate odds ratio, 1.5; P=0. 032). Among patients undergoing CABG, the risk of major complications was found to be markedly higher for patients with PVD (12%) than those without (6.1%, P=0.003) even after controlling for baseline differences (multivariate odds ratio, 1.8; P=0.018). Major differences between the PTCA and CABG groups were related primarily to a higher risk of neurological complications in PVD patients who had CABG (multivariate odds ratio, 2.8; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that patients with PVD are at high risk for periprocedural complications after myocardial revascularization, in particular neurological events.  (+info)

Immediate reoperation for perioperative stroke after 2250 carotid endarterectomies: differences between intraoperative and early postoperative stroke. (27/1806)

PURPOSE: After carotid endarterectomy, intraoperative findings and outcome of immediate reoperation of patients who had an intraoperative stroke were compared with those of patients who had an early postoperative stroke. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 2250 carotid endarterectomies performed between 1980 and 1997. Intraoperative stroke (group A) was detected after 41 of the 2250 operations (1.8%), whereas early postoperative stroke (group B) developed after 18 of the 2250 operations (0.8%). Patients from both groups were reoperated on within 1 hour after neurological examination. RESULTS: Positive intraoperative findings that could be corrected during immediate reoperation were: (1) thrombotic occlusion of the carotid artery that was operated on caused by technical error, which was found in nine of 41 patients (22%) in group A and in 11 of 18 patients (61%) in group B (P =.009); (2) mural thrombus caused by technical error without occlusion, which was detected in seven of 41 patients (17%) in group A and in two of 18 patients (11%) in group B (P >.05); and (3) technical error without a thrombus, which was found in eight of 41 patients (20%) in group A and in three of 18 patients (17%) in group B (P >.05). A patent carotid artery was found in 17 of 41 patients (42%) in group A and in two of 18 patients (11%) in group B (P =.046). Twenty of the 41 patients (49%) in group A died, and four of 18 patients (22%) in group B died (P > 0.05). Major neurological deficit remained in nine of 41 patients (22%) in group A and four of 18 patients (22%) in group B (P > 0.05). Total recovery occurred in seven of 41 patients (17%) in group A and in eight of 18 patients (45%) in group B (P = 0.058). CONCLUSION: Carotid artery thrombosis during immediate reoperation was more frequent in patients who had an early postoperative stroke than in patients who had an intraoperative stroke. It appears that patients who had an intraoperative stroke have a higher incidence of uncorrectable lesions.  (+info)

Internal iliac artery embolisation for intractable bladder haemorrhage in the peri-operative phase. (28/1806)

Intractable haemorrhage from the bladder wall during transurethral resection of bladder tumour is uncommon but potentially catastrophic. Internal iliac artery embolisation is a minimally invasive technique, which is now widely practised to stop bleeding from branches of these arteries is situations including pelvic malignancy, obstetric and gynaecological emergencies and trauma. We report its successful use peri-operatively, in an unfit, elderly patient with uncontrolled bleeding.  (+info)

Relation with preoperative fructosamine and autonomic nerve function and blood pressure during anesthesia in diabetics: a retrospective study. (29/1806)

Many diabetics may have a high risk involving the cardiovascular system. In an attempt to predict the intraoperative risks of diabetics during anesthesia, we evaluated retrospectively the relationship among the biochemical assay or autonomic nerve function obtained as parts of the preoperative examination, and the blood pressure changes relating to the stimulation of intubation and extubation for anesthesia. In 40 diabetic surgical patients examined the biochemical assay (HbA1c, fructosamine level and blood glucose level) beforehand, the autonomic nerve function was quantified preoperatively by analysis of ECG R-R variability recorded in supine and subsequent standing position using an HRV analyzer, and some parameters of autonomic nerve function especially responsive sympathetic nerve activities were obtained. We assessed the correlation with systolic blood pressure changes in these cases at intubation for general anesthesia comparing to similar conditioned 40 non-diabetics. A diabetics with low vagal activity became larger systolic blood pressure afterdrop at tracheal intubation for anesthesia (r=0.513, p<0.001). Otherwise the blood pressure afterdrop at extubation became larger in a non-diabetics with high sympathetic activity (r=0.502, p<0.001). The preoperative fructosamine concentration in diabetics correlated positively with the responsive sympathetic nerve irritability index; "mRR(sup)-RRmin(std)" (r=0.432, p<0.05) and the responsive sympathetic nerve excitability index; "mRR(sup-std)" (r=0.448, p<0.05). However HbA1c had no correlation with these parameters of autonomic nerve function and blood pressure rise at tracheal intubation. Because of above correlation with blood pressure rise at intubation for anesthesia induction, the preoperative fructosamine examination and the responsive sympathetic nerve function test must be useful preoperative examination for detection of the unexpected heart events of diabetic patients during operation.  (+info)

Factors that increase the risk of leakage during surgical removal of benign cystic teratomas. (30/1806)

The contents of mature cystic teratomas can be a potent irritant resulting in chemical peritonitis. Using a retrospective cohort, we examined the various risk factors for leakage of benign cystic teratomas during laparoscopy and laparotomy. Cyst leakage of the benign cystic teratoma contents was the primary endpoint. In all, 158 women underwent surgery for a total of 178 ovarian benign cystic teratomas. Statistical analysis was performed using chi(2), Mann-Whitney U and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 115 benign cystic teratomas was successfully removed without intra-operative leakage and 63 underwent intra-operative leakage either at laparoscopy or laparotomy. The likelihood of success of removing the benign cystic teratoma intact was unrelated to age, pre-operative size or surgical technique. There was no difference among cystectomies performed by laparotomy in surgeon experience or the presence of adhesions. However, surgeons with more laparoscopic experience (>35 laparoscopies/year) were less likely to have intra-operative leakage (relative risk: 0.5, 95% confidence interval: 0.2, 1.2) compared to surgeons with less experience (<20/year) at cystectomy (26.1 versus 51.2% respectively). Oophorectomy significantly reduced the frequency of intra-operative leakage at both laparoscopy and laparotomy (14.7%). These findings suggest that laparoscopic experience can reduce the risk of leakage at cystectomy. At laparotomy, lack of surgeon postgraduate years of experience was not a risk factor for leakage.  (+info)

Transfundal insertion of a Veress needle in laparoscopy of obese subjects: a practical alternative. (31/1806)

Because induction of artificial pneumoperitoneum through the infra-umbilical route is associated with complications in laparoscopic procedures, especially in obese patients, we performed a prospective randomized study comparing the conventional infra-umbilical route with a transfundal route, in which the Veress needle is inserted into the peritoneal cavity through the uterine fundus. One hundred obese subjects (body mass index >/=25 kg/m(2)) scheduled for laparoscopic sterilization were randomized into two groups. In the infra-umbilical group pneumoperitoneum was achieved at a ratio (punctures/pneumoperitoneum) of 56/49 (1.14). There was one failure in this group. In the transfundal group the ratio was 53/51 (1.04). There was no clinically significant bleeding in either of the groups; nor were there any major complications. One subject in whom the infra-umbilical route failed was moved to the transfundal group. This subject also underwent dilatation and curettage at the time of laparoscopy. Postoperatively she contracted chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease. No other infections were detected postoperatively in either of the groups. In conclusion, the transfundal route of inducing artificial pneumoperitoneum proved to be easy, safe and effective.  (+info)

Early surgical treatment for supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage: a randomized feasibility study. (32/1806)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The safety and the effectiveness of the surgical treatment of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) remain controversial. To investigate the feasibility of urgent surgical evacuation of ICH, we conducted a small, randomized feasibility study of early surgical treatment versus current nonoperative management in patients with spontaneous supratentorial ICH. METHODS: Patients with spontaneous supratentorial ICH who presented to 1 university and 2 community hospitals were randomized to surgical treatment or best medical treatment. Principal eligibility criteria were ICH volume >10 cm(3) on baseline CT scan with a focal neurological deficit, Glasgow Coma Scale score >4 at the time of enrollment, randomization and therapy within 24 hours of symptom onset, surgery within 3 hours of randomization, and no evidence for ruptured aneurysm or arteriovenous malformation. The primary end point was the 3-month Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). A good outcome was defined as a 3-month GOS score >3. RESULTS: Twenty patients were randomized over 24 months, 9 to surgical intervention and 11 to medical treatment. The median time from onset of symptoms to presentation at the treating hospitals was 3 hours and 17 minutes, the time from randomization to surgery was 1 hour and 20 minutes, and the time from onset of symptoms to surgery was 8 hours and 35 minutes. The likelihood of a good outcome (primary outcome measure: GOS score >3) for the surgical treatment group (56%) did not differ significantly from the medical treatment group (36%). There was no significant difference in mortality at 3 months. Analysis of the secondary 3-month outcome measures showed a nonsignificant trend toward a better outcome in the surgical treatment group versus the medical treatment group for the median GOS, Barthel Index, and Rankin Scale and a significant difference in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (4 versus 14; P=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Very early surgical treatment for acute ICH is difficult to achieve but feasible at academic medical centers and community hospitals. The trend toward less 3-month morbidity with surgical intervention in patients with spontaneous supratentorial ICH warrants further investigation of very early clot removal in larger randomized clinical trials.  (+info)