Ultrasonic assessment of residual urine volume

Summary A new method to assess residual urine volume using ultrasound has been developed. By measuring the areas of the bladder in both longitudinal and transverse directions the amount of residual urine volume can be estimated with a degree of accuracy comparable to the catheterisation method. A nomogram containing relevant urine volume determinations has been computed by applying the statistical method of multiple regression analysis is more than 200 casesstudied. We find this nomogram to be easy to work with, and due to the advantages of ultrasonic assessment (e.g., there is no risk of infection, it is atraumatic, and it is quick), this approach may be recommended as a suitable method for routine practice in lieu of the catheterisation method.     

A Hybrid Algorithm of Event-Driven and Time-Driven Methods for Simulations of Granular Flows

The classical discrete element approach (DEM) based on Newtonian dynamics can be divided into two major groups, event-driven methods (EDM) and time-driven methods (TDM). Generally speaking, TDM simulations are suited for cases with high volume fractions where there are collisions between multiple objects. EDM simulations are suited for cases with low volume fractions from the viewpoint of CPU time. A method combining EDM and TDM called Hybrid Algorithm of event-driven and time-driven methods (HAET) is presented in this paper. The HAET method employs TDM for the areas with high volume fractions and EDM for the remaining areas with low volume fractions. It can decrease the CPU time for simulating granular flows with strongly non-uniform volume fractions. In addition, a modified EDM algorithm using a constant time as the lower time step limit is presented. Finally, an example is presented to demonstrate the hybrid algorithm.     

Key Aspects of Health Policy Development to Improve Surgical Services in Uganda

Recently, surgical services have been gaining greater attention as an integral part of public health in low-income countries due to the significant volume and burden of surgical conditions, growing evidence of the cost-effectiveness of surgical intervention, and global disparities in surgical care. Nonetheless, there has been limited discussion of the key aspects of health policy related to surgical services in low-income countries. Uganda, like other low-income sub-Saharan African countries, bears a heavy burden of surgical conditions with low surgical output in health facilities and significant unmet need for surgical care. To address this lack of adequate surgical services in Uganda, a diverse group of local stakeholders met in Kampala, Uganda, in May 2008 to develop a roadmap of key policy actions that would improve surgical services at the national level. The group identified a list of health policy priorities to improve surgical services in Uganda. The priorities were classified into three areas: (1) human resources, (2) health systems, and (3) research and advocacy. This article is a critical discussion of these health policy priorities with references to recent literature. This was the first such multidisciplinary meeting in Uganda with a focus on surgical services and its output may have relevance to health policy development in other low-income countries planning to improve delivery of surgical services.     

An update on the management of traumatic brain injury

The management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to evolve in a number of key areas. In the first instance there have been major advances in clinical information gathering and interpretation such that there are mow sophisticated prognostic models readily available. Secondly, technological advances have allowed the introduction of advanced multimodal monitoring which can provide real time information regarding the complex physiological and biochemical derangements that occur following TBI. Finally recent clinical trials have raised important questions regarding the efficacy or otherwise of important therapeutic options most notably hypothermia and decompressive craniectomy. The aim of this update is to highlight some of the areas where there has been advancement and controversy.     

The accuracy of breast volume measurement methods: A systematic review

Breast volume is a key metric in breast surgery and there are a number of different methods which measure it. However, a lack of knowledge regarding a method's accuracy and comparability has made it difficult to establish a clinical standard. We have performed a systematic review of the literature to examine the various techniques for measurement of breast volume and to assess their accuracy and usefulness in clinical practice. Each of the fifteen studies we identified had more than ten live participants and assessed volume measurement accuracy using a gold-standard based on the volume, or mass, of a mastectomy specimen. Many of the studies from this review report large (>200 ml) uncertainty in breast volume and many fail to assess measurement accuracy using appropriate statistical tools. Of the methods assessed, MRI scanning consistently demonstrated the highest accuracy with three studies reporting errors lower than 10% for small (250 ml), medium (500 ml) and large (1000 ml) breasts. However, as a high-cost, non-routine assessment other methods may be more appropriate.     

Information needs of general day surgery patients

Information for patients on what to expect in the post-operative period is widely regarded as being important particularly in day-surgery patients when they have limited time to discuss their concerns with clinicians. A literature search was unsuccessful in identifying a systematic attempt to develop post-operative literature and it seems that it is often drawn up with little thought for what patients want to know and is supplemented with anecdotal evidence about what happens to patients during rehabilitation. To compensate for this weakness we designed a two-part study to (i) identify key areas of patient concern and (ii) develop consensus responses for these key concerns. We used Delphi techniques to explore the area further. In the first part we devised, validated, tested and piloted a questionnaire, which was then used to identify key areas of concern for patients in the rehabilitation period following six common general surgical procedures. The key areas were: postoperative pain, wound problems, bathing, stretching and heavy exercise, return to work, driving and sex. These areas of concern were common to all patients regardless of their operation. We then used a similar technique to approach all the consultant general surgeons in the former Northern region to ask what advice they would give in each of the key areas for an idealised ‘normal’ patient. Whilst many surgeons fell within a broad area of agreement, there were some who differed markedly from the others even after the views of peers were taken into account. Examples of this are a range of 7–90 days before patients could undertake vigorous exercise after a hernia repair and 1–60 days for driving after a varicose vein operation.     

Rehabilitación multimodal en cirugía de urgencias: ¿utopía o realidad?

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) constitutes the application of a series of perioperative measures based on the evidence, in order to achieve a better recovery of the patient and a decrease of the complications and the mortality. These ERAS programs initially proved their advantages in the field of colorectal surgery being progressively adopted by other surgical areas within the general surgery and other surgical specialties. The main excluding factor for the application of such programs has been the urgent clinical presentation, which has caused that despite the large volume of existing literature on ERAS in elective surgery, there are few studies that have investigated the effectiveness of these programs in surgical patients in emergencies. The aim of this article is to show ERAS measures currently available according to the existing evidence for emergency surgery.     

Editorial Commentary: To Treat or Not to Treat? Are We Any Closer to Knowing What to Do With Cartilage Lesions of the Tibia?

The increasing interest and use of cartilage repair procedures in the knee has led to a better understanding of when and how chondral lesions should be treated. Nonetheless, there are still key areas where we lack understanding and need better data to guide clinical decision making. One of these areas is how to manage lesions of the tibia, particularly when they occur in conjunction with the more commonplace lesions of the femoral condyle. In this setting, a tibial chondral lesion may reflect a bigger clinical problem—a “bipolar defect” or more advanced joint disease—“established osteoarthritis.” My preferred treatment for these tibial lesions is to ignore the lesion (or perform a chondroplasty at most), except in cases of osteochondritis dissecans, focal defects in association with cysts, or tibial plateau fracture malunion.     

The role of electrode direction during axonal bipolar electrical stimulation: a bidomain computational model study

Background  

Direct electrical stimulation of cortical and axonal areas is widely used for brain mapping of functional areas during intraparenchymatous resections. However, there are very few data (be they experimental or computational) regarding the exact volume of activated axons surrounding the bipolar electrodes. The aim of this study was to provide a computational model to estimate the regions in which electrical stimulation will generate an action potential in the axons.     

Study to assess the laryngeal and pharyngeal spread of topical local anesthetic administered orally during general anesthesia in children

Background: Topical local anesthesia of the airway of anaesthetized children has many potential benefits. In our institution, lignocaine is topically instilled blindly into the back of the mouth with the expectation that it will come into contact with the larynx. The volume and method of application varies between clinicians. There is no published evidence to support the plausibility of this technique. Aim: To determine whether this technique of instillation results in the local anesthetic coming into contact with key laryngeal structures and whether this is influenced by volume or additional physical maneuvers. Methods/Materials: Sixty‐three healthy anaesthetized children between 6 months and 16 years old had lignocaine stained with methylene blue poured into the back of their mouths. The volume and subsequent physical maneuver were determined by randomization. A blinded observer assessed staining of the vocal cords, epiglottis, vallecula and piriform fossae by direct laryngoscopy. Airway complications were recorded. Results: Fifty‐three of the 63 children had complete staining of all four areas. Four children had one area unstained, and all others had at least partial staining of all four structures. Nine children coughed following induction of anesthesia. Coughing was more likely in children with incomplete staining (P = 0.03), low volume lignocaine (P = 0.003) and following a head lift (P = 0.02). Conclusion: Oral administration of lignocaine without use of a laryngoscope frequently results in widespread coverage of key laryngeal structures and may reduce the risk of coughing.     

Surgical benchmarks for the treatment of invasive bladder cancer

Radical cystectomy is the gold standard for treatment of localized invasive bladder cancer in the United States. In recent years, there has been increasing focus on the importance of surgical technique as a factor that may influence the clinical and oncologic outcome of the operation, beyond the classically recognized patient and tumor-related factors. There is still insufficient high-quality evidence to support the absolute standardization of the surgical technique or the establishment of firm benchmarks by which the individual surgeon can measure performance. However, there is considerable evidence suggesting that 3 aspects of surgical technique have an impact on outcome: (1) Positive surgical margins nearly always result in ultimate cancer death. The rate of positive margins varies with surgeon experience as well as with cancer-specific variables. (2) The extent of lymphadenectomy has a significant impact on recurrence rates of the cancer, regardless of whether the lymph nodes are pathologically positive or not. (3) Higher volume surgeons have lower operative mortality and fewer positive surgical margins than low-volume surgeons. Higher volume hospitals also have lower operative mortalities and shorter hospital stays for patients who have undergone radical cystectomy. In this review, the authors evaluate the evidence supporting each of these statements and suggest potential areas of standardization of surgical technique that could translate into improved patient outcomes.     

Perioperative fluid therapy for anaesthetists and intensivists

Understanding fluid physiology in homeostasis and disease is a key part of anaesthesia and intensive care. Decision making in perioperative fluid therapy is guided by knowledge of fluid compartments, shifts in illness and surgery and the composition of commonly used intravenous fluids. The implication of poor fluid management has significant outcomes for the patient, with both under-resuscitation and over administration of fluids leading to organ dysfunction and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Increasing use of haemodynamic monitoring within a guideline framework is advised. The evidence base for type of fluid, timing and volume remain areas of investigation and ongoing clinical debate, and it is vital as clinicians involved in perioperative care to continually update our knowledge of this area. Research is currently ongoing to determine whether restrictive, liberal or goal-directed fluid therapy is optimal to guide our practice. In the meantime, advice is to both individualize management to the patient condition and develop local protocols where possible.     

What is the Future of Surgery in the UK?

Surgery is an invasive form of treatment and must be a ‘last resort’. Research into conditions that can be treated by surgery aims to make it extinct, by discovering the basis for various disease processes and treating them medically. A prime example of this is peptic ulceration, which was the ‘bread and butter’ of surgical training in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s, but is now a condition that has almost vanished from the surgical lexicon with the discovery of Helicobacter pylori and its treatment by triple therapy and proton pump inhibitors. In the ‘molecular age’, there is a strong possibility that other areas of surgery (which currently keep many surgeons occupied) will also diminish in volume and importance. Further, it would be worth looking briefly at a number of different specialties within surgery and speculating where changes may occur in the future, perhaps making operations less necessary. In those areas where molecular advances have not (or will not) eradicate open surgery, there will be a definite tendency towards minimally invasive procedures, even though the introduction of such procedures is seldom evidence based.     

Perioperative fluid therapy for anaesthetists and intensivists

Understanding fluid physiology in homeostasis and disease is a key part of anaesthesia and intensive care. Decision making in perioperative fluid therapy is guided by knowledge of fluid compartments, shifts in illness and surgery and the composition of commonly used intravenous fluids. The implication of poor fluid management has significant outcomes for the patient, with both under-resuscitation and over administration of fluids leading to organ dysfunction and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Increasing use of haemodynamic monitoring within a guideline framework is advised. The evidence base for type of fluid, timing, and volume remain areas of investigation and ongoing clinical debate and it is vital as clinicians involved in perioperative care to continually update our knowledge of this area. Research is currently ongoing to determine whether restrictive, liberal or goal-directed fluid therapy is optimal to guide our practice. In the meantime, advice is to both individualize management to the patient condition and develop local protocols where possible.     

Treatment of enophthalmos.

This article has focused on the prevention and treatment of enophthalmos. It has stressed that enophthalmos is both a common complication of orbital fracture and a complication that can be difficult to treat. The cause of these failures of primary and secondary treatment is failure to recognize that orbital fractures have two distinct patterns and that neither is secondary to the anterior orbital floor defect. The zygoma fracture is the more common fracture and the most frequent cause of late enophthalmos. When this bone fractures, it does so at its sutural attachments. It is essential to reposition it at a minimum of three locations to achieve correction in three dimensions. The key to adequate reduction is not only to identify the frontozygomatic and zygomaticomaxillary suture at the infraorbital rim, but also to examine the zygomaticomaxillary suture in the region of the anterior maxillary buttress. Frequently, reduction at the first two sutural areas still leaves persistent lateral rotation of the zygoma and marked intraorbital volumetric expansion behind the axis of the globe. Complete reduction at three points will prevent late enophthalmos. Reosteotomy with repositioning of the zygoma and bone grafting to restore proper orbital volume can correct secondary enophthalmos once it develops. True blow-out fractures do occur, but the cause of the enophthalmos is most commonly the concomitant medial wall fracture and the occasional posterior expansion. The key to treatment is proper diagnosis, which is dependent upon CT scanning. Following definition of the exact fracture spots, restoration of intraorbital volume and sealing of the defects are satisfactory to avoid enophthalmos.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Three-vessel view debridement of the open tibial fracture: a surgical technique

Adequate debridement of an open fracture is a key component of successful management. Despite having set debridement principles, there is no structured technique available in the literature to guide the surgeon in achieving this. We therefore present a technical note detailing the structured approach to the debridement of any open tibial fracture. Our unit has developed a novel stepwise technique termed locally as the “three-vessel view”. Identifying all three primary vessels of the leg facilitates confirmation of inspection of all lower limb compartments thus minimising the risk of missed devitalised tissue or neglected areas of contamination and the potential for consequent disastrous outcomes as a result of inadequate exposure.

     

Review of minimally invasive pancreas surgery and opinion on its incorporation into low volume and resource poor centres

Pancreatic surgery has been one of the last areas for the application of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) because there are many factors that make laparoscopic pancreas resections difficult. The concept of service centralization has also limited expertise to a small cadre of high-volume centres in resource rich countries. However, this is not the environment that many surgeons in developing countries work in. These patients often do not have the opportunity to travel to high volume centres for care. Therefore, we sought to review the existing data on MIS for the pancreas and to discuss. In this paper, we review the evolution of MIS on the pancreas and discuss the incorporation of this service into low-volume and resource-poor countries, such as those in the Caribbean. This paper has two parts. First, we performed a literature review evaluating all studies published on laparoscopic and robotic surgery of the pancreas. The data in the Caribbean is examined and we discuss tips for incorporating this operation into resource poor hospital practice. Low pancreatic case volume in the Caribbean, and financial barriers to MIS in general, laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy, enucleation and cystogastrostomy are feasible operations to integrate in to a resource-limited healthcare environment. This is because they can be performed with minimal to no consumables and require an intermediate MIS skillset to complement an open pancreatic surgeon’s peri-operative experience.     

Instrumental validation of percutaneous transmyocardial revascularization: follow-up data at one year

BACKGROUND: Despite the clinical efficacy of percutaneous transmyocardial revascularization (PTMR), up to date there are still no instrumental validations to demonstrate both the improved perfusion of treated areas and cardiac function. METHODS: During the first year of follow-up after PTMR, 27 patients (group A) underwent 99mTc MIBI exercise-single photon emission tomography (SPET), while 30 patients (group B) underwent serial transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) evaluations with analysis of cardiac volumes and subendocardial layer thickness in systole. RESULTS: All 57 patients had a significant angina Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) class improvement. Group A patients (75%) had improved exercise-SPET perfusion in treated areas at 12 weeks after PTMR, and at the next follow-up. Group B patients had non-significant reduction in global volume and no significant change in ejection fraction. However, there was an improvement in thickness of the subendocardial-treated areas in systole that persisted during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The use of SPET and TTE validates the clinical efficacy of PTMR.     

Renal water reabsorption: a physiologic retrospective in a molecular era

The cloning and sequencing of the aquaporin water channels has been an enormous advance in the biomedical sciences, as recognized by the award of the Nobel Prize to Peter Agre last year. Among many other examples, expression of aquaporin proteins in Xenopus oocytes and other heterologous expression systems has confirmed two important models of renal function: the increase in the water permeability of the collecting duct by antidiuretic hormone (ADH), and the mechanism of near isosmotic volume reabsorption by the proximal tubule. These mechanisms were the subjects of intensive investigation by numerous investigators, including Thomas E. Andreoli, who is being honored by this symposium, and who developed many of the key concepts in these areas. His early work with artificial lipid bilayer membranes and the pore-forming antibiotic amphotericin provided the rigorous foundation in experimental and conceptual modeling techniques that he later applied to physiologic and pathophysiologic mechanisms in the kidney, which are summarized in this retrospective. Dr. Andreoli and his colleagues proposed a water channel mechanism for the action of ADH, which has been confirmed by the cloning and heterologous expression of aquaporin-2. They also proposed that volume reabsorption by the proximal tubule depended on a very high hydraulic conductivity and the development of luminal hypotonicity produced by active solute reabsorption. This model has also been confirmed in mice in which aquaporin-1 expression is knocked out, resulting in a low proximal tubule water permeability that exaggerates the development of luminal hypotonicity.