Emergency surgery for patients with colorectal cancer over 90 years of age

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Colorectal cancer has an extremely poor prognosis in the elderly with high rates of emergency presentation and perioperative mortality. This report examines our experience and results in the emergency treatment of patients older than 90 years with colorectal cancer. METHODOLOGY: From 1995 to 2000, 486 patients with colorectal cancer were operated on in an emergency surgery situation at the Department of Emergency Surgery of Sant'Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital. A retrospective analysis of 20 patients aged 90 or older was carried out. RESULTS: Thirteen patients underwent resection of the primary growth and anastomosis and 7 subjects with carcinomatosis had palliative intervention by creating a stoma only or bypass anastomosis without resection. We registered two deaths caused by respiratory insufficiency and 2 postoperative complications successfully treated with medical therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Emergency surgery for colorectal cancer in patients over 90 years of age can be performed safely without restrictions related to the age.     

治疗性ERCP应用于90岁以上高龄患者的安全性及有效性分析

背景我国已步入老龄化国家行列,高龄胆胰疾病患者逐年增多,这些患者大多无法耐受外科手术或无手术机会,内镜逆行胰胆管造影术(ERCP)成为其首选治疗方案。目的评价治疗性ERCP应用于90岁及以上高龄患者的安全性及有效性。方法回顾性分析东方肝胆外科医院内镜科2000年1月1日至2012年1月1日接受ERCP治疗且年龄≥90岁患者(观察组49例共53例次)的临床资料,按操作顺序选择每例患者之后连续4例符合匹配条件的患者作为对照(对照组198例共212例次),比较两组间ERCP操作的完成情况、并发症发生率及其严重程度。结果两组间操作成功率无显著差异(观察组45/53,对照组191/212,P=0.279);观察组有3例次因合并症终止操作,对照组无终止操作病例,两组间有显著差异(P=0.008);观察组并发症总发生率为9.43%,略高于对照组的8.49%(P=0.503),胰腺炎、出血、胆管炎发生率组间差异均无统计学意义(P值均>0.05),但观察组发生并发症患者中,中重度比例明显较对照组高(观察组4/53,对照组1/212,P=0.006),两组均无穿孔、死亡病例。结论治疗性ERCP可安全有效地用于90岁以上高龄患者,但应密切关注合并症并及早发现可能引起的不良事件。高龄患者如发生并发症往往较严重,应加强术前术后管理。     

ERCP in patients 90 years of age and older

BACKGROUND: Biliary diseases represent particular diagnostic and therapeutic problems in elderly patients. METHODS: Patients 90 years of age or older who underwent ERCP from January 1993 to September 2001 were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 126 patients underwent 147 ERCP procedures (range 1-5 per patient). Twelve additional ERCPs were performed in 9 of the patients during follow-up because of recurrent symptoms. A total of 159 procedures were, therefore, available for analysis. The most frequent indications were suspicion of bile duct stones (46.8%) and obstructive jaundice (35.7%). Midazolam (95.6%) was used for conscious sedation and hyoscine (74.8%) for duodenal ileus. Patient tolerance of the procedure was good in 92.4% of sessions. Diagnoses included bile duct stones (54%), bile duct dilatation without any apparent obstruction (11.9%), and malignant stenosis (9.5%). Therapeutic procedures were indicated in 95.6% of diagnosed patients and completed in 96.3% of cases. Complications occurred in association with 2.5% of the ERCP procedures; the procedure-related mortality rate was 0.7%. CONCLUSIONS: ERCP in elderly patients is practicable. The complication rate is low, and therapeutic efficacy is good.     

Unstable angina in patients over 70 years of age

Between October, 1985 and June, 1987, 125 patients aged 70 years or more were admitted to the Cardiology Department of Purpan Hospital, Toulouse for unstable angina pectoris. 107 of these patients have been followed up, i.e.: 76 men and 31 women aged from 70 to 85 years (mean 74.5 +/- 3.2 years). 49 patients (46 p. 100) had angina at rest of the intermediate syndrome type; 46 (43 p. 100) had rapidly progressive effort angina, and 12 (11 p. 100) had effort angina de novo. The patients' general condition was preserved in 85 p. 100 of the cases and altered in 15 p. 100. ECG was normal in only 10 p. 100 of the patients; it showed signs of established ischaemia in 70 p. 100 of the cases and sequelae of infarction in 23 p. 100. The mean cardiothoracic ration was 49.9 +/- 4.8 p. 100. The ejection fraction was 62 +/- 14.6 p. 100, the end-diastolic volume 86.9 +/- 32.2 ml/m2 and the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure 15.8 +/- 7.2 mmHg. 69 patients (64.5 p. 100) had calcifications in their coronary arteries. At coronary arteriography 21 patients (19.6 p. 100) showed stenosis of the main stem, 11 patients (10.3 p. 100) had a single vessel disease, 28 (26.2 p. 100) a two-vessel disease and 47 (43.9 p. 100) a three-vessel disease. Treatment was medical in 41 patients (38.3 p. 100) and surgical in 44 patients (41.12 p. 100); transluminal coronary angioplasty (TCA) was performed in 23 patients (21.5 p. 100).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Exercise test in patients over 70 years of age

One hundred and sixty-four out of 171 prescribed tests were carried out (96 p. 100) in 48 women aged 70 to 85 years (mean 74,3 years), and 116 men aged 70 to 84 years (mean 73,4 years). The indications were: coronary artery disease (113 cases), cardiac arrhythmias (44 cases), cardiac failure (12 cases), hypertension (9 cases) and assessment of apparently normal subjects (7 cases). The tests were performed on a bicycle ergometer in the upright position; the work load was increased stepwise every 3 minutes with automatic electrocardiographic recording. 37.2 p. 100 of subjects exceeded 90 p. 100 of the maximal predicted heart rate for age; 23.2 p. 100 failed to achieve 75 p. 100 of the target heart rate. There were no serious complications but 4.2 p. 100 minor incidents occurred. The mean maximum work load was 66,5 watts (71.9 W for men and 53.5 W for women). These results show that exercise testing is possible in geriatric patients and provides information of comparable value to that obtained in younger patients. The investigation is safe when performed under strict medical supervision.     

Colorectal cancer in patients over 80 years of age

Between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 1986, 1,734 patients underwent colorectal resections for carcinoma. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I included 163 patients aged 80 years on first presentation; Group II comprised 1,571 patients aged <80 years. The total perioperative mortality rates for the elderly and young group were 15.3 percent and 5 percent, respectively (P <0.001). The surgical mortality rates after elective operations in Groups I and II were 7.4 and 4.5 percent, respectively, and were not statistically different. Emergency surgery was associated with a significantly higher incidence of perioperative deaths at any age (P <0.001). In the elderly group, most deaths (88 percent) resulted from complications of coexisting medical disorders or thromboembolic complications. The 5-year survival for the young and elderly group were 46.2 percent and 35 percent, respectively (P <0.05). However, excluding patients dying from nonmalignant disease, the 5-year survival rate did not differ significantly between the two groups of patients (49.5 percent vs. 41.2 percent).     

Cardiac transplantation in patients over 50 years of age

Sixty-two patients underwent cardiac transplantation at the University of Arizona from March 1979 to March 1985. Thirteen patients (11 men and 2 women) were over 50 years of age at the time of transplantation and 49 were under the age of 50. The mean age (+/- SEM) of the patients over 50 was 53 +/- 1 years. Eight of these patients were treated with conventional immunosuppressive therapy (azathioprine, prednisone and rabbit antithymocyte globulin) and five, beginning in January 1983, were treated with cyclosporine, prednisone and rabbit antithymocyte globulin. Early mortality (0 to 90 days) was 16% in the group over 50 versus 18% for those under 50. The late mortality (greater than 90 days) was 36 and 33%, respectively. In both groups, rejection and infection were the principal causes of death. The incidence of infection was 1.9 +/- 0.5 episodes per patient in those patients over 50 and 1.9 +/- 0.4 in those under 50. The incidence of rejection was 1.3 episodes per patient-year in patients over 50 and 1.7 episodes per patient-year in those under 50. Actuarial survival at 1 year was 72 +/- 14% in the group over 50 and 66 +/- 7% in the group under 50 years of age. These data indicate that the results of cardiac transplantation for patients over 50 do not differ significantly from those for patients under 50. Therefore, it is concluded that a rigidly defined age criterion for cardiac transplant recipients is not acceptable. Each potential recipient must be evaluated in terms of individual risk and benefit from the procedure.     

Therapeutic strategy of emergency surgery for colon cancer in 71 patients over 70 years of age in Japan

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The prognosis for colon cancer is poorest in cases of emergency situation in the elderly not only in Japan, but worldwide. The aim was to design a therapeutic approach used for colon cancer in the elderly. METHODOLOGY: Seventy-one patients, who were all older than 70 years, with colon carcinoma in an emergency situation were examined. Lethality, surgical procedure, risk of comorbidity, multiple organ system failure and the effect of endotoxin absorption were examined. RESULTS: Any increase in comorbidity was associated with a higher clinical lethality in the lungs, heart, kidney, and diabetes. The highest postoperative mortality rate was recorded in patients who underwent primary resection after perforation, while the lowest postoperative mortality rate was recorded in patients who underwent primary resection after obstruction. Postoperative failure of the lungs and heart and renal failure were associated with a significantly higher mortality rate. Twenty-five septic patients received an endotoxin adsorption due to blood filtration and 8 patients survived. Of the eight survivors, the endotoxin concentration was significantly decreased by an endotoxin absorption. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of ileus, the resection may be performed positively. In cases of perforation, we may safely say now that stoma and resection is to be recommended. Endotoxin absorption due to blood filtration may be an effective additional therapy for post-operative septic shock.     

Infectious mononucleosis in hospitalized patients over forty years of age

Clinical and laboratory features of 17 patients over 40 years of age (mean age: 55 years) admitted with infectious mononucleosis were compared with those of 17 adolescents (mean age: 13 years) hospitalized with this illness. Elderly patients with infectious mononucleosis were found to run a longer febrile course (13 vs. 7 days, p less than 0.01) and to have a lower peak total white blood cell count (6,600/mm3 vs. 11,000/mm3, p less than 0.001) and a lower incidence of splenomegaly (50% vs. 76%, p less than 0.05), lymphadenopathy (25% vs. 94%, p less than 0.001), and pharyngitis (25% vs. 47%, p less than 0.05), compared with young patients with infectious mononucleosis. Patients in both groups had a high prevalence of abnormal liver function tests. It is concluded that infectious mononucleosis in patients over 40 years of age is not as uncommon as previously reported, and that clinical and laboratory features differ between young and older patients suffering from this disease.     

Cardiac valve replacement in patients over 75 years of age

Elderly patients with symptomatic cardiac valvular malfunction have a grave prognosis if managed medically but can be offered a reasonable chance for long-term survival and a good chance for improvement by replacement of the malfunctioning valve. A series of patients 75 years of age and older who underwent aortic valve replacement (31 patients) mitral valve replacement (9 patients), or combined valve replacement (on patient) has been reviewed. The overall operative mortality for aortic valve replacement was 23% (17% over the past 5 years) and the 5-year actuarial survival was 54 +/- 11%. The operative mortality for mitral replacement was 11% and the 5-year actuarial survival was 55 +/- 21%. The average hospital stay for survivors was 19 days after aortic valve replacement. Four patients have had embolic events since valve replacement, 3 after aortic and one after mitral valve replacement. The addition of coronary artery bypass surgery to the valve replacement procedure is becoming more frequent and may have contributed to improved operative survival. A literature review of reported clinical experience shows that the advancement of cardiac surgery has permitted a redefining of the group thought as "elderly", and that this group has an improved operative survival with the improvements in cardiac valve surgery.     

Cardiac surgery in patients over the age of 80 years

The risk-benefit relationship of open heart surgery in octogenarians is not well established. Eighty consecutive patients over the age of 80 who underwent cardiac operations under cardiopulmonary bypass were evaluated. Twenty-five patients were in functional class IV, 42 in class III, and 13 in class II. Forty-four patients had only coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG), 12 only aortic valve replacement (AVR), 6 only mitral valve replacement (MVR), 12 CABG and AVR, 4 CABG and MVR, 1 CABG and aneurysmectomy, and 1 had resection of left atrial myxoma. Operative mortality (within 30 days) was 12.5% for the group. Mortality was related to bleeding, left ventricular failure, primary ventricular fibrillation, pulmonary failure, and renal failure. Mortality was higher in patients with (1) advanced functional class, (2) mitral valve replacement, (3) postoperative hemorrhage, and (4) associated pulmonary disease. While a generally conservative approach is recommended for octogenarian patients, many with life-threatening cardiac disease, especially those free of major multisystem illnesses, should not be denied the benefit of surgical treatment.     

瑞芬太尼复合右美托咪定清醒镇静技术在47例90岁以上患者ERCP中的应用体会

背景和目的：逆行胰胆管造影操作时间长,手术刺激大,需要麻醉药物来消除不良刺激。随着社会老龄化趋势,需行ERCP的高龄患者也渐增多。临床上还未找到一种理想的麻醉方案可以快速平稳的诱导,安全有效的维持,同时无不良反应并能迅速苏醒。本文探讨瑞芬太尼复合右美托咪定清醒镇静技术在高龄患者ERCP中的应用价值 方法：47例90岁以上的老年患者接受瑞芬太尼、右美托咪定、丙泊酚、依托咪酯和氯胺酮诱导,维持用瑞芬太尼、右美托咪定和丙泊酚。遇有体动等镇静镇痛不足表现时酌情追加瑞芬太尼和/或丙泊酚。 结果：所有病人均顺利完成诊治。用药量小,循环呼吸平稳,不良反应少,检查结束患者即能立即苏醒,患者和医师满意度较高。 结论：瑞芬太尼复合右美托咪定清醒镇静技术高龄患者ERCP中能提供安全稳定的镇静镇痛水平,提高患者医师满意度。