Ureterosciatic hernia: a rare cause of ureteral obstruction visualized by multislice helical computed tomography

Ureterosciatic herniation is an extremely rare cause of ureteral obstruction, of which few cases have been published. We describe a case revealed by pyelonephritis with acute renal failure in an 81-year-old woman. After percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement and antibiotic therapy, urography and multiplanar computed tomography reconstructions of the pelvis confirmed the diagnosis. The symptoms resolved, and the hernia was then corrected surgically.     

Transcatheter embolization as the new reference standard for endoscopically unmanageable upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding(UGIB) is a major medical emergency problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality.Endoscopy is considered the first method of choice to detect and treat UGIB.Endoscopic therapy usually achieves primary hemostasis,but 10%-30% of these patients have repeat bleeding.In patients in whom hemostasis is not achieved with endoscopic techniques,treatment with transcatheter angiographic embolization(TAE) or surgery is needed.Surgical intervention is usually an expeditious and gratifying endeavor,but it can be associated with high operative mortality rates.A large number of studies support the use of TAE as salvage therapy as an alternative to surgery.However,few studies have compared the results of TAE with that of emergency surgery in terms of efficiency,the frequency of repeat bleeding,and complications.Recently,Ang et al retrospectively compared the outcome of TAE and surgery as salvage therapy of UGIB after failed endoscopic treatment.There were no significant differences in 30 d mortality,complication rates and length of stay although higher rebleeding rates were observed after TAE compared with surgery.In this commentary,we discuss the advantages and drawbacks of these two therapeutic strategies for UGIB.We also attempt to define the exact role of TAE for acute nonvariceal UGIB.     

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in cirrhotic patients

Since 1992, laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been the treatment of choice for symptomatic gallstones. The advantages of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for most patients have been extensively published. However, its benefits and successful use in patients with cirrhosis are less well documented. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in cirrhotic patients. We did a retrospective review of the records of 26 consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures performed on cirrhotic patients between January 1992 and September 2000. Twenty-two patients were classified as having Child's class A cirrhosis, and 4 patients were classified as having Child's class B. No patients were classified as having Child's class C cirrhosis. There were 20 men and 6 women, with a mean age of 57 years (range, 37-76). All procedures were completed laparoscopically. There was histologic confirmation of cirrhosis in all patients. The mean operative time was 126 minutes (range, 60-184). The mean estimated blood loss was 110 mL (range, 40-380). Complications occurred in 7 patients (27%). No operative mortality occurred in this study. The mean length of hospital stay was 5 days (range, 3-14). Our results and the results of others show that laparoscopic cholecystectomy in cirrhotic patients seems to be safe in selected Child-Pugh class A and B patients with compensated cirrhosis. Cholecystectomy remains a high-risk procedure in cirrhotic patients, and indications for cholecystectomy should be evaluated carefully. Controlled trials are required to confirm the safety of this procedure, and further studies are also required to evaluate the management of gallbladder disease in patients with Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis.     

Extra corporal membrane oxygenation in general thoracic surgery: a new single veno-venous cannulation

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is used in severe respiratory failure to maintain adequate gas exchange. So far, this technique has not been commonly used in general thoracic surgery. We present a case using ECMO for peri-operative airway management for pulmonary resection, using a novel single-site, internal jugular, veno-venous ECMO cannula.     

Endovascular management of visceral artery aneurysms: When to watch,when to intervene?

Visceral artery aneurysms (VAA) include splanchnic and renal artery aneurysms. They represent a rare clinical entity, although their detection is rising due to an increased use of cross-sectional imaging. Rupture is the most devastating complication, and is associated with a high morbidity and mortality. In addition, increased percutaneous endovascular interventions have raised the incidence of iatrogenic visceral artery pseudoaneurysms (VAPAs). For this reason, elective repair is preferable in the appropriately chosen patient. Controversy still exists regarding their treatment. Over the past decade, there has been steady increase in the utilization of minimally invasive, non-operative interventions, for vascular aneurysmal disease. All VAAs and VAPAs can technically be fixed by endovascular techniques but that does not mean they should. These catheter-based techniques constitute an excellent approach in the elective setting. However, in the emergent setting it may carry a higher morbidity and mortality. The decision for intervention has to take into account the size and the natural history of the lesion, the risk of rupture, which is high during pregnancy, and the relative risk of surgical or radiological intervention. For splanchnic artery aneurysms, we should recognize that we are not, in reality, well informed about their natural history. For most asymptomatic aneurysms, expectant treatment is acceptable. For large, symptomatic or aneurysms with a high risk of rupture, endovascular treatment has become the first-line therapy. Treatment of VAPAs is always mandatory because of the high risk of rupture. We present our point of view on interventional radiology in the splanchnic arteries, focusing on what has been achieved and the remaining challenges.     

A clinical score to predict acute renal failure after cardiac surgery

The risk of mortality associated with acute renal failure (ARF) after open-heart surgery continues to be distressingly high. Accurate prediction of ARF provides an opportunity to develop strategies for early diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study was to develop a clinical score to predict postoperative ARF by incorporating the effect of all of its major risk factors. A total of 33,217 patients underwent open-heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (1993 to 2002). The primary outcome was ARF that required dialysis. The scoring model was developed in a randomly selected test set (n = 15,838) and was validated on the remaining patients. Its predictive accuracy was compared by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. The score ranges between 0 and 17 points. The ARF frequency at each score level in the validation set fell within the 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the corresponding frequency in the test set. Four risk categories of increasing severity (scores 0 to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 to 13) were formed arbitrarily. The frequency of ARF across these categories in the test set ranged between 0.5 and 22.1%. The score was also valid in predicting ARF across all risk categories. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the score in the test set was 0.81 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.83) and was similar to that in the validation set (0.82; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.85; P = 0.39). In conclusion, a score is valid and accurate in predicting ARF after open-heart surgery; along with increasing its clinical utility, the score can help in planning future clinical trials of ARF.     

A controlled randomized multicenter trial of pancreatogastrostomy or pancreatojejunostomy after pancreatoduodenectomy

BACKGROUND: Only 2 large (more than 100 patients) prospective trials comparing pancreatogastrostomy (PG) with pancreatojejunostomy (PJ) after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) have been reported until now. One nonrandomized study showed that there were less pancreatic and digestive tract fistula with PG, whereas the other, a randomized trial from a single high-volume center, found no significant differences between the two techniques. METHODS: Single blind, controlled randomized, multicenter trial. The main endpoint was intra-abdominal complications (IACs). RESULTS: Of 149 randomized patients, 81 underwent PG and 68 PJ. No significant difference was found between the two groups concerning pre- or intraoperative patient characteristics. The rate of patients with one or more IACs was 34% in each group. Twenty-seven patients sustained a pancreatoenteric fistula (18%), 13 in PG (16%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8-24%) and 14 in PJ (20%; 95% CI 10.5-29.5%). No statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups concerning the mortality rate (11% overall), the rate of reoperations and/or postoperative interventional radiology drainages (23%), or the length of hospital stay (median 20.5 days). Univariate analysis found the following risk factors: (1) age > or =70 years old, (2) extrapancreatic disease, (3) normal consistency of pancreas, (4) diameter of main pancreatic duct <3 mm, (5) duration of operation >6 hours, and (6) a center effect. Significantly more IAC, pancreatoenteric fistula, and deaths occurred in one center (that included the most patients) (P = .05), but there were significantly more high-risk patients in this center (normal pancreas consistency, extrapancreatic pathology, small pancreatic duct, higher transfusion requirements, and duration of operation >6 hours) compared with the other centers. In multivariate analysis, the center effect disappeared. Independent risk factors included duration of operation >6 hours for IAC and for pancreatoenteric fistula (P = .01), extrapancreatic disease for pancreatoenteric fistulas (P < .04), and age > or =70 years for mortality (P < .02). CONCLUSIONS: The type of pancreatoenteric anastomosis (PJ or PG) after PD does not significantly influence the rate of patients with one or more IAC and/or pancreatic fistula or the severity of complications.     

Early local intracoronary platelet activation after drug-eluting stent placement

Background Early local platelet activation after coronary intervention identifies patients at increased risk of acute stent thrombosis （AST）. However, early changes in platelet activation in coronary circulation following drug-eluting stent （DES） implantation have never been reported. Methods In a prospective study of 26 consecutive elective stable angina patients, platelet activation was analyzed by measuring soluble glycoprotein V （sGPV） and P-selectin （CD62P） before and after implantation of either DES or bare metal stent （BMS）. All patients were pretreated with clopidogrel （300 mg loading dose） and aspirin （75 mg orally） the day before the procedure. Blood samples were drawn from the coronary ostium and 10 - 20 mm distal to the lesion site. Results Consistent with the lower baseline clinical risk, the levels of CD62P and sGPV were within normal reference range, both in the coronary ostium and distal to the lesion before percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） procedure. The levels of CD62P and sGPV did not change significantly （CD62P： （31.1 ± 9.86） ng/ml vs （29.5 ± 9.02） ng/ml, P=0.319 and sGPV： （52.4 ± 13.5） ng/ml vs （51.8 ± 11.7） ng/ml, P=0.674, respectively） after stent implantation when compared with baseline. Changes in these platelet activation markers did not differ between stent types. Conclusions Intracoronary local platelet activation does not occur in stable angina patients before and immediately followina DES implantation when dual anti-Dlatelet is administered.