Anastomotic stenosis after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: A rational approach to treatment.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic stenosis, a common sequela to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, has a reported incidence of 1.6-27% and recurs in 17-33%. No universal guidelines for optimal treatment exist. The aim of this study was to develop guidelines to treat stenosis that achieve the lowest rate of recurrence while avoiding the complications of excessive dilation. METHODS: This prospective 2-part study enlisted consecutive patients undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass who developed an anastomotic stenosis. In the first part, all patients, regardless of the grade of stenosis, underwent dilation to 12 mm and were followed up for recurrence. In the second part, patients underwent dilation according to the grade of stenosis (12 mm for low, 13.5 mm for medium, 15 mm for high) and were followed up for recurrence. RESULTS: Among 1345 consecutive Roux-en-Y gastric bypass patients, 204 developed an anastomotic stenosis (15.2%). No differences were found in gender, mean age, preoperative body mass index, or weight loss at 1 year. In part 1, the recurrence rate for low-, medium-, and high-grade stenosis was 2.6%, 34.4%, and 35.9%. In part 2, the corresponding rates were 9.7%, 26.3%, and 43.6%. The corresponding mean number of additional dilations per patient with recurrence in part 1 was 1.0, 1.5, and 2.1 and, in part 2, were 1.0, 1.0 and 1.2. CONCLUSION: The results of this study have shown that the stenosis grade can predict the risk of recurrence and determine the optimal balloon size. Definitive treatment was achieved in >90% of patients with low-grade stenosis dilated to 12 mm. Medium- and high-grade stenosis predicted > or =25% recurrence, but increasing the balloon size reduced the number of additional dilations required for patients with recurrence.     

Facilitating written work using computer word processing and word prediction.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether occupational therapy intervention that focused on teaching children to use word processing, either alone or with word prediction, was effective in improving the written communication skills of children with learning disabilities and handwriting problems. METHOD: A single-subject alternating treatments design was replicated across three children in grades 4 and 5. During the baseline phase the children wrote stories by hand; during the intervention phase, the children wrote stories, alternating among handwriting, word processing, and word processing with word prediction. Dependent variables focused on percentages of legible words, percentages of correctly spelled words, total amount written, and rate of writing. Data were analyzed by visual inspection. RESULTS: Results were variable. Two children had clear improvements in legibility when using either word processing alone or with word prediction. These same children demonstrated clear improvements in spelling when using word prediction. Though rate of writing was best for two children when using handwriting, relative to total amount produced, one method was not clearly preferable to another. CONCLUSION: Occupational therapy intervention involving word processing with word prediction improves the legibility and spelling of written assignments completed by some children with learning disabilities and handwriting difficulties. It is important to evaluate each child individually and provide training and ongoing support for technology use.     

Brain scintigraphy (SPECT) with thallium-201 in primary brain tumors]

We evaluated the role of thallium-201 single-photon emission-computed tomography (SPECT) in diagnosis, differential diagnosis and follow-up of 33 patients with primary brain tumors. 27 of 33 lesions were detectable by Tl-201 SPECT because only two of eight low-grade (grade 1 and 2) astrocytomas showed Tl-201 accumulation up to a tumor to nontumor ratio of 2.6. High grade (grade 3 and 4) astrocytomas showed Tl-201 accumulation in the range of 2.2 up to 13.0 and were different from low-grade astrocytomas. Noninvasive grading of astrocytomas is therefore possible, whereas differential diagnosis of oligodendrogliomas and astrocytomas or meningiomas was not possible with Tl-201. In the follow-up of six patients, we could demonstrate, that tumor progression is correlated with increasing and tumor regression with decreasing Tl-201 accumulations. This functional changing proceed morphological findings in CT. But vanishing of Tl-201 accumulation during therapy does not mean vanishing of tumor as could be demonstrated by follow-up.     

FASCIOCUTANEOUS ISLAND FLAPS FOR ORTHOPAEDIC MANAGEMENT IN LOWER LIMB RECONSTRUCTION USING DERMATOMAL PRECINCTS

This paper describes a technique of fasciocutaneous island flaps used in reconstruction of the lower limb. It is very versatile and some 26 individual flaps in 22 patients have been used to reconstruct skeletal and soft tissue problems from the popliteal fossa to the ankle joint. These longitudinally designed flaps made up of a trilaminate of skin, subcutaneous fat and fascia are aligned within the dermatomal precincts. The most important location for such flap design is along the peroneal compartment sitting within the L5 dermatome and incorporating the superficial peroneal nerve. It can be lengthened as far as the lateral malleolus and is an excellent reconstructive method to close defects over the lower third of the tibia. The medial compartment of the leg employing the saphenous nerve (L4 dermatome) is another area for fasciocutaneous island flap reconstruction, but use is restricted to the upper two-thirds of the tibial area. Posteriorly the island flap design sits along the S2 dermatome, this time incorporating the sural nerve to reconstruct defects of the calf and can be extended to include problems of the popliteal fossa. In the overall flap technique, the age of the patient is not a contraindication and cases with peripheral vascular disease have been treated successfully. The flaps may extend up to a 5:1 ratio in dimension. The operating time can be considerably shortened.     

Closed tibial pilon fractures treated with external fixation

Fractures of tibial pilon are due to a high energy trauma. Associated skin complications are frequent as those of surgery of this pattern. Thus we performed external fixation as treatment for these fractures. Authors report a retrospective study of 17 closed fracture of tibial pilon, type C of Ruedi and Heim classification, treated by osteotaxis using external fixation of Hoffman with osteosynthesis of fibula by screwed plate. Our patients are of a mean age of 34 years with 11 men and 6 women. The right side was most frequently involved (12 patients). Skin injuries as phlyctena were seen in 6 patients. Delay of treatment did not exceed 72 h. We performed a closed reduction of the fracture of tibial pilon after internal fixation of fibula by screwed plate. Results were assessed after 24 months of study. Track pins infection was noted in three cases. Reduction was usually good, despite one case of recurvatum, one case of valgus, one case of Sudeck’s atrophy, three cases of arthritis have been noticed. Mobility decreased at about 30%. External fixation is a real alternative solution for treatment of these fractures for which osteosynthesis is not suitable. It allows us to avoid skin complications despite mobility decreasing.      

Passive Pneumatic Stabilization Device for Assisting in Reduction of Femoral Shaft Fractures

Abstract During treatment of femoral shaft fractures, not only the actual fracture reduction but also the retention of the achieved reduction is essential. Substantial forces may apply to the bone fragments, due to multidirectional muscular contraction. Furthermore, forces from manipulation of one bone fragment may be transferred over the soft tissues onto the other fragments, thus hindering accurate fracture reduction. Once a sufficient reduction has been achieved, this position must be retained whilst definitive internal fixation is performed. Conventional methods comprise mounting patients on a traction table and applying manual distraction or employing special distraction devices, such as the AO distractor device. These approaches, however, only insufficiently stabilize both main fragments. For example, on the traction table the proximal femoral fragment can pivot around the hip joint thus complicating precise reduction. A novel pneumatic stabilization device to assist surgeons during operative procedures is described. This passive holding device “Passhold” connects to one main fragment through a minimally invasive bone interface and statically locks the fragment’s position. Thereafter, only the other main fragment is manipulated to achieve reduction. Mutual interference of the reciprocal fragment positions, due to soft-tissue force transfer during manipulation, is avoided. The authors examined the stability of the novel retention device on a test rig and proved its functionality under sterile settings using cadaver tests. It is concluded that this device largely facilitates the operative procedure in femoral shaft fractures, is sufficiently stable and ergonomically suitable for intraoperative deployment.     

Acute radiation reactions in oral and pharyngeal mucosa: tolerable levels in altered fractionation schedules.

PURPOSE:To investigate whether a predictive estimate can be obtained for a 'tolerance level' of acute oral and pharyngeal mucosal reactions in patients receiving head and neck radiotherapy, using an objective set of dose and time data. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Several dozen radiotherapy schedules for treating head and neck cancer have been reviewed, together with published estimates of whether they were tolerated or (in a number of schedules) not. Those closest to the borderline were given detailed analysis. Total doses and biologically effective doses (BED or ERD) were calculated for a range of starting times of cellular repopulation and rates of daily proliferation. Starting times of proliferation from 5 to 10 days and daily cellular doubling rates of 1-3 days were considered. The standard published form of BED with its linear overall time factor was used: BED=nd(1 + d/(alpha/beta) - Ln2(T - T(k))/alpha T(p) (see text for parameters). RESULTS: A clear progression from acceptable to intolerable mucosal reactions was found, which correlated with total biologically effective dose (BED in our published modeling), for all the head and neck cancer radiotherapy schedules available for study, when ranked into categories of 'intolerable' or 'tolerable'. A review of published mechanisms for mucosal reactions suggested that practical schedules used for treatment caused stimulated compensatory proliferation to start at about 7 days. The starting time of compensatory proliferation had little predictive value in our listing, so we chose the starting time of 7 days. Very short and very long daily doubling rates also had little reliability, so we suggest choosing a doubling time of 2.5 days as a datum. With these parameters a 'tolerance zone of uncertainty' could be identified which predicted acute-reaction acceptability or not of a schedule within a range of about 2-10 Gy in total BED. If concurrent chemoradiotherapy is used, our provisional suggestion is that this zone should be reduced by up to roughly 3-5 Gy10 in BED, with a request for further evidence. CONCLUSIONS:It is suggested that total BED should be used, as specified above. Parameters of alpha=0.35 Gy-(1), alpha/beta=10 Gy, Tk=7 days and Tp=2.5 days are suggested. The 'acute/ tolerance zone' then turns out to be 59-61 Gy10 for radiation-only treatments. Further information about the decrement caused by concurrent head-and-neck cancer chemoradiotherapy, possibly 3-5 Gy10, is required.