Gastric outlet obstruction caused by traumatic pseudoaneurysm of superior mesenteric artery

Traumatic pseudoaneurysms of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) are extremely rare. We describe two cases of posttraumatic proximal SMA pseudoaneurysms with symptoms of gastric outlet obstruction. Repair was accomplished by aorta-SMA bypass with saphenous vein. Injuries to the proximal SMA are easily missed at laparotomy, especially if intestinal ischemia or hematomas are absent. Recognition and repair are stressed to avoid the complications associated with pseudoaneurysm formation.     

Surgical Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma With Inferior Vena Cava Tumor Thrombus

Background. The optimal management of patients with renal cell carcinoma with inferior vena cava tumor thrombus remains unresolved. Traditional approaches have included resection with or without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Chemotherapy has played a minor role except for biotherapeutic agents used for metastatic disease.

Methods. From January 1989 to January 1996, 37 patients with renal cell carcinoma and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus underwent surgical resection. The 27 men and 10 women had a median age of 57 years (range, 29 to 78 years). Thirty-six patients presented with symptoms; 21 had hematuria. Distant metastases were present in 12 patients. Tumor thrombi extended to the infrahepatic inferior vena cava (n = 16), the intrahepatic inferior vena cava (n = 16), the suprahepatic inferior vena cava (n = 3), and into the right atrium (n = 2). All tumors were resected by inferior vena cava isolation and, when necessary, extended hepatic mobilization and Pringle maneuver, with primary or patch closure of the vena cavotomy. Cardiopulmonary bypass was necessary in only 2 patients with intraatrial thrombus.

Results. Complications occurred in 11 patients, and 1 patient died 2 days postoperatively of a myocardial infarction (mortality, 2.7%). Twenty patients are alive; overall 2- and 5-year survival rates were 61.7% and 33.6%, respectively. For patients without lymph node or distant metastases (stage IIIa), 2- and 5-year survival rates were 74% and 45%, respectively. The presence of distant metastatic disease (stage IV) at the time of operation did not have a significant adverse effect on survival, as reflected by 2- and 5-year survival rates of 62.5% and 31.3%, respectively. Lymph node metastases (stage IIIc) adversely affected survival as there were no long-term survivors.

Conclusions. Resection of an intracaval tumor thrombus arising from renal cell carcinoma can be performed safely and can result in prolonged survival even in the presence of metastatic disease. In our experience, extracorporeal circulatory support was required only when the tumor thrombus extended into the heart.     

What has trust got to do with it? Cardiac risk reduction and family physicians' discussions of evidence-based recommendations

The management of patients through the use of evidence-based medicine has become the 'mantra' of medicine within many Western countries. Evidence-based medicine is aimed at providing the best objective, scientific care to all patients, and reducing as far as possible patients' risks of disease and complications from disease. Based on family physicians' discussions of the use of evidence-based recommendations for two cardiac diseases, this paper explores how subjectively-based trust enters into family physicians' decision to use evidence-based medicine. In addition, we show how trust influences physicians' work of recommending evidence-based medicine to patients, and physicians' perceptions of why patients follow recommendations aimed at risk reduction. We conclude that although much of the current discussion about evidence-based medicine assumes a 'rational' model of physician behaviour based on the application of the 'best objective scientific' results, subjectively-based perceptions of trust influence physician practices, and point to the need to understand the power of relational issues in influencing physician practices even when utilizing evidence-based knowledge.     

Common bile duct calculi: updated experience with dissolution with methyl tertiary butyl ether

The authors describe their experience with methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) in a larger series of patients than previously reported in order to acquaint physicians with both its effectiveness for dissolution of common bile duct calculi and the limitations of its use. Ten patients with 13 biliary calculi underwent percutaneous stone dissolution treatment with the experimental cholesterol solvent, MTBE. Three stones completely dissolved within 30 minutes, seven were reduced in size, and three were visibly unaffected. All stones not completely dissolved were easily extracted by means of a stone basket except for one in a patient taken to surgery. Although MTBE perfusion is an effective technique for management of biliary calculi, practitioners should be aware that its use is quite time consuming and its odor difficult to control.