Use of Antireflux Medication After Antireflux Surgery

Introduction It is claimed that a substantial number of patients who undergo antireflux surgery use antireflux medication postoperatively. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence and underlying reasons for antireflux medication usage in patients after surgery. Materials and Methods A questionnaire on the usage of antireflux medication was sent to 1,008 patients identified from a prospective database of patients who had undergone a laparoscopic antireflux procedure. Results A total of 844 patients (84%) returned the questionnaire. Mean follow-up was 5.9 years after surgery. A single or combination of medications was being taken by 312 patients (37%): 82% proton pump inhibitors, 9% H₂-blockers and 34% antacids. Fifty-two patients (17%) had never stopped taking medication, whereas 260 patients (83%) restarted medication at a mean of 2.5 years after surgery. Return of the same (31%) or different (49%) symptoms were the commonest reasons for taking medication, whereas 20% were asymptomatic or had other reasons for medication use. Postoperative 24-hour pH studies were abnormal in 16/61 patients (26%) on medication and in 5/78 patients (6%) not taking medication. Conclusions Antireflux medication is frequently taken by many patients for various symptoms after antireflux surgery. Symptomatic patients should be properly investigated before antireflux medications are prescribed.     

Psychosocial Impact of Abdominoplasty

Background

The number of patients desiring reconstructive surgery after a huge weight loss achieved with gastric banding is increasing. This study was undertaken to determine whether plastic surgical removal of an overlap flap has a psychosocial effect on patients.

Methods

Thirty-women and four men who underwent overlap flap surgery were interviewed 1 day before, and again 3 and approximately 12 months after the procedure using a series of instruments: Strauss and Appelt’s Questionnaire for assessing one’s body, the Body Perception Questionnaire by Paulus, the questionnaire for satisfaction of life by Fahrenberg, Myrtek, Schumacher, and Brähler, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (German version) by Herrmann, Buss, and Snaith, and the authors’ general questionnaire after surgery. The same clinical parameters were also investigated in a control group of persons who did not undergo plastic surgery. Comparisons were made before and after surgery between and in both groups.

Results

In contrast to the control group, surgical patients reported a highly significant increase in self-confidence and the feeling of being attractive (p?≤?0.001); 75% of the surgical patients stated that their expectations were met by the plastic surgical intervention.

Conclusion

Plastic surgery after weight loss improves body image and subjective quality of life. These results will influence the indication for a reconstructive operation in future.

     

Intracisternal infusion of magnesium sulfate solution improved reduced cerebral blood flow induced by experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in the rat

Magnesium has neuroprotective and antivasospastic properties in the presence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The present study investigated the effect of intracisternal administration of magnesium on cerebral vasospasm in the experimental SAH rat model. The rat double-SAH model (0.2 mL autologous blood injected twice into the cisterna magna) was used. Normal saline (SAH group, N = 8) or 10 mmol/L magnesium sulfate in normal saline (SAH + MG group, N = 8) was infused into the cisterna magna at 1.5 μL/min for 30 min on day 5. Control rats without SAH also received intracisternal infusion of normal saline (control group, N = 6). Local cerebral blood flow (CBF) at 24 locations and the weighted average were quantitatively measured by the autoradiographic technique using [¹⁴C]iodoantipyrine during infusion. The weighted average CBF was significantly reduced (P < 0.01, Student’s t-test) in the SAH group (0.78 ± 0.16 mL g⁻¹ min⁻¹) compared to the control group (1.0 ± 0.15 mL g⁻¹ min⁻¹) and was significantly improved (P < 0.01, Student’s t-test) in the SAH + MG group (0.98 ± 0.18 mL g⁻¹ min⁻¹). Local CBF was significantly reduced (P < 0.05, unpaired t test) in 16 locations in the SAH group and significantly improved (P < 0.05, unpaired t test) in 12 locations in the SAH + MG group. Intracisternal infusion of magnesium sulfate significantly improved reduced CBF induced by experimental SAH in the rat.     

Ball-valve gastric tumor associated with anomalous junction of the pancreatico-biliary ductal system and a right-sided round ligament: Report of a case

We report the case of a ball-valve gastric tumor associated with anomalous junction of the pancreatico-biliary ductal system (AJPBDS) and a right-sided round ligament, misdiagnosed preoperatively as advanced gastric cancer with pancreatic head invasion. A 72-year-old woman presented with chest pain, but laboratory data showed only anemia. Gastroscopy revealed a bleeding polypoid gastric tumor in the anterior wall of the stomach, herniating into the duodenum (ball-valve syndrome), and a Bormann type-2 tumor in the posterior wall. Ultrasonography showed gallbladder stones, dilatation of the intrahepatic bile duct and pancreatic duct, and a left-sided gallbladder (attributed to a right-sided round ligament with anomalous branches of the portal veins). Laparotomy revealed that the gastric tumors were not advanced cancer invading the pancreatic head. Intraoperative cholangiography showed an AJPBDS, causing dilatation of the intrahepatic bile duct and pancreatic duct. We performed distal gastrectomy and cholecystectomy without biliary diversion. Microscopy revealed that the polypoid tumor was a hyperplastic polyp.     

Histological osseointegration of Tutobone<Superscript>®</Superscript>: first results in human

The aim of this study was to evaluate the histological and radiological osseointegration characteristics of implanted solvent-preserved cancellous bovine bone substitution material Tutobone after opening-wedge osteotomy and hip arthroplasty in human. The baseline hypothesis connected to the usage of bovine bone substitute materials is the assumption of temporary structural support, integration in the surrounding bone, bioresorption and replacement with vital bone. This hypothesis is based on numerous studies evaluating sintered bovine grafts showing good osseointegration and stability. Studies analyzing cancellous bovine grafts such as Tutobone hardly exist. The only rabbit defect model showed 100% remodeling of Tutobone after 26 weeks. However, no histological data are available on application of this xenograft in patients. In this study, nine patients biopsies were collected about 11 months after application of Tutobone. Unlike animal studies, the results showed incorporated avital graft remnants (47%) as well as new bone formation (53%) of the total mineralized area. Radiological evaluation confirmed increasing signs of osseointegration and an incomplete resorption. In conclusion, degradation and replacement of bovine graft seems to be less accelerated in patients than the animal study indicated. Nevertheless, Tutobone shows an excellent biocompatibility, good osteoconductive characteristics and may represent a useful alternative to autogenous graft.     

Hepatic Arterial Infusion of Oxaliplatin and Intravenous LV5FU2 in Unresectable Liver Metastases from Colorectal Cancer after Systemic Chemotherapy Failure

Background We have previously shown promising activity of hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) oxaliplatin combined with intravenous (IV) 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV) as first-line chemotherapy in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) (intent-to-treat [ITT] objective response rate [ORR], 64%; secondary resection rate, 18%; overall survival [OS], 27 months). Whether this regimen could be beneficial after systemic chemotherapy failure is unknown. Methods Patients with unresectable CRLM and history of systemic chemotherapy failure were treated bimonthly with HAI oxaliplatin (100 mg/m² 2 hours) combined with IV LV and IV bolus and infusional 5FU (modified LV5FU2 regimen). Results Forty-four consecutive patients (median age 56 years; median number of prior systemic chemotherapy regimens, 2 range 1–5) were included, of whom 43 (98%) had previously received oxaliplatin (n = 34), irinotecan (n = 37), or both (n = 28). Patients received a median of nine cycles of HAI oxaliplatin and IV modified LV5FU2 (range 0–25). Toxicity included grade 3–4 neutropenia (43%), grade 2–3 neuropathy (43%), and grade 3–4 abdominal pain (14%). We observed 24 partial ORs (62%) among the 39 assessable patients (ITT ORR, 55%; 95% CI, 40–69%), including 17, 12, and 12 patients who had failed to respond to prior systemic chemotherapy with FOLFIRI, FOLFOX, or both, respectively. Tumor response allowed further R0 surgical resection (n = 7) or radiofrequency ablation (n = 1) of initially unresectable CRLM in eight patients (18%). Median progression-free survival and OS were 7 and 16 months, respectively. Conclusions HAI oxaliplatin and IV LV5FU2 is feasible, safe, and shows promising activity after systemic chemotherapy failure, allowing surgical resection of initially unresectable CRLM in 18% of patients.     

Surgical results of anterior corpectomy in the aged patients with cervical myelopathy

Retrospective study on the results of anterior corpectomy for the treatment of cervical myelopathy in patients over 70 years old. To evaluate the surgical results of anterior corpectomy in aged patients with multilevel cervical myelopathy and to investigate the probable pathomechanism by radiographic study. There are few data focused on the surgical results and post-operative complications of anterior corpectomy in aged patients with cervical myelopathy. Twenty patients 70 years of age or older who underwent anterior corpectomy, titanium mesh cage (TMC) reconstruction and anterior plate fixation for the treatment of compressive cervical myelopathy were reviewed. The average age at the time of operation was 75 years. Neurologic deficits before and after surgery were assessed using a scoring system proposed by the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA Score). Clinical results and post-operative complications were compared with those of patients 69 years old or younger as a control. Pre-operative Radiologic evaluation of every patient consisted of anterior–posterior, lateral, bilateral oblique, flextion, and extension radiographs, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine. Any factor causing spinal cord compression and the sign of cervical instability were recorded. Surgical-related complications occurred in seven patients in the aged group. The incidence of complications was 35% in the aged patient group and 9.7% in the control group respectively. Although the difference was striking, no statistical significance was found between the two groups. One patient died of respiratory failure resulting from pulmonary infection. The mortality rate was 5%. The pre-operative mean JOA score was 9.3 (from 3 to 14) in the aged patient group. Nineteen patients were followed at least 2 years and the mean JOA score was 13.4 (from 8 to 17). 68.4% of the aged patients achieved a good or excellent result. There was no statistical difference in the recovery rate of JOA score between the aged group (58.1%) and control group (67.0%). In the pre-operative radiographs, the incidence of cervical instability was much higher in the control group (32%) than in the aged group (5%) and multilevel cord compression caused by posterior disc space osteophytes was more common in the aged group. Anterior corpectomy combined with TMC fusion and plate fixation provides favorable neurologic recovery even in the patients over 70 years old. However, the incidence of surgical related complications shows a conspicuous increasing in the aged patients. Overcompensation mechanism for cervical instability is the probable cause of degenerative cervical spondylotic myelopathy in aged patients.     

Urinary markers in screening patients with hematuria

Hematuria is a common presenting symptom of urothelial malignancy. Although conventional urine analysis is very sensitive in detecting the presence of hematuria, it is not specific in detecting bladder cancer or other urinary-tract cancers. The noninvasive urinary tests NMP22 and UroVysion have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for bladder cancer screening. These tests have better sensitivity than cytology for detecting bladder cancer in patients who present with hematuria. The positive predictive values of both tests increase in individuals with hematuria who have risk factors for bladder cancer. Evaluating hematuria with sensitive markers, such as NMP22 and UroVysion, in high-risk populations offers an opportunity to develop effective strategies for bladder cancer screening.     

Prognosis and Determinants of Outcome Following Locoregional or Distant Recurrence in Patients with Cutaneous Melanoma

Objective Information on prognosis for patients with cutaneous melanoma after locoregional or distant recurrence is sparse and controversial. The aim of this study was to analyze factors influencing outcome after the development of a first relapse. Methods Information was extracted from the Sydney Melanoma Unit database for 873 melanoma patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Stage I and II disease treated between 1960 and 2002 who relapsed following treatment of their primary melanoma. Clinical and pathologic factors predicting survival were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results Initial presentation of recurrence was local: 95 patients (10.9%), in transit: 86 patients (9.9%), regional lymph node: 300 patients (34.4%), and distant: 392 patients (44.9%). Independent prognostic factors for survival of the 481 patients with only locoregional recurrence were type of recurrence, primary tumor ulceration, and patient age. Predictors for longer survival in the 392 patients with distant metastasis at the time of first presentation with recurrence were lung vs other sites and diagnosis of relapse after 1990 compared with diagnosis before 1980. Conclusions The type of recurrence is the most important prognostic factor in melanoma patients who relapse. Primary tumor ulceration is the most important pathologic predictor. The results of this study suggest that management of distant metastases may have improved over the last 25 years, but many confounders and improved staging techniques make assessment of this unreliable.     

Coital urinary incontinence: impact on quality of life as measured by the King’s Health Questionnaire

The aim of this present study was to measure the impact of coital urinary incontinence (UI) on sexually active women quality of life (QoL). Epidemiological, observational, cross-sectional, and multicenter study including 633 sexually active women seeking treatment for UI and/or overactive bladder in a gynecological clinic, aged between 24 and 83 years. All women filled out the King’s Health Questionnaire—KHQ. With this questionnaire, we had a complete register of the different urinary symptoms, included coital UI, and the extent of how they affect patient’s life and the measurement of impact on the patient’s QoL by the KHQ score. Prevalence of coital incontinence in sexually active women was 36.2%, classifying this impact as low (59.8%), moderate (32.3%), and high (7.9%). Women reporting coital incontinence had similar mean age and body mass index (BMI) to those women without coital incontinence. Women with coital incontinence had higher scores (worse QoL) in all the dimensions and in the KHQ global score (p < 0.05). Coital incontinence was the only variable showing an independent relation to KHQ global score (B = 10.1; 95% confidence interval = 1.7–18.6) in a multiple regression model adjusted to age, BMI, and the other urinary symptoms under study. One third of the sexually active women with urinary symptoms had coital incontinence. Among sexually active women with urinary symptoms, patients with coital urinary incontinence had a higher impact on their QoL than those without coital incontinence. Coital incontinence is independently related to a KHQ high score, which suggest worse QoL.