Idiopathic Spinal Cord Herniation as a Treatable Cause of Progressive Brown-Sequard Syndrome

Idiopathic spinal cord herniation is a rare spinal cord disorder caused by spinal cord prolapse through a adural defect. It is a curable disease, so early detection is of particular importance. We report a 38-year-old woman with Brown-Sequard syndrome which was caused by the thoracic spinal cord herniation. Her weakness was almost completely resolved after surgical management, which emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and surgical management in this rare disease entity.     

Choice of general practice for postgraduate training among medical graduates and undergraduates in Nigeria

A questionnaire survey of career choices was carried out among 112 medical graduates, after one year's internship (group I), during their National Youth Corps programme in Kaduna, Lagos, Cross River and Oyo states of Nigeria, and 365 final-year medical undergraduates (group 2) in the colleges of medicine in the corresponding states. A total of 13% in group I and 40% in group 2 were undecided as regards their first choice. Obstetrics and gynaecology was the most popular first choice in both groups. General practice ranked fifth among group I, but displaced surgery to rank second among group 2. The differences were statistically significant. A total of 41% of group I and 46% of group 2 preferred to work in a teaching hospital, reflecting the high preference for surgical specialties. Twenty-six per cent and 33.7% of respondents in groups 1 and 2 respectively wished to own their own practice or work in the private sector. General practice is a new specialty and its growth is supported by a national postgraduate training programme. A shift towards general practice is seen compared with previous studies of career preference among Nigerian medical graduates and students. This may be due to a changing balance of supply and demand in the medical work-force, or a better assessment of the nation's health problems and manpower needs.     

丙泊酚用于心脏电复律术前麻醉的效果观察与护理

目的:探讨丙泊酚用于心脏电复律术前麻醉的效果及护理措施。方法:将24例行心脏电复律术的患者随机分为实验组和对照组各12例,实验组给予丙泊酚2.5mg/kg术前麻醉,对照组给予地西泮0.3~0.5mg/kg术前麻醉,对两组患者麻醉起效时间、苏醒时间和术后不良反应进行比较。结果:实验组麻醉效果优于对照组,术后不良反应明显少于对照组,经统计学处理差异有显著性(P<0.01)。结论:丙泊酚用于心脏电复律术前麻醉,不良反应少,效果好,操作时间短,适合临床推广应用。     

PICC使用过程中的异常问题及护理

目的 探讨PICC使用过程中的异常问题及护理措施,提高外周静脉置入中心静脉导管的成功率,减少术后并发症.方法 回顾性分析2007年6月～2008年11月在我科放置PICC导管的62例患者的病历资料.结果 成功置管61例,1例送管未成功.其中贵腰静脉55例,正中静脉6例,头静脉1例.发生静脉炎4 例,置入颈内静脉1例,导管部分脱出1例,导管堵塞2例.62例患者除2例危重患者非导管原因死亡外,均顺利出院或完成化疗周期,正常拔管.结论 针对PICC常见异常问题,进行预防及处理,可提高PICC的成功率,减少术后并发症.     

36例胰腺浆液性囊腺瘤的临床分析

目的：探讨胰腺浆液性囊腺瘤的诊断和治疗。方法：对1998年6月至2006年9月瑞金医院收治的36例病理诊断为胰腺浆液性囊腺瘤的临床资料进行回顾性分析。结果：胰腺浆液性囊腺瘤好发于中老年女性,多见于胰腺头颈部,无特征性临床表现。B超和CT诊断囊性肿瘤的正确率分别为69%（25/36）和94%（34/36）。CT对于囊腺瘤的诊断正确率为80%（29/36）,对浆液性囊腺瘤的诊断正确率为61%（22/36）。在不能排除或考虑实性假乳头状瘤的病人中MRI对于囊腺瘤的诊断正确率80%（4/5）。本组35例行手术治疗,其中7例行胰十二指肠切除;11例行胰腺节段切除;12例行胰体尾切除;5例行局部切除,1例行剖腹探查活组织检查。10例术后出现并发症,包括胰瘘、内出血、幽门梗阻、胰腺假性囊肿合并肠瘘病人及不同程度的胸腔积液。1例因内出血死亡。本组3例失访,32例获随访,除2例因其它疾病死亡,其余均健在,术后无复发。结论：CT和MRI,结合肿瘤学指标和临床病理特征可大大提高浆液性囊腺瘤的术前诊断率。浆液性囊腺瘤是一种良性的肿瘤,但手术治疗并发症较多。大多数浆液性囊腺瘤可考虑随访;有症状的胰腺浆液性囊腺瘤,或与黏液性囊性肿瘤不能鉴别者,应手术治疗。     

全腹膜外补片植入术中补片不固定的实验研究

目的评价全腹膜外补片植入术中补片不固定的安全性和有效性。方法将50只SD大鼠建立疝缺损(3cm2)模型,按随机数字表分为2组,使用聚丙烯补片(12 cm2)采用腹膜外补片植入术进行修复。甲组为补片固定组,乙组为补片不固定组。大鼠于术后不同时间分批处死,记录补片的挛缩度、腹壁抗张强度以及组织细胞学变化。结果所有大鼠术后腹腔均无粘连。2组大鼠在术后7 d、14 d、30 d、60 d和90 d补片的挛缩度分别为6.7%±1.3%vs 7.3%±1.5%、12.3%±1.3%vs 12.4%±1.6%、14.0%±2.0%vs 14.5%±1.3%、17.4%±2.1%vs 18.4%±1.5%和18.9%±2.2%vs19.5%±2.6%(P>0.05);2组大鼠的腹壁抗张强度分别为(288.4±8.4)mm Hg vs(286.6±10.2)mm Hg、(300.4±11.2)mm Hg vs(298.8±11.4)mm Hg、(305.0±11.7)mm Hg vs(303.3±16.1)mm Hg、(309.0±10.8)mm Hg vs(307.6±8.9)mm Hg和(311.8±9.8)mm Hg vs(310.0±8.6)mm Hg(P>0.05);2组大鼠的组织细胞学变化一致。结论当补片面积是大鼠疝缺损的4倍以上时,不固定的腹膜外补片植入术是安全有效的。     

Early outcomes of surgery for small bowel obstruction: analysis of risk factors

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to review the etiologies of patients who underwent surgery for small bowel obstruction (SBO) and to evaluate the risk factors affecting the early postoperative outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case series of 430 patients (252 men) with a mean age of 64.5 years, who underwent 437 operations for SBO, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Peritoneal adhesions and hernia were the most common causes of SBO, contributing 42.3 and 26.8% of all cases, respectively. Strangulation occurred in 27.7% and caused nonviable bowel in 13.0% of obstructing episodes. Old age (age >/= 70 years), female patient, nonadhesive obstruction, and hernia were the independent significant factors associated with bowel strangulation. The 30-day mortality was 6.5%, and the median postoperative hospital stay was 8 days. Old age, the presence of premorbid pulmonary disease, and malignant obstruction were the independent factors associated with operative mortality. The overall complication rate was 35.5%, and old age was the only significant factor associated with postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for SBO is still associated with significant mortality and morbidity. As old age is significantly associated with an increased incidence of strangulation, operative mortality, and complications, this group of patients should be managed with extra cautions to avoid unfavorable outcome of surgery.     

Surgery for ventricular tachycardia in patients undergoing surgical ventricular restoration: The Karolinska approach

This article presents a review on the efficacy of surgical ventricular restoration and direct surgery for ventricular tachycardia in patients with left ventricular aneurysm or dilated ischemic cardiomyopathy. The procedure includes a non-electrophysiologically guided subtotal endocardiectomy and cryoablation in addition to endoventricular patch plasty of the left ventricle. Coronary artery bypass surgery and mitral valve repair are performed concomitantly as needed. In our experience, this procedure yielded a 90% success rate in terms of freedom from spontaneous ventricular tachycardia, with an early mortality rate of 3.8%. A practical guide to the pre- and postoperative management of these patients is provided. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi: ) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Inguinal hernia is a common complication in lower midline incision surgery

Inguinal hernia is a known complication after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). We have investigated whether other types of lower midline incision surgery in males increase the risk of inguinal hernia. Male patients operated with open prostatectomy for benign prostate hyperplasia (n = 95), pelvic lymph node dissection for staging of prostate cancer (n = 88), or cystectomy for bladder cancer (n = 76) were identified and were sent questionnaires in which they were asked about postoperative inguinal hernia morbidity. Two-hundred and seventy-one men operated with RRP had previously received a similar questionnaire. The answers were compared with those from a control group of 953 men who had not undergone surgery. Annual attributional hernia morbidity and Kaplan–Meier hernia-free survival were calculated. The cumulative incidence of post-operative inguinal hernia and annual attributional hernia morbidity after the respective surgical procedures were clearly higher during the early years post-operation than for nonoperated patients. Inguinal hernia is a common postoperative complication in males after all the lower midline incision surgery investigated.