Objective and early diagnosis of chylous fistula in the postoperative period.

OBJECTIVE: The study goal was to evaluate whether quantitative analysis of neck drainage contents is an important parameter of objective and early diagnosis of chylous fistula (CF) in the postoperative period. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We prospectively evaluated 103 consecutive neck dissections during a 2-year period at a tertiary academic referral center. Six of the patients (5.8%) had CF. The data obtained from the patients with CF were matched with normal data obtained from patients without CF. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between total drainage volumes of the patients with and those without CF (P < 0.05). In almost all patients with CF, drainage levels of triglycerides and cholesterol on postoperative day 1 were higher than serum levels. The difference between the drainage levels of triglycerides and cholesterol of the patients with and without CF was highly significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Serum and drainage levels of triglycerides and cholesterol on postoperative day 1 can be used as objective and early predictive parameters of CF.     

Effect of valproic acid on withdrawal therapy in patients with overuse of chronic daily headache medications.

Discontinuation of medication is the treatment of choice for patients with chronic daily headache (CDH) who overuse their medications. This treatment may be difficult due to increased headache severity observed in patients immediately after withdrawal. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy of valproic acid therapy in 66 patients with overuse of CDH medication during withdrawal therapy. Patients were all withdrawn from medications and valproic acid started at 250 mg or 500 mg daily. Forty-two (63.6%) patients had decreased headache severity, including 27.3% objective responses in the first week. At the last visit in the 12th week, 50 patients were headache-free and only one patient had persistent headache. Fifteen patients withdrew from therapy due to side effects and lost to follow-up within this timeframe. Thus, low dose valproic acid appears to be safe and effective in the management of withdrawal therapy.     

Preliminary findings for preemptive analgesia with inhaled morphine: efficacy in septoplasty and septorhinoplasty cases.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of inhaled morphine for preemptive analgesia in patients who undergo septoplasty or septorhinoplasty. STUDY PLAN AND METHODS: Eighty ASA I-II patients scheduled for septoplasty or septorhinoplasty were recruited and randomly divided into 2 groups that received different treatments 10 minutes prior to induction. The preemptive analgesia group (Group P, n = 40) received 65 mug kg(-1) morphine sulphate (a 3-mL volume) via an oral nebulizer, and the control group (Group C, n = 40) received 3 mL 0.9% sodium chloride (physiological saline) via the same type of nebulizer. Blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate, time to first requirement for analgesia, and occurrence of nausea/vomiting were recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between Groups P and C with respect to age, body weight, sex distribution, or duration of surgery. There was also no significant difference between the group frequencies of postoperative nausea/vomiting. The time to first requirement for analgesia was significantly longer in Group P than Group C. CONCLUSION: The results of this preliminary study suggest that a single dose of inhaled morphine administered preemptively prior to septoplasty or septorhinoplasty provides effective postoperative analgesia. EBM rating: B-3b.     

Prefabrication of bone by vascular induction: an experimental study in rabbits.

The various methods of prefabricating flaps include vascular induction through staged transfer; pretransfer delay, expansion, and grafting; the use of alloplastic materials; and tissue bioengineering. In this experimental study, vascular induction was used to provide an axial vascular pedicle to randomly nourished tissue. Twenty-six New Zealand rabbits, ages and weights ranging between 6 months-1 year and 1.5-3.5 kg, respectively, were used. The sex difference was not considered. The deep inferior epigastric artery and vein were used to carry blood and were placed into a segment of femur to prefabricate the bone. Four weeks later, the viability of the segment of bone prefabricated by new axial pedicle was shown by scintigraphic study, and the new axial pedicle was ready for free transfer.     

Low molecular weight heparin fractions as an alternative therapy in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

Eight patients with a delayed-onset heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, with thrombotic complications requiring immediate anticoagulation in 7 of them, were given low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) fractions as alternative therapy. This treatment led to normalization of platelet count within 3-5 days in 6 patients with clinical recovery in 5. In 2 patients, thrombocytopenia persisted despite LMWH therapy. In vitro platelet aggregation tests performed in all patients gave evidence of a relationship between the presence (or absence) of a LMWH-dependent platelet-aggregating factor in the patients' plasma and the persistence (or correction) of the thrombocytopenia with LMWH therapy. Although positive in vitro tests may not necessarily be associated with thrombocytopenia, in vitro testing may prove to be a useful guide before giving LMWH fractions as an alternative therapy in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia requiring immediate anticoagulation.     

Incidence of complications in 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy based on the surgical indications.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The complications of 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy based on the surgical indications were reviewed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients underwent 25-gauge transconjunctival sutureless vitrectomy. Indications for vitrectomy, preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity, preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressure, and any intraoperative or postoperative complications were recorded. RESULTS: Complications included the need to suture a leaking sclerotomy intraoperatively in four eyes (9%), all of which involved oil removal; postoperative hypotony with choroidals in two eyes (5%); mild progression of nuclear sclerotic cataract in one eye (2% of all eyes, 4% of phakic eyes); the need to switch to 20-gauge pars plana vitrectomy in one eye (2%); corneal abrasion in one eye (2%); and retinal detachment in one eye (2%). Sclerotomy leakage and hyopotony with choroidals were only encountered in cases involving previously vitrectomized eyes, whereas none of the eyes without previous vitrectomy had leakage-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: Previously vitrectomized eyes have a higher incidence of complications related to postoperative leakage, possibly due to the lack of plugging effect of peripheral vitreous on the unsutured sclerotomy. One should consider suturing any leaking sclerotomy at the conclusion of surgery involving previously vitrectomized eyes.