Decision analysis model of incisional hernia after open abdominal surgery

Background The incidence rate of incisional hernias after open surgery has been reported to be higher than that of port site hernias after laparoscopic surgery. No studies have compared the costs for the health care system in treating those two types of hernia. Methods A systematic review was conducted to obtain the baseline data, and a decision analysis model was created to simulate the occurrence and recurrence of incisional and port site hernias. Results The overall risk of having incisional hernias was eight-times higher than that of having port site hernias (7.4% vs 0.9%). A cost savings of ￡93 per patient can be generated for the health care system in the UK. Similar results were obtained for Germany, Italy and France. Conclusions The additional treatment costs for incisional hernia should be taken into account when the costs of a surgery performed by open approach are compared with by laparoscopy.     

Arthroscopy of the shoulder joint.

Arthroscopy is without doubt the most comprehensive procedure for shoulder lesions, providing even better inspection of the interior of the joint than conventional open procedures. In 174 diagnostic arthroscopies, it proved more reliable than the computed tomography scan, ultrasound, or arthrography. The results of ultrasonography proved disappointing despite the enthusiastic reports on this technique, probably due to imperfections of equipment and lack of expertise rather than any inherent defect in the method. Arthrography seems to have a high incidence of false results. Though an invasive method requiring anesthesia, arthroscopy offers many diagnostic advantages such as an assessment of the role of the long biceps tendon and glenohumeral ligaments in recurrent or ordinary dislocation and the recognition of rotator cuff lesions not detectable at arthrography. It is also possible to assess the nature of shoulder instability and so to plan the appropriate operative procedure. A major advantage of arthroscopy is the possibility of carrying out treatment in the same session, though many of the suggested procedures are very demanding in terms of technical skill and time; the complication rate is often excessive. It is therefore best to restrict operative arthroscopy to simpler procedures such as irrigation in joint infections, the trimming of infolded flaps of labrum or stubs of biceps tendon, and the removal of loose bodies, where results are excellent. Arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff or stapling of the labrum are more questionable regarding successes, complications, and recurrence. The equipment for arthroscopic operations needs improvement. Perhaps the major advantage of arthroscopic diagnosis is that it directs open procedures to the essential, thus minimizing operative trauma.     

Repair of lumbar spondylolysis with a hook-screw

Summary A hook-screw has been devised to link the vertebral arch and superior articular process across the defect of a spondylolysis. This method of direct repair overcomes the difficulty of fixation in dysplasia of the arch and avoids crossing the defect with a screw. Compression and a bone graft are applied to the defect to obtain union. This procedure has been used in 33 patients followed for an average period of 3.5 years, and has given satisfactory relief of back pain in 79% and radiographic fusion in 73%, with better results in patients under 20 years of age. Associated degeneration and instability of the disc spaces should be assessed before operation by magnetic resonance imaging so that a standard intervertebral fusion can be used if indicated rather than this direct approach to the lysis. The technical problems encountered and the recent addition of a compression spring to the hook-screw are described.

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Résumé En 1984 l'un de nous (E. M) a publié une nouvelle méthode de fixation de la spondylolyse au moyen d'une vis à crochet. Contrairement à la méthode décrite par Buck, cette vis ne pénètre pas la spondylolyse et ne comble pas la lacune, mais elle permet de la remplir avec de l'os spongieux et d'appliquer une bonne compression. On peut également utiliser cette vis dans les dysplasies de l'arc vertébral. Nous présentons les résultats des 33 premiers cas, avec un recul moyen de 3.7 ans. L'âge moyen au moment de l'opération était de 23 ans. 16 malades avaient moins de 20 ans, 17 étaient plus âgés. Le résultat subjectif a été satisfaisant dans 78.8% des cas. Le résultat radiologique était satisfaisant (fusion nette) dans 72.7% des cas. Les résultats des plus jeunes étaient meilleurs que ceux des plus âgès. Chez les patients de plus de 16 ans nous demandons une IRM de la colonne lombaire de routine avant l'opération. En cas de spondylolyse douloureuse, si l'on ne trouve pas de dégénérescence discale, la fixation par vis à crochet est indiquée. Mais si l'on constate une déshydratation du disque intervertébral, une spondylodèse du segment en question est le traitement de choix.

     

Gene conversion is a likely cause of mutation in PKD1

Approximately 70% of the gene responsible for the most common form of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease ( PKD1 ) is replicated in several highly homologous copies located more proximally on chromosome 16. We recently have described a novel technique for mutation detection in the duplicated region of PKD1 that circumvents the difficulties posed by these homologs. We have used this method to identify two patients with a nearly identical cluster of base pair substitutions in exon 23. Since pseudogenes are known to be reservoirs for mutation via gene conversion events for a number of other diseases, we decided to test whether these sequence differences in PKD1 could have arisen as a result of this mechanism. Using changes in restriction digest patterns, we were able to show that these sequence substitutions are also present in N23HA, a rodent-human somatic cell hybrid that contains only the PKD1 homologs. Moreover, these changes were also detected in total DNA from several affected and unaffected individuals that did not harbor this mutation in their PKD1 gene copy. This is the first example of gene conversion in PKD1 , and our findings highlight the importance of using gene-specific reagents in defining PKD1 mutations.