Early postoperative feeding after elective colorectal surgery is not a benefit unique to laparoscopy-assisted procedures

Previous analyses of non-prospectively randomized trials have suggested that early oral postoperative feeding might be a benefit unique to laparoscopic surgery. However, some authors have indicated that early feeding can be tolerated by the majority of patients after elective open surgery. Aim: This prospective randomized study was undertaken to assess whether the time prior to oral intake of food after laparoscopy-assisted surgery is shorter than that after standard laparotomy. Methods: This trial included 40 patients who were divided randomly into two groups before operation. Group I included 20 patients (mean age, 52 years; range , 15 – 77 years) who underwent a laparoscopy-assisted colon or rectal procedure (LAP). Group II consisted of 20 patients (mean age, 56 years, range, 41 – 74 years) who underwent surgery with a standard midline incision (SMI). On the evening after surgery, patients were allowed clear liquids ab libitum. This regimen was continued until the first postoperative day at which time they could elect to start eating a regular diet. If a patient had two episodes of vomiting, a nasogastric tube was inserted. Results: Five laparoscopic procedures were converted to SMI because of adhesions (25%) and an equal number of patients was excluded from the group that was treated in the traditional manner. Therefore, only 30 patients were included in the analysis. There were no deaths in this trial. Complications appeared in four of the patients in the LAP group and in two of the patients in the SMI group (no significant difference). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of the ability to tolerate the early oral intake of food, in the frequency of vomiting or in the incidence of insertion of a nasogastric tube. The time to the first bowel movement was 5.4 days in LAP and 5.5 days in SMI, and the difference was not significant. Conclusion: This study invalidates the claim by laparoscopic surgeons that earlier oral intake of food is tolerated by their patients than by patients who undergo standard procedures.

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Résumé. Des études randomisées non prospectives ont suggéré que la reprise précoce de l'alimentation orale peut être un bénéfice particulier à la chirurgie laparoscopique. Certains auteurs ont indiqué que la reprise précoce de l'alimentation orale peut être bien tolérée par la plupart des patients après chirurgie élective ouverte. Cette étude prospective randomisée a été entreprise pour déterminer si la reprise orale de l'alimentation après chirurgie laparoscopique peut être plus précoce qu'après une laparotomie standard. Quarante patients ont été inclus dans cette étude et ont été divisés de manière randomisée en deux groupes avant chirurgie. Le groupe 1 comporte 20 patients (15 à 77 ans, moyenne d'age 52 ans) qui ont subi une résection colique ou rectale laparoscopique (LAP). Le groupe II comporte 20 patients (41 à 74 ans, moyenne d'age 56 ans) qui ont subi une chirurgie par une incision médiane standard (SMI). Le soir de l'intervention chirurgicale, les patients ont été autorisés à boire librement. Ce régime a été continué le premier jour postopératoire à partir duquel les patients pouvaient débuter une alimentation normale. Si un patient présente deux épisodes de vomissements, une sonde naso-gastrique a été mise en place. Cinq interventions laparaoscopiques ont d?être converties en chirurgie ouverte en raison d'adhérences (25%) et un nombre égal de patients ont été exclus du groupe qui a été traité de manière traditionelle. En conséquence, 30 patients ont été inclus dans l'analyse. Aucun décès n'est à déplorer. Quatre complications sont survenues chez des patients du groupe laparoscopique et deux dans le collectif des patients ayant subi un chirurgie ouverte (pas de différence statistique significative). Il n'y a pas de différence statistique significative entre les deux groupes en ce qui concerne la tolérance à la reprise orale de l'alimentation, à la fréquence des vomissements ou à la nécessité de réinsérer un tube naso-gastrique. La première exonération est survenue au 5.4 jour dans le groupe laparoscopique et au 5,5 jour dans le groupe de chirurgie ouverte sans que la différence ne soit significative. En conclusion: Cette étude infirme l'idée que la chirurgie laparoscopique permet une reprise précoce et bien tolérée de l'alimentation en comparaison à la chirrugie ouverte.

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Accepted: 20 June 1996     

Hodgkin disease: contributions of chest CT in the initial staging evaluation

Chest radiographs and chest computed tomography (CT) scans were compared in 203 patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin disease. The incidence of positive findings was tabulated from six intrathoracic lymph node groups, lung parenchyma, pericardium, pleura, and chest wall. The discordant cases were assessed to determine impact on clinical management. The CT scans provided additional evidence of disease involvement, ranging from 0% to 15% at each of the designated anatomic sites. Treatment was altered in 9.4% of all patients (19 of 203), including 13.8% (nine of 65) of those undergoing radiation therapy alone and 8.2% (ten of 122) of those undergoing combined-modality treatment. We conclude that routine chest CT examinations are valuable in the clinical management of those patients for whom radiation therapy is planned.     

The use of deep inspiration preceding the valsalva maneuver and rapid expiration in color doppler imaging of the lower extremity veins

Deep inspiration preceding Valsalva maneuver and rapid expiration immediately following it (DIVE) enhance venous blood flow on color Doppler flow imaging (CDI). The effect of DIVE was assessed in 115 consecutive lower extremity examinations. Of these, 95 or 115 (83%) had negative CDI sonograms, and 20 of 115 (17%) had partially (six of 115) or completely (14 of 115) occluding deep vein thrombosis. DIVE enhanced venous blood flow in 68% of the negative cases, resulting in transient venous distention, and/or more complete color filling, and/or greater spectral flow velocities. The 14 cases with completely occluding thrombi showed no response to DIVE. Six cases with partially occluding thrombi showed moderate to mild response to DIVE, with improved color delineation of the residual patent lumen around the thrombus. The authors conclude that DIVE facilitates deep venous CDI, especially when compression cannot be used to augment venous flow.