Role of diagnostic laparoscopy in recurrent vague abdominal pain

To determine the role of laparoscopy in the management of recurrent vague abdominal pain. Descriptive case series. Surgical Unit 1, Civil Hospital Karachi, from January 2005 to June 2007. All patients who presented with vague recurrent abdominal pain and underwent laparoscopic surgery to make a definitive diagnosis were included in the study. A total of 60 patients were managed. There were 36 [60%] females and 24 [40%] males. The mean age was 26 year [range 18-58 year]. The common mode of admission was out patient department [73.3%]. Fourteen [23.3%] patients presented with vague abdominal pain in lower Abdomen, followed by 12 [20%] with right lower abdominal pain and 12 [20%] with central pain radiating to right lower abdomen. Diagnosis was established in 56 [93.3%] patients. In 4 [6.6%] patients no pathology was found. The most common diagnosis was inflamed appendix in 18 [30%] patients followed by abdominal tuberculosis in 16 [26.6%] patients. Most [36.6%] of the patients stayed in hospital for 24 hours. There was no readmission and no major postoperative complications. Diagnostic laparoscopy in vague abdominal pain provided a higher diagnostic accuracy and improved treatment. It may be considered as first line operative investigation for undiagnosed vague abdominal pain

Incidence of complications after cardiac surgery, single unit experience

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of complications after cardiac surgery in a single unit. This was an observational study. This study was conducted in the department of Cardiac surgery of Civil Hospital Karachi, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, over the period of 1 year. This being a prospective, observational study, therefore all patients undergoing cardiac surgery were included in this study, only exclusions being those patients who had redo or reopen procedures. Any complications that took place were noted in the proforma. This study was based on proforma that included patients profile, pre operative investigations, operative data, included date of surgery, type of surgery [whether coronary, valvular or others]. Both intra and post operative complications, like cardio vascular complications, respiratory complications, neurological complications, renal implications, infective complications and miscellaneous complications were noted and entered in the proforma. Over the period of one year, 312 patients have their cardiac surgeries in the department of cardiac surgery, Civil Hospital, Karachi. Over all rate of complications were 118 [37.8%], cardiovascular complications were in 65 patients, neurological in 8 patients, respiratory in 27 patients, renal in 5, infective in 10, and miscellaneous complications in 3 patients. There were two [.6%] mortalities in our study group. This study concludes that cardiac surgery is not free of complications. Therefore it must be done with care and with all the possible supportive measures. The incidence of complications in our unit is about the same as in other renowned centers of the world, but central nervous system complications were less as compared to others, probably related with younger age group of patients in our study