Laparoscopic adhesiolysis in patients with chronic abdominal pain

The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that laparoscopic adhesiolysis leads to a substantial pain relief and an improvement in the quality of life in patients with adhesions and chronic abdominal pain. Twenty-two consecutive patients with chronic abdominal pain underwent diagnostic laparoscopy and in case of adhesions, adhesiolysis was performed. In two patients, other causes were found in the abdominal cavity and were treated. Pain relief was assessed and the results were determined. Three months after adhesiolysis, 86.3% of the patients were pain-free or had less pain. The remaining 13.6% of the patients experienced no change or had more pain. Female gender and older age are associated with less pain relief. In conclusion, laparoscopic adhesiolysis can be done completely in 91.6% of patients with adhesions

Incidence and prevalence of liver disease in hundred and seventy open cholecystectomies

In this study, liver biopsy was taken from 170 patients who underwent open cholecystectomy for calcular cholecystitis and was subjected to a pathological examination. Only 42 livers were normal. Seventy-five biopsies had fatty liver [steatosis], 21 showed congestion, 30 showed chronic viral hepatitis and 18 showed fibrosis [1 of them was periportal and 17 posthepatitic]. Reactive hepatitis was found in five cases. In one of the biopsies, there was a sarcoidal reaction and another evidence of amyloidosis. The high evidence of fatty liver may suggest that this pathological change could be the cause of lithogenic bile. Taking a liver biopsy during cholecystectomy is safe, simple and beneficial

Sphincter saving resection after preoperative chemoradiation for T3 carcinoma of the lower rectum

Surgical treatment has evolved over the past ten years particularly for cancer involving the mid and lower third of the rectum. carcinomas of the lower third of the rectum are usually treated by abdominoperineal resection especially for T3 lesions. Few data are available evaluating Concomitant chemotherapy with preoperative radiotherapy for increasing sphincter saving resection [SSR] in low rectal cancer The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of SSR for T3 cancers of the lower third of the rectum and subsequently the complication oncologic and functional results of preoperative chemoradiation followed sphincter saving procedure is assessed and determined. Twelve patients with T3 rectal carcinoma were treated by preoperative radiation with concomitant chemotherapy were included in the study. All patients had invasive adenocarcinoma of the rectum and underwent staging before treatment by endorectal ultrasonography All patients underwent conservative surgey after chemoradiation for low rectal cancer tumors located at a mean of 5 cm from the anal verge. Transanal intersphincteric resection was done in 7 patients. A colonic J-pouch was done in 2 patients. All patients had a defunctioning loop ileastomy. There were no deaths related to preoperative chemoradiation or surgery. Morbidity occurred in 33.3% of patients was complicated by a pelvic abscess that responded to conservative treatment. The other complications local recurrence at the anastomosis site at 13 months and was treated by salvage APR After preoperative chemoradiation all the tumors appeared as an ulcerative scar without any vegetative component. The mean tumor size in fresh specimens was 3.6 cm range [l-9]. The mean distal margin, assessed in fresh specimens without traction, was 23 +/- 8 mm [range 10-40]. The mean radial margin assessed microscopically was 8 +/- 4 mm [range 1-20]. Both distal and radial margins were negative [> 2 mm] in 11 [91.6%] patients; they were positive [

Lymphatic drainage of the female breast: a surgical perspective

Although the origin of breast lymphatic 'napping dates back to the 17th and 18th century, until recently the lymphatic drainage of the breast has been poorly understood. These old classic studies of the lymnphatic drainage of the breast were based on cadaveric or postoperative specimens. A different view currently prevails; more recent studies were done, reviewed during surgical procedures when the lymphatics of the breast are in active physiologic process allowing the lymph to flow. Lymphatic napping with sentinel nod biopsy is an essential component of staging patients with breast cancer and is rapidly becoming recognized and accepted means of assessing regional lymph node status for multiple tumors including the breast. This study evaluated 23 patients with breast cancer. These 23 patients were divided as follows al 23 patients were injected with 99 Tc -albumin nanocolloid 1-3 days preoperatively. Intraoperatively during the surgical procedure: 8 patients with unicentric breast cancer were injected with the methylene blue dye subareolarly, 3 patients with multicentric breast cancer were injected with the mnethylene blue dye in the dominant tumor, 4 patients with unicentric breast cancer were injected with the blue [dye in a Separate quadrant [discordant quadrant] away from the tumor in patients with clinical diagnosis of T1 N0 or T2 N0 breast cancer. The remaining 8 patients were T1N1M0 or T2-3 N0-1 M0 invasive breast cancel and were included in the study after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy then were injected with the blue dye subareolarly. The visualization rate of routine preoperative lymphoscintigraphy was 22/23 [96.5%], i e at least one sentinel node was visualized in 22 out of 23 patients. A total of 31 nodes were depicted in 24 basins. Lymphatic drainage exclusively to the axilla was observed in 20 patients. Two patients had drainage to both the axilla and other non-axillary basins: to the internal mamary chain in one patient and to the infraclavicular.fossa in one patient. During axillary dissection a lymphatic trunk was typically found in most cases heading towards a totally or partially blue or a non blue lymph node. A total of 21 sentinel lymph nodes were identified using the blue dye techniques [21/23] leading to a Success rate of 91.3%.In the lesions with successful SLN localization, an average of 1.6 +/- 0.4 SLNs were removed. The SLNs were metastatic in 10 patients of 21 [47.6%]. In 3 patients, the SLN was the only positive lymph node among the patients with metastasis, the number of involved nodes ranged from 1 to 9. The false-negative rate was 0 or the 21 patients with positive sentinel nodes. Through experience with sentinel node biopsy we can conclude that, axillary drainage is the principle lymphatic path of the breast, rarely any [Drainage pattern from any], quadrant of the breast can occur. Second, most lymph from the breast flows to the nodal basins with a direct course, not passing through the subareolar plexus. Our results support the hypoihes is that the lymphatic drainage of the breast parenchymna and the subareolar plexus leads to the value sentinel lymph node

Methylene blue dye safety and efficacy in identification of the sentinel lymph node in breast cancer patients

In a prospective study of 24 patients, methylene blue dye was used as an alternative to the isosulfan blue to localize the sentinel lymph node in breast cancer patients. The methylene blue dye technique was successful in 85.7% of patients after excluding the initial learning cases. These results are almost similar for isosulfan blue dye. The study described methylene blue dye localization as a successful alternative to isosulfan blue dye in identifying the sentinel node in breast cancer patients. The methylene blue dye is easily available in most of the Egyptian institutes, safe material, with a very low cost and is readily available to all surgeons