Calidad en cirugía: hacia una mejor comprensión de las complicaciones quirúrgicas / Quality assessment in surgery

This paper deals with quality from the perspective of structure, processes and indicators in surgery. In this specialty, there is a close relationship between effectiveness and quality. We review the definition and classification of surgical complications as an objective means of assessing quality. The great diversity of definitions and risk assessments of surgical complications hampered the comparisons of different surgical centers or the evaluation of a single center along time. We discuss the different factors associated with surgical risk and some of the predictive systems for complications and mortality. At the present time, standarized definitions and comparisons are carried out correcting for risk factors. Thus, indicators of mortality, complications, hospitalization length, postoperative quality of life and costs become comparable between different groups. The volume of procedures of a determinate center or surgeon as a quality indicator is emphasized.

Embarazo triple monocorial triamniótico: experiencia de dos casos y revisión de la literatura / Triamniótico triple monochorionic pregnancy: experience of two cases and literature review

Los embarazos múltiples se consideran una entidad de alto riesgo obstétrico. Su incidencia ha ido en aumento debido a la utilización de técnicas de reproducción asistida y el aumento de la edad materna. Se presentan 2 casos de embarazos triples monocoriales triamnióticos, de sexo femenino y masculino. En ambos embarazos se manifestaron complicaciones, principalmente fetales y neonatales, atribuidas a embarazos múltiples descritas en la literatura.

Multiple pregnancies are considered a high-risk obstetric entity. Their incidence has been increasing due to the use of assisted reproductive techniques and increased maternal age. Here, we describe two cases of triamniotic monochorionic triplet pregnancies, female and male respectively. Both pregnancies demonstrated complications, mainly fetal and neonatal, attributed to multiple pregnancies reported in the literature.

La incorporación de la mujer en la cirugía chilena / The incorporation of women in Chilean surgery

It has been observed an increasing number of women studying medicine. However, the incorporation of women to surgery remains low. In Chile we do not have information on this topic. Our goal was to collect information to provide the figures and trends in this regard. Information was obtained from the Society of Surgeons of Chile (SCCH), the Chilean Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (CCh CAC), the Autonomous National Commission of Medical Specialties (CONACEM) and the Superintendent of Health of Chile (SS), until June 2011. The SCCH has 854 partners and 64 were women (7.5 percent). The Chilean Chapter of the CCh CAC has 162 members and 4 women (2.5 percent). At CONACEM, 1.070 persons have been certified as surgeons, 80 are women (7.5 percent). In the register of SS there are 1.177 surgeons, 8.4 percent female. In 1959 the first women joined SCCH. Since then, the number has been progressive, growing mainly in the last two decades to reach the 7.5 percent now. Nevertheless, in all consulted sources, the percentage of women in surgical practice, still less than 10 percent. It seems that woman is trying to increase participation in the surgical field. However, the "surgeon's lifestyle" collides with compatibility between work and family life. We believe there is room for qualitative research in this field, to better understand motivations and challenges of women in order to access the surgical world nowadays.

Se ha observado un aumento del número de mujeres que estudia medicina. No obstante, la incorporación de la mujer a la cirugía sigue siendo baja. En Chile no conocemos de información sobre este tema. Nuestro objetivo fue recopilar información que proporcionara cifras y tendencias en este sentido. Se obtuvo información de la Sociedad de Cirujanos de Chile (SCCh), del Capítulo Chileno del Colegio Americano de Cirujanos (CCh CAC), de la Comisión Nacional Autónoma de Especialidades Médicas (CONACEM) y de la Superintendencia de Salud de Chile (SS), hasta junio de 2011. La SCCh tiene 854 socios y 64 corresponden a mujeres (7,5 por ciento). El Capítulo Chileno del CAC tiene 162 miembros y 4 son mujeres (2,5 por ciento). Ante CONACEM se han certificado 1.070 cirujanos, de los cuales 80 son mujeres (7,5 por ciento). En el registro de la SS hay 1.177 cirujanos, 8,4 por ciento de sexo femenino. El año 1959 se incorporó la primera mujer a la SCCh. Desde ahí, el número ha sido progresivo, aumentando principalmente en las dos décadas recientes hasta alcanzar el 7,5 por ciento actual. No obstante este aumento, en todas las fuentes consultadas el porcentaje de mujeres en práctica quirúrgica es inferior al 10 por ciento. Pareciera ser que la mujer intenta realmente una mayor participación en el campo quirúrgico. Sin embargo, el "estilo de vida del cirujano", choca con una compatibilización mayor entre vida laboral y familiar. Creemos que hay espacio para investigaciones cualitativas en este campo, que reflejen mejor las motivaciones y dificultades de la mujer por acceder al mundo quirúrgico en nuestro medio.

Condrosarcoma tóraco-abdominal / Thoraco-abdominal chondrosarcoma

Chondrosarcomas represent the third primary malignant bone tumor. Costal location occurs in 12 percent, being the most common tumor of the ribs. It affects most frequently in the second and fifth decades of life. This tumor is histologically classified into grades 1, 2 and 3 in descending order of differentiation. For grade 2, with oncologic resection, there is a 10-year survival of 64 percent, and a 10 percent risk for metastasis. Radiotherapy has a limited therapeutic role and chemotherapy has not shown benefits. We report a case of a 45 years old woman, who presented with a symptomatic growing mass in the right rib cage, of three months of evolution, whose evaluation by magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography shows a sarcomatous tumor with involvement of ribs, muscles, diaphragm, pleura, peritoneum and liver. A small amount of intraperitoneal free fluid was observed. A block resection was made, resulting a 16.8 cm long at the widest point chondrosarcoma, grade 2, with involvement of all layers of the wall, tumor microfoci in the liver capsule and malignant tumor cells in peritoneal fluid.

Los condrosarcomas representan la tercera neoplasia ósea maligna primaria. La ubicación costal representa el 12 por ciento, siendo el tumor más frecuente de las costillas. Se presenta con mayor frecuencia en la segunda y quinta décadas de la vida. Este tumor se clasifica histológicamente en grados 1, 2 y 3 en orden decreciente de diferenciación. Para el grado 2, resecado oncológicamente, se observa una sobrevida a 10 años del 64 por ciento; existiendo un 10 por ciento de riesgo de metástasis. La radioterapia tiene un escaso rol terapéutico y la quimioterapia no ha demostrado beneficios. Presentamos el caso de una mujer de 45 años que consultó por un aumento de volumen sintomático de la parrilla costal derecha, de tres meses de evolución, cuya evaluación a través de tomografía axial y resonancia magnética permitió delinear un tumor sarcomatoso de la pared con afectación de costillas, músculos, diafragma, pleura, peritoneo e hígado. Además se observaba escasa cantidad de líquido libre intraperitoneal. Fue resecado en block un condrosarcoma de 16,8 cm de eje mayor, grado 2, con compromiso de todos los planos de la pared, microfocos tumorales en cápsula hepática y células neoplásicas malignas en líquido peritoneal.

La increíble empresa de Sarmiento de Gamboa y su triste fin: Posibles causas de la tragedia en el Estrecho de Magallanes en el siglo XVI / The possible causes of the tragedy of “Port Famine” in the Strait of Magellan

The attempts to colonize the Strait of Magellan soon followed the discovery of this route. PeDro Sarmiento de Gamboa, a Spanish sailor, established human settlements to fortify those lands and control the transit of vessels, especially those of English corsairs, which devastated Chilean and Peruvian coasts. During the summer of 1584, approximately 500 soldiers, artisans, priests, women and children established two villages called “Nombre de Jesús” and “Rey Don Felipe”. From the beginning, these settlers had leadership and communication problems and difficulties to obtain food. After three winters only 17 to 18 people survived according to the testimony of one of the survivors, that was rescued by an English sailor named Cavendish, which renamed the village “Rey Don Felipe” as “Port Famine”. When he observed the scenes of abandonment and death, he supposed that the settlers died due to lack of food. Other factors that facilitated the desolation were hypothermia, execution, anthropophagy and lesions caused by natives. There is also a possibility that intoxication by red tide (harmful algal bloom) could explain in part the finding of unburied corpses in the strait beaches.