Penetrating neck trauma and the aberrant subclavian artery

Vascular injuries from penetrating trauma to the base of the neck are accompanied by significant morbidity and potential mortality. These injuries require several diagnostic adjuncts in order to facilitate early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Herein reported is the case of a patient who sustained penetrating injury to the thoracic inlet but had a fortuitous anomaly that prevented vascular injury and its attendant complications.

A comparison of open and laparoscopic cholecystectomy done by a surgeon in training / Comparación de Colecistectomías abiertas y laparoscópicas realizadas por un cirujano durante su adiestramiento

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has virtually replaced conventional open cholecystectomy as the gold standard for symptomatic cholelithiasis. The laparoscopic approach brings numerous advantages at the expense of higher complication rates, especially in training facilities. This comparative 18-month review examines the outcomes of 52 cholecystectomies performed by a single surgical resident at the University Hospital of the West Indies--a teaching hospital in Jamaica. The advantages of laparoscopic cholecystectomy have been demonstrated and it has been found to be safe and effective in this training facility.

La colecistectomía laparoscópica ha reemplazado virtualmente la colecistectomía abierta convencional, siendo ahora la norma de oro para la colelitiasis sintomática. El abordaje laparoscópico trae consigo numerosas ventajas a expensas de tasas de complicación más altas, sobre todo en las instalaciones de adiestramiento. Este estudio comparativo realizado a lo largo 18 meses, examina los resultados de 52 colecistectomías realizadas por un residente de cirugía del Hospital Universitario de West Indies – un hospital docente de Jamaica. Las ventajas de la colecistectomía laparoscópica han quedado demostradas, y el tratamiento ha probado ser seguro y efectivo en esta instalación docente.