Thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a one-port technique.

BACKGROUND: The present paper describes the development of a one-port technique for thoracoscopic sympathectomy. METHODS: A 7-mm thorascope with a working channel for diathermy was used. CONCLUSION: A highly cosmetic, simple, safe, day-case procedure is achievable.

In situ replacement of infected aortic grafts with rifampicin-bonded prostheses: the Leicester experience (1992 to 1998)

PURPOSE: Prosthetic graft infection after aortic aneurysm surgery is a life-threatening complication. Treatment options include total graft excision and extra-anatomic bypass grafting or in situ replacement of the graft. The latter option is gaining increasing popularity, but the long-term outcome remains uncertain, particularly in light of the increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We performed a prospective nonrandomized study to assess the outcome after graft excision and in situ replacement with a rifampicin-bonded prosthesis for the treatment of major aortic graft infection. METHODS: In a 6-year period from January 1992 to December 1997, 11 patients (eight men, three women) with major aortic graft infection underwent total graft excision and in situ replacement with a rifampicin-bonded prosthesis. The median age of the patients was 66 years (range, 49 to 78 years). Four patients had a hemorrhage from an aortoenteric fistula, three had a retroperitoneal abscess, two had graft occlusion, one had a perigraft collection shown by means of computed tomography, and one had a ruptured suprarenal false aneurysm. Organisms were cultured from 10 patients. RESULTS: MRSA was isolated in two patients, both of whom had originally undergone repair of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. Two patients died (18.2%) within 30 days, and three patients (27.6%) had nonfatal complications (peritoneal candidiasis, transient renal impairment, and profound anorexia). Two patients died late in the follow-up period. Seven patients remain alive and clinically free of infection. CONCLUSION: The long-term results after total graft excision and in situ replacement with a rifampicin-bonded prosthesis appear to be favorable. However, MRSA aortic graft infection appears to be associated with a poor prognosis.

Surgical decompression of thoracic outlet syndrome; is it a worthwhile procedure?

During a 20-year period from 1974 to 1994, 37 thoracic outlet decompressions were performed. There were 28 females and six males (ratio 5:1). The median age was 37 years (range 15-64). Symptoms were predominantly neurological in 29 limbs (78%), arterial in five limbs (14%) and venous in three limbs (8%). Limb pain and paraesthesia were the most common symptoms. Surgical decompression was performed via a supraclavicular approach in 24 limbs (65%) and a transaxillary approach in 13 limbs (35%). A cervical rib was excised in 21 limbs (57%), a first rib in 10 limbs (27%), a cervical and first rib in one limb (3%) and a cervical band in five limbs (13%). Arterial reconstruction was only required in three limbs (8%). There were a total of four complications (11%). The outcome of surgical decompression was assessed by using a questionnaire completed by the patient. Overall 27 patients (87%) felt that the operation was worthwhile. These results show that surgical decompression for thoracic outlet syndrome is a worthwhile procedure and is associated with relatively few complications.

Colonic Strongyloides stercoralis infection masquerading as ulcerative colitis.

Strongyloides stercoralis is a nematode infection which predominantly involves the small bowel. Spillover infection to the colon does occur, but is uncommon and is usually associated with an immunocompromised host. Accurate diagnosis is essential and, as this case demonstrates, a long history does not preclude an infective aetiology.

Lower limb amputation and grade of surgeon.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify clinical and operative risk factors that might influence the rate of independent ambulation following major limb amputation. METHODS: Between 1989 and 1993, 172 patients had 193 lower limb amputations for peripheral vascular disease: 98 below-knee, 86 above-knee and nine through-knee. RESULTS: The overall revision rate was 13.5 per cent. Revision was significantly more frequent in those patients who had a previous vascular reconstruction. Only 26 per cent of patients were able to ambulate independently after rehabilitation and limb-fitting. Univariate risk factor analysis suggested that independent ambulation was not affected by age, mode of presentation, the presence of ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, smoking status, previous vascular reconstruction or the level of amputation. However, fewer patients whose amputation was performed by a junior trainee could walk with a prosthetic limb (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Patients considered suitable for walking training should have amputation performed by a senior trainee or consultant to optimize independent ambulation with a prosthetic limb.

Laparoscopic hernia repair in Leicester General Hospital: a prospective audit of 94 patients.

Conventional hernia repair is effective in terms of cure but is associated with considerable postoperative pain and delay in return to normal activity. Laparoscopic repair has the potential to reduce pain and speed return to normal activity, but there have been few published reports of the outcome of this operation in the UK. We present a prospective audit of 94 patients who underwent laparoscopic repair. Of the 94 patients, 87 (92.6%) were male and 7 (7.4%) were female. Thirteen of the repairs were bilateral and 12 were recurrent. Two had to be converted to open repair. The mean operating time for unilateral repair was 56 min and for bilateral repair 98 min. Sixty-three patients (67%) were discharged within 24 h and 21 (22.4%) were discharged within 48 h. There were minor complications in 20 patients (21%), eight of whom (8.5%) developed a haematoma. The other minor complications included seromas (2), bruising at the site of the entry port (2), hyperaesthesia in the groin (2), port hernia (1), shoulder tip pain after surgery (3) and postoperative urinary retention (2). Nine (9.5%) patients claimed to have had no pain or discomfort at all; 35 (37.2%) were pain and discomfort free in 2 weeks. Thirty-two (34%) patients returned to normal activities in 2 weeks. With a median follow-up of 8 months 3 (3.2%) recurrences were noted. It is emphasised that this series represents a learning curve and that the operation is developmental. We are now restricting laparoscopic repair to recurrent and bilateral hernias where the technique offers particular advantages.

Ambulatory venous pressure: correlation with skin condition and role in identifying surgically correctible disease.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To evaluate the full spectrum of venous skin damage with respect to ambulatory venous pressure. (2) To determine whether the ambulatory venous pressure/tourniquet test can be used to select patients for superficial venous surgery (eg. long or short saphenous stripping). DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Vascular studies unit. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ambulatory venous pressure was measured in a larger sample of limbs (360) with a wide spectrum of venous disease. In addition the effect of a tourniquet placed below the knee on ambulatory venous pressure and venous refilling time was assessed in 234 limbs. This was compared with Duplex assessment of deep and superficial venous reflux at this site. RESULTS: There was a linear trend towards more severe skin damage with increasing ambulatory venous pressure. Ulceration was associated with more severe calf muscle pump dysfunction (higher ambulatory venous pressure) than were lipodermatosclerosis, eczema or pigmentation. The tourniquet test was not able to distinguish between deep and superficial reflux as determined by Duplex scanning. CONCLUSIONS: Ambulatory venous pressure should be used to quantify venous insufficiency and remains the reference standard test of the venous calf muscle pump. The tourniquet test should not be used to select patients for surgery since it cannot distinguish deep from superficial venous incompetence. Venous reflux is best localised using Duplex ultrasound.

The additional value of intraoperative angiography in infragenicular reconstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of preoperative intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (IADSA) to predict the feasibility of infragenicular reconstruction and site of the distal anastomosis. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University Hospital MATERIALS: 45 patients with 50 ischaemic limbs, considered potential candidates for infragenicular reconstruction. CHIEF OUTCOME MEASURES: Pre-reconstruction intraoperative angiography (IOA) was used as the gold standard. Analysis of angiograms was performed blindly and independently by a single observer. In patients who ultimately underwent primary amputation, exploration and attempted angiography of the crural and ankle vessels was performed to verify the IADSA findings. MAIN RESULTS: There was 87% accuracy (kappa = 0.66) between IADSA and IOA in differentiating between a normal, stenosed and occluded tibial artery and there was 86% accuracy (kappa = 0.67) in determining the adequacy of run-off into the pedal arch. IADSA had a positive predictive value of 100% to determine the feasibility of reconstruction but a negative predictive value of only 73%. After excluding those patients tha IADSA deemed non-reconstructable, IADSA had a positive predictive value of 97% to determine the correct artery and 92% to determine the correct segment of artery for distal anastomosis. CONCLUSIONS: IADSA could not determine when reconstruction was not possible, but in those deemed reconstructable by IADSA, the surgeon can confidently expose the appropriate artery at the appropriate level knowing the pedal run-off status in 86% of patients. IADSA should not be used to exclude reconstruction (i.e. pre-reconstruction IOA is still required in these patients) but for the remainder, IADSA can be used to plan surgical strategy without recourse to IOA.

Transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis and Raynaud's phenomenon.

Over an 80 month period, 53 transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomies were performed in 34 patients. The indications for surgery were palmar hyperhidrosis in 20 procedures (38%), palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis in eight procedures (15%), Raynaud's phenomenon in 23 procedures (43%), and combined palmar hyperhidrosis and Raynaud's phenomenon in two procedures (4%). Follow-up data, obtained by a self-assessment postal questionnaire, was available for 47 procedures in 30 patients (91%). Fourteen out of 15 procedures (93%) performed for palmar hyperhidrosis, all eight procedures (100%) for palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis and 14 out of 22 procedures (64%) performed for Raynaud's phenomenon produced an immediate improvement in symptoms. These improvements were sustained in 13 procedures (87%) performed for palmar hyperhidrosis, all procedures performed for palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis (100%) but only 10 procedures (45%) performed for Raynaud's phenomenon at a median follow-up of 16, 34 and 44.5 months respectively. There were no deaths nor postoperative Horner's syndrome in these patients. The only minor complications were two small pneumothoraces. Compensatory sweating was observed after 24 procedures (51%). These results confirm that transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy is a simple, safe and effective procedure. In patients with hyperhidrosis, the results are excellent and prolonged; in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon, immediate improvement can be achieved but the symptoms may return with time.

Light reflection rheography: a simple method of assessing lower limb venous filling.

Light reflection rheography (LRR) has been developed as a simple, quick and non-invasive test of venous function which reproduces the haemodynamic parameters of venous pressure measurements by recording changes in dermal blood content of the lower limb during exercise. It uses the same principles as photoplethysmography (PPG) but is simpler to use in a clinical context. To assess the comparability of LRR, changes in ambulatory venous pressure measurements were compared to simultaneous recordings of LRR in 40 limbs of 20 individuals with venous stasis during and after a standard exercise. One hundred and twenty paired observations were made with an excellent correlation between venous refill times (VRT) recorded by the two methods (r = 0.85, P < 0.01). There was no significant correlation between exercise induced changes in venous pressure (delta P) and light reflection (delta LR) as measures of venous emptying. LRR also demonstrated differences in VRT and delta LR of the limbs of normal subjects and those with signs of venous stasis (varicose veins) (P < 0.0001). Light reflection rheography is thus a simple accurate test of venous function which may be of value in both the pre- and postoperative assessment of venous function.

Clinical significance of venous reflux detected by duplex scanning.

Duplex scanning was used to determine the presence of valvular incompetence in the major veins of 274 legs with venous disease. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis the significance of valvular function in each vein in relation to the clinical condition of the limb was calculated. Superficial femoral, profunda femoris and short saphenous vein function did not correlate with the clinical state of the limb; common femoral, popliteal and long saphenous vein function did. A table was constructed from the statistical model such that the relative contribution made by each vein could be estimated for limbs with different patterns of venous insufficiency. This model should now be tested in a prospective study and, if validated, could be used to improve decision making in venous surgery.

Investigation and significance of short saphenous vein incompetence.

In this study, 186 limbs with varicose veins or venous skin changes were examined using duplex ultrasonography. Limbs were classified on the basis of short saphenous or popliteal venous incompetence and the number of limbs with venous ulceration (active or healed) recorded. Short saphenous incompetence did not produce a significant increase in the incidence of ulceration, whereas popliteal reflux produced an increase in the risk of ulceration which was statistically significant when compared with limbs without reflux in these two veins (chi 2 = 4.55, P = 0.003). There was no significant difference in the proportion of limbs with concomitant long saphenous reflux between these two groups. Short saphenous reflux is not important in the pathogenesis of venous ulceration. Popliteal reflux is an important factor in the pathogenesis of venous ulceration. More attention should be paid to the surgical correction of popliteal reflux when present in limbs with venous ulceration that fail to heal by conservative measures.

Venous assessment using air plethysmography: a comparison with clinical examination, ambulatory venous pressure measurement and duplex scanning.

Air plethysmography was compared with clinical assessment, ambulatory venous pressure measurement and duplex ultrasonography in 103 unselected limbs with venous disease and ten normal control limbs without such disease. Measurements of venous function obtained by air plethysmography showed considerable overlap between groups of limbs classified on the basis of clinical condition or by the presence of popliteal incompetence detected by duplex scanning. The measurement of venous refilling time using air plethysmography correlated poorly with that obtained by venous cannulation (rs = 0.58). The residual volume fraction did not correlate with ambulatory venous pressure measurement (rs = 0.04). Air plethysmography was not found to be as useful as previously reported. The residual volume fraction should not be accepted as a substitute for ambulatory venous pressure measurement, which remains the 'gold standard' test of venous function.