Impact of preoperative antibiotic use in preventing complications of cochlear implantation surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis on the occurrence of postoperative complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of 491 patients undergoing cochlear implantation were included in a non-randomized retrospective comparative cohort study. Demographic data, cochlear implant and surgical details, use of preoperative antibiotics and occurrence of postoperative complications were analyzed using a binary logistic regression model. RESULTS: There were 317 patients (64.56%) who did not receive preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis and 174 (35.44%) patients who received preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis with ceftriaxone. The overall rate of complications requiring surgical treatment was 2.85%. Younger patient age was identified as a positive predictive factor for administering preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis (p<0.001, OR 1.05 CI 95% 1.0124-1.0826). No difference in complication rate was observed between the two groups. No correlation between sex, age, manufacturer, surgeon and postoperative complications were noted (p=0.45). CONCLUSION: There is insufficient evidence to inform decision making regarding preoperative intravenous ceftriaxone use for prevention of infection after cochlear implantation surgery, with data failing to show that administration of preoperative antibiotics leads to a decrease in complication rate. Considering a very low overall complication rate, with few complications related to infection, routine use of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis should be analyzed further.

Primary parotid liposarcoma.

INTRODUCTION: Primary liposarcoma is very rare in the parotid gland. To date, only 8 cases of primary parotid liposarcoma have been reported. The aim of this study is to report on a case of primary parotid liposarcoma highlighting the complexity of its treatment and analyze treatment outcomes of other reported cases. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of parotid liposarcoma arising in the left parotid gland of a 66 year-old man, causing local morbidity, recurrence, repeated surgical treatment and death 5 months after initial treatment. DISCUSSION: Parotid liposarcoma is marked by a high probability of local recurrence of up to 70% and is prone to distant metastatic spread, as was the case in our patient. Based on limited experience from published literature, optimal treatment entails radical surgery with negative margins. Postoperative radiotherapy is an option for patients with large high-grade tumors, positive margins and involvement of complex anatomic subsites. High-grade tumors have a worse outcome despite the addition of surgery and postoperative radiotherapy.

Cheek reconstruction following facial malignant melanoma surgery with the platysma myocutaneous flap.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of large cheek skin defect reconstruction using a superiorly based platysma myocutaneous flap accompanied by facial artery and vein preservation, following cutaneous head and neck melanoma surgery. This study offers new insight into a procedure that is a viable, but infrequently used reconstruction option. The authors report the cases of 13 consecutive patients with cheek skin defects following melanoma surgery who underwent reconstruction with a superiorly based platysma myocutaneous flap. The procedures were performed at a tertiary clinical centre and a national melanoma surgery referral centre between 2001 and 2008. According to the disease stage, eight patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy and five underwent comprehensive neck dissections. All of the patients were monitored for any complications related to the donor and recipient sites. Minor venous congestion of the flap was noted in two patients, with minor marginal skin necrosis in one patient. None of the patients had donor site complications. The superiorly based platysma flap proved to be a safe and reliable option for large cheek defect reconstruction, especially considering that it is a single-stage reconstruction procedure ensuring excellent colour-matching and low donor site morbidity.

Corticosteroid-impairment of healing and gastric pentadecapeptide BPC-157 creams in burned mice.

The amelioration of corticosteroid-impairment of healing by a stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC-157 (GEPPPGKPADDAGLV, M(w) 1419, currently in early clinical trials for inflammatory bowel disease) was studied in thermally injured mice. Its effects on corticosteroid impaired healing of deep partial skin thickness burns, and burn-gastric lesions were investigated. Male NMRI-Hannover mice (sacrificed at 1-3,7,14 and 21 days following burning 20% of total burn area at the back (open flame for 7s) received intraperitoneally (per kg bw) 6alpha-methylprednisolone (Depo-medrol, 1.0 or 10.0mg), or an equal volume of saline (5.0 ml), once daily, first application 30 min after injury, last 24h before sacrifice. The injury was subsequently treated by topical application of a thin layer of pentadecapeptide BPC-157 cream at three different levels a neutral cream of no treatment. Pentadecapeptide BPC-157 consistently improved given burn healing (both microscopical and tensionmetry assessment), and counteracted corticosteroid-impairment of burn healing. In burn-gastric lesions investigation of the effects of BPC showed an anti-ulcer effect of its own in burned non-corticosteroid-treated mice and potentiated the anti-ulcer effect observed in 6alpha-methylprednisolone-treated mice. Pentadecapeptide BPC-157 inhibited corticosteroid immunosuppression. In vitro, in spleenic cells assessment, animals (sacrificed at day 21) treated with 6alpha-methylprednisolone 1mg showed decreased reactivity to nitrogen in comparison with control, healthy animals, while the addition of BPC-157 (1 microg/g cream) returned cell reactivity to values noted in control healthy animals.

[Choice of surgical technic in cancer of the stomach. Results in 999 cases]. / Izbor operativne metode kod karcinoma zeluca. Iskustva na 999 slucajeva.

Authors analyze 999 of stomach cancer, as well as 865 operated patients (86,58%). Choice of operative method depends concert tumor localisation, its growth, methastasis, general condition and age of patient.

[Acute pancreatitis in our case reports]. / Akutni pankreatitis u nasoj kazuistici

On the Surgery Department of Military Hospital in Zagreb 164 cases of acute pancreatitis, among them 88 male and 76 female, were treated during the period of 1963 to 1974. Diagnosis was based on anamnesis, clinical symptoms, laboratory tests as well as X-ray pictures of the lungs and abdomen. In most cases (72,5 percent) etiology of the disease has shown changes of biliary tract; obesity and alchoholism were also present in high percentage. Operative treatment was applied in 72 cases and 92 cases have undergone conservative treatment. Indications for surgical intervention were lithiasis, cholecystitis, inefficiency of conservative therapy during the first 12 hours and such cases in which diagnosis could not have been given with sufficient certainty. Along with usual surgical treatment in 23 cases in which biliary obstruction and serose pancreatitis were present choledochoduodenostomy was applied with satisfactory results. 28 patients died out of 164; mortality percentage 17,1.