Safe and rapid laparoscopic access--a new approach.

Despite numerous recent technical advances in minimally invasive surgical technique, the potential exists for serious morbidity during initial laparoscopic access. Safe access depends on adhering to well-recognized principles of trocar insertion, knowledge of abdominal anatomy, and recognition of hazards imposed by previous surgery. Applying these principles, we describe a safe, rapid, and cost-effective technique for laparoscopic access using readily available instruments. This technique emphasizes identification and incision of the point at which the midline abdominal fascia is fused with the base of the umbilicus, and the importance of the application of countertraction directly at the point of insertion. This method allows penetration under direct vision with minimal controlled axial force, and without the requirement for fascial sutures or other cumbersome aspects of the traditional open technique. While previous reports describe techniques for laparoscopic access entry based on similar anatomic and surgical principles, we describe an alternative method not yet discussed in the surgical literature.

Aspergillosis in liver transplant recipients: successful treatment and improved survival using a multistep approach.

BACKGROUND: Invasive aspergillosis is a life-threatening complication in liver transplant recipients, with a reported mortality rate of more than 90%. Treatment is difficult, and no single agent is uniformly effective in treating this patient population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all fungal cultures from 200 liver transplant patients between 1996 and 1999 at a single tertiary referral center. RESULTS: A diagnosis of aspergillosis was made in 6 patients. Five patients had pulmonary involvement; 1 presented with an inguinal mass. Time from transplant to infection ranged from 1 week to 34 months. Treatment included surgical intervention and medical treatment. All patients infected with Aspergillus fumigatus were treated with a sequential protocol of lipid complex amphotericin followed by itraconazole. The major side effect of treatment was worsening renal function. One patient died of intracranial hemorrhage during treatment. CONCLUSION: Successful treatment of aspergillosis in liver transplant recipients should include early diagnosis, sequential medical treatment with lipid amphotericin B and itraconazole, and surgical intervention for invasive disease.