Laparoscopic enucleation of an insulinoma: advantages of using the curved laparoscopic coagulating shears.

Laparoscopic excision is a widely accepted and well-described approach to islet cell tumors of the pancreas. We report the case of a patient with biochemically proven insulinoma who underwent successful enucleation using the curved laparoscopic coagulating shears. We discuss the advantages of using laparoscopy to manage these tumors and the increased benefit of using the curved instrument for this type of procedure.

Diagnosis of acute cholecystitis: sensitivity of sonography, cholescintigraphy, and combined sonography-cholescintigraphy.

BACKGROUND: Radiographic diagnosis of acute cholecystitis can be established using ultrasonography (US), cholecystoscintigraphy (HIDA), or both. Although both modalities have been effective in diagnosing acute cholecystitis (AC), physicians from the emergency department and admitting surgeons continue to request both tests in an attempt to increase the diagnostic accuracy of AC. This article reports the institutional experience of a large tertiary care health care facility, with respect to the sensitivity of US, HIDA, and combined US and HIDA. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective review of 132 patients diagnosed with AC who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy during the same hospitalization. Patients were stratified into three groups: Group 1 (Gp1, n = 50) included patients who underwent US alone, group 2 (Gp2, n = 28) included patients who underwent HIDA scan alone, and group 3 (Gp3, n = 54) included patients who underwent both US and HIDA. RESULTS: The three groups did not differ with respect to age, liver chemistry, time to operation, and hospital length of stay. The sensitivity of US, HIDA, and combined US/HIDA as diagnostic modalities for acute cholecystitis was referenced to histopathologic confirmation. Sensitivity was 24 of 50 (48%), 24 of 28 (86%), and 49 of 54 (90%) for US, HIDA, and the combination of US/HIDA, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HIDA scan is a more sensitive test than US in diagnosing patients with AC. Based on the results of this study, we recommend that HIDA scan should be used as the first diagnostic modality in patients with suspected acute cholecystitis; US should be used to confirm the presence of gallbladder stones rather than to diagnose AC.

Combined intraoperative laparoscopic cholecystectomy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: lessons from 29 cases.

BACKGROUND: The role and timing of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with suspected choledocholethiasis remains a controversial subject. There have been few studies exploring the role of intraoperative ERCP. Therefore, we set out to perform a retrospective review of 29 patients who underwent combined laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and intraoperative ERCP (LC/ERCP). Our objective was to assess the feasibility of a one-stage approach using intraoperative ERCP. METHODS: We identified 29 patients in whom LC/ERCP was attempted between January 1996 and November 1998 at a university-affiliated hospital with a large private faculty. Parameters reviewed included preoperative diagnosis, liver function tests (LFT), finding on transcystic cholangiogram (TCC), ERCP, stone retrieval, failure of ERCP, length of stay, morbidity, and mortality. RESULTS: Twenty-eight of 29 patients (97%) underwent successful combined LC/ERCP. Successful TCC followed by ERCP was performed in 21 of 26 patients (81%). Five TCC were technically unsuccessful; in these patients, ERCP was performed on the basis of preoperative criteria. In three patients, TCC was not attempted. Stones were successfully retrieved from 20 of 21 patients (95%) with abnormal finding on TCC, one of five patients (20%) with failed TCC, and two of three patients (67%) with ERCP but without TCC. Overall morbidity was 14%, comprising two patients with postoperative hyperamylasemia and two with cystic duct leaks. There were no deaths in the group. The mean time for the combined procedure was 173 min (range, 50-290). Mean length of hospitalization was 3.4 days, and mean postoperative stay was 2.2 days. CONCLUSIONS: LC/ERCP can be performed safely. The advantages of the combined procedures include one-stage treatment of cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis, avoidance of unnecessary preoperative ERCP and their concomitant complications, and elimination of potential return to the operating room when postoperative ERCP is technically impossible.

Nutritional support during liver failure.

Critically ill patients in varying degrees of liver failure are catabolic and consequently require expeditious caloric support. Unique problems in this group of patients essentially revolve around the diagnosis and management of hepatic encephalopathy. From the overview provided in this text, it can be concluded that, only in overt hepatic coma, should all nitrogen products be withheld while precipitating causes are evaluated. Protein should be reintroduced as rapidly as possible to avoid the consequences of protein deprivation. Once the acute intercurrent illness has resolved, the cirrhotic patient returns to baseline energy and protein requirements indistinguishable from the population at large.

Renal allograft preservation: a comparison of University of Wisconsin solution and of hypothermic continuous pulsatile perfusion.

A study was performed to compare early allograft function in kidneys preserved with University of Wisconsin (UW) solution to kidneys preserved by hypothermic pulsatile perfusion. The study consisted of two sets of data. The first set was a donor-paired study (matched data) of 30 heart-beating, hemodynamically stable donors. After removal from the donor each cooled kidney was individually prepared for preservation. One kidney was flushed with +/- 500 ml of UW solution and stored in UW solution on slushed ice. The other kidney was continuously perfused with cooled (4-6 degrees C) cryoprecipitated plasma. The kidneys were transplanted into suitable recipients in a random sequence. Twelve donors were excluded from the study because one or both kidneys were transplanted into recipients who had previously been transplanted. The remaining 36 kidneys were implanted into two similar groups after a mean of 19 hours in the pulsatile perfusion group and 18 hours in the UW solution group. The second set of data consisted of all the kidneys preserved in UW solution (n = 62) at our institution and of 57 kidneys preserved by hypothermic continuous pulsatile perfusion during the same period (mixed data) and was used to evaluate the effect of prolonged preservation (longer than 24 hours) on delayed graft function. Both of these groups were also comparable. Acute tubular necrosis (ATN) was defined as the need for dialysis during the 1st week after transplantation, and delayed function as the delayed clearance of creatinine during the early post-operative phase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Successes and failures of endoscopic injection haemostasis for bleeding peptic ulcers. A prospective clinical study.

Fifty-two consecutive patients with upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage, shock (systolic blood pressure less than 100 mmHg) and a peptic ulcer showing endoscopic stigma of recent haemorrhage underwent attempts at endoscopic haemostasis. The ulcers were injected with a dilute solution of adrenaline followed by 5% ethanolamine oleate. Active bleeding was present in 22 patients (42%) at initial endoscopy. Bleeding was controlled in 40 patients (77%) in hospital. Failure occurred more frequently in duodenal ulcers than gastric ulcers (46% v. 7%; P < 0.004), and in giant (more than 2 cm diameter) duodenal ulcers (6/7) than smaller duodenal ulcers (3/15). We recommend early surgery for large posterior duodenal ulcers in preference to endoscopic injection methods.

Does endoscopic sphincterotomy prevent recurrent biliary pancreatitis?

Endoscopic sphincterotomy was electively performed as the definitive procedure on 8 high-risk patients with biliary pancreatitis; the gallbladder was left in situ. After a mean follow-up of 21 months, 2 patients had biliary symptoms for which 1 required cholecystectomy and exploration of the common bile duct. No patient developed recurrent pancreatitis during the follow-up period. When the risk of elective surgery is high, endoscopic sphincterotomy appears to protect the patient against recurrent episodes of pancreatitis, and is the initial procedure of choice for the high-risk patient with biliary pancreatitis.

Technical aids in surgery. Gastroduodenostomy for the "difficult" duodenum.

Many techniques have been devised for the safe closure of the 'difficult' duodenal stump after Billroth II gastrectomy. It is suggested that, in the presence of a 'difficult' duodenum and when gastrectomy is unavoidable, gastroduodenal anastomosis obviates the potential hazards of the high-risk duodenal stump.

Haemoperitoneum--a complication of acute cholecystitis in a patient on anticoagulant therapy. A case report.

A case of haemoperitoneum in a patient taking warfarin sodium, originating in the wall of a perforated, inflamed gallbladder, is presented. To the best of our knowledge such a case has not been reported previously. Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects are briefly discussed.