Endoscopic Botulinum toxin as a treatment for delayed gastric emptying following oesophagogastrectomy.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of delayed gastric emptying (DGE) following oesophagogastrectomy with gastric conduit reconstruction is reported to be between 1.7% and 50%. This variation is due to differing practices of intraoperative pylorus drainage procedures, which increase the risk of postoperative biliary reflux and dumping syndrome, resulting in significant morbidity. The aim of our study was to establish rates of DGE in people undergoing oesophagogastrectomy without routine intraoperative drainage procedures, and to evaluate outcomes of postoperative endoscopically administered Botulinum toxin into the pylorus (EBP) for people with DGE resistant to systemic pharmacological treatment. METHODS: All patients undergoing oesophagogastrectomy between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2018 at our unit were included. No intraoperative pyloric drainage procedures were performed, and DGE resistant to systemic pharmacotherapy was managed with EBP. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients were included. Postoperatively, 29 patients (30%) were diagnosed with DGE resistant to pharmacotherapy. Of these, 16 (16.5%) were diagnosed within 30 days of surgery. The median pre-procedure nasogastric tube aspirate was 780ml; following EBP, this fell to 125ml (p<0.001). Median delay from surgery to EBP in this cohort was 13 days (IQR 7-16 days). Six patients required a second course of EBP, with 100% successful resolution of DGE before discharge. There were no procedural complications. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest series of patients without routine intraoperative drainage procedures. Only 30% of patients developed DGE resistant to pharmacotherapy, which was managed safely with EBP in the postoperative period, thus minimising the risk of biliary reflux in people who would otherwise be at risk following prophylactic pylorus drainage procedures.

Increasing age and APACHE II scores are the main determinants of outcome from pancreatic necrosectomy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with death after surgery in patients with extensive pancreatic necrosis. METHODS: Sixty-four patients who underwent pancreatic necrosectomy between 1996 and 2002 were studied. RESULTS: The median age was 60.5 (95 per cent confidence interval (c.i.) 57 to 64) years and 40 patients (62.5 per cent) were tertiary referrals. The initial median Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score was 9 (95 per cent c.i. 7.9 to 10.1) and there were 21 deaths (32.8 per cent). Twenty-eight patients (43.8 per cent) underwent minimally invasive retroperitoneal pancreatic necrosectomy (MIRP) and the remainder had open pancreatic necrosectomy (OPN); 44 (72.1 per cent) of 61 patients had infected pancreatic necrosis at the time of the first procedure. Seven patients who underwent MIRP died compared with 14 after OPN (P = 0.240). Patients who died were older than those who survived, with higher APACHE II scores at presentation, and before and after surgery (P = 0.001). Survivors had significantly longer times to surgery than those who died (P = 0.038). All 21 patients who died required intensive care compared with 26 of 43 survivors (P < 0.001). Thirty of 36 patients who had the OPN procedure required intensive care compared with only 17 of 28 patients who had MIRP (P = 0.042). Logistic regression analysis showed that only postoperative APACHE II score was an independent predictor of increased mortality (P = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Advanced age and increasing APACHE II score, and a need for postoperative intensive care, were the most important predictors of outcome after pancreatic necrosectomy.

The management of retroperitoneal liposarcoma with synchronous intra-duodenal sarcoma.

Intra-abdominal (as opposed to extremity or limb and limb-girdle) soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare and account for less than 1% of all diagnosed neoplasms. These tumours are usually associated with a poor prognosis and are often locally invasive and metastatic at the time of presentation. Retroperitoneal sarcomas with synchronous or metachronous different histological types are rare and intra-duodenal sarcomas extremely unusual. A case of a giant retroperitoneal STS weighing approximately 15 kg consisting of two histologically different types is presented. Intra-duodenal involvement with sarcoma was found intra-operatively. We discuss the management of this condition in the context of an illustrative case in our recent experience.

Complications of pancreatic cancer resection.

Pancreatic cancer is a common cause of cancer death in the developed world. Currently, resection is the only chance of long-term survival. The post-operative mortality in nonspecialist centres often exceeds 20% but is around 6% or less in specialist centres. The overall complication rate even in specialist centres is 18-54%. An analysis of eleven large series of pancreatic resections shows an incidence of common complications of 10.4% for fistula, 9.9% for delayed gastric emptying, 4.8% for bleeding, 4.8% for wound infection and 3.8% for intra-abdominal abscess. The median hospital stay is 13-18 days in different series. The re-operation rate varies from 4 to 9% with a mortality rate of 23 to 67%. Major complications are a significant factor in post-operative mortality, especially if they require re-operation. The use of octreotide or somatostatin to prevent complications is supported by several multicentre, double-blind, randomized controlled trials. The best way to improve outcome is to concentrate pancreatic cancer care in regional specialist centres.

Comparison of individual surgeon's performance. Risk-adjusted analysis with POSSUM scoring system.

UNLABELLED: Comparison of outcome after colorectal resection among different surgeons is difficult. Crude rates of morbidity and mortality can be misleading because such rates make no allowance for differences in case mix and fitness of patients. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare outcome among five surgeons by means of the simple, well-validated scoring system POSSUM for risk-adjusted analysis. METHODS: A total of 438 patients were studied prospectively. Each patient underwent colorectal resection by one of the five surgeons. Demographic details, operative procedure, and postoperative course were recorded, and physiologic and operative severity scores were determined. Risk of morbidity and mortality was calculated for each patient. RESULTS: Incidence of morbidity varied sharply among the five surgeons, from 13.6 to 30.6 percent, and the 30-day mortality varied from 4.5 to 6.9 percent. However, application of POSSUM to allow risk-adjusted analysis of the data demonstrated that the incidence of morbidity and mortality predicted by POSSUM based on patients physiologic and operative risks factors was very similar to the observed outcome for each surgeon. CONCLUSION: Direct comparison of individual surgeon's performance based on crude rates of morbidity and mortality can be misleading. Risk-adjusted analysis allows more meaningful comparison.

Randomized trial of pelvic drainage after rectal resection.

UNLABELLED: Most surgeons continue to advocate routine use of drains after pelvic anastomoses. Several recent studies have, however, demonstrated that patients gain little or no benefit from such drainage and that drains may indeed be a source of morbidity to some. PURPOSE: The aim of this trial was twofold: 1) to determine whether use of a high pressure, closed suction pelvic drain was associated with reduced morbidity; 2) to investigate the influence of drainage on postoperative fluid collections after rectal resection. METHODS: A consecutive series of 100 patients was randomized to receive either no drain (n = 48) or a high pressure, closed suction intraperitoneal drain for seven days (n = 52). The two groups were similar in terms of age, sex, diagnosis, and type of anastomosis. Patients underwent postoperative pelvic ultrasound and water-soluble contrast studies on day 7. RESULTS: There were six deaths (three drain, three no drain). Clinically significant anastomotic leak occurred in seven patients (five drain, two no drain), and a radiologic leak was demonstrated in another five patients (two drain, three no drain), each of whom remained well. Presence or absence of a drain did not influence rate of morbidity and mortality. Pelvic fluid collections were more likely to be demonstrated if a drain was used; however, this did not reach statistical significance. Neither pus nor feces emerged from the drain in any patients in whom a leak occurred. CONCLUSION: Use of a pelvic drain after rectal resection did not confer any benefit to the patient.

The surgeon's 'gut feeling' as a predictor of post-operative outcome.

The aim of this study was to identify the accuracy of prediction of the 'gut feeling' of the surgeon immediately upon completion of an operation in the prediction of subsequent outcome. A consecutive series of 120 patients, each of whom underwent gastrointestinal surgery, were studied. The two operating surgeons scored each patient on a scale of 1-3 which related to his expectations of the outcome. This prediction was compared with the prediction generated by the POSSUM scoring system. The surgeon's 'gut feeling' upon completion of a major procedure was a good indicator of the post-operative course of the patient.

Comparative audit of colorectal resection with the POSSUM scoring system.

Comparison of outcome after colorectal resection between different surgical units is difficult. Crude rates of morbidity and mortality may give a distorted picture as such rates fail to account for variations in case mix and physiological status of patients. The simple and validated scoring system POSSUM (Physiological and Operative Severity Score for enUmeration of Mortality and morbidity) was used to compare outcome after colorectal resection in two units. Consecutive series of patients who underwent colorectal resection in unit 1 (a university teaching hospital) or unit 2 (a district general hospital) were scored with the POSSUM system. Postoperative complications and 30-day mortality were recorded. In unit 1, 66 patients underwent colorectal resection with a mortality rate of 6 per cent and a morbidity rate of 9 per cent. In unit 2 the rates of mortality and morbidity were 9 and 26 per cent respectively for 182 patients undergoing colorectal resection. However, application of POSSUM predicted a mortality rate of 5.2 per cent for patients in unit 1 and 9.8 per cent for those in unit 2 with predicted morbidity rates of 11.2 and 23.9 per cent respectively. Direct comparison of outcome between these two units would be misleading. Application of POSSUM allows more realistic comparative audit of colorectal resection.

Provision and acceptability of day case breast biopsy: an audit of current practice.

The introduction of a national breast cancer screening programme and wider public awareness of breast disease have contributed to an increasing workload for breast surgeons. One method of dealing with this problem efficiently is to encourage day case surgery for breast biopsy patients. We studied our own day case breast biopsy workload, asked other surgeons what proportion of breast biopsies they performed in this way and assessed its acceptability to patients. Of surgeons working in units with facilities available, 40.3% perform 25% or less of breast biopsies as a day case. Of 235 patients undergoing breast biopsy in our unit during an 11-month period, 195 (83%) were performed as day cases. Of these, 192 were under general anesthesia. In all, 97.2% of patients were satisfied with their treatment as a day case, and only 4.5% would have preferred admission postoperatively. Carcinoma was present in 22 (11%) lesions biopsied, 11 (50%) of which occurred in patients under 50 years of age. Surgical complications were encountered in 32 (16.4%) cases; significant bruising 26 (13.3%), wound infections 4 (2.05%), dehiscence 1 (0.51%), and retained suture 1 (0.51%). Breast biopsy is an appropriate and acceptable procedure to undertake as a day case.

Gastric pressure response to low dose dopamine infusion in normal man.

The gastric pressure response to distension was measured during intravenous infusion of dopamine at a rate of 2 mug min(-1)kg(-1) over 2h 50min in 5 normal volunteers to determine whether dopamine at this dose potentiated gastric adaptive relaxation, leading to a fall in gastric pressure and thus a potential delay in gastric emptying. This would be of obvious importance in patients being given dopamine at this dose to support renal function and at the same time being fed by nasogastric tube. The pressure response decreased during the first hour in all five subjects (p < 0.01). In 2 it recovered during the third hour to pre-infusion values, but in 2 it remained diminished; in 1 subject the results were equivocal. Circulating dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline concentrations all increased during dopamine (p < 0.05), but compared with control there was no difference in plasma free fatty acids, glycerol, cortisol or glucose concentrations. Dopamine at 2 mug min(-1) kg(-1) produced a transient fall in gastric pressure in all subjects, and a persistent fall in some. The changes in gastric pressures were seen at infusion rates that produced no metabolic or inotropic effects.

Treatment of severe postvagotomy/postgastrectomy symptoms with the somatostatin analogue octreotide.

Fourteen patients with severe and persistent postvagotomy/postgastrectomy symptoms were entered into a trial of treatment with the somatostatin analogue octreotide, 50 micrograms twice daily 30 min before meals being self-administered by subcutaneous injection. Six of the seven patients completing the 3-month trial showed sustained overall improvement of symptoms. The remaining patients were unhelped by treatment or developed unwanted effects. Six of eight patients with dumping syndrome showed sustained improvement of dumping symptoms during treatment. Bile vomiting was relieved in three of four patients with this complaint. Diarrhoea accompanying dumping showed a variable response to treatment, with improvement in three patients and no change or worsening of this symptom in five. Two patients with severe postvagotomy diarrhoea alone showed no improvement. Four patients with unwanted effects and three patients who found no benefit stopped the trial medication early. Four further patients reported mild or transient side-effects. For patients with severe postvagotomy/postgastrectomy symptoms, a trial of octreotide seems justified when significant dumping symptoms are present and other treatment options have been exhausted.

Subareolar dissection for duct ectasia and periareolar sepsis.

Excision of the major duct system of the breast for symptoms owing to mammary duct ectasia may be curative, but recent reports have been less optimistic. A retrospective study (1978-1990) of 46 women (median age 38 years, range 18-78 years) who underwent subareolar dissection with antibiotic cover for symptoms associated with duct ectasia is presented. Thirty-three women presented without symptoms of overt sepsis (periareolar lump, nipple discharge or nipple retraction). Following subareolar dissection, six developed recurrent symptoms and five required further surgery. Thirteen women presented initially with abscesses. Eight abscesses recurred following incision and drainage, and one developed a mammillary fistula. Following subareolar dissection, six developed recurrent sepsis requiring further surgery.

Gastric adaptive relaxation and symptoms after vagotomy.

Gastric adaptive relaxation is reported to be impaired after vagotomy. This abnormality has been implicated in the pathogenesis of postvagotomy symptoms, but no association has previously been demonstrated between the two. Gastric adaptive relaxation was measured in 15 healthy volunteers and 33 patients more than 1 year after highly selective vagotomy or truncal vagotomy and drainage. Seventeen patients were asymptomatic. The remainder were symptomatic including seven patients with persistent diarrhoea. Fasted subjects were intubated with a Ryle's tube containing a pressure microtransducer within a flaccid (800 ml) plastic bag. Gastric corpus-fundus pressure was recorded during distension of the bag with air (15 ml/s) over 30 s. Pressure indices were derived from the areas under the pressure curves. Median (range) pressure indices were: healthy volunteers 12.7 (7.5-17.1) cmH2O, highly selective vagotomy 14.0 (9.8-15.9) cmH2O (n.s.), truncal vagotomy and drainage 14.5 (8.6-26.8) cmH2O (P = 0.04). All patients with diarrhoea had abnormally high pressure indices (P less than 0.001). Pressure indices in all other patient groups were within the normal range. We conclude that gastric adaptive relaxation remains abnormal in patients with postvagotomy diarrhoea but not in those who are asymptomatic or who have other symptoms.

Abnormal gastric adaptive relaxation in patients with gastrooesophageal reflux.

Gastric adaptive relaxation was measured in 15 healthy volunteers (control group) and in 12 patients with symptomatic gastrooesophageal reflux confirmed by 24 hour pH monitoring (reflux group). The control group were: 13 men, two women; median age 30 years, range 22-41; median body weight 70 kg, range 50-79 kg. All were asymptomatic on no medication. The reflux group were: eight men, four women, median age 48 years, range 23-65; median body weight 77 kg, range 60-92 kg. Medication was withheld for 12 hours before the study. Endoscopy showed no abnormality in five patients, oesophagitis in three patients and oesophagitis with hiatus hernia in four patients. Fasted subjects were intubated with a Ryle's tube containing a pressure microtransducer within a flaccid plastic bag (800 ml). Gastric corpus-fundus pressure was recorded during distension of the bag with 460 (20) ml mean (SD) of air over 30 seconds. Pressure indices (median: range) derived from areas under the pressure curves during distension were: control: 12.7 (7.5-17.1) cm H2O; reflux: 9.1 (6.4-13.3) cm H2O, p less than 0.01 (Mann Whitney U test). Similar results were obtained from pressure indices derived from recordings during the immediate postdistension period. No correlation was found between pressure indices and age, sex or body weight. The results indicate that the gastric pressure response to distension is reduced in patients with gastrooesophageal reflux.

Fine needle aspiration cytology: an in vitro study of cell yield.

To investigate the effect of needle size and number of passes into a tumour mass on the cell yield from a fine needle aspirate, an in vitro study was undertaken in 19 consecutive tumours removed surgically for biopsy. Different needle sizes (23G, 21G, 19G) passed in random order, five, ten and fifteen times into the tumours, were compared. The type of tumour, needle size and number of passes independently and significantly influenced cell yield. A 21G(green) needle passed into the tumour at least 10 times was the most efficient in obtaining cells. This in vitro study could explain the variation in the reported accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology from groups using different techniques and is perhaps one reason why the highest diagnostic accuracy and the lowest rate of unsatisfactory aspirates comes from a centre which uses a 21G needle and at least 10 passes through the tumour.

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus; the role of antisepsis in the control of an outbreak.

Between February 1983 and September 1985, an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus involving 151 patients and staff occurred in a district general hospital. At its peak, 43 cases occurred in 3 months. Sixty-two patients suffered morbidity and two died. Conventional isolation techniques and once-daily whole body washing of affected patients with triclosan successfully controlled the outbreak.