[Results after surgery of incisional hernias]. / Resultater efter operation for hernia incisionalis.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the subjective results after operation for ventral hernia. Patients operated for ventral hernia in the period from January 1, 1988 to December 31, 1992 were sent a questionnaire with a response rate of 87%. Forty-five percent had lasting discomfort, 30% were absent due to illness more than eight weeks after the operation and 22% were not able to go to work. These factors increase with the number of hernia operations. Regardless of the number of operations, about 70% of the patients wanted a new operation should the hernia recur. It is therefore important to give the patient an objective and detailed information to prevent from unrealistic expectations of the results of ventral hernia operation.

[Incisional hernia. A study of morbidity, mortality and bed utilization in a Danish county]. / Hernia incisionalis. En opgørelse af morbiditet, mortalitet og sengedagsforbrug i et dansk amt.

Four hundred and four patients operated for ventral hernia during a five year period were reviewed with special emphasis on morbidity, mortality and number of days in hospital. The patients were divided into 357 patients who had been operated for ventral hernia only once (A) and 47 patients who had been operated more than once for ventral hernia (B). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding to ages or preoperative condition. The postoperative complications were 21% in group A and 12% in group B, although this was not statistically significant. Of those who suffered a complication after the operation, 76% had a competing illness prior to the operation. The overall mortality was 0.5%. The patients were hospitalized for a total of 4846 days. In view of the results of this material and of the high recurrence rate demonstrated in the literature, a restrictive attitude towards operations for ventral hernia is recommended.

[Laparoscopic appendectomy. Results and complications]. / Laparoskopisk appendektomi. Resultater og komplikationer.

Thirty-four patients (23 females and 11 males) aged 13-71 years had acute appendicitis on both clinical and laparoscopic evaluation. Twenty-eight patients (82%) were treated laparoscopically whereas conversion to open appendectomy was necessary in six patients. Operation time for laparoscopic appendectomy ranged from 25-90 min. (mean 58 min.), and the patients were discharged 1-14 days after the operation (mean 2.8 days). Five patients developed complications, wound infection in one case, intraperitoneal infectious complications in three cases and postoperative fever in one case. Mean convalescence was two weeks. All patients were satisfied with the performed procedure and the cosmetic result and all were doing well one month after the operation, except for one patient who had pain in the right iliac fossa. The initial results of laparoscopic appendectomy are promising.

[Removal of foreign bodies (needles) by aspiration]. / Fjernelse af overfladiske fremmedlegemer (nåle) ved aspiration.

A new method by which foreign bodies in the form of needles or parts of these can be removed from the skin and subcutis is presented. Accidentally implanted needles is a common problem presenting in the casualty ward. Instead of applying the traditional method, incision and subsequent instrumentation with forceps, we have in two cases successfully removed needlepoints by way of aspiration. Guided by radioscopy, a syringe with a needle for intravenous injection is inserted near the foreign body, which is then introduced into the injection needle and subsequently aspirated into the syringe. Since the aspiration method is simple and safe, and is less traumatic than other methods, we recommend this as first choice in treating patients with superficially implanted needles.