Only Surgical Treatment to Be Considered for Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction: A New Paradigm.

BACKGROUND: Adhesive small bowel obstruction (SBO) represents a heavy burden in healthcare systems worldwide and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although conservative treatment alone can lead to SBO resolution in most cases, its optimal duration is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to analyze different SBO evolution patterns in order to further determine when to switch to surgical treatment. STUDY DESIGN: All patients who were admitted for adhesive SBO between 2011 and 2016 were reviewed. Patients who had immediate surgery (IS), a successful medical treatment (SMT), and a failed medical treatment (FMT) were compared in terms of overall morbidity, mortality, and SBO recurrence. RESULTS: Overall 154 patients were identified, including 23 (14.9%) in IS, 27 (17.5%) in FMT, and 104 (67.6%) in SMT groups. In terms of comorbidities, patients were similar in all groups. Overall morbidity rates were highest in IS and FMT groups (30% and 33%, respectively, vs. 4% in the SMT group, p < 0.001) whereas mortality rate was highest in the FMT group (22% vs. 0% and 0% in IS and SMT groups, respectively, p < 0.001). SBO recurrence rate was highest in the SMT group (22% vs. 4% and 7% in IS and FMT groups, respectively, p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: FMT seems to be associated with similar overall morbidity compared with IS but with increased postoperative mortality. Patient frailty seems to be worsened by prolonged inefficient medical treatment.

Liver transplantation with grafts from donors who die from suicide by hanging: a matched cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Hanging is a common method of suicide globally, and the incidence is increasing at an alarming rate. The purpose of this study was to analyze our experience with the use of liver grafts from donors whose cause of death is suicidal hanging and to evaluate the outcome of the graft recipients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four consecutive patients were transplanted with grafts obtained from suicidal hanging donors. These patients (group A) were case-matched to 24 patients who underwent liver transplantation with a liver graft from a brain-dead donor whose cause of death was not hanging or strangulation (group B). The analysis was focused on postoperative complications, graft, and recipient outcomes. RESULTS: Donors in group A showed a significantly higher mean [±2 standard deviation] serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase compared to group B (aspartate aminotransferase, 168[166] vs. 57[67] IU/L; P=0.006; alanine aminotransferase, 151[197] vs. 58[103] IU/L; P=0.049); however, there was no difference in graft failure rates between the two groups [8.3% (n=2) in each group]. Overall 30-day postoperative morbidity, 1-year and 5-year survivals were comparable in both groups (P=0.96, P=0.35, P=0.69, respectively). CONCLUSION: The use of grafts from suicidal hanging donors (without hemodynamic instability and with downward trend in the donor transaminases) is not associated with higher post-liver transplantation complication rates and does not negatively influence recipient's outcome.

Impact of reversible cardiac arrest in the brain-dead organ donor on the outcome of adult liver transplantation.

Several donor and graft characteristics are associated with higher failure rates for deceased donor liver transplantation (LT). The influence of reversible cardiac arrest in the donor on these failure rates is unclear because of scarce and inconsistent data. The aim of this study was to determine whether reversible cardiac arrest in the donor could affect the early postoperative outcome of LT. From January 2008 to February 2010, 165 patients underwent LT, and they were retrospectively divided into 2 groups: a cardiac arrest group (34 patients who received grafts from donors who had experienced reversible cardiac arrest before organ procurement) and a control group (131 patients who received grafts from donors without a history of reversible cardiac arrest). The postoperative complications and the graft and recipient outcomes were prospectively recorded for all the patients. Graft failure was defined as death or the need for retransplantation within 90 days of LT. Donors in the cardiac arrest group displayed higher serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels than donors in the control group [AST: 104 (19-756) versus 42 IU/L (10-225 IU/L), P < 0.001; ALT: 73 (13-869) versus 29 IU/L (6-549 IU/L), P < 0.001]. However, no difference in the graft failure rates was found between the 2 groups (11.8% versus 8.4%, P = 0.51). The biological parameters 5 and 7 days after LT and the peak AST/ALT levels were similar for the 2 groups. Furthermore, the 2 groups had similar graft and patient survival rates at the 6-month mark (87% and 88%, respectively). In conclusion, our study shows that brief and reversible cardiac arrest in organ donors does not affect post-LT allograft survival and function, even though liver function test values are higher for these donors. However, the risk of using these grafts needs to be balanced against the potential benefits for the recipients.