Intraoperative endoscopic pneumatic testing for gastrojejunal anastomotic integrity during laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

BACKGROUND: Gastrojejunal anastomotic leaks remain a major source of morbidity following laparoscopic gastric bypass. Intraoperative pneumatic testing has been offered as a method to reduce the incidence of this complication. This study's purpose was to assess the efficacy of intraoperative pneumatic testing during laparoscopic gastric bypass, to evaluate the types of air leaks detected, and to develop an algorithm for management that takes into account air leak categorization and drainage. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the initial 257 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass by a single surgeon over a 36-month period. The gastrojejunostomy was constructed using a linear stapler technique. All patients underwent intraoperative endoscopic pneumatic testing with a clamp applied to the Roux limb. All patients underwent water-soluble upper gastrointestinal radiography on the first postoperative day. RESULTS: Patients were divided based on the pneumatic testing results into groups for data analysis: persistent air leak (group 1), non-reproducible air leak (group 2), and no air leak (group 3). The overall age (41.7+/-9.3 years), body mass index (BMI) (47.3+/-6.4 kg/m2), conversion rate (2%), and length of stay (1.9+/-2.0 days) were not statistically different among groups (p>0.05). In group 1, the air leak site was repaired, and 11 (92%) were drained. In group 2, the air leak site could not be identified, and all 12 (4.7%) were treated by drainage alone. In group 3, drains were placed in 12 (5.2%) due to difficult construction of the gastrojejunostomy. Overall postoperative gastrointestinal leak rate was 0.78%. No postoperative clinical or radiological gastrointestinal leaks occurred within the region tested pneumatically. Intraoperative complications related to pneumatic testing occurred in 1 (0.39%) patient. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative pneumatic testing of the gastrojejunal anastomosis is a safe and rapid means of evaluating anastomotic integrity. Application of this technique permitted timely repair of flawed anastomoses, thereby averting potential postoperative leaks.

Distal femoral stem tip resection for thigh pain complicating uncemented total hip arthroplasty. Five patients followed up for 6-10 years.

Thigh pain after total hip arthroplasty can be a significant management problem both to patient and surgeon. In many cases, the pain is caused by femoral stem impingement due to its varus position. We present the technique of resection of a segment of distal femoral stem through a minimal incision as treatment of this problem. Five patients with a follow-up of 6 to 10 years are discussed. In all patients thigh pain was explained by the radiographic appearance of the varus stem position and reactive bone formation around the tip of the stem. A bone window was created and resection of the tip of the stem was performed. Four of the patients completely recovered after surgery and one patient, with Pagets disease, required additional interventions due to stress fracture. This is a very simple and effective method of treatment of thigh pain due to femoral stem impingement in healthy bone.

The effect of abduction differences between cup and contralateral acetabular angle on polyethylene component wear.

One hundred forty-two patients who underwent cemented or uncemented hip replacement were studied radiographically to determine acetabular component wear. Mean duration of follow-up was 58 months (range: 35-92 months). Average linear wear was 0.78 mm (range: 0-1.9 mm), and average wear rate was 0.16 mm/year (range: 0-0.45 mm/year). An increased wear rate per year correlated with a discrepancy >18.3 degrees between contralateral acetabular angle and acetabular cup inclination (P<.005). Statistical analysis revealed no significant correlation between cup inclination and polyethylene wear, which was studied without considering the contralateral hip (P>.3). There was no relationship between polyethylene wear and cup design, weight, and initial polyethylene thickness.

Laparoscopic transcystic sphincter of Oddi manometry is not affected by carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum.

Sphincter of Oddi (SO) dysfunction as a potential cause of chronic acalculous cholecystitis (CAC) has not been studied in cases for which intraoperative SO manometry was used during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In this study, we evaluated the effects of carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum on laparoscopic transcystic SO manometry. In 27 patients with CAC, transcystic SO manometry had been attempted during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The mean age of the patients was 46 years (range, 22-71). Complete manometric data sets were obtained in 18 patients. The mean SO pressure, phasic SO pressure, and phasic frequency were 35.4 +/- 29.1 mm/Hg versus 30.8 +/- 23.8 mm/Hg, 104.8 +/- 63.0 mm/Hg versus 73.6 +/- 34.6 mm/Hg, and 2.1 +/- 1.8 contractions/min versus 2.8 +/- 3.4 contractions/min with and without pneumoperitoneum, respectively. All differences were nonsignificant (P > 0.05). Two complications (7.4%) were observed: pancreatitis and jaundice. SO manometry is not affected by CO2 pneumoperitoneum. It may be used to study SO motility in patients with CAC.

The effect of intramedullary corticocancellous bone plug for hip hemiarthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: A prospective review was performed on 60 consecutive patients with hip hemiarthroplasty after femoral neck fractures. METHODS: Twenty-two patients underwent Austin Moore hemiarthroplasty with an intramedullary corticocancellous bone plug at the tip of the prosthesis (group A) and 38 patients underwent Austin Moore hemiarthroplasty alone (group B). The patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically at 3 and 6 months postoperatively and annually thereafter. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in thigh pain score between the two groups. At 3- and 6-month follow-up, 88% and 83% of group A patients experienced no pain or mild thigh pain, compared with 72% and 76% in group B, respectively. The radiographs revealed more stem subsidence and calcar osteolysis in group B than in group A (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, in both groups there was a correlation between calcar atrophy, stem subsidence, and early clinical thigh pain score (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that, whereas the radiologic findings in both groups may be related to thigh pain, they had little effect on the rate of femoral stem revision. We believe that the application of a corticocancellous bone plug in uncemented hip hemiarthroplasty for treatment of femoral neck fractures can decrease the incidence of early thigh pain in the first 6 months.

Hydroxyapatite-coated total hip replacement in Paget's disease: 20 patients followed for 4-8 years.

20 patients, who had had total hip replacements for symptomatic osteoarthrosis secondary to Paget's disease, were followed for a mean of 6 (4-8) years. Proximal hydroxyapatite-coated stems were implanted in all patients. 12 patients received hydroxyapatite-coated, 2 cemented (Muller type) and 6 cementless cups (Morsher type). The mean Harris hip score was 31 (7-40) points preoperatively and 88 (74-100) postoperatively. The radiographic evaluation revealed good stability and fixation using Engh's criteria. One stem subsided early more than 5 mm and then seemed to stabilize. Our findings support the use of hydroxyapatite total hip implants for patients with this disease and osteoarthrosis.

The role of computed tomography in cervical spinal injury due to diving.

We studied both the clinical features and computed tomography (CT) findings in 25 patients with a cervical spinal injury related to diving. In all patients the X-rays, including anteroposterior, lateral and open mouth views, were normal. The clinical features included headache, dizziness, without an alteration in the state of consciousness. In 5 patients, the CT spinal scan revealed cervical spinal injury unrecognised on X-ray. In 4 of them, the mechanism of the trauma was a direct injury to the head when it hit the bottom of the pool; in 1 patient, the mechanism was indirect injury transmitted from the stretched hands to the cervical spine. We conclude that the cervical spinal injury caused by diving should be evaluated selectively by CT spinal scan in patients with direct cervical injury, even if the clinical and roentgenographic results appear negative.

Hydroxyapatite-coated total hip replacements in patients 65 years of age and over.

Prospective review examined 69 patients aged over 65 years (mean: 73 years; range: 65 to 85 years) who underwent 72 primary hydroxyapatite-coated total hip replacements by one surgeon. The femoral component used was titanium alloy coated by hydroxyapatite on the proximal third and the acetabular component was spherical and unthreaded, coated with hydroxyapatite. All patients were evaluated clinically by Harris Hip Score and radiologically using Engh's criteria with a mean follow-up of 86 months (range: 29 months to 10 years). Preoperative radiologic evaluation for osteoporotic bone using the Singh index was performed. Average Harris Hip Score increased from 45 before surgery to 89 at last follow-up. Two femoral and one-acetabular components were shown to probably be loose, but none was definitely loose or unstable by Engh's criteria. There was no correlation between clinical and radiologic results with respect to age, sex, and preoperative diagnosis. In contrast, significant statistical correlation was demonstrated between Charnley groups A or B, and group C, with regard to the Harris Hip Score (p = 0.047). There was no correlation between Charnley groups and radiological results. There was no statistical difference between patients with osteoporotic bone (Singh 1-3) and non-osteoporotic bone (Singh 4-6) with respect to clinical and radiologic evaluation. These early clinical and radiologic results compare favorably with those of hydroxyapatite-coated total hip replacements for younger patients and cemented total hip replacements in older patients. We recommended that hydroxyapatite-coated total hip replacements should not be reserved for younger patients. They can be used safely in patients over 65 years of age, promising minimal postoperative thigh pain and satisfactory clinical and radiologic results.

Hydroxyapatite-coated total hip arthroplasty in osteoporotic patients.

A prospective review was performed on 22 osteoporotic patients (rated from 1 to 3 on the Singh Index) with hydroxyapatite-coated total hip replacements. These results were compared with a control group (Singh Index 4 to 6) of 45 patients (48 hips) with respect to clinical and radiographic data. Surgery was performed over a six-year period (1991 to 1996) and the time to follow-up evaluation averaged 5 years (range: 2 to 7 years). All patients, in both groups, were over 65 years old with an average age of 71 and 73 years, respectively. The pre-operative diagnoses and Harris hip scores were also similar for both groups. Clinical evaluation was based on the Harris Hip score and radiographic evaluations using Engh's criteria. There was no significant difference between the final average Harris hip score in the osteoporotic bone group, which was 87 points, and that for the control group, which was 91 points (p > 0.05). Radiographic evaluation demonstrated confirmed bone ingrowth in most patients in each group; one patient in each group had suspected bone ingrowth. No stems were revised for aseptic loosening and no endosteal lysis was found. Progressive bone formation was seen around the femoral stem proximally. The acetabular components demonstrated no sign of mechanical loosening or osteolysis. Bone formation was found in most patients in zone I, and in a few patients also in zone III. On the basis of the results of this study, it is believed that osteoporotic bone as a factor by itself should not compromise the early results of hydroxyapatite total hip arthroplasty and should provide good results in the long term.

The effect of intramedullary bone plug on femoral stem migration of hydroxyapatite-coated hip arthroplasty.

This study investigated the effect of intramedullary corticocancellous bone plug on the fixation and stability of hydroxyapatite-coated femoral stems in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Intramedullary corticocancellous bone plug was used in 30 patients with hydroxyapatite-coated femoral stems (group A) and a consecutive series of 30 patients with hypdroxyapatite-coated stems without bone plug served as the control group (group B). Patients underwent clinical and radiographic follow-up for at least 2 years. The addition of corticocancellous bone plug to the hydroxyapatite-coated stem significantly improved clinical and radiographic results. The mean Harris Hip Score at 3 and 6 months postoperatively was 92 and 94 in group A, and 84 and 87 points in group B (P<.004 and P<.001, respectively). There was no significant difference between groups at 1 year postoperatively and thereafter. The predominant cause for the difference was the thigh pain score, which was reduced at both 3 and 6 months in group A compared to group B (P<.01 and P<.05, respectively). There also were statistical differences between the two groups regarding radiographic signs. The evidence of endosteal bone formation in group A patients was superior at 3 and 6 months (P<.001 and P<.01, respectively). The appearance of a radiolucent line was significant in group B patients at 3 and 6 months (P<.001). Femoral stem migration of 3 mm was noted in three group B patients versus no group A patients (P<.05). These short-term clinical and radiographic results suggest corticocancellous bone plug can provide early pain relief and durable implant fixation, but long-term follow-up should be considered.

Intraosseous ganglia of glenoid.

A rare case of intraosseous ganglia of the glenoid in a 35-year-old woman is presented. The patient had painful right shoulder and no limit of motion. Radiographs and computed tomographic scans showed a large lytic lesion involving the entire glenoid bone. The patient was treated by curettage and autocorticocancellous bone graft. Six months after the operation, the patient has an excellent clinical outcome and radiologic sign of integration of the bone graft. Few cases of intraosseous ganglia of the glenoid have been reported, but none with the entire glenoid involvement.

Incidental finding of chondroid lipoma at total hip arthroplasty.

Chondroid lipoma is a rare, benign, lipomatous soft tissue tumor that manifests as a painless lump. We report the incidental finding of such a tumor at total hip replacement and briefly review the literature regarding the histopathologic features of this recently described neoplasm.

Railway train versus motor vehicle collisions: a comparative study of injury severity and patterns.

OBJECTIVE: This study compares the demographics, injury severity, resource use, and injury patterns of patients involved in railway train-motor vehicle (RT-MV) to motor vehicle-motor vehicle (MV-MV) collisions. METHODS: Retrospective trauma registry review of 74 RT-MV and 1,931 MV-MV consecutive patients, age more than 14 years, presenting to two Level I trauma centers, January of 1991 to May of 1998. RESULTS: Compared with MV-MV, RT-MV had significantly more males (72% vs. 54%), higher mortality (15% vs. 7%), higher Injury Severity Score (median, 20 vs. 9), longer intensive care unit length of stay (1.7 vs. 0.04 days), and longer hospital length of stay (7.5 vs. 4 days). RT-MV patients had a higher percentage of scalp/facial lacerations; intracranial hemorrhage; hemothorax and pneumothorax; fractures of the rib/sternum, upper extremity, skull, and face; and lung, splenic, and renal injuries. After adjusting for the difference in Injury Severity Score between groups, the only remaining significant group difference was the odds of a scalp/facial laceration. CONCLUSION: RT-MV collisions are a marker for more severe injuries, but not a different pattern of injury, compared with MV-MV collisions.

Strain differences in neointimal hyperplasia in the rat.

We performed an initial screen of 11 rat strains by use of a standard balloon injury to the left iliac artery to observe whether genetically determined differences existed in the development of neointimal hyperplasia. Neointimal hyperplasia was assayed 8 weeks after the vascular injury on coded microscopic sections. Statistically significant differences in the percentages of the vascular wall cross-sectional areas composed of intima (percentage intima) secondary to neointimal hyperplasia were noted among the different rat strains (P<0.02), with the Brown-Norway (BN), Dark Agouti, and Milan normotensive strain rats having the highest and the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) having the lowest percentages of intima. In a separate experiment, F1 hybrids of SHRxBN strains and parental BN and SHR underwent the vascular injury, and the parental strains again showed a statistically significant difference from one another in the mean percentage of intima (P<0. 0001). The F1 hybrids showed an average percentage of intima intermediate between those of the parental strains. The average lumen size of the injured BN vessels were significantly smaller than that of the noninjured control vessels (P=0.044), but this significance disappeared when the circular areas of these vessels were calculated without taking neointimal growth into consideration (P=0.649). These results provide the groundwork for a genetic linkage analysis to identify the genes that influence the development of neointimal hyperplasia after vascular injury.

Humeral fracture following shoulder arthroplasty.

Fracture of the humeral shaft after total or hemiarthroplasty of the shoulder occurs infrequently but has serious consequences. This article reports on five patients with ipsilateral humeral fractures following shoulder hemiarthroplasty who were treated either conservatively or surgically. Fractures in the three patients treated conservatively healed on average by 7 months. The results were satisfactory in one patient and unsatisfactory in two patients. Both of these patients complained of pain and limitation of shoulder motion. Fractures in the two patients treated by open reduction and Mennen plate fixation healed on average by 2 months, resulting in a better outcome for these patients treated surgically.

Conservative versus surgical treatment for femoral fracture after total or hemiarthroplasty of hip.

This retrospective study compared internal fixation of a femoral fracture following total or hemiarthroplasty of hip with conservative treatment. Sixteen patients were included in the study and classified according to Johannsen. Seven of these patients were treated conservatively by skeletal traction (group A), while the remaining nine patients underwent internal fixation by Mennen plate in conjunction with bone graft (group B). All patients were followed for at least 2 years and evaluated clinically and radiographically using the Mayo Clinic score. The results of group B were superior to those of group A for fracture lines located proximally or extending distally to the tip of the prosthesis. Furthermore, two patients from group A in whom conservative treatment had failed underwent internal fixation, improving their final outcome. Regarding fracture distal to the tip of the prosthesis, there was no significant difference in final outcome between the groups. Our conclusion is that Mennen plate fixation should be considered the treatment of choice in femoral fracture around the tip of a prosthesis, and Mennen plate fixation for fracture distal to the tip should remain as a good option, especially for patients who would like to reduce the length of postoperative hospitalization.

Cementless coated and noncoated Mathys acetabular cups: radiographic and histologic evaluation.

This study evaluated 185 cementless Mathys coated and uncoated acetabular cups inserted for total hip replacement since September 1984. All of the cups were high-density polyethylene. Sixty were uncoated (group A), 96 were coated with hydroxyapatite (group B), and 29 were coated with titanium (group C). Cup survival was assessed clinically, histologically, and radiographically, and a computer-assisted EBRA method was used to evaluate cup migration. After a mean follow-up of 8 years, five cups in group A that had previously shown migration were revised as a result of aseptic loosening, while no loosening of hip sockets occurred in groups B and C. These results suggest that Mathys cups should be used only if coated with hydroxyapatite or titanium. Furthermore, the histologic evaluation in four cups from groups B and C revealed normal bone formation without inflammation or fibrotic tissue around the cups, promising long-term survival.