Local epinephrine facilitates laparoscopic Heller myotomy.

Incomplete myotomy and mucosal perforation are the most common technical complications of laparoscopic esophageal myotomy. The muscle layers of the lower esophagus are infiltrated with a 1:100,000 epinephrine solution using a thin needle. Gentle pressure is applied with a peanut sponge to diminish the edema produced by the injections. The longitudinal fibers are separated with a dissector and the semicircular fibers are lifted from the submucosa with a dissector or a hook. The muscle transection is done simply by tearing the fibers or cutting them with scissors. No coagulation is required. Infiltration and topical application of epinephrine solution allowed the performance of 22 laparoscopic esophageal myotomies with excellent visualization, complete muscle division, and without any esophageal or gastric perforation. Injection and topical application of epinephrine solution to the area of the esophagus and stomach which will be subjected to myotomy greatly facilitates the procedure and helps to avoid complications.

Laparoscopic anatomy of the region of the esophageal hiatus.

BACKGROUND: The wide patient acceptance of hiatal and gastroesophageal surgery performed by laparoscopy has suddenly generated a large volume of procedures frequently done by surgeons with limited experience in this area. This has resulted in an excessive number of complications. Knowledge of the normal and pathologic laparoscopic anatomy is essential for safe dissection around the esophageal hiatus. METHODS: This description is based on the experience gained during 850 open and 150 laparoscopic surgeries in and around the hiatus and on the review of the literature. RESULTS: Laparoscopic approach, dissection, and accessibility of the hiatus and surrounding organs are different than those experienced through cadaveric dissection and open surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: Clear understanding of the normal and pathologic anatomy and its variations facilitates laparoscopic dissection of the hiatus and neighboring structures and should help the surgeon avoid complications.

Laparoscopic cholecystostomy with delayed cholecystectomy as an alternative to conversion to open procedure.

BACKGROUND: Acute cholecystitis carries the highest incidence of conversion from planned laparoscopic cholecystectomy to open surgery due to unclear anatomy, excessive bleeding, complications, or other technical reasons. METHODS: Laparoscopic tube cholecystostomy was performed instead of immediate conversion to laparotomy in 9 patients with acute cholecystitis after unsuccessful attempts at laparoscopic dissection. Elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy was done 3 months later. RESULTS: Following this approach eight patients were treated successfully. After 3 months the acute process had subsided sufficiently to allow a safe laparoscopic cholecystectomy. One additional patient died of acute leukemia 6 weeks after cholecystostomy. Before adopting this technique we subjected 171 patients with acute calculous cholecystitis to laparoscopic cholecystectomy; there was an 11% (19 cases) rate of conversion. Since cholecystostomy has begun to be offered as an alternative to conversion, 121 patients with acute cholecystitis have had laparoscopic cholecystectomy and only 2 cases (1.5%) have been converted to immediate open cholecystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the alternative of performing a cholecystostomy with delayed laparoscopic cholecystectomy instead of conversion to open procedure when facing a case of acute cholecystitis not amenable to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Intraoperative trans-gallbladder cholangiography intended to delineate bile duct anatomy.

Intraoperative cholangiography has been recommended to lower the incidence and severity of biliary tract injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However a literature review of common bile duct (CBD) injuries does not appear to support this concept. Most cystic duct cholangiographies disclose the injury after the fact. This study was designed to compare the technical difficulties and complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in three groups of patients: Group 1 underwent intraoperative cholangiography through the gallbladder (n = 288), group 2 underwent intraoperative cholangiography through the cystic duct (n = 162), and group 3 did not undergo cholangiography (n = 227). Cholecystectomies were defined as "difficult" if there was a need to convert to open procedure in the absence of an accidental complication, or if estimated blood loss was over 100 ml, and/or if operating time was over 2 h. Difficult cholecystectomies were encountered in 34% of patients in group 2 and 28.2% of patients in group 3, but in only 7.6% of patients in group 1. Technical complications (bleeding, bile leak, common bile duct injury, retained common bile duct stones, false positive choledocholithiasis, pancreatitis, and trocar injuries) occurred in 11.7% of cases in group 2, 4.4% in group 3, and in only 1.4% of group 1. Intraoperative cholangiography performed through the gallbladder before any dissection was initiated significantly facilitated the operation and helped decrease the incidence of technical complications.

Attempts to aid the adaptation of pelvic pouch before temporary ileostomy closure.

Most patients experience a high stool frequency immediately following the closure of the temporary ileostomy after total colectomy and ileoanal pouch reconstruction. Adaptation occurs within the ensuing weeks to reach a plateau in about three months. Increasing volumes of liquid nutrients were injected, twice daily for two months, into the pelvic pouch through a mucous ileal fistula proximal to the pouch before closing the temporary ileostomy. With this method the number of evacuations per 24 hours was significantly reduced during the first few weeks following the reestablishment of intestinal continuity, compared with a control group (average, 8.5 vs. 18.2, respectively). Patients also had better continence and less urgency to defecate. We suggest this technique in patients undergoing pelvic ileal reconstruction with temporary ileostomy.

Laparoscopic technique for repair of paraesophageal hiatal hernias.

Paraesophageal hernias represent a distinct group of hiatal hernias characterized by their potential for devastating complications. Between 1976 and 1992, a total of 270 surgeries were performed for hiatal hernias at Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California, of which 33 were pure paraesophageal, without reflux. Starting in September 1991, a laparoscopic technique was used for repair of five out of six attempted cases of paraesophageal hiatal hernias. The closure of the hiatal defect was accomplished with mesh stapled to the edges of the hiatus in front of the esophagus. A gastropexy was added attaching the stomach to the diaphragm. This procedure proved to be technically easy and safe, and resulted in less discomfort and faster recovery of the patients when compared to the open procedure. This laparoscopic repair should be considered as a good alternative to the open techniques for paraesophageal hiatal hernias without reflux.

Pharmacologic hemostasis in laparoscopy: topical epinephrine facilitates cholecystectomy.

Bleeding may become a major impediment to accurate and safe dissection by laparoscopy. The traditional maneuvers of pressure, dumping, irrigation, and aspiration frequently applied during open procedures to maintain a clear field of dissection are cumbersome through laparoscopy. Several pharmacologic agents have been used topically or by local injection to stop bleeding or to prevent excessive blood loss during surgical procedures. They include calcium alginate, aluminum salts, silver nitrate, formalin, and coagulating agents like thrombin and collagens, all of which leave a layer of damaged tissue or foreign material on the surface. Epinephrine and vasopressin have been employed mostly by local injections. We report the use of topical epinephrine applied before and during the dissection of the cystic duct and artery area in the course of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A 3/8-inch gauze sponge, impregnated with a 1:10,000 epinephrine solution, was used to blanch the tissues and to bluntly dissect the cystic duct and artery. It was also used to control minor bleeding in the gallbladder fossa. The prophylactic bleeding control with topical epinephrine proved to be an easy and safe maneuver, and greatly facilitated the dissection of the most critical areas during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This technique may be applicable to laparoscopic dissection for other procedures.

Intraoperative cholangiography for laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Intraoperative cholangiography in the course of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not only valuable to detect common bile duct stones, but also to delineate the anatomy of the biliary ducts, facilitate the dissection, avoid injuries to the biliary tract and identify other abnormalities, such as fistulas, cysts and tumors of the biliary system. Most surgeons use a variation of the transcystic injection of contrast. We describe herein a technique of cholangiography through the gallbladder, performed before starting any dissection in the cystic duct area, which has resulted in a rate of 92 percent of adequate cholangiograms and has proved to be easier, by far, and safer than the transcystic technique. A comparison was made between 405 instances of open cholecystectomies and 200 laparoscopic cholecystectomies with transcystic cholangiograms and 105 laparoscopic cholecystectomies with cholangiograms done through the gallbladder. All instances were done for symptomatic chronic or acute calculous cholecystitis. Satisfactory cholangiograms were obtained in 95 percent of open cholecystectomies and in only 68 percent of transcystic laparoscopic attempts. Complications and false-positive findings were seen in transcystic laparoscopic procedures in five and six instances, respectively. Cholangiography performed through the gallbladder was 100 percent successful among 73 patients with chronic cholecystitis and in 66 percent of 32 patients with acute calculous cholecystitis. For optimal visualization of the bile ducts, it is essential to exert pressure on the gallbladder after the injection of contrast to advance the contrast through the cystic duct. This is greatly facilitated by the use of a double-balloon catheter to avoid leak at the site of the gallbladder puncture.

The role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Patients with acute appendicitis who present with an atypical clinical picture are frequently subjected to a series of laboratory and x ray tests and sometimes to prolonged observation before surgery. There is a significant number of normal appendixes found at laparotomy, particularly in some subgroups of patients such as the immunocompromised, the elderly, and the young woman. Laparoscopy was done in 38 patients with right lower quadrant pain of undetermined cause after extensive diagnostic efforts. This group of patients included men and women with an even distribution of ages between 20 and 78 years. Laparoscopy was done under local anesthesia to better establish the site of pain if no obvious pathology could be visualized. Acute appendicitis was confirmed in only 26.3 per cent of the cases, and a wide variety of nonappendiceal diseases were identified, the majority of them requiring no surgery. Diagnostic laparoscopy performed under local anesthesia should be considered in patients suspected to have acute appendicitis, regardless of age and sex, who present with an atypical picture and who still offer diagnostic doubts after other available conventional tests.

[Laparoscopy in acute appendicitis]. / Laparoscopia en la apendicitis aguda.

Our experience shows that laparoscopy is an excellent diagnostic method in cases where acute appendicitis is suspected, but when the clinical picture and tests are equivocal. Laparoscopy can help diagnose other abdominal conditions mimicking acute appendicitis and, in addition, may be used to remove the appendix in most cases, with advantages over open surgery.

Diaphragmatic hernia through the foramen of Morgagni: laparoscopic repair case report.

Laparoscopic repair of a diaphragmatic hernia through the foramen of Morgagni in a 67-year-old woman with symptoms of partial colon obstruction is described. The patient had a prompt and complete recovery with no evidence of recurrence one year after surgery. The technique, which incorporates the rectus abdominal fascia in the repair, may be suitable for other laparoscopic surgical procedures.

Early diagnosis of adenocarcinoma developing in Barrett's esophagus.

Fifty-eight patients had surgery for carcinoma of the esophagus at Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, Calif, from 1976 to 1986. Esophagectomy with reconstruction by colon interposition was done in 24 patients with adenocarcinoma arising in columnar-lined epithelium (Barrett's). In 5 patients, obstructive symptoms had not yet developed and the diagnosis was made by endoscopy performed for evaluation of gastroesophageal reflux. Dysphagia had just started in 12 additional patients and no weight loss had been noted. The operation was palliative in 14 patients and potentially curative in the other 10. Only 3 patients had negative lymph nodes. Ten patients were alive after 2 to 11 years. Encouraging results were indicated for surgical treatment of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus developing in Barrett's epithelium. A good outcome can be obtained with resection even in patients with lymph node metastases.

Local recurrence of adenocarcinoma of the rectosigmoid. Is postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy justified?

Adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy has been suggested for adenocarcinoma of the rectum and sigmoid colon to reduce the incidence of local recurrences. Determination of this incidence is necessary to optimally employ such adjuvant therapies. Ninety-nine patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectum or sigmoid who had surgery from 1976-1984 were reviewed. Follow-up ranged from one to eight years (average 4.1 years). Twenty-three patients had gross unresected residual tumor due to local invasion. Fifteen of the remaining 76 have developed recurrences (20 percent). Two patients (2.6 percent) had local recurrences without concurrent regional or distant metastases. Thus local recurrences rarely are encountered without concurrent regional or distant metastases. Therefore, postoperative radiation therapy to prevent local recurrences is not justified, given the small number of patients potentially benefited. Treatment modalities will need to address regional and distant metastases in addition to local recurrences.

Polypoid peritoneal metastases from carcinoid neoplasms.

Two cases of lethal carcinoid neoplasia that involved unusual polypoid intraperitoneal metastases rather than the usual flat, sclerotic foci are reported. This type of intraperitoneal polypoid carcinomatosis should alert both the surgeon and pathologist to the possibility of carcinoid neoplasia.

Eosinophilic esophagitis in a patient with vigorous achalasia.

A patient with vigorous achalasia is presented who had marked smooth muscle hypertrophy and eosinophilic infiltration of the esophagus identical to that seen in patients with eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Eosinophilic infiltration of the esophagus probably represents a variant of the eosinophilic gastroenteritis syndrome and may predispose to an esophageal motor disorder.