[Concepts of the German Society of Tropical Surgery]. / Konzepte der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Tropenchirurgie (DTC).

The DTC promotes access to surgical care facilities of acceptable medical quality for all people in third world countries. To achieve this goal following concepts and activities are persued: Establishment of a 2-year training programme district surgery Postgraduate surgical training in Germany Workshops and annual scientific meetings Development of adapted surgical technologies Cooperation with national and international organisations Promotion of north-south partnerships between colleagues and hospitals.

Ischemia after carotid endarterectomy: comparison between transcranial Doppler sonography and diffusion-weighted MR imaging.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hyperintense signals on diffusion-weighted MR images (DWIs) are believed to correspond accurately with cerebral ischemic events. Intraoperative transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) can reveal hemodynamic and embolic events during carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Our purpose was to determine whether the occurrence of hyperintense signals on postoperative DWIs corresponds to intraoperative embolic or hemodynamic events. METHODS: Seventy-seven CEAs were monitored intraoperatively with TCD to record blood flow velocity changes after cross clamping to ascertain the presence of adequate collateral flow and to record microembolic signals. DWI was used to classify the hemisphere ipsilateral to the CEA by type: 0, no lesions (n = 51); I, cortical lesions only (n = 2); II, subcortical white matter lesions only (n = 6); III, mixed type with cortical and subcortical lesions (n = 11); IV, large territorial infarcts (n = 6); and V, other types of lesions (n = 1). RESULTS: Neither the five clinical events (one transient ischemic attack, two minor strokes, and two major strokes) nor any DWI type (I-V) showed a relationship to blood velocity decreases after cross clamping or, in patients who were selectively shunted, to total ischemic time necessary for shunt insertion and removal. Total microembolic signal count was significantly higher in the five CEAs with clinical events than in those without. It was also higher on the DWIs showing a hyperintense lesion as compared with DWIs showing no lesion. CONCLUSION: Apart from lesions corresponding to clinical deficits, CEA is associated with a substantial number of small areas of brain tissue at risk for irreversible ischemia. The main cause of intraoperative stroke seems to be embolism, suggesting that microembolic signals in CEA are highly relevant events for brain tissue.

High rates of appendicectomy in a developing country: an attempt to contribute to a more rational use of surgical resources.

OBJECTIVE: In view of the high appendicectomy rate in a university teaching hospital in a developing country, we investigated the regional epidemiology of appendicitis. DESIGN: Prospective clinical and pathological study. SETTING: Teaching hospital, Madagascar. SUBJECTS: 165 patients who underwent appendicectomy during a two month period. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical investigation and histopathological examination of removed appendixes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Appendicitis score, local incidence of appendicectomy, appendicitis, perforation, and negative appendicectomy. RESULTS: There was a high incidence of primary appendicectomy (51.1/10,000 population/year) in relation to the incidence of histologically confirmed appendicitis (7.7/10,000), resulting in a negative appendicectomy rate of 85% (43/10,000). There were considerable sex related differences in the incidence of primary appendicectomy (81/10,000 women/year; 22/10,000 men), appendicectomy for appendicitis (12/10,000 women/year; 4/10,000 men) and non-perforating appendicitis (8/10,000 women/year; 2/10,000 men), but much less in that of perforating appendicitis (4/10,000 women/year; 2/10,000 men). CONCLUSION: There is potential for more economic use of medical resources by reducing the rate of negative appendicectomy. The incidence of non-perforating appendicitis depends on the number of appendicectomies done, which may explain the differences observed in the incidence of appendicitis between industrialised and developing countries.

[Current proctology--modern functional diagnosis]. / Aktuelle Proktologie--Moderne Funktionsdiagnostik.

The large majority of pathological conditions in proctology can be recognized and distinguished from each other by clinical and endoscopic means of diagnosis. Manometric and neurophysiological investigations are especially useful for understanding pathophysiology; these methods are of great clinical value whenever their results contribute to a specific concept of therapy. Functional tests are able to distinguish among the various causes of sphincteric dysfunction. Defaecography might provide the decisive hint for operative treatment for manometric investigations of the ano-rectum, balloons, perfusion tubes and microtransducers are available. In cases of incontinence, especially in females, endosonography is the investigation of choice, providing most relevant information with regard to possible surgical reconstruction of the sphincter muscle.

[Complexity-oriented surgical strategies in vesicovaginal fistulas]. / Komplexitätsorientierte Operationsstrategien bei vesiko-vaginalen Fisteln.

Since 1975 a total of 55 patients with vesicovaginal fistulas have undergone surgery at the Clinic of Urology, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar. A majority (55%) of the cases were complicated. In 9 cases supravesical urinary diversion was necessary. Successful closure of the fistula was achieved in 45 patients (81.8%); only in one case is the fistula still present. In 5 patients with uncomplicated fistulas successful closure was accomplished by a vaginal approach. In the presence of complications, e.g., previous radiotherapy or accompanying lesions of the ureter or rectum, a transvesical/transabdominal approach was preferred; surgery was successful in 93.3% of such cases.

[Endosonography of the rectum]. / Endosonographie des Rektums.

Endorectal ultrasound is proving to be a very accurate method for the preoperative staging of cancer. The tumor penetration depth is assessed with an accuracy of more than 90% for all T stages. The preoperative endosonographic evaluation of lymph nodes is superior to other imaging modalities, being more than 80% accurate in comparison to CT and lymphoscintigraphy. It is relatively easy to perform and inexpensive compared with other imaging modalities. It has proved its influence on decision making, selection for local therapy, planning of radiotherapy and reoperation of early tumor recurrencies.

[Secondary arthrosis after surgical treatment of ankle fractures]. / Die sekundäre Arthrose nach operativ versorgten Sprunggelenksfrakturen.

98 patients were clinically and radiographically examined 2 to 9 years following the osteosynthesis of ankle fractures. The rate of secondary osteoarthritis was 70% including 40% of minor, 17% of medium and 13% of serious changes. Depending on the injured structures and frequency of posttraumatic osteoarthritis varies. Medium and serious radiology changes cause obvious dysfunction in 56% and 62% respectively. Joints free of Osteoarthritis one year after the injury will not develop secondary osteoarthritis later.