Prospective randomized comparison of oral sodium phosphate and sennoside A+B calcium lavage for colonoscopy preparation.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to assess 2 different bowel-cleansing agents. METHODS: The patients were prospectively randomized to 2 arms of sodium phosphate versus Sennoside A+B calcium preparation. Laboratory assessment, body weight, height, and vital signs were obtained at baseline and before colonoscopy. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by the patients. The time taken to complete the colonoscopy and the segment of the colon examined were recorded. RESULTS: The patients in the Sennoside A+B calcium group were more comfortable with the taste of the solution. Patients using sodium phosphate faced more nausea and significantly lower Ca levels and P values. The pulse rate was significantly higher in this group. Patients in the sennoside group had better grades of bowel cleansing in sigmoid and descending segments of the colon. CONCLUSIONS: Sennoside A+B calcium is more effective in some of the colonic segmental cleansing, causes fewer changes on serum electrolyte levels, and is better tolerated.

Left-sided paraduodenal hernia: report of a case.

Paraduodenal hernias are rare congenital malformations consisting of incomplete rotation of the midgut, which may lead to intestinal obstruction or simply be detected as an incidental finding at autopsy or laparotomy. We report a case of left paraduodenal hernia diagnosed preoperatively by computed tomography and operated on in an emergency setting for signs of peritoneal irritation. A misdiagnosis had been made when the patient suffered his first attack 6 months earlier and he had been treated for familial Mediterranean fever. We reduced the small bowel loops from the left paraduodenal hernia sac with ligation and transection of the inferior mesenteric vessels. The patient was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 4 after an uneventful recovery.

Does bilateral superficial cervical plexus block decrease analgesic requirement after thyroid surgery?

In this randomized, double-blind and controlled study we evaluated and compared the analgesic efficacy of bilateral superficial cervical plexus block and local anesthetic wound infiltration after thyroid surgery. Forty-five patients were assigned to 3 groups. After general anesthesia induction, bilateral superficial cervical plexus block with 0.25% bupivacaine 15 mL in each side was performed in Group I, and local anesthetic wound infiltration with 0.25% bupivacaine 20 mL was performed in Group II. In Group III (control) no regional block was administered. Intravenous patient-controlled analgesia was used to evaluate postoperative analgesic requirement. Neither visual analog scale scores nor total patient-controlled analgesia doses were different among groups. We concluded that bilateral superficial cervical plexus block or local anesthetic wound infiltration with 0.25% bupivacaine did not decrease analgesic requirement after thyroid surgery.

Use of resterilized polypropylene mesh in inguinal hernia repair: a prospective, randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Inguinal hernia repair consumes considerable health-care resources worldwide. Open mesh repairs are commonly used and the feasibility of using a resterilized mesh, which is a general practice in certain countries, has not been evaluated. STUDY DESIGN: In this randomized prospective study, original and resterilized meshes were used in two groups of patients with unilateral inguinal hernia. Microbiologic changes, textile mechanical properties, overall complication rates, and cost-effectiveness of resterilized mesh were investigated. A time period of 3 years was determined for patient enrollment to this pilot feasibility study, with the goal of 100 patients in each group. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients were enrolled in the original group and 93 in the resterilized mesh group. Median followup was 735 and 739 days and calculated interquartile ranges were 454 and 513 days, respectively. Average tensile strength of the original polypropylene mesh changed slightly with resterilization, as maximum load decreased from a mean of 66.6 to 58.2 N/cm. Overall complication rates were similar in the two groups. The 6.6% infection rate in the original mesh group was not statistically different from the 7.5% rate in the resterilized group (p = 0.80, relative risk = 0.88, 95% confidence interval, 0.31-2.51). There was only one recurrence in the original mesh group in the 21st month. Use of a resterilized mesh decreased the overall cost of operation by decreasing the cost of mesh from 15.9% to 8.3% of the total amount. CONCLUSIONS: Use of a resterilized mesh for inguinal hernia repair is feasible without considerable changes in infection and recurrence rates.

Early prediction of normocalcemia after thyroid surgery.

Hypocalcemia is the principal factor that determines length of hospital stay after thyroid surgery. Seventy-nine patients who underwent thyroidectomy were prospectively evaluated in order to define risk factors for postoperative hypocalcemia. Serum samples were taken postoperatively at 8, 14, 24, and 48 hours to measure total calcium levels. The slope of change in serum calcium level between each sample time was calculated. Patients were also examined for age, gender, surgical indications, type and extension of surgery, thyroid function, presence of substernal extension, initial operation versus reoperation, and application of parathyroid autotransplantation. All comparisons were made between hypocalcemic and normocalcemic groups. Hypocalcemia occurred in 15 (19%) patients. In univariate analysis, type and extent of thyroidectomy, serum calcium levels at each time point, as well as the slope of change in serum total calcium levels between 8 and 14 hours were found to be significantly predictive of normocalcemia. All patients who underwent hemithyroidectomy and who had a positive or neutral slope of calcium change after surgery remained normocalcemic. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, only the slope of change in calcium levels within the first 14 postoperative hours independently predicted calcium status after thyroidectomy. All patients who undergo unilateral thyroid surgery who have a positive/neutral slope of change in serum total calcium levels within the first 14 hours after surgery can be safely discharged early if they have no other risks.

Retained abdominal gallstones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Although gallbladder perforation with spillage of bile and gallstones is quite common, the approach to retained gallstones in the abdomen still is controversial. METHODS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) was performed on 580 patients with gallstones. In 101 (17%) patients, gallbladder perforations occurred during surgery, and in 43 (7%) patients, stone(s) were spilled into the peritoneal cavity. In 24 (4%) patients, gallstone(s) were not cleared entirely from the peritoneal cavity. These patients were invited to return for physical examination and biochemical tests. To investigate the retained abdominal gallstone(s) computed tomography was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were investigated. After a median follow-up period of 121 months, retained abdominal gallstone(s) were shown in 2 patients by computed tomography. Biochemical tests were normal except in 1 patient with chronic hepatitis. All of the patients were happy with their surgical results. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed no harm caused by retained abdominal gallstone(s) during LC after long-term follow-up evaluation.