Utilization of the Iliac Artery as Inflow in the Morbidly Obese During Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: A Case Report.

Arterial conduits are a well-recognized technique used in liver transplantation to achieve allograft arterial inflow when conventional hepatic arterial inflow is compromised. Indications for ectopic inflow include native arterial disease at the time of initial transplantation, as well as reconstruction in the setting of thrombotic complications. Although supraceliac or infrarenal aortic reconstructions are preferred approaches, the right common iliac artery represents a viable alternative. We present the case of a morbidly obese patient with occlusive atheromatous plaque at the celiac origin not amenable to preoperative angioplasty who underwent reconstruction with a donor iliac artery conduit to the recipient right common iliac artery. His hepatic arterial inflow remained patent postoperatively with no thrombotic or hemorrhagic complications.

Mobile Health in Solid Organ Transplant: The Time Is Now.

Despite being in existence for >40 years, the application of telemedicine has lagged significantly in comparison to its generated interest. Detractors include the immobile design of most historic telemedicine interventions and the relative lack of smartphones among the general populace. Recently, the exponential increase in smartphone ownership and familiarity have provided the potential for the development of mobile health (mHealth) interventions that can be mirrored realistically in clinical applications. Existing studies have demonstrated some potential clinical benefits of mHealth in the various phases of solid organ transplantation (SOT). Furthermore, studies in nontransplant chronic diseases may be used to guide future studies in SOT. Nevertheless, substantially more must be accomplished before mHealth becomes mainstream. Further evidence of clinical benefits and a critical need for cost-effectiveness analysis must prove its utility to patients, clinicians, hospitals, insurers, and the federal government. The SOT population is an ideal one in which to demonstrate the benefits of mHealth. In this review, the current evidence and status of mHealth in SOT is discussed, and a general path forward is presented that will allow buy-in from the health care community, insurers, and the federal government to move mHealth from research to standard care.

Clinical outcomes and costs associated with in-hospital biliary complications after liver transplantation: a cross-sectional analysis.

INTRODUCTION: In-hospital biliary complications (BCs) after liver transplantation (LT) are reported in up to 20 % of patients and contribute to poor outcomes and increased costs. Existing single-center outcome and cost analyses studies are limited in scope. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional analysis of national data involving 7,967 patients transplanted between 2011 and 2012 with the primary aim of determining the association between BCs and clinical outcomes and costs. Age, race, diagnosis, and severity of illness are associated with the development of BCs. RESULTS: BCs develop in 14.6 % of LT recipients and have substantial implications for perioperative outcomes, including length of hospital and ICU stay (27.9 vs 19.6 mean days, p < 0.001 and 12.0 vs 8.3 mean days, p < 0.001, respectively), in-hospital morbidity (39 vs 27 %, p < 0.001), 30-day readmissions (14.8 vs 11.2 %, p < 0.001), and in-hospital mortality (5.8 vs 4.0 %, p < 0.001). BCs contributed to a mean increase in in-hospital costs of $36,212 (p < 0.001), due to increases in accommodations ($9,539, p < 0.001), surgical services ($3,988, p < 0.001), and pharmacy services ($8,445, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: BCs are a predominant etiology for in-hospital morbidity and mortality, while contributing significantly to the high cost of LT. Efforts should be focused on understanding salient and modifiable risk factors, while developing innovative strategies to reduce BCs.

Improving transplant patient safety through pharmacist discharge medication reconciliation.

Greater than 50% of medication errors are estimated to occur during transitions of care, and solid-organ transplant recipients are at an increased risk for errors due to significant changes in their medication regimen following transplantation. This prospective, observational study with a historical control group was conducted to evaluate the discharge process for transplant recipients and determine if transplant pharmacist involvement would improve safety. During the prospective period, a total of 191 errors were made on discharge medication reconciliations (n = 64, mean rate 3.0 per patient); however, pharmacists prevented 119 of these errors (1.9 errors per patient). In the retrospective period, none of the 430 errors identified were prevented at the time of discharge (n = 128, p < 0.0001). The 72 errors not prevented at the time of discharge in the prospective cohort were identified by the pharmacist at the patient's first clinic visit (1.1 errors per patient). In the historical cohort, all 430 errors made at discharge persisted until at least the time of the first clinic visit (3.4 errors per patient, p < 0.0001). This study demonstrates that transplant recipients are at a high risk for medication errors and that transplant pharmacist involvement leads to improved safety through the significant reduction of medication errors.

Early aspirin therapy may reduce hepatic artery thrombosis in liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) remains among the leading causes of early graft loss after liver transplantation. Our transplant center began using universal aspirin prophylactic therapy immediately posttransplantation in 2007. The aim of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of early aspirin therapy on clinical outcomes. METHODS: This large-scale, cross-sectional analysis included all adult liver transplantations performed between 2000 and 2009. Pediatric and multiorgan transplants were excluded. Patients were grouped and compared based on whether they received early initiation of aspirin 325 mg PO daily posttransplantation. RESULTS: A total of 541 adult liver transplantations occurred during the study period; 439 had complete documentation and were analyzed. Clinical outcomes show aspirin patients had similar rates of early and late HAT, but had significantly lower early HAT, defined as HAT occurring within the first 30 days posttransplant, leading to graft loss. Other clinical outcomes were similar between groups including bleeding events and wound complications. CONCLUSIONS: Immediate initiation of aspirin therapy after liver transplantation may reduce the rate of HAT leading to early graft loss, without increasing bleeding or other complication rates.

Potential differences in kidney allograft outcomes between ethnicities when converting to sirolimus base immunosuppression.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether ethnicity impacts graft outcomes in kidney transplant patients converted to sirolimus (SRL) and maintained on either calcineurin inhibitors (CI) or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) with steroids. METHODS: This study analyzed kidney transplants converted to SRL and transplanted between July 1991 and April 2007. Patients were divided into 4 groups: group 1: African-Americans converted to SRL + CI; group 2: non-African-Americans converted to SRL + CI; group 3: African-Americans converted to SRL + MMF; group 4: non-African-Americans converted to SRL + MMF. RESULTS: A total of 242 patients was included. Demographics, baseline immunosuppression, and reason for SRL conversion were similar among groups. Patients converted to SRL + CI regimens had significantly higher rates of acute rejection before SRL conversion, but equal rates after conversion. Development of proteinuria was similar across groups. African-American patients converted to SRL + MMF tended to have poorer outcomes compared with African-American patients converted to SRL + CI. Non-African-American patients converted to SRL + MMF tended to have better graft outcomes compared with non-African-American patients converted to SRL + CI. CONCLUSIONS: African-Americans converted to SRL may benefit from continued CI, whereas non-African-Americans converted to SRL seem to have better outcomes with MMF. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

Pin-site myiasis: a rare complication of halo orthosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Case report. OBJECTIVE: To report a rare complication following halo placement for cervical fracture. SETTING: United States University Teaching Hospital. CASE REPORT: A 39-year-old woman who sustained a spinal cord injury from a C6-7 fracture underwent halo placement. She subsequently developed an infection adjacent to the right posterior pin, which then became infected with Diptera larvae (maggots), necessitating removal of the pin and debridement of the wound site. CONCLUSION: Halo orthosis continues to be an effective means of immobilizing the cervical spine. Incidence of complications ranges from 6.4 to 36.0% of cases. Commonly reported complications include pin-site infection, pin penetration, pin loosening, pressure sores, nerve injury, bleeding, and head ring migration. Pin-site myiasis is rare, with no known reports found in the literature. Poor pin-site care by the patient and her failure to keep follow-up appointments after development of the initial infection likely contributed to the development of this complication.

Persistent autoregulatory disturbance after angioplasty for cerebral vasospasm. A case report.

SUMMARY: Hyperdynamic therapy, consisting of hypervolemia, haemodilution, and hypertension, is an established treatment for cerebral vasospasm following subarachnoid haemorrhage. Angioplasty has emerged as an additional, effective treatment for symptomatic vasospasm. Loss of autoregulation, however, can occur despite effective angioplasty, underscoring the need for treatment with hyperdynamic therapy in combination with angioplasty. A 43-year-old woman underwent endovascular coiling of a ruptured left posterior communicating artery aneurysm. The patient went on to develop symptomatic vasospasm and was treated with hyperdynamic therapy and angioplasty. Autoregulation was assessed with xenon CT cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement. An initial CBF study was obtained when the patient received dopamine and dobutamine infusions to maintain systolic blood pressure at 160 mmHg. The vasopressor drips were then temporarily held for twenty minutes, allowing the patient's systolic blood pressure to drop to 140 mmHg, and a repeat CBF study was obtained. Several days after angioplasty, CBF decreased significantly when the patient was taken off vasopressors, indicating impaired autoregulation. Hyperdynamic therapy was continued, and another CBF study one week later showed a return of autoregulation and normalization of CBF without induced hypertension. Autoregulation is disturbed during vasospasm. Although angioplasty can improve large artery blood flow during vasospasm, hyperdynamic therapy is also needed to maintain cerebral perfusion, particularly in the face of impaired autoregulation. Quantitative CBF measurement permits the maintenance of optimal CBF and monitoring of response to therapy.

Stereotactic navigation for placement of pedicle screws in the thoracic spine.

OBJECTIVE: Pedicle screw fixation in the lumbar spine has become the standard of care for various causes of spinal instability. However, because of the smaller size and more complex morphology of the thoracic pedicle, screw placement in the thoracic spine can be extremely challenging. In several published series, cortical violations have been reported in up to 50% of screws placed with standard fluoroscopic techniques. The goal of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of thoracic pedicle screw placement by use of image-guided techniques. METHODS: During the past 4 years, 266 image-guided thoracic pedicle screws were placed in 65 patients at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Postoperative thin-cut computed tomographic scans were obtained in 52 of these patients who were available to enroll in the study. An impartial neuroradiologist evaluated 224 screws by use of a standardized grading scheme. All levels of the thoracic spine were included in the study. RESULTS: Chart review revealed no incidence of neurological, cardiovascular, or pulmonary injury. Of the 224 screws reviewed, there were 19 cortical violations (8.5%). Eleven (4.9%) were Grade II (< or =2 mm), and eight (3.6%) were Grade III (>2 mm) violations. Only five screws (2.2%), however, were thought to exhibit unintentional, structurally significant violations. Statistical analysis revealed a significantly higher rate of cortical perforation in the midthoracic spine (T4-T8, 16.7%; T1-T4, 8.8%; and T9-T12, 5.6%). CONCLUSION: The low rate of cortical perforations (8.5%) and structurally significant violations (2.2%) in this retrospective series compares favorably with previously published results that used anatomic landmarks and intraoperative fluoroscopy. This study provides further evidence that stereotactic placement of pedicle screws can be performed safely and effectively at all levels of the thoracic spine.

Metastatic adenocarcinoma to the brain mimicking hemorrhage: case report.

BACKGROUND: Computerized tomography (CT) of metastatic adenocarcinoma to the brain usually shows low-to-moderate attenuation. However, mucinous adenomas may appear with high attenuation, mimicking hemorrhage. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 68-year-old man with a history of metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma presented to the emergency room complaining of a chronic, progressive right occipital headache. A head CT demonstrated a moderate-to-high attenuation, homogenous mass in the right cerebellar hemisphere consistent with an intracerebral hemorrhage. There was no frank calcification in the mass by CT criteria. An emergent posterior fossa craniectomy revealed nonhemorrhagic metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: Moderate-to-high attenuation, noncalcified brain masses should raise the possibility of mucin-containing neoplasm.

Prospective randomized comparison of the Shouldice and Lichtenstein hernia repair procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the Lichtenstein, tension-free mesh, and the Shouldice, 4-layer Bassini repair of the inguinal hernia. DESIGN: Prospective randomized clinical trial. SETTING: A private suburban hernia center. PATIENTS: Six hundred seventy-two men with inguinal hernias, aged 20 to 90 years, seen at the hernia center between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1995. INTERVENTIONS: Slightly modified Shouldice and Lichtenstein repairs were used to repair primary and recurrent inguinal hernias. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Recurrence rates, symptoms (including patient satisfaction), and infections. RESULTS: A total of 717 repairs in 672 patients, including 45 bilateral repairs, have been monitored to date. Recurrence of hernia occurred in 7 Shouldice repairs and 2 mesh repairs. Twelve superficial infections associated with Shouldice and 6 associated with mesh repairs were found. CONCLUSIONS: Both types of hernia repair are comparable and effective, but long-term results favor the Lichtenstein technique for reducing recurrences (to a P value of .10), ease of technical mastery, and application to the outpatient setting by use of a local anesthetic.

Computer-assisted measurement of lumbar spine radiographs.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The authors evaluated a method for obtaining reproducible, reliable measurements from standard lumbar spine radiographs for determining the degree of spondylolisthesis, vertebral body height, intervertebral disk space height, disk space angle, and degree of vertebral body wedging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four to six easily defined points were identified on each vertebral body on anteroposterior and lateral plain radiographs of the lumbosacral spine of patients. From these points, the degree of spondylolisthesis, the vertebral body height, the intervertebral disk space height, the disk space angle, and the degree of vertebral body wedging were easily calculated by using well-known geometric relationships. This method requires the use of a personal computer and a standard spreadsheet program but does not require the use of any other specialized radiographic equipment, computer hardware, or custom software. RESULTS: Calculations of intra- and interobserver variability for the measurement of spondylolisthesis, disk space height, disk space angle, and vertebral body height measurement showed that the technique is extremely reproducible. CONCLUSION: This technique may prove useful in the prospective evaluation of potential candidates for lumbar spinal stenosis surgery.

CT-guided brachial plexus biopsy.

We describe a technique for conducting a CT-guided biopsy of the brachial plexus region, report two illustrative cases, discuss potential complications, and conclude that, in selected cases, biopsy of lesions in the region of the brachial plexus can be performed safely with CT guidance.

Anterior intramuscular transposition of the ulnar nerve.

The surgical management of cubital tunnel syndrome is well documented in the literature. Anterior intramuscular transposition of the ulnar nerve is indicated for chronic cubital tunnel syndrome with symptoms refractory to conservative therapy. Prompt diagnosis is essential to yield excellent results. Extreme care must be exercised in the performance of anterior intramuscular transposition. The surgeon must know the details of medial epicondylar anatomy and pathophysiology, as well as all possible sites of potential nerve compression. The placement of the transposed nerve in an intramuscular bed requires that all fibrous septae are resected from the shallow trough created for the nerve to avoid scar formation. Postoperatively, the arm is immobilized for 3 weeks, after which range-of-motion exercises are begun. By the eighth postoperative week, most patients are able to resume their regular activities, including manual labor. Recurrence or persistence of symptoms postoperatively typically is traced to an inadequate decompression of the nerve. Common sites of persistent ulnar nerve compression include (1) the medial intermuscular septum, (2) the arcade of Struthers, (3) fibrous bands immediately proximal or distal to the cubital tunnel, (4) persistence or kinking at the arcuate ligament of Osborne, (5) Spinner's ligament or other fascial slings, and (6) incomplete anterior transposition. Anterior intramuscular transposition of the ulnar nerve is attractive for its relative ease of dissection, simplicity, reliability, and low morbidity. Transposition of the nerve into a shallow muscular trough deep only to the flexor-pronator fascia is a logical, effective, and consistently reliable method of treating cubital tunnel syndrome refractory to conservative management.

Outcome after laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis. Part I: Clinical correlations.

All patients who underwent decompressive lumbar laminectomy in the Washtenaw County, Michigan metropolitan area during a 7-year period were studied for the purpose of defining long-term outcome, clinical correlations, and the need for subsequent fusion. Outcome was determined by questionnaire and physical examination from a cohort of 119 patients with an average follow-up evaluation interval of 4.6 years. Patients graded their outcome as much improved (37%), somewhat improved (29%), unchanged (17%), somewhat worse (5%), and much worse (12%) compared to their condition before surgery. Poor outcome correlated with the need for additional surgery, but there were few additional significant correlations. No patient had a lumbar fusion during the study interval. The outcome after laminectomy was found to be less favorable than previously reported, based on a patient questionnaire administered to an unbiased patient population. Further randomized, controlled trials are therefore necessary to determine the efficacy of lumbar fusion as an adjunct to decompressive lumbar laminectomy.

Outcome after laminectomy for lumbar spinal stenosis. Part II: Radiographic changes and clinical correlations.

The pre- and postoperative lumbar spine radiographs of 119 patients who underwent decompressive lumbar laminectomy were studied to evaluate radiographic changes and to correlate them with clinical outcome. An accurate and reproducible method was used for measuring pre- and postoperative radiographs that were separated by an average interval of 4.6 years. Levels of the spine that underwent laminectomy showed greater change in spondylolisthesis, disc space angle, and disc space height than unoperated levels. Outcome correlated with radiographic changes at operated and unoperated levels. This study demonstrates that radiographic changes are greater at operated than at unoperated levels and that some postoperative symptoms do correlate with these changes. Lumbar fusion should be considered in some patients who undergo decompressive laminectomy. The efficacy of and unequivocal indications for lumbar fusion can only be determined from randomized, prospective, controlled trials, however, and these studies have not yet been undertaken.

Meningeal metastasis of the cerebellopontine angle demonstrating "dural tail" sign.

Local leptomeningeal enhancement adjacent to a dural-based mass, observed in magnetic resonance images, has been called a "dural tail" and was initially considered a sign specific for meningioma. Recent work has shown that the dural tail (or "flare") sign may also be seen in association with other dural-based lesions. The authors present a case of a dural-based mass in the cerebellopontine angle that had a dural tail; at surgery, the mass proved to be a metastatic lesion. The authors stress that the dural tail sign is not specific for meningioma or neoplastic invasion; it sometimes simply reflects reactive changes. Furthermore, it is not even specific for dural-based masses, as it may be seen in association with both intra-axial and extra-axial lesions.

The use of omental transposition in the treatment of recurrent sarcoma of the back.

We report 2 patients with paraspinous sarcoma treated with omental transposition tunneled through a defect in the lumbar fascia that resurfaced in the soft tissues of the lower back. Traditional reconstruction with skin flaps was unsatisfactory because of prior irradiation to the area. In 1 patient the omentum obliterated a cavity connecting the dura to the skin to prevent cerebrospinal fluid leak. In the other patient a large soft tissue defect overlying the lower back and dura was covered with omentum and skin grafted. Although both patients lived < 2 years, the durable wound coverage remained intact over the surgical site.