Taking a history of childhood trauma in psychotherapy : achieving an optimal approach.

The authors examine the process of taking an initial history of childhood abuse and trauma in psychodynamic psychotherapy. In exploring the advantages, complexities, and potential complications of this practice, they hope to heighten the sensitivities of clinicians taking trauma histories. Emphasis on the need to be active in eliciting important historical material is balanced with discussion of concepts that can help therapists avoid interpersonal dynamics that reenact and perpetuate the traumas the therapy seeks to treat. Ensuring optimal psychotherapeutic treatment for patients who have experienced childhood trauma requires attention to the following concepts: a safe holding environment, destabilization, compliance, the repetition compulsion, and projective identification.

Conversion of malfunctioning intestinal bypass to gastric bypass.

Of 150 patients in whom jejunoileal bypass was performed for the treatment of morbid obesity, the intestinal bypass was converted to a gastric bypass in nine individuals. The indications for conversion have been weight regain, inadequate weight loss or pathologic hyperoxaluria with recurrent kidney stone formation. In all of our patients, dismantling of the jejunoileostomy and the gastric procedure was done simultaneously.

Jejunoileal bypass. Long-term results.

Between October 1967 and November 1977, the jejunoileal bypass was performed on 177 patients for morbid exogenous obesity. The female--male ratio was 9:1. The mean follow-up period was 3.4 years and their ages ranged from 15 to 58 years. Eighty-five per cent of this patient population base were between the ages of 21 and 49 years, and in 83% the onset of obesity was in childhood. Four parameters were used to assess the effectiveness of this procedure: 1) the ponderal index, 2) the per cent of ideal weight, 3) complications, and 4) diarrhea. Using the ponderal index, 38% of the results were excellent, 20% satisfactory, and 25% poor. When the per cent of ideal weight was used, the results were 24, 27 and 32% respectively. For complications, the results were 55, 23 and 5% and with diarrhea, 53, 22 and 8%. A summary of these mean values was 42.5, 23 and 17.5% for excellent, satisfactory and poor results. There were four deaths in this series, occurring 2--16 months postoperatively, due to sepsis, pulmonary embolism, drug overdose, and liver failure. Of the 28 patients (17%) requiring revision, eight were revised for inadequate weight loss, four for excessive weight loss, 15 for uncontrollable diarrhea, and 11 for metabolic electrolyte problems. In 14% the revision was required for multiple indications. A review of 100 of these patients to determine their response to the procedure revealed that 91% were able to recommend the procedure to other patients and intrepreted their results as being excellent in 51%, good in 36% and fair in 11%. Continued use of this procedure should be deferred pending much needed investigation of the associated complications.

Revision of intestinal bypass procedures.

The results of jejunoileal bypass have been satisfactory in 80 per cent of the patients. In the remaining 20 per cent, one or more problems eventually may require revision of the bypass. These problems fall into four categories: inadequate weight loss; excessive weight loss; persistent uncontrollable diarrhea or associated severe anorectal problems, or both, and severe unmanageable electrolyte and metabolic imbalance with or without liver failure. In our series, 108 patients were observed for one to five years, and ten patients required revision, one revision for every 12 bypass operations performed. The preoperative evaluation and management and the options available to the surgeon in correcting the abnormalities are evaluated. The results of ten patients who underwent revision of the bypass and the rationale for the revision are outlined. Criteria for an ideal operation have not as yet been attained.