Improvement in Food Intolerance Resulting from Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass after Speech Therapy Intervention in Chewing.

INTRODUCTION: Food intolerance is expected during the postoperative period following gastric bypass and may be associated with inadequate chewing. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate chewing before and after speech therapy intervention in subjects undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass who present with food intolerance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a randomized controlled trial, approved by the Brazilian Ethics and Research Committee under n. 438,600. The study population was allocated into two groups: the study group (SG), who received speech therapy intervention, and the control group (CG), who did not receive any intervention, in six visits at 7, 15, 30, 60, and 90 days (v7, v15, v30, v60, and v90) after the initial visit (v0). During v0 and v90, a chewing evaluation was performed according to the MBGR protocol adapted. The significance level adopted was 5%. RESULTS: A total of 30 females (88%) and 4 males (12%) were analyzed. The SG had 18 subjects, and the CG had 16, with mean ages of 50.17 ± 12.28 years and 45.69 ± 9.78 years, respectively. The postoperative time ranged from 4 to19 months. In the SG, a marked improvement in the number of episodes of food intolerance was observed (p < 0.001), an improvement in the intake of cereals and meats (p = 0.004 and p < 0.001, respectively), and an improvement in chewing capacity and swallowing (p = 0.002 and p = 0.011, respectively). CONCLUSION: Speech therapy intervention in chewing led to a marked improvement of food acceptance and food intolerance resulting from Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Hemodilution in the surgical treatment of pressure sores / Hemodiluiçäo aplicada ao tratamento cirúrgico das escaras de decubito

The normovolemic hemodilution is one of the various methods available to reduce (or to abolish) the use of homologous blood during elective surgeries. Ten patients with pressure sores had plastic surgery without the need for allogeneic blood transfusion using this autotranfusion modality. After removal of a concentrated blood unit into a common collection bag, a quick infusion of isotonic solution in the proportion 4:1 is carried out up to hematocrit equal to or lower than 30 (per cent) inducing oligohemia. Consequently, blood lost during surgery has lower erythrocyte concentration, reducing spoliation and getting and improved tissue oxygenation. The blood collected is replaced at the end of intervention. The indications are those of an homologous transfusion or, at least, when it would be judicious to make a preoperative storage. The proposed method was considered equivalent to homologous transfusion in the cases operated, with the advantages of easy performance, no need for refrigeration, and no need of laboratorial tests before transfusion. In addition, the risk of immunological reactions and hematogenic transmission of infectious diseases is abolished.