Fracturas diafiarias de los miembros inferiores: planificación preoperatoria digital / Diaphyseal fractures of the lower limbs: digital preoperative planning

La planificación preoperatoria es procedimiento indispensable previo a la realización de cualquier cirugía ortopédica con el fin de obtener un resultado exitoso, sin embargo, el proceso suele ser lento y engorroso, por lo que pocos cirujanos ortopedistas lo realizan de manera rutinaria. Planteamos el desarrollo de un Software de planificación preoperatoria digital para fracturas diafisiarias de miembros inferiores que pueda ser utilizado como una herramienta confiable en la práctica diaria del cirujano ortopedista. Mediante la obtención de un archivo de imagen con la fractura que se desea planificar, a través de una cámara digital o de un sistema PACS integrado, nuestro software permitirá la realización de una planificación preoperatoria de manera precisa y rápida brindándole al usuario herramientas de registros y almacenamiento de datos, calibración y mejoramiento de imagen, medición de distancias y ángulos, segmentación del trazo de fracturas, etc. También se incluyen galería implantes ortopédicos, así como sistema de clasificación AO, todo lo anterior con el fin de generar de un reporte que incluya todos los detalles necesarios que puedan facilitar la labor del ortopedista previo al momento del acto quirúrgico

Preoperative planning is a cornerstone procedure prior any orthopaedic surgery in terms of achieving excellent results, however, the process is slow and difficult; hence,there are few orthopaedic surgeons who perform it on a day-to-day basis. We Propose the Development of a Preoperative Planning Software for the lower limbs long bone diaphiseal fractures that can serve as reliabletool for the orthopaedic surgeon. Using an image archive with the fracture site, obtained from a digital camera or a PACS integrated system, our software can perform a preoperative planning in a fast and precise manner, giving the user tools to perform data managementand storing, image calibration and rendering, distance measuring and angle calculation, fracture site segmentation, etc. Also includes a diverse orthopaedic implants gallery, and the AO comprehensive classificationsystem; all of the above made it with the final goal to generate a report who includes all the necessary details,to facilitate the surgeon duty, prior to the surgery per se.

Manejo hemodinámico intraoperatorio con esmolol durante la extirpación de un feocromocitoma bilateral en una paciente de 10 años / Esmolol to control hemodynamic response during removal of a bilateral pheochromocytoma from a 10-year-old girl

Los feocromocitomas son tumores derivados de lascélulas cromafines, que pueden secretar grandes cantidadesde catecolaminas. Su incidencia es baja, 2-8 casospor millón de habitantes, solamente un 10% de éstos sedan en edad infantil. Para el tratamiento perioperatoriocorrecto se requiere un conocimiento profundo desu fisiopatología, y de la farmacología implicada. Haygran cantidad de información publicada sobre fármacosque pueden utilizarse pero no tan extensa en niños.En los últimos años se han ido desarrollando nuevosfármacos entre los que se encuentran el esmolol, unbeta bloqueante de acción corta. Presentamos un casode tratamiento intraoperatorio con esmolol en unapaciente de 10 años programada para la extirpación deun feocromocitoma bilateral(AU)

Pheochromocytomas, which derive from chromaffincells, can secrete catecholamines in large amounts. Theincidence of these tumors is low at 2 to 8 cases permillion population and only 10% of cases occur inchildren. A thorough understanding of thepathophysiology of these tumors and the consequenteffect of drugs will be necessary for treating thesepatients during the perioperative period. A great dealhas been published on drugs that can be used in thissetting, but only a small portion of the information isrelevant to children. Esmolol, a short-action -blocker,figures among the drugs that have been developed inrecent years. We report a case in which esmolol was usedduring surgery in a 10-year-old girl undergoingscheduled removal of a bilateral pheochromocytoma(AU)

Intraoperative cholangiography in combination with laparoscopic ultrasonography for the detection of occult choledocholithiasis.

BACKGROUND: There is still a debate about the utility of intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) or laparoscopic ultrasonography (LUS) for detection of occult choledocholithiasis during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The aim of this study was to assess the value of IOC combined with LUS for detection of occult common bile duct (CBD) stones at LC. MATERIAL/METHODS: From Dec 2002 to Aug 2006, 103 patients with moderate risk of CBD stones underwent IOC and LUS simultaneously during LC. The physician teams for the two different procedures were blinded by each other. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio were calculated by several contingency tables that cross-tabulated the results of each technique with those of the gold standard. RESULTS: The success rate of IOC and LUS were 91.3% and 100% respectively and the time required for LUS was significantly shorter (P<0.01). The visualization of intrapancreatic part of CBD by IOC (97.3%) was significantly higher than LUS (73.8%). The sensitivities, specificities, accuracies, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood rations identifying occult CBD stones were 75.0%, 98.7%, 92.2%, 95.5%, 91.4%, 57.7 and 0.253 by IOC, and 82.1%, 98.7%, 94.2%, 95.8%, 93.7%, 63.2 and 0.181 by IUS respectively. The McNemar test showed no significant difference between two methods. The sensitivity of IOC combined with LUS was 92.9%, which was greater than that of IOC and LUS taken separately. CONCLUSIONS: LUS is usually performed in case where IOC has failed or is contraindicated. The combination of both methods maximizes intraoperative detection of occult CBD stones and should at least be recommended as two complementary methods.

Challenges in neurosurgical intraoperative consultation.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative consultation for neurosurgical specimens can be difficult at times, despite the use of both frozen section and squash preparation. Various factors influence the diagnostic accuracy of these procedures. This study was conducted to evaluate reasons for discordant case results in neurosurgical intraoperative consultations and make a comparative analysis of these two commonly used methods to identify the possible pitfalls, errors, and limitations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the neurosurgical cases received in the Department of Pathology for intraoperative consultation over a period of 3 years were studied retrospectively. The slides of frozen sections and squash preparation were retrieved and the diagnosis was compared with the final diagnosis given on paraffin-embedded sections. RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS: A total of 6% of the cases were found to be discordant; these included angiomatous meningioma, Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, cerebellopontine angle fibrous meningioma, and craniopharyngioma. Highly vascular lesions, unavailability of squash preparation in a few cases and technical errors like thick smears, excessively crushed specimen, freezing, and cautery induced and crushing artifacts contributed to misdiagnosis. CONCLUSION: The discrepant cases need to be reviewed regularly by pathologists to familiarize themselves with the morphological changes and artifacts. The knowledge of possible errors could minimize misinterpretation and help in providing a more conclusive opinion to the operating surgeon.

Clinical indications for high-field 1.5 T intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging and neuro-navigation for neurosurgical procedures. Review of initial 100 cases.

Initial experiences are reviewed in an integrated operation theater equipped with an intraoperative high-field (1.5 T) magnetic resonance (MR) imager and neuro-navigation (BrainSUITE), to evaluate the indications and limitations. One hundred consecutive cases were treated, consisting of 38 gliomas, 49 other tumors, 11 cerebrovascular diseases, and 2 functional diseases. The feasibility and usefulness of the integrated theater were evaluated for individual diseases, focusing on whether intraoperative images (including diffusion tensor imaging) affected the surgical strategy. The extent of resection and outcomes in each histological category of brain tumors were examined. Intraoperative high-field MR imaging frequently affected or modified the surgical strategy in the glioma group (27/38 cases, 71.1%), but less in the other tumor group (13/49 cases, 26.5%). The surgical strategy was not modified in cerebrovascular or functional diseases, but the success of procedures and the absence of complications could be confirmed. In glioma surgery, subtotal or greater resection was achieved in 22 of the 31 patients (71%) excluding biopsies, and intraoperative images revealed tumor remnants resulting in the extension of resection in 21 of the 22 patients (95.4%), the highest rate of extension among all types of pathologies. The integrated neuro-navigation improved workflow. The best indication for intraoperative high-field MR imaging and integrated neuro-navigation is brain tumors, especially gliomas, and is supplementary in assuring quality in surgery for cerebrovascular or functional diseases. Immediate quality assurance is provided in several types of neurosurgical procedures.

Transsphenoidal pituitary macroadenomas resection guided by PoleStar N20 low-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging: comparison with early postoperative high-field magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the applicability of low-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) during transsphenoidal surgery of pituitary macroadenomas. METHODS: Fifty-five transsphenoidal surgeries were performed for macroadenomas (modified Hardy's Grade II-IV) resections. All of the surgical processes were guided by real-time updated contrast T1-weighted coronal and sagittal images, which were acquired with 0.15 Tesla PoleStar N20 iMRI (Medtronic Navigation, Louisville, CO). The definitive benefits as well as major drawbacks of low-field iMRI in transsphenoidal surgery were assessed with respect to intraoperative imaging, tumor resection control, comparison with early postoperative high-field magnetic resonance imaging, and follow-up outcomes. RESULTS: Intraoperative imaging revealed residual tumor and guided extended tumor resection in 17 of 55 cases. As a result, the percentage of gross total removal of macroadenomas increased from 58.2% to 83.6%. The accuracy of imaging evaluation of low-field iMRI was 81.8%, compared with early postoperative high-field MRI (Correlation coefficient, 0.677; P < 0.001). A significantly lower accuracy was identified with low-field iMRI in 6 cases with cavernous sinus invasion (33.3%) in contrast to the 87.8% found with other sites (Fisher's exact test, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The PoleStar N20 low-field iMRI navigation system is a promising tool for safe, minimally invasive, endonasal, transsphenoidal pituitary macroadenomas resection. It enables neurosurgeons to control the extent of tumor resection, particularly for suprasellar tumors, ensuring surgical accuracy and safety, and leading to a decreased likelihood of repeat surgeries. However, this technology is still not satisfying in estimating the amount of the parasellar residual tumor invading into cavernous sinus, given the false or uncertain images generated by low-field iMRI in this region, which are difficult to discriminate between tumor remnant and blood within the venous sinus.

Intra-operatively obtained human tissue: protocols and techniques for the study of neural stem cells.

The discoveries of neural (NSCs) and brain tumor stem cells (BTSCs) in the adult human brain and in brain tumors, respectively, have led to a new era in neuroscience research. These cells represent novel approaches to studying normal phenomena such as memory and learning, as well as pathological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, stroke, and brain tumors. This new paradigm stresses the importance of understanding how these cells behave in vitro and in vivo. It also stresses the need to use human-derived tissue to study human disease because animal models may not necessarily accurately replicate the processes that occur in humans. An important, but often underused, source of human tissue and, consequently, both NSCs and BTSCs, is the operating room. This study describes in detail both current and newly developed laboratory techniques, which in our experience are used to process and study human NSCs and BTSCs from tissue obtained directly from the operating room.

Monitorización cardiaca en la unidad de ictus: importancia del diagnóstico de fibrilación auricular en el ictus isquémico agudo / Cardiac monitoring in stroke units: importance of diagnosing atrial fibrillation in acute ischemic stroke

La fibrilación auricular (FA) es un factor de riesgo independiente y predictor de mal pronóstico en el ictus. La unidad de ictus (UI) prolonga la monitorización cardiaca. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la frecuencia de FA detectada en la UI y el porcentaje de pacientes con ictus isquémico o accidente isquémico transitorio a quienes se dió tratamiento anticoagulante. Se incluyó a 465 pacientes monitorizados en la UI durante una media de 54,55 ± 35,74 h. Se detectó FA en 33 (el 48,5%, FA paroxística y el 51,5%, FA persistente). El factor de riesgo más frecuente fue la hipertensión arterial. Se inició tratamiento anticoagulante en el 57,5%. Concluimos que la monitorización en la UI es útil para la detección de FA en el ictus agudo y modifica el tratamiento en más de la mitad de los pacientes afectados (AU)

In patients with stroke, atrial fibrillation is an independent risk factor and indicates a poor prognosis. Cardiac monitoring is carried out for longer periods in stroke units. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency at which atrial fibrillation is detected in stroke units and the percentage of patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack who receive anticoagulant therapy. The study included 465 patients, who were monitored in a stroke unit for an average of 54.55 (35.74) h. Atrial fibrillation was detected in 33 (48.5% had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and 51.5% had persistent atrial fibrillation). The most common risk factor was hypertension. Anticoagulation therapy was started in 57.5%. In conclusion, use of cardiac monitoring in a stroke unit was useful for detecting atrial fibrillation in patients with acute stroke and resulted in treatment modification in more than half the affected patients (AU)

Intraoperative gross assessment of myometrial invasion and cervical involvement in endometrial cancer: Role of tumor grade and size.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy of visual examination of myometrial invasion and the involvement of the cervix in the hysterectomy specimen and to explore the role of tumor grade and size in the accuracy of gross estimation of myometrial invasion. METHODS: In 142 patients with apparent early endometrial cancer the uterus was opened after its removal and inspected. The size of the tumor (2 cm), the depth of myometrial invasion (less or greater than 50%) and the involvement of the cervix (as positive or negative) were visually estimated and recorded. All patients underwent surgical staging. The gross findings were compared with the final histological results. Estimations of myometrial invasiveness were analyzed according to the tumor grade and size. Accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated. RESULTS: The overall accuracy rate for myometrial invasion was 81.7% (116/142). False positive and false negative results noted in 17/101 (17%) and 9/41 (21.9%) of patients. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 78%, 83.2%, 65.3% and 90.3% respectively. Gross estimation of invasion was more often successful in patients with smaller (

Intraoperative margin assessment of the radical trachelectomy specimen.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize our experience in the frozen section (FS) assessment of the trachelectomy surgical margin. METHODS: All surgeries from 1994 to 2007 were performed by one surgeon. The FS examination was consistently carried out by a group of gynecologic pathologists according to the protocol described in details in this article. Cases were retrieved from the pathology files and the slides were reviewed by two pathologists. RESULTS: 132 patients were identified with complete pathology records. They ranged from 17 to 46 years old (median 31). Surgeries were performed for clinical Stages 1A (n=39) and 1B (n=93) tumors (63 adenocarcinoma, 59 squamous cell carcinoma, 7 adenosquamous and 3 others). In 78 cases, no residual tumor was seen in the trachelectomy specimens as it was resected by the preceding LEEP or cone. The margin was reported as negative in 123, suspicious in 3 and positive in 6 cases. It was revised in 16 cases (6 positive, 2 suspicious and 8 negative but <5 mm). Final margin assessment agreed with the FS diagnosis in 130 (98.5%) and showed interpretational overcall in 2 cases (1.5%); only one of which resulted in a revised margin. No false negative intraoperative assessment was found. CONCLUSIONS: We describe our FS protocol and summarize our data. This protocol is reliable since none of the patients was under-treated.

Nipple sparing mastectomy with nipple areola intraoperative radiotherapy: one thousand and one cases of a five years experience at the European institute of oncology of Milan (EIO).

In order to reduce mutilation, nipple-areola complex (NAC) conservation can be proposed for the treatment of breast cancer when mastectomy is indicated. To reduce the risk of retro areolar recurrence, a novel radiosurgical treatment combining subcutaneous mastectomy with intraoperative radiotherapy (ELIOT) is proposed. One thousand and one nipple sparing mastectomies (NSM) were performed from March 2002 to November 2007 at the European institute of oncology (EIO), for invasive carcinoma in 82% of the patients and in situ carcinoma in 18%. Clinical complications, aesthetic results, oncological and psychological results were recorded. A comparison was performed between the 800 patients who received ELIOT and the 201 who underwent delayed one-shot radiotherapy on the days following the operation. The median follow up time was 20 months (range 1-69) for a follow up performed in 83% of the patients. The NAC necrosed totally in 35 cases (3.5%) and partially in 55 (5.5%) and was removed in 50 (5%). Twenty infections (2%) were observed and 43 (4.3%) prostheses removed. The median rate of the patients for global cosmetic result on a scale ranging from 0 (worst) to 10 (excellent) was 8. Evaluation by the surgeon in charge of the follow-up gave a similar result. Only 15% of the patients reported a partial sensitivity of the NAC. Of the fourteen (1.4%) local recurrences, ten occurred close to the tumour site, all far from the NAC corresponding to the field of radiation. No recurrences were observed in the NAC. In a group of patients characterized by a very close free margin under the areola, no local recurrence was observed. Overall, 36 cases of metastases and 4 deaths were observed. No significant outcome difference was observed between the 800 patients receiving intraoperative radiotherapy (ELIOT) and the 201 patients receiving delayed irradiation.

Touch imprint cytology with cytokeratin immunostaining versus Papanicolau staining for intraoperative evaluation of sentinel lymph node metastasis in clinically node-negative breast cancer.

AIM: This study investigated whether intraoperative assessment of SLN status in patients with clinically node-negative breast cancer was improved using touch imprint immunohistochemistry. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Each SLN was cut into slices 2mm thick and evaluated intraoperatively by touch imprint cytology with Papanicolaou staining until the end of 2005, or by a combination of Papanicolaou staining and immunostaining with an anti-cytokeratin antibody from early 2006. RESULTS: When intraoperative cytology of SLN in 85 patients who were clinically node-negative was evaluated with Papanicolaou staining, 81 patients were diagnosed as negative and four were positive. Intraoperative cytology with Papanicolaou staining had a sensitivity of 30%, specificity of 99%, false-negative rate of 70%, false-positive rate of 1.3%, and accuracy of 90.6%. When intraoperative cytology was done with immunohistochemistry plus Papanicolaou staining for SLN evaluation, 92 patients were diagnosed as negative and 17 patients were positive. Intraoperative cytology with immunohistochemistry had a sensitivity of 79%, specificity of 98%, false-negative rate of 21%, false-positive rate of 2.2%, and accuracy of 94.5%. Compared with intraoperative cytology using Papanicolaou staining alone, the combination of immunohistochemistry and Papanicolaou staining achieved a significant increase in sensitivity and a significant decrease in the false-negative rate. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative SLN evaluation by imprint cytology with immunohistochemistry achieves a more accurate diagnosis of metastasis than imprint cytology alone. This combined method is considered useful for deciding whether to perform axillary lymph node dissection.

Radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) for treatment and diagnosis of malignant and premalignant breast lesions combined with sentinel node biopsy: a prospective clinical trial with 100 patients.

UNLABELLED: Advanced breast cancer screening techniques and their availability increased the number of non-palpable breast lesions requiring surgery. Consequently reliable and efficient therapeutic management permitting accurate localization and removal of these occult lesions is essential. AIMS: In our study we evaluated radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) for effectiveness of localization, oncological safety and feasibility of concomitant sentinel node biopsy. METHODS: Hundred patients (120 lesions) underwent ROLL and tumour excision with or without sentinel node biopsy after confirmed histopathological findings via intra-tumoral injection of Tc99m-labelled macro-aggregate albumin for ROLL and Tc99m-labelled nanocolloids with periareolar-subdermal injection for simultaneous sentinel node biopsy. RESULTS: Our detection rate for ROLL was 98.3%, respectively, 98.6% for sentinel nodes in cases of concomitant sentinel node biopsy. We had a radical excision rate of 55 out of 69 cases of invasive ductal cancer and 17 out of 26 cases of DCIS to achieve 1mm, respectively, 10 mm tumour-free margins. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-tumoral tracer injection of for ROLL and periareolar-subdermal tracer injection for simultaneous sentinel node biopsy seem to be a sensitive technique. According to our results ROLL is a safe, precise and simple technique permitting definitive therapeutic removal of malignant or premalignant breast lesions. The high detection rate of the sentinel node in cases with concomitant sentinel node biopsy shows that the combination of both procedures is possible and safe. In our opinion ROLL is an excellent therapeutic option after histological confirmation of malignancy or premalignant disease.

Identification of the pyramidal tract by neuronavigation based on intraoperative diffusion-weighted imaging combined with subcortical stimulation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To identify the pyramidal tract by neuronavigation based on intraoperative diffusion-weighted imaging (iDWI) combined with subcortical stimulation. METHODS: Seven patients with brain tumors near the deep white matter underwent resection surgery using neuronavigation based on iDWI to visualize white matter bundles. Subcortical electrical stimulation was performed and electromyography was measured at the extremities when surgical manipulation came near the position corresponding to the depicted bundle. We validated the bundle depicted on iDWI by considering the responses to subcortical stimulation and the distance between the stimulation site and the depicted bundle. RESULTS: Positive motor-evoked potentials were detected in 5 of 7 patients (8 stimulations) and the distance from the stimulation site to the depicted bundle was 0-4.7 mm (mean +/- SD, 1.4 +/- 2.1 mm). Negative (no) responses were obtained in all patients when the distance was more than 5 mm. The neuronavigation system had an average error of 0.79 +/- 0.25 mm and a maximum error of 2.0 mm (n = 16). CONCLUSION: Neuronavigation based on iDWI combined with subcortical stimulation allowed surgeons to identify the pyramidal tract and avoid inadvertent injury. Our findings demonstrate that the white matter bundles depicted by iDWI can contain the pyramidal tract.

Sperm retrieval for obstructive azoospermia.

Advances in the treatment of male infertility now routinely allow men with obstructive azoospermia to have fertility treatment without microsurgical reconstruction. A variety of methods for retrieving sperm from men with obstructive azoospermia have been described. The goals of sperm retrieval are to obtain the best quality sperm possible, to retrieve adequate numbers of sperm for immediate use and for cryopreservation, and to minimize damage to the reproductive tract.

Vasectomy reversal.

The purpose of this Technical Bulletin is to review the perioperative evaluation of men seeking vasectomy reversal and the microsurgical techniques involved in the procedure.

Valoración de la eficacia de la malla de polipropileno en la reparación del prolapso urogenital en 106 pacientes / Efectiveness evaluation of polypropylene Mesh in the repair of urogenital prolapse in 106 patients

Objetivo: evaluar la eficacia y seguridad de las mallas de polipropileno en la corrección del prolapso urogenital. Material y método: estudio retrospectivo, no randomizado sobre 106 pacientes que desde Abril de 2005 a Enero de 2007 se sometieron a corrección de diferentes tipos de prolapso urogenital mediante malla de polipropileno. El seguimiento se realizó mediante visitas en consulta a los 2 y 6 meses. Las variables a analizadas fueron: edad, paridad, presencia de menopausia, tipo de intervención, tiempos quirúrgicos y de hospitalización y complicaciones. Posteriormente se realizó un análisis descriptivo de los datos. Resultados: La edad media fue de 64,4 años. De las 106 pacientes, 97 eran multíparas (91,51%) y 98 habían pasado la menopausia (92,45%). La intervención mayoritaria fue la colocación de una malla anterior con banda libre de tensión para la corrección de la incontinencia urinaria asociada representando un 34,90% del total. Se obtuvo una tasa global de complicaciones intraoperatorias del 2,83%, inmediatas del 37,73% y tardías del 21,69%. La tasa de éxito del procedimiento a los 6 meses estuvo entre 80-100% según el tipo de intervención. Conclusiones: Existe una baja tasa de complicaciones intraoperatorias y a los 6 meses en las cirugías de reparación del suelo pélvico en los prolapsos urogenitales con la malla de polipropileno, considerando este método como una opción eficaz y muy segura para el tratamiento esta patología (AU)

Objetive: to evaluate the efficacy and security of polypropylene meshes in the repair of urogenital prolapse. Material and method: retrospective and non-randomized study in 106 patients which had different kinds of urogenital prolapse repaired using polypropylene meshes between April 2005 and January 2007. The follow-up was carried out by two visits to the hospital, 2 and 6 months after surgery. The variables analyzed were age, parity, menopause presence, kind of surgical technique, surgical time, time at hospital and complications. After wards,the information was analyzed descriptively. Results: average age was 64.4 years. The rate of multiparity and menopause women was 91.51% and 92.45%respectively. The most used surgical technique was the anterior mesh with tension-free band (34.90%), to repair the associated urinary incontinence. The rate of intraoperatory complications was 2.83%, immediate complications was 37.73% and late complications was 21.69%. The success rate after 6 months was 80-100% depending on the technique. Conclusions: there is a low rate of intraoperatory and 6 months after the repair in the reconstructive surgery of pelvic floor for the urogenital prolapses using polypropylene meshes, which makes this technique a secure and effective option for the treatment of this problem (AU)

Endometrial carcinoma: intraoperative evaluation of myometrial invasion. A prospective study.

AIM: The authors investigated the diagnostic value of intraoperative assessment of myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer patients. Following hysterectomy, the uterus was sectioned and macroscopically examined in order to assess the depth of myoinvasion, which was classified as <50% and >50%. In patients with macroscopic depth of invasion>30% and <50%, a frozen section of this area was carried out. The results of intraoperative evaluation were compared with the results of postoperative pathological examination. The agreement between methods was developed as generalized Kappa type statistic. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for intraoperative only macro and macro/micro evaluation were calculated. METHODS: Seventy eight consecutive patients (median age 64 years, range 43-92; median Body Mass Index [BMI] 30.5, range 21.9-46.7) who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (THBSO) were included in the study. Following intraoperative macroscopic evaluation, frozen section was carried out in 15 (19%) patients. The median time to obtain the results was 16 min for macroscopic evaluation, and 29 min for the macro/micro assessment. RESULTS: Macroscopic only assessment correctly identified depth of myoinvasion in 91% of patients, while, when the frozen section was carried out, myoinvasion was correctly identified in 95% of patients. For macroscopic only and macro-micro assessment sensitivity and specificity were 76% and 98%, 86% and 98%, respectively. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the frozen section may improve, the diagnostic value of macroscopic only intraoperative assessment of myometrial invasion in selected patients.

Intraoperative tissue staining of invaded oral carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of intraoperative tissue staining with consecutive application of 0.4% indigo carmine and 0.5% Congo red to demonstrate the extent and border of oral carcinoma invasion. Seventeen patients were included in the study. Once the oral tumor was resected, a vertical section of surgical specimen was taken from the central part of the tumor. The extent and border of the invaded carcinoma were assessed on digital microscopic examination with tissue staining. The results of assessments were compared with corresponding results of conventional histopathological analysis with HE staining, which is considered the gold standard. Tissue staining produced a brown-black stain on normal muscle, connective, and salivary tissues but not tumor and epithelial tissues. It clearly demonstrated the extent and border of tumor invasion in 13 of 17 patients (76.5%); however, detection of remnant vital tumor cells in scar tissue after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and distinction between the tumor and adipose tissue scattered in the muscle tissue was difficult. The results of this study showed that intraoperative tissue staining was a possible method in demonstrating the extent and border of carcinoma deeply invaded in the soft tissue and selecting the site for additional frozen section analysis, although the method needed some refinement.

Fluidoterapia perioperatoria en pediatría: estado actual / Perioperative fluid management in paediatrics: current status

La fluidoterapia perioperatoria es un tema controvertido en el paciente pediátrico. La pauta más extendida se basa en conceptos de hace más de 50 años, que proponían reponer las necesidades de agua y electrolitos en base al peso y utilizando fluidos glucosados hipotónicos. Evidencias científicas actuales sugieren que esta práctica puede condicionar lesiones iatrogénicas graves. Este riesgo se incrementa por alteraciones fisiológicas que ocurren en el periodo perioperatorio, como son la secreción inadecuada de hormona antidiurética y la tendencia a la hiperglucemia, secundarias al estrés quirúrgico. De hecho, la sustitución de fluidos hipotónicos por isotónicos, la restricción de la cantidad de fluidos administrados y también la utilización de fluidos con menor porcentaje de glucosa parecen mejorar el pronóstico postquirúrgico. El objetivo del trabajo es alertar sobre la incidencia y riesgosde las alteraciones hidroelectrolíticas perioperatorias y demostrar que su etiología está relacionada con el aporte inadecuado de fluidos (AU)

Perioperative fluid management in paediatrics has been the focus of considerable controversy. The current standard of care is based in concepts described more than 50 years ago, which recommend to administer hypotonic solutions to satisfy electrolyte and water requirements. Recent scientific evidences highlight the risk of iatrogenic lesions with this practice. Physiological changes that occur in the perioperative setting, such as inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone and the tendency to hyperglycaemia, secondary to surgical stress response, further increase this risk. On the contrary, the use of isotonic in favour of hypotonic fluids, the restriction of the volume infused and the use of low dextrose concentration solutions seem to improve postoperative prognosis. It is our intent to alert physicians that water and electrolyte disturbances are extremely common in the perioperative period. Furthermore, these derangements have potential risks and are most often related to inadequate infusion of fluids (AU)