Outcomes of hepaticojejunostomy for post-cholecystectomy bile duct injury.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term results of hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) for complex bile duct injury (BDI) remain under-reported. The objective of this study was to assess short-term and long-term outcomes of HJ for post-cholecystectomy BDI. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study and included patients who underwent Roux-en-Y HJ for BDI (n = 87). Short-term (90-day) and long-term morbidity and mortality were assessed. RESULTS: At presentation, 42 (48.2%) patients had E3 or E4 BDI, 27 (31%) patients had vascular injury, and liver resection was performed in 12 (13.7%) patients. The 90-day morbidity was 51.7% (n = 45), and the 90-day mortality was 2.3% (n = 2). The long-term mortality was 3.4% (n = 3). The 10-year estimated stricture-free survival was 95%. The 10-year estimated overall survival rate was 100% in patients who underwent major hepatectomy and 91% in patients who did not. The 10-year estimated overall survival rate was 100% in patients with vasculobiliary injury and was not reached in patients without vascular injury. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular injury with proximal BDI is not uncommon. Excellent long-term outcomes might be achieved with Roux-en-Y HJ for BDI with vascular injury and in patients requiring liver resection.

Crushed Confluence with Significant Tissue Loss: A Case Report of a Rare Biliary Tract Injury following Blunt Trauma Abdomen.

Traumatic extrahepatic biliary tract injuries are rare occurrences because they are a relatively small target of injury following trauma. They are almost always associated with injuries to surrounding structures, which take precedence during initial management. The management of extrahepatic biliary tract injuries depends on the extent and level of the injury. This may include primary repair to high-level biliary-enteric anastomoses. We report a case of injury to the biliary confluence that occurred after blunt trauma abdomen. The injury was associated with an extensive liver injury that was the focus of initial treatment. We discuss the possible mechanisms that led to injury of this relatively hidden area and describe the various treatment options that can be applicable in such cases.

Spontaneous Arteriocholedochal Fistula as a Cause of Life-Threatening Hemobilia in a Type I Giant Choledochal Cyst: A Case Report on an Unusual Situation Requiring Whipple's Pancreatoduodenectomy.

Life-threatening hemobilia is a rare cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Giant choledochal cyst is also a rarely reported diagnosis. Similarly, arteriocholedochal fistulas are also rarely reported and usually occur after invasive procedures for diagnosis or treatment of hepatopancreatobiliary-related disorders. In this report, the authors describe a case of a spontaneous arteriocholedochal fistula that occurred in a giant choledochal cyst and led to life-threatening hemobilia. The patient ultimately required a Whipple's pancreatoduodenectomy for treatment, which is again rarely undertaken as an emergency procedure. We describe the management this patient underwent and discuss the reasons why we resorted to undertake such a formidable procedure for the patient as his treatment option.

Efferent Loop Syndrome in a Post-pancreatoduodenectomy Patient Due to Exuberant Foreign Body Giant Cell Reaction Mimicking Cancer: A Case Report.

Efferent loop syndrome has been rarely reported after pancreatoduodenectomy. In those cases that have been reported, the majority presented late and recurrence or peritoneal metastases were found to be the usual causes. Foreign body giant cell reactions (FBGCR) also rarely develop into masses that are large enough to cause problems or mimic malignancy. This report presents a case of a middle-aged female who underwent completion extended cholecystectomy for carcinoma of the gallbladder. Whipple's pancreatoduodenectomy was also performed at the same surgery due to presence of a hard mass at the cystic duct stump that was densely adherent to the common bile duct and duodenal cap. This was later found to be FBGCR. The patient underwent re-exploration just three weeks later for efferent loop syndrome, the cause of which was again found to be a mass due to FBGCR that was not previously present. Despite a difficult initial treatment phase, the patient is disease free and doing well after two and half years of completing treatment for the carcinoma gallbladder.

Subacute Peristomal Necrotizing Fasciitis Detected During Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Adenocarcinoma Rectum: Case Report on a Unique Presentation and Description of a Simple Surgical Strategy for Treatment.

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare entity with its subacute form being even rarer. The condition has also been described to occur in the peristomal area in relation to different clinical scenarios. However, it has not been described in the setting of adjuvant chemotherapy where these medications have already been given. While the diagnosis may be delayed or missed due to the subtle symptomatology of the indolent subacute form of NF, another reason for a delayed or missed diagnosis may be the excessive use of tape and the stoma belt around the stomal appliance to prolong the life of the appliance beyond its recommended days of usage due to economic constraints. This, in turn, covers a larger area around the peristomal skin and developing skin changes associated with necrotizing fasciitis. Despite the less aggressive presentation of the subacute form, it may still represent a unique surgical challenge in this setting, as the chemotherapy-induced neutropenia bound to occur a few days after the chemotherapy may expose the patient to serious complications at that time. As such, the surgical plan at the time of presentation may become the determinant of morbidity and mortality. Here, a case is presented of a young patient who underwent abdominoperineal resection for stage III adenocarcinoma of the rectum. He was referred to us on the day of the fourth cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy by the oncology service where he had received part of his chemotherapy regimen. On presentation, he was found to be having significant skin changes in the peristomal area consistent with necrotizing fasciitis despite being clinically stable. The authors present this unique case as a study from which many lessons can be learned. They also explain the thought process behind a well-planned but simple surgical strategy that was implemented with a successful patient outcome. In addition to describing this surgical strategy, the case report is concluded by highlighting some factors that may raise suspicion of this condition and by emphasizing routine history-taking for peristomal symptomatology and a thorough examination of the peristomal site prior to administration of chemotherapy in patients with stomata, as this condition, if overlooked, may lead to a fatal outcome.

Iatrogenic Non-Reconstructable Duodenal Injury Presenting without Peritonitis: An Indication of Pancreatoduodenectomy in the Presence of Safe Hands. A Case Report.

Iatrogenic duodenal injuries are rare complications of upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, gallbladder, and right kidney operations. Management includes diverse options depending on a number of factors that include the size of the injury, timing of presentation, degree of peritoneal contamination, and presence of peritonitis and/or sepsis, etc. While most duodenal injuries are small, large complex non-reconstructable injuries may occasionally occur, requiring complex surgical procedures rather than primary repair which if done in the latter cases, may lead to further morbidity and mortality. Whipple's pancreatoduodenectomy has rarely been performed for complex duodenal injuries especially in the iatrogenic setting. Here a case is reported of an iatrogenic duodenal injury that presented 12 days after a right open nephrectomy, with a dehisced right lumber incision having greater than one liter per day bilious discharge, for which Whipple's pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. A discussion regarding factors which influenced per-operative decision making and probably led to a successful patient outcome is presented.

An Unusually Large Carbuncle of the Temporofacial Region Demonstrating Remarkable Post-debridement Wound Healing Process: A Case Report.

Skin carbuncles are debilitating skin infections commonly seen in elderly patients with diabetes. These infections develop when a cluster of adjacent furuncles coalesce to form one inflammatory mass. While they commonly occur on the nape of the neck and back, rarer sites involving the face and head have been noted. Management of these rare sites is urgent because of the potential intracranial complications and the surgical outcome is often unsatisfactory due to associated facial scarring. Intraoral drainage is advocated to avoid this; however, when the carbuncle involves a larger area, debridement from the exterior is necessary. The resultant soft-tissue defect requires a skin graft or a flap for coverage, but this may still lead to an unsatisfactory cosmetic outcome. The authors report a case of a carbuncle involving an extensive area over the right temporofacial region, including its management and the remarkable post-debridement cosmetic outcome despite avoidance of plastic surgery techniques due to the patient's high risk associated with anesthesia.

Intubation in emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in a low-income country.

OBJECTIVE: To study the indications, method, success rate and complications of intubation at the Emergency Department of a private, tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. METHODS: The case series involved 278 patients above 14 years of age who underwent emergency intubation at the Emergency Department of Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi between 1998 and 2003. Descriptive statistics were used to compare rapid sequence intubation with crash intubation. The level of significance was p<0.05. RESULTS: Of the total 278 intubations performed, 37 (13.3%) had to be left out for incomplete information.The study population remaining for inferential analysis comprised of 241 patients. Of the total 278 patients, 174 (63%) were males. Rapid sequence intubation was the commonest type (n=185, 67%) of intubation and was performed mostly by anaesthetists (n=236, 85%). Cardiogenic pulmonary oedema and head injury were commonly seen in these patients.The success on first attempt of intubation was 98% (n=181) in rapid sequence intubation, and 85% (n=48) in crash intubation. Overall, 15 (5.3%) complications were seen in these intubations. CONCLUSION: Study showed a satisfactory success rate in both rapid sequence and crash intubations.

Hyperbilirubinaemia a predictive factor for complicated acute appendicitis: a study in a tertiary care hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of hyperbilirubinaemia as a predictive factor for appendiceal perforation in acute appendicitis. METHODS: The prospective, descriptive study was conducted at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the Karachi Medical and Dental College, Karachi, from January 2010 to June 2012. It comprised all patients coming to the surgical outpatient department and emergency department with pain in the right iliac fossa with duration less than seven days. They were clinically assessed for signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis and relevant tests were conducted. Patients were diagnosed as a case of acute appendicitis on the basis of clinical and ultrasound findings, and were prepared for appendicectomy. Per-operative findings were recorded and specimens were sent for histopathology to confirm the diagnosis. SPSS version 10 was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: Of the 71 patients, 37 (52.10%) were male and 34 (47.90%) were female. The age range was 3-57 years, and most of the patients (n = 33; 46.5%) were between 11 and 20 years. Besides, 63 (89%) patients had pain in the right iliac fossa of less than four-days duration, while 8 (11%) had pain of longer duration.Total leukocyte count was found to be elevated in 33 (46.5%) patients, while total serum bilirubin was elevated in 41 (57.70%). Ultrasound of abdomen showed 9 (12.70%) patients having normal appearance of appendix and 59 (83.30%) had inflamed appendix. Four (5.60%) patients had no signs of inflammation on naked eye appearance per operatively. Histopathology of appendix showed 10 (14.10%) patients had non-inflammatory appendix. CONCLUSION: Patients with signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis and a raised total serum bilirubin level indicated a complication of acute appendicitis requiring an early intervention to prevent peritonitis and septicaemia. A raised serum bilirubin level is a good indicator of complicated acute appendicitis, and should be included in the assessment of patients with suspected complicated acute appendicitis.

Emergency department deaths despite active management: experience from a tertiary care centre in a low-income country.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency and causes of ED deaths despite active management, in a tertiary care centre of a low-income country. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review over a 2 year period (January 2001-December 2002) for all patients who died despite active management in an ED in Karachi, Pakistan. RESULTS: Of the 78,418 patient visits, 601 patients (0.7%) were pronounced dead. Of these, 577 patients had complete records. Seventy per cent of these were dead-on-arrival, 1% had do-not-resuscitate orders and 29% (n = 166; 95% confidence interval [CI] 25-32%) died despite active management. Initial vital signs were found to be abnormal in almost all cases (98%). The leading causes of death were sepsis (23%; 95% CI 19-26%), myocardial infarction (19.7%; 95% CI 16-22%), cerebrovascular accident (10.7%; 95% CI 8-13%) and pneumonia (8.2%; 95% CI 6-10%) among adults and sepsis (36.4%; 95% CI 32-40%), myocarditis (15.9%; 95% CI 13-18%) and pneumonia (9.1%; 95% CI 6-11%) among children. CONCLUSION: Sepsis is the leading cause of death in patients of all age groups in the ED of this hospital.