The Surgical Management of Concomitant Gallbladder and Common Bile Duct Stones.

Background. The management of choledocholithiasis has evolved from open common bile duct exploration (OCBDE) to therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) to laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE). Each entails a degree of difficulty. Aim. To review 5-year results of bile duct exploration in an UGI unit. Methods. Common bile duct explorations (CBDEs) performed between January 2008 and January 2013 were identified from a prospectively collected clinical audit system and results reviewed retrospectively. Results. 216 CBDEs were performed, 119 (55%) as an emergency and 52 (24%) following failed ERCP. Open CBDE (OCBDE) was performed primarily in 34/216 (16%) patients and attempted laparoscopically in 182 (84%). Fifty nine (32%) Laparoscopic CBDEs (LCBDEs) were converted to OCBDE. Of the remaining 123 LCBDEs, 51 (41%) primary choledochotomies and 72 (59%) primary transcystic CBDEs (TC-CBDEs) were performed. Forty nine (68%) TC-CBDEs were considered successful and 23 (32%) failed. Fifteen failed TC-CBDEs were converted to a successful laparoscopic choledochotomy. Ductal clearance was achieved in 187/216 (87%) patients and retained stones were identified in 20/123 (16%) LCBDEs. Complications occurred in 52/216 (24%) patients. There were 8/216 (4%) bile leaks requiring further intervention. Postoperative ERCP was carried out in 32/216 (15%) patients and 9/216 (4%) required relaparoscopy/laparotomy. No patient died. Conclusions. Successful management of choledocholithiasis requires a breadth of laparoscopic and endoscopic expertise.

Successful closure of gastrocutaneous fistulas using the Surgisis(®) anal fistula plug.

INTRODUCTION: Gastrocutaneous fistulas remain an uncommon complication of upper gastrointestinal surgery. Less common but equally problematic are gastrocutaneous fistulas secondary to non-healing gastrostomies. Both are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Surgical repair remains the gold standard of care. For those unfit for surgical intervention, results from conservative management can be disappointing. We describe a case series of seven patients with gastrocutaneous fistulas who were unfit for surgical intervention. These patients were managed successfully in a minimally invasive manner using the Surgisis(®) (Cook Surgical, Bloomington, IN, US) anal fistula plug. METHODS: Between September 2008 and January 2009, seven patients with gastrocutaneous fistulas presented to Wishaw General Hospital. Four gastrocutaneous fistulas represented non-healing gastrostomies, two followed an anastomotic leak after an oesophagectomy and one following an anastomotic leak after a distal gastrectomy. All patients had poor nutritional reserve with no other identifiable reason for failure to heal. All were deemed unfit for surgical intervention. Five gastrocutaneous fistulas were closed successfully using the Surgisis(®) anal fistula plug positioned directly into the fistula tract under local anaesthesia and two gastrocutaneous fistulas were closed successfully using the Surgisis(®) anal fistula positioned endoscopically using a rendezvous technique. RESULTS: For the five patients with gastrocutaneous fistulas closed directly under local anaesthesia, oral alimentation was reinstated immediately. Fistula output ceased on day 12 with complete epithelialisation occurring at a median of day 26. For the two gastrocutaneous fistulas closed endoscopically using the rendezvous technique, oral alimentation was reinstated on day 5 with immediate cessation of fistula output. Follow-up upper gastrointestinal endoscopy confirmed re-epithelialisation at eight weeks. In none of the cases has there been fistula recurrence (range of follow-up duration: 30-59 months). CONCLUSIONS: Surgisis(®) anal fistula plugs can be used safely and effectively to close gastrocutaneous fistulas in a minimally invasive manner in patients unfit for surgical intervention.

Minimally invasive endoscopic therapy for the management of Boerhaave's syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Boerhaave's syndrome represents the most lethal of all gastrointestinal perforations. In 2009 a treatment algorithm was published based on current level 4 evidence indicating that all septic patients should be treated surgically, early presentations without sepsis endoscopically and delayed presentations without sepsis conservatively. No provision was made for septic patients unfit for surgical intervention. Using a case series, we demonstrate how minimally invasive endoscopic therapies can be used successfully to manage such a cohort. METHODS: Between September 2008 and January 2010, five patients presented to Wishaw General Hospital with Boerhaave's syndrome, all with an associated septic profile and none fit for surgery. They were managed using minimally invasive endoscopic therapies including endoscopic placement of oesophageal stents, elimination of mediastinal/pleural contamination using video assisted thorascopic lavage, management of subsequent collections using sinus tract endoscopy and mini-laparotomy with transhiatal endoscopic drainage, and closure of oesophagocutaneous fistulas using the Surgisis® (Cook Surgical, Bloomington, IN, US) anal fistula plug sited endoscopically with a rendezvous technique. RESULTS: Oesophageal re-epithelialisation and resolution of sepsis was achieved in all five cases on days 50, 50, 51, 59 and 103. Four patients are alive today. The fifth died on day 109 in hospital as a consequence of co-morbidity. Two patients required oesophageal dilatation for benign oesophageal strictures. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive endoscopic therapy can be used successfully to achieve oesophageal re-epithelialisation and resolution of sepsis in patients unfit for surgical intervention. It offers a feasible treatment for patients not accounted for in today's literature and expands on currently described endoscopic therapies.

An analysis of the dependence of saccadic latency on target position and target characteristics in human subjects.

BACKGROUND: Predictions from conduction velocity data for primate retinal ganglion cell axons indicate that the conduction time to the lateral geniculate nucleus for stimulation of peripheral retina should be no longer than for stimulation of central retina. On this basis, the latency of saccadic eye movements should not increase for more peripherally located targets. However, previous studies have reported relatively very large increases, which has the implication of a very considerable increase in central processing time for the saccade-generating system. RESULTS: In order to resolve this paradox, we have undertaken an extended series of experiments in which saccadic eye movements were recorded by electro-oculography in response to targets presented in the horizontal meridian in normal young subjects. For stationary or moving targets of either normal beam intensity or reduced red intensity, with the direction of gaze either straight ahead with respect to the head or directed eccentrically, the saccadic latency was shown to remain invariant with respect to a wide range of target angular displacements. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that, irrespective of the angular displacement of the target, the direction of gaze or the target intensity, the saccade-generating system operates with a constant generation time.