The absent role of prophylactic antibiotics in low-risk patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

A retrospective chart review was done to determine the infection rate and the use of prophylactic antibiotics in consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomies done in a single community. Incisional infections were discovered in 11 of 566 cases, 10 of whom had received prophylactic antibiotics. The infected patients were significantly older, had longer procedures, and had more comorbidity than the uninfected patients. They were also more likely to have a palpable mass preoperatively and past biliary surgery. A second, prospective study was done to evaluate the efficacy of the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in low-risk patients. Fifty-three patients were randomized into two double-blinded groups. No incisional infections occurred in either group within 30 days postoperatively. This suggests prophylactic antibiotics are not needed to prevent infections for low-risk patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Pheochromocytoma and pregnancy: the epitome of high risk.

BACKGROUND: Past review has shown that one half of the fetuses and nearly that many mothers died of pheochromocytoma if the tumor was not detected in the mother before delivery. The rarity of the occurrence adds to the potential danger because experience with diagnosis and management is unusual. However, the diagnosis is straightforward when considered because pregnancy does not alter diagnostic levels of catecholamines. Management must be individualized and can be done safely. METHODS: The cases of five patients with pheochromocytomas during pregnancy are presented here. Diagnosis was made by urinary catecholamine measurement. Localization methods included caval catheterization and ultrasonography. Blood pressure control was done with alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockers. Treatment strategy was planned by a team of internists, obstetricians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists. RESULTS: All five mothers and three fetuses survived. The two fetal deaths were planned terminations. Two mothers and one fetus had multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B syndrome. One mother had two recurrences, one of which was involved with the pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnancy does not alter urinary catecholamine levels to confuse the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. Localization by ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging is safe to the fetus. alpha- And beta-adrenergic blockers are well tolerated. Every effort should be made to save a normal fetus when the tumor is first discovered during the third trimester. Timing of excision is a decision best done by team planning.

Villous tumors of the duodenum and ampulla of Vater.

Polypoid epithelial tumors of the duodenum and ampulla of Vater are rarely diagnosed preoperatively without wide application of fiberoptic endoscopy. The symptoms are nonspecific. Only a high index of suspicion will lead to early diagnosis. Life-threatening complications and increased incidence of malignant transformations are associated with delayed diagnosis. This paper reviews 11 patients (nine previously unreported) with villous tumor of the ampulla of Vater and two with this neoplasm in the duodenum. It also reviews the important principles of management illustrated by the behavior of the tumors of these 11 patients compared to those of previous reports. For favorable results, all lesions must be excised in toto and evidence of invasive malignancy must lead to aggressive treatment whenever feasible.

Management of cecal diverticulitis.

A case of solitary cecal diverticulum is presented. Acute inflammation of a solitary diverticulum in the cecum appears rare. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult, and the disease is frequently confused with appendicitis or carcinoma. Right colectomy is a safe effective therapy in patients with this condition.

Changes in concentration of amino acids and other metabolites during hypothermic perfusion of the canine kidney.

Changes in the concentration of amino acids and other metabolites were determined in the perfusate during 24 hr of ex vivo hypothermic perfusion of dog kidneys. There was an increase in concentration of most of the amino acids. Two patterns were identified. One showed an increase in concentrations up to 12 hr, and then a leveling off as exemplified by alanine, serine, and glutamate. The other pattern was one of persistent elevation as exemplified by phenylalanine, threonine, and methionine. Glucose, lactate, pyruvate, sodium, potassium, pH, and pO2 were also measured in the perfusate. The results suggest that a degradation of kidney protein may occur during the first 24 hr of perfusion. The levels of other metabolites measured support the fact that glycolysis is responsible for a considerable portion of the total energy production in the kidney under hypothermia.

Gastroduodenal and pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysms: a complication of pancreatitis causing spontaneous gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

Aneurysmal degeneration of gastroduodenal and pancreaticoduodenal arteries due to acute and chronic forms of pancreatitis is uncommon. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage secondary to these vascular lesions has been recognized in only 23 patients. Eight of these patients, including five with gastroduodenal and three with pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysms, have been encountered at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Selective mesenteric arteriography provided the greatest diagnostic specificity. Computerized axial tomography was of discriminate diagnostic value in two patients. Seven of eight patients underwent surgical therapy: transcystic arterial ligation and external pancreatic pseudocyst drainage (four), arterial ligation with abscess drainage (two), and pancreaticoduodenectomy (one). Three patients died after operation from intraabdominal sepsis as well as delayed arterial hemorrhage. Earlier operative intervention, dictated by the patient's clinical status and relevant anatomic findings, may improve survival rates in this complex disease state.

Pheochromocytoma. A persistently problematic and still potentially lethal disease.

Fifty patients with pheochromocytomas have had their conditions diagnosed and have been treated by these authors during a 13-year peneod. Three patients died in the postoperative period, for an overall mortality of 6%. Thirty-two patients underwent primary excision without fatality. Eighteen patients had more complicated illnesses associated with recurrences, notable other disease, acute catecholamine crisis, and/or pregnancy. All three postoperative deaths occurred in this group. Diagnosis was made by urinary catecholamine analysis of epinephrine, norepinephrine, metanephrine, and normetanephrine. Localization was done by plain films, ultrasonograms, computerized tomograms, radioactive isotope scans, intravenous pyelograms, caval samples, venograms, and arteriograms. Management of these complicated cases requires prompt and accurate diagnosis, availability of sophisticated methods of tumor localization, and thoughtful awareness of the potential outcome by an experienced team of surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Adrenal medullary disease in multiple endocrine neoplasia type II.

The diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia type II (MEN-II) was made in 18 patients from 1966 through 1978 at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Eight patients had adrenal medullary disease. Seven had bilateral adrenal pheocyromocytomas (two with concomitant medullary hyperplasia) and one had a unilateral pheochromocytoma with contralateral medullary hyperplasia. No malignant or extraadrenal pheochromocytomas were found. Pheochromocytomas in patients with MEN-II are multiple and involve both adrenal glands. Adrenal venography is advocated as the primary diagnostic tool for localization of adrenal medullary disease in MEN-II patients.

Acute complications of jejuno-ileal pseudodiverticulosis: surgical implications and management.

Acute inflammatory complications of jejuno-ileal pseudodiverticulosis that necessitate surgical intervention are attended by excessive mortality rates of 20 to 40 per cent primarily because of delay in diagnosis. Early diagnosis is confused by the frequent coexistence of other gastrointestinal pathology, most commonly perforated gastric or duodenal ulcers, colonic pseudodiverticulitis, and acute appendicitis with rupture. Resection of pseudodiverticula-containing segments with primary reanastomosis is the preferred method of surgical management for perforation, bleeding, and obstruction. Recommendations are made for more accurate and earlier detection and management.

MEN type IIa syndrome: dilemmas in modern management.

With the use of newer techniques, the multiple endocrine neoplasm II-A syndrome can now be diagnosed early in its evolution. This article discusses the clinical course of the syndrome, the diagnostic modalities employed, and the therapeutic interventions required. An approach to the individual patient with this syndrome is presented.

Dilemmas in the early diagnosis and treatment of multiple endocrine adenomatosis, type II.

Fifteen patients with the diagnosis of multiple endocrine adenomatosis, type II, syndrome (MEA II) were reported from a single center to discuss the dilemmas of early detection and treatment of the adrenal medullary, thyroid, and parathyroid gland diseases. Ten patients came from three families. Three of the patients died, none in hypertensive crisis. Bilateral adrenal medullary disease was present in six patients. Five patients with proved pheochromocytoma had hypertension. All had diagnostic urinary catecholamine values. Nine normotensive patients without proved pheochromocytoma but in a high-risk category for adrenal medullary disease, have multiple suspicious urinary cathecholamines suggestive of adrenal medullary hyperplasia. Bilateral adrenalectomy is recommended for proved adrenal medullary disease in the MEA II syndrome. Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland was found in 13 patients and is believed to be present in two others. Five of the proved cases were occult, being discovered by elevation of pentagastrin-stimulated serum calcitonin levels, justifying total thyroidectomy. Parathyroid hyperplasia was found in three patients with preoperative hypercalcemia and in four others with preoperative normocalcemia. Conservative treatment of parathyroid gland hyperplasia in the MEA II syndrome is substantiated. Metachronous phenotypic expression of the syndrome components was significant.

Sequential renal transplants: some surgical and immunological implications on management of the first homograft.

Experience with 35 second grafts included in a total number of 310 renal transplants was analyzed to identify factors associated with success. The 2 year life-table renal survival rate of sequential cadaveric grafts is 42 percent compared in 54 percent for primary cadaveric grafts. The 2 year life-table patient survival rate for the same group is 68 percent compared to 72 percent for single cadaveric homotransplants. Twenty-one of 30 patients tested in the interval between grafts developed cytotoxic antibodies to greater than 5 percent of a random panel of cells; 43 percent of these kidneys functioned at least one year; 65 percent functioned for one year or more if the cytotoxicity was 5 percent or less. If the first graft functioned greater than 3 months, the second had a 67 percent chance of functioning for one year; if less than 3 months, the second had a 45 percent one year function rate. Removal of the first transplant at time of second transplantation resulted in an 88 percent one year life-table survival rate of the second kidney in nine patients. Removal prior to second transplantation resulted in a 25 percent one year survival rate in 23 patients. To further evaluate this significant finding, data was obtained through the American College of Surgeons/National Institutes of Health (ACS/NIH) Organ Transplant Registry from five major transplant centers. Thirty-two patients had their first graft removed at time of second transplantation with a 52 percent one year life-table kidney survival rate vs. 29 percent if the first were removed more than 90 days prior to second grafting. Statistical analysis shows this to be significant at the 95 percent confidence level.

Extravesical ureteroneocystostomy in 170 renal transplant patients.

Urinary tract reconstitution was done in 170 consecutive renal transplant patients, using an extravesical ureteronecystostomy. The urologic complication rate was 8.5 per cent but complications associated directly with the anastomosis occurred in only 5 per cent of the cases. There have been no anastomotic complications in the last 104 transplants. Vesicoureteral reflux occurred in 20 per cent of 50 patients surveyed. Death in 2 cases and loss of the kidney in 1 were associated with urologic complications.