Isolated gastric outlet obstruction due to corrosive ingestion.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of isolated gastric outlet obstruction secondary to corrosive ingestion. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective chart review of eight patients who developed gastric stricture following corrosive ingestion and were treated in the Digestive and General Surgery Service of Yopougon Teaching Hospital in Abidjan from 1991 to 2009. RESULTS: Six men and two women (mean age of 34.3 [range 21 to 48 years]) had isolated gastric outlet obstruction following accidental (n=2) or suicidal (n=6) acid ingestion. Two patients sought hospital medical attention two days after ingestion, whereas six patients came to hospital with a mean delay of 60.8 days (range 12 and 96 days). Patients sought medical attention for poor general status (n=6), postprandial vomiting (n=4), early satiety (n=2) and retrosternal pain (n=2). Two patients, who presented early to hospital, underwent upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy the day after admission and then received a feeding jejunostomy whereas the esogastroduodenal barium swallow and feeding jejunostomy were performed after a mean delay of 2 days (range 1 and 3 days) and 3 days (range 1 and 5 days), respectively. The findings at upper endoscopy and barium swallow were: microgastria (n=2), midgastric stricture (n=1), antropyloric stricture (n=4) and gastric body stricture (n=1). One patient died preoperatively as the result of severe nutritional depletion. A follow-up endoscopy and barium swallow were performed respectively 21 and 35 days later. Definitive surgery was performed after a mean delay of 85 days (range 74 to 123 days) in the remaining seven patients. Gastric lesions were managed by total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy (n=2), partial gastrectomy with gastrojejunostomy (n=2) or simple gastrojejunostomy (n=3). During the mean follow-up period of 4 years (range 1 to 7 years), all patients were free of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Isolated corrosive gastric stricture is relatively rare. Surgery tailored according to the extent of gastric stricture provides excellent results.

Cholecystectomy in sickle cell disease patients: is there more acute chest syndrome after laparoscopy? A case controlled study.

Laparoscopy is increasingly being recommended in order to reduce postoperative complications among sickle cell disease patients undergoing cholecystectomy. Acute chest syndrome is the most deadly of these complications. The purpose of this study was to assess if laparoscopic approach reduces postoperative complications related to sickle cell disease after cholecystectomy. A retrospective study of records of sickle cell patients who underwent cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis, from January 1990 to December 2005 was conducted. 136 sickle cell patients underwent surgery: 47 (34.5%) by laparoscopy and 89 (63.5%) by laparotomy. The mean operative time was 71.4+/-18.9 min in the laparoscopy group and 61.2+/-15.3 min in the laparotomy group (non-significant difference). The mortality was not significantly different between the two groups: one patient died in the open cholecystectomy group but no death occurred in the laparoscopic one. The morbidity related to the sickle cell disease was significantly higher in the laparoscopy group [n=5 (10.5%)] than in the laparotomy group [n=4 (4.5%)] (p=0.04). This difference was associated with a higher rate of acute chest syndrome in the laparoscopy group [n=4 (8, 5%)] compared to that in the laparotomy group [n=1 (1.1%)] (p=0.01). There were more complications related to sickle cell disease in the laparoscopy group due to acute chest syndrome. Thus, these data should be confirmed in further randomized studies which must be undertaken.

[Prognosis of post-operative digestive fistulas in Chu de Yopougon: Abidjan/Cote d'Ivoire]. / Pronostic des fistules digestives post-operatoires au Chu de Yopougon : Abidjan/Cote d'Ivoire.

OBJECTIVE: Because of the difficulties to manage the post-operative digestive fistulas (FDPO) and their disappointing results, the authors led this survey. It's objective is to identify the prognosis factors in order to optimize their management and improve their prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHOD: It is a retrospective survey during 12 years, from January 1992 to December 2004 in the general and digestive surgery adult service of CHU Yopougon. It included 86 files of patients aged of 15 years at least presenting a FDPO. RESULTS: The middle age was of 36.8 years. The death rate was 29.06%. It rose with age. The risk of death was multiplied by 5.54 over age of 55 years (OR = 5.54 and p = 0.012). The number of death rose meaningfully with the length of the diagnostic delay (p = 0.016 for OR1 = 1.64 and OR2 = 8.94. The death rate was raised more in the exposed fistulas that in the controlled fistulas (87% against 45%). In 50% of the cases the death occurred when the debit was superior or equal to 500 cc daily. Among the patients submitted to the medical treatment 69.70% had a spontaneous closing of their fistula in a middle delay of 27.18 days for extremes varying between 13 and 47 days. CONCLUSION: The affection is very serious considering it's death rate. A precocious diagnosis and a fast and adapted management should permit to reduce this higher mortality.

[Splenectomy for splenomegaly in Ivory Coast. Indications and short term results]. / Splenectomies pour splenomegalie en Cote d'Ivoire. Indications et résultats précoces.

AIM: To study the indications and evaluate the short term results of splenectomy for splenomegaly. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis concerned 31 males and 21 feméles with a mean age of 30,5 yersin old, from February 1998 to December 2003. The aetiologies of splenomegaly were parasites (n=6), benign haematological diseases (n= 24), haematological malignancies (n=6), infections (n=3) and cysts (n=3). The indications were due to hypersplenism in 39 cases (79,5%), risk of splenic rupture in 46 cases (88,5%), infection or risk of infection in 3 cases and painful splenomegaly in 3 cases. 49 nine patients underwent complete splenectomy and the 3 remaining had a partial splenectomy. A spleno-renal shunt in three cases, mesenterico-adrenal shunt and mesenterico-cave shunt were associated for portal hypertension. A lengthy penicillinotherapy in all the patients and thromboembolic prevention in some were performed. RESULTS: The mean hospital stay was 6.3 days. Correction of cytopenia and permanent pain relief occurred in all cases. One patient died from intraoperative haemorrhage and 2 other from unknown cause postoperatively (09%). Morbidity was due to hyperthermy in 3 cases, abdominal haemorrhage by splenic vessel ligation leakage and bridles obstruction in one case. CONCLUSION: This study shows that hypersplenism constituted the mean indication of splenectomy. Its low mortality and morbidity suggest that it might be usually used in our practice. These results may be improve by laparoscopic splenectomy and systematic prevention of postoperative complications.

[Experience with preperitoneal hernioplasty using Stoppa's procedures in the Ivory Coast]. / Expérience de la hernioplastie prépéritonéale selon le procédé de Stoppa en Côte-d'Ivoire.

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of groin hernias with a high risk of recurrence often provides therapeutic difficulties in Africa for fear of using mesh due to the potential risk of sepsis. The aim of this retrospective study was to emphasize the simplicity and efficacy of Stoppa's technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1994 to 1999, 128 patients with 239 groin hernias underwent hernioplasty with Stoppa's technique. They were all men with a mean age of 54 +/- 8 years. They were classified in stages III and IV (46.8%, n = 60) of Nyhus. One hundred and eleven patients (86.7%) had bilateral hernias and 64 had a factor of recurrence (50%). RESULTS: Mean operating time was 150 +/- 42 min (50-240 min). Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 6 years, with a mean time of 26 months. Eighteen patients were lost to follow-up. The mortality rate was 0.8% (n = 1). The morbidity rate was 18.7% (n = 24) with five hematomas (3.9%), 11 seromas (8.6%), one parietal infection (0.8%) and one recurrence (0.8%). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that Stoppa's technique is efficient and technically feasible in our conditions and has to be performed more frequently.