Ventralex mesh in umbilical/epigastric hernia repairs: clinical outcomes and complications.

BACKGROUND: Umbilical and epigastric hernias have historically been repaired without mesh resulting in recurrence rates in some series of up to 40%. Recent data suggests mesh repair of these hernias may decrease recurrent hernia rates. Ideal placement of the mesh is behind the defect, which is difficult to do without a large incision in these hernias unless done laparoscopically. The Ventralex hernia patch is a composite PTFE/polypropylene patch allowing intraperitoneal placement behind the hernia defect through a small incision, and without the cost of laparoscopy. To date, only one study exists evaluating this new prosthesis. METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of all umbilical and epigastric hernias repaired with the Ventralex hernia patch by a single surgeon. Patient characteristics and operative and post-operative data were collected. Hernia recurrence is the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include complication rates. RESULTS: Eighty-eight patients from 2003-2006 were evaluated. The population included patients aged 25-86 (mean 52) with nineteen females (22%). The average BMI was 32 (range 18-68). Eighteen patients were smokers, five patients were diabetic, and two patients were chronic steroid users. The size of patches used were small (72%), medium (27%), and unknown (1%). Average operating room time was 52 min (range 19-194). The different types of hernias repaired were umbilical (68%), epigastric (30%), and incisional (2%). Follow-up visits ranged from 8 days to 3.1 years in all but five patients (6%). No hernia recurrences were found in follow-up. Complications included two patients (2.2%) with mesh infection requiring removal of the patch, one patient with post-operative urinary retention, and seroma formation in another patient. CONCLUSIONS: The composite PTFE/polypropylene hernia patch is effective in preventing hernia recurrence in umbilical, epigastric, and small ventral hernia repairs and can be accomplished with a low rate of complications.

Intraperitoneal modification of the Rives-Stoppa repair for large incisional hernias.

INTRODUCTION: Recurrence rates for open repair of ventral/incisonal hernias historically range from 6% for the classic Rives-Stoppa repair to 35-45% for some of the techniques more commonly used in the United States. We report a modification to the classic Rives-Stoppa repair that allows intraperitoneal placement of the prosthetic, secured with a running suture. The abdominal muscles are closed over the mesh to protect it from any superficial wound problems that might develop and to restore normal architecture of the abdominal wall. METHOD: A chart review was undertaken on all patients undergoing open ventral incisional hernia repair by a single surgeon from 2000 to 2006. All hernias were repaired with the intraperitoneal modification mimicking the principles of the Rives-Stoppa repair. Patient characteristics and operative and postoperative data were collected. Primary outcome was recurrence of hernia. Secondary outcomes were complications and rate of mesh infection. RESULTS: One hundred and fifteen patients were evaluated. Thirty-four patients had repair of recurrent ventral hernias. The average patient was obese, female, and 59 years old. Twenty-five patients used tobacco, eleven were diabetic, and seven used chronic corticosteroids. Meshes utilized included ePTFE, coated polyester, coated polypropylene, and biologic mesh. Average size of mesh was 465.4 cm2. There were four recurrences (3.4%), three of which were due to mesh infection requiring mesh removal. Recurrence rate not secondary to mesh removal was 0.9%. Complications occurred in 26% with seroma formation being the most frequent (16%). CONCLUSION: The intraperitoneal modification to the original Rives-Stoppa repair leads to a very low recurrence rate for large ventral hernia repairs with minimal complications and low rate of mesh infection.

Radiologic gastrostomy.

Radiologic gastrostomy has a higher success rate and a lower complication rate and offers a greater choice of tubes than percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). The position and configuration of the stomach and colon are clearly seen under fluoroscopy, and ultrasound can be used to locate the liver. Radiologic gastrostomy procedures can be performed when there are oropharyngeal tumors, or esophageal strictures and stents, and can be performed under local anesthesia alone. Peroral push-gastrostomies are preferable for palliative care and for patients with neurogenic dysphagia, but percutaneously inserted tubes should be used in patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers in order to avoid tumor seeding. Unfortunately, awareness of and access to radiologic techniques are still limited and this has led to the development of "adventurous" techniques for placing endoscopes in stomachs rather than applying simple fluoroscopic alternatives.

Single dose oral ranitidine improves MRCP image quality: a double-blind study.

AIM: To investigate the possibility of whether a single 300 mg dose of ranitidine given orally 2-3h before magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) could reduce the signal from the stomach and duodenum, and thus increase the conspicuousness of the biliary tree. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five volunteers (22 female, 13 male), (age range 21-50) were underwent MRCP in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover trial on a Philips Intera 1.5 T machine using a phased array surface coil. Imaging was carried out in the coronal oblique plane. Six 40 mm sections were acquired at varying angles to delineate the biliary tree and pancreatic duct. The 70 examinations were blindly scored by three consultants experienced in cholangiography. RESULTS: After ranitidine administration there was a significant decrease in signal from the stomach (mean=17.7, p=0.0005, CI 10, 25.3) and duodenum (mean=18.4, p=0.0005, 95%CI 9.6, 27.1) with a significant increase in conspicuousness of the distal common duct (mean=7.7, p=0.033, 95%CI 0.7, 14.7) and proximal common duct (mean=8.7, p=0.010 CI 2.2, 15.2). There were no adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Oral ranitidine is a cheap and effective agent to decrease signal from the upper gastrointestinal tract and to improve visibility of the biliary tree.

Troponin T after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: no evidence of harm.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: It is well recognized that myocardial ischemia can occur during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Acute arrhythmias and ST segment changes have been reported by a number of authors, but the longer-term sequelae with regard to permanent myocardial damage are not known. The aim of this study was to determine the presence or absence of significant injury to the heart muscle. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty-two patients undergoing therapeutic ERCP were assessed clinically and with electrocardiography (ECG) for the presence of ischemic heart disease before the procedure. Extensive intraprocedural monitoring was carried out, postprocedural ECGs were recorded, and serum troponin T levels were measured. The ECGs were evaluated blindly by a single cardiologist. RESULTS: In 61 of the 62 patients, no changes were observed between the ECGs before and after the procedure. One patient had postprocedural T wave inversion but a normal troponin T level, excluding myocardial damage. One patient with mild renal insufficiency and treated heart failure had borderline troponin T elevation (0.05 microg/l) but no ECG changes. No complications of ERCP occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst ECG and rhythm changes indicating transient myocardial ischemia do occur during ERCP, there is no evidence that myocardial damage takes place as a consequence of this.

Patterns, incidence and predictive factors for pain after interventional radiology.

AIM: To evaluate prospectively the pattern, severity and predictive factors of pain after interventional radiological procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing non-arterial radiological interventional procedures were assessed using a visual-analogue scale (VAS) for pain before and at regular intervals for 24 h after their procedure. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty patients (87 men, mean age 62 years, range 18-92 years) were entered into the study. Significant increases in VAS score occurred 8 h after percutaneous biliary procedures (+47.7 mm, SD 14.9 mm; p=0.001), 6 h after central venous access and gastrostomy insertion (+23.7 mm, SD 19.5 mm; p=0.001 and +28.4 mm, SD 9.7 mm; p=0.007, respectively) and 4h after oesophageal stenting (+27.8 mm, SD 20.2 mm, p=0.001). Non-significant increases in VAS pain score were observed after duodenal and colonic stenting (duodenal: +5.13 mm, SD 7.47 mm; p=0.055, colonic: +23.3 mm, SD 13.10 mm, p=0.250) at a mean of 5h (range 4-6h). Patients reported a significant reduction in pain score for nephrostomy insertion (-28.4mm, SD 7.11 mm, p=0.001). Post-procedural analgesia was required in 99 patients (69.2%), 40 (28.0%) requiring opiates. Maximum post-procedural VAS pain score was significantly higher in patients who had no pre-procedural analgesia (p=0.003). CONCLUSION: Post-procedural pain is common and the pattern and severity of pain between procedures is variable. Pain control after interventional procedures is often inadequate, and improvements in pain management are required.

Bispectral index monitoring for conscious sedation in intervention: better, safer, faster.

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare subjective (Ramsay sedation score, RSS) with objective electroencephalogram-based bispectral index (BIS) assessment, and to validate the appropriate BIS range for measurement of conscious sedation in interventional procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred patients undergoing sedo-analgesia (midazolam and fentanyl) for interventional gastrointestinal procedures were divided into two groups. In group A (n=30) sedation was guided by the RSS with the operator blinded to the BIS recording. In group B (n=70) the operator titrated intravenous sedation to maintain an optimal BIS, predetermined from the results in group A. Recovery time, procedure duration, physiological parameters and unplanned events were recorded in both groups. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between the BIS and RSS (p<0.001). BIS values of 87.2 and 80.9 corresponded to an RSS of 3 and 4, respectively. The optimal BIS level was defined as 80-85. Fifty-seven point five percent of readings were within this range in group B compared with 26.5% in group A (p<0.001). Sedation approaching general anaesthesia (BIS<60) occurred in 5.5% of patients in group A but not in group B. Mean recovery time, duration of procedure, midazolam and fentanyl doses were significantly reduced in group B. Unplanned events were reduced from 27 to 17%, but this was not statistically significant (p=0.29). CONCLUSION: BIS monitoring enables more effective titration of sedatives to maintain a suitable level of consciousness, whilst reducing procedure time. The BIS offers an objective, safe and reliable measure of sedation, without disturbing either patient or operator. BIS monitoring raises the standard of patient care, and in our view, should be used to augment standard assessment.

Doubling the estimate of invertebrate biomass in a rainforest canopy.

Forest canopies represent the functional interface between 90% of the Earth's terrestrial biomass and the atmosphere and include some of the most threatened of all terrestrial ecosystems. However, we lack even a basic understanding of how the biomass of plants and animals is distributed throughout forest canopies, even though this information is vital for estimating energy flow, carbon cycling, resource use and the transfer of materials within this ecosystem. Here we measure the biomass of invertebrates living in a common rainforest epiphyte, describe a striking relationship between fern size and the biomass of animals within the ferns, and reveal that one large epiphyte may contain an invertebrate biomass similar to that found in the whole of the rest of the tree crown on which it is growing. Using these data, we show that including the fauna of these epiphytes--a neglected component in rainforest ecosystems--can more than double our estimate of the total invertebrate biomass in an entire rainforest canopy.

The consent process in interventional radiology: the role of specialist nurses.

AIMS: To evaluate the impact of patient education by specialist nurses on patients' understanding of interventional procedures, their anxiety levels and satisfaction with the given information. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients attending the radiology department for gastrointestinal interventional procedures were interviewed. Patients were assessed using a combination of categorical and visual analogue scales. Parameters were assessed on admission and after additional information had been given by specialist nurses. After the procedure patients were asked to rate the quality of information given and their overall satisfaction. RESULTS: Four of the 60 patients were excluded due to a Mini Mental Test score of <7. Only 35 (62.5%) claimed to have been given information by the referring consultant. Fifty-three patients received additional information before formally giving consent, 50 (96.2%) from the specialist nurses. Patient anxiety before and after information did not significantly change (p=0.52) but there was significant improvement in levels of satisfaction (p=0.001) and perceived understanding (p<0.001). Patients rated overall quality of information at an average of 9.2/10 and overall satisfaction was high (median=9.1/10). CONCLUSION: The use of specialist nurses to educate patients greatly increases patient understanding. The process of informed consent is improved and patient satisfaction is increased.

Conscious sedation for endoscopic and non-endoscopic interventional gastrointestinal procedures: meeting patients' expectations, missing the standard.

AIM: To assess the level of sedation, patient satisfaction and frequency of unplanned events with conscious sedation for interventional procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventeen patients were assessed prospectively before, during and after procedures. Blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation and sedation level were monitored and patients followed up after 24 h. Sedation was scored after drugs were given in accordance with an established protocol. Doses were recorded, as were patients' weight, age and ASA grade and any unplanned events and their management. RESULTS: Seventy-six of the 117 patients (65%) had no unplanned event, 20 (17.1%) became agitated, 15 (12.8%) hypotensive, three (2.6%) hypoxic and three (2.6%) had more than one response. Twelve patients required active management. Fifty-two (44.4%) had a sedation level of

Comparison of standard and steerable catheters for bile duct cannulation in ERCP.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: The aim of the study was to compare two steerable endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) catheters with regard to speed and safety in cannulating the common bile duct. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A standard cannula, a short-nosed sphincterotome, and a bendable catheter were used. At two tertiary centres, a total of 312 patients were randomly assigned to receive treatment with one of three catheters and either by a trainee or an expert endoscopist. When cannulation failed, a further attempt was made with a different catheter. If this failed, a change in operator or other manoeuvres followed. The following were assessed: time to cholangiography and deep cannulation, number of attempts and success rates of cannulation, number of pancreatic duct injections, success of catheter cross-over, and complication rates. RESULTS: Both steerable catheters were significantly better for the initial cholangiogram than the standard catheter (standard catheter 75 %, bendable catheter 84 %, sphincterotome 88 %; P = 0.038), with no significant differences between the bendable catheter and the sphincterotome. Both were also better for deep cannulation of the bile duct (standard cannula 66 %, bendable catheter 69 %, sphincterotome 78 %; P = 0.15). When the standard catheter failed, a steerable catheter succeeded in 26 % of cases. Trainees experienced greater benefit from using steerable catheters. For experts, the bendable catheter was the quickest to achieve cholangiography and deep cannulation. Further manoeuvres had an 85-90 % success rate in allowing biliary access. Twenty of 23 needle-knife papillotomies (87 %) were successful when other methods had failed. The overall ERCP success rate was 97 %. Pancreatitis occurred in 5.3 % of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Steerable catheters allow faster access and can succeed when a standard catheter fails. If cannulation is difficult, changing the catheter should be considered at an early stage. Needle-knife papillotomy is a successful technique in expert hands.

Gastrostomy insertion: comparing the options--PEG, RIG or PIG?

AIM: To compare percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) with radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG) and assess a hybrid gastrostomy technique (per-oral image-guided gastrostomy, PIG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty PEGs and 50 RIGs performed in three centres were prospectively compared and the endoscopic findings of 200 PEGs reviewed. A fluoroscopy-guided technique was modified to place 20 F over-the-wire PEG-tubes in 60 consecutive patients. RESULTS: Technical success was 98%, 100% and 100% for PEG, RIG and PIG, respectively. Antibiotic prophylaxis significantly reduced stoma infection for orally placed tubes (p=0.02). Ten out of 50 (20%) small-bore RIG tubes blocked. Replacement tubes were required in six out of 50 PEGs (12%), 10 out of 50 RIGs (20%), but no PIGs (p<0.001). No procedure-related complications occurred. The function of radiologically placed tubes was significantly improved with the larger PIG (p<0.001), with similar wound infection rates. PIG was successful in 24 patients where endoscopic insertion could not be performed. Significant endoscopic abnormalities were found in 42 out of 200 PEG patients (21%), all related to peptic disease. Insignificant pathology was found in 8.5%. CONCLUSION: PIG combines advantages of both traditional methods with a higher success and lower re-intervention rate. Endoscopy is unlikely to detect clinically relevant pathology other than peptic disease. PIG is a very effective gastrostomy method; it has better long-term results than RIG and is successful where conventional PEG has failed.

Percutaneous removal of retained calculi from the abdomen.

With rising pressure placed on health service resources minimally invasive techniques requiring only short hospital admissions are increasing in importance. We describe the techniques used to remove calculi from the peritoneal cavity which had been retained after surgery and continued to cause clinical problems. In both cases described the calculi lay within abscess cavities associated with fistulous tracks to the skin. The fistulae were dilated to allow passage of therapeutic radiologic and endoscopic equipment enabling manipulation and subsequent extraction of the stones. In both cases removal of the calculi allowed complete resolution of the fistulae and the patients made a full clinical recovery. Removal of gallstones which have escaped into the peritoneum at laparoscopic cholecystectomy leading to sepsis has been described; we describe the novel management of a patient in whom extraction had already been attempted, at another hospital, without success. Removal of an appendicolith, described here in another patient, does not appear to have been reported previously.