Unroofing curettage for treatment of simple and complex sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease.

Purpose: Sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition with an incidence of 26:100,000 in the United States. However, its etiology and optimal treatment remain controversial. Methods: We included 129 and 74 patients with simple and complex sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease, respectively. The primary outcome was pilonidal sinus recurrence after unroofing curettage. Secondary outcomes were pain scores, time to return to work/school, and time to complete recovery. Results: At a median follow-up of 53 months, the recurrence rate was 4.9% in all patients, not significantly higher in subjects with the complex disease. Duration of surgery (15.4 minutes vs. 12.2 minutes), time to return to school/work (9.8 days vs. 7.7 days), and complete healing time (44 days vs. 36 days) were longer in patients with the complex disease. Postoperative complication rates, pain scores, and quality of life scores between the 2 groups did not differ. Conclusion: Unroofing curettage may be a good first-choice treatment for both simple and complex sacrococcygeal pilonidal disease.

Evaluation of complications after laparoscopic and open appendectomy by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program surgical risk calculator.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the predictive level of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) risk calculator for post-appendectomy complications. METHODS: A total of 292 patients who were hospitalized for general appendectomy were included in the study. The age range of the patients was 18-76 years (mean: 35.3±13.6 years). The mean body mass index was 25.8±4.6. Twenty data points were entered into the ACS-NSQIP surgical risk calculator (SRC), which yielded the 17 most common complications and the average LOHS. Compli-cations encountered in 30-day follow-up were categorized according to the complications predicted by SRC. The actual and observed complication rates and LOHS were compared RESULTS: Post-operative complications developed in 13.4% of the patients, surgical site infection in 11.3%, serious complications in 3.1%, and readmission in 2.1%. Serious complications included pneumonia, sepsis, cardiac complications, and renal failure. The mean LOHS was 1.91±1.64 days (range: 1-14 days). No thromboembolism or mortality was observed. When the comparison of compli-cations using SRC was made with the ROC curve, the predictive value of SRC was 84.2% for any complication, 86.7% for serious complication, 47.6% for surgical site infection, 95.9% for renal failure, 99.0% for resurgery, and 88.3% for sepsis. CONCLUSION: Although it is rare to see complications after simple appendectomy, it is known that complication rates increase sig-nificantly in the elderly, the obese, and those with comorbidities. Tools such as SRC will be beneficial for patients with these risk factors.

Mastodynia: is imaging necessary in young patients?

OBJECTIVE: Mastalgia is the most frequent symptom seen in patients who undergo breast imaging. There are various medical treatment methods in the literature. However, malignancy should be excluded before starting treatment. This is a prospective study, evaluating the necessity of imaging in patients who have applied for cyclic or non-cyclic breast pain, with normal physical examination, and without a family history. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred women, younger than 30 years of age, who applied to Igdir State Hospital general surgery department with complaint of cyclic or non-cyclic breast pain, were prospectively studied. Patients with nipple discharge, complaint of lump in their breast, who were pregnant or lactating, who had breast cancer history in their family and those who were found to have lumps on examination were excluded from the study. All patients underwent ultrasound imaging and the same radiologist evaluated them. RESULTS: The breast examination was normal in all patients. Ultrasound imaging results were completely normal in 98 (48%) patients. 47 (23.5%) patients were found to have fibroadenoma, with a mean diameter of 9.6 mm (5 mm-14 mm). 45 (22.5%) patients had simple cysts with a mean diameter of 7.8 mm (3 mm-11 mm). 6 (3%) patients were found to have intraductal papillomas and 4 (2%) to have lipomas. All patients were classified as either BI-RADS 1 or BI-RADS 2. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that malignancy should be eliminated before starting treatment in patients with breast pain. In this study, the necessity of imaging in patients younger than 30 years and who applied to the general surgery department for only breast pain, was investigated. None of the patients with a normal breast examination were found to have any lesions considered suspicious for malignancy. We believe that if breast examination is normal, the patient is equal to or younger than 30 years of age and there is no family history, imaging is not necessary and that medical therapy can be started directly after the patient is informed.

Instant Abdominal Wall Reconstruction with Biologic Mesh following Resection of Locally Advanced Colonic Cancer.

We present a case of immediate abdominal wall reconstruction with biologic mesh following the resection of locally advanced colonic cancer. The tumor in the right colon did not respond to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Surgical enbloc excision, including excision of the invasion in the abdominal wall, was achieved, and the defect was reconstructed with porcine dermal collagen mesh. The patient was discharged with no complication, and adaptation of the mesh was excellent at the six-month followup.

Fibrin sealant effects on the ilioinguinal nerve.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pain after mesh repair for inguinal hernia may be related to the trauma to the regional nerves by direct compression with sutures, staples, or tacks during mesh fixation. Fibrin sealant (FS) has been recommended to eliminate this risk. In this experimental study, the effects of FS on the ilioinguinal nerve when a mesh was applied was searched. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen New Zealand rabbits were used in three groups. In Group 1, a 2×1 cm, standard monofilament, pure polypropylene mesh was laid over ilioinguinal nerve. In Group 2, 0.5 ml FS was applied on the nerve without using an onlay mesh. In Group 3, a 2×1 cm mesh was laid onlay and secured with 0.5 ml FS with no fixating suture. Three months after surgery bilateral nerve samples were taken from the contiguous nerve segment for microscopic study. RESULTS: Group 1 showed prominent findings with regard to all parameters. There were significant differences between Group 1 and Group 2 in respect of fibrosis, lymphocyte, and edema scores, and foreignbody reaction. The values of Group 3, where the mesh was secured by the application of FS with no suture, were roughly placed in between Group 1 and Group 2. Prominent fibrosis and increased collagen proliferation in peripheral area of mesh was seen in Group 1 subjects, whereas a mild fibroblastic activity among mesh fibers in Group 3 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: FS has no negative effect on ilioinguinal nerve. FS application may protect the nerve from the harmful effects of polypropylene mesh in inguinal hernia repair.

Recurrent Incisional Hernia due to Pseudomyxoma Peritonei.

Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare but challenging neoplastic disease which is characterized with intraperitoneal mucinous-gelatinous fluid accumulation. It rarely presents as a mass mimicking abdominal wall hernias A recurrent incisional hernia due to pseudomyxoma peritonei is presented here. A 60-year-old female patient had been operated on for a left mucinous ovarian cyst 20 cm in diameter in 1998. Mucinous material had disseminated into interloop spaces through the right subdiaphragmatic region. Total abdominal hysterectomy + bilateral salpingooophorectomy and peritoneal toilet had been performed. She was rehospitalized for abdominal distention and a 4 cm defect over the incision and underwent a hernia repair using polypropylene mesh in 2001. Abdominal distention recurred to give a rise to an incisional hernia in 2006. She was reoperated for decompression and repair, but nothing could be done because of sticky adhesions and the incision were simply closed. The patient was referred to our department for operation. A prosthetic hernia repair with 30 × 30 cm polypropylene mesh was performed. The patient was discharged on the postoperative 5th day following an uneventful recovery. However, she died of disseminated disease after 18 months.

The faith of ilioinguinal nerve after preserving, cutting, or ligating it: an experimental study of mesh placement on inguinal floor.

BACKGROUND: Postherniorrhaphy chronic pain may be related to the trauma to the regional nerves or prosthetic mesh. This study was aimed to search the objective findings of prosthetic mesh placement on the ilioinguinal nerve in three different nerve treatment patterns with two different mesh types. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty New Zealand rabbits were used. Bilateral ilioinguinal nerves were identified. A 2×1 cm standard polypropylene mesh was laid on the nerve on right side, whereas a same sized lightweight polypropylene was applied on the left after three different nerve treatments were carried out. The nerve was completely preserved in the first group [G1], cut by scissors without a further process in the second [G2], and proximal cut end was ligated with 5/0 polyglactin. Three months after the surgery, bilateral nerve samples were taken from the contiguous nerve segment for light microscopy and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Nerve protection could not prevent microscopic changes entirely. Prosthetic mesh itself seemed to cause histopathologic changes. Overall incidence of histopathologic changes in light microscopy, without taking the nerve treatment pattern into account, was somewhat lower at standard mesh side than that of lightweight mesh side. However this difference did not reach the level of significance (P=0.39). When three groups were evaluated in respect to overall nerve damage without paying attention to mesh type, the highest damage rate was observed in G3 (cut and ligate). When each group was compared separately within itself for histopathologic changes, no differences were observed between heavy and light mesh sides in any group. When the microscopic changes were compared in respect to the different nerve treatment patterns on heavyweight mesh side, the rates were 12.5%, 12.5%, and 33.3%, respectively. On lightweight mesh side, all three groups exhibited similar microscopic finding rates, 37.5%, 25.0%, and 33.3%, respectively. Protection of the nerve resulted in virtually zero neuroma formation after two types of mesh use. Surgical trauma to the nerve was observed to have an obvious potential for neuroma formation. Mesh type did not affect the overall neuroma rate within the whole subject pool; both groups displayed same 40% overall neuroma development rate. The neuroma incidence was in 43.8% G2 and 72.2% in G3, however the difference did not attain level of significance (P=0.09). The highest rate was observed when a lightweight mesh was used after dividing and ligating the nerve. CONCLUSIONS: Light mesh could not provide a protection in subjects whose nerves were injured during surgery. Ligation of the cut end of the nerve also could not be helpful. Nerve protection still seems to be the best way for a nerve-related complaint-free postoperative period. The merit of nerve end implantation into the muscle should also be reconsidered.

Use of haemostatic matrix in management of rectus hematoma in an anticoagulated patient: a case report.

Rectus sheath hematoma may present as a painful mass in the anterior abdominal wall. The underlying reasons may vary, while anticoagulant use and thromboembolism prophylaxis are documented causes. Treatment is mostly conservative however interventional procedures can be required. We herein present a case of 76-year-old patient with an uncontrolled rectus hematoma despite surgical hemostasis. The patient was treated succesfully by applying hemostatic matrix (Floseal).