Single-layer anastomosis in surgery of the large bowel. A prospective study on 316 cases in a university hospital.

A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the results of a single layer appositional technique for large bowel anastomoses used in a University Hospital. 316 patients were entered during an 18-month period. Anastomoses were situated within the peritoneal cavity in 277 patients and below the peritoneal reflection in 39. No covering stoma was made. The incidence of clinical leakage was 1.6% and of wound infection 1.9%. These results compare favourably with those obtained by stapling. For intraperitoneal anastomoses and high anterior resection manual suture remains the standard technique and is less expensive than stapling. For low rectal tumours, there is still debate on the relative merits of stapling and various manual techniques of colo-anal anastomosis in terms of morbidity, tumour clearance and functional results.

Surgical resection of liver metastases from colo-rectal cancers.

Surgical resection is currently the only potentially curative treatment in some selected patients with colo-rectal liver metastases (LM). Unfortunately only a minority of patients are candidates for resection. Only solitary or unilobar LM that can be removed by partial liver resection, are considered to be resectable. The second condition for the resection of LM is that the primary cancer must be resected. The third condition for resection is that the patient must be able to undergo a major liver resection if it is necessary. Small metastases which do not exceed 5 cm, and appear on the surface of the liver can be removed by a simple wedge resection. If the tumor is larger than 5 cm, or if multiple unilobar nodules are discovered, a major liver resection becomes necessary. Hospital mortality does not exceed 5% in most published series. Five year survivals are very rare when histologically proven colo-rectal LM are left in place. After surgical resection of LM, five year survival rates are close to 25% and range from 18% to 52%. Surgical resection is of benefit to approximately one fourth of the patients, who survive five years or more, but three fourths of the patients have early recurrences. None of the studied criteria can predict which patients will benefit from surgical resection of LM. In order to try to reduce the rate of early recurrences adjuvant chemotherapy has been proposed. No positive data have yet been obtained.

Hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastases. Influence on survival of preoperative factors and surgery for recurrences in 80 patients.

This report analyses an experience with 80 liver resections for metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Primary colorectal cancers had all been resected. Liver metastases were solitary in 44 patients, multiple in 36 patients, unilobar in 76 patients, and bilobar in 4 patients. Tumor size was less than 5 cm in 33 patients, 5-10 cm in 30 patients, and larger than 10 cm in 17 patients. There were 43 synchronous and 37 metachronous liver metastases with a delay of 2-70 months. The surgical procedures included more major liver resections (55 patients) than wedge resections (25 patients). Portal triad occlusion was used in most cases, and complete vascular exclusion of the liver was performed for resection of the larger tumors. In-hospital mortality rate was 5%. Three- and 5-year survival rates were 40.5% and 24.9%, respectively. None of the analysed criteria: size and number of liver metastases, delay after diagnosis of the primary cancer, Duke's stage, could differentiate long survivors from patients who did not benefit much from liver surgery due to early recurrence. Recurrences were observed in 51 patients during the study, two thirds occurring during the first year after liver surgery. Eight patients had resection of "secondary" metastases after a first liver resection: two patients for extrahepatic recurrences and six patients for liver recurrences. Encouraging results raise the question of how far agressive surgery for liver metastases should go.

[Epidermoid cysts of the spleen. Apropos of 2 cases]. / Kystes épidermoïdes de la rate. A propos de deux cas.

The authors report two new cases of splenic epidermoid cyst. They stress the importance of sonography and the need for thorough examination of the surgical specimen for establishing the diagnosis. They also discuss several etiological hypotheses. Although uncommon, the possibility of an epidermoid cyst must always be considered once the echinococcal nature of the cyst has been ruled out, in all cases of splenic cysts in children or young adults.

[Aneurysmal disease. Results of treatment]. / Maladie anévrysmale. Résultats du traitement.

Immediate and long-term results in the principal sites involved: abdominal aorta, and iliac, femoral and popliteal arteries, are explored successively, and are compared with the principal results reported in the literature. Multiple localizations in the aorta are discussed with respect to the problems they raise, in the light of the personal experiences of the authors.