Langenbecks Archiv fur Chirurgie最新文献

The proximal third of the humerus is fed by the anterior and posterior circumflex arteries of the axillary artery. They construct a fine anastomoses network at the humeral head as well as longitudinal anastomoses to the diaphysis. The middle third of the humerus is maintained by the rami musculoperiostales originating in both the brachial artery and the deep brachial artery. These periosteal vessels are formed both horizontally and vertically. The distal third of the humerus is mainly supplied by the horizontal anastomoses of the collateral arteries. The inner part of the bone is normally penetrated by just one nutrient artery entering the nutrient canal below the middle of the humerus.

A 58-year-old woman presented with multiple gastroduodenal ulcera caused by a pancreatic polypeptidoma (PPoma) without hypergastrinemia or gastrin-producing tumor cells. After curative resection of the neoplasm, the clinical symptoms disappeared and the patient has now been disease-free for 6 years. We conclude that patients with non-gastrin-producing endocrine pancreatic tumors may demonstrate the clinical features of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and should be included in the differential diagnosis of this syndrome.

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis and fylecal or diffuse purulent peritonitis are the diseases primarily responsible for mortality due to surgical infections of the abdomen. The most recent figures indicate that a mortality rate of 50%-80% in this specialized treatment group is still a reality. Without doubt, surgical sanitation of the focus is the most important therapeutic measure. A generalized inflammation reaction has been regularly observed in nearly all patients within this disease category. Local surgical therapy has the greatest effect on prognosis. If the therapeutic goal is not reached with the first intervention, adjuvant surgical therapy is necessary. The different forms are continuous peritoneal lavage (CPL), open dorsoventral lavage, and relaparotomy or scheduled reoperation ("Etappenlavage"). Adjuvant medical treatments include TNF alpha and interleukin-1 synthesis inhibitors or antibodies. Unfortunately, clinical studies with these mediators have only been partly successful in the subgroups, so that a general clinical adjuvant treatment is not considered viable. The bacterial properties of taurolidine destroy the bacterial membrane and, at the same time, lead to cross-linking of the membrane components and functional proteins (LPS), so that a bactericidal effect and endotoxin reduction take place simultaneously. Both local and intravenous routes of administration can be used.

Background: Although port-site metastases occur after laparoscopic surgery, there is no generally accepted approach to prevent tumor implantation so far.

Methods: In order to prevent tumor metastases, the effect of taurolidine and heparin on the growth of colon adenocarcinoma DHD/K12/TRb was measured in vitro and in a rat model. After incubation of the cells with heparin, taurolidine or both substances, the cell kinetics were determined. In a second experiment, tumor cells were administered intraperitoneally in rats (n = 60) and pneumoperitoneum was established over 30 min. Rats were randomized into four groups (I: tumor cells; II: cells + heparin; III: cells + taurolidine; IV: cells + taurolidine + heparin).

Results: While tumor cell growth was not influenced by heparin in vitro, growth decreased significantly after incubation with taurolidine and taurolidine/heparin. In vivo, intraperitoneal tumor weight was lower in rats receiving heparin (298 +/- 155 mg) and taurolidine (149 +/- 247 mg) than in the control group (596 +/- 278 mg). When the two substance were combined, tumor growth was even less (21.5 +/- 36 mg). Trocar metastases were only lower in rats receiving taurolidine or the combination of taurolidine and heparin.

Conclusion: In vivo, heparin inhibits intraperitoneal tumor growth only slightly, while taurolidine causes a significant decrease in tumor cell growth in vitro as well as intraperitoneal tumor growth and trocar metastases in vivo.

Due to the superficial position of shunt vessels we do not use complicated equipment or diagnostic procedures in the morphological assessment of shunt insufficiency or shunt occlusion. Preoperatively, we merely conduct a clinical examination including inspection, pulse, palpation of the shunt veins and arteries with and without venous congestion, and shunt auscultation. Subsequently, we reoperate the shunt under local anesthesia, at which time the anastomosis is usually checked and repositioned. From January 1995 to May 1996, 539 shunt operations were performed in 371 patients, whereby 263 of these were reoperations. The reoperations were performed due to shunt occlusion (n = 144), shunt stenoses (n = 60), shunt aneurysms (n = 17), steal syndrome (n = 3), and rare complications such as hematoma, shunt infection, seroma, and other disturbances (n = 6) (32 patients were treated in other clinics after reoperation or the functional disturbance of the shunt was not recorded). Angiography was only conducted if the clinical examination did not provide enough information about the shunt problems, and so, preoperatively, only six angiographic examinations were conducted (stenosis, n = 3; aneurysm, n = 1; steal syndrome, n = 2). All reoperations, with only few exceptions (PTFE shunt), were conducted under local anesthesia. At reoperation, 184 new proximal shunts were made, 14 thrombectomies conducted, seven PTFE fistulas made, 13 shunts positioned on the opposite side, five shunts ligated, and eight various other operations performed (32 patients were given further treatment elsewhere or no treatment records were available). If during reoperation flow disturbances were suspected (arterial stenosis) or the blood was flowing towards center (proximal venous stenosis) angiography was performed intraoperatively to assess the condition of the vessels. The 4% rate of early occlusion using this procedure was very low. Only 21 patients had to have more than two reoperations. After 2 years 65% of the reoperated AV fistulas were still functional. Without further diagnostic procedures, we performed immediate, outpatient reoperation under local anesthesia, preferably positioning new proximal shunts so that dialysis could be conducted immediately using the existing dialysis shunt. Only if there were particularly complex functional shunt disturbances (steal syndrome, proximal venous flow disturbance, or arterial stenosis) did we employ other diagnostic procedures (angiography, DSA). With this approach the functional shunt disturbances could be eliminated quickly and effectively, which also minimized the cost and stress for the patient.

The full significance of laparoscopic technique in elective surgery of sigmoid diverticulitis has yet to be determined. However, it seems worthwhile to evaluate how minimally invasive surgery could be integrated into the surgical treatment of diverticulitis disease. Between January 1995 and August 1996, 26 patients with sigmoid diverticulitis underwent elective surgery. Following diagnostic laparoscopy, seven patients were treated with primary conventional resection, 15 patients with laparoscopic resection and four patients with laparoscopic-assisted surgery. One laparoscopic resection had to be converted to a median laparotomy. Postoperative complications (n = 2) only appeared in the group of conventional resections. Conventional resections required less time than laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted resections, but postoperatively, patients with laparoscopic resection were able to defecate sooner and required a shorter hospital stay. For 60% of the patients with diverticulitis disease of the colon, elective laparoscopic resection may prove to be the best alternative of surgical treatment. In selected patients it is a sound technique with a low complication rate. We recommend that all patients with diverticulitis disease requiring elective surgery undergo diagnostic laparoscopy to determine whether or not laparoscopic resection is a viable option.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare neoplasm of the skin predominantly found on the head and extremities. Clinically MCC presents as a rapidly growing red or violaceous, dome-shaped, solitary tumor. The clinical and histological diagnosis of MCC remains difficult. Distinction from poorly differentiated small cell primary tumors or metastasis requires immunohistochemical analysis and-if available-electron-microscopic studies. We report on the follow-up of 10 patients with MCC treated in the past 6 years at our department. In nine patients the tumors were completely removable; in one patient with a large primary tumor of the upper lip no histologically proven complete excision could be performed. After a median follow-up of 42 months, local recurrence or lymph node involvement was observed in three patients. Two patients died following disseminated metastases, one elderly patient due to cardiac insufficiency. Our observations demonstrate that MCC is a potentially aggressive cutaneous tumor. Adequate primary surgical and adjuvant therapy as well as careful follow-up are mandatory.

From 1986 to 1995, 97 patients older than 65 years of age underwent hepatic resection at the Department of General Surgery, Hospital Lainz, Vienna. The population consisted of 39 men and 58 women with a mean age of 74 +/- 5.5 years. Primary neoplasia was the cause of resection in 35 patients, gallbladder cancer in 16 patients, and metastatic disease to the liver in 40 patients. Six patients underwent hepatic resection because of benign disease. The overall rate of major resections (> or = 3 liver segments) was 73% and the overall mortality was 13.5%. Sixty-five postoperative complications were recorded in 42 patients, and infection was the leading problem in nearly all of these patients (95%). The histologic type of tumor rather than the magnitude of resection had an influence on clinical mortality and morbidity. All complications occurred in patients with malignant disease (P = 0.03). Adverse effects on postoperative morbidity were observed in adenocarcinoma of the hepatic ducts, gallbladder carcinoma, and cholangiocellular carcinoma (P = 0.003). Intraabdominal infections were found in 25% of our patients and were due to biliary leakage in 58%, but had no significant impact on survival. Pneumonia was the leading complication in association with patient survival. All patients who developed pneumonia as a late complication during a complicated course died postoperatively (P = 0.0001). All of these patients had a reduced grade of mobilization. Severe preoperative liver dysfunction carried a significantly higher risk for postoperative morbidity and mortality (P = 0.003 and 0.01), which showed an incremental risk with age > 80 (P = 0.002 and 0.0004). Right lobectomies and extended right lobectomies carried a significantly increased risk for postoperative morbidity (P = 0.004). Infection is associated with nearly every complication recorded after hepatic resection in the elderly. Pneumonia as a late complication poses a worse prognosis in elderly patients who underwent hepatic resection. Patients older than 65 years of age and especially those older than 80 years of age are more liable to succumb to complications that are predominantly infectious. Better local drainage procedures may reduce intra-abdominal infectious complications and early mobilization of the patients may improve the rate of systemic infectious complications and final outcome.

Unlabelled: To assess the behavior of the LC-DCP with prebending and pretensioning we tested: gap angle vs. tensioning force without prebending; Bending moment for different prebending angles; In a model using a fiber tube to simulate the bone for different prebending angles and pretensioning forces of the LC-DCP the deformation in 4 point bending open was tested. Maximum prebending angle was 24 degrees, maximum pretensioning force was 2400 N; in human cadaver tibiae angles of 3 degrees, 9 degrees, 24 degrees and forces of 300 N, 1000 N and 1500 N, were tested to look for the difference in a less idealized model.

Results: 1. A near linear curve for gap angle vs. force with an angle of 0.45 degree/100 N was found between 100 N and 1500 N; 2. We did not find a near linear bending moment/bending angle curve up to 8 degrees like in the DCP but an exponential curve development as it had to be expected by the lower modulus of elasticity of titanium; 3. the maximum mechanical stability was found for a angle of 24 degrees and a force of 1500 N. The titanium LC-DCP shows a different mechanical reaction to prebending and pretensioning in the bone implant complex compared to stul DCP. Optimum prebending and pretensioning for axial compression and mechanical stability in the LC-DCP are by far greater than clinically possible. From our mechanical testing a prebending angle of 24 degrees and a pretensioning force of 1500 N would allow the largest axial compression and show the most resistance against deformation in bending open. In the clinical setting this would result in difficult reduction and therefore, we recommend a prebending angle of 9 degrees and a pretensioning force of 1000 N.

An important aim of proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is to maintain anal continence. Anal sphincter disruption during IPAA is felt to play an important role in loss of continence, which is described in up to 30% of the treated patients in the early postoperative period. Although sphincter function recovers gradually after surgery, some patients stay incontinent. In our investigation of possible parameters involved in preservation of continence after this operative procedure, we focused on changes in anal manometry. We compared these findings with the functional results obtained by questioning the patients and physical examination. Anal manometry was performed with a low-compliance hydraulic perfusion system. All patients underwent a J-pouch procedure with a short rectal cuff for ileoanal reconstruction. We examined 25 patients, 13 underwent operation for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, 12 because of adenomatous polyposis. In the colitis and polyposis group, 28% of the patients reported events of soiling. Three patients (12%) were incontinent. The remaining 15 patients were completely continent. The median time after operation was 58 months, ranging from 12 to 96 months. Comparing the results of anal manometry with standard values of ten age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers, it was found that there was a significant increase in the threshold of balloon awareness and urge to defecate. These sensations were sometimes elicited by pouch contractions. Median pouch-compliance was also clearly elevated in comparison to rectal compliance (P < 0.005). Inhibitory reflexes during balloon inflation could not be evoked in any of the patients. Comparing continent with incontinent patients there were significant differences in balloon awareness, urge to defecate, and stool frequency (P < 0.01, P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). But in contrast to other publications, we could not find significant differences in anal sphincter length, resting and squeezing, anal canal pressure. Pouch compliance was lowered in incontinent patients and negatively correlated with stool frequency (P < 0.001, r = -0.82). In conclusion, our study indicates that anal sphincter resting pressure alone is not a crucial factor in continence preservation in the long-term after total proctocolectomy and IPAA. Poor pouch-compliance and concomitant higher stool frequencies seem to be related to incontinence in this patient group.