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In sigmoid volvulus, most authors recommend an emergency detorsion with transrectal intubation and delayed resection. In 25% of cases, detorsion in unsuccessful, necessitating multi-stage laparotomy. However, this approach can be harmful in these patients who are often elderly or with multiple diseases. When detorsion is impossible, we now use a one-stage resection with staplers. Using a median laparotomy, detorsion is performed and viability of the colon is confirmed; a Faucher tube placed freely in the rectum, is pushed by the nurse into the dilated colon; the colon is then deflated by applying gentle suction. After removing the tube, we perform a side-to-side anastomosis at the lower ends of both limbs with mechanical staplers, after economic resection of the mesosigmoid. We have used this procedure in five patients with a median age of 82 years; the mean operating time was 92 minutes. There was no mortality, no fistulae, or stenosis with a median follow-up of 16 months. The patients stayed in hospital for 12 to 18 days. In volvulus cases which cannot be reduced immediately, this procedure obviates multi-stage operations, often the cause of mortality, morbidity or loss of autonomy in patients who are often elderly or with multiple disease.

Although the tolerance of indwelling catheters in AIDS patients has been evaluated, the complications of implanted devices in this population are unknown. This encouraged us to compare in a prospective unicenter trial, dealing with 80 consecutive implanted devices, the complications of this kind of system in 20 AIDS patients, versus a control population. The follow-up was 10,658 days. No patient was excluded or lost to follow-up. In the control population, the infection rate was 5% (0.036 per 100 catheter days). We observed 3 thromboses (5%). In the AIDS group, the infection rate was 25% (0.21 per 100 catheter days). We observed 1 thrombosis (5%). This trial shows that implanted devices are more frequently infected in AIDS patients (p less than 0.05) than in a control population; it suggests that the infection rate in AIDS patients is not superior to the indwelling catheter rate, as reported in the literature. The precision of bacteriological tests and use of antibiotic therapy adapted to the clinical context should help to determine, in the presence of suspected infection, whether the implanted device can be maintained or should be removed in this high risk population.

Different surgical models are used in the dog for studying gastric secretion: gastric fistula, denervated Heidenhain pouch, innervated Amdrup pouch and cervical esophagostomy. The surgical procedures are described as well as the care and the monitoring allowing long-term survival of the animals. The association of gastric fistula - Heidenhain pouch has been assessed 30 times and 8 times with cervical esophagostomy. The death-rate was been 7% and the morbidity 24%. Three dogs were provided with an Amdrup pouch. Calibration of the animals allowed the acid and pepsin secreting dose-response to be platted and translation according to lineweaver-Burk or Dowd and Riggs is used to calculate the efficient dose (ED 50) and the maximal response (maxR). Pharmacological or physiological effects might be analyzed in regard to the modification of these parameters in response to a pharmacological agonist or antagonist substance. Some physiological studies could be made using sham-feeding on dogs fitted with a cervical esophagostomy.