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The responses of guinea-pigs to in vivo sensitization immediately following cholecystectomy (as a standard surgical procedure) are significantly depressed. Generation of memory function on stimulation with sheep erythrocytes is radically impaired; the effect is also more marked in primary delayed hypersensitivity and thymus-dependent antibody responses than in the response to pneumococcal polysaccharide. Normal lymphocyte transfer tests using operated animals as recipients or donors are not depressed. The evidence is suggestive of dysfunction in the amplification or co-operative stages of immune responses in the early post-operative period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

, , 530-533. The clinical presentation and morphological findings in eight cases of annular injury associated with the insertion of prosthetic heart valves are discussed. The lesions presented as a separation of the left atrium and ventricle at the mitral annulus (one patient), a sinus or false aneurysm in the left posterior atrioventricular groove (two patients), or as a separation of the aortic root from the base of the heart (five patients). The pathogenesis of the lesions is similar. Annular tissue was weakened either by the removal of excess tissue or by an abnormal stress placed on normal tissue or by a slight stress placed on tissue altered by disease, and, as a result, it separated or tore. The resultant haemorrhage either caused the patient's death or, with time, produced the other morphological findings. Factors predisposing patients to the injuries are discussed and a differential diagnosis of annular pseudoaneurysms is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

, , 720-725. Two cases of distal oesophageal obstruction due to tracheobronchial remnant after the successful treatment of proximal oesophageal atresia with an associated tracheo-oesophageal fistula are reported. This association of congenital distal oesophageal stenosis due to tracheobronchial remnant with oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula has not previously been reported in the literature. The diagnosis should be suspected in cases of distal oesophageal obstruction presenting in childhood or adult life with a history dating back to infancy or childhood. Radiologically a short stenotic non-relaxing segment is the hallmark. There is no hiatus hernia and no gastro-oesophageal reflux. Surgical excision is recommended and can be achieved easily through a thoracic approach. Dilatation is difficult, at times impossible and occasionally hazardous, and any benefit is transient. Excision of the stenotic segment with primary end-to-end anastomosis is the method of choice and almost always possible. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

, , 377-381. A 38-year-old man had a mitral valve replacement for rheumatic calcific mitral stenosis and regurgitation; following this operation he remained well for 10 months. He then presented with cough, abdominal pain, and rigors, and type 3 was repeatedly isolated from blood cultures. His clinical condition deteriorated rapidly and an emergency valve replacement was performed. He was then treated with co-trimoxazole for 12 months and made an excellent recovery. This is the first reported case of brucella endocarditis arising on a prosthetic heart valve. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

, , 343-348. Abnormally prolonged peripheral vasoconstriction has been detected prospectively by means of a toe temperature nomogram in 15 (11·5%) out of 131 patients following cardiopulmonary bypass. This state has been associated with a 53% incidence of hospital death, a detectable pathological cause in all cases, and in seven of the 15 cases it was the first or only evidence of a circulatory disorder. It is apparent that toe temperature monitoring after open-heart surgery gives early warning of a wide variety of potentially serious pathological processes, permitting effective treatment of the underlying cause before irreversible changes occur. It has become an indispensable part of routine postoperative care in our unit and is regarded as the simplest and most effective method of monitoring the circulation currently available. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fifty-seven cases of recurrent head and neck malignancies unsuitable for further X-ray or surgery were treated with cryosurgery. The cases were divided into two groups: a symptomatic group of 21 cases treated only when symptoms became severe and an asymptomatic group of 36 cases treated early in an effort to produce significant prolongation of life. In the symptomatic group, pain relief was obtained in 7 of 8 patients (86.5 percent) and symptoms related to tumor bulk were relieved in 11 of 13 patients (84.6 percent). Thirty-six asymptomatic cases treated at the time recurrence was first diagnosed, showed a definite trend of increased survival when compared with matched cases treated prior to the advent of cryosurgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifteen patients with bile peritonitis are presented. One followed a gunshot wound, six resulted from acute cholecystitis and nine were consequent upon biliary tract surgery. The aetiology, clinical picture and management are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The occurrence of symptomatic normal pressure hydrocephalus in children as a complication of posterior fossa surgery, is recorded here. Diagnosis of this exceedingly treatable condition is essential since its syndrome can be confused with brain stem or cortical injury attributed to surgery. All cases responded to shunting with marked improvement. Pediatrics, 49:50, 1972, POSTERIOR FOSSA SURGERY, NORMAL PRESSURE HYDROCEPHALUS, COMMUNICATING HYDROCEPHALUS, AKINETIC MUTISM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with overwhelming post-splenectomy infection (OPSI) in children. Background of OPSI; Causes of OPSI; Points to consider regarding OPSI.

This paper describes a ease of pathological gustatory sweating following thyroidectomy-a previously unreported complication. Evidence is put forward to suggest that damage of the cervical sympathetic trunk has taken place at operation and subsequently nerve fibres from the vagus have sprouted into the cervical trunk. An abnormality of facial sweating was found in one of nineteen other patients who had had a thyroidectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was made of hospitalized female patients aged 1544 who developed pulmonary embolism or venous thrombosis after trauma or surgery. Matched with controls, information was collected on the prior use of oral contraceptives. Findings support previous studies indicating a relationship between thromboembolism and the use of oral contraceptives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Comments on the studies which assessed the risk of severe infection in patients with Hodgkin's disease after laparotomy and splenectomy. Benefits of splenectomy in the staging of Hodgkin's disease; Mortality rate of splenectomy.

Discusses two cases of infection in patients splenectomized for the staging of Hodgkin's disease. Types of cocci which play a role in splenectomy infections; Disorders that increase the incidence of infections after splenectomy; Recommendations.

Summarizes concepts of the neurological and hemodynamic mechanisms mediating human penile erection. Discussion on the physiology of human penile erection; Explanation on the common causes of erectile dysfunction; Information on stimuli for erection.

Presents a study of polyarthritis in obese patients with intestinal bypass. Materials and methods; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Examines the long-term survival of patients who had chronic congestive cardiac failure at the time of pacemaker implantation. Description of the types of electrode catheters and pulse generators used; Perforation of the myocardium; Interventions for pulse-generator failure.

Examines the cases of infectious complications after cardiac transplantation in man. Postoperative morbidity and mortality caused by infectious complications after organ transplantation; Patients and methodology of the study; Discussion on the result of the study.

Presents a study on cardiac transplants and prostheses. Selection of donors and recipients; Method of the study; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Presents a study which examined the results of cryoablation of pituitary adenomas in patients with acromegaly. Patients and methods; Results; Discussion.

Presents a study which examined the electroencephalographic findings in patients with chronic surgical hypoparathyroidism. Relationship of these findings with the presence of epilepsy in patients; Patients and methods; Results and discussion.

Discusses a case of pulmonary nocardiosis occurring in a patient with a giant pleurolith secondary to oleothorax. Information on nocardiosis; Other conditions that have been associated with nocardiosis; Symptoms of the disease.

Discusses several cases of patients with cirrhosis of the liver and its complications. Clinical features of the patients under study; Details of the natural history of cirrhosis and varix hemorrhage; Common cause of death from upper gastrointestinal bleeding; Description of the diagnostic approach to a patient with variceal hemorrhage; Information on splenoportography.

Discusses the pre-operative and postoperative single-injection clearances in donors and in recipients who underwent allogenic renal transplantation due to apparent terminal uremia. Trends in renal function; Methods used in determining renal function; Discussion of the comparative function in two donor-recipient pairs.

Focuses on the findings of a study of a group of patients who either had acute cardiac deterioration or failed to have the desired symptomatic improvement after a valve replacement surgery. Categories of valvular and myocardial causes of poor surgical results; Types of valve replacement; Possible sources of prosthesis obstruction.

Focuses on a study which evaluated lactose tolerance tests and intestinal disaccharidase activity in patients who underwent gastric surgery. Methodology in lactose tolerance tests; Measurement of lactose absorption rate; Psychological factors in patients with lactose malabsorption.

Examines cases of patients who lived for more than four months after renal homotransplantation. Sources of homografts; Common complications; Diagnosis and incidence of late non-fatal rejection; Treatment regimen.

The incidence of bacteremia in 300 patients undergoing four different urologic procedures has been studied. The highest incidence (31 %) was seen in patients undergoing transurethral resection of the prostate. The major source of organisms causing bacteremia was preexisting urinary-tract infection. In the absence of a positive urine culture, other sources include prostatitis and the normal urethral flora. Other factors influencing the likelihood of bacteremia include duration of the procedure and, probably, surgical technique. Presumptive specific diagnosis of bacteremia after manipulation might be obtained early in patients by routine culture of urine (and perhaps prostatic fluid) on the day before surgery. This study suggests the desirability of a controlled investigation of the possible effectiveness of individualized prophylactic therapy appropriate for the specific organisms in urine (and possibly prostatic secretion) before manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Discusses gastrointestinal complications following abdominal aortic surgery. Factors that contributed to the occurrence of gastrointestinal complications; Conditions that must be observed in patients who underwent emergency aortic resection during the post-operative period; Description of abdominal angina and other long-term complications of abdominal aortic surgery.

Presents abstracts of medical research in the field of gastroenterology as of August 1961. "Hiatal Hernia Repair: Findings in Short-Term Follow-up," by W. H. Jacobs and I. D. Baronofsky published in the December 1960 issue of the "American Journal of Digestive Disease"; "Postsurgical Problems of the Gastrointestinal Tract," by Thomas E. Machella published in the December 24, 1960 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association"; "Salmonella-Shigella Infections: Report of 52 Cases" by E. S. Olson and colleagues published in the November 1960 issue of the "Wisconsin Medical Journal."

Presents the results of a study on the efficacy of the shunt procedures in treating patients with bleeding esophageal varices. Information on the portacaval shunt; Factors to be considered in determining good results following shunt operations; Outline of a plan regarding the emergency management of patients with actively and massively bleeding varices.

Presents study which focused on postgastrectomy syndromes. Effects of partial or total gastrectomy on the physiology of the gastrointestinal organs; Impact of the removal of the antrum and pylorus on the loss of the normal mechanism which regulates the emptying of the stomach; Contribution of the surgery to the development of hypoglycemic syndrome.

Evaluates the clinical conditions of 300 postgastrectomy patients in the U.S. Medical history of the patients; Data on gastrointestinal symptoms arising postoperatively exclusive of dumping; Overview of nongastrointestinal conditions subsequent to gastrectomy.

Discusses the results of studies on needle biopsy of the liver in hepatic malignant disease. Review of the complications of needle biopsy of the liver; Comparison of mortality and morbidity in needle biopsy in malignant disease of the liver in two series of patients; Diagnoses of hepatic neoplasm made by needle biopsy.

A study of 175 patients of subtotal gastrectomy for duodenal ulcer one or more years postoperative was undertaken because of the status of the large number of patients seen in our clinic. Patients are discussed under 14 headings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with the post-operative symptoms of gastric surgery in patients with ulcer. Development of cancer; Treatment for various types of mechanical disorders caused by the anatomical rearrangement of the stomach and small intestine; Occurrence of malabsorption and malnutrition.

Presents the results of a study o the use of subtotal gastrectomy in several patients with benign peptic ulcers. Indications for operation; Operative mortality rate; Complications of operation reported.

Presents several cases of Meckel's diverticulum, a surgical complication concerning the small bowel. Symptoms associated with the complication; Benefits of preoperative x-ray diagnoses in the course of the complication.

Deals with the mortality and morbidity in patients with biliary tract disease as of March 1959. Decrease in mortalities following operations; Significance of proper and adequate surgical procedure and management of patients with biliary tract disease; Details of surgical complications that resulted to the death of several patients at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in the U.S. from 1946 to 1955.

Discusses a study which examined the postoperative complications associated with gastrectomy. List of postoperative complications experienced by the patients; Postgastrectomy symptoms; Dietary principles that may abolish or improve postgastrectomy symptoms; Causes of bleeding after gastrectomy.

Explores the surgical problems with the drainage of the common duct for the treatment of biliary tract diseases. Reason for draining the common duct as part of the operative procedure; Comparison between the volume of bile draining externally from day to day between patients with dilated ducts and those with normal sized ducts; Case reports of patients with biliary tract diseases.

Examines the ligation of the hypogastric arteries and its complications in resection of cancer of the rectum. Role of blood transfusions and the infiltration with novocaine of pararectal tissue to reduce the probabilities of the operative shock; Stoppage of arterial hemorrhages due to the section of the middle and inferior hemorrhoidal arteries by means of legating the vessels involved; Performance of bilateral hypogastric arterial ligation in the abdominal stage of the operation.

Cites a study on cases of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis as a complication of biliary tract surgery, at the Second Annual Convention of the American College of Gastroenterology in Chicago, Illinois. Fatality rate of the complication; Review of records at the Saint Agnes Hospital pertaining to cases of hemorrhagic pancreatitis; Analysis on treatment available for the condition.

Examines the most frequent complications of abdominoperineal resection. Lack of significant difference in the average age of complicated and uncomplicated cases; Importance of cardiovascular evaluation, correction of anemia, hypoproteinemia and contracted blood volume, urological survey and proper bowel preparation in preoperative preparation; Importance of diagnosis and judicious use of intestinal intubation in all cases of small bowel distention;

Presents a study on postgastrectomized patients. Importance of the evaluation of the results of gastrectomy; Major postoperative complications of gastrectomy; Health problems of postgastrectomized patients.

Presents clinical observations on the pathology and therapy involving the development of postcholecystectomy syndrome. Similarity of the syndrome to hypostenic dyspepsia; Possible diagnostic errors; Dominant symptomatology in the patients.

Discusses problems with surgical treatment of advanced acid peptic esophagitis. Health risk exposed to patient by surgical procedures; Information on esophageal hiatal hernia; Surgical procedures tried for the correction of advanced acid peptic esophageal stenosis.

, , 588-591. Pulmonary function was measured preoperatively in 330 patients with bronchial carcinoma. Obstructive bronchitis was present in 62%. Of 225 patients considered fit for thoracotomy and lung resection, 13 developed postoperative ventilatory failure and six died of this. Those who developed ventilatory failure had more marked airway obstruction, lung hyperinflation, and higher arterial carbon dioxide tensions, and also increased respiratory frequencies and physiological dead space/tidal volume ratios on exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]