Search

The role of video-thoracoscopy (VT) as an invasive diagnostic procedure for mediastinal lesions not reachable by cervical mediastinoscopy (CM) has still to be defined, particularly with regard to parasternal mediastinotomy (PMT). Diagnostic efficiency and morbidity of the three methods were assessed and compared in a consecutive series over a 18 months-period after determination of a new diagnostic strategy. Among 77 interventions in 73 patients the following distribution of the methods referred was achieved: 42 CM (paratracheal and anterior subcarinal biopsies), 17 PMT (biopsies of anterior mediastinal lesions) and 18 VT (3 paratracheal, 3 posterior subcarinal, 3 anterior, 5 aortico-pulmonary window, 4 posterior biopsies or resections). All procedures were performed in general anesthesia for VT the double-lumen technique was used. Drains could be removed not later than the second postoperative day. In 7/17 cases of PMT the pleural space was opened and drained. Mean operation time (incl. waiting period for intraoperative frozen section and complete resection in a few cases) was 77 (45-100) min for VT, 49 (10-180) min for PMT and 41 (20-105) min for CM. Histological diagnosis of biopsy specimens were conclusive in all VT cases, in 15/17 PMT (88%) and in 37/42 CM (88%). Two major complications occurred: one recurrent nerve palsy following VT-resection of a neurinoma originating from the recurrent nerve itself; in a second patient submitted to mediastinoscopic biopsy, venous bleeding had to be managed by surgical sternotomy. CM as the most approved method for paratracheal and anterior subcarinal biopsies has not lost its importance. PMT as a simple and usually extrapleural intervention can further be advocated for anterior mediastinal lesions. VT turns out to be rather a complementary than a competitive invasive mediastinal diagnostic procedure and is regarded as method of choice for diagnostic approach to posterior, posterior subcarinal and aorticopulmonary lesions.

In a retrospective study we evaluated the data regarding 126 patients (96 male/30 female) hospitalized with rib fractures between 1986 and 1989. Fifty percent of the subjects had been in a traffic accident. Eighty-five percent of the patients had 2-7 broken ribs. Sixty-two patients suffered from multiple injuries, 40% were men aged less than 40 years. Fifty-six patients were treated by pleural drainage either for hemato- and/or pneumothorax or to prevent intrapleural tension during surgical intervention under endotracheal anesthesia. Thirty-two patients underwent mechanical ventilation for between 1 and 52 days (mean 10 days). In five cases a flail chest was stabilized by ribosteosynthesis to avoid prolonged artificial ventilation. Pain relief by continuous peridural Carbostesin (bupivacaine) administration was given to 31 patients. There was a positive correlation between the incidence of pneumo- and hematothorax and the number of broken ribs. A significant association was found between multiple-injured patients died in hospital; six of them had multiple injuries. The recovery of 44 patients was interrupted by complications, predominantly of pulmonary origin (68%). The pattern and severity of concomitant injuries and interference of complications influenced the length of the hospital stay; pulmonary complications doubled it.

Eleven of 202 patients operated for acute knee instability from 1976 to 1988 showed an associated popliteal vascular injury. No patient with intact posterior cruciate ligament had a vascular lesion, and all patients with popliteal vascular injury had a ruptured posterior cruciate ligament. Our patients are analyzed with respect to clinical symptoms of the ischemia, management and results at assessment. Prompt recognition and early revascularisation with debridement of all grossly damaged arterial wall, a tension-free reconstruction and the liberal use of fasciotomy is the key to improved limb salvage.

1159 patients underwent appendectomy via a McBurney incision from 1972 to 1983 at our institution. 115 patients (10%) had a mobile cecum syndrome (CMS) as defined by Nicole, without evidence of appendicitis or other pathologic findings at operation. 102 patients were followed up to 15 years after the operation. 82% of the 102 patients were free of symptoms at assessment. 36 patients underwent appendectomy and 63 appendectomy and cecopexy. The two cohorts were comparable with respect to sex, age at operation, duration of right lower abdominal pain, operative findings and length of follow-up. There was no significant difference in the postoperative result of patients with appendectomy alone and those with appendectomy and cecopexy. Moreover, we were not able to identify patients who may benefit from an additional cecopexy, on the basis of patient related factors or intraoperative findings.

Many factors seem to influence the recurrence rate after adult inguinal hernia repair. A statistical analysis of data derived from 726 transversalis fascia repairs examined by the authors (with a follow-up rate of 82.5% and a mean follow-up time of 5.5 years) revealed a significantly higher recurrence rate in patients with chronic bronchitis (p less than 0.05) or with postoperative complications (p less than 0.001). Lower recurrence rates were found after resection of lipomas of the cord (p less than 0.01) or cremasteric muscle resection (p less than 0.05). No significant difference of recurrence rate could be established for following parameters: Sex, side, age distribution, profession, prostatism, obesity, type of hernia (direct, indirect, combined, sliding), suture material (silk, polyglycolic acid), surgeon, anesthesia (local, spinal, full), elective or emergency operation, and whether the repair was unilateral or simultaneously bilateral. Recurrent repairs showed no significantly higher recurrence rate than primary repairs.

In a long-term follow-up after operation for primary varicose vein disease, patients were revisited 5, 10 and 15 years after their operation, in an attempt to define the goal of the treatment and the result. The results were analyzed as well as those factors which had a significant influence on the findings at assessment. The long-term results were good with respect to the patient's self-judgement and relative to improvement of trophic disturbances, especially of venous ulceration, however recurrent superficial varicose veins increase significantly with increasing follow-up time. The outstanding role of incompetent communicating veins is discussed with respect to trophic disturbances and recurrent varicose veins.

Since 1973 we have used a modified Shouldice repair to treat inguinal hernias in adults. The repair was performed on unselected patients. The procedure was performed by both senior surgeons and surgeons in training. Over a 10-years period, 880 transversalis fascia repairs were done and 726 (82.5%) were examined by the authors 12-142 months after the operation (mean time 66.1 months). In 94.2% of the 726 repairs the patients were satisfied with the result. Follow-up studies revealed testicular atrophy in 0.6%, deep wound infection in 0.8% and an overall recurrence rate of 5.8%. The recurrence rate was not significantly different after direct, indirect, combined or sliding hernias. In 25% of recurrences the patients were asymptomatic and unaware of the recurrence.

21 patients were followed up on an average of 28 months following excision of pilonidal sinus and Z-plasty. There were 2 recurrences (10%), 3 hypertrophic scars (14%) and hypaesthesia of the skin flaps in almost every patient. 2 out of 3 patients (67%) were satisfied with the results. 5 suffer from the cosmetic appearance, 5 from pruritus, 3 (14%) have problems with clothing. About 1/3 experience discomfort when sitting and sporting. This morbidity causes us to recommend Z-plasty only in cases of a recurrence with strong discomfort or frequent recurrences.