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Abdominal wall scar endometrioma is an uncommon clinical entity, which presents with lump and cyclical abdominal pain during menstruation, which develops after caesarean section or gynaecological procedures. Differential diagnosis includes a haematoma, desmoid tumour, incisional hernia, sarcoma, metastatic malignancies and suture granuloma. Adenocarcinoma developing from abdominal wall scar endometrioma are aggressive and carry poor prognosis. An awareness of this clinical entity is important to establish its diagnosis early and ultrasound scan, magnetic resonance scan, or a computerised tomographic-guided localization followed by surgical excision provides best outcome. Here in, a case of abdominal wall scar endometrioma is reported and review of pertinent literature is presented.

An increasing public awareness of global health strategy has led various international organizations, governmental and nongovernmental organizations to set up budgets and many health programs for underserved communities. Although anesthesia in resource-rich countries is safe (Pierce, Anesthesiology 84:965–975, 1996), in under-resourced locations it remains very challenging in terms of inadequate numbers and training of anesthesia providers, and limited resources (McQueen, Int Anesthesiol Clin 48(2):91–107, 2010). The primary aim of a medical or surgical mission should be the improvement of quality and safety of anesthesia practice in those areas. Furthermore, working in different locations requires a comprehensive understanding of sociocultural differences, and endemic barriers such as geographic access and the infrastructure of each community in order to achieve the best possible results (Rassiwala et al., Acad Med 88:1651–1657, 2013). To make the quality of global health efforts sustainable, it requires international collaboration in terms of education, service, and research. It is also essential to educate governments and administrators so that strategies can be developed to achieve sustainability of quality health care (Enright, Can J Anaesth 60:152–158, 2013).

A male patient developed colitis and a thrombotic microangiopathy 3 weeks after renal transplantation. Immunosuppression at the time of presentation was with sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisolone, but without a calcineurin inhibitor. Cytomegalovirus infection was excluded. However, human herpesvirus-6 DNA was detected at high copy number in both blood and colonic epithelium. The patient recovered after reduction in immunosuppression, with nutritional support and ganciclovir therapy.

Invasive cancers of urinary bladder need radical cystectomy as an optimal treatment. Urinary diversions of different types are available after the procedure. Orthotopic neo-bladder reconstruction is an emerging technique of diversion in suitable patients. The aim of this study was to see the outcome of this procedure in our set up.The patient with carcinoma of urinary bladder who underwent radical cystectomy and orthotopic neo- bladder reconstruction during five year period were included in the study from department of surgical oncology in a hospital. Studer type ileal pouches were made in all the patients and their outcomes were studied.There were 30 patients among which 28 were male and 2 female. Age ranged from 38-60 years with mean age of 49.6 years. Average operative time was 330 minutes. Average hospital stay was 16 days (range 14-30 days). Majority of patients were transitional cell carcinoma 26 (86.7%) in histology. Majority of cases presented in stage II (53.3%). Post-operative complications were ileus in 30%, urinary leak in 26.6% and pneumonia in 13.3% of patients. Mortality was 1 (3.3%) on 29th postoperative day. Patients were able to micturate with satisfactory stream postoperatively.Orthotopic neobladder has similar complication rates compared with other forms of continent diversions. This method gives less psychological trauma to the patients with higher acceptance. So we recommend transforming the technique from ileal conduits to neobladder in well-established pelvic reconstruction set ups.

Medical research aims at improving diagnostic, therapeutic and prophylactic measures and understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of diseases in humans, and their application to improve the quality of life and survival. The subjects involved are exposed to hazards inherent to the experiments. In order to protect the human subjects and to maintain high ethical standards, the World Medical Association had adopted the "Declaration of Helsinki" in 1964. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review on the historical and current perspectives on the Declaration of Helsinki in relation to medical research on human subjects.

Acute ischaemic colitis (AIC) is being increasingly recognised as an uncommon cause of abdominal pain associated with fresh bleeding per rectum. It is paramount to maintain a high index of suspicion and adopt appropriate management strategies to avoid complications and inappropriate interventions. In this paper, we describe a case of AIC and review literature pertinent to the management of this condition.Ischaemic colitis, acute abdomen, management.

Acute ischaemic colitis (AIC) is being increasingly recognised as an uncommon cause of abdominal pain associated with fresh bleeding per rectum. It is paramount to maintain a high index of suspicion and adopt appropriate management strategies to avoid complications and inappropriate interventions. In this paper, we describe a case of AIC and review literature pertinent to the management of this condition. Keywords: Ischaemic colitis, acute abdomen, management.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive neuroendocrine tumour of the skin with high rate of local recurrence and distant metastatic potential leading to poor outcomes. Merkel cells are normally found as innervated clusters of cells around hair follicles in the basal layer of the epidermis and are thought to function as touch receptors. Here, we describe a case of MCC in a 71-year-old female and provide an up-to-date review of the literature pertinent to the management of MCC.

Nicorandil is a cardioprotective drug which is used in the prophylaxis and long-term treatment of angina pectoris. Debilitating perianal ulcer is a rare complication of Nicorandil therapy which can cause diagnostic and management dilemmas. We describe the management of a case of Nicorandil-induced perianal ulcer and review pertinent contemporary literature.

General Surgery is a broad surgical specialty that focuses on diseases related to abdominal organs, skins and hernias, both in elective and emergency settings. With the prevalent trend for increasing subspecialisation in today's surgical practice, general surgery has lost some of its former glory and scope. This has led to suffering of the image of the general surgeons (GS) in the eyes of trainees, peers, the public and even GS themselves. A comprehensive review of literature is presented to address the controversy surrounding the role and future of general and specialist surgeons in the current perspectives.

Among various methods of providing analgesia during surgery for e.g., parenteral opiates and NSAIDS, epidural anaesthesia and analgesia seem to have beneficial efficacy and less side effect profiles.This study was conducted in 1.53 patients coming for operation at KMCTH between August 2003 to August 2004. Patients were divided in two groups, one group were operated under sole epidural anaesthesia and the other group received a combination of either general anaesthesia or spinal anaesthesia.39 (25.5%) patients underwent sole lumbar epidurals, 36 (23.5%) patients received a combination with spinal (CSE) and 78 (51.0%) were under Combination with general anaesthesia. The patients were interviewed among whom it was found that satisfactory analgesia was reported by 75 cases and 73 cases reported excellent analgesia. Patchy anaesthesia observed in 5 cases who underwent sole epidural anaesthesia.Patients undergoing major surgery with epidural anaesthesia and analgesia had stable cardiovascular parameters, minimal neuroendocrine response, less respiratory complications including SIRS and sepsis, lower incidence of thromboembolic events, less blood loss, reduced hospital stay and better pain control.

In 1985 a diploma program in anaesthesia was established in Kathmandu, Nepal, as a joint venture between the Institute of Medicine in Kathmandu and the University of Calgary. Development of the program and of the specialty in the capital city of Kathmandu was continuously documented during the next five years by local and visiting faculty. In 1990 teams of two Nepali and one Canadian anaesthetist also conducted a survey of each of the seven 50-100 bed zonal hospitals which did not previously have a trained anaesthetist and which are now staffed by graduates of the diploma program. In 1985 Nepal, with a population of 16 million, had seven trained Nepali anaesthetists all of whom worked in two hospitals in Kathmandu. By the end of 1989, 19 physicians had graduated. Seven of these continue to work in Kathmandu hospitals, nine work in zonal hospitals throughout the country and two are taking higher anaesthesia training in the United Kingdom. Additional Nepali anaesthetists have returned from training abroad, and the Society of Anaesthesiologists of Nepal, which joined the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists in 1988, now has 34 members. An annual anaesthesiology symposium is held, and weekly clinical meetings are organized in the major hospitals in Kathmandu. Anaesthetists who work in the zonal hospitals have limited supplies of drugs and equipment and opportunities for continuing medical education are virtually nonexistent.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A severe insult in the form of infection or trauma primes the host immune system so that a subsequent, relatively trivial insult produces a markedly exaggerated host immune response, which can lead to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and death. This forms the basis of the "two-hit hypothesis" (THH), which is being increasingly recognised as an important cause of morbidity and mortality following severe injury and sepsis, particularly in intensive care settings. Appreciation of the impact of repeated insults and pathophysiology of MODS is vital in the prevention of this serious complication. We describe a case which illustrates the concept of THH and MODS and present a review of literature on this subject.

The incidence and mortality from gastric cancer is high in Japanese but extremely low in Thailand. It is different among Asian countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the difference of peptic ulcer disease, glandular atrophy, intestinal metaplasia and topography of chronic active gastritis between the Nepalese and Japanese population.Nepalese patients were paired with Japanese patients by age, gender and endoscopic diagnosis in order to compare the prevalence of H. pylori infection (N=309) and the difference of H. pylori related peptic ulcer disease (N=48). Glandular atrophy and intestinal metaplasia scores were also compared between the Nepalese and Japanese population in H. pylori positive cases (N=152) and negative cases (N=145) using paired cases by age, gender and endoscopic diagnosis. Paired H. pylori-positive Nepalese and Japanese population were also used to compare the ratio of corpus gastritis to antrum gastritis (C/A ratio) (N=152).Among peptic ulcer diseases, gastric ulcer was frequent in Japanese and duodenal ulcer was frequent in Nepalese. The prevalence of H. pylori infection in the Nepalese and Japanese population were similar. Glandular atrophy and intestinal metaplasia scores in the H. pylori positive Japanese were significantly higher than those of Nepalese in all positions according to triple site biopsy. Furthermore, there were significant differences in glandular atrophy and intestinal metaplasia scores between in the H. pylori-negative Nepalese and Japanese population except intestinal metaplasia score in the greater curvature of the upper corpus. Japanese C/A ratio was significantly higher than that of Nepalese. Corpus predominant gastritis (C/A ratio1.00) was characteristic in the elderly Japanese. Nepalese was antrum predominant (C/A ratio1.00) in every age group.Gastric ulcer was a common disease in Japanese, in contrast duodenal ulcer was common in Nepalese. H. pylori infected Japanese patients showed severe atrophic and metaplastic gastritis in comparison with Nepalese. These results may be associated with the high incidence of gastric cancer in Japanese. Corpus predominant gastritis was found in the elderly Japanese and antrum predominant gastritis was found in every age Nepalese.

Ureteric complications (UCs) following renal transplantation (RT) cause significant morbidity and ureteric stents are employed to bridge the vesico-ureteric anastomosis with a view to preventing these complications. The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of UCs and outcomes following RT in both stented (STG) and non-stented groups (NSTG) of RT patients.This is a retrospective study of a cohort of 650 consecutive RTs [STG (N=267; 41%) and NSTG (N=383; 59%)] performed over a period of 8 years, where the data were retrieved from a prospectively maintained computerised database and case-notes.The overall incidence of UCs was 6.5% (42/650), which consisted of ureteric obstruction (UO) in 4.3% (28) and ureteric leak (UL) in 2.2%(14) of patients. The incidence of UO was significantly high in the NSTG compared to the STG (6.3% vs.1.5%; P=0.002). However, the incidence of UL (3.4% vs.1.3%; P=0.1) and post-transplant urinary tract infection (UTI) (44% vs.41%; P=0.57) were not significantly different between the STG and NSTG groups. UO and UL were associated with significantly high incidence of UTI (P=0.001 and 0.01, respectively). All UCs were managed successfully without allograft loss.Routine stenting of ureteric anastomosis resulted in reduced incidence of UO without concomitant increased risk of UTI.

Wound infection in the setting of immunosuppressed state such as renal transplantation (RT) causes significant morbidity from sepsis, prolongs hospital stay and is expensive. Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) therapy is a new technique of management of wound based on the principle of application of controlled negative pressure. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of VAC therapy in the management of wound infection following RT.This is a prospective study of a cohort of 180 consecutive RTs performed over a period of 4 years, where the data were retrieved from a prospectively maintained computerised database and case-notes.9 of 180 (5%) patients developed wound infection following RT which led to cavitations and dehiscence with copious discharge, and refused to heal with conventional treatment. All 9 cases were treated with VAC therapy. The VAC system was removed after a median of 9 (range 3-30) days when discharge from the wound ceased. Four patients were discharged home with portable VAC device and managed on an outpatient basis, where the system was removed after a median 5.5 (range 3-7) days. The median hospital stay after initiation of VAC therapy was significantly shorter (5, range 2-12 days) than on conventional treatment prior to VAC therapy (11, range, 5-20 days) (p=0.003). Complete healing was achieved in all cases.The use of VAC therapy is an effective and safe adjunct to conventional and established treatment modalities for the management of wound infection and dehiscence following RT. Key words: Renal transplantation, wound infection, vacuum-assisted closure therapy.

Diverticular disease is a common condition affecting large intestine in the western world, which, although remains asymptomatic in majority of people, can present with abdominal pain, acute diverticulitis, perforation, haemorrhage, intestinal obstruction and fistulation through neighbouring organs. Complicated colonic diverticular disease (CDD) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Increasing urbanisation globally with intake of diet deficient in fibres has led to CDD as a significant problem; hence awareness of CDD is paramount for its prevention and appropriate management. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentations, and current management of diverticular disease of the colon and its complications.

Despite continuing advances in immunosuppressive and supportive therapies, the success of renal transplantation is impacted by factors present in the donor and recipient pre- and post-transplantation. The pre-transplant factors influencing the long-term graft function in the donor include source, age, sex, and HLA mismatches; and in the recipient include age, duration of dialysis and sensitisation. After transplantation, a number of events may lead to progressive deterioration of renal function and graft loss, which include delayed graft function, acute rejection, viral infections, recurrent disease, drug nephrotoxicity, non-compliance and chronic allograft nephropathy. Modulation of individual factor is mandatory to preserve satisfactory renal function in long-term. In this review, each factor is discussed in the context of current transplant practice and an up to date review of literature is presented.

Undergoing any surgical procedure, however minor this may be, generates a certain degree of anxiety amongst the patients, which is primarily related to the possible postoperative course and complications. Introduction of Patient Information Leaflets (PIL) in routine surgical practice has helped ameliorate this problem significantly and therefore has become a standard practice in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. This review highlights the evidence available in support of the use of PIL and outlines the process of development of PIL in surgical practice.

Behcet's disease (BD) is an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology with multisystem involvement presenting with relapsing orogenital ulcers and uveitis, involvement of central nervous system, joints, lungs, gastrointestinal tract and major blood vessels leading to myriads of presentations, which requires a multidisciplinary approach for satisfactory outcome. We describe a patient with BD, highlight its pathophysiology and management aspects, and present review of pertinent literature.

Early thrombosis of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft used for hemodialysis vascular access can result from technical error or hypotension and hypovolaemia in the immediate postoperative period. Massaging a graft to dislodge a freshly formed thrombus with a view to restoring blood flow can lead to acute limb ischaemia from embolisation of the artery as a result of migration of the thrombus from the arterial end of the graft, hence massaging of thrombosed grafts should be avoided. This report describes the management of a 35-year-old diabetic male who developed acute ischaemia of hand due to embolisation of the radial artery following massage of a thrombosed brachio-basilic forearm PTFE loop graft.

Diabetic nephropathy is the second most common cause of renal failure in the United Kingdom where majority of the patients were managed by renal transplantation and insulin therapy in the past. Over the last three decades, increasing number of patients are undergoing simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation (SPKT) because of its advantages, which renders the patient both dialysis and insulin-independent, halts the progression of complications of diabetes, thereby improves the quality of life, survival and has proven to be cost-effective. This article presents a review on the principles and contemporary practice of SPKT worldwide and highlights the future directions.

The study was designed to compare the insertion characteristics and incidence of PDPH between 25 gauge Quincke needle and 26 gauge Eldor needle for spinal anaesthesia in elective c/s.60 pregnant women (aged 19-35 yrs and weighing 58 -67 kg) undergoing elective caesarean section were randomized into group A (Quincke spinal needle group) or group B (Eldor spinal needle group). Spinal anaesthesia was performed with 2.9 ml 0.5% heavy bupivacaine using 25 gauge Quincke spinal needle in group A and 26 Gauge Eldor spinal needle in group B. Onset, time of first identification of backflow of CSF, number of attempts, level of sensory and motor blockade, failure of anaesthesia, inadequate anaesthesia and incidence of PDPH were recorded.Quincke spinal needle was found easy at insertion, first attempt was successful in 90% of cases, whereas Eldor spinal needle was successful at first attempt in only 60% of cases. Early identification of CSF was seen in Eldor spinal needle group in 3.5 seconds vs. 5.2 seconds in Quincke spinal needle group. Blood mixed CSF was seen in 8 Quincke spinal needle group vs. none in Eldor spinal needle group. Onset was similar between both groups i.e. in 6 minutes. Failure of anaesthesia was none in Eldor spinal needle group vs. 2 in quincke spinal needle group. Height of sensory block achieved was T4 level in 26 parturients,T6 in 1 ,T8 in 1 and no anaesthesia at all in another 2 parturient as compared to T4 level in 29 and T3 in 1 parturient in Eldor spinal needle group. The degree of motor block with the use of Bromage criteria showed a motor score of 1 or 2 in 26 parturients in Quincke spinal needle group vs. same in all cases in Eldor spinal needle group. The total incidence of PDPH was 8.3 % (5 out of 60 parturient) which occurred all in Quincke spinal needle group. 2 parturient who developed severe PDPH required epidural blood patch.26 gauge Eldor spinal needle was found to be better than 25 gauge Quincke spinal needle for caesarian sections to decrease the incidence of PDPH, though not all insertion characteristics were in favour of the Eldor needle.

Infection due to cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a substantial cause of mortality and morbidity among renal transplant recipients but the prognosis of the disease has changed dramatically since the introduction of ganciclovir (GAN). During a period of 5 years we treated 54 patients who developed CMV disease. From this group of patients we identified 7 patients with primary gastrointestinal tract (GIT) CMV disease who received treatment with GAN. Tissue diagnosis was made by endoscopy of the upper GIT (6 patients) or sigmoidoscopy (one patient) and histological examination. All patients improved after treatment with GAN; three patients required additional treatment for recurrent CMV disease and recovered, and 1 patient relapsed without GIT involvement (P = 0.014). Recurrent CMV disease was more severe (mean score of 15 in relapse compared to 7 in the first episode). We believe relapse to be more common and the disease to be more severe in the presence of GIT involvement suggesting that a longer duration of treatment with GAN may be required in this clinical manifestation of CMV disease.

Objectives: Transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) is the gold standard treatment for symptomatic prostatic bladder outlet obstruction. Haemorrhage during and after TURP can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of anaesthesia, operating time, weight of resected prostatic tissue and its histology on blood loss during and after TURP and to revisit the available body of evidence in the literature of urology. Materials and methods: This is a prospective study of a cohort of 100 consecutive patients who had undergone TURP over a period of one year, where the data was collected on a performa specifically designed for the study, which included the type of anaesthesia administered, resection time, amount of blood lost during and after TURP, weight of the resected prostatic tissue and histology. Results: Sixty seven patients underwent TURP under spinal anaesthesia (SA) and 33 under general anaesthesia (GA). The median intraoperative (SA: 89.95 (5-936); GA: 105.40 (5-517) mls), postoperative (SA: 72.37 (15-387); GA: 136.43 (11-969) mls) and total (SA: 162.32 (29-1200); GA: 241.83 (21-1251) mls) blood losses were not significantly different between the two groups (95% C.I. -9.90 to 19.22, p= 0.46). The total operating time (SA: 29.70 (10-55); GA: 29.80 (10-65) minutes) and weight of resected prostate (SA: 21.90 (3-45); GA: 18.00 (4-60) gms) were similar between the two groups. There was a trend towards increased blood loss when BPH was associated with prostatitis (N=8). Of these, 3 patients required blood transfusion as compared to 1 patient in rest of the group, although this was not statistically significant (95% C.I - 67.2 to 1120.4, p = 0.87). Conclusions: The intraoperative, postoperative and total blood losses related to TURP were not influenced by the type of anaesthesia, resection time, weight of the resected prostate and the histology. Key Words: Transurethral resection of prostate, blood loss, anaesthesia, prostatitis, carcinoma, aspirin doi: 10.3126/kumj.v6i3.1707 Kathmandu University Medical Journal (2008), Vol. 6, No. 3, Issue 23, 329-334

The background, organization, problems, and successful implementation of an anaesthesia training program in Nepal are described. Nepali physicians had previously taken their postgraduate anaesthesia training in western countries, especially in Britain. The low pay of anaesthetists, poor maintenance of equipment, and irregular supplies of anaesthetic drugs in their own country has led many of them to stay abroad. In 1985 there were only seven Nepali anaesthetists in Nepal for a population of 16 million. An alternative approach to training is presented in which a series of Canadian anaesthetists, over a three-year period, are supporting the establishment of a one-year Diploma in Anaesthesiology program in Nepal. They are working with Nepali anaesthetists and the Institute of Medicine in Kathmandu, Nepal. The local anaesthetists supervise most of the clinical training while the Canadians give academic leadership and guidance.