Bikal Ghimire

Perioperative Outcomes of Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Nepalese Experience

BackgroundPancreaticodudenectomy (PD) is a high-risk, technically demanding operation associated with substantial perioperative morbidity and mortality. This review is intended to evaluate the perioperative outcomes of PD done in a single gastrointestinal surgery unit of a university teaching hospital.Patients and methodsA retrospective review of medical records of patients who underwent PD from April 2005 through May 2009 was done. Perioperative morbidity was defined according to the standard of the International Study Group for Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF). The patient demographics, type of surgery, and perioperative morbidity and mortality were evaluated. The factors associated with increased morbidity were analyzed.ResultsTwenty-four patients underwent PD, and there were no perioperative deaths. The overall morbidity was 58%, with a pancreatic fistula rate of 13%. None of the associated parameters, like increasing age, the presence of co-morbidity, preoperative biliary drainage, and duration of surgery, were found to increase the morbidity. These results of PD, though a small case series, are comparable to the international standard. Better outcomes can be achieved even in low- to medium-volume centers in developing countries where a dedicated team with special interest in pancreatic surgery is in place.ConclusionsAlthough there were no deaths after PD in our series, the morbidity was higher than that observed in other high-volume centers. To decrease the morbidity associated with PD, various factors must be streamlined, among them, the operative technique and the intensive perioperative management of the patient, as well as uniform definition of complications, use of a multidisciplinary approach, and identification of associated risk factors.

Pancytopenia in a surgical patient, a rare presentation of hyperthyroidism.

BackgroundPancytopenia is a rare complication of hyperthyroidism. Various mechanisms have been described such as immunological, bone marrow suppression. The possibility of hyperthyroidism should be considered in patients with unexplained pancytopenia. There are many case reports showing the association between hyperthyroidism and pancytopenia. All of these reports show association between Graves disease and pancytopenia but our case shows association between Multinodular goitre and pancytopenia. Besides it is uncommon to find such association in a surgical patient.Case presentationThis case report describes a 62 yr old hindu female with splenic injury and pancytopenia. On further investigations the patient was found to have hyperthyroidism.ConclusionThough the definite mechanism regarding the association of pancytopenia with hyperthyroidism isn’t clear, various cases have been described in the literature. This case shows the diagnostic dilemma that can occur in patients with pancytopenia. Any patient with unexplained pancytopenia should undergo thyroid function tests to rule out hyperthyroidism.

Presentation and Outcomes of Gastric Cancer at a University Teaching Hospital in Nepal

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer is the most common gastrointestinal cancer and a leading cause of cancer mortality in Nepal. Survival of gastric cancer patients depends on the stage at which diagnosis is made. The aim of this study was to analyze the presentation and outcomes of gastric cancer patients treated at a tertiary care hospital in Nepal. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis of 140 consecutive histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma cases managed at the Department of Surgery, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal for the period of January 2009 to December 2013 was carried out. RESULTS One hundred forty out of the total 186 patients with histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma, were admitted for surgery. The mean age was 59.6±12.4 yrs (range 29 to 78 yrs) and the male: female ratio was 2:1. Sixty three (45%) patients featured Tibeto-Burman descent though this ethnic group accounts for only 18% of the Nepalese population. Two-thirds or more patients presented with abdominal pain, anorexia, weight loss and/or vomiting. In 86 (61.5%) of the patients the tumor was located in the lower 3rd of the stomach and in only 15% of the patients the tumor was located at the upper 3rd. Early gastric cancer was diagnosed postoperatively in only 4%. In 54%, the disease was locally advanced and metastatic lesions were found in 14% of the patients. Subtotal (73) or total (11) curative gastrectomies (D1, D1+ or D2) were performed in 84 (60%) patients with average lymph node retrieval of 16.6±8.2. Palliative gastrectomies or procedures were performed in 23% of the patients and no intervention (open and close/biopsy) was employed in 15% of the patients. Perioperative morbidity was seen in 10% and mortality in 4%. Three, four and five year survival rates up to the recent follow-up were 17.9%, 11.9% and 8.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Gastric cancer in Nepal is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and has a poor prognosis. Thus, early detection is the key to improve the survival of gastric cancer patients.