Edivaldo Massazo Utiyama

Spontaneous intramural small bowel hematoma induced by anticoagulant therapy: review and case report

Of particular note among the causes of abdominal pain that necessitate surgery are appendicitis and intestinal obstruction. The most frequent causes of obstruction are adhesions (60%), hernias (15%), neoplasia (6%) and rare causes (6%). 2 In many cases, surgery comes to represent both a diagnostic and therapeutic measure. In some cases, however, we may be confronted by an obstructive condition in which more conservative measures are recommended. The aim of this article is to highlight the rare occurrence of acute abdominal obstruction due to spontaneous intramural small bowel hematoma resulting from the use of oral anticoagulants by reporting on a case attended at the General Surgery Service of the Clinical Surgery Division III of the Hospital das Clinicas - University of Sao Paulo Medical School (HC – FMUSP), as well as presenting a systematic review of the literature from the last 25 years.

Open pelviperineal trauma

The authors present their results in the management of 48 patients with complex pelviperineal injuries treated at the Surgical Emergency Ward of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine General Hospital. The distinct factors influencing the morbidity and mortality rates are discussed as well as the importance of an aggressive treatment in the initial approach of these patients. The following steps are virtually essential for the achievement of results comparable to those presented in the present protocol: exhaustive irrigation of the perineal wound with saline solution followed by surgical debridement and removal of all devitalized areas, maintenance of the wound open, early maturation transverse colostomy with total fecal flow diversion, periodic surgical revisions at intervals of 24 to 72 hours, large doses of antibiotic therapy, nutritional support with full parenteral feeding, and appropriate management of bone injuries and skin grafts. Adopting of measures proposed in this protocol yielded a decrease in mortality rate from 70% to 31.5%.

Prosthetic repair of incisional hernia in kidney transplant patients. A technique with onlay polypropylene mesh

The employment of synthetic mesh for incisional hernia repair in kidney-transplanted patients is rarely reported in the present literature. Many authors believe that mesh employment in such conditions is not safe due to fear of mesh related complications. From 1965 through 1999, a total of 1685 kidney transplants were performed at our Kidney Transplant Unit and 19 patients developed eventrations in the kidney transplant incision, an incidence of 1.1%. From September 1996 eight of these patients had prosthetic repair of the abdominal wall with onlay polypropylene mesh. All patients were under immunosuppressive therapy with prednisone, ciclosporine and azathioprine. Mean age was 48.8 years, mean body mass index was 22.5 and mean number of previous abdominal operations was 2.5. A large polypropylene mesh (Marlex® mesh) was fixed over the aponeurosis after primary closure of the aponeurotic borders, as an onlay graft. There was neither morbidity nor mortality associated to the surgical procedure. No recurrences or long-term complications associated with mesh employment were verified after a follow-up ranging from one year to three years. We concluded that prosthetic repair of incisional hernia in transplanted patients can be performed routinely.

Mesh cancer: long-term mesh infection leading to squamous-cell carcinoma of the abdominal wall

PurposeIt is recognized that chronic inflammation can cause cancer. Even though most of the available synthetic meshes are considered non-carcinogenic, the inflammatory response to an infected mesh plays a constant aggression to the skin. Chronic mesh infection is frequently the result of misuse of mesh, and due to the challenging nature of this condition, patients usually suffer for years until the infected mesh is removed by surgical excision.MethodsWe report two cases of squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) of the abdominal wall, arising in patients with long-term mesh infection.ResultsIn both patients, the degeneration of mesh infection into SCC was presumably caused by the long-term inflammation secondary to infection. Patients presented with advanced SCC behaving just like the Marjolin’s ulcers of burns. Radical surgical excision was the treatment of choice. The involvement of the bowel played an additional challenge in case 1, but it was possible to resect the tumor and the involved bowel and reconstruct the abdominal wall using polypropylene mesh as onlay reinforcement, in a single stage operation. He is now under adjuvant chemotherapy. The big gap in the midline after tumor resection in case 2 required mesh bridging to close the defect. The poor prognosis of case 2 who died months after the operation, and the involvement of the armpit, groin and mesenteric nodes in case 1 shows how aggressive this disease can be.ConclusionInfected mesh must be treated early, by complete excision of the mesh. Long-standing mesh infection can degenerate into aggressive squamous-cell carcinoma of the skin.

Controversies in the management of asymptomatic patients sustaining penetrating thoracoabdominal wounds

The most challenging diagnostic issue in the management of thoracoabdominal wounds concerns the assessment of asymptomatic patients. In almost one-third of such cases, diaphragmatic injuries are present even in the absence of any clear clinical signs. The sensitivity of noninvasive diagnostic tests is very low in this situation, and acceptable methods for diagnosis are limited to videolaparoscopy or videothoracoscopy. However, these procedures are performed under general anesthesia and present real, and potentially unnecessary, risks for the patient. On the other hand, diaphragmatic hernias, which can result from unsutured diaphragmatic lesions, are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. In this paper, the management of asymptomatic patients sustaining wounds to the lower chest is discussed, with a focus on the diagnosis of diaphragmatic injuries and the necessity of suturing them.

Pesquisa nacional sobre condutas na pancreatite aguda

BACKGROUND: to evaluate as AP is managed by the Brazilian surgeon. METHODS: A questionnaire has been sent to 2,000 members of the Brazilian College of Surgeons, with 618 (30.9%) answers obtained. The questionnaire consisted of questions related to the experience of the surgeon and in particular to the treatment of AP. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-two interviewed (33.6%) answered to treat up to five cases per year and 147 (27.2%) treat six to ten cases per year. The most cited criteria used for the definition of severe AP was clinical evaluation for 306 (57.4%) interviewed, followed by the Ranson criteria for 294 (55.2%) and CT scan for 262 (49.2%). Regarding the use of CT, 275 (51.5%) interviewed answered that make use of CT scan for all patients with AP. The parenteral nutritional support was the method of choice indicated for 248 (46.6%) interviewed. The infection of fluid collection and/or pancreatic necrosis was the main reason for surgical treatment with 447 (83.6%) answers. The optimum period to operate a patient with severe AP was considered up to seven days for 278 (54.2%) interviewed. With relation to antibiotics, 371 (68.6%) said that they use antibiotics in the treatment of severe AP. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate a wide variation in the treatment of AP in Brazil. Little experience of the surgeons and controversial issues are the main factors responsible for this lack of standardization. A national Consensus based on new concepts and worldwide experience is crucial to adjust these thoughts.

Pentoxifylline associated to hypertonic saline solution attenuates inflammatory process and apoptosis after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion in rats

PURPOSE To evaluate intestinal inflammatory and apoptotic processes after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury, modulated by pentoxifylline and hypertonic saline. METHODS It was allocated into four groups (n=6), 24 male Wistar rats (200 to 250 g) and submitted to intestinal ischemia for 40 min and reperfusion for 80 min: IR (did not receive any treatment); HS group (Hypertonic Saline, 4 ml/kg-IV); PTX group (Pentoxifylline, 30 mg/kg-IV); HS+PTX group (Hypertonic Saline and Pentoxifylline). All animals were heparinized (100 U/kg). At the end of reperfusion, ileal fragments were removed and stained on hematoxylin-eosin and histochemical studies for COX-2, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3. RESULTS The values of sO2 were higher on treated groups at 40 minutes of reperfusion (p=0.0081) and 80 minutes of reperfusion (p=0.0072). Serum lactate values were lower on treated groups after 40 minutes of reperfusion (p=0.0003) and 80 minutes of reperfusion (p=0.0098). Morphologic tissue injuries showed higher grades on IR group versus other groups: HS (p=0.0006), PTX (p=0.0433) and HS+PTX (p=0.0040). The histochemical study showed lesser expression of COX-2 (p=0.0015) and Bcl-2 (p=0.0012) on HS+PTX group. A lower expression of cleaved caspase-3 was demonstrated in PTX (p=0.0090; PTXvsIR). CONCLUSION The combined use of pentoxifylline and hypertonic saline offers best results on inflammatory and apoptotic inhibitory aspects after intestinal ischemia/reperfusion.

Temporary abdominal closure with zipper-mesh device for management of intra-abdominal sepsis

OBJECTIVE to present our experience with scheduled reoperations in 15 patients with intra-abdominal sepsis. METHODS we have applied a more effective technique consisting of temporary abdominal closure with a nylon mesh sheet containing a zipper. We performed reoperations in the operating room under general anesthesia at an average interval of 84 hours. The revision consisted of debridement of necrotic material and vigorous lavage of the involved peritoneal area. The mean age of patients was 38.7 years (range, 15 to 72 years); 11 patients were male, and four were female. RESULTS forty percent of infections were due to necrotizing pancreatitis. Sixty percent were due to perforation of the intestinal viscus secondary to inflammation, vascular occlusion or trauma. We performed a total of 48 reoperations, an average of 3.2 surgeries per patient. The mesh-zipper device was left in place for an average of 13 days. An intestinal ostomy was present adjacent to the zipper in four patients and did not present a problem for patient management. Mortality was 26.6%. No fistulas resulted from this technique. When intra-abdominal disease was under control, the mesh-zipper device was removed, and the fascia was closed in all patients. In three patients, the wound was closed primarily, and in 12 it was allowed to close by secondary intent. Two patients developed hernia; one was incisional and one was in the drain incision. CONCLUSION the planned reoperation for manual lavage and debridement of the abdomen through a nylon mesh-zipper combination was rapid, simple, and well-tolerated. It permitted effective management of severe septic peritonitis, easy wound care and primary closure of the abdominal wall.

Polypropylene and polypropylene/polyglecaprone (Ultrapro(r)) meshes in the repair of incisional hernia in rats

PURPOSE To compare the inflammatory response of three different meshes on abdominal hernia repair in an experimental model of incisional hernia. METHODS Median fascial incision and skin synthesis was performed on 30 Wistar rats. After 21 days, abdominal hernia developed was corrected as follows: 1) No mesh; 2) Polypropylene mesh; and, 3) Ultrapro(r) mesh. After 21 days, the mesh and surrounding tissue were submitted to macroscopic (presence of adhesions, mesh retraction), microscopic analysis to identify and quantify the inflammatory and fibrotic response using a score based on a predefined scale of 0-3 degrees, evaluating infiltration of macrophages, giant cells, neutrophils and lymphocytes. RESULTS No significant difference was seen among groups in adherences, fibrosis, giant cells, macrophages, neutrophils or lymphocytes (p>0.05). Mesh shrinkage was observed in all groups, but also no difference was observed between polypropylene and Ultrapro mesh (7.0±9.9 vs. 7.4±10.1, respectively, p=0.967). Post-operatory complications included fistula, abscess, dehiscence, serohematic collection and reherniation, but with no difference among groups (p=0.363). CONCLUSION There is no difference between polypropylene (high-density) and Ultrapro(r) (low-density) meshes at 21 days after surgery in extraperitoneal use in rats, comparing inflammatory response, mesh shortening, adhesions or complications.

Continuous reinfusion of succus entericus associated with fistuloclysis in the management of a complex jejunal fistula on the abdominal wall

INTRODUCTION Fistuloclysis is an alternative method for enteral nutrition infusion, and has been successfully employed for the management of patients with high output small bowel fistula. However it has some deficiencies also. PRESENTATION OF CASE A 42-year-old woman with multiple high output enterocutaneous fistula was submitted to fistuloclysis with reinfusion of chyme, after a period of several complications due to parenteral nutrition. DISCUSSION Enteral nutrition provide better nutrition and fewer complications than parenteral nutrition. The enterocutaneous fistula usually does not allow enteral nutrition, however the use of fystuloclysis can fix this issue. The reinfusion of chyme provide the possibility of oral intake and better control of hydroeletrolitics disorders. CONCLUSION More studies on the physiological effects of the chyme recirculation could add more data contributing to the clarification of this complex issue, but we believe that patients with high output and very proximal enterocutaneous fistula can be sucessfully treated with fistuloclysis and recirculation of chyme.