Emre Sivrikoz

Local thrombolytic therapy in acute mesenteric ischemia.

BackgroundThe aim of the study was to evaluate the local thrombolytic therapy (LTT) in combination with laparoscopy, in management of acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI).MethodsFrom January 2000 to January 2010, patients who were admitted to the hospital with AMI due to acute arterial occlusion were analysed retrospectively. Patients presenting with acute abdomen with a suspicion of AMI were evaluated with computerized tomography angiography (CTA). Patients who had findigs of AMI on CTA, were underwent selective mesenteric angiography and LTT eventhough without peritoneal signs. LTT was carried out before or after laparoscopy or laparotomy, and initiated with recombinant plasminogen activator.ResultsLTT was performed in 13 (17.1%), out of 76 patients. From the remaining patients, 56 underwent necrotic bowel resection and 7 underwent tromboembolectomy. The median age was 62 years (45–87). The median duration of symptoms was 24 h. Four (30.7%) patients presented within 24 h onset of symptoms, whilst 9 (69.3%) patients presented after 24 h onset of symptoms. There were 5 (39.5%) patients, who presented with abdominal pain without peritoneal signs on physical examination and 8 (61.5%) patients, who had peritoneal signs. The mortality rate was 20% (1/5) in the first group who presented without peritoneal signs, whilst it was 62.5% (5/8) in the remaining.ConclusionEarly intervention in AMI is the key to better results. CTA combined with early laparoscopy and LTT may have beneficial effects at this setting.

Neuroendocrine tumors presenting with thyroid gland metastasis: a case series

IntroductionAutopsy series have shown that metastasis to the thyroid gland has occurred in up to 24% of patients who have died of cancer. Neuroendocrine tumors may metastasize to thyroid gland.Case presentationsCase 1 was a 17-year-old Turkish woman who was referred from our Endocrinology Department for a thyroidectomy for treatment of neuroendocrine tumor metastasis. She was treated with a bilateral total thyroidectomy. Histopathological examination results were consistent with a neuroendocrine tumor; neoplastic cells showed strong immunoreactivity to chromogranin A and synaptophysin, but the immunohistochemical profile was inconsistent with medullary thyroid carcinoma in that the tumor was negative for calcitonin, carcinoembryonic antigen, and thyroid transcription factor-1.Case 2 was a 54-year-old Turkish woman who presented with a 3-cm nodule on her right thyroid lobe. She had undergone surgery for a right lung mass four years previously. After a right pneumonectomy, thymectomy and lymph node dissection, a typical carcinoid tumor was diagnosed. Under ultrasonographic guidance, fine needle aspiration biopsy of her right thyroid pole nodule was performed and the biopsy was compatible with a neuroendocrine tumor metastasis. She was treated with a bilateral total thyroidectomy. Histopathological examination indicated three nodular lesions, 5 cm and 0.4 cm in diameter in her right lobe and 0.1 cm in diameter in her left lobe. The tumors were consistent with a neuroendocrine phenotype, showing strong immunoreactivity to chromogranin A and synaptophysin.ConclusionThyroid nodules detected during follow-up of neuroendocrine tumor patients should be thoroughly investigated. A fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid confirms the diagnosis in most cases and leads to appropriate management of those patients and may prevent unnecessary treatment approaches.

Management of Open Abdomen: Single Center Experience

Aim. The authors reviewed their experience in the management of open abdomen using the vacuum-assisted closure (VAC), in order to assess its morbidity, and the outcome of abdominal wall integrity. Methods. A retrospective review was performed using the trauma registry to identify patients undergoing temporary abdominal closure (TAC) either using Bogota Bag (BB) or VAC, from January 2006 to December 2012. Inclusion criteria were TAC and survival to definitive abdominal closure. Data collected included age, indication for TAC, number of operating room procedures, primary fascial closure rate, and complications. Results. During the study period, 156 patients required one type of TAC. Mean number of operations required in BB group was 3.04 as compared to 1.96 in VAC group (P = 0.006). Survival was significantly increased in the VAC group (P < 0.001). The difference in primary closure rates did not reach statistical significance (25% vs. 55%; P = 0.074). Complications were observed less frequently in the VAC group (P = 0.047). The mean time for fascial closure was 21 (±12) days in the BB group, as opposed to 6 (±3) days in the VAC group (P < 0.001). Conclusion. The vacuum assisted closure (VAC) has a significantly faster rate of closure, requires less number of operations, and is associated with a lower complication rate.

Bouveret syndrome: A fatal diagnostic dilemma of gastric outlet obstruction.

The patient presented in this study was a 54-year-old woman complaining of nausea and vomiting, onset preceding four days, with no significant past medical history and an unremarkable surgical history. The patient was afebrile and hypertensive. Physical examination revealed a non-tender abdomen, and initial laboratory evaluation revealed elevated blood glucose level, ketonuria, leukocytosis, elevated C-reactive protein, gamma glutamyl transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and total bilirubin. The patient was admitted to the internal medicine ward due to new onset of diabetes mellitus. Due to persistent nausea and vomiting, gastroscopy revealed a healed duodenal ulcer, and abdominal ultrasonography revealed cholelithiasis. The medical condition of the patient deteriorated further in the internal medicine ward, with impending hypotension, tachycardia, leukocytosis, and acute renal failure, and she was admitted to the intensive care unit due to septic shock. A computerized tomography was obtained, which revealed an impacted gallstone in the distal duodenum. The patient was taken to the operating room. The gallstone was encountered in proximal jejunum immediately distal to the ligament of Treitz. A longitudinal enterotomy was made, and the stone was extracted. Her drains were cleared on postoperative day 5, and gastrointestinal function returned to normal. Unfortunately, the patient developed an overwhelming sepsis due to bacteremia and fungemia, and died on post-operative day 19.

The role of colorectal stent placement in the management of acute malignant obstruction.

BACKGROUND In recent decades, the use of colorectal stents for palliation or as a bridge to surgery in acute malignant colorectal obstruction has increased. We aimed to evaluate the technical and clinical efficacy, safety and clinical outcomes of endoscopic stenting for the relief of acute colorectal obstruction secondary to cancer. METHODS From March 2006 to December 2012, among 100 patients with acute malignant colorectal obstruction, stenting procedures were performed on 42 patients for relief of obstruction. Uncovered self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) were placed endoscopically under fluoroscopic guidance in all patients. Using the patient database, a review was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the procedure and the short- and long-term complications. RESULTS Stent placement was technically successful in 39/42 (92.8%) and clinically successful in 38/42 (90.4%) patients. Sixteen patients later underwent an elective surgical resection, and in 26 patients with metastatic disease or comorbidity, stent placement was palliative. Complications occurred in 10 (23.8%) patients, and the most common was tenesmus (n=3). Migration, bleeding, and recto-sigmoid perforation occurred in two patients each. Stent obstruction due to fecal impaction was seen in one case. CONCLUSION Stent placement for colorectal obstruction is an effective and relatively safe procedure, with minor complications. It not only allows subsequent elective resection, but is also definitive for palliative treatment in patients with obstructive colorectal cancer.

SHOULD ANGIOGRAPHY BE ROUTINELY EMPLOYED IN HIGH GRADE LIVER INJURIES UNDERGOING DAMAGE CONTROL SURGERY

Objective : The management of traumatic liver injuries involves various strategies ranging from observation to operative intervention and includes various options such as angiography and/or damage-control surgery. In this study, we aimed to clarify whether routine angiography is necessary or can be reserved for selected patients with persistent bleeding after depacking. Methods: During the 11-year period from January 2000 to December 2010 all patients with blunt or penetrating trauma who sustained a liver injury and underwent a damage control laparotomy in our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Following variables were extracted from patient charts: demographics, the mechanism of injury, shock status, Injury Severity Score, liver injury grades, associated injuries, angioembolization, duration of hospitalisation, time to depacking, mortality. Angioembolization.was performed when persistent bleeding was encountered after depacking. Results: A total of 513 patients with hepatic injury were admitted during the study period. Damage control surgery was undertaken in 60 patients, of whom 21 patients underwent angioembolization. The factors associated with a high Injury Severity Score were admission in shock status (p=0.009) and associated organ injuries (p<0.001). Extremity injury was the most commonly encountered associated injury (n=15, 25.0%). In the damage control surgery group, mortality was not significantly different between angioembolization (n=4, 19%) and non-angioembolization (n=14, 33%) groups (p=0.369). Conclusion: The most patients with abdominal packing after liver trauma may not require routine angiography. Angioembolization may be used selectively in patients with persistent bleeding after depacking. Key words: Angiography; embolisation; trauma; packing

Intermittent Pneumatic Compression from a Surgical Perspective

Despite pharmacological prophylaxis, 50% of the surgical patients whose Caprini score is >10 develop VTE in the postoperative period suggesting that anticoagulation alone may not be sufficient especially in these high-risk patients. Clinical studies demonstrate that the clot nidus starts to form during the time of operation. Thus, in the postoperative period when pharmacological prophylaxis is initiated, high-risk patients may have already developed a blood clot for which prophylactic doses of anticoagulants would be suboptimal to treat. Therefore, VTE prophylaxis should start at the time of anesthesia induction. Due to bleeding risks associated with pharmacological agents, mechanical modalities, i.e. intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) devices, with their proven effectiveness in reducing VTE in trauma and high bleeding-risk patients are invaluable tools that should be utilized during surgery frequently. They should be started in the beginning of the operation and then continued together with pharmacological prophylaxis in the postoperative period until full ambulation. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that application of IPCs to any limb, including foot and arm, is sufficient for their prophylactic effect making them suitable for almost any type of surgery. In conclusion, combined pharmacological and mechanical prophylaxis should be utilized more frequently in surgical patients who have high risk for VTE.