Orlando Marques Vieira

Surgical indication in Schistosomiasis mansoni portal hypertension: follow-up from 1985 to 2001

The study had the objective to evaluate the benefits of surgical indication for portal hypertension in schistosomiasis patients followed from 1985 to 2001. Schistosoma mansoni eggs were confirmed by at least six stool examinations or rectal biopsy. Clinical examination, abdominal ultrasonography, and digestive endoscopy confirmed the diagnosis of esophageal varices. A hundred and two patients, 61.3% male (14-53 years old) were studied. Digestive hemorrhage, hypersplenism, left hypochondrial pain, abdominal discomfort, and hypogonadism were, in a decreasing order, the major signs and symptoms determining surgical indication. Among the surgical techniques employed, either splenectomy associated to splenorenal anastomosis or azigoportal desvascularization, esophageal gastric descompression and esophageal sclerosis were used. Follow-up of patients revealed that, independent on the technique utilized, a 9.9% of death occurred, caused mainly by digestive hemorrhage due to the persistence of post-treatment varices. The authors emphasize the benefits of elective surgical indication allowing a normal active life.

Estudo da morbimortalidade cirúrgica, da sobrevida e dos fatores prognósticos dos pacientes portadores de sarcomas primários do retroperitônio

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the morbimortality, survival and prognostics factors of retroperitonial sarcomas. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 59 patients operated on at the Abdomino-Pelvic Department of Surgery of the National Cancer Institute of Brazil between June 1992 and July 2003. RESULTS: The most common complaints were abdominal pain and abdominal mass. Resectability rate was 74.57%, and radicality 48.88%. There were two postoperative deaths (3.38%) and 12 complications (20.33%). Liposarcomas and leiomyosarcomas were the most common tumor types. The most frequent tumor grade was G3 (38.98%) and tumor median diameter was 20.4 cm. The overall two and five-year survival rates were 49% and 20% respectively and the median disease free survival rate was 23 months. In the univariate analysis, tumor diameter (> or < = 12 cm), tumor differentiation grade ([G1 + G2] X [G3 + G4]), radical (R0) or palliative resection (R1 + R2), operative blood transfusion, and re-resection, even if palliative, in cases of recurrence or persistence of disease (n = 52), were significant (p = 0.0267, 0.048, 0.0001, 0.022 and 0.0003, respectively). Multivariate analysis did not show any independent factor. CONCLUSION: In the present moment, only early diagnosis, radical surgery, absence of intra-operative blood transfusion and reresection in cases of recurrence or persistence of disease, will provide greater chances of a long term survival.

Tireoidectomia unilateral no carcinoma diferenciado da tireóide de baixo risco: uma cirurgia inadequada

BACKGROUND: Recent studies challenge the efficacy of unilateral resection in the prevention of recurrences in differentiated thyroid carcinoma of low-risk group. Our objectives were to compare recurrence rates after unilateral and bilateral resections in our so-called low-risk group and to evaluated the accuracy of the criteria used to classify patients into high and low-risk group. METHODS: We evaluate outcome of 169 patients who underwent surgery for differentiated thyroid carcinoma at the HUCFF. They were divided in 2 groups: low-risk patients (n = 127) and high-risk patients (n = 42). Unilateral resection was undertaken in 71 patients of the low-risk group and in 4 of the high-risk group; bilateral resection was the operation used in 56 and 38 patients, respectively, in each of these groups. RESULTS: Follow-up was obtained in 155 patients in a mean period of 8.4 years for 116 low-risk patients and 5 years for 39 high-risk ones. In high-risk group recurrence occurred in 3 patients (7.5%) and there were 5 tumor related deaths (12.5%). In the low-risk group, there were 13 recurrences (8,3%) but no death occurred. The difference in recurrence rate between groups does not attain statistical e significance (p= 0.57). Recurrence occurred in 5 (7.5%) in the low-risk patients submmited to unilateral resection and in 5 (10%) of those submmited to bilateral resection. CONCLUSIONS: The division of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma in high and low-risk groups is useful is predicting more aggressive recurrences and tumor-related deaths. Unilateral resection in low-risk patients is not associated with higher recurrence rates.

Side to side duodenojejunostomy: a surgical alternative for dumping after gastrectomy

Most patients with partiaI gastrectomy have no postoperative problems. Some of them, however, develop severe nutritional disturbance, particularly those with Bilroth II reconstruction, which can be treated clinically in the majority of the cases. Those with important mal absorptive problems require surgery. In this article we present a technical alternative for those patients who need reintervention over a BII operation. Our technique has the advantage of not touching the duodenum previously sutured.