Fracture of the spike of the circular stapler: an unexpected cause of conversion of a Laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty

Laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty (LVGB), is a safe and efficient bariatric operation, with low intraoperative complications. We report an unusual cause of conversion of a LVGB to an open procedure due to the fracture of the spike of the circular stapler during gastric penetration

Incidence, risk factors, and outcome of portal vein thrombosis after laparoscopic-assisted splenectomy in β-thalassemia patients: A prospective exploratory study

Background: Portal vein system thrombosis (PVT) is an infrequent but potentially serious complication after laparoscopic splenectomy. Patients with β-thalassemia are at higher risk as they have splenomegaly and hypercoagulability. Subjects and Methods: Forty-eight β-thalassemia patients who underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy or laparoscopic splenectomy were studied prospectively with pre- and postoperative Doppler ultrasonography or computed tomography scanning. Results: The incidence of PVT was 8.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.2%-16.4%) (4 of 48 patients). Spleen weight was the only independent factor associated with the presence of PVT. The odds ratio for spleen weight (100 g increase) was 1.46 (95% CI 1.10-1.94, P=.010). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff of spleen weight to the prediction of PVT was 1543 g. Thrombosis resolution was observed after a median of 165 days. Conclusions: Patients with β-thalassemia who undergo laparoscopic-assisted splenectomy are at high risk of postoperative PVT. Close postoperative surveillance and aggressive coagulation prophylaxis are needed in these patients. Larger studies are required to confirm the present findings. © Mary Ann Liebert, Inc

Acute mechanical bowel obstruction: Clinical presentation, etiology, management and outcome

Aim: To identify and analyze the clinical presentation, management and outcome of patients with acute mechanical bowel obstruction along with the etiology of obstruction and the incidence and causes of bowel ischemia, necrosis, and perforation. Methods: This is a prospective observational study of all adult patients admitted with acute mechanical bowel obstruction between 2001 and 2002. Results: Of the 150 consecutive patients included in the study, 114 (76%) presented with small bowel and 36 (24%) with large bowel obstruction. Absence of passage of flatus (90%) and/or feces (80.6%) and abdominal distension (65.3%) were the most common symptoms and physical finding, respectively. Adhesions (64.8%), incarcerated hernias (14.8%), and large bowel cancer (13.4%) were the most frequent causes of obstruction. Eighty-eight patients (58.7%) were treated conservatively and 62 (41.3%) were operated (29 on the first day). Bowel ischemia was found in 21 cases (14%), necrosis in 14 (9.3%), and perforation in 8 (5.3%). Hernias, large bowel cancer, and adhesions were the most frequent causes of bowel ischemia (57.2%, 19.1%, 14.3%), necrosis (42.8%, 21.4%, 21.4%), and perforation (50%, 25%, 25%). A significantly higher risk of strangulation was noticed in incarcerated hernias than all the other obstruction causes. Conclusion: Absence of passage of flatus and/or feces and abdominal distension are the most common symptoms and physical finding of patients with acute mechanical bowel obstruction, respectively. Adhesions, hernias, and large bowel cancer are the most common causes of obstruction, as well as of bowel ischemia, necrosis, and perforation. Although an important proportion of these patients can be nonoperatively treated, a substantial portion requires immediate operation. Great caution should be taken for the treatment of these patients since the incidence of bowel ischemia, necrosis, and perforation is significantly high. © 2007 The WJG Press. All rights reserved

Secondary breast lymphoma diagnosed by vacuum-assisted breast biopsy: A case report

Introduction: Breast lymphoma, either as a manifestation of primary extranodal disease or as secondary involvement, is a rare malignancy, and its diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment have not been clearly defined. On the other hand, Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (VABB) is a minimally invasive technique with ever-growing use for the diagnosis of mammographically detected, non-palpable breast lesions. Case presentation: A symptom-free, 56-year-old woman presented with a non-palpable BI-RADS 4B lesion without microcalcifications. She had a positive family history for breast cancer and a history of atypical ductal hyperplasia in the ipsilateral breast four years ago. She reported having been treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma 12 years ago. With the suspicion of breast cancer, mammographically guided VABB with 11-gauge probe (on the stereotactic Fisher's table) was performed. VABB made the diagnosis of a non-Hodgkin, grade II, B-cell germinal-center lymphoma. VABB yielded enough tissue for immunohistochemistry/WHO classification. Conclusion: This is the first case in the literature demonstrating the successful diagnosis of breast lymphoma by VABB, irrespectively of the level of clinical suspicion. It should be stressed that VABB was able to yield enough tissue for WHO classification. In general, lymphoma should never be omitted in the differential diagnosis, since no pathognomonic radiologic findings exist for its diagnosis. © 2007 Zagouri et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Psychiatric disorder associated with vacuum-assisted breast biopsy clip placement: A case report

Introduction: Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy is a minimally invasive technique that has been used increasingly in the treatment of mammographically detected, non-palpable breast lesions. Clip placement at the biopsy site is standard practice after vacuum-assisted breast biopsy. Case presentation: We present the case of a 62-year-old woman with suspicious microcalcifications in her left breast. The patient was informed about vacuum-assisted breast biopsy, including clip placement. During the course of taking the patient's history, she communicated excellently, her demeanor was normal, she disclosed no intake of psychiatric medication and had not been diagnosed with any psychiatric disorders. Subsequently, the patient underwent vacuum-assisted breast biopsy (11 G) under local anesthesia. A clip was placed at the biopsy site. The pathological diagnosis was of sclerosing adenosis. At the 6-month mammographic follow-up, the radiologist mentioned the existence of the metallic clip in her breast. Subsequently, the woman presented complaining about "being spied [upon] by an implanted clip in [her] breast" and repeatedly requested the removal of the clip. The patient was referred to the specialized psychiatrist of our breast unit for evaluation. The Mental State Examination found that systematized paranoid ideas of persecutory type dominated her daily routines. At the time, she believed that the implanted clip was one of several pieces of equipment being used to keep her under surveillance, the other equipment being her telephone, cameras and television. Quite surprisingly, she had never had a consultation with a mental health professional. The patient appeared depressed and her insight into her condition was impaired. The prevalent diagnosis was schizotypal disorder, whereas the differential diagnosis comprised delusional disorder of persecutory type, affective disorder with psychotic features or comorbid delusional disorder with major depression. Conclusion: This is the first report of a psychiatric disorder being brought to the fore using a vacuum-assisted breast biopsy clip. Vacuum-assisted breast biopsy, and breast biopsy in general, represent a significant experience, encompassing anxiety and pain; it may thus aggravate psychiatric conditions. Apart from these well-established factors, other aspects, such as the clip, may occasionally become significant. In a modern breast unit, the evaluation of patients should be multidisciplinary. A psychiatrist may be needed for optimal management of anxiety-related issues, as well as for the detection of psychiatric disorders. © 2008 Zografos et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Lipoma induced jejunojejunal intussusception

Intussusception in adults is rare. The clinical picture of intussusception in adults is subtle and the diagnosis is, therefore, elusive. The presence of a structural abnormality in the great majority of the adult cases mandates high clinical suspicion. Gastrointestinal lipomas are rare benign tumors and intussusception due to a gastrointestinal lipoma constitutes an infrequent clinical entity. The present report describes a case of jejunojejunal intussusception in an adult with a history of severe episodes of hematochezia and colicky upper abdominal pain. The diagnosis was suspected preoperatively but computed tomography scan could not rule out malignancy. Exploratory laparotomy revealed jejunojejunal intussusception secondary to a lipoma which was successfully treated with segmental intestinal resection. © 2007 WJG. All rights reserved

Doppler-guided haemorrhoidal artery ligation, rectoanal repair, sutured haemorrhoidopexy and minimal mucocutaneous excision for grades III-IV haemorrhoids: a multicenter prospective study of safety and efficacy

Objective The isolated use of Doppler-guided haemorrhoidal artery ligation (DGHAL) may fail for advanced haemorrhoids (HR; grades III and IV). Suture haemorrhoidopexy (SHP) and mucopexy by rectoanal repair (RAR) result in haemorrhoidal lifting and fixation. A prospective evaluation was performed to evaluate the results of DGHAL combined with adjunctive procedures. Method The study included 147 patients with HR (male patients: 102; grade III: 95, grade IV: 52) presenting with bleeding (73%) and prolapse (62%). Results More ligations were required for grade IV than grade III HR (10.7 + 2.8 vs 8.6 + 2.2, P < 0.001). SHP (28 patients) and RAR ( 18 patients) at 1-4 positions were deemed necessary in 46 (31%) patients. Minimal (muco-) cutaneous excision (MMCE) was added in 23 patients. SHP / RAR was applied more frequently in grade IV HR (60% vs 16%, P < 0.001). In patients not having MMCE, SHP / RAR was added in 57% of grade IV cases (P < 0.001). Complications included residual prolapse (10; two second surgery), bleeding (15; two second DGHAL), thrombosis (four), fissure (three) and fistula (one). Analgesia was required not at all, up to 1-3 days, 4-7 days and > 7 days by 30%, 31%, 16% and 14% of the patients, respectively. SHP / RAR was associated with greater discomfort (17% vs 6%, P < 0.001). No differences were found between SHP and RAR. At an average follow-up of 15 months, 96% of patients were asymptomatic and 95% were satisfied. Conclusions DGHAL with the selective application of SHP / RAR is a safe and effective technique for advanced grade HR