Varicose veins: Look before you strip – the occluded inferior vena cava and other lurking pathologies

Lower limb varicose veins are a common complication of bipedal human movement and deep-vein thrombosis. However, they may have unusual causes, e.g. forming as collaterals around an obstruction or resulting from vascular malformations. Surgery in these cases can be inappropriate or harmful. Five cases of lower limb varicose veins in which there was underlying pathology highlight the fact that cursory examination of patients with varicose veins and inappropriate special investigations can miss rare but significant underlying pathology. Patients should be examined systematically, and varicose veins in unusual situations should alert the clinician. Inappropriate surgery can be harmful

Varicose veins: Look before you strip – the occluded inferior vena cava and other lurking pathologies

Lower limb varicose veins are a common complication of bipedal human movement and deep-vein thrombosis. However, they may have unusual causes, e.g. forming as collaterals around an obstruction or resulting from vascular malformations. Surgery in these cases can be inappropriate or harmful. Five cases of lower limb varicose veins in which there was underlying pathology highlight the fact that cursory examination of patients with varicose veins and inappropriate special investigations can miss rare but significant underlying pathology. Patients should be examined systematically, and varicose veins in unusual situations should alert the clinician. Inappropriate surgery can be harmful.http://www.samj.org.zaam201

Varicose veins : look before you strip – the occluded inferior vena cava and other lurking pathologies

Lower limb varicose veins are a common complication of bipedal human movement and deep-vein thrombosis. However, they may have unusual causes, e.g. forming as collaterals around an obstruction or resulting from vascular malformations. Surgery in these cases can be inappropriate or harmful. Five cases of lower limb varicose veins in which there was underlying pathology highlight the fact that cursory examination of patients with varicose veins and inappropriate special investigations can miss rare but significant underlying pathology. Patients should be examined systematically, and varicose veins in unusual situations should alert the clinician. Inappropriate surgery can be harmful.http://www.samj.org.zaam201

Emergency surgery for major pulmonary injury

Severely shocked patients with thoracic injury often require emergency thoracotomy before a definite diagnosis can be made. A method of management of pulmonary injury is described by performing exploratory resuscitative anterolateral thoracotomy which can be extended across the sternum to the opposite side, if necessary. Control of haemorrhage from the lung is achieved by mass clamping of the hilum and waiting for further resuscitation. After adequate resuscitation, specific management of the lung injury is performed as indicated. This approach was used in 26 cases of life-threatening pulmonary injury. Exposure of the injured lung was good in all cases. Pneumonography was performed in 8, segmental resection in 8 and pneumonectomy in 5 cases. Surgery and resuscitation were abandoned in 5 unsalvageable cases. Eleven patients (42%) survived. All general and trauma surgeons should be able to perform emergency thoracotomy for trauma. The method described here is simple, needs no special equipment and is suitable for most instances.https://www.jcpsp.pkam2017Surger

Accurate anatomic repair of obstetric anal sphincter damage or rectovaginal fistula aided by prior ultrasonograghy : a cohort study

BACKGROUND : Anorectal obstetric injuries resulting in anal sphincter damage (ASD) and rectovaginal fistula (RVF) remain a major problem. The resulting flatus or faecal incontinence is devastating. Surgical repair remains a challenge. Postpartum RVF primarily results from ischaemic pressure necrosis following obstructed labour. The fistula tract is surrounded by a fibrous scar. ASD usually results from precipitous labour. The injury heals by fibrous scar leading to varying degrees of anal incontinence. Contraction and retraction of muscles around the injury renders the defect and fibrous scar larger than the primary injury. Anorectal ultrasonography has been used to define RVF and ASD, and the associated fibrous scar. PATIENTS AND METHODS : A retrospective review of patients who underwent transvaginal surgical repair of RVF and ASD was undertaken. Patients were preoperatively assessed for pathology and incontinence degree. Anorectal ultrasonography was used to define ASD or RVF and the associated scar preoperatively. Repair of RVF or ASD entails total excision of the scar with accurate anatomical layers reconstruction of healthy tissues. RESULTS : There were 23 patients, 8 RVF with a mean (SD) age 29 (6.78) years and 17 ASD with a mean (SD) age 35.25 (15.90). Twenty followed obstetric trauma (6RVF, 14 ASD), 1 prior rectocoele repair (ASD), 2 rape (1RVF + 1 ASD) and 1 was idiopathic (RVF). All patients had 1 or more prior repairs except for idiopathic RVF. Operative technique entailed transvaginal complete excision of the fibrous scar and accurate anatomical reconstruction of healthy tissue layers. A colostomy was not routinely used. There were three significant postoperative complications: ASD breakdown from an infected haematoma; perianal abscess, later a sinus after drainage; and RVF repair dehiscence during early coitus. All patients had full continence after 8 months minimum follow-up. CONCLUSION : Complete excision of the fibrous scar and accurate anatomical tissue layers reconstruction of the obstetric RVF or ASD, aided by prior ultrasonography, yielded good results.Internal Department of Surgery financial resources.https://journals.lww.com/annals-of-medicine-and-surgery/pages/default.aspxSurger

Breast cancer and HIV

Reddy et al. present a worthy and timely review on breast cancer in HIV-infected patients. There is clearly a paucity of robust data on this important and common simultaneity. Some older retrospective reports describe mainly experiences of the pre-antiretroviral era. This information is outdated. Some good epidemiological studies have recently been published, such as that from Soweto by Cubasch et al. As pointed out by Reddy et al. there is a great dearth of knowledge that would come from prospective studies of the management of breast cancer in HIV-infected patients. Intuition might dictate that the outcome of both surgical and adjuvant treatment of breast cancer in these patients would be poor because of the effect on immunity.http://www.sajs.org.za/index.php/sajsam2019Surger

Comparison of the therapeutic dose of warfarin in HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients : a study of clinical practice

BACKGROUND : People infected with HIV are prone to venous thrombosis. Treatment of thrombosis is primarily with warfarin. No studies have addressed the effects of HIV infection on warfarin dose. The aims of this study were to determine whether the therapeutic dose of warfarin and induction time to therapeutic dose in HIV-infected patients differ from that in HIV-uninfected patients. METHODS : A prospective and retrospective descriptive study of induction time to therapeutic warfarin dose, as well as of ambulant therapeutic warfarin dose, was performed. HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected patients being treated after deep venous thrombosis with or without pulmonary embolism were compared. Sex and use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) were also compared in the groups. RESULTS : 234 patients were entered into the study. Induction time to therapeutic warfarin dose did not differ between the 2 groups. The mean therapeutic dose of warfarin was higher in the HIV-infected than the HIV-uninfected group: 6.06 vs 5.72 mg/day, but this was not statistically significant ( p=0.29). There was no difference in therapeutic warfarin dose between ARV-naïve groups—HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected patients not on ARVs. CONCLUSIONS : There appears to be little effect of HIV infection on warfarin dosing. Warfarin therapy should be administered conventionally in HIV-infected patients.http://bmjopen.bmj.comam2017Surger

Non-acid gastro-oesophageal reflux is associated with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus

INTRODUCTION : Squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus is a common cancer among South Africans. Due to the absence of effective screening and surveillance programme for early detection and late presentation, squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage or when metastasis has already occurred. The 5-year survival is often quoted at 5%–10%, which is poor. OBJECTIVES : To determine the association between oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and non-acid gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. METHODS : A cross-sectional case–control analytical study of patients referred to the Gastroenterology Division of Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. All patients had combined multichannel impedance and pH studies done and interpreted after upper gastroscopy using the American College of Gastroenterology guidelines by two clinicians. RESULTS : Thirty-two patients with OSCC were recruited: non-acid reflux was found in 23 patients (73%), acid reflux in 2 patients (6%) and 7 patients (22%) had normal multichannel impedance and pH studies. Forty-nine patients matched by age, gender and race were recruited as a control group. Non-acid reflux was found in 11 patients (22%), acid reflux in 31 patients (63%) and 7 patients (14%) had normal multichannel impedance and pH monitoring study. CONCLUSION : The significance of the association between non-acid reflux and OSCC was tested using χ2, and simple logistic regression was used to adjust for the effects of potential confounders. The OR of developing OSCC in patients with non-acid gastro-oesophageal reflux was 8.8 (95% CI 3.2 to 24.5, P<0.0001) in this South African group. Alcohol and smoking had no effect on these results.http://bmjopengastro.bmj.comam2018Internal MedicineSurger

Inferior vena cava injuries : a case series and review of the South African experience

INTRODUCTION : Penetrating injury may involve the major vessels in the abdomen. Injury to the abdominal inferior vena cava (IVC) is uncommon and is usually caused by gunshot wounds. Mortality from IVC injuries is high and has changed little over time. AIM : The aim of the study was to report a series of IVC injuries from an urban trauma unit and to compare this with reports from similar institutions. METHOD : A retrospective review of penetrating abdominal injuries at Kalafong Hospital from 1993 to 2010 was performed. All cases of injury to the IVC were retrieved and the following data recorded: patient demographics, incident history, origin of referral, description of the IVC injury, associated injuries, operative management, hospital stay and outcome. The results were compared to those from similar institutions. RESULTS : Twenty-seven patients with IVC injuries were treated. All were caused by gunshot wounds, and all had associated intra-abdominal injuries. The majority (56%) of injuries were infrarenal. The injury was managed most commonly by venorrhaphy and, when successful, all the patients survived. A third of patients with infrarenal injuries died, some after exploration of a stable peri-caval haematoma. Ten of the patients died (37%), half of them during surgery. These results are similar to those from similar institutions from earlier time periods. CONCLUSIONS : This report concurs with other studies. IVC injury carries a high mortality rate and that this has not improved over several decades. Less aggressive management of some stable patients or stable injuries is proposed by the authors for possible improvement of the mortality rate.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/injuryhb201

Rat bite injuries in children : description of a novel classification

PURPOSE : Rats are common intruders into human settlements. Apart from their role as disease vectors, they can also cause bite injuries. We describe the clinical course of a series of children with rat bites, and characterise the injures. METHODS : A retrospective review of hospital records of children admitted for rat bites in a large regional hospital was undertaken. The demographics, wound characteristics, treatment given and clinical outcome of the patients are described. RESULTS : Fifty-nine children, with a mean age of 3.7 years, were admitted for rat bites. Three distinct types of wounds were treated: superficial scratches (Type I), deeper bites often with infection and ulceration (Type II) and full-thickness with loss of skin or underlying soft tissues (Type III). Few wounds displayed signs of inflammation. Only some Type II injuries required urgent local surgery in the form of drainage and debridement. Type III wounds required a skin graft. All patients recovered. CONCLUSION : We suggest that treatment of rat bites should be based on the wound type. Most patients do not require hospital admission or antibiotic treatment. Treatment should be mostly conservative wound care management. Surgery is only indicated for drainage of pus, debridement, skin graft or rarely reconstruction.This paper is based on an MMed (Surg) thesis of Dr RE Ngwenya for the University of Pretoria.https://www.springer.com/journal/383hj2022Surger