Treatment Strategies for Pilonidal Sinus Disease in Switzerland and Austria

Background and objective: No current nationwide consensus exists on pilonidal disease (PD) treatment in Switzerland and Austria. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the spectrum of PD treatment strategies in Switzerland and Austria. Materials and Methods: A survey including 196 certified institutions (Switzerland, N = 99 and Austria, N = 97) was performed. Treatment strategies for both chronic and acute pilonidal disease were investigated, as well as evolution of treatment over the last 20 years. Results: In total, 92 of 196 (47%) hospitals participated in the survey. Recurrence rate (20%) was similar between the two countries. In acute pilonidal disease, a two-stage approach with incision and drainage as the first step was preferred over a one-stage procedure in both countries. In Austria, all patients with chronic pilonidal disease were treated as inpatients, whereas 28% of patients in Switzerland were treated on an outpatient basis (p = 0.0019). Median length of hospital stay was double in Austria (four days) compared to Switzerland (two days; p < 0.001). Primary resection and off-midline closure (p = 0.017) and the use of tissue flaps (p = 0.023) were performed more commonly in Austria than in Switzerland. Minimally invasive techniques were performed more often in Switzerland than in Austria (52% vs. 4%, p < 0.001). Overall, wide excision with secondary wound healing or midline closures declined over the last 20 years. Conclusion: Treatment strategies for chronic PD differ between Austria and Switzerland with more and longer inpatient care in Austria, increasingly minimally invasive approaches in Switzerland, and outdated procedures still being performed in both countries. Overall, heterogeneity of practice dominates in both countries

A Paired Kidney Analysis of Multiorgan Transplantation: Implications for Allograft Survival

Background. United Network for Organ Sharing multiorgan transplantation allocation policy allows sequestration of a kidney by another solid organ regardless of the priority of the candidate for the kidney allograft. The implications of this policy for kidney allograft survival are not well understood. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of pairs of deceased donor kidney transplants where 1 kidney was allocated to a simultaneous liver-kidney (SLK) or simultaneous heart-kidney (SHK) recipient and the contralateral kidney to a kidney transplant alone (KTA) recipient (cohort from February 2002 to December 2010). Graft and patient survivals were assessed with Cox regression models. Results. There were 1998 SLK and 276 SHK transplants with matching KTA transplants. Five-year kidney graft (64% [SLK] vs 75% [KTA], P < 0.001) and patient survivals (66% [SLK] vs 81% [KTA], P < 0.001) were significantly lower in SLK versus KTA recipients of the contralateral kidney. Among the entire cohort of SLK in this analysis, the cumulative difference in graft survival 1 year after transplant was 115 years, and by 5 years, the difference increased to 1062 years. Among the SHK arm of our study, 5-year graft survival (72% [SHK] vs 73% [KTA], P = 0.71) did not significantly differ, although patient survival (75% [SHK] vs 84% [KTA], P = 0.02) was higher in KTA recipients. Conclusions. Kidney graft survival is inferior among SLK relative to KTA, but not SHK. Multiorgan transplantation allocation may not be congruent with the intention of new kidney allocation policies that attempt to maximize survival after kidney transplantation

Surgical Treatment of Short Bowel Syndrome—The Past, the Present and the Future, a Descriptive Review of the Literature

Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a devastating disorder with both short- and long-term implications for patients. Unfortunately, the prevalence of SBS has doubled over the past 40 years. Broadly speaking, the etiology of SBS can be categorized as congenital or secondary, the latter typically due to extensive small bowel resection following diseases of the small intestine, e.g., necrotizing enterocolitis, Hirschsprung’s disease or intestinal atresia. As of yet, no cure exists, thus, conservative treatment, primarily parenteral nutrition (PN), is the first-line therapy. In some cases, weaning from PN is not possible and operative therapy is required. The invention of the longitudinal intestinal lengthening and tailoring (LILT or Bianchi) procedure in 1980 was a major step forward in patient care and spawned further techniques that continue to improve lives for patients with severe SBS (e.g., double barrel enteroplasty, serial transverse enteroplasty, etc.). With this review, we aim to provide an overview of the clinical implications of SBS, common conservative therapies and the development of operative techniques over the past six decades. We also provide a short outlook on the future of operative techniques, specifically with respect to regenerative medicine.ISSN:2227-906

The use of thromboelastography to assess post-operative changes in coagulation and predict graft function in renal transplantation.

BackgroundEnd stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with elevated fibrinogen levels and fibrinolysis inhibition. However, there is a paucity of data on how renal transplantation impacts coagulation. we hypothesize that renal transplantation recipients with good functioning grafts will have improved fibrinolytic activity following surgery.MethodsKidney recipients were analyzed pre-operatively and on post-operative day 1(POD1) using three different TEG assays with and without two concentration of tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA). TEG indices and percent reduction in creatinine from pre-op to POD1 were measured, with &gt;50% defining "good" graft function. Follow up was done at 6, 12, and 24 months.ResultsPercent lysis(LY30) on POD1 the t-PA TEG was significantly correlated to change creatinine from pre-op to POD-1(p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.006). A LY30&nbsp;≥&nbsp;23% was associated with good early graft function, and lower creatinine at 24-months(p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.028) compared to recipients with low POD1 LY30.ConclusionsPost-operative tPA-TEG LY30 is associated with favorable early and late outcomes in kidney transplant

The use of thromboelastography to assess post-operative changes in coagulation and predict graft function in renal transplantation.

BackgroundEnd stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with elevated fibrinogen levels and fibrinolysis inhibition. However, there is a paucity of data on how renal transplantation impacts coagulation. we hypothesize that renal transplantation recipients with good functioning grafts will have improved fibrinolytic activity following surgery.MethodsKidney recipients were analyzed pre-operatively and on post-operative day 1(POD1) using three different TEG assays with and without two concentration of tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA). TEG indices and percent reduction in creatinine from pre-op to POD1 were measured, with &gt;50% defining "good" graft function. Follow up was done at 6, 12, and 24 months.ResultsPercent lysis(LY30) on POD1 the t-PA TEG was significantly correlated to change creatinine from pre-op to POD-1(p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.006). A LY30&nbsp;≥&nbsp;23% was associated with good early graft function, and lower creatinine at 24-months(p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.028) compared to recipients with low POD1 LY30.ConclusionsPost-operative tPA-TEG LY30 is associated with favorable early and late outcomes in kidney transplant