American journal of surgery
-
Comparative Study
Screening cervical spine MRI after normal cervical spine CT scans in patients in whom cervical spine injury cannot be excluded by physical examination.
Cervical spine injuries can occur in as many as 10% of patients with blunt trauma with mental status changes from closed head injuries. Despite normal results on cervical spine computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often recommended to exclude ligamentous or soft tissue injury. ⋯ The use of MRI in patients with normal results on cervical spine CT does not appear to alter treatment.
-
The appropriate management for patients with multifocal branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas involving the entire pancreatic gland remains unclear. We present a 66-year-old woman who underwent pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy for a branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma demonstrating a grape-like multilocular cyst, 35 mm in diameter, in the head of the pancreas along with numerous number of small branch-duct IPMNs in the whole pancreas. ⋯ The patient has been doing well without any recurrence during 9-year follow-up after surgery. Surgical removal of the prominent lesions suspicious of malignancy and a close observation of the remaining lesions in the remnant pancreas may be a reasonable treatment plan for patients with multifocal branch-duct IPMNs involving the entire pancreatic gland.
-
The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of surgical site infection for open elective umbilical hernia repairs and to identify the factors related to an increased risk of infection and/or recurrence. ⋯ Umbilical hernia repair is associated with a high rate of infection, and most superficial mesh infections can be treated with antibiotics alone. In addition, mesh repair of umbilical hernias decreased the rate of recurrence but increased the risk of infection compared with suture repairs.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Is albumin administration beneficial in early stage of postoperative hypoalbuminemia following gastrointestinal surgery?: a prospective randomized controlled trial.
Surgeons commonly see postoperative hypoalbuminemia, but whether exogenous albumin administration is beneficial for these patients is unclear. ⋯ Albumin administration in the early stage of postoperative hypoalbuminemia following gastrointestinal surgery is not beneficial in correcting hypoalbuminemia or in clinical outcomes.
-
Postoperative delirium is a common complication in geriatric patients. Tryptophan is an amino acid precursor to the mood-stabilizing neurotransmitters serotonin and melatonin. We hypothesized that tryptophan levels are lower in elderly subjects who develop postoperative delirium. ⋯ Lower levels of tryptophan postoperatively were associated with the development of delirium in the elderly.