The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Dec 2011
Comparative StudyRegional block anesthesia for mastectomy: a community hospital experience.
This report describes a community hospital experience with regional anesthesia for mastectomy. The authors believe this is a modality deserving of wider application. This report is intended to illuminate the benefits of the approach.
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The American surgeon · Dec 2011
Comparative StudyManagement of fasciotomy wounds--does the dressing matter?
Fasciotomy is a limb-saving procedure in the management of ischemic extremities. Little evidence exists as to the best method of fasciotomy wound management. We hypothesized that the use of vacuum dressing (VAC) or creation of dynamic tension (DYN) would increase rates of primary closure, reducing the need for split thickness skin grafting (STSG). ⋯ A trend toward more primary closure was seen in the DYN group. LOS was longer for patients receiving STSG. The DYN cohort had a significantly shorter LOS.
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The American surgeon · Nov 2011
ReviewRole of high-intensity focused ultrasound in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
About 70 per cent of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are diagnosed at intermediate or advanced stages, and most of them are technically unresectable. As a novel, emerging therapeutic modality, high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has a great potential for tumor treatment. In this review, principle of HIFU technique is introduced, and an overview of clinical applications and limitations of HIFU for HCC treatment, as well as prospects for future development, is provided. Consequently, HIFU has been considered a safe and feasible procedure for HCC treatment.
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The American surgeon · Nov 2011
Clinical TrialDoes alvimopan enhance return of bowel function in laparoscopic right colectomy?
Alvimopan, a peripherally acting Mu-opioid receptor antagonist, has been shown to enhance recovery of gastrointestinal (GI) function in open bowel resection. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Alvimopan on patients undergoing laparoscopic right colectomies in preventing postoperative ileus (POI). A prospective, nonrandomized trial of laparoscopic right colectomies was carried out with and without perioperative Alvimopan. ⋯ Alvimopan was successful in enhancing return of GI function in laparoscopic right colectomies and avoiding POI. The decreased LOS trended but did not approach statistical significance. A large randomized prospective trial will be needed to determine the validity of this study.