The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Dec 2002
Decompressive craniectomy in trauma patients with severe brain injury.
Decompressive craniectomy in the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is controversial. We conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected data on all patients requiring surgery for TBI from 1995 through 2001 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Patients were separated into two groups: Group A, craniectomy, and Group B, craniotomy. ⋯ The type of surgery was not found to be a significant predictor of death even when adjusted for severity of injury. Craniectomy may be helpful for patients with TBI associated with preoperative CT scan evidence of basilar cistern collapse. This is evidenced by similar survival rates between the two groups despite clinical evidence of greater TBI among craniectomy patients.
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The American surgeon · Nov 2002
Case ReportsEpiploic appendagitis: an emerging diagnosis for general surgeons.
The increased use of sonography and computed tomography in the assessment of lower abdominal pain has led to the greater recognition of epiploic appendagitis. Although epiploic appendagitis is increasingly described and diagnosed by radiologists it is rarely discussed in the surgical literature. ⋯ All cases were diagnosed by computed tomography and none underwent surgery. General surgeons need to include epiploic appendagitis in their differential diagnosis for abdominal pain and be aware of the natural history of this condition when considering therapy.
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The American surgeon · Nov 2002
Young versus old: factors affecting mortality after blunt traumatic injury.
Advanced age predicts poor outcome after trauma. We have previously demonstrated that prolonged occult hypoperfusion (POH), defined as serum lactic acid >2.4 mmol/L persisting for >12 hours, is also associated with worse outcomes. We hypothesized that older patients--a group with potentially less physiologic reserve--would be at greater risk from POH. ⋯ Age-specific mortality was influenced by POH and gender. POH was associated with higher mortality only in older patients. With less physiologic reserve older patients may not have been able to adequately compensate for POH; this emphasizes the importance of rapidly correcting serum lactic acid as an endpoint in resuscitation in this population.
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The American surgeon · Nov 2002
Primary treatment of malignant pleural effusions: video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery poudrage versus tube thoracostomy.
The objective of this study is to show that primary treatment of malignant pleural effusions secondary to ovarian carcinoma with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)-assisted talc poudrage (VATS-ATP) results in shorter hospital stays and reduced time with a chest tube than primary treatment with a chest tube and chemical pleurodesis. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients with a symptomatic pleural effusion secondary to primary ovarian carcinoma receiving intervention from January 1996 to December 2000. Patients either received tube thoracostomy with pleurodesis (n = 22) or VATS-ATP (n = 12). ⋯ Groups treated by tube thoracostomy and VATS were statistically different; P < 0.001 for days with a chest tube and P = 0.011 for hospital days. We conclude that both tube thoracostomy with chemical pleurodesis and VATS-ATP provide adequate treatment of ovarian carcinoma-associated malignant pleural effusions. VATS-ATP provides a shorter duration of chest tube placement and postprocedure hospital stay.
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The American surgeon · Oct 2002
Review Case ReportsDialysis access-induced superior vena cava syndrome.
Vascular thrombosis is a complication of dialysis access and thrombosis of the superior vena cava by indwelling dialysis catheters access can cause superior vena cava syndrome. We describe a case of superior vena cava syndrome resulting from a dialysis access catheter placed in the internal jugular vein. ⋯ In this paper we describe the presentation, diagnosis, and management of this case. A review of dialysis access thrombosis complications and treatment options is also presented.