JSLS : Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons
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Comparative Study
The pigtail catheter for pleural drainage: a less invasive alternative to tube thoracostomy.
Tube thoracostomy remains the standard of care for the treatment of pneumothoraces and simple effusions. This report describes a favorable experience with the 8.3 French pigtail catheter as a less invasive alternative to traditional chest tube insertion. ⋯ The pigtail catheter offers reliable treatment of pneumothoraces and simple effusions and is a safe and less invasive alternative to tube thoracostomy.
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Comparative Study
Laparoscopic placement and revision of peritoneal dialysis catheters.
Chronic peritoneal dialysis is an option for many patients with end stage renal disease. Laparoscopy offers an alternative approach in the management of dialysis patients. Over an 18-month period, laparoscopy was used for placement or revision of seven peritoneal dialysis catheters. ⋯ The other five catheters are still functional with an average follow-up of ten months. These results suggest that laparoscopy is another method for placement of peritoneal dialysis catheters and more importantly for revision in patients with nonfunctional catheters secondary to adhesions. It also provides an opportunity to evaluate the abdomen and perform concomitant procedures.