INTRODUCTION Closed and open techniques for creation of pneumoperitoneum are being used simultaneously with varying frequencies. Some studies analyzing slight modifications to both approaches have been published and others are under way. We conducted this study to eliminate some of the disadvantages of the open technique, an already proven safer technique. PATIENTS & METHODS In a total of 12...

OBJECTIVES Laparoscopic repair of incisional ventral hernias with ePTFE mesh continues to evolve, with variable reporting of surgical techniques and outcomes. This report of 34 cases discusses, with a literature review of laparoscopic incisional hernia repair, specific factors associated with three recurrences. METHOD Retrospective analysis and review of the literature. RESULTS Thirty-two p...

BACKGROUND Bezoars are an uncommon cause of mechanical intestinal occlusion. There are four different kinds of bezoars: phytobezoars, made of vegetables and fibers; trichobezoars, resulting from the ingestion of hair and frequently an expression of psychiatric disorders; lactobezoars, which are formed of milk curd; and pharmacobezoars, caused by drugs and medications. Symptoms are classically i...

BACKGROUND Incisional hernias can be a significant problem after open abdominal surgery. Laparoscopic incisional hernia repair (LIHR) is conceptually appealing: a large, abdominal wall re-incision with potential wound-related ill effects is avoided and an intra-peritoneal onlay mesh is expected to provide security that is equivalent to open, retro-muscular mesh repair. As such, LIHR has gained ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the seasonal influence, signalment, type of hay consumed, clinical examination findings, and outcome after surgery for horses with ileal impaction. STUDY DESIGN A retrospective study. RESULTS Between 1988 and 1993, 28 horses had surgical correction of ileal impaction. There was a significantly higher rate of ileal impaction during the Fall (September-November, P = .004...

A 70-year-old man was admitted to hospital for repeated vomiting and passing tarry stool for 1 week in October 2011. On physical examination, the patient was pale. The abdomen was not distended but there was a succussion splash in the epigastric area. Laboratory tests revealed microcytic anaemia with a haemoglobin level of 60 g/L. His creatinine level was 140 μmol/L, and his bilirubin level was...

HYPOTHESIS Laparoscopic techniques can be used to treat patients whose antireflux surgery has failed. DESIGN Case series. SETTING Two academic medical centers. PATIENTS Forty-six consecutive patients, of whom 21 were male and 25 were female (mean age, 55.6 years; range, 15-80 years). Previous antireflux procedures were laparoscopic (21 patients), laparotomy (21 patients), thoracotomy (3 p...

OBJECTIVE It is unclear whether children with cystic fibrosis (CF) who present with neonatal meconium ileus have a different long-term outcome from those presenting later in childhood with pulmonary complications or failure to thrive. We examined a cohort of patients with meconium ileus, and compared their long-term outcome with children who had CF without meconium ileus and neonates who had me...

A 21/2 year old boy presented with a 24-hour history of an acute abdomen. At appendicectomy, a number ofpolyurethane pieces were found to be occluding the terminal ileum. The polyurethane foam, the stuffing of a sofa, had been swallowed repeatedly. Ingestion of such a substance is not without risk. Unlike inhaled foreign bodies, ingested foreign bodies rarely cause clinical problems. This case ...

HYPOTHESIS Although experience with laparoscopic colectomy continues to accumulate, criteria for patient selection for the procedure have yet to be developed. We propose that review of indications for conversion to laparotomy during laparoscopic colectomy should define some of the current technical limitations of the procedure. This information may facilitate development of selection criteria f...