Upper Abdominal Surgery (upper + abdominal_surgery)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


RISK FACTORS FOR POSTOPERATIVE PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS IN UPPER ABDOMINAL SURGERY

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 3 2007
Fikret Kanat
Background: Pulmonary complications are the most frequent cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality in upper abdominal surgery (UAS). We aimed to examine the influence of possible preoperative, operative and postoperative risk factors on the development of early postoperative pulmonary complications (POPC) after UAS. Methods: A prospective study of 60 consecutive patients was conducted who underwent elective UAS in general surgical unit. Each patient's preoperative respiratory status was assessed by an experienced chest physician using clinical examination, chest radiographs, spirometry and blood gas analysis . Anaesthetical risks, surgical indications, operation time, incision type, duration of nasogastric catheter and mobilization time were noted. Forty-eight hours after the operation, pulmonary examinations of the patients were repeated. Results: Postoperative pulmonary complications were observed in 35 patients (58.3%). The most common complication was pneumonia, followed by pneumonitis, atelectasis, bronchitis, pulmonary emboli and acute respiratory failure. The presence of preoperative respiratory symptoms and the spirometric parameter of forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity were the most valuable risk factors for early prediction of POPC. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic efficiency of the presence of preoperative respiratory symptoms in the POPC prediction were 70, 61 and 66%, respectively. Conclusion: We recommend a detailed pulmonary examination and spirometry in patients who will undergo UAS by chest physicians to identify the patients at high risk for POPC, to manage respiratory problems of the patients before surgery and also to help surgeons to take early measures in such patients before a most likely POPC occurrence. Improvement of lung function in those patients at risk for POPC before operation may decrease morbidity in surgical patients. [source]


Oblique sub-costal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) catheters: an alternative to epidural analgesia after upper abdominal surgery

ANAESTHESIA, Issue 10 2009
G. Niraj
Summary The authors present three cases where catheters placed in the oblique sub-costal transversus abdominis plane provided prolonged analgesia after upper abdominal surgery. Patient 1 was admitted with severe sepsis following major hepatobiliary surgery. Bilateral catheters facilitated weaning from mechanical ventilation and provided adequate analgesia for 4 days. Patient 2 underwent emergency laparotomy for intestinal obstruction having refused consent for epidural analgesia. The transversus abdominis plane catheters provided a significant opioid sparing effect. A unilateral catheter offered rescue analgesia in patient 3 when the epidural catheter was displaced. We put forward a case for oblique sub-costal transversus abdominis plane catheters as an alternative to epidural analgesia after upper abdominal surgery. [source]


RISK FACTORS FOR POSTOPERATIVE PULMONARY COMPLICATIONS IN UPPER ABDOMINAL SURGERY

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 3 2007
Fikret Kanat
Background: Pulmonary complications are the most frequent cause of postoperative morbidity and mortality in upper abdominal surgery (UAS). We aimed to examine the influence of possible preoperative, operative and postoperative risk factors on the development of early postoperative pulmonary complications (POPC) after UAS. Methods: A prospective study of 60 consecutive patients was conducted who underwent elective UAS in general surgical unit. Each patient's preoperative respiratory status was assessed by an experienced chest physician using clinical examination, chest radiographs, spirometry and blood gas analysis . Anaesthetical risks, surgical indications, operation time, incision type, duration of nasogastric catheter and mobilization time were noted. Forty-eight hours after the operation, pulmonary examinations of the patients were repeated. Results: Postoperative pulmonary complications were observed in 35 patients (58.3%). The most common complication was pneumonia, followed by pneumonitis, atelectasis, bronchitis, pulmonary emboli and acute respiratory failure. The presence of preoperative respiratory symptoms and the spirometric parameter of forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity were the most valuable risk factors for early prediction of POPC. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic efficiency of the presence of preoperative respiratory symptoms in the POPC prediction were 70, 61 and 66%, respectively. Conclusion: We recommend a detailed pulmonary examination and spirometry in patients who will undergo UAS by chest physicians to identify the patients at high risk for POPC, to manage respiratory problems of the patients before surgery and also to help surgeons to take early measures in such patients before a most likely POPC occurrence. Improvement of lung function in those patients at risk for POPC before operation may decrease morbidity in surgical patients. [source]


PREDICTING IATROGENIC GALL BLADDER PERFORATION DURING LAPAROSCOPIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY: A MULTIVARIATE LOGISTIC REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF RISK FACTORS

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 3 2006
Kamran Mohiuddin
Background: Seventeen independent risk factors were examined using multivariate logistic regression analysis to develop a profile of patients most likely at risk from iatrogenic gall bladder perforation (IGBP) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Methods: Since 1989, a prospectively maintained database on 856 (women, 659; men, 197) consecutive laparoscopic cholecystectomies by a single surgeon (R. J. F.) was analysed. The mean age was 48 years (range, 17,94 years). The mean operating time was 88 min (range, 25,375 min) and the mean postoperative stay was 1 day (range, 1,24 days). There were 311 (women, 214; men, 97) IGBP. Seventeen independent variables, which included sex, race, history of biliary colic, dyspepsia, history of acute cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis and jaundice, previous abdominal surgery, previous upper abdominal surgery, medical illness, use of intraoperative laser or electrodiathermy, performance of intraoperative cholangiogram, positive intraoperative cholangiogram, intraoperative common bile duct exploration, presence of a grossly inflamed gall bladder as seen by the surgeon intraoperatively and success of the operation, were analysed using multivariate logistic regression for predicting IGBP. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis against all 17 predictors was significant (,2 = 94.5, d.f. = 17, P = 0.0001), and the variables male sex, history of acute cholecystitis, use of laser and presence of a grossly inflamed gall bladder as seen by the surgeon intraoperatively were individually significant (P < 0.05) by the Wald ,2 -test. Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, using laser, in a male patient with a history of acute cholecystitis or during an acute attack of cholecystitis is associated with a significantly higher incidence of IGBP. [source]