Late Results Of Surgical Treatment Research Articles

Basis for Intervention on Functional Tricuspid Regurgitation

Functional tricuspid regurgitation is a complex valvular lesion. Its optimal management remains controversial in the current era as the result of uncertainties regarding accurate diagnosis, surgical indication, the appropriate surgical procedure, and the late results of surgical treatment. It is no longer regarded a benign problem and does not resolve spontaneously after correction of left-sided heart valve lesions as once believed. It carries a significant morbidity and has an adverse impact on survival. Current techniques to repair functional tricuspid regurgitation are associated with a significant degree of residual or recurrent regurgitation mainly because of failure to address all the components of this challenging entity. This review article highlights emerging concepts and advances that provide an insight into the understanding of this perplexing lesion and attempts to define the basis of intervention on functional tricuspid regurgitation.

Early and late results of surgical treatment of multifocal epilepsy

Studies of surgical outcomes in multifocal epilepsy patients showed them to depend on epileptic foci sites in two groups of the diseased according to J. Engel scale (1993): 92 early postoperative period patients (group 1), and 30 late one patients (group 2). Of 92 group 1 patients unilateral cortical epileptic foci were diagnosed in 62 (51.7%), bitemporal ones in 30 (20.0%) patients. Of 30 group 2 patients – unilateral cortical in 17 (42.5%), and bitemporal in 13 (32.5%) patients. In group 1 remission of the seizures and decrease of their frequency over 80.0% was achieved in 80.4% of the patients, in group 2 – decrease of seizure frequency over 50.0% in 67.7%, and recurrent seizures in 26.7% of the patients.

Unusual Malignant Thyroid Tumours - a Clinical Study of 20 Cases

The aim of this study is to assess late results of surgical treatment for primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma (PNHL), thyroid sarcomas (TS) and tumour metastases (TM) of the thyroid gland.Materials and methods : Between January 1st, 1990 and December 31st, 2005, 12725 patients were surgically treated for various types of goitre. Malignant tumour was diagnosed in 617 (4.9%) cases, consisting of 597 (96.8%) patients with thyroid carcinoma and 20 (3.2%) with other tumours, which included 9 (1.5%) cases of PNHL, 9 (1.5%) cases of TM and 2 (0.2%) patients who showed TS.Results : In the group of patients diagnosed with PNHL, variant B-cell lymphoma predominated (77.8%), and in cases of patients with TM renal cell carcinoma prevailed (77.8%). In all cases, hypo-echogenic nodules were observed in ultrasonography and cold nodules in scintigraphy. All patients were surgically treated with possible complementary chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. At present, 5 patients with PNHL are alive - 43–93 (average of 63.8) months after the operation. Others have died within a period of 2 days to 3 months after the operation. Two patients with TM are alive - 19 and 46 (median 32.5) months after the operation. Others have died within a period of 3 to 62 (median 21) months after the operation. Patients with TS have died respectively 19 days and 13 months after the operation. Conclusions :1. Patients with primary thyroid lymphomas should be approached individually using all available methods of treatment, including surgery and radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.2. Diagnosis of cold nodules in patients with oncological history should always arouse suspicion of metastases to the thyroid gland.3. Diagnosis of non-thyroid cancer prior to surgery is difficult to obtain.4. The need for surgery is usually based on local compression.

Pulmonary metastases from epithelial tumours: late results of surgical treatment☆

Development of distant metastases is one of the primary characteristics of malignant tumours. During the last decades, lung metastasectomy has been progressively accepted as a therapeutic option in oncology patients. The present paper aims to evaluate the long-term results and factors influencing prognosis in patients submitted to lung resection for metastases from extrapulmonary epithelial tumours. We retrospectively analysed data of 202 patients undergoing 207 procedures of lung metastasectomy between January 1980 and December 2003. Factors that may influence long-term prognosis such as completeness of resection, histology of the tumour, disease-free interval, number of resected lesions, involvement of hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes, systemic treatments were investigated. Complete resection was carried out in 169 patients (83.7%). The more frequent lung resection was sublobar in 67.6% of cases, but rarely in selected patients bilobectomy or pneumonectomy has been carried out too. Perioperative morbidity and mortality were 7.7% and 0.9%. Mean disease-free interval was 49+/-48 months. Mean follow-up was 33+/-31 months, 5-year and 10-year survival rates for completely resected patients were 43% and 17%, respectively. By univariate and multivariate analyses, completeness of resection, disease-free interval of 36 months or more, and single resected metastasis were found to be significant prognostic factors. Resection of epithelial lung metastases allows an acceptable prognostic result in appropriately selected patients with very low perioperative morbidity and mortality. Factors such as high disease-free interval, single metastasis and completeness of resection are demonstrated and confirmed to be significantly associated with long-term survival.

The early and late results of surgical treatment for Crohn's disease.

Abstract An analysis is presented of the early results of 415 operations performed for Crohn's disease on 295 patients at the Leeds General Infirmary from 1939 to 1968 inclusive. Two hundred and forty-four of the operations were primary and the other 171 were reoperations. The operative mortality was 4.1 per cent after primary operation, 8.2 per cent after reoperation, and 5.8 per cent overall. The most important factor influencing the immediate mortality after primary surgery was the age of the patients, the mortality in patients under 50 years being 2.6 per cent and that in patients over that age 8.9 per cent. The main postoperative complications were sepsis, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, and delay in the healing of the perineal wound, which persisted unhealed for over 6 months in 42 per cent of the patients who had had rectal excision. In the interests of simplicity assessment of the ultimate outcome of surgery is confined to an examination of the late results in the 234 immediate survivors of primary operations by means of a follow-up ranging from 6 months to 30 years. Four patients could not be traced and 2 had had their operations less than 6 months before the completion of the review in 1968, which left 228 patients for analysis. The overall late mortality in this group was 13 per cent. Much of it was due to intercurrent conditions such as would be expected in a matched sample of the general population, but 7 per cent was related to Crohn's disease, being due mostly to septic complications following reoperations. Thirty-four per cent of the patients needed at least one further operation after their initial one for Crohn's disease. However, after reoperation the chances of a third or fourth operation being necessary were not increased. The reoperation rate varied considerably after different primary operations, being lowest after proctocolectomy and highest after by-pass operations and colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis. Symptomatically most of the patients have done well. At the time of review 87 per cent of them were enjoying good or very good general health (76 per cent of patients after small-bowel operations, but 96 per cent of those after large-bowel operations), and over the period of follow-up 72 per cent of the patient-years' were spent free of symptoms. At the time of review persistent disease was clearly demonstrated in 16 per cent of patients and was possibly present in 9 per cent, but was absent in 75 per cent. The outcome of surgery for Crohn's disease sometimes leaves a good deal to be desired. It is suggested, however, that the results demonstrated here amply justify its frequent use as a means of alleviating symptoms and of restoring the patient to a reasonable state of health.

The late results of surgical treatment of pressure sores in paraplegics.

The findings are presented of a retrospective survey of paraplegic patients who underwent surgical repair of pressure sores between 1973 and 1977. Forty-one patients with 56 sores were studied. The recurrence rate of repaired sores was 47 per cent. In an analysis of the data the only factor associated with a good long term result was a return home rather than chronic hospitalization following surgery. This finding applied to bedridden but not to sitting patients.

Primary cardiac valve tumors: early and late results of surgical treatment in 10 patients

Background Our goal was to study the clinical characteristics of primary valve tumors and the late surgical results of their resection. Methods We reviewed our clinical experience with the surgical treatment of ten primary valve tumors at Fu Wai Hospital over the past 19 years. During that time, cardiac valve tumors accounted for 2.65% of all primary cardiac tumors at our hospital, and the incidence of primary valve tumors was roughly one in 4,000 cardiac operations. There were 5 male and 5 female patients aged 2 to 66 years (mean age, 30.1 years). The clinical presentation included exertional dyspnea in 7 patients, neurological symptoms in 2, and cyanosis at rest in 1 patient. The diagnosis was established by preoperative echocardiography in 8 patients, and in the other 2, it was confirmed by the findings at operation. All of the tumors were resected. Eight of the ten tumors were benign, and two were malignant. Results All patients survived the operation and recovered uneventfully. Late outcomes were known for all patients. There were three late deaths. One patient with a benign tricuspid valve tumor died 2 months postoperatively of an electrolyte disorder. The other 2 patients with a malignant mitral valve tumor died within 1 year postoperatively. The 7 survivors, all with a benign valve tumor, were followed for an average of 5.7 years (range, 8 months to 19 years), and all were in functional class I. Exercise tolerance improved to normal levels. The latest follow-up echocardiograms showed no evidence of local recurrence in any patient. Conclusions Excellent early and late surgical results can be obtained in patients with benign valve tumors. The prognosis for patients with a malignant valve tumor is poor.

Early and Long-term Results of Conventional Surgical Treatment of Secondary Aorto-enteric Fistula

Objective. To retrospectively evaluate early and late results of surgical treatment of secondary aorto-enteric fistulas (SAEFs) with prosthetic excision and extra-anatomic bypass (conventional treatment) in a single centre institution (teaching hospital). Materials and methods. Between January 1990 and March 2002, 30 patients underwent conventional surgical treatment for SAEF. Data concerning these operations were collected in a dedicate database and 30-day mortality, patency and limb salvage rates were evaluated by mean of chi-square test and logistic regression analysis. Clinical and ultrasonographic follow-up was performed; late results were evaluated by mean of Kaplan–Meyer curves. Results. Thirty day mortality rate was 26% (8 patients). Timing and sequence of interventions (simultaneous or staged, prosthetic excision or revascularization before) had no significative influence on perioperative mortality. There were six extranatomic bypass thromboses at 30 days, but no amputation. Mean duration of follow-up was 24 months; estimated 12- and 24-month survival rates were 60 and 50%, respectively. There were better results in terms of long-term survival in patients undergone prosthetic graft excision before. Primary patency rate was 62% and limb salvage rate was 95%, both at 24 months. Two prosthetic graft reinfections occurred during follow-up (9%). Cumulative reinterventions rate during follow-up was 18%. Conclusions. Conventional surgical treatment of SAEF permitted, in our experience, satisfactory early and long terms results, with fair rates of patency and limb salvage. Surgical timing and sequence do not seem to affect early results.

Heterogeneity of stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and evaluation of late results of surgical treatment

Aims: The aim of the study was assessment of the heterogeneity of stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and the late results of surgical treatment.Methods: The study group consisted of 83 consecutive patients discharged between 1988 and 1992 undergoing radical operative treatment for stage IIIA NSCLC. Squamous cell carcinoma was diagnosed in 54 (65.1%) patients, adenocarcinoma in 23 (27.7%), large cell carcinoma in 2 (2.4%) and mixed (i.e. adenoid-squamous type) in 4 (4.8%). In respect of pTNM staging, 19 (22.9%) patients had T3N1M0, 35 (42.2%) had T2N2M0 and 29 (34.9%) had T3N2M0.Results: Overall, 13.3% of patients with stage IIIA NSCLC survived 5 years following the operation and 8.7% survived 10 years. Analysis of follow-up study indicated that this group was heterogenic. In T3N1M0 group 26.3% survived 5 years following the operation, in T2N2M0 group 14.3%, in T3N2M0 group 3.5% (P=0.015). Of 23 patients with N2 disease and no metastases in hilar lymph nodes (‘skip’ metastases), 26.1% survived 5 years, whereas none of 41 patients with metastases spreading by continuity survived (P=0.0015). If mediastinal lymph node metastases were diagnosed in one level, 25% patients survived 5 years, but if two or more levels were affected, 2.3% only (P=0.0214): 85.7% of patients with well-differentiated (G1) cancer survived 5 years and 62.0% 10 years, whereas among those with moderately differentiated (G2) tumours, 11.8% and 8.8%, respectively. No patient survived 5 years after resection of poorly differentiated (G3) cancer (P<0.001).Conclusions: (1) Patients operated for stage IIIA NSCLC are a heterogeneous group, which makes it difficult to predict late results. (2) Patients operated for stage IIIA NSCLC have a better prognosis if metastases are discovered in level one mediastinal lymph nodes, particularly in the superior part of mediastinum, or if ‘skip’ metastases (pulmonary hilus unaffected) are discovered, as compared to those with N2 disease. (3) Poor histologic differentiation of the tumour is a bad prognostic factor.

Primary cardiac tumors: early and late results of surgical treatment in 91 patients

Background. Between March 1980 and September 1997, 91 patients underwent evaluation and treatment for primary cardiac neoplasms. Methods. Tumors were grouped into three categories: atrial myxomas, benign nonmyxomas, and malignant tumors. Survivors were contacted; no one was lost to follow-up. The mean follow-up for this series is 7 ± 5 years. Results. Eighty-three patients were diagnosed with atrial myxomas (Male/Female: 29/54), average age 55 ± 13 years. The hospital mortality was 3.6% (3/83), the late mortality was 6.5% (5/80). No recurrent myxomas have been identified clinically or by echocardiography in any patient. Three patients were diagnosed with benign nonmyxoma tumors. (Male/Female: 2/1), average age 64 ± 8 years. There were no perioperative deaths and 1 patient died 4 years postoperatively from fibroma, with no linked causes. No recurrent tumors have been identified. Five patients were diagnosed with malignant tumors. (M/F: 1/4), average age 53 ± 16 years. The hospital mortality was 20% (1/5); in 3 patients a redo-operation was necessary after 8, 11, and 12 months because of tumor recurrence. All patients died within 3 years of the first operation (mean 13 ± 14 months). Conclusions. Surgical resection, when possible, is the treatment of choice for all primary cardiac tumors. Patients with benign tumors are probably cured by resection and in our experience there was no known tumor recurrence. Effective palliation is possible with resection of malignant tumors, but more effective adjuvant therapy will be necessary to improve long-term prognosis.

Results of surgical treatment of congenital heart defects in children with Down's syndrome.

We analyzed early and late results of surgical treatment of 100 consecutive children with Down's syndrome (DS) and congenital heart defect (CHD) who were operated on between 1990 and 1997. Fifty had common atrioventricular canal (CAVC), 24 ventricular septal defect, 8 the ostium primum atrial septal defect, 8 tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), 3 patent ductus arteriosus, 3 the ostium secundum atrial septal defect, and 4 CAVC coexisting with TOF. In 93 patients total correction was performed. The total death rate was 6%. Death in the CAVC group was 8%, but it decreased to 2.7% during the past 3 years. The children who were followed up (from 7 months to 6 years; mean, 39 months) are in NYHA class I or II. There were no reoperations. The postoperative course was complicated by pulmonary infections in 38% of patients, which converted to generalized infection in 10% and was the cause of death in 8% of patients. These results indicate that CHD in DS children can be repaired with a low death rate and low incidence of severe mitral atrioventricular valve regurgitation in the CAVC group. A high incidence of severe infections can influence the final results. Repair of CHD in infancy helps to eliminate problems connected with congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.

Graves' disease in children and adolescents. Late results of surgical treatment.

All children and adolescents with Graves' disease in the county of Uppsala (catchment area population 250,000) treated between 1970 and 1994 were evaluated in a retrospective study. The material comprised 31 patients with a mean age of 11 years (range 4-16), 29 (94%) of whom were girls, and four (13%) of the patients had Down's syndrome. Treatment was primarily conservative and surgery was considered if prolonged medical treatment failed. Lasting remission after antithyroid drug therapy (median 6.5 years; range 4.5-8 years) was noted in 6/31 patients (19%), three (10%) of whom subsequently developed hypothyroidism. Twenty-four of the remaining patients (77%) ultimately underwent subtotal (N = 20) or total thyroidectomy (N = 4) after experiencing one or more episodes of recurrent hyperthyroidism during medical treatment (median 6 years; range 0.5-11 years). After surgery one patient developed permanent hypocalcemia requiring low-dose vitamin D supplementation. During a postoperative follow-up period of 12.2 years ( median; range 1-17 years), there were two cases of recurrent thyrotoxicosis, 1 and 10 years after surgery. The results underline that gender and Down's syndrome are risk factors of juvenile Graves' disease and that the disorder often is difficult to control by long-term medical therapy. In such cases thyroid surgery offers a safe and prompt reversal of the thyrotoxicosis. A proportion of the patients may ultimately develop hypothyroidism, substantiating a need for long-term follow-up of persons afflicted with Graves' disease early in life.

Factors influencing the immediate and late outcome of Cushing's disease treated by transsphenoidal surgery: a retrospective study by the European Cushing's Disease Survey Group.

Hypercortisolism attributable to hypersecretion of ACTH by a pituitary adenoma is an uncommon and progressively lethal disease. Because of its rarity, it has been difficult to collect a large series of patients in order to identify the prognostic factors influencing the outcome after transsphenoidal surgery. We conducted a multicenter, retrospective analysis of the early and late results of surgical treatment of Cushing's disease. Files of patients with Cushing's disease who underwent transsphenoidal surgery between 1975 and 1990 were collected from 25 institutions throughout Europe. Data from 668 of 716 patients were suitable for statistical analyses. Surgical mortality was 1.9%, and major morbidity occurred in 97 patients (14.5%). Clinical and biochemical remission of Cushing's disease after surgery occurred in 510 cases (76.3%). Identification of the tumor by neuroradiological imaging or at operation with histopathological corroboration was associated with remission of hypercortisolism. Recurrence of the disease occurred in 65 (12.7%) of 510 patients in remission after surgery at a mean time of 39.3 months (range 6-104 months). The distribution of the recurrences did not show any apparent plateau or cluster throughout the follow-up period. Low postoperative steroid levels, absence of cortisol response to CRH, and the need for long-term glucocorticoid substitution therapy were all associated with a high probability of long-term remission. Our study demonstrates that transsphenoidal surgery is a safe and effective treatment for patients with Cushing's disease. However, after successful surgery there is a steady increase in the percentage of recurrences, which continues with time. Patients who after operation had hypoadrenocorticism and needed long-term glucocorticoid substitution therapy had the lowest risk of relapse.

Results of Surgical Treatment for Infective Endocarditis in Intravenous Drug Users

To determine the early and late results of surgical treatment for infective endocarditis (IE) in intravenous drug users (IVDU). Cohort study of consecutive IVDUs undergoing surgical treatment for IE. Large public hospital serving the urban population of Chicago, Ill. Consecutive IVDUs operated on between July 1982 and June 1991 for IE. Death, stroke, noncerebral systemic embolization, major bleeding, recurrent endocarditis, and repeated valve replacement. There were 80 patients, 58 men and 22 women, with a mean age of 37.5 +/- 10 (SD) years. The hospital course in all patients and follow-up data on 75 (94%) patients were complete. The primary indication for surgery was acute congestive heart failure in 44 (56%), persistent sepsis in 21 (26%), and multiple systemic embolization in 15 (19%) patients. Six patients (7.5%) died within 30 days of surgery. An additional 13 of 69 patients (17.6%) died during the follow-up, 8 from cardiovascular causes. The probability of survival at 36 months and at 60 months was 0.74 +/- 0.05 (SE) and 0.70 +/- 0.05, respectively. Seventeen (30%) of the survivors had at least one major cardiovascular event; 6 (8.8%) had recurrent endocarditis, 4 (5.8%) had stroke, 3 (4.4%) had extracerebral bleeding, 1 had extracerebral systemic embolism, and 3 (4.4%) required repeated valve replacement. Probability of event-free survival at 36 months and 60 months was 0.65 +/- 0.06 and 0.52 +/- 0.08, respectively. The median duration of event-free survival was 65 months. Since the expected mortality without surgery in patients with IE in whom medical treatment fails is almost 100%, it is concluded that surgical treatment is indicated for, and substantially improves the outlook for early and late survival of, IVDUs with IE who fail to respond to medical management.

Late results of surgical treatment of chronic anterolateral instability of the proximal ankle joint

In the literature more than 30 methods of syndesmoplastic surgery are described for the treatment of chronic ligament instability in the ankle. The aim of our investigation was, on the basis of long-term results, to determine which surgical method has the least complications, which offers the best chances from the viewpoint of exercise and sports, and whether degenerative changes in the joint can be avoided by restitution of stability. By means of isokinetic testing with 36 patients we were able to determine differences in the long-term results of various surgical methods, viz. syndesmoplasty using the peroneus brevis muscle as modified by Evans and Watson/Jones, respectively, and periosteal syndesmoplasty. In the period from 1980 through 1990, at the Graz Hospital for Trauma Surgery we performed 77 syndesmoplastic operations on 75 patients suffering from chronic ligament instability in the ankle joint. Of these cases, 45 were followed up for 6-136 months after the operation. On the basis of the results of these postoperative examinations we recommend periosteal syndesmoplasty for management of chronic ligament instability in the ankle, as this method is relatively easy to perform, prevents post-traumatic arthrosis, ensures maximum stability, which consequently means a low complication rate, and shows favorable final results in isokinetic testing.

弁膜症 心臓悪液質弁膜症の外科治療 長期遠隔期成績について

弁膜症 心臓悪液質弁膜症の外科治療 長期遠隔期成績について

Tympanosclerosis of the middle ear: Late results of surgical treatment

The late results of one stage operation for middle ear tymanosclerosis in 73 patients during the period January 1965 to December 1980 are presented. Mean observation time was 11.2 years (range 3-20.2 years), with a follow-up rate 86 per cent. Among 64 patients with stapes fixation, 59 had removal of tympanosclerotic masses and stapes mobilization, and five cases underwent stapedectomy. The series was divided into six groups and the results analyzed. The best and most stable results occurred in the group with stapes mobilization and an intact ossicular chain followed by the group with stapes mobilization and Type II tympanoplasty with incus interposition. The poorest late results were obtained in ears with lacking stapes crura and stapes mobilization, and in ears subjected to stapedectomy. No case of post-operative sensorineural hearing loss occurred. We recommend that care is taken to preserve an intact ossicular chain at stapes mobilization performed at the same stage as myringoplasty. Also in ears with a defective ossicular chain but intact stapes with tympanosclerotic fixation we recommend stapes mobilization in one stage. In ears with fixation of the stapes footplate and defective crura, we recommend stapedectomy or stapedotomy in two stages.

大動脈縮窄症の術後遠隔成績 縮窄解除術式による検討

大動脈縮窄症の術後遠隔成績 縮窄解除術式による検討

Early and late results of surgical treatment of congenital coronary artery fistula.

The early and late results of surgical treatment in 23 patients with congenital coronary artery fistula (CCAF) are presented. One patient died for reasons unrelated to the fistula during corrective surgery for an associated complex cyanotic abnormality. The patients with isolated CCAF and preoperative symptoms improved significantly after surgical closure of the CCAF (p less than 0.05). We conclude that all symptomatic patients with CCAF should be treated with surgical closure of the fistula.

Primary cardiac neoplasms: Early and late results of surgical treatment in 42 patients

Forty-two patients underwent resection of primary cardiac neoplasms at Stanford University Medical Center and the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Medical Center between 1961 and 1986. A total of 27 atrial myxomas, seven benign nonmyxomatous tumors, and eight malignant tumors were resected. The mean age was 47 years (range 8 to 79) in 27 female and 15 male patients. The clinical presentations included congestive heart failure in 24 patients, palpitations in nine, neurologic symptoms in six, recurrent cardiac tamponade in three, vasculitis in two, and chest pain in two. Thirty-one of 34 benign lesions were completely resected, although one patient required cardiac transplantation to resect completely an "inoperable" benign tumor. All gross tumor was resected in four of eight patients with malignant lesions. All patients survived operation, but three with malignant disease died within 30 days. Late outcome was known for 41 of 42 (98%) patients. Total follow-up for the series was 200.1 patient-years, for an average of 4.7 years (range 1 month to 18 years). Excellent early and late results were obtained in patients with benign lesions, as there was no known tumor recurrence even if resection was incomplete. Effective palliation and local control of disease is possible with extensive resection of malignant primary tumors, but more effective adjuvant therapy will be necessary to improve long-term prognosis.