Canadian Journal of Surgery articles from December 2007

Canadian Journal of Surgery archives from December 2007

Intussusception in adults.(Case Note/Note de cas)
December 1, 2007... Intussusception in adults occurs infrequently and differs from childhood intussusception in its presentation, cause and treatment. In adults, it accounts for about 2%-3% of bowel obstructions. (1) In contrast to childhood intussusception, 90%...

Reconstructing the abdominal wall with a biocompatible patch.(Case Note/Note de cas)
December 1, 2007... When there is massive intestinal edema after laparotomy for abdominal trauma or infection, the wound is often difficult to close. We describe the use of a simple-to-use Velcro-like fascia prosthesis (Wittmann Patch; STARSURGICAL Inc.,...

Osteitis pubis simulating a soft-tissue lesion.(Case Note/Note de cas)
December 1, 2007... Osteitis pubis is a self-limited, painful inflammatory condition, involving the pubic bones, joint and attached tendons. It has been described after trauma, pelvic surgery, childbirth and athletic overuse as well as in some rheumatic...

Hepatic portal venous gas from perforated sigmoid diverticulitis.(Case Note/Note de cas)(Case study)
December 1, 2007... Hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) is a rare entity that is usually indicative of an abdominal catastrophe. We describe a case in which the gas originated from a perforated sigmoid diverticulum. Case history A 68-year-old man was seen in...

Myositis ossificans traumatica of the hand.(Case Note/Note de cas)
December 1, 2007... Myositis ossificans usually affects young active adults. (1) Occurring predominantly in muscles, a similar lesion may occasionally be found in subcutaneous tissues, tendons, fascia and periosteum. The occurrence of traumatic myositis ossificans...

Ectopic breast tissue presenting as an anal polyp.(Case Note/Note de cas)(Case study)
December 1, 2007... Mammary glands begin developing during the sixth week of embryogenesis and extend as 2 surface thickenings from the axillary to inguinal regions. (1) At 2-3 months' gestation, these thickenings develop further as mammary ridges. Supernumerary...

Stromal tumour of the stomach.(Case Note/Note de cas)(Case study)
December 1, 2007... Stromal tumours of the stomach originate in the mesenchymal elements of the gastric wall and express the CD-117 protein. (1) They are submucosal and may be classified according to their morphologic features: endogastric (the most frequent type,...

Rofecoxib associated with diaphragm disease.(Case Note/Note de cas)(Case study)
December 1, 2007... Small-bowel obstruction secondary to circumferential strictures of the bowel lumen, also known as diaphragm disease, was originally reported as a congenital anomaly. Further research identified that webbing could be caused by other factors, and...

Gastric outlet obstruction.(Case Note/Note de cas)(Case study)
December 1, 2007... Foreign-body ingestion in adults is relatively uncommon. Unintentional ingestions are usually those of meat or fish bones. Concurrent alcohol consumption is often a contributing factor. Intentional ingestions are more common occurrences in...

Lymphogranuloma venereum as a cause of rectal stricture.(Case Note/Note de cas)(Case study)
December 1, 2007... Patients presenting to surgical clinics with rectal strictures are uncommon. Diagnostic evaluation is carried out with the purpose of differentiating them from the common causes of rectal stricture (including inflammatory bowel disease and...

Leiomyoma of iliac bone.(Case Note/Note de cas)
December 1, 2007... Bone leiomyoma is a rare neoplasm, and only about 2 dozen cases have been reported in the literature. (1-3) In this brief report we describe a case of leiomyoma arising from the iliac bone in an adult woman. Case report A 28-year-old...

An unusual gastric tumour.(Case Note/Note de cas)
December 1, 2007... Heterotopic pancreas, pancreatic tissue lacking anatomic and vascular connection with the parent organ and lying outside its normal location, is uncommon, said to be encountered in 1 in 500 laparotomies involving the upper abdomen and reported...

Editor's view/Point de vue de redacteur.(Editorial)(Editorial)
December 1, 2007... Trauma care continues to be of paramount importance to surgeons, and the papers in this issue reflect our growing recognition of trauma's multifaceted aspects in Canada. Often referred to as the "hidden epidemic," trauma is the leading cause of...

Mentoring for surgical skills: a tool to share the workload.(Quill on Scalpel/Plume et scalpel)
December 1, 2007... Recently, concern has been expressed that Canada's current system for treating patients needing surgery is not sustainable in the long run. It has been suggested that the number of surgeons be increased or that nonphysician care providers be...

Does sex affect residency application to surgery?
December 1, 2007... Objective: To determine whether women are proportionately underselected at the level of the annual residency match. Methods: Data were obtained from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the Canadian Residency Matching...

Injury patterns and outcomes associated with elderly trauma victims in Kingston, Ontario.
December 1, 2007... Objective: To characterize the common injuries incurred by elderly trauma victims and to identify the most frequent complications and outcomes. Methods: We undertook a retrospective descriptive chart review of 125 consecutive patients who were...

Patient satisfaction with outpatient lumbar microsurgical discectomy: a qualitative study.
December 1, 2007... Objective: Lumbar microsurgical discectomy was traditionally done as an inpatient procedure, but over the last decade, there has been an ever-expanding shift toward outpatient lumbar microdiscectomy (OLM). We have been performing OLM since 1997...

Chest tube complications: how well are we training our residents?(MacLean-Mueller Prize/Prix MacLean-Mueller)
December 1, 2007... Background: Thoracic trauma is commonly treated with tube thoracostomy. The overall complication rate associated with this procedure is up to 30% among all operators. The primary purpose of this study was to define the incidence and risk...

Use of octreotide for the prevention of pancreatic fistula after elective pancreatic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.(Clinical report)
December 1, 2007... Objective: To assess the effectiveness of octreotide in preventing postoperative pancreatic fistula. Pancreatic fistula is one of the most common complications after elective pancreatic surgery. Several clinical trials have evaluated the use of...

Radiology for the surgeon musculoskeletal case 40.(Continuing Medical Education/Formation medicale continue)(Disease/Disorder overview)
December 1, 2007... Presentation A 35-year-old male patient was referred to the orthopedic clinic complaining of right foot swelling. Clinical examination revealed diffuse nontender foot swelling associated with multiple discharging sinuses. Plain radiographs...

Surgical technique: the ambidextrous surgeon's knot: an alternate way to tie the surgeon's knot. (Continuing Medical Education/Formation medicale continue).
December 1, 2007... The surgeon's knot is a well-established knot in surgical practice, known to provide unsurpassed grip and security for the tissue tied. It is particularly useful with slippery monofilament suture materials. (1) Traditional tying of the...

The efficacy and risks of using povidone-iodine irrigation to prevent surgical site infection: an evidence-based review.(Evidence-Based Surgery/Chirurgie factuelle)
December 1, 2007... Introduction: Surgical site infection is a serious complication of surgery. This evidence-based review sought to determine the efficacy and risks of using povidone-iodine irrigation to prevent surgical site infection. Methods: We searched...

Canadian Association of General Surgeons and American College of Surgeons Evidence Based Reviews in Surgery. 23. ASCO recommended guidelines for sentinal lymph node biopsy for early-stage breast cancer.(Evidence-Based Surgery/Chirurgie factuelle)(American Society of Clinical Oncology)
December 1, 2007... CAGS Evidence Based Reviews in Surgery The term "evidence-based medicine" was first coined by Sackett and colleagues as "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of...

William D. Stevenson: Atlantic Canada's first neurosurgeon.(Surgical Cornucopia Potpourri)(Biography)
December 1, 2007... The origins of neurosurgical services in Atlantic Canada are tied to the individual efforts of William D. Stevenson. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Stevenson completed his senior matriculation in Dunnville, Ontario, before studying medicine at the...