[Education and psychological management of the tumor patient from the viewpoint of the surgeon].

The opinion concerning the information of patients with malignant tumors about the diagnosis has increasingly changed during the last years. In the most cases the diagnosis of malignancy must be told to the patient especially if he needs additional treatment after operation. An individual proceeding is necessary but some modalities can be generalized.

Longitudinal neuropsychological changes in a "normal" elderly group.

The need for age-related normative data on neuropsychological measures is clearly important. This longitudinal study examines a "normal" elderly group's performance on the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB) across four years. This report is based on the 59 "normal" elderly volunteers seen in an earlier cross-sectional aging study (MacInnes et al.

[Procedure in perforated diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon (author's transl)].

Operation in three stages with primary defunctioning colostomy and drainage of the perforation is the procedure mostly recommended in literature, although the mortality rate ranges from 33 to 75%. Therefore, we prefer the immediate resection of the perforated bowel with primary anastomosis, or if possible, in poor risk cases Hartmann's procedure respectively. Anastomosis should be protected by a defunctioning colostomy in all but exceptional good cases.

[Surgery of the biliary tract in geriatric patients (author's transl)].

During 5 years 1311 operations for benign diseases of the biliary tract were performed. 281 patients were more than 70 years old, on the average 76,1 years. According to experience and the results the following is emphasized: 1.