[The use of the biofragmentable ring (BAR-Valtrac) in colon surgery].

Background: Clinical results of colic anastomosis using biofragmentable anastomosis ring (BAR-Valtrac) are presented. Such a method showed to be a real alternative technique to the usual ones.

Methods: Eighty-six colic anastomosis using BAR are collected, 76 of which performed as elective surgery and 10 in emergency.

Combined laparoscopic splenectomy and cholecystectomy for the treatment of hereditary spherocytosis: is it safe and effective?

Hereditary spherocytosis is the most common red blood cell membrane disorder and often is associated with hemolytic crisis and premature cholelithiasis. Splenectomy is the only effective therapy for this disorder and often it is performed in combination with cholecystectomy. Conventional surgery requires a wide upper abdominal incision for correct exposure of the gallbladder and spleen.

Laparoscopic splenectomy for hematological disorders. Our experience in adult and pediatric patients.

Laparoscopic splenectomy has gained increasing acceptance in the surgical management of a variety of splenic disorders, in particular hematological diseases. In this series, we report our experience with 20 patients (male:female ratio of 4:16 with median age of 16 years, range 5-49 years) who underwent this procedure because of ITP in 9 cases, spherocytosis in 7 and Cooley disease, sickle cell anemia, dyserythropoietic and hemolytic anemia in one case each. The patient was placed in a supine position using a fourtrocars technique.

Central venous catheter-related infections in pediatric hematology-oncology patients: role of home and hospital management.

In a 61-month period, 135 single-lumen central venous catheters (CVCs) were positioned in 125 children with mainly hematological malignancies. We retrospectively investigated the different role of home and hospital CVC management in development of CVC-related infections (CI) during different hematological conditions (presence or absence of neutropenia). Forty-nine percent of the children presented at least one CI, for a total of 109 episodes, during the 20,558 days a CVC remained in situ.

Central venous catheter-related complications after bone marrow transplantation in children with hematological malignancies.

We studied infectious and mechanical complications occurring with 55 central venous catheters (CVCs) managed in hospital and at home, in 53 children with hematological malignancies who underwent bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The total catheter life span was 6906 days (median 111), 2359 days (median 40) in hospital and 4547 days (median 78.5) at home.