Blood flow in the pancreatic segment before and after transplantation.

Background: Blood flow in the pancreas before and after transplantation has not been studied sufficiently. Blood flow in the pancreatic transplant as a function of type vascular anastomosis used has not been explored.

Aim: The objective of our study was to study blood flow in the intact pancreas prior to harvesting and at different time periods after transplantation.

Endograft limb occlusion and stenosis after ANCURE endovascular abdominal aneurysm repair.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to define the incidence and treatment of endograft limb stenosis or occlusion (endograft limb dysfunction [ELD]) in a single center with the ANCURE unsupported bifurcated or aortouniiliac endograft by using intraoperative completion angiography and postoperative color duplex ultrasound scanning (CDU).

Methods: Sixty-seven endografts (58 bifurcated, 9 uniiliac) were implanted between February 1996 and July 2000. Intraoperative completion aortography was performed in every patient.

The incidence and natural history of type I and II endoleak: a 5-year follow-up assessment with color duplex ultrasound scan.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was the demonstration of the value of color duplex ultrasound (CDU) scanning in the detection of type I endoleak (T1EL) and type II endoleak (T2EL), the correlation of Doppler scan waveform pattern to endoleak persistence or seal, and the description of the natural history of endoleak.

Methods: The study was a retrospective review of 83 patients who underwent periodic CDU scan and computed tomographic (CT) scan surveillance of the endograft and aneurysm sac after insertion of an aortic endograft for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Forty-one patients (49%) with an endoleak at anytime in the follow-up period form the basis of this report.

Endotension after endovascular aneurysm repair: the Ancure experience.

Purpose: The expansion of aneurysms after endovascular repair is a consequence of persistent sac pressure, usually resulting from an endoleak. Several authors have suggested that sac expansion can occur even in the absence of endoleak, referring to this phenomenon as endotension. This study undertakes a review of the largest US endograft trial data to better define the significance of aneurysm expansion in the absence of endoleak.

Cyclic guanine monophosphate (cGMP) an intracellular mediator of cavernosal smooth muscle relaxation following penile vascular surgery.

Background: We describe a new surgical method for treatment of male impotence. This procedure allows preservation of erectile tissues and avoids the need for implantable devices. It was demonstrated, that after this procedure sustained and reproducible erections were feasible.

Optimal revascularization of segmental pancreatic transplant.

Vascular anastomotic thrombosis is one of the most frequent complications after segmental transplantation of the pancreas (STP). We propose a new type of vascular anastomosis to reduce the rate of vascular thrombosis following STP. For this purpose we used double arterial-double venous anastomosis (DADVA).

The efficacy of laparoscopy in acute cholecystitis.

Objective: To evaluate the role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis and establish the outcomes of this treatment modality at North Oakland Medical Centers.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis over a three-year period (January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1996), performed at a University-affiliated urban teaching hospital, North Oakland Medical Centers, Pontiac, Michigan. Five hundred and fifty-seven patients underwent surgical treatment for gallbladder disease; 88 patients had acute cholecystitis, and 469 patients had chronic cholecystitis.

Serum levels of interleukin 1 and tumor necrosis factor alpha correlate with peritoneal adhesion grades in humans after major abdominal surgery.

Peritoneal adhesions are a leading cause of potential morbidity and mortality. We undertook this prospective study to determine the clinical relevance of interleukin 1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) levels as biological markers for peritoneal adhesion formation in humans. Fifteen patients who had previous colectomies and were undergoing re-exploration for an elective vascular procedure were studied.

Arteriovenous fistula combined with basal external penile compression: a new cure for male impotence.

We describe here a new procedure designed to enable reproducible sustained erection in a canine model. In 10 dogs, an end-to-side arteriovenous fistula was created between the inferior epigastric artery and deep dorsal vein. A chronic skin tunnel was created at the penile base.

Effects of interleukin-6 and its neutralizing antibodies on peritoneal adhesion formation and wound healing.

This study investigates the effects of preoperative IV administration of IL-6 and anti IL-6 on peritoneal adhesion formation and wound healing. Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats (350-400 mg) were divided into three groups: control (group 1); IL-6 (group 2); and anti IL-6 (group 3). Under sterile conditions, all rats underwent a midline laparotomy.