Histopathologic changes induced by cellophane wrapping of the pancreas are unaffected by cigarette smoke exposure in hamsters.

This study tests whether exposure to cigarette smoke alone or combined with cellophane wrapping of the pancreas increases the development of microscopic abnormalities in the pancreas of Syrian golden hamsters. Ninety hamsters were randomly divided into 4 groups. Thirty-five hamsters were exposed to 3 continuous hours of cigarette smoke daily for 3 months following celiotomy to cellophane wrap the gastric lobe of the pancreas (group 1).

A comparison of antegrade and retrograde mesenteric bypass.

Mesenteric artery bypass originating from the supraceliac aorta (antegrade bypass) has been the standard orientation of visceral artery bypass grafts. Retrograde bypass, in which the bypass originates from the iliac arteries, has not been as widely accepted. The purpose of our study was to compare the results of these two types of bypass in a similar population.

Rupture rate of large abdominal aortic aneurysms in patients refusing or unfit for elective repair.

Context: Among patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) who have high operative risk, repair is usually deferred until the AAA reaches a diameter at which rupture risk is thought to outweigh operative risk, but few data exist on rupture risk of large AAA.

Objective: To determine the incidence of rupture in patients with large AAA.

Design And Setting: Prospective cohort study in 47 Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Immediate repair compared with surveillance of small abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background: Whether elective surgical repair of small abdominal aortic aneurysms improves survival remains controversial.

Methods: We randomly assigned patients 50 to 79 years old with abdominal aortic aneurysms of 4.0 to 5.