Infliximab and/or azathioprine in the treatment of Crohn's disease-like complications after IPAA.

Purpose: Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis continues to be confounded by Crohn's disease-like complications after surgery. Such patients experience significant morbidity and often require either pouch excision or diversion. This study evaluated the effectiveness in our hands of infliximab and/or azathioprine/6-mercaptopurine in treating this patient population.

Use of laparoscopy in evaluation and treatment of penetrating and blunt abdominal injuries.

Use of laparoscopy in penetrating trauma has been well established; however, its application in blunt trauma is evolving. The authors hypothesized that laparoscopy is safe and feasible as a diagnostic and therapeutic modality in both the patients with penetrating and blunt trauma. Trauma registry data and medical records of consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopy for abdominal trauma were reviewed.

Optimizing laparoscopic task efficiency: the role of camera and monitor positions.

Background: Alterations of video monitor and laparoscopic camera position may create perceptual distortion of the operative field, possibly leading to decreased laparoscopic efficiency. We aimed to determine the influence of monitor/camera position on the laparoscopic performance of surgeons of varying skill levels.

Methods: Twelve experienced and 12 novice participants performed a one-handed task with their dominant hand in a modified laparoscopic trainer.

Simple harmonic scalpel hemorrhoidectomy utilizing local anesthesia combined with intravenous sedation: a safe and rapid alternative to conventional hemorrhoidectomy.

Background: Harmonic Scalpel(R) hemorrhoidectomy (HSH) is an established surgical therapy for the treatment of symptomatic grade III and IV hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoid surgery is still being performed as an inpatient procedure with general or regional anesthesia in many centers today. There was a trend toward performing hemorrhoid surgery as an ambulatory procedure using local anesthesia supplemented with intravenous sedation.

Benefits of laparoscopic adrenalectomy: a 10-year single institution experience.

Introduction: We aimed to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic and open adrenalectomies and to assess the impact of the availability of advanced laparoscopy on adrenal surgery at our institution.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective analysis of data of all patients who underwent adrenalectomy at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center over a 10-year period.

Results: Sixty-four consecutive patients underwent adrenalectomy during the study periods.