What necessitates the conversion to open cholecystectomy? A retrospective analysis of 5164 consecutive laparoscopic operations.

Objective: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become the gold standard for the surgical treatment of gallbladder disease, but conversion to open cholecystectomy is still inevitable in certain cases. Knowledge of the rate and impact of the underlying reasons for conversion could help surgeons during preoperative assessment and improve the informed consent of patients. We decided to review the rate and causes of conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy.

N-acetylcysteine in intestinal reperfusion injury: an experimental study in rats.

Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of N-acetylcysteine on intestinal reperfusion injury.

Methods: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups (n = 10): sham, sham + N-acetylcysteine, reperfusion, and reperfusion + N-acetylcysteine. Thirty minutes of ischaemia +/- 30 min of reperfusion was performed under 100 mg/kg N-acetylcysteine or placebo, administered 30 min before the operation in the groups where appropriate.

Effect of sphincter-sacrificing surgery for rectal carcinoma on quality of life in Muslim patients.

Purpose: Living with a permanent colostomy significantly diminishes a patient's quality of life. However, little is known about its influence on worship patterns in Muslims. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the quality of life in Muslim patients after surgery for rectal carcinoma, especially with respect to religious worship.