Wall defects after abdominoperineal resection: a modified tension-free technique.

Background: The treatment of wall defects after abdominoperineal resection has yet to be defined. In this study we report the outcome of a modified prosthetic technique for the treatment of combined large incisional and parastomal hernia performed after abdominoperineal resection.

Material And Methods: Between January 2005 and July 2008, 21 consecutive patients who underwent abdominoperineal resection for low rectal cancer received surgical repair for large incisional hernias with a modified mesh technique consisting of a tension-free attachment of the prosthetic material to the posterior sheath of the rectus abdominis muscle.

Hospital bodies: the genesis of Italian National Health Service.

Hospital public bodies were instituted in Italy in 1968. Their creation represents a fundamental step forward in the evolution of the national healthcare system and has allowed improvements in social equity in hospitals. The lack of independent funding beyond the insurance-type healthcare system existing at the time, hindered its success.

Health authority: the Italian experience.

The healthcare reform, introduced in Italy in 1992, has completely changed the structure of the national healthcare system (NHS) , including the introduction of the concept of "business firm" applied to public health service providers. The aim of this study was to outline the history of healthcare "firms" (azienda sanitaria) and evaluate the impact of this change on the NHS in terms of health expenditure, and corporate effectiveness and efficiency. Self regulation and correction are the abilities to which the success of healthcare companies can be attributed.

Injection port and connecting tube complications after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

Background: Port-site and connecting tube complications are usually considered minor problems in the follow-up of obese patients submitted to laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), but the incidence reported in literature ranges from 4.3% to 24%. These complications are mainly because of the mechanical stress of the port and the tube; therefore, their incidence might be time dependent and probably increase during the follow-up.

Concurrent band and tube migration following acute pancreatitis.

A 52-year-old woman developed an acute pancreatitis 7 years after gastric banding for morbid obesity. The patient presented a stable weight loss. Three months before, a radiological band calibration showed a normal position of the band.