[Nutritional status in patients after reconstructive surgery of the upper digestive tract--status after 3 years].

The authors present an analysis of the nutritional status of eleven patients after reconstruction operations of the upper digestive tract (9 men and 2 women, aged 27-67 years, 7 times gastric resection, 4 times resection of the oesophagus), almost in all instances on account of malignant tumours. During the investigation the patients were given dietary advice incl. on the need of a higher vitamin and mineral intake.

[Surgical treatment of ulcerous colitis].

Ulcerative colitis, being a typical medical disease, is encountered by the surgeon only in the stage of toxic megacolon or in case of sever complications during conservative treatment such as perforation, haemorrhage or obstruction. The authors operated six young women where they performed as the only choice total proctocolectomy with formation of an ileal reservoir which was sutured to the rectum stripped of the mucosa. Despite the serious condition at the time of operation, the patients survive the operation, although the percentage of postoperative complications is high, with the exception of one patient who died on the 126th day after operation.

[Mechanical anastomoses in gastrointestinal surgery].

The authors present an account of possibilities to use a mechanical anastomosis by means of staplers in gastrointestinal surgery and the advantages of this procedure. It is a rapid, simple, and above all, reliable technique with a minimal percentage of postoperative complications. Despite the relatively high cost its importance is invaluable in particular in surgery of the oesophagus, cardia and in low resections of the rectum where it is possible to fix a reliable anastomosis up to 2 cm from the linea dentata.

[Primary adenocarcinoma of the esophagus].

The presented analysis of a patient treated at the 1st Surgical Department of the Teaching Hospital in Bratislava meets the criteria for being classified as primary adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, whose characteristics are described in the paper. Primary adenocarcinomas of the esophagus occur rarely and constitute only about 0.5% of large series of esophageal malignancies.