בשנת 1865 תיאר טרוסו (Trousseau) לראשונה את הקשר בין פקקת ורידים לבין ממאירות. כיום ידוע שפקקת בוורידים העמוקים של הרגליים ללא גורם-סיכון ידוע מקדימה אבחנה של ממאירות ביותר מ-7% מהחולים [1]. בפקקת דו-צדדית, הסיכון לממאירות סמויה עולה על 40% [2]. מדווח בזאת על פרשת חולה עם פקקת דו-צדדית בוורידי הרגליים שהקדימה אבחנה של סרטן הלבלב.

יצחק שקד

היח' לכירורגיה של עמוד-השידרה, המח' לנירוכירורגיה, מרכז רפואי שיבא, תל-השומר

מסיכום מאמרם של ש' משיח ו-מ' לוין, המפורסם בגיליון הנוכחי של 'הרפואה', עולה שכיחות גבוהה של כאב גב תחתון בקרב בני-אדם עובדים, בעיקר אלה העוסקים בעבודה גופנית קשה, ושכיחות זו גבוהה יותר בעקבות מאמץ גופני נישנה, בעבודה הקשורה בהפעלת רטט ממושך על הגו, בעומסים חריגים המבוצעים בתנוחות מסויימות ועוד.

כן צוין על-ידי המחברים, כי תנאי העבודה וסוג העבודה, רמת ההשכלה וגומרים פסיכו-חברתיים שונים יכולים להגביר את הסיכון ללקות בכג"ת, ואלה גם משפיעים על מהלך המחלה, סיכויי ההחלמה והחזרה לתיפקוד תקין.

אבי עורי^1,2, הדר שקד¹ 

¹מרכז רפואי "רעות", תל-אביב; ²הפקולטה לרפואה, אוניברסיטת תל-אביב

מותו של נביא הזעם של הרפואה המודרנית, ד"ר איבן איליץ', גורם לנו לדון שוב בעניין תופעות הרפואה המודרנית וחולייה: פוליפרגמזיה, איבחון וטיפול ב"לא-מחלה" ויאטרוגניות. למרות הקידום האדיר במדעי-הרפואה, עדיין חשופים החולים האמיתיים והמדומים לסיבוכים הנובעים מפעילות רפואית-אמיתית ונחוצה או לעיתים מיותרת. במערכות השיקום הרפואי אנו מתמודדים עם תופעות אלו, בנוסף לתופעות המיוחדות למערכות אלו.

יעל אסטרייכר-קדם, דין עד-אל, אייל גור, רפאל פיינמסר וטומס שפיצר

שאת האפיתל הקשקשי של הלוע התחתון היא מחלה תוקפנית בעלת פרוגנוזה גרועה. חולים העוברים ניתוח לכריתת השאת זקוקים לשיחזור הלוע התחתון והוושט. מיתלה חופשי מהמעי הצם נחשב היום לטיפול הבחירה של שיחזורי הלוע התחתון. בעבודה זו מוצגת סידרה של חמישה חולים הלוקים בשאת האפיתל הקשקשי של הלוע התחתון, שעברו כריתה מלאה של הלוע והגרון במרכז הרפואי רבין, ושיחזור עם מיתלה חופשי מהמעי הצם.

שלושה חולים ניתן היה להחזיר לתזונה פומית כשבועיים לאחר הניתוח. בחולה אחת התהווה נצור בין הלוע המשוחזר לעור הצוואר, ולכן היא המשיכה לקבל הזנה אך ורק בפיום המעי הצם. בחולה אחת התהווה נמק של המיתלה החופשי, והוא ניכרת. למרות התחלואה הכרוכה בניתוחי הלוע התחתון וסיכויי הריפוי הנמוכים, הרי ששיחזור מוצלח עם מיתלה מהמעי הצם מאפשר חזרה לתזונה פומית ולשיפור ניכר באיכות-חייו של החולה.

א' אבירם וא' וינברום

היח' להתעוררות והשהייה והמח' להרדמה וטיפול נמרץ, מרכז רפואי סוראסקי והפקולטה לרפואה סאקלר, אוניברסיטת תל-אביב

היתרון ההישרדותי של מערכת העצבים, הרגישה לנוכחות פגיעה ברקמות ומאפשרת החלמה על ידי הימנעות ממגע מכל גירוי חיצוני, הוא חזק וקיים במרביתם המכריע של זני בעלי-החיים. למרות שהאבולוציה שימרה מנגנון זה גם בבני-אדם, לא אובחנה הבעיה טמונה במנגנון זה במצבים של "פגיעה מבוקרת", כמו בניתוח. רגישות-היתר לכאב הקיימת לאחר ניתוח גורמת למערכת העצבים לאבד את יתרונה ההישרדותי לנוכח הרפואה המודרנית: כתוצאה מכך, על האחרונה לדכא מנגנון הגנה זה, הגורם לאי-נוחות, למצוקה ולכאב למיליוני חולים מדי שנה.

כאב בתר-ניתוחי מהווה חוויה רבת-גורמים, המערבת אותות תחושתיים מתמשכים המופקים מריקמה פגועה וממערכת העצבים המרכזית, שגמישותה ותפקידה המווסת עברו שינוי. באורח מיטבי, על החולים לחוות אי-נוחות מיקטית בתקופה התבר-ניתוחית המיידית, דבר שהוא אפשרי בכוח ורצוי בפועל. התהליך אמור לכלול טיפול מקדים (טרום-ניתוחי) בכאב וגם טיפול תוך-ניתוחי, ומניעת הכאב הבתר-ניתוחי באופן קבוע, כל זמן שקיים שידור עצבי לא-תקין מהפצע והריקמה הסובבת אותו. על השיטות לשיכוך כאב להיות מכוונות לשלושה אזורים: נקודת הנזק בהיקף, שטף המידע העצבי הזורם לכיוון מערכת העצבים המרכזית והתאים במערכת העצבים המרכזית עצמה.

Selective Embolization of Hepatic Arteries in the Management of Severe Liver Trauma

Avraham Yitzhak¹, Gadi Shaked², Liliana Lupu³, Soli Mizrahi, Yoram Kluger⁴

¹Department of Surgery A, ²Trauma Service, ³Interventional Radiology, Soroka Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, and Trauma Service⁴, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Two cases of severe hepatic injury in which selective hepatic artery embolization was used to control hemorrhage are presented. The first case is that of a 35 year old patient who sustained a severe liver injury after a car accident. A CAT scan of the abdomen revealed an AAST grade 5 liver injury, pooling of contrast material within the liver parenchyma, and blood within the peritoneal cavity. The patient was given fluid resuscitation and taken to angiography where bleeding from branches of the right hepatic artery was demonstrated. While angiography was being undertaken the hemodynamic status of the patient deteriorated, blood transfusion was started, and a selective embolization of the right hepatic artery was performed. The bleeding stopped promptly and hemodynamic stability was regained.

The second case is that of a 40 year old pedestrian run over by a car. Abdominal ultrasound revealed free fluid in the peritoneal cavity and the patient was rushed to the O.R. Crushed right lobe of the liver, and inferior vena cava and bowel tears were found. After perihepatic packing and resection of the right and sigmoid colons retrohepatic vena cava tear was repaired and perihepatic packing restored. The abdominal cavity was closed and the patient was taken to the ICU for the correction of hypothermia, metabolic acidosis, and coagulopathy that had developed during the surgery. After 8 hours in the ICU the patient was transferred for angiography and a selective embolization of branches of the right hepatic artery was performed.

The clinical course of the patients after angiographic embolization of the hepatic arteries is described and the literature that discusses the use of angiography and embolization of hepatic arteries after traumatic hepatic bleeding is reviewed.

Acute Ischemia of the Lesser Gastric Curvature 

D. Czeiger, A. Ariche, G. Shaked, N. Sion-Vardi, I. Levi

Trauma Service, Dept. of Surgery, and Pathology Institute, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

The rich blood supply of the stomach protects it from ischemia and necrosis. Acute gastric ischemia, an emergency with high mortality, is rare. Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of acute ischemia, and the lesser curvature of the stomach is more vulnerable due to its relatively lesser blood supply. Reduction in gastric blood supply usually presents as chronic disease characterized by gastritis, gastric ulcer, or gastroparesis.

Gastroscopy can identify lesions of the gastric mucosa, and angiography demonstrates occluded vessels. Treatment of acute gastric ischemia is surgical, with total gastrectomy preferred over partial resection.

Preflight Assessment by Hypoxic Inhalation Test in Cardio-Pulmonary Patients 

J. Lebzelter, G. Fink, E. Kleinman, I. Rosenberg, M.R. Kramer

Pulmonology Institute, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tikva

Flying may expose passengers to hypoxic conditions, which may induce hypoxemia, particularly in those with chronic heart and/or lung disease. Onset of dyspnea, wheezing, chest pain, cyanosis and right heart failure can lead to urgent need for oxygen during flight. The hypoxia inhalation test (HIT) provides a safe and simple means of identifying those who may develop hypoxemia during flight.

We report our experience with 48 self-reporting patients who underwent HIT prior to pre-planned air travel. They inhaled for 15-minute periods a reduced oxygen concentration (F₁O₂ 15%) under normobaric conditions, during which O₂ saturation was monitored by pulse oximeter; electrocardiogram, blood pressure and symptoms were also monitored. O₂ saturation of 85% (PaO₂ 50 mm Hg) was considered a positive test. In the 8 cases (17%) with a positive test, 5 had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 3 had cardiovascular and/or combined heart-lung disease.

We calculated predicted O₂ partial pressure in altitude (PaO₂ ALT) and compared it to actual results in the 8 patients with a positive HIT. In 5, use of the predicted formula would have under-diagnosed the hypoxemia that developed during the HIT. Thus, the results of the HIT changed treatment strategy in these patients. We recommend that patients with positive tests use O₂ (2LPM or 4LPM) during flight.

HIT is practical and of potential benefit in the objective assessment of patients with various degrees of heart, lung or combined heart-lung disease. Clinicians should be aware of the relative risk of hypoxia during flight in such patients, and of the value of HIT in identifying them, leading to increase in its use.

Brief Preoperative Radiotherapy reduces Local Recurrences and Improves Survival in Rectal Cancer

T. Peretz, Z. Weshler,* Y. Goldberg, A.L. Durst, H.R. Freund

Depts. of Surgery and Oncology, Hadassah University Hospitals, and Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Ein Kerem and Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem

Locoregional recurrence of rectal cancer ranges between 20%-50% following apparently radical surgery. Radiation has the potential of reducing this high rate of recurrence and residual disease. A retrospective analysis of 78 patients with locally advanced, biopsy proven, adenocarcinoma of the rectum treated between 1980-1987 was conducted. 28 (36%) were treated by surgery alone (surgery); 29 (37%) by surgery and postoperative radiotherapy (post-op); and 21 (27%) by surgery and preoperative radiotherapy (pre-op). 41 were females and 37 males. The median age was 62 years (range 25-90).

All tumors were resectable. 42 patients (54%) underwent abdomino-perineal resection and 36 (46%) anterior resection patients [8 Dukes B₁ (10%); 37 B₂ (47%); 2 C₁ (3%); 31 C₂ (40%]. Local recurrences were verified by transanal or ultrasound guided needle biopsy.

The 5-year actuarial survival rates by the Kaplan-Meier method for 75 evaluated patients was 55%. Overall 5-year actuarial survival was significantly higher (p=0.001) in pre-op radiotherapy (95%) compared to surgery alone (45%), or surgery with postoperative radiotherapy (32%). The data were significant (p=0.006) for patients with stage B tumors, but not stage C. This trend of improved survival held also at 8-year follow-up (80% pre-op; 32% post-op; 27% surgery). The 5-year actuarial local control was significantly better (p=0.03) for the pre-op irradiated patients (22%), compared with surgery only (56%) and post-op radiotherapy (38%). Local control was better (p=0.02) for Dukes B tumors in the preoperative group, but not Dukes C tumors.

Actuarial 5-year survival of those without distant metastases was 87% for pre-op patients, 62% for surgery alone and 48% for post-op radiotherapy. As all patients were clinically classified as advanced rectal tumors, tumor downstaging by preoperative radiotherapy seems to be paramount for local control. Improved local control translates into a siginificant advantage in overall actuarial survival.

*DECEASED.

Clinical and Immunological Characteristics of HIV-Positive AIDS in Children in Northern Israel

E. Kedem, A. Etzioni, E. Shahar, S. Pollack

Institute of Immunology, Allergy and AIDS and Dept. of Pediatrics A, Rambam Medical Center and B. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, The Technion, Haifa

We are treating 11 children in our AIDS clinic. All were infected by vertical transmission from carrier mothers. However, among 31 HIV-carrier AIDS patients who were under follow-up during pregnancy, supposedly taking zidovudine prophylaxis, only 1 (3.3%) gave birth to a baby infected with HIV. Our children with HIV and AIDS are 3 months to 12 years of age (average 4.5 years); mean age at diagnosis was 18 months. All are either symptomatic or have laboratory evidence of progressive immunodeficiency, 1 is asymptomatic (N2), 1 has mild symptoms (A2) and the rest present significant symptoms or AIDS-defining disease. All have moderate to severe immunodeficiency, as evidenced by CD4+ cells counts. 60% have rapidly progressive disease, based on their symptomatology and immune state, whereas clinical reports in the literature point to only 10-15%. However, the average CD4+ cell count was 22% (749/mm³) at diagnosis and 22% (759/mm³) at last follow-up. These stable findings during an average follow-up of 28 months probably reflect the effect of medical and supportive treatment.

All received antiretroviral medication consisting of a combination of 2 or 3 drugs. 8 of 11 also received prophylactic treatment against opportunistic infections and 8 of 11 are clinically well. Routine follow-up and a good relationship with the patient's family increase cooperation and promote optimal medical treatment, and consequently improve the clinical condition and quality of life.

Management of Pancreatic Trauma in Damage-Control Laparotomy

Gad Shaked, Mario Golocovsky

Dept. of Surgery and Trauma Service, Soroka University Hospital, Beer Sheba and Dept. of Surgery and Trauma Service, Washington Hospital Center, Washington DC

Major pancreatic trauma challenges the trauma surgeon with diagnostic problems and choices of treatment modalities. The most important determinant guiding management is the integrity of the main pancreatic duct. The preoperative and intraoperative assessment and treatment of pancreatic injury may be difficult, especially when concurrent severe injuries are present. There are alternative approaches in the management of the traumatized pancreas when ductal injury is not obvious during initial exploratory laparotomy.

Tension-Free Repair of Inguinal Hernia with Properitoneal Mesh

Eduard Ramadan, Dan Seror, Roman Belavsky, Zeev Dreznik

Dept. of Surgery A, Rabin Medical Center, Golda Campus (Hasharon Hospital) Petah Tikvah, and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

The results of properitoneal mesh repair of inguinal hernia were evaluated in 38 of 43 consecutive patients operated by Stoppa's technique. In 33 patients the hernia was bilateral and in 10 unilateral; in 20 it was recurrent. In 33/43 patients the mesh was fixed either by sutures or metal clips. The overall recurrence rate after 22 (14-36) months of follow-up, was 10.5%. This result was composed of a 3.0% recurrence rate in the fixated-mesh group, and 30.0% among those with non-fixated mesh.

The outcome following the Stoppa method for tension-free properitoneal mesh repair of inguinal hernia, compares favorably with those of other methods, provided proper attention is paid to adequate mesh placement and fixation. Further prospective studies are needed to define the role and indications for this technique in the laparoscopic era.

Traumatic Aortocaval Fistula

Gad Shaked, Arie Arisch, David Czeiger

Surgery Dept., Soroka University Hospital, Beer Sheba

Arterio-venous fistula is a relatively rare form of vascular injury. A cof an unusual fistula between aorta and inferior vena cava is presented. Occasionally this type of is difficult to diagnose early. Life-threatening conditions may mandate prompt treatment and the use of damage control strategy. It is also important to diagnose and treat this injury in order to prevent complications. Sudden hemorrhage and congestive heart failure are the major disturbances that result from aortocaval fistula.

Willingness to Donate Organs: Attitude Survey among Israeli Jews

Peri Kedem-Friedrich, Rina Rachmani

Psychology Dept., Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan and Information and Education Unit, Israel Transplant Center

A public opinion survey of Israeli Jewish adults (September) showed a large potential willingness to donate organs after death, while only a third of the sample was opposed. Nevertheless, only a very minor proportion held donor's cards, and over half expressed opposition to holding a donor card. As to next-of-kin's organs, when the wishes of the relative were not known, a quarter of the sample opposed, a quarter agreed, and the remaining half hesitated to make a decision.

Willingness to donate was not correlated with gender, age or income, but was related to religiosity: the more religious, the less willing to donate. And the religious reason was the salient one given for hesitation about donating, although there were many who could give no reason for their hesitation. Family members, doctors and rabbis (in ascending order) influenced willingness to consent to next-of-kin donations.

Acute Appendicitis during Pregnancy

Eldad Silberstein, Tali Silberstein, Gad Shaked, Miriam Katz, Moshe Mazor, Itzhac Levi

Dept. of Surgery C, Divisions of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical problem in pregnancy, when it is difficult to diagnose early because of the physiological changes of pregnancy. We studied the problem in the Negev population and present the main issues in diagnosis and management. Between 1988-96, 26 women were operated on for acute appendicitis during pregnancy (1/3297 deliveries), 3 by laparoscopy. In 13 there was a histopathological confirmation of the diagnosis. Clinical diagnosis was more accurate in the first trimester of pregnancy than in the second or third (p=0.073). Premature delivery rate was higher in both confirmed and unconfirmed acute appendicitis than in other pregnancies (p<0.00001), but without significant differences between the 2 groups with appendicitis. Other indexes of maternal and perinatal morbidity did not differ either.