Between 1980 and 1985, a total of 260 patients with hydatid cysts of the liver have been treated surgically at the Department of Surgery of University Hospital of Ankara. All patients with organ cysts of other than the liver are excluded. In this retrospective study, the results of different surgical techniques were compared with respect to postoperative complications, morbidity, mortality, and recurrence of disease. Patients were divided into 2 groups retrospectively. The first group (I) involved patients treated without drainage (n = 87), and the second group (II) involved patients treated with external drainage (n = 173). Postoperative complication rates were 10.8% in group I, and 65.8% in group II. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 9.9 +/- 0.8 days in group I, and 20.6 +/- 1.1 days in group II. Most of the patients in group II had purulent or biliary discharge from the drainage site (average, 199 +/- 47 days). During the follow-up period, which varied from 1 to 6 years, recurrence rates were not significantly different in the 2 groups. The results strongly suggest that in the management of uncomplicated hydatid cysts of the liver, the surgical techniques which do not employ drainage of the cystic cavity are superior to those which use drainage.

The immediate success and flow of a newly constructed arteriovenous fistula is mainly dependent on arterial inflow and subclavian venous flow. An arterial inflow rate of 40 ml/min or more and subclavian venous flow rate of 400 ml/min or more measured by colour flow duplex imaging prior to the operation will be associated with better outcomes, and therefore the use of colour flow duplex imaging is warranted during the evaluation of patients who are candidates for an arteriovenous fistula operation.

Surgery for peripheral aneurysms in BD is warranted in many instances. Results of operation can be improved by prolonged monitoring. However, despite all efforts, peripheral aneurysm involvement in BD worsens the prognosis.

The predictive role of colour Doppler ultrasonography in determining the initial success and long-term patency of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) vascular access grafts for haemodialysis was investigated. Two groups of patients were studied. The upper extremities of 21 patients in the control group were assessed by clinical examination only; those of 17 in a second group (Doppler group) were also assessed by ultrasonography before and after operation. Straight PTFE vascular access grafts were used between the brachial artery and axillary vein in all patients. The median preoperative brachial artery flow rate was significantly lower in patients who later developed graft thrombosis (66 versus 87 ml/min, P < 0.01), as was the median postoperative graft flow rate (480 versus 800 ml/min, P < 0.001). Routine preoperative and postoperative colour Doppler ultrasonography is recommended for every patient in whom a vascular access graft is planned.

No abstract

Transdermal glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) administration may have a beneficial effect in the creation of an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) by increasing blood flow through the access and by inhibiting platelet aggregation. We evaluated the hemodynamic effects of transdermal GTN administration on newly constructed arteriovenous fistula. Radiocephalic fistula at the wrist (Brescia fistula) was constructed as the initial vascular access in 31 uremia patients (study = 16, control = 15). The patient demographics and the etiology of chronic renal disease were similar in the two groups. None of the patients had severe vasculitis. The mean duration of chronic renal disease was 8 months (1-24 months). The diameter, blood flow rate, and blood output at the drainage vein and the subclavian vein were measured by duplex ultrasonography 24 hours after the procedure. The measurements were performed again with transdermal GTN (10 mg/24 hours adhesive patch) administration in the study group and, without any medication, in the control group 4 hours after the initial measurements were taken. In the study group, all of the hemodynamic parameters were significantly increased over the initial measurements (p <0.05) whereas in the control group all hemodynamic parameters were unchanged, except the diameter of the subclavian vein (p <0.05). The actual change in hemodynamic parameters was significant in the study group when compared to the control group (p <0.05). Our data showed that transdermal GTN administration at the forearm increases flow through the Brescia fistula.

No abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether plasma and milk haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations could be an alternative method for the diagnosis and treatment follow-up of subclinical mastitis (SM) in dairy cows. In the study, 14 cows with subclinical mastitis (SM) in more than one udder quarter and 5 healthy control cows were used. Cows in the non-treated group (GNT; n=6) did not receive any treatment while cows in the treated group (GT; n=8) were treated with intramammary cefquinom sulphate on the second week. Healthy cows were evaulated as Control group (GC). Plasma Hp concentrations did not differ within groups and between groups (p>0.05). When compared milk Hp concentrations within groups, there was a slight increase in GT on the third week (p<0.05) and the concentrations in GNT and GC did not reveal any difference (p>0.05). A relationship between CMT scores, SCC values, plasma Hp and milk Hp concentrations was not established. It was concluded that plasma Hp and milk Hp are not useful parameters to diagnose and monitor the treatment efficacy of subclinical mastitis in dairy cows