Salivary bypass tubes (SBT) are increasingly used to prevent pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) following laryngectomy and pharyngolaryngectomy. There is minimal evidence as to their efficacy and literature is limited. The aim of the study was to determine if SBT prevent PCF. The study was a multicentre retrospective case control series (level of evidence 3b). Patients who underwent laryngectomy or pharyngolaryngectomy for cancer or following cancer treatment between 2011 and 2014 were included in the study. The primary outcome was development of a PCF. Other variables recorded were age, sex, prior radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, prior tracheostomy, type of procedure, concurrent neck dissection, use of flap reconstruction, use of prophylactic antibiotics, the suture material used for the anastomosis, tumour T stage, histological margins, day one post-operative haemoglobin and whether a salivary bypass tube was used. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed. A total of 199 patients were included and 24 received salivary bypass tubes. Fistula rates were 8.3% in the SBT group (2/24) and 24.6% in the control group (43/175). This was not statistically significant on univariate (p value 0.115) or multivariate analysis (p value 0.076). In addition, no other co-variables were found to be significant. No group has proven a benefit of salivary bypass tubes on multivariate analysis. The study was limited by a small case group, variations in tube duration and subjects given a tube may have been identified as high risk of fistula. Further prospective studies are warranted prior to recommendation of salivary bypass tubes following laryngectomy.
Background: Carcinoma pancreas is being diagnosed increasingly with the help of conventional imaging like ultrasonography (USG), computerized tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Imaging also gives the opportunity to assess resectability. In our country MRI and CT scan are not widely available and most of the pancreatic carcinoma is too advanced for curative surgical resection when diagnosed. These are unresectable carcinoma pancreas (UCP). Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of imaging in diagnosing carcinoma pancreas and to assess resectability after comparing them with peroperative findings. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out in the department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery in Bangladesh Institute for Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetic Endocrine and Metabolic disorders (BIRDEM) hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2004 to June 2006 (2 years). After laparotomy findings and histopathological confirmation 50 patients were labeled as UCP. Among 50 patients male were 28 & female patients were 22. Imaging modalities used before surgery was assessed and compared with per operative findings. USG were done in all patients and CTscan in 45 patients. MRI was done in 08 patients suspected clinically as pancreatic carcinoma where USG /CT scan had failed to reach a conclusion. Findings of the various imaging studies regarding diagnosis and unresectability were compared with per operative findings. Results: USG was able to diagnose 42 (84%) pancreatic carcinoma patients with unresectibility in 29 (69%). Forty five patients (90%) were diagnosed by CT scan and could label 38 (84.44%) as unresectable. MRI was 100% accurate to diagnose and label the entire 08 patient as unresectable carcinoma pancreas. Cumulative multimodal preoperative imaging was 91.33% accurate in diagnosing carcinoma pancreas and could tell the features of unresectibility in 73.59% patients. Conclusion: CT scan should be the primary imaging modality for diagnosing pancreatic carcinoma and its resectability. MRI is very promising for diagnosing and assessing UCP. Multimodal imaging is better than single imaging.
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