Gallbladder volvulus is defined as the rotation of the gallbladder on its mesentery along the axis of the cystic duct and cystic artery. It is an unusual and rare occurrence with a predilection for women in their seventh or eight decades of life. Only about 300 cases have been reported in the literature ranging from ages 2 to 100 years old. The etiology of gallbladder volvulus remains speculative; however, the presence of a redundant mesentery is a prerequisite for torsion. Gallbladder volvulus leads to occlusive obstruction of biliary drainage and blood flow. With early diagnosis and surgical intervention, the disease maintains a low mortality of approximately 5 per cent. We present two original cases of acute gallbladder volvulus successfully treated with cholecystectomy, as well as a review of the literature.

Measurement of blood volume (BV) may guide fluid and red blood cell management in critically ill patients when capillary leak from shock and fluid resuscitation makes assessment of intravascular volume difficult. This is a prospective randomized trial of critically ill surgical patients with septic shock, severe sepsis, severe respiratory failure, and/or cardiovascular collapse. The control group received fluid management based on pulmonary artery catheter parameters and red blood cell transfusions based on hematocrit values. The BV group received fluid and red blood cell transfusions based on BV analyses in addition to pulmonary artery catheter parameters. Blood volume was measured using the radioisotope tracer technique with iodine 131-labeled albumin. This allowed direct measurement of plasma volume and calculation of the red blood cell volume. The control group was blinded to the BV results. There were statistically significantly more times when the control group (compared with the BV group) demonstrated hypervolemia (48% vs. 37%) and red blood cell deficiency (33% vs. 16%). There was a delay in red blood cell transfusions administered to the control group by 1.5 +/- 2 days at which time the abnormality became clinically evident. Blood volume analyses provided additional information to the clinicians resulting in a change in treatment in 44% of the time to patients randomized to the BV group. The mortality rates were significantly different between the two groups (8% for the BV group and 24% in the control group; P = 0.03). Blood volume measurements allowed the physicians to promptly treat physiologic disturbances in both red blood cell volume and plasma volume, resulting in improved survival.

The goal of this work is the mechanical comparison of different types of stents for colorectal obstructions. We consider self-expanding and balloon-expanding stents made of two different materials such as stainless steel and shape memory NiTi alloy. The mechanical parameters are expansion rate, shortening, radial compression resistance, longitudinal and perimetral adaptability, and buckling resistance. This analysis results in a better understanding of global mechanical behavior and also allows better design and device selection for colonic lesions.

Small bowel obstruction is an unusual complication of pregnancy. Its occurrence after Roux- en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) for morbid obesity complicated by pregnancy is rare. Morbid obesity describes body weight at least 100 lb over the ideal weight, or a body mass index (BMI) ≥40. Surgery offers the only viable treatment option with long-term weight loss and maintenance. This case report involves a 23-year-old female at 25 weeks gestation with a 1-day history of diffuse abdominal pain and vomiting. She had a RYGB with a 15 cc micropouch 6 months prior to the commencement of this pregnancy. All radiologic investigations were normal. Esophagogastroscopy was performed revealing an ischemic Roux limb of the gastric bypass. At laparotomy, an internal hernia involving the afferent limb was identified at the site of the Roux anastomosis compromising portions of both the afferent and Roux limbs. Nonviable portions of both the afferent and Roux limbs were resected. Gastrointestinal continuity was achieved by fashioning a gastro-gastrostomy and a jejuno-jejunostomy, thus reversing the original gastric bypass procedure. The immediate postoperative period was complicated by fetal demise. With the increase in bariatric surgery, small bowel ischemia after Roux- en-Y gastric bypass will most likely become more prevalent, particularly in women of childbearing age.

The occurrence of an internal hernia through a congenital or iatrogenic defect in the falciform ligament is extremely rare. In the era of minimally invasive surgery, we present an unusual case of small bowel obstruction after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. An 85-year-old white male presented to the emergency room 2 weeks after an uneventful cholecystectomy and complaining of a colicky, nonradiating right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Hydroxyiminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) performed revealed an open ductal system. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan was suggestive of a high-grade small bowel obstruction. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a herniated loop of distal ileum, passing from right to left through a defect in the falciform ligament created by the subxyphoid trochar. The surgeon should consider dividing the inferior leaf of the free edge of the falciform ligament, including the round ligament, should an aperture be created during laparoscopic port placement.