Faculty Bibliography

Recent progress in immunosuppressive therapy for lung transplantation, improvements in surgical technique, advances in lung preservation methods, and appropriate management of cadaver organ donors have all improved the prospects for lung transplantation as a feasible therapeutic procedure for selected patients with end-stage pulmonary disease. The major limiting factor in the application of this operation will be the scarcity of good lung donors

We report a man who developed renal failure due to membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) type 1 which recurred in two cadaveric kidney transplants. This is the third such case in the literature. Nephrotic syndrome developed within 1 month following transplantation and histologic evidence of disease recurrence was documented in both kidneys 2 months after transplantation. Both grafts failed within 18 months. Factors which determine disease recurrence remain obscure

Cyclosporine in renal transplant recipients with delayed graft function (DGF) has been reported to decrease graft survival and prolong both DGF and hospitalization. In some centers, antilymphocyte globulin (ALG) has been used perioperatively to obviate these problems, but ALG is associated with increased viral infections. In this study, first cadaver transplant recipients with a fall in serum creatinine level of greater than or equal to 30% in the first 24 hr were started on prednisone (P) and cyclosporine (Group 1, n = 18). Those whose creatinine level did not fall were started on P and azathioprine (Group 2, n = 23) and switched to P and cyclosporine when serum creatinine fell 30%. One-year patient survival was 98%. One-year graft survival was 83% for both Groups 1 and 2 (NS). Results were compared to historical controls with DGF who received P and cyclosporine (Group 3, n = 19). Patients with DGF and requiring dialysis had fewer dialyses (P less than 0.05) and a shorter hospital stay (P less than 0.05) if started on azathioprine, as compared to those started on cyclosporine. Patients with DGF had a higher serum creatinine at 12 months than those with immediate function (P less than 0.05). We conclude that withholding cyclosporine until DGF is resolving decreases the duration of dialysis, decreases hospital stay, and without the use of prophylactic ALG, is associated with graft survival equivalent to that in patients with immediate function

This study reports the results of 649 drill biopsies performed on breast tumors before any treatment. Diagnostic of malignancy was achieved with a drill biopsy in 89% cases (579/649 procedures). Pathological subtypes, i.e. common infiltrating types, special pathological types, were determined in 98% cases (566/579), while histo-prognostic grading, according to Scarff, Bloom and Richardson, was performed in 98% of the common infiltrating type carcinomas (498/507). Reliability of the technique was related to the tumor size 57%, 87.5%, 93.5% and 98.5% in T1, T2, T3 and T4 tumors (TNM classification), respectively. Comparative reliability of the three different operators was 86.5%, 88.5% and 92%, and was related to their technical experience. This study has demonstrated the diagnostic value of a 'malignant' drill biopsy, which is independent of the results of the initial radiological and clinical work-up: suspicious or malignant (group A: 635 cases, or non-suspicious group B: 14 cases). However, 'non malignant' drill biopsy has no value and should not be conclusive

Peripheral vascular injuries associated with falls from heights are uncommon. We report our 15-year experience with ten such injuries in 230 patients who jumped or fell from heights of at least 3 stories. These injuries occurred in seven patients and included four popliteal artery thromboses or disruptions, two popliteal vein disruptions, one traumatic tibial arteriovenous fistula, one subclavian artery pseudoaneurysm, one radial artery transection, and one lacerated medial circumflex artery. Although the mechanism of injury is multifactorial, all were associated with significant orthopedic trauma. Early recognition of vascular injuries, minimization of ischemic time, completion arteriography, venous repair, and liberal use of fasciotomy are emphasized to maximize limb salvage

To evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative outflow resistance (OR) measurements in predicting late graft patency rates (PR) for femoropopliteal (FP) and femoroinfrapopliteal (FD) bypasses, we have reviewed 134 such cases performed during the past 3 years at our institution. Of these, 64 bypasses were FP (13 autogenous saphenous vein [ASV] and 51 polytetrafluoroethylene [PTFE]) and 70 were FD (43 ASV and 27 PTFE). Total and distal OR measurements (measured in millimeters of mercury per milliliter per minute) were divided into four groups each for all infrainguinal bypasses combined and for FP and FD bypasses separately. The relationship of PR to total and distal OR measurements were analyzed according to the product limit method. Overall 1- and 2-year PRs were 64% and 56%, respectively. For FP bypasses the same PRs were 78% and 67% whereas for FD bypasses, they were 52% and 45%, respectively. The 1-year PRs for FP and FD bypasses within each respective OR group were analyzed. For FP bypasses in the lowest to the highest total OR groups, the 1-year PRs were 86%, 75%, 78%, and 62% (NS), and for FD bypasses they were 72%, 89%, 23%, and 22% (p less than 0.001). Similar trends were observed when distal OR measurements were analyzed. For infrainguinal PTFE bypasses, both total and distal OR measurements were significant predictors of patency, whereas for those with ASV only distal OR measurements were predictive. These data reaffirm our early experience with OR measurements. Although a trend for predicting graft patency was noted for FP bypasses, OR measurements were highly predictive only for FD bypasses