[Prognosis of post-operative digestive fistulas in Chu de Yopougon: Abidjan/Cote d'Ivoire]

OBJECTIVE

Because of the difficulties to manage the post-operative digestive fistulas (FDPO) and their disappointing results, the authors led this survey. It's objective is to identify the prognosis factors in order to optimize their management and improve their prognosis.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

It is a retrospective survey during 12 years, from January 1992 to December 2004 in the general and digestive surgery adult service of CHU Yopougon. It included 86 files of patients aged of 15 years at least presenting a FDPO.

RESULTS

The middle age was of 36.8 years. The death rate was 29.06%. It rose with age. The risk of death was multiplied by 5.54 over age of 55 years (OR = 5.54 and p = 0.012). The number of death rose meaningfully with the length of the diagnostic delay (p = 0.016 for OR1 = 1.64 and OR2 = 8.94. The death rate was raised more in the exposed fistulas that in the controlled fistulas (87% against 45%). In 50% of the cases the death occurred when the debit was superior or equal to 500 cc daily. Among the patients submitted to the medical treatment 69.70% had a spontaneous closing of their fistula in a middle delay of 27.18 days for extremes varying between 13 and 47 days.

CONCLUSION

The affection is very serious considering it's death rate. A precocious diagnosis and a fast and adapted management should permit to reduce this higher mortality.

[Splenectomy for splenomegaly in Ivory Coast. Indications and short term results]

AIM

To study the indications and evaluate the short term results of splenectomy for splenomegaly.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective analysis concerned 31 males and 21 feméles with a mean age of 30,5 yersin old, from February 1998 to December 2003. The aetiologies of splenomegaly were parasites (n=6), benign haematological diseases (n= 24), haematological malignancies (n=6), infections (n=3) and cysts (n=3). The indications were due to hypersplenism in 39 cases (79,5%), risk of splenic rupture in 46 cases (88,5%), infection or risk of infection in 3 cases and painful splenomegaly in 3 cases. 49 nine patients underwent complete splenectomy and the 3 remaining had a partial splenectomy. A spleno-renal shunt in three cases, mesenterico-adrenal shunt and mesenterico-cave shunt were associated for portal hypertension. A lengthy penicillinotherapy in all the patients and thromboembolic prevention in some were performed.

RESULTS

The mean hospital stay was 6.3 days. Correction of cytopenia and permanent pain relief occurred in all cases. One patient died from intraoperative haemorrhage and 2 other from unknown cause postoperatively (09%). Morbidity was due to hyperthermy in 3 cases, abdominal haemorrhage by splenic vessel ligation leakage and bridles obstruction in one case.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that hypersplenism constituted the mean indication of splenectomy. Its low mortality and morbidity suggest that it might be usually used in our practice. These results may be improve by laparoscopic splenectomy and systematic prevention of postoperative complications.