Background/Aim:The etiology of acute intestinal obstruction, which is one of the commonest surgical emergencies, varies between countries and has also changed over the decades. We aimed to provide a complete epidemiological description of acute intestinal obstruction in a tertiary care hospital in Eastern India.Materials and Methods:This was a retrospective study of patients admitted in our unit with a diagnosis of acute intestinal obstruction between the years 2005 and 2008 at Medical College, Calcutta. The study comprised of 367 patients.Results:Acute intestinal obstruction was the diagnosis in 9.87% of all patients admitted with males (75.20%) grossly outnumbering females. The commonest age group affected was 20-60 years. In our patients, the main cause of obstruction was obstructed hernia followed by malignancy with adhesions coming third. Intestinal tuberculosis was an important cause for obstruction in our patients comprising 14.17% of patients. Conservative management was advocated in 79 patients while the rest underwent surgery. Postoperative complications occurred in 95 patients and of these, 38 patients had a single complication and the rest, more than 1. The main complications were wound infection, basal atelectasis, burst abdomen and prolonged ileus. The mortality rate was 7.35% (27 patients). The highest mortality occurred in those with intestinal tuberculosis.Conclusion:This study demonstrates that the pattern of intestinal obstruction differs from the Western world with obstructed hernias being the most important cause and also emphasizes the fact that intestinal tuberculosis assumes a prominent role. It also highlights the necessity of using universal precautions because of the ever increasing number of HIV patients in those with intestinal obstruction.

ObjectiveTo assess the role of pelvic plexus block (PPB) in reducing pain during transrectal ultrasonography(TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy, compared with the conventional periprostatic nerve block (PNB). Patients and MethodsA prospective, double-blind observational study was conducted with patients being randomised into three groups. Group-1 (47 patients) received intrarectal local anaesthesia (IRLA) with 10 mL 2% lignocaine jelly along with pelvic plexus block (PPB) with 2.5 mL 2% lignocaine injection bilaterally. Group-2 (46 patients) received IRLA with periprostatic nerve block (PNB). Group-3 (46 patients) received only IRLA without any type of nerve block. The patients were requested to rate the level of pain from 0 to 10 on a visual analogue scale (VAS) at two time points: VAS-1: during biopsy procedure and VAS-2: 30 min after the procedure. ResultsThe mean age of the patients, mean volume of the prostates and mean serum PSA values were comparable among the three groups. The mean pain score during biopsy was significantly less in the PPB group [mean (range) sore of 2.91 (2-4)] compared with the PNB group [mean (range) score of 4 (3-5)], and both these groups were superior to the no nerve block group [mean score of 5.4 (3-7)]. There was no significant difference between the mean pain scores, 30 min after the procedure among the three groups with the mean (range) scores being 2.75 (2-4), 2.83 (2-4) and 2.85 (2-4), respectively. ConclusionPPB is superior to conventional periprostatic nerve block (PNB) for pain control during TRUS-guided biopsy and both are in turn superior to no nerve block.

Aim:Traditionally, ligation of hernial sac during orchiopexy is considered mandatory to prevent postoperative development of hernia. A prospective study was carried out to see if it is actually required based on the fact that any peritoneal defect closes within 24 hours by metamorphosis of the in situ mesodermal cells.Methods:Fifty cases of undescended testis, age ranging from eight months to 12 years were enrolled. All of them underwent standard orchiopexy without ligation of the hernial sac.Results:Follow up of all cases ranged between 1.5 years to three years. Not a single case was reported with evidence of hernia.Conclusions:It is unnecessary to ligate the hernial sac during orchiopexy.

To prospectively evaluate the ability of Guy's Stone Score (GSS) in predicting stone clearance rate and complication rate (by modified Clavien grade) for renal stones treated by percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL). From January 2013 to June 2014, a total of 142 patients undergoing PNL were evaluated prospectively. Patients with co-morbidities like hypertension, diabetes, renal failure were excluded from the study. All patients were classified according to GSS based on the findings of pre-operative intravenous urography (IVU) and per-operative retrograde pyelography (RGP). All PNL procedures were done by standard technique in prone position and success was defined as no residual stone visible on X-ray KUB done on the third postoperative day. Complications were classified according to modified Clavien grading system. The initial stone clearance rate was 71.1% and overall final stone clearance rate was 90.14%. The complication rate according to Clavien grading system was 40.1%. The final stone clearance rates were 93.9, 85.71, 90.47, and 77.77% in GSS I, II, III, and IV, respectively (p<0.001, <0.05, <0.05 and >0.05, respectively). The Clavien complication rates were 23, 61, 52, and 77.7% in GSS I, II, III, and IV, respectively (p<0.001). The GSS is a simple and easily reproducible system to preoperatively predict stone-free rate and perioperative complication rate. It helps in better patient counseling preoperatively.

Midline laparotomy is an emergency surgical operation frequently performed in cases of intra-abdominal pathology. Closure of the incision is usually done by continuous suturing by mass closure. In an emergency operation the intra-abdominal milieu is usually contaminated leading to gut oedema and, hence, an increase in postoperative intra-abdominal pressure. It is complicated by wound dehiscence, burst abdomen, etc. The cause of this complication is an increase in horizontal tensile forces on the site of the insertion of sutures which cuts the sheath. In this technique of reinforced tension line suture peak tensile forces are distributed from the suture base to the surrounding tissue through a horizontal suture, thereby preventing the suture from cutting through the tissue. From July 2007 to June 2009 patients requiring laparotomy were randomly divided into test and control groups by a 'closed envelope' technique. Their postoperative intra-abdominal pressure was recorded by urinary bladder catheter manometry. The result of this technique was compared with the incidence of burst abdomen in cases where it was closed by continuous suture. A total of 190 patients underwent laparotomy. In 90 the abdomen was closed by reinforced tension line (RTL) and in 100 patients by continuous suturing. None of the RTL group had a burst abdomen. Thirteen who had closure by continuous suture had a burst abdomen. The analysis of the results was done using the chi-square test. On comparing the incidence of burst abdomen in cases operated by continuous suture technique and by RTL, the P value was found to be 0.0026 which is highly significant. On analysis of the incidence of burst abdomen in cases having a grade II intra-abdominal pressure the P value was found to be 0.0009 which is highly significant. Closure of midline incision by RTL reduces the incidence of burst abdomen. Registration No. PROVCTRI/2008/091/000269 (http://www.ctri.in).