A case of an anatomical variation of the arterial vessels in the popliteal fossa, leading to a vascular transection during a total knee revision is presented. The authors believe this complication should be considered in all cases of knee revision surgery.

No abstract

Laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery is technically feasible with acceptable morbidity and low mortality. An oncologic adequate resection can be performed. To determine whether the recurrence rates and the survival data are equivalent to open surgery, prospective randomized trials are necessary.

Our experience of 209 laparoscopic resections on an equal number of patients over a period of 2½ years is reported. This series comprised 151 patients with benign disease and 58 patients with malignant tumors. The conversion rate for benign disease was 10% and for malignant disease 8.6%. The morbidity for benign and malignant disease was 10.6 and 20.6%, respectively. Mortality was 0% for the benign group and 3.4% for malignancies. Mean operating time for both groups was 3 h (range l-5½ h). There was a minimal request for analgetics. The duration of hospital stay was between 7 and 9 days. The costs were diminished by the use of metallic resterilisable instruments. For benign disease, laparoscopic colon resection is in our opinion the treatment of choice. Further experience is necessary to assess its usefulness in malignant disease.

In 16 mongrel dogs bovine xenografts of 4 to 12 cm of length were used for arterial replacement. The grafts were removed after 30 minutes and up to 13 months for electronmicroscopic examination. The graft was shown to be significantly thrombogenic during the first six weeks after implantation. After 8 to 10 weeks an increasing revitalization of the graft is found starting from the ends of the canine artery. A cover of endothelial cells is formed in the graft lumen. The graft wall is enforced by formation of collagen and elastic fibers originating from capillaries and fibroblasts. Revitalization of the graft is limited to a rim of 2 to 3,5 cm next to the anastomoses with the canine artery. The remaining graft segment shows revitalization only on the outside wall. Degenerative changes take place in the inner layer of the graft with time passing.