General Surgery Flashcards
Where are most anal fissures located?
Posterior midline >90% (if alternative location think of underlying diagnosis e.g. CD)
What is the management for acute anal fissures (<1 week)? 5 aspects
- high fibre diet
- bulk forming laxatives
- lubricants eg petroleum jelly
- topical anaesthetics
- analgesia
What are 3 options for the management of chronic anal fissures?
- Same as acute
- Topical GTN
- If GTN not effective for 8 weeks - spinchterotomy or BOTOX
Where are the mucosal vascular cushions found anally?
3, 7 and 11 o’clock
What are haemorrhoids?
- haemorrhoidal tissue is part of the normal anatomy, contributes to anal continuence
- mucosal vascular cushions found in L lateral, R posterior and R anterior portions of anal canal
- haemorrhoids exist when they are enlarged, congested and symptomatic
What are external vs internal haemorrhoids?
- external - originate below the dentate line
- internal - originate above dentate line
How are haemorrhoids graded?
Grade I - do not prolapse out of anal canal
Grade II - prolapse on defecation, reduce spontaneously
Grade III - can be manually reduced
Grade IV - cannot be reduced
What is considered the first line management for haemorrhoids?
increase dietary fibre + fluid
What are 5 aspects of the management of haemorrhoids?
- increase dietary fibre + fluids
- topical local anaesthetics + steroids
- OP: rubber band ligation (superior), injection sclerotherapy
- Surgery - large symptomatic haemorrhoids, not responding to OP treatments
- Newer: Doppler-guided haemorrhoidal artery ligation, stapled haemorrhoidopexy
What is the presentation of acutely thrombosed external haemorrhoids?
significant pain; purplish, oedematous, tender subcutaneous perianal mass
What is the management of acutely thrombosed external haemorrhoids?
if patient presents within 72h - consider referral for excision
outside of 72h - stool softeners, ice packs, analgesia
What is a spinal epidural abscess?
Collection of pus overlying the dura mater of the spinal cord
What is the investigation of choice to diagnose spinal epidural abscess?
Whole spine MRI
What is the commonest organism causing spinal epidural abscess?
Staphylococcus aureus
In addition to the 4 Fs what are 4 additional risk factors for biliary colic / gallstones?
- diabetes mellitus
- Crohn’s disease
- Drugs: fibrates, COCP
- Rapid weight loss e.g. weight reduction surgery
What is the lifelong antiplatelet management of peripheral arterial disease?
Clopidogrel
What type of bowel obstruction is most likely to be caused by an incarcerated hernia?
SMALL bowel obstruction
What is the leading cause of small bowel obstruction in developed countries?
postoperative adhesions (60%)
What are 4 causes of small bowel obstruction?
- postoperative adhesions (commonest)
- malignancy
- Crohn’s disease
- hernias
What is meant by simple SBO?
non-strangulated - occurs when loop of distended bowel twists on its mesenteric pedicle, arterial occlusion leads to bowel ischaemia and necrosis
What is the commonest cause of strangulated small bowel obstruction?
adhesions
What will abdominal Xray show in small bowel obstruction?
central gas shadows, no gas in large bowel; small bowel identified by valvulae conniventes that completely cross the lumen
What are the 3 types of bowel ischaemia?
- acute mesenteric ischaemia (small bowel)
- chronic mesenteric ischaemia)
- colonic ischaemia (large bowel) commonest
What are the 2 watershed areas of the colon?
- splenic flexure
- rectosigmoid junction
prone to ischaemia as they receive overlapping blood supply from most distal branches of SMA + IMA arteries
What are 4 causes of acute bowel ischaemia?
- arterial embolus (e.g. AF, mural thrombus after MI)
- arterial thrombosis e.g. etherosclerosis
- venous thrombosis e.g. hypercoagulability
- intestinal hypoperfusion e.g. shock, HF
What is the investigation of choice for suspected intestinal ischaemia?
CT
What is the management of acute bowel ischaemia?
- surgical - needs to be assessed for viability + if necrotic needs to be resected
- in some instances, endovascular thrombolysis/thrombectomy may be beneficial
What is the management of chronic bowel ischaemia?
- if asymptomatic: conservative - smoking cessation & antiplatelet therapy
- if symptomatic: oepn or endovascular revascularisation
- nutrition - often malnourished at time of onset
What is the most important factor for improving survival in acute mesenteric ischaemia?
diagnosis before the occurrence of intestinal infarction
Which type of bowel ischaemia has the most favourable prognosis?
colonic ischaemia
What is Buerger’s disease?
thromboangiitis obliterans - non-atherosclerotic vasculitis affecting predominantly medium-sized arteries
What is the typical patient affected by Buerger’s disease?
young males who smoke
What are common symptoms of Buerger’s disease?
- paraesthesia / cold sensation in fingers or limbs
- rest pain
- pain in lower limbs improves when leg hangs over edge of bed
- ulceration / gangrene
- superficial thrombophlebitis
- Raynaud’s phenomenon
What is the commonest cause of varicose veins?
Reflux in great saphenous vein and small saphenous vein
What are 4 risk factors for varicose veins?
- Pregnancy
- Obesity
- Increasing age
- Female gender
What symptoms may patients complain of with varicose veins?
Itching, aching, throbbing
What are 8 symptoms which may be seen with chronic venous insufficiency?
- Varicose eczema
- Haemosiderin deposition
- Lipodermatosclerosis- hard/tight skin
- Atrophie Blanche - hypopigmentation
- Bleeding
- Superficial thrombophlebitis
- Venous ulceration
- DVT
What is the investigation of choice for varicose veins / chronic venous insufficiency?
Venous duplex US - shows retrograde flow
What are 4 conservative measures for varicose veins?
- Leg elevation
- Weight loss
- Regular exercise
- Graduated compression stockings
What are 5 reasons to refer varicose veins to secondary care?
- Significant / troublesome lower limb pain, discomfort or swelling
- Previous bleeding from varicose veins
- Skin changes secondary to chronic CVI (eczema, hyperpigmentation)
- Superficial thrombophlebitis
- Active or healed venous leg ulcer
What are 3 possible active treatment options for varicose veins?
- Endothermal ablation (radiofrequency or endovenous laser treatment)
- Foam sclerotherapy (irritant foam - inflammatory response - vein closure)
- Surgery - ligation or stripping
What is the management of peripheral arterial disease?
- treat comorbidities: HTN, DM, obesity
- atorvastatin 80mg
- clopidogrel
- exercise training programme
- quit smoking
What are 2 surgical approaches for severe PAD or critical limb ischaemia?
- endovascular revascularisation
- surgical revascularisation
How can endovascular revascularisation be performed in severe/critical PAD?
percutaneous transluminal angioplasty +/- stent placement
When are endovascular rather than surgical revascularisation approaches preferred in PAD?
short segment stenosis e.g. <10cm, aortic iliac disease and high-risk patients
What are 2 types of surgical revasculisation in PAD?
- surgical bypass with autologous vein or prosthetic material
- endarterectomy
Which patients are open surgical techniques in PAD preferred for?
long segment lesions (>10cm), multifocal lesions, lesions of common femoral artery and purely infrapopliteal disease
When is amputation used in PAD?
patients with critical limb ischaemia who are not suitable for other interventiosn such as angioplasty or bypass surgery
What are 2 specific drugs licensed for use in PAD?
- naftidrofuryl oxalate: vasodilator, sometimes used for patients with poor QOL
- cilostazol: phosphodiesterase III inhibitor with both antiplatelet and vasodilator effects
Which patients with breast cancer are offered surgery?
vast majority - with exception of frail, elderly lady with metastatic disease (may be better managed with hormonal therapy)
What determines breast cancer management prior to surgery?
presence/absence of palpable axillary lymphadenopathy
* absent: pre-op axillary US before primary surgery, if negative - sentinel node biopsy
* clinically palpable - axillary node clearance at primary surgery
What are 4 factors that determine whether mastectomy or wide local excision should be performed for breast cancer?
- multifocal = mastectomy, solitary = WLE
- central = mastectomy, peripheral = WLE
- large lesion small breast = mastectomy, small lesion in large breast = WLE
- DCIS >4cm = mastectomy, DCIS <4cm = WLE
What anti-cancer treatment is offered after wide local excision for breast cancer?
whole-breast radiotherapy
may reduce risk of recurrence by 2/3
When is hormonal therapy offered for breast cancer?
if tumours positive for hormone receptors
When is radiotherapy offered after mastectomy in breast cancer? 2 situations
- T3-T4 tumours
- 4 or more positive axillary nodes
Which hormonal therapy drugs are used in breast cancer and when?
- tamoxifen: pre- and peri-menopausal women
- anastrozole / aromatase inhibitors: post-menopausal
What accounts for the difference in hormone therapy for breast cancer in pre- vs post-menopausal women?
in post-menopausal women, aromatisation accounts for most oestrogen production
What are 3 important side effects of tamoxifen?
- increased risk of endometrial cancer
- venous thromboembolism
- menopausal symptoms
What is the commonest type of biological therapy for breast cancer?
trastuzumab (Herceptin)
When is biological therapy e.g. trastuzumab used in breast cancer?
HER2 positive (20-25% of tumours)
In which patients is trastuzumab contraindicated?
heart disorders
What are 2 situations when chemotherapy is used in breast cancer?
- neoadjuvant chemotherapy to downstage primary lesion
- after surgery if there is axillary node disease - FEC-D used