Surgery Flashcards
Vascular - General surgery - HPB -
Definition of AAA
Dilatation of the aorta >3cm
Risk factors for AAA
Increasing age
Smoker
Male
HTN
Hyperlipidaemia
FMHx
When is screening for AAA done
In males in their 65th year of life
How frequently are AAA scanned when under surveillance?
3.0-4.4cm: Yearly ultrasound
4.5-5.4cm: 3-monthly ultrasound
What are the indications for surgical intervention in AAA?
AAA>5.5 cm
Expanding >1 cm/yr
Symptomatic AAA
When do you need to notify the DVLA of a AAA?
Stop driving is >6.5 cm
What is an aortic dissection
Tear in the intima layer of the aortic wall
Allows blood to separate the tunica intima and media
What are the risk factors for aortic dissection?
Male
50-70 years
Connective tissue disorders
HTN
Atherosclerotic disease
Bicuspid aortic valve
Describe Stanford classification of aortic dissection
Type A-Involves ascending aorta
Type B-Does not involve ascending aorta
Describe the DeBakey classification of aortic dissection
Type I-Originates in the ascending aorta and propagates at least to the aortic arch
Type II-Confined to the ascending aorta
Type III-Originates distal to the subclavian artery in the descending aorta
(IIIb extends beyond the diaphragm)
What are the possible complications of aortic dissection?
Aortic rupture
Aortic regurgitation
Myocardial ischaemia (Secondary to coronary artery dissection)
Cardiac tamponade
Stroke or paraplegia (Secondary to cerebral artery or spinal artery involvement)
What can cause bowel obstruction?
Top 3:
Adhesions
Hernias
Malignancy
Also:
Volvulus
Diverticular disease
Strictures e.g. second to IBD
Intussusception
What are the upper limits of the normal diameter of bowel?
Small- 3cm
Large- 6cm
Caecum- 9cm
Small bowel vs large bowl on xray
Small- central with valvulae conniventes
Large- peripheral with haustra
Complications of bowel obstruction?
Perforation
Ischaemia
Hypovolaemic shock- third spacing
Infection- stasis causes increased permeability of bowel wall
What are some causes of generalised abdo pain in acute abdo?
Peritonitis
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
Intestinal obstruction
Ischaemic colitis
What are some causes of RUQ abdo pain in acute abdo?
Biliary colic
Acute cholecystitis
Acute cholangitis
What are some causes of epigastric pain in acute abdo?
Acute gastritis
Peptic ulcer disease
Pancreatitis
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
What are some causes of central abdo pain in acute abdo?
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
Intestinal obstruction
Ischaemic colitis
Early stages of appendicitis
What are some causes of RIF abdo pain in acute abdo?
Acute appendicitis
Ectopic pregnancy
Ruptured ovarian cyst
Ovarian torsion
Meckel’s diverticulitis
What are some causes of LIF abdo pain in acute abdo?
Diverticulitis
Ectopic pregnancy
Ruptured ovarian cyst
Ovarian torsion
What are some causes of suprapubic pain in acute abdo?
Lower urinary tract infection
Acute urinary retention
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Prostatitis
What are some causes of loin to groin pain in acute abdo?
Renal colic (kidney stones)
Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
Pyelonephritis
What are some causes of testicular pain in acute abdo?
Testicular torsion
Epididymo-orchitis
What is an ileus?
A condition affecting the small bowel, where the normal peristalsis that pushes the contents along the length of the intestines, temporarily stops
What can cause ileus?
Injury to the bowel
Abdo surgery involving handling of the bowel
Inflammation or infection in or near the bowel
Electrolyte imbalance e.g. hypoK or hypoNa
Key examination finding to differentiate between ileus and obstruction?
Ileus will have absent bowel sounds, obstruction will have tinkling bowel
What are the two most common types of volvulus and what populations do they affect?
Sigmoid most common- older pt
Caecal volvulus- younger pt
What are the causes/risk factors of sigmoid volvulus?
Chronic constipation
Excessive laxative use
High fibre diet
Nursing home residents
Pregnancy
Neuropsychiatric disorders e.g. PD
Adhesions
What is the sign of volvulus on AXR?
Coffee bean sign- dilated and twisted sigmoid
What are the management options for sigmoid volvulus?
Endoscopic decompression (recurrence ~60%)
Laparotomy
Hartmann’s/ ileocaecal resection/ R hemicolectomy- if ischaemic bowel
What are the 3 complications of hernias? And how do they present
Incarceration- non reducible
Obstruction- vomiting, generalised abdo pain, absolute constipation
Strangulation -non reducible and causing ischaemia. Significant pain.
What is the difference between a direct and indeircet inguinal hernia, and who tends to get them?
Direct- through hesselbach’s triangle and out the superficial inguinal ring. Common in older pts
Indirect- through the deep inguinal ring, along the inguinal canal and out the superficial inguinal ring. Common in younger patients, from incomplete closure of processus vaginalis
What are the borders of Hesselbach’s triangle?
Rectus abdo muscle
Inferior epigastric vessels
Inguinal ligament
Where are the two types of inguinal hernia, in relation to the epigastric vessels?
Direct- medial
Indirect- lateral
What are the risk factors for inguinal hernia?
Intra abdo pressure- chronic cough, heavy lifting, chronic constipation
High BMI
Increasing age
Male gender
What are the potential complications following elective inguinal hernia repair?
Haematoma/seroma
Recurrence
Chronic pain
Damage to surrounding structures- may cause sub fertility
Where is an inguinal hernia vs a femoral hernia palpated?
Inguinal- superiomedial to the pubic tubercle
Femoral- inferiolateral to the pubic tubercle
What are the risk factors for a femoral hernia?
Female
Pregnancy
Increasing age
Raised intra abdo pressure- lifting, cough, constipation
What are haemorrhoids?
Enlarged anal vascular cushions
What are the risk factors for haemorrhoids?
Constipation and straining
Pregnancy
Obesity
Lifting/chronic cough
Increased age
Portal venous hypertension
Cardiac failure
FMH
What are the different degrees of haemorrhoids?
1- remain in rectum
2- prolapse on defecation but spontaneously reduce
3- prolapse on defecation and require reduction
4- always prolapsed
What are the management options for haemorrhoids?
Conservative- inc fluid and fibre, laxatives
Lignocaine gel may be given
Rubber band ligation -1/2 degree
Haemorrhoid artery ligation
Haemorrhoidectomy
What are the complications of surgical interventions for haemorrhoids?
Recurrence
Anal stricturing
Faecal incontinence
What is Charcot’s triad and what does it indicate?
Ascending cholangitis:
RUQ pain
Fever
Jaundice
What is Raynaud’s Pentad?
Charcots triad (fever, RUQ pain, jaundice), plus:
Confusion
Hypotension
What is the gold standard management for ascending cholangitis?
ERCP
What is the main, significant complication of ERCP?
Pancreatitis
What is Murphy’s sign and what does it indicate?
Breathing arrested by pain when asked to deeply inspire while palpating under the right hypochondrium
Acute cholecystitis likely
What are the risk factors for gallstones?
Fat
Female
Fertile (pregnant or COCP)
Forty
FMHs
Also- haemolytic anaemia for pigment stones, malabsorption
What is biliary colic?
When the gallbladder neck is impacted by a gallstone.
No inflam response, but causes pain.
Describe the pain of biliary colic, and associated symptoms
RUQ sudden, dull, intermittent pain. May radiate to epigastrium or back.
May be precipitated by consumption of fatty foods.
Often accompanied by N+V
How does the pain of acute cholecystitis differ from biliary colic?
Pain will still be RUQ or epigastrium, but will be constant. Also, associated with signs of inflam like fever or lethargy.
Tender O/E, and +ve murphy’s sign
What is the first line investigation for gallstones, and what is gold standard?
Trans abdo US
MRCP
What are some absolute C/I to laparoscopic surgery?
Multiple dilated bowel loops- risk of perf
Haemodynamic shock and instability
Uncorrected coagulopathy
Raised intracranial pressure
What is the difference between a tracheostomy and a laryngectomy?
In a tracheostomy, a surgical opening is created to access the trachea, with the larynx remaining intact.
In laryngectomy, the larynx is removed, and the trachea is brought to the skin surface as a stoma.
What is the most common cause of acute mesenteric ischaemia?
Embolism causing occlusion of an artery supplying the small bowel e.g. superior mesenteric artery
(thus pts often have pmh of af)
What is the classic presentation of a patient with acute mesenteric ischaemia?
The abdominal pain is typically severe, of sudden onset and out-of-keeping with physical exam findings
How is acute mesenteric ischaemia managed?
Immediate laparotomy
What are the causes of acute mesenteric ischaemia?
Arterial embolism e.g. due to AF, IE, aortic aneurysm
Arterial thrombosis e.g. due to atherosclerosis
Venous thrombosis e.g. due to hypercoagulable states
Non occlusive e.g. HF, shock, major surgery
What will an ABG show in mesenteric ischaemia?
Metabolic acidosis
How is mesenteric ischaemia diagnosed?
Clinical picture + CT angiography
How does chronic mesenteric ischaemia present?
Colicky, post prandial abdo pain
Weight loss
+/- GI bleed
What are the risk factors for chronic mesenteric ischaemia?
Increasing age >60
Smoking
HTN
Hyperlipidaemia
DM
AF
How is chronic mesenteric ischaemia managed?
RF modification
Symptom relief- vasodilators
Revascularisation- Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with or without stenting or surgical revascularization (for patients with severe symptoms or if conservative management failed)
What are the two most important markers for identifying and monitoring pancreatitis?
Amylase- only raised in initial acute pancreatitis
Lipase- can be used to monitor disease activity. More sensitive and specific.
What are the causes of acute pancreatitis?
GET SMASHED:
Gallstones (most common worldwide)
Ethanol (most common cause in Europe)
Trauma
Steroids
Mumps
Autoimmune disease (e.g., Polyarteritis Nodosa/SLE)
Scorpion bite
Hypercalcaemia, hypertriglycerideaemia, hypothermia
ERCP
Drugs
What drugs can cause pancreatitis?
FATSHEEP:
Furosemide
Azathioprine/Asparaginase
Thiazides/Tetracycline
Statins/Sulfonamides/Sodium Valproate
Hydrochlorothiazide
Estrogens
Ethanol
Protease inhibitors and NRTIs
What is the typical description of the pain associated with pancreatitis?
Stabbing, epigastric pain radiating to the back.
Relieved sitting forward or fetal position
What are the eponymous signs of pancreatitis?
Grey Turner’s
Cullen’s sign
What model is used to grade the severity of pancreatitis, and what are the parameters?
Modified Glasgow criteria
(Remember PANCREAS):
PaO2 < 8kPa (60mmHg)
Age > 55 years
Neutrophils - WCC >15 x109/l
Calcium < 2mmol/l
Renal function - Urea > 16mmol/l
Enzymes - AST/ALT > 200 iu/L or LDH > 600 iu/L
Albumin < 32g/l
Sugar - Glucose >10mmol/L
What is the meaning of a score of 3 or more on modified Glasgow criteria?
Severe pancreatitis necessitating transfer to HDU/ITU
How is acute pancreatitis managed?
Treat underlying cause
Supportive managed with aggressive fluid resus:
-Catheter and fluid resus to maintain UO >30mL/hr
-Analgesia
-Anti emetics
-Replacement of calcium
-Insulin if becoming hyperglycaemic
What are the local and systemic complications of pancreatitis?
Local:
Peripancreatic fluid collection
Pseudocyst
Pancreatic abscess
Pancreatic necrosis
Haemorrhage
Systemic:
ARDS
Hypovolaemia
DM
DIC
What are the complications of pancreatic necrosis?
Infection, SIRS, organ failure