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Background: The transumbilical route can be used to perform sleeve gastrectomies. Aim: To report the experience with transumbilical sleeve gastrectomy. Material and Methods: A prospective protocol of transumbilical sleeve gastrectomy was applied among patients with a body mass index of 36 kg/m² or less, and a distance between the xiphoid process and the umbilicus of less than 22 cm. Results: Six female patients, with a body mass index between 32.5 and 35.3 kg/m² have been operated. The operative time ranged from 90 to 170 min. An additional 5 mm trochar was required in the first two patients. The postoperative barium swallow showed a good distal passage and the absence of stenosis, residual fundus or nitrations in all patients. No patient had complications. Conclusions: Transumbilical sleeve gastrectomy is feasible among patients with a body mass index of less than 36 kg/m².

Introducción: La cirugía laparoscópica ha estado orientada los últimos años a buscar otras alternativas mínimamente invasivas de acceso abdominal. La transumbilical es una vía que ha comenzado a ser aplicada clínicamente, con o sin dispositivos de acceso único. Hemos comenzado a realizar la gastrectomía vertical laparoscópica (GVL) por vía transumbilical, en ciertos casos seleccionados. Objetivo: Evaluar la factibilidad de realizar la GVL por vía transumbilical, utilizando un dispositivo de acceso único y el resto del instrumental laparoscópico tradicional. Método: Protocolo prospectivo aplicado a pacientes que cumplan con criterios de inclusión como: ser candidato a GVL, tener IMC igual o menor a 36 kg/m², distancia entre apéndice xifoides y ombligo menor a 22 cm. El peso promedio de las pacientes operadas fue de 90,5 kg, (82,5-98), IMC promedio de 33,8 kg/m² (32,5-35,3). Se describe la técnica de inserción del dispositivo, de la gastrectomía y del manejo postoperatorio. Resultados: Se logró realizar GVL en las 6 pacientes en las que se intentó. El tiempo operatorio promedio fue de 127 min (90 a 170 min), en las dos primeras pacientes se requirió el uso de un trocar adicional de 5 mm. En todas las pacientes, la radiografía baritada de esófago, estómago y duodeno mostró buen paso a distal y ausencia de estenosis, fondo residual o filtraciones. No hubo morbilidad en este grupo. Conclusiones: La GVL es factible de realizar en pacientes portadores de obesidad menor a 36 kg/ m²de superficie corporal, usando un dispositivo de acceso único e instrumental laparoscópico tradicional.

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The most difficult of treatment limitation decisions, both for physicians and families, is the withdrawal of mechanical ventilation (MV). Many fears and uncer-tainties appear in this decision. They are described as “ten myths” whose falseness is argued in this article. The myths are: 1) Withdrawing MV causes the patient’s death; 2) Withdrawing MV is euthanasia; 3) Withholding and withdrawing MV are morally different; 4) MV can be withdrawn only when the patient has asked for it; 5) Chilean law only authorizes to withdraw VM when brain death has occurred; 6) Withdrawing MV cannot be done if the patient is not an organ donor; 7) Physicians who withdraw MV are in high risk of legal claims; 8) To withdraw MV the physician needs an authorization from the hospital ethics committee, lawyer or institutional authority; 9) There is only one way to withdraw MV; 10) Withdrawing MV produces great suffering to the patient’s family. Making clear that these myths are false facilitates appropriate decisions, therefore preventing “therapeutic obstinacy” and more suffering of terminally ill patients, which favors their peaceful death. For the physician this goal should be as rewarding as preventing the death of a curable patient.

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A subgroup of patients infected with the Hantavirus develops a pulmonary syndrome (HPS) characterized by severe acute respiratory failure and myocardial depression, that has a high mortality rate. Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) could be a valuable therapeutic tool in such patients. We report a 24 years old male with HPS that was successfully managed when an arterio-venous shunt was added to a conventional veno-arterial ECLS technique. Precise criteria have been developed to predict which patients should be considered for this treatment.

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Background:Monitoring of cardiac preload by determination of pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP) has been traditionally used to guide fluid therapy to optimize cardiac output (CO). Since factors such as intrathoracic pressure and ventricular compliance may modify PAOP, volumetric estimators of preload have been developed. The PiCCO system is able to measure CO and intrathoracic blood volume (ITBV) by transpulmonary thermodilution. Aim: To compare a volumetric (ITBV) versus a pressure (PAOP) determination to accurately estimate cardiac preload in severely ill patients. Patients and Methods: From June 2001 to October 2003, 22 mechanically ventilated patients with hemodynamic instability underwent hemodynamic monitoring with pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) and PiCCO system. ITBV index (ITBVI), PAOP and CI were measured simultaneously by both methods. One hundred thirty eight deltas (D) were obtained from the difference of ITBVI, PAOP, CI-PAC and CI-PiCCO between 6-12 am and 6-12 pm. Linear regression analysis of DITBVI versus Ð CI-PiCCO and Ð PAOP versus DCI-PAC were made. Results: Mean age of patients was 60.8 ± 19.4 years. APACHE II was 23.9 ± 7. Fifteen patients met criteria for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Delta ITBVI significantly correlated with DCI-PiCCO (r=0.54; 95% confidence interval = 0.41-0.65; p <0.01). There was no correlation between DPAOP and Ð CI-PAC. Conclusion: ITBVI correlated better with CI than PAOP, and therefore it seems to be a more accurate estimator of preload in unstable, mechanically ventilated patients.

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