Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England

We present nine cases of endometriosis presenting to general surgeons over a period of 4.5 years at Gwynedd Hospital, Bangor. A total of 83 cases of endometriosis was found on analysis of pathology records. Of these, 73 presented to gynaeco…

The aim of a defunctioning stoma is to protect patients from the consequences of faecal leakage and pelvic sepsis, should it occur. A retrospective audit of 77 patients who had undergone closure of a loop stoma between 1988 and 1996 was per…

Laparoscopic appendicectomy (LA), has failed to gain unequivocal acceptance by the general surgical community as an alternative to open appendicectomy (OA). This is because the early postoperative recovery leading to quicker hospital discha…

A prospective study with long-term follow-up was undertaken of 248 patients (137 males, median age 18 years (range 6-81 years), undergoing emergency appendicectomy during a 12-month period. Acute inflammation was present in 182 patients (73…

Ultrasound is widely used in the investigation of abdominal symptoms. Its increasing popularity may lead to pressure on radiological services, diagnostic delay and prolonged hospital stay. Immediate imaging performed by radiologists can con…

Non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP) is responsible for a significant proportion of emergency surgical admissions with resultant resource implications. The extent of the problem was assessed in a consecutive group of 100 patients, aged betwee…

In an attempt to define the efficacy of danazol in the treatment of idiopathic gynaecomastia, 55 patients were enrolled into a randomised double-blind comparison of danazol 200 mg twice daily for 3 months against placebo. The results of 52 …

We present three unusual complications of laparoscopic sterilisation with clinical presentation, pathology and management. We discuss the possible aetiological factors, pathogenesis and clinical importance in relation to each case.

Peritoneoscopy is an invasive procedure. With attention to detail and a degree of dexterity which is inherent to surgery the procedure has been found safe in over 2,500 cases. Peritoneoscopy must always be a sequel to careful clinical exami…

The treatment of 63 cases of pyonephrosis is described. The primary procedure in 39 patients (62%) was nephrectomy. A drainage procedure, usually nephrostomy, was performed in the remainder and in 10 cases an obstructing stone was removed. …

All tumours have certain broad characteristics in common, though they vary widely in their origin, distribution, shape, and mode of spread. The part played by anatomical factors in determining these variations is discussed and the need for …

The findings at 1500 consecutive laparotomies are reported. The likelihood of finding an alternative condition to the preoperative diagnosis and of discovering important incidental findings is so high that complete abdominal exploration sho…

Experience in the diagnosis and treatment of certain developmental anomalies of the reproductive tract is described, with particular reference to uterovaginal agenesis and the operation of vulvavaginaplasty.

The gynaecological disorders most likely to be met by the general surgeon are those that present with acute abdominal symptoms and those unexpectedly encountered at laparotomy. The former group includes ectopic pregnancy, acute salpingitis,…