Results of Surgical Management of Malignant Obstruction of the Common Bile Duct in Yaoundé

Introduction: In Cameroon, surgery remains the only approach in malignant obstructions of the common bile duct (MOCBD) even in palliative situations. The aim of this work was to describe the modalities of surgical treatment of MOCBD, evaluate the results and detect the factors associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. Patients and Methods: We conducted an analytical observational study, with retrospective data collection from the files of patients operated upon for MOCBD. This was done in four referral hospitals in the city of Yaoundé for a 42-month period spanning from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2023. Demographic data, clinical presentation, surgical data, and 30-day postoperative outcomes were collected. Results: We collected 71 files. The sex ratio was 1.4 and the mean age was 56 ± 11 years. Fifty-three (53) patients (74.6%) were overweight or obese and 10 patients (14.1%) were hypertensive. A clinical cholestasis syndrome was present in 69 patients (97.2%). Fifty-five (55) patients (77.5%) had a cancer of the head of the pancreas, 8 patients (11.3%) had an extra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma and 8 patients (11.3%) had an ampullary adenocarcinoma. Eight (8) resections (11.3%) with curative intent had been carried out and in 63 cases (88.7%), surgery was palliative. Postoperative morbidity was 55.7%, influenced by advanced WHO stage (p = 0.02). Postoperative mortality was 25.7%, associated with a high ASA score (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Pancreatic head cancer is the main etiology of malignant obstructions of the common bile duct in Cameroon. Surgical treatment is most often palliative. Postoperative morbidity and mortality are high, influenced by high WHO and ASA scores.

Clinical Epidemiology and Surgical Treatment of Spontaneous Perforations of the Terminal Ileum: A Multicentre Study in Cameroon

Background: Perforations of the terminal ileum are a frequent clinical situation and a therapeutic challenge. Surgical treatment is controversial. Several surgical modalities have been proposed and postoperative morbidity and mortality remain high. The aim of this study was to review our experience in the surgical management of perforations of the terminal ileum. Patients and methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021, in five hospitals in Cameroon. Patients’ demographic, clinical presentation, surgical findings and 30-days postoperative outcomes data were collected. Results: We collected 34 files. The sex ratio was 1.4 and the average age was 20.28 years. The average consultation time was 9.1 days. Abdominal pain was present in all our patients. Peritoneal irritation was present in 46 cases (88.5%). The mean time to treatment after admission was 17.5 hours. The perforation was unique in 40 cases (76.9%) and located between 6 and 10 cm from the ileocecal valve in 29 cases (55.8%). Typhoid was the most suspected etiology intraoperatively in 38 cases (73.1%). A simple suture was performed in 18 patients (34.6%), resection with anastomosis in 11 patients (21.2%) and an ileostomy in 5 patients (9.6%). The average length of hospitalization was 21.74 days. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were 32.7% and 17.3% respectively. Conclusion: Perforations of the terminal ileum are common and affect young people. Surgical procedures are varied. Reducing consultation and care times and respecting treatment principles could improve postoperative morbidity and mortality, which remain high.

Surgical Management of Perforated Colon Tumours in Yaoundé: A Multicentre Retrospective Review of 30-Day Postoperative Outcome

Introduction: Colon cancer is often diagnosed late in our context and there is a high prevalence of complicated forms, this including perforation. The optimal surgical treatment remains controversial. The aim of this study was to improve the short-term postoperative outcomes of patients operated upon for perforated colon cancer, by identifying factors associated with complications occurring within 30 days after surgery. Patients and methods: We carried out an analytical observational study, with a retrospective collection of data from the files of patients operated upon for an in situ tumoral colon perforation. This was done in four referral hospitals in the city of Yaoundé. The period was from the 1st of January, 2012 to the 31st of December, 2021. Cox regression identified the factors associated with postoperative morbidity and mortality. Results: We collected files of 46 patients. The mean age was 54.7 ± 19.9 years with a sex ratio of 1.4. The clinical presentation on admission was dominated by the presence of signs of peritoneal irritation (91.3%) and bowel obstruction (28.3%). The diagnosis was made preoperatively in 16 cases (34.8%). The surgical procedures consisted of colectomy with anastomosis in 28 cases (60.9%) and without anastomosis in 14 cases (30.4%). Postoperative morbidity was 60.9% dominated by surgical site infection (37%). Postoperative mortality was 39.1%. The existence of generalized peritonitis was associated with the occurrence of postoperative complications (p = 0.019). The main factors associated with postoperative mortality were resection with primary anastomosis (p = 0.027), enterocutaneous fistula (p = 0.005). Conclusion: Colic resection with primary anastomosis or ideal colectomy is associated with an increased risk of mortality and should therefore not be performed in this setting.

Laparoscopic Surgery of Incisional Hernia: Technique and Short-Term Results in Three Surgical Units in Cameroon

Introduction: Incisional hernia is a common medical situation and its treatment has always been a challenge for general surgeons. If laparoscopic repair has become a gold standard elsewhere, it is increasingly done in our milieu, but no data has been found. The aim of this study was to review this surgery done in our country so far, to describe the operative technique and to evaluate the postoperative outcomes. Patients and Methods: We conducted an observational descriptive study with retrospective collection of data from the 1st of July 2018 to 30th of June 2022, in three hospitals in Cameroon. Data on socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, surgical technique and postoperative outcomes of patients who had a laparoscopic repair of their incisional hernia were collected. Results: We reviewed 20 files. There were 14 women with an average age of 54.6 years. The average BMI was 32.8 kg/m2. Thirteen patients had a moderate size hernia and the hernia was localized at the midline in 18 cases. Only composite biface meshes were used with dimensions chosen to obtain at least 5 cm overlap. Spiral tacks were the only fixation means used. We registered 3 complications. One case of generalized peritonitis secondary to missed digestive perforation, one case of seroma and one case of postoperative ileus. We registered no death. Conclusion: Laparoscopic repair of incisional hernias is feasible in a resource-limited setting like ours. Compliance with the operative technique and recommendations is important to obtain short-term results closed to that put forward by literature.

Injury Patterns and Treatment Outcome of Road Traffic Crash Victims at the Emergency Department of the Regional Hospital Limbe, Cameroon

Background: Traumatic injuries constitute a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide with a global burden that is on the rise. The aim of this study is to analyse preliminary data of the Limbe trauma registry, to describe the injury patterns and determine the outcome of care of the injured who were treated in the emergency department of the regional hospital Limbe in Cameroon. Methodology: This was a descriptive secondary analysis of prospective data collected on injury at Limbe Regional Hospital in two years, between October 2008 and October 2010. All cases of injury presenting to the emergency department of Limbe Regional Hospital were included in a prospective trauma registry. Data was collected with a pre-tested data entry form and included the age, sex, mechanism of injury, delay before arrival to hospital, body part injured, description of lesions and outcome at the emergency. Descriptive analyses were done using STATA 14. Comparisons between groups were evaluated using Chi-squared test or Kruskal-Wallis and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 2400 cases of injury were recorded during the study period with more males (68%) than females. The ages ranged from 0 to 90 years with a peak between 20 to 39 years. Road traffic crash was the most common cause of injury representing 60.81% of the population (n = 1434);other causes were burns, falls, domestic injuries, assaults, and labour accidents. The accidents mostly involved motor cycle alone (42.03%). Concerning the outcome of care at the emergency department, 88.73% (n = 1260) were discharged. Conclusion: The burden of road traffic injuries in south west Cameroon is high. Motorcycles are mostly involved alone or with pedestrians and/or cars.