Gallbladder stones during pregnancy: are we doing the right thing in Mexico?

OBJECTIVE: To present the treatment of choice and approach in pregnant and postpartum women with a diagnosis of gallstones in Mexico and to compare it with the recommendations of international guidelines. METHOD: Observational, descriptive, and retrospective study based on information from the 2019 Dynamic Cubes database of pregnant women diagnosed with cholecystitis and/or cholelithiasis who had undergone cholecystectomy. RESULTS: During 2019, 937 patients with cholelithiasis and cholecystitis were registered, 516 (55%) pregnant and 421 (45%) in puerperium. 91.47% of cases were managed with medical treatment and 8.53% with cholecystectomy, with predominance in the open approach in 63.75% of cases. Mortality was nil in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite current international guidelines recommending early laparoscopic cholecystectomy in pregnant or puerperal women, in Mexico medical treatment, delayed cholecystectomy and its open approach are still privileged.

OBJETIVO: Determinar el tratamiento de elección, el abordaje y la mortalidad en mujeres embarazadas y en puerperio con diagnóstico de litiasis vesicular en México, y compararlo con las recomendaciones de las guías internacionales. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional, descriptivo y retrospectivo basado en la información de la base de datos Cubos Dinámicos del año 2019 de mujeres embarazadas con diagnóstico de colecistitis o colelitiasis que se hubieran realizado colecistectomía. RESULTADOS: En 2019 se registraron 937 pacientes con colelitiasis y colecistitis, 516 (55%) embarazadas y 421 (45%) en puerperio. El 91.47% de los casos se manejaron con tratamiento médico y el 8.53% con colecistectomía, con predominio del abordaje abierto en el 63.75% de los casos. La mortalidad fue nula en ambos grupos. CONCLUSIONES: A pesar de que las guías internacionales actuales recomiendan la colecistectomía laparoscópica temprana en embarazadas y puérperas, en México todavía se privilegian el tratamiento médico, el retraso de la colecistectomía y su abordaje abierto.

Surgical fatigue syndrome and EDiS3 intervention, should every surgeon need to know how to mitigate muscle skeletal discomfort?

Background: Surgical fatigue syndrome (SFS) is a frequent, but underestimated, entity that occurs during laparoscopic surgeries. It could impair surgical outcomes, patient safety, and surgeon health. Furthermore, current surgical education lacks effective interventions to avoid it. Discomfort represents the most common manifestation and includes musculoskeletal fatigue, numbness, or frank pain. The most common affected sites are the back neck, dominant hand shoulder, and high or low back. We propose an integral intervention (surgeon posture, instruments/devices design & use and discomfort improvement) that prevents or mitigates SFS. Methods: An experimental study was conducted on 57 general surgery residents and general surgeons. Participants in the experimental and control group executed standardized laparoscopic knots in a simulator and knowledge, body discomfort, and posture/ergonomic risk was evaluated before and after intervention application. Results: A statistically significant decrease in discomfort intensity was found in the experimental group. Also, discomfort presentation by the anatomic site diminishes and surgical performance improves. Conclusions: Intervention prevents or mitigates discomfort associated with muscle-skeletal component of SFS. ACGME competency: Practice Based-Learning and Improvement.