Effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on recovery of gastrointestinal motility after laparotomy: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Postoperative Ileus (POI) negatively impacts patient outcomes and increases healthcare costs. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been found to improve gastrointestinal (GI) motility following abdominal surgery. However, its effectiveness in this context is not well-established. This study was designed to evaluate the role of TENS on the recovery of GI motility after exploratory laparotomy. METHODS: Patients undergoing exploratory laparotomy were randomized in a 1:1 ratio into control (standard treatment alone) and experimental (standard treatment + TENS) arms. TENS was terminated after 6 days or after the passage of stool or stoma movement. The primary outcome was time for the first passage of stool/functioning stoma. Non-passage of stool or nonfunctioning stoma beyond 6 days was labeled as prolonged POI. Patients were monitored until discharge. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range) time to first passage of stool/functioning stoma was 82.6 (49-115) hours in the standard treatment group and 50 (22-70.6) hours in the TENS group [p < 0.001]. Prolonged POI was noted in 11 patients in the standard treatment group (35.5%) and one in the TENS group (3.2%) [p = 0.003]. Postoperative hospital stay was similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: TENS resulted in early recovery of GI motility by shortening the duration of POI without any improvement in postoperative hospital stay. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: CTRI/2021/10/037054.

Use of Critical View of Safety and Proctored Preceptorship in Preventing Bile Duct Injury During Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy-Experience of 3726 Cases From a Tertiary Care Teaching Institute.

INTRODUCTION: Bile duct injury (BDI) continues to occur despite technological advances and improvements in surgical training over the past 2 decades. This study was conducted to audit our data on laparoscopic cholecystectomies performed over the past 2 decades to determine the role of Critical View of Safety (CVS) and proctored preceptorship in preventing BDI and postoperative complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were analyzed retrospectively. The data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database from January 2004 to December 2019. Proctored preceptorship was used in all cases. Intraoperative details included the number of patients where CVS was defined, number of BDI and conversions. Postoperative outcomes, including hospital stay, morbidity, and bile duct stricture, were noted. RESULTS: Three thousand seven hundred twenty-six patients were included in the final analysis. Trainee surgeons performed 31.6% of surgeries and 9.5% of these surgeries were taken over by the senior surgeon. A CVS could be delineated in 96.6% of patients. The major BDI rate was only 0.05%. CONCLUSION: This study reiterates the fact that following the basic tenets of safe laparoscopic cholecystectomy, defining and confirming CVS, and following proctored preceptorship are critical in preventing major BDI.

Laparoscopic management of vaginal evisceration of the small bowel.

Vaginal vault dehiscence leading to bowel evisceration is a rare but potentially lethal surgical emergency. Various aetiologies have been reported in the literature, but the condition is most commonly seen after hysterectomy in post-menopausal women. Prompt reduction of the bowel is necessary to prevent ischaemic complications. Although most cases in the past have been managed by exploratory laparotomy, the condition may be managed laparoscopically if the prolapsed bowel is viable, giving the benefit of minimally invasive surgery to the patient. A hybrid approach of laparoscopic bowel reduction and per vaginal repair of the vault is technically simple and can be performed even by non-expert surgeons in an emergency setting.

Does Laparoscopic Omentectomy Reduce CAPD Catheter Malfunction: A Three-arm Pilot Randomized Trial.

Introduction: Catheter malfunction secondary to omental wrapping is a frequent complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Of the various methods of peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion (PDCI), open surgical insertion under local anesthesia is most widely practiced. Laparoscopic omentectomy is often undertaken as a salvage procedure in case of malfunctioning catheters. However, there is no randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the role of prophylactic laparoscopic omentectomy on catheter function. This pilot RCT was undertaken to evaluate the impact of laparoscopic omentectomy on the incidence of catheter malfunction. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients were randomized into three groups: laparoscopic PDCI with omentectomy (Group A), laparoscopic PDCI without omentectomy (Group B) and open surgical PDCI (Group C). The primary outcome was the incidence of catheter malfunction at 6 weeks and 3 months. Results: Forty-one patients completed follow-up, with 16, 11, and 14 patients in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. Incidence of catheter malfunction was 6.2%, 27.3%, and 14.3% in Groups A, B, and C, respectively, at 6 weeks and 6.2%, 36.4%, and 21.4% at 3 months, respectively. In patients with previously failed catheter insertion (n = 23), malfunction at 3 months was 8.3% (1/12) in patients who had omentectomy, compared with 45.5% (5/11) in those who did not (P = 0.069). Operating time was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in Group A. Conclusions: Laparoscopic omentectomy may be associated with a lower incidence of catheter malfunction, especially in patients with previously failed peritoneal dialysis catheter. Data from this pilot RCT can be used to design a large trial with an adequate number of patients.

Five-Year Outcomes of Sleeve Gastrectomy in Patients with Class I Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported short and medium-term outcomes of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in patients with class I obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, literature on outcomes beyond three years is scarce. The present study discusses the 5-year results of a previously reported cohort of 20 patients with class I obesity and T2DM, who had undergone LSG between March 2012 and March 2015. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were followed up in the bariatric clinic at yearly intervals as per institute protocol. Primary outcome was proportion of patients with a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level of 6.5% or less, 5 years after LSG. Secondary outcomes were percentage total weight loss (%TWL), excess weight loss (EWL), weight regain and complications. RESULTS: Out of 20 patients, 9 (45%) were male and 11 (55%) were female. Mean age was 41.6 ± 9.5 years. Mean pre-operative weight and BMI were 94.8 ± 14.4 kg and 33.4 ± 1.2 kg/m2, respectively. Median duration of diabetes was 42 months. Mean pre-operative fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c were 171.1 ± 56.8 mg/dL and 8.7 ± 1.6%, respectively. Of the 17 patients available for follow-up at 5 years, 9 (52.9%) achieved HbA1c < 6.5% without medication, while 7 (41.2%) patients had improvement of their glycaemic status. One patient had recurrence of diabetes after initial remission. Mean %TWL and %EWL were 18% and 65.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a reasonable option as a metabolic procedure for patients with T2DM and class I obesity.

Fulminant necrotising amoebic colitis after corticosteroid therapy for severe COVID-19.

Acute fulminant necrotising colitis is an uncommon presentation of amoebiasis, which can be precipitated after corticosteroid therapy. Clinicians treating patients with COVID-19 with corticosteroid therapy should be familiar with this condition to avoid delay in diagnosis. The disease is associated with high mortality, and prompt diagnosis and management are essential for salvaging patients. We report successful management of a patient who developed this complication following administration of steroids for COVID-19.

Inclusion of Orogastric Tube in the Staple Line During Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: an Avoidable Complication.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) involves creation of a small gastric pouch by sequential firing of stapler. During stapler firing, the orogastric tube (OGT) needs to be withdrawn to avoid inclusion in the staple line. We report a rare complication of inadvertent stapling of the OGT during creation of the gastric pouch. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 37-year old man with body mass index (BMI) of 52.5 kg/m2 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnoea, and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, underwent LRYGB, with a biliopancreatic limb of 70 cm and an alimentary limb of 130 cm. Before firing the stapler for gastric pouch, the anaesthesia team was requested to withdraw the OGT, and they confirmed that it was done. The stapler was fired without any difficulty. Gastrojejunostomy was also done using linear stapler without any hindrance. The enterotomies were closed with absorbable sutures. Methylene blue leak test was found to be negative. Just before extubation, the anaesthesia team asked us if the OGT could be removed! To our horror, the OGT could not be pulled out on gentle tugging, confirming inclusion of the OGT in the staple line. The patient was induced again and re-explored immediately, with endoscopic guidance. Both the pouch and remnant stomach were opened, the cut ends of OGT freed from both staple lines, and the tube removed. The openings in the pouch and remnant stomach were closed with stapler. Methylene blue leak test and air insufflation test were done and found to be negative. RESULTS: Postoperative recovery was uneventful and the patient was discharged on day 5. Review of the recorded video was done but the OGT was not visualised through the initial gastrotomy as the OGT had possibly been stapled during the last vertical firing higher up near the fundus. DISCUSSION: Stapler firing over the OGT can occur insidiously without the surgeon's awareness. In this case, it was only suspected when the anaesthesia team asked us matter-of-factly whether the OGT could be removed. We had presumed that it had been removed before the first firing. Some surgeons prefer to keep the OGT for a day after surgery. Had that been our practice, this complication would have mandated a re-surgery in the early postoperative period. Such complications occur when the surgeon fails to request the anaesthesia team to remove the OGT or if there is poor communication between the surgical and anaesthesia teams. Sometimes, it can be due to change in the anaesthesia team during the procedure. In our case, though the anaesthesia team was the same, there was a new anaesthesia registrar who was involved in a bariatric surgical case for the first time. Use of transparent drapes, if available, may be advantageous, enabling the surgical team to see the OGT. The openings in the pouch and remnant stomach were closed with a stapler, as it was thought to be a more secure and faster method than oversewing. However, if the pouch is too small to allow stapler closure, simple suture closure should be done. CONCLUSION: Inclusion of orogastric tube in the staple line should be a 'never event'. This case report highlights the importance of good communication between the surgical and anaesthesia teams, not only during the staple fire, but throughout the procedure.

Incidental Jejunal Lesion Necessitating Intraoperative Change of Plan During Bariatric Surgery: a Video Case Report.

Incidental gastric and small bowel lesions are commonly encountered during bariatric surgery. Resection of these lesions with negative margins in the same sitting is curative; however, this may necessitate intraoperative change of plan. We present a 44-year-old super obese lady in whom an exophytic jejunal mass was found at 80 cm from the ligament of Treitz, which necessitated a change of procedure from one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The final pathology was ectopic pancreatic tissue. Running the small bowel during initial diagnostic laparoscopy should be a routine step before division of stomach, to avoid technical complexities when operative plan is changed in order to resect an incidentaloma. Bariatric surgeons should be well versed with all the standard bariatric procedures.

Safety of metabolic and bariatric surgery in obese patients with liver cirrhosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: With the pandemic of obesity and the growing experience in metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), the number of patients with obesity and liver cirrhosis undergoing MBS is increasing. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the morbidity and mortality following MBS in patients with obesity and liver cirrhosis. SETTING: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: The published literature was systematically reviewed, in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, for studies reporting outcomes of MBS among patients with liver cirrhosis. The predetermined endpoints were the overall complication after MBS, intraoperative complications, liver-related complications after MBS, all-cause 90-day mortality after MBS, and liver-related mortality post-MBS. The pooled weighted proportions for each of the endpoints was calculated using random effect meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies, including 471 patients with obesity and liver cirrhosis undergoing MBS, qualified for the final quantitative analysis. The mean age and mean body mass index (BMI) of the pooled patient cohort were 50.2 years and 47.2 kg/m2. The pooled weighted proportions of the overall post-MBS complications, intraoperative complications, liver-related complications, overall 90-day mortality, and liver failure related mortality post MBS were 22.14% (CI95%: 15.43%-29.55%), .08% (CI95%: 0%-1.02%), 4.62% (CI95%: 1.27%-9.30%), 0% (CI95%: 0%-.44%), .08% (CI95%: 0%-1.03%), respectively. Significantly lower postoperative complications were noted with sleeve gastrectomy (10.08% [95%CI: 5.14%-16%]) compared with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (31.53% [95%CI: 18.62%-45.68%]; (P = .02). CONCLUSION: We found an overall low postoperative surgical and liver-related mortality post MBS among patients with obesity and liver cirrhosis. The overall postoperative complications and liver-related complications were higher among patients with liver cirrhosis than in noncirrhotic patients. Sleeve gastrectomy showed lower postoperative complications compared with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Impact of bariatric surgery on carotid intima-medial thickness and cardiovascular risk: results of a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of bariatric surgery on atherosclerosis is a relatively less studied subject. Obesity has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), a surrogate marker for atherosclerosis and risk of CVD, has been found to be associated with obesity. Recent literature has shown that there is significant reduction in CIMT following bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery on CIMT and risk of CVD in an Indian population. METHODS: This is a prospective study conducted in a tertiary referral centre in India. Patients undergoing bariatric surgery from December 2017 to September 2019 were included. CIMT measurements and American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA)-pooled cohort CVD risk scores were done before and at 6 months and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients were enrolled, of which 70% were females. Mean age was 40.8 ± 10.7 years. Mean pre-operative weight and mean BMI were 115.2 ± 21.9 kg and 45.9 ± 6.5 kg/m2, respectively. Patients who completed 12-month follow-up were considered for analysis of outcomes. There was significant reduction in BMI to 33.1 ± 5.7 kg/m2 at 12 months after surgery (p < 0.0001). Mean CIMT reduced significantly from 0.58 ± 0.08 mm at baseline to 0.52 ± 0.10 mm at 12 months. Lipid profile, fasting blood sugar and HbA1C also improved, which resulted in reduction of lifetime and 10-year CVD risk from 42.3 to 26% and 4 to 1.5%, respectively, at 12 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Bariatric surgery results in significant reduction in CIMT and CVD risk in patients with morbid obesity.

Should Surveillance Endoscopy Be Routine After One Anastomosis Gastric Bypass to Detect Marginal Ulcers: Initial Outcomes in a Tertiary Referral Centre.

PURPOSE: Encouraged by the excellent outcomes of one anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) reported by many authors, we added this procedure to our bariatric armamentarium in 2015. Here we present our initial experience of 68 cases and findings from routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at 1 year. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of a single surgical unit in a tertiary referral centre. Patients undergoing OAGB from January 2015 to May 2019 were included. A fixed biliopancreatic (BP) limb length of 200 cm was used in all patients. Surveillance endoscopy was done at 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: Sixty-eight patients, of whom 67.6% were females, were analysed. Mean age was 40.8 ± 1 years. Mean preoperative weight and body mass index (BMI) were 131 ± 24.7 kg and 51 ± 7 kg/m2, respectively. Median follow-up was 23 months (range 9-55 months), with 88% follow-up at 6 months and 1 year. At 1 year, mean total weight loss (TWL) and excess weight loss (EWL) were 35% and 71%, respectively. Endoscopy at 1 year revealed a 9.5% rate of marginal ulcers, majority of which healed with conservative treatment. Eighty-eight percent patients had complete remission of diabetes, and 94% had complete remission of hypertension. There was no 30-day mortality. CONCLUSION: OAGB is a safe and effective bariatric procedure with excellent short-term outcomes in terms of weight loss, resolution of obesity-related co-morbidities and complications. Routine surveillance endoscopy at 1 year may detect asymptomatic marginal ulcers and, thus, prevent ulcer-related complications.

Safety and Efficacy of Bariatric Surgery in Advanced Liver Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: There is limited data on the safety and efficacy of metabolic and bariatric (MBS) surgery in patients with advanced liver fibrosis. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of data of patients with advanced liver fibrosis undergoing MBS at a tertiary care centre. Weight loss and complications were analysed. Transient elastography and liver biopsy findings 1 year after surgery were compared with baseline. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients had cirrhosis and 16 had stage 3 fibrosis; all were Child Pugh A. Majority (76%) underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Mean excess BMI loss was 65.8 ± 18.9%. There were no leaks or 30-day mortality. One patient with cirrhosis had late mortality due to liver decompensation. Preoperative and postoperative median LSM were 15.5 kPa (interquartile range IQR = 24.4-11.6) and 10.9 kPa (IQR 19.3-7.6), respectively. Preoperative and postoperative median CAP were 352.5 dB/m (IQR = 372-315.5) and 303 dB/m (IQR 331-269.5), respectively. On follow-up biopsy, nine of twelve patients had improvement in fibrosis, while three had no change. Four out of five patients in the cirrhotic cohort had improvement in fibrosis stage and LSM improved in all of them. Five out of seven patients with stage 3 fibrosis had an improvement in fibrosis stage and none progressed to cirrhosis. LSM improved in three of these five patients. CONCLUSION: MBS has the potential to ameliorate advanced liver fibrosis, including cirrhosis. Transient elastography can be used as an effective tool for screening and follow-up of liver disease in patients undergoing MBS.

A randomized trial analyzing the effects of primary versus delayed primary closure of incision on wound healing in patients with hollow viscus perforation.

OBJECTIVES: Delayed primary closure (DPC) of the skin has been suggested to decrease superficial surgical site infection (SSSI) in patients undergoing surgery for peritonitis secondary to hollow viscus perforation, but there is no consensus. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of primary closure (PC) and DPC of the skin in terms of SSSI, fascial dehiscence and length of hospital stay (LOS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty patients, undergoing emergency surgery for perforation peritonitis, were randomized to PC (n= 30) and DPC (n= 30). Patients in the DPC group underwent skin closure four or more days after surgery when the wound was clinically considered appropriate for closure. Patients in the PC group had skin closure at the time of surgery. RESULTS: Incidence of SSSI was significantly less in the DPC group (7.4%) compared to the PC (42.9%) (p= 0.004). However, the median time of DPC was the 10th POD, i.e., these wounds required considerable time to become clinically suitable for closure. Incidence of fascial dehiscence was comparable between the two groups (p= 0.67). Length of hospital stay (LOS) was 13.8 days in the DPC group compared to 13.5 days in PC; the difference was not significant (p= 0.825). CONCLUSION: DPC of the skin incision resulted in the reduction of SSSI. However, this did not translate into a reduction in hospital stay, as it took considerable time for these wounds to become appropriate for DPC, thus bringing into question any real advantage of DPC over PC.

Outcomes following laparoscopic internal drainage of walled off necrosis of pancreas: experience of 134 cases from a tertiary care centre.

INTRODUCTION: Internal drainage of walled of necrosis of pancreas has been considered as the standard of care. For symptomatic walled off necrosis (WON) of pancreas with the advent of laparoscopy and refinement of techniques and instrumentation, laparoscopic internal drainage is becoming the standard surgical drainage procedure for these patients. However, there is a dearth of literature regarding outcomes following laparoscopic drainage. Most of the studies have small number of patients with limited follow-up. We in this study describe our experience of laparoscopic internal drainage of walled off necrosis over the last 13 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database. All patients with WON undergoing laparoscopic internal drainage between January 2005 and December 2018 were included. Primary outcome measure was successful drainage. Secondary outcome measures included morbidity, hospital stay, re-intervention rate and mortality. Patients were followed up post-operatively at 1 week, 4 weeks, 3 months and then annually thereafter. Ultrasonography was done periodically for the assessment of cyst resolution. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2018, 154 surgical drainage procedures were performed for symptomatic pseudocyst/walled off necrosis. Out of these, 134 underwent laparoscopic drainage; 129 patients (96.3%) underwent laparoscopic cystogastrostomy and 5 (3.7%) underwent laparoscopic cystojejunostomy. Majority of the patients were male (male:female = 6:1) with a mean age of 36 ± 12.9 years (range 15-58 years). The mean operative time was 94 min (range 64-144 min). There were three conversions because of intra-operative bleeding. The overall post-operative morbidity was 8.9%. The average hospital stay was 4.4 days (2-19 days). The mean duration of follow-up was 5.5 years (range 6 months-13 years). Complete cyst resolution was achieved in 95.5% (n = 128) patients. There has been no mortality till date. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, laparoscopic internal drainage is a very effective technique for drainage of WON with an excellent success rate.