Robotic radical thymectomy-right-sided approach for a thymoma.

The utilization of a radical robotic thymectomy, with clearance of the mediastinal tissue between the two phrenic nerves for a thymoma, is well established. The complex mediastinal anatomy, limited space and the location of the heart introduce a distinctive challenge, particularly when adopting a right-sided approach to identify and dissect along the left phrenic nerve. We present our technique for performing a robotic radical thymectomy from a right-sided approach, tailored for a localized thymoma. Our goal is to showcase the efficacy and safety of this method, offering insights that can enhance surgical outcomes.

Pulmonary metastasectomy in primary extremity osteosarcoma: Choosing wisely, along with a brief review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Despite the advances in systemic treatment, about 30%-40% of the patients with extremity osteosarcomas relapse and more than 80% of these relapses localize in the lungs. Our understanding of the management of pulmonary metastases from extremity osteosarcomas is largely based on retrospective data from single institutions or compiled from registries; hence, there is great degree of variability in the reported management of pulmonary metastasis in patients with osteosarcomas. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To analyze the demographic profile, disease characteristics and survival outcomes of patients who had undergone potentially curative pulmonary metastasectomies from extremity osteosarcomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the 37 patients with resectable pulmonary metastasis (both synchronous and metachronous) from osteosarcoma of the extremity, treated from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2017 at a tertiary regional cancer center in South India. RESULTS: The median overall survival (OS) of our patient cohort was 38 ± 2.7 months. The 2-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 86 ± 5.8%, 60.8 ± 8.6%, and 20.7 ± 7.4%, respectively. A formal analysis of the various prognostic factors revealed disease-free interval >2 years, completion of the planned systemic chemotherapy, and absence of pulmonary recurrence post-metastasectomy to be significantly influencing the survival outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our study reiterates the need for consideration of pulmonary metastasectomy in carefully selected patients of extremity osteosarcomas. There is a paucity of data on pulmonary metastasectomies from India and our cohort is possibly the largest series for pulmonary metastasectomies from an osteosarcoma primary. In routine clinical practice, we recommend that the final decision to proceed with pulmonary metastasectomy should ideally be taken by a multidisciplinary tumor board on a case-by-case basis.

Contemporary non-surgical approach for faecal diversion in a case of Fournier's gangrene.

Fournier's gangrene is a fatal necrotising fasciitis of the perineum, genitals and lower abdomen. Patients often need an aggressive surgical debridement, and in few cases, a diverting colostomy. We report the case of a 70-year-old man with multiple comorbidities diagnosed with Fournier's gangrene, who underwent debridement and had a wound complication due to faecal contamination. A novel, self-retaining rectal device was used to perform faecal diversion, which subsequently showed wound healing within a week, hence avoiding the need of a colostomy.