The 7th French Airborne Forward Surgical Team experience of surgical support to the population of a low-income country: a prospective study on 341 patients with short-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The 7th Airborne Forward Surgical Team (FST) has deployed to Chad in 2015 and 2016, in support of French military forces. Humanitarian surgical care is known to represent a significant part of the surgical activity in such missions, but to date limited data have been published on the subject. METHODS: All surgical patients from a civilian host population treated by the FST during these missions have been prospectively included. Indications, operative outcomes and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: During this period, the FST operated on 358 patients. Humanitarian surgical care represented 95% of the activity. Most patients (92.7%) were operated for elective surgery. Emergencies and infectious diseases represented, respectively, 7.3% and 9.1% of cases. The mean length of stay (LOS) was three days (2-4), and the median follow-up was 30 days (22-34). Mortality rate was 0.6% and morbidity was 5.6%. Parietal surgery had no significant complication and had shorter LOS (p<0.001). Emergent surgeries were more complicated (p<0.01) and required more reoperations (p<0.05). Surgical infectious cases had longer LOS (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Humanitarian surgical care can be provided without compromising the primary mission of the medical forces. Close surveillance and follow-up allowed favourable outcomes with low morbidity and mortality rates. Humanitarian care is responsible for a considerable portion of the workload in such deployed surgical teams. Accounting for humanitarian care is essential in the planning and training for such future medical operations.

The French Advanced Course for Deployment Surgery (ACDS) called Cours Avancé de Chirurgie en Mission Extérieure (CACHIRMEX): history of its development and future prospects.

INTRODUCTION: The composition of a French Forward Surgical Team (FST) has remained constant since its creation in the early 1950s: 12 personnel, including a general and an orthopaedic surgeon. The training of military surgeons, however, has had to evolve to adapt to the growing complexities of modern warfare injuries in the context of increasing subspecialisation within surgery. The Advanced Course for Deployment Surgery (ACDS)-called Cours Avancé de Chirurgie en Mission Extérieure (CACHIRMEX)-has been designed to extend, reinforce and adapt the surgical skill set of the FST that will be deployed. METHODS: Created in 2007 by the French Military Health Service Academy (Ecole du Val-de-Grâce), this annual course is composed of five modules. The surgical knowledge and skills necessary to manage complex military trauma and give medical support to populations during deployment are provided through a combination of didactic lectures, deployment experience reports and hands-on workshops. RESULTS: The course is now a compulsory component of initial surgical training for junior military surgeons and part of the Continuous Medical Education programme for senior military surgeons. From 2012, the standardised content of the ACDS paved the way for the development of two more team-training courses: the FST and the Special Operation Surgical Team training. The content of this French military original war surgery course is described, emphasising its practical implications and future prospects. CONCLUSION: The military surgical training needs to be regularly assessed to deliver the best quality of care in an context of evolving modern warfare casualties.

Eligibility criteria for ambulatory colectomy.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To determine the statistical indicators aimed at identifying patients for whom ambulatory colectomy could be proposed without additional risk. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The medical charts of patients who benefited from scheduled colonic or rectal resection during conventional hospitalization stays between 2018 and 2019 were reviewed. Eligibility for ambulatory colectomy was defined by hospital stay≤4 days and absence of any postoperative complication. Patient characteristics were compared, and the results were modeled in the form of a decision-making tree. The effect of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol for each sub-group was calculated. RESULTS: One hundred and ten (110) patients were selected (41 "eligible" and 69 "non-eligible"). Median age was 73 years (27-95). Nearly 80% of the patients were operated for cancer. In multivariate analysis, age (≥65 years, OR=3.15, CI95%=1.22-8.12), diabetes (OR=3.91, CI95%=1.03-14.8) and indication (sigmoidectomy for diverticulosis, OR=0.21, CI=95%=0.05-0.9) were the only identified independent variables. Likelihood for ambulatory eligibility was 83.3% (<65 years, sigmoidectomy pour diverticulosis, +ERAS=92%-96.9%), 58.3% (<65 years, other indication, +ERAS=63.4%-89.9%), 35.7% (≥65 years without diabetes, +ERAS=40.0%-55.9%) and 8.3% (≥65 years with diabetes, +ERAS=10.0%-20.1%). CONCLUSION: Sigmoidectomy for diverticulosis in a patient under 65 years age represents the best indication for ambulatory colectomy, a procedure that must not be proposed to diabetic patients over 65 years of age. In the other cases (<65 years operated in another indication and non-diabetic≥65 years), ambulatory surgery is possible, pending satisfactory application of the ERAS protocol.

One-stage laparoscopic procedure versus two-stage procedure in the management of common bile duct stones in patients aged 75 and more.

INTRODUCTION: The management strategy for common bile duct stones (CBD) in patients over 75years is a real challenge that requires balancing the efficacy of a multiplicity of procedures against their own morbidity. The objective is to compare one-stage surgical treatment versus the two-stage combination of endoscopy and surgery in terms of efficacy of clearing the CBD of stones and the morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included eighty-two patients over 75years of age with symptomatic CBD stones who presented between 2010 and 2017. Patients were treated either by one-stage surgery alone (S group, n=40) or by sequential endoscopy and surgery (ES group, n=42). RESULTS: Immediate and 30-day mortality, morbidity and duration of hospitalization were comparable. The failure rate for clearing CBD lithiasis was significantly higher in the ES group (26.2% vs. 7.5%, P=0.038, 95% CI). In multivariate analysis, two-stage treatment and multiple CBD stones were associated with a significantly higher risk of failure. Fewer anesthetic procedures were needed in the S group. Twelve patients (14.4%) had multiple stones packing the CBD (>3 stones); four were treated with choledocho-duodenal anastomosis and eight with endoscopic sphincterotomy and stone removal with 100% and 50% efficacy, respectively. CONCLUSION: The "surgery alone" attitude compared to 2-stage endoscopic and surgical management is associated with better efficacy in terms of clearing the CBD of lithiasis and requires fewer anesthetic procedures in elderly subjects while being comparable in terms of morbidity and mortality. In patients whose CBD is packed with multiple stones, choledocho-duodenal anastomosis is an alternative to endoscopy for management of choledocholithiasis.

Update about ventriculoperitoneal shunts: When to combine visceral and neurosurgical management?

Ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS) are the treatment of choice for chronic hydrocephalus. However, the rate of abdominal complications is far from negligible. Combined abdominal and neurological surgical management is often necessary. The goal of this study was to describe the abdominal complications related to VPS and their management. This update overviews: (1) acute or chronic abdominal complications after insertion of a VPS, especially those that call for involvement of visceral surgeons; and (2) the particular precautions necessary when neurosurgeons and visceral surgeons have to collaborate in case an abdominal operation is necessary in patients with a VPS.

Incarcerated obturator hernia: early diagnostic using helical computed tomography.

Obturator hernia is a rare event with poor clinical signs. Delayed diagnosis is a cause of increased mortality due to ruptured gangrenous bowel. We report a case of incarcerated obturator hernia which highlights the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) scanning in diagnosing this condition.

Fortuitous discovery of common bile duct stones: results of a conservative strategy.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of fortuitously discovered stones in the common bile duct is about 5%. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of spontaneous clearance of asymptomatic stones in the common bile duct discovered fortuitously during cholecystectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Intraoperative cholangiography was performed in all patients undergoing cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallbladder stones. If a filling defect of the common bile duct was discovered, a transcystic drain was inserted. Surgical or endoscopic extraction was not proposed initially. A control cholangiogram was performed on the second postoperative day then during the sixth postoperative week. If a stone persisted at the sixth week, endoscopic extraction was undertaken. RESULTS: Cholecystectomy was performed in 124 patients with symptomatic gallstones and no signs predictive of stones in the common bile duct. A stone was found fortuitously in the common bile duct in 12 patients. The control cholangiogram was normal in two of these patients on day two (16.7%) and in six others (50%) at the six-week control. All 12 patients remained free of symptoms suggesting the presence of a stone in the common duct. Presence of the drain had no impact on quality-of-life. Endoscopic extraction was finally performed for four patients (33.3%) to remove a stone from the common bile duct. CONCLUSION: Early surgical or endoscopic extraction of stones in the common bile duct should not be undertaken systematically in asymptomatic patients. Spontaneous asymptomatic clearance of the common bile duct is observed in about half of patients.

Isolated common femoral artery injury caused by blunt trauma.

The authors report an isolated common femoral artery injury caused by blunt trauma with dissection and secondary ischaemia. A 21-year-old man was admitted to hospital after being stabbed during acute alcoholic intoxication. He presented with a stab wound on the left leg and blunt trauma in the right groin. The surgical exploration of the left-sided wound did not disclose any vascular injury. After a 12-hour period of observation, the patient was discharged. Six hours later, he came back with severe ischaemia on the right leg caused by a femoral artery dissection. The patient underwent surgical revascularization, and fully recovered. Isolated artery blunt trauma is a rare event. In this observation, the absence of early symptoms resulted in delayed diagnosis.

[Abbreviated laparotomy for treatment of severe abdominal trauma: use in austere settings]. / Laparotomie écourtée pour traitement des traumatismes abdominaux sévères: application en milieu précaire.

Abbreviated laparotomy is a recent technique for management of patients with severe abdominal trauma. It is based on a unified approach taking into account the overall extent of injury and the victim's physiologic potential to respond to hemorrhage. It is the first step in a multi-modal strategy. The second step is the critical care phase. The third step consists of "second-look" laparotomy that should ideally be performed on an elective basis within 48 hours and is aimed at definitive treatment of lesions. The goal of abbreviated laparotomy is damage control using temporary quick-fix procedures limited to conspicuous lesions and rapid hemostasis and/or viscerostasis procedures so that the patient can survive the acute critical period. Tension-free closure of the abdominal wall, if necessary using laparostomy, is essential to avoid abdominal compartment syndrome. With reported survival rates of about 50% in Europe and the United States, this simple life-saving technique that requires limited resources should be introduced in Africa where severe abdominal trauma often involves young patients.

Feasibility and limits of inguinal hernia repair under local anaesthesia in a limited resource environment: a prospective controlled study.

PURPOSE: Local anaesthesia (LA) has proven effective for inguinal hernia repair in developed countries. Hernias in low to middle income countries represent a different issue. The aim of this study was to analyse the feasibility of LA for African hernia repairs in a limited resource environment. METHODS: Data from patients who underwent herniorrhaphy under LA or spinal anaesthesia (SA) by the 6th and 7th Forward Surgical Team were prospectively collected. All of the patients benefited from a transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block for postoperative analgesia. Primary endpoints concerned the pain response and conversion to general anaesthesia. Secondary endpoints concerned the complication and recurrence rates. Predictors of LA failure were then identified. RESULTS: In all, 189 inguinal hernias were operated during the study period, and 119 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria: 57 LA and 62 SA. Forty-eight percent of patients presented with inguinoscrotal hernias. Local anaesthesia led to more pain during surgery and necessitated more administration of analgesics but resulted in fewer micturition difficulties and better postoperative pain control. Conversion rates were not different. Inguinoscrotal hernia and a time interval <50 min between the TAP block and skin incision were predictors of LA failure. Forty-four patients were followed-up at one month. No recurrence was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Local anaesthesia is a safe alternative to SA. Small or medium hernias can easily be performed under LA in rural centres, but inguinoscrotal hernias required an ultrasound-guided TAP block performed 50 min before surgery to achieve optimal analgesia, and should be managed only in centres equipped with ultrasonography.

Preperitoneal pelvic packing.

Severe pelvic traumatisms are associated with elevated mortality because of the high risk of exsanguination from multiple sources of bleeding. Treatment should encompass resuscitation, bone stabilization and hemorrhage control by arterio-embolization or surgery. Pre-peritoneal packing has been described in hemodynamically unstable patients who need damage control. The surgical technique of this simple and effective procedure is fully described by the authors with some complementary useful technical advices.

Feasibility of selective non-operative management for penetrating abdominal trauma in France.

INTRODUCTION: In France, non-operative management (NOM) is not the widely accepted treatment for penetrating wounds. The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility of NOM for the treatment of penetrating abdominal traumas at 3 hospitals in the Southeast of France. METHODOLOGY: Our study was multicentric and retroprospective from January, 2010 to September, 2013. Patients presenting with a penetrating abdominal stab wound (SW) or gunshot wound (GSW) were included in the study. Those with signs of acute abdomen or hemodynamic instability had immediate surgery. Patients who were hemodynamically stable had a CT scan with contrast. If no intra-abdominal injury requiring surgery was evident, patients were observed. Criteria evaluated were failed NOM and its morbidity, rate of non-therapeutic procedures (NTP) and their morbidity, length of hospital stay and cost analysis. RESULTS: One hundred patients were included in the study. One patient died at admission. Twenty-seven were selected for NOM (20 SW and 7 GSW). Morbidity rate was 18%. Failure rate was 7.4% (2 patients) and there were no mortality. Seventy-two patients required operation of which 22 were NTP. In this sub-group, the morbidity rate was 9%. There were no mortality. Median length of hospital stay was 4 days for the NOM group and 5.5 days for group requiring surgery. Cost analysis showed an economic advantage to NOM. CONCLUSION: Implementation of NOM of penetrating trauma is feasible and safe in France. Indications may be extended even for some GSW. Clinical criteria are clearly defined but CT scan criteria should be better described to improve patient selection. NOM reduced costs and length of hospital stay.

Management specificities for abdominal, pelvic and vascular penetrating trauma.

Management of patients with penetrating trauma of the abdomen, pelvis and their surrounding compartments as well as vascular injuries depends on the patient's hemodynamic status. Multiple associated lesions are the rule. Their severity is directly correlated with initial bleeding, the risk of secondary sepsis, and lastly to sequelae. In patients who are hemodynamically unstable, the goal of management is to rapidly obtain hemostasis. This mandates initial laparotomy for abdominal wounds, extra-peritoneal packing (EPP) and resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in the emergency room for pelvic wounds, insertion of temporary vascular shunts (TVS) for proximal limb injuries, ligation for distal vascular injuries, and control of exteriorized extremity bleeding with a tourniquet, compressive or hemostatic dressings for bleeding at the junction or borderline between two compartments, as appropriate. Once hemodynamic stability is achieved, preoperative imaging allow more precise diagnosis, particularly for retroperitoneal or thoraco-abdominal injuries that are difficult to explore surgically. The surgical incisions need to be large, in principle, and enlarged as needed, allowing application of damage control principles.

[Current management of stab wounds to the colon]. / Prise en charge actuelle des plaies coliques par arme blanche: applications en milieu tropical.

Stab wounds to the colon are a frequent surgical emergency. Local wound exploration under local anaesthesia is not required systematically. We recommend surveillance based on clinical observation and laboratory testing to detect peritoneal signs. If progression of symptoms is suspected, diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) should be performed. Immediate surgical exploration is indicated in two cases, i.e., generalized peritonitis and haemodynamic instability due to internal bleeding. The preferred repair technique is direct suture or resection followed by a handsewn or mechanical anastomosis. The morbidity, cost and social consequences of colostomy must be taken into account. It should be considered as a salvage procedure for patients in critical condition or extensive colonic injury.

[Mesenteric trauma: management in austere environments]. / Traumatismes entéro-mésentériques en situation précaire.

Mesenteric trauma, i.e., injuries located in the bowel or organs supplied by the superior mesenteric artery, can be life-threatening. The incidence of these lesions is low. Most occur as result of blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma due mainly to gunshot wounds or road accidents. Management of these serious injuries can be challenging in the military field hospitals. The major problem in austere environment is the unavailabiity of computerized axial and other tools gene rally used for diagnosis. As an alternative to tomography diagnostic peritoneal lavage can be used with a high sensitivity for the detection of mesenteric trauma. The second difficulty is technical. General surgeons without vasular training or supplies must prepared to suspect and reonstuct lesions of the superior mesenteric available resources.

[Surgical repair of inguinal hernia in the adult Clinical, functional, and economic outcomes of surgical practices]. / Cure chirurgicale des hernies inguinales de l'adulte. Enjeux cliniques, fonctionnels et économiques des pratiques chirurgicales.

Inguinal hernia repair is the most commonly performed surgical procedure. Nearly one out of three men between 20 and 60 years of age will undergo hernia repair. Multiple surgical techniques are available which have comparable clinical outcomes but which differ in their functional results and economic impact. Despite an extensive surgical literature, no consensus exists regarding an optimal technique. This review aims to compare the indications for the three most common techniques: 1) the Shouldice repair, 2) the Lichtenstein repair, and 3) the laparoscopic hernia repair. To begin with, we present the operative principals of each repair along with criteria for evaluation of outcomes. Evidence-based outcomes data are then presented. We then address the choice of a surgical technique for everyday practice based on these factors. Finally, we propose avenues for future clinical research which may improve clinical, functional, and economic results in the repair of inguinal hernia of the adult.

Penetrating pelvic trauma: Initial assessment and surgical management in emergency.

Penetrating pelvic trauma (PPT) is defined as a wound extending within the bony confines of the pelvis to involve the vascular, intestinal or urinary pelvic organs. The gravity of PPT is related to initial hemorrhage and the high risk of late infection. If the patient is hemodynamically unstable and in hemorrhagic shock, the urgent treatment goal is rapid achievement of hemostasis. Initial strategy relies on insertion of an intra-aortic occlusion balloon and/or extraperitoneal pelvic packing, performed while damage control resuscitation is ongoing before proceeding to arteriography. If hemodynamic instability persists, a laparotomy for hemostasis is performed without delay. In a hemodynamically stable patient, contrast-enhanced CT is systematically performed to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the lesions prior to surgery. At surgery, damage control principles should be applied to all involved systems (digestive, vascular, urinary and bone), with exteriorization of digestive and urinary channels, arterial revascularization, and wide drainage of peri-rectal and pelvic soft tissues. When immediate definitive surgery is performed, management must address the frequent associated lesions in order to reduce the risk of postoperative sepsis and fistula.

Hospital care in severe trauma: Initial strategies and life-saving surgical procedures.

Severe trauma patients should be received at the hospital by a multidisciplinary team directed by a "trauma leader" and all institutions capable of receiving such patients should be well organized. As soon as the patient is accepted for care, the entire team should be prepared so that there is no interruption in the pre-hospital chain of care. All caregivers should thoroughly understand the pre-established protocols of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to allow optimal management of unstable trauma victims in whom hemostasis must be obtained as soon as possible to decrease the morbid consequences of post-hemorrhagic shock. In patients with acute respiratory, circulatory or neurologic distress, several surgical procedures must be performed without delay by whichever surgeon is on call. Our goal is to describe these salvage procedures including invasive approaches to the upper respiratory tract, decompressive thoracostomy, hemostatic or resuscitative thoracotomy, hemostatic laparotomy, preperitoneal pelvic packing, external pelvic fixation by a pelvi-clamp, decompressive craniotomy. All of these procedures can be performed by all practitioners but they require polyvalent skills and training beforehand.

[Thyroid surgery applicable in developing countries]. / Chirurgie de la thyroïde applicable dans les pays en développement.

Thyroid surgery in developing countries is performed by general surgeons with limited diagnostic and therapeutic resources. The aim of this review is to describe the indications for and appropriate type of surgery according to the diseases observed. Endemic goiter (grade 1 and 2) usually regresses with iodine therapy. Surgery is indicated only for its complications: mechanical, neoplastic, or related to hyperthyroidism. The choice of operation depends on the specific disease and also on the likelihood that thyroxine will be continuously available for the patient's lifetime. Total thyroidectomy should be avoided whenever possible if thyroxine supplies are unreliable. Hemithyroidectomy and subtotal thyroidectomy are the techniques that should be used in priority.