Robotic surgery for gallbladder cancer: Operative technique and early outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The objective was to elucidate the operative technique of robotic radical cholecystectomy (RRC) and to compare the early outcomes of RRC with open radical cholecystectomy (ORC) for gallbladder cancer (GBC). METHODS: Patients who underwent RRC for suspected or incidental GBC between July 2015 and August 2018 were analyzed. Patients who underwent ORC during the same period and fulfilled the study criteria formed the control group. RESULTS: During the study period, 27 patients who underwent RRC formed the study group (group A) and 70 matched patients who underwent ORC formed the control group (group B). Median surgical time was higher in group A (295 vs 200 minutes, P < 0.001). However, median blood loss (200 vs 600 mL, P < 0.001), postoperative hospital stay (4 vs 5 days, P = 0.046) and postoperative morbidity (1 vs 15 patients, P = 0.035) were lower in group A. Median lymph node yield was 10 (range = 2-21) for group A and 9 (range = 2-25) for group B, and was comparable (P = 0.408). During a median follow up of 9 (1-46) months, two patients in group A developed recurrence (no port site recurrence). CONCLUSION: RRC is safe and feasible and the short-term results are compared with ORC.

Towards Standardization of Liver Resections in India: Five Hundred Consecutive Oncological Liver Resections- Trends, Techniques and Outcomes.

PURPOSE: To study the trends, techniques, outcomes and improvisations of liver resections over the study period. METHODS: We analysed prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing liver resections for oncological indications at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, India from June 2010 to October 2016. RESULTS: Five hundred sixteen patients were operated with median age of 55 years and male to female ratio of 1.6:1. Most commonly operated neoplasms were hepatocellular carcinoma (N = 166), cholangiocarcinoma (N = 72) and metastases from colorectal cancer (N = 129). We performed 219 major hepatic resections (≥3 segments) with overall morbidity of 22.9% (N = 118) and mortality of 4.0% (N = 21). Complex hepatectomies were performed in 78 patients. In order to study the time trends, data was divided into pre-liver clinic era and post liver clinic era. Trend analysis showed improvements in complication grade, hospital stay, blood loss, and overall survival status in post liver clinic era. Liver transection in all our patients was carried out without Pringle manoeuvre under normotensive anaesthesia, only 0.7% of our patients had significant transaminitis beyond POD 5. CONCLUSION: A dedicated multidisciplinary treatment approach along with standardization of liver resections culminates into optimal treatment outcomes.

Outcome of Robot-Assisted Radical Cholecystectomy in a High-Volume Tertiary Cancer Center in India.

Introduction: Minimally invasive radical cholecystectomy is a complex laparoscopy. Robotic surgery is now an option to complete a radical cholecystectomy because of its high definition, magnified three-dimensional view of the operative field, and articulating instrumentation.1-3 Robotic surgery enables a safe dissection in otherwise difficult to access areas such as the porta hepatis. This video reviews the role of robotic surgery in the management of gall bladder (GB) malignancy. Methods: A 28-year-old lady, with no comorbidities, presented with abdominal pain and underwent an evaluation with a contrast-enhanced CT scan of chest and abdomen. The CT scan revealed a mass in the GB with no evidence of distant metastases. Liver function tests were normal and a CA19-9 was 898 U/mL. A robotic radical cholecystectomy using five ports (four robotic and one assistant port) was performed. The procedure started by clearing the hepatoduodenal ligament nodes (stations 8, 12, and 13 with interaortocaval node sampling). The triangle of Calot was then dissected and secured with clips. Next a wide excision of segments 4b and 5 was performed including the GB. The complete specimen was extracted in a bag from a small incision at the assistant port. Results: The procedure was performed in 330 minutes with a blood loss of 200 mL. There were no perioperative complications and the postoperative stay was 3 days. Final histopathology report revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of GB invading serosa (pT3) with negative margins and 4 out of 14 lymph nodes showed presence of metastases. The overall cohort shows 22 robotic radical cholecystectomies for GB malignancy. The median age was 53 years. The average duration of surgery was 270 minutes with a median blood loss of 120 mL. The median postoperative stay was 4 days and the median nodal yield for radical cholecystectomy was 8. The overall median survival at 18 months was 100% with one recurrent hepatic lesion. Discussion: Robotic radical cholecystectomy may offer technical superiority over laparoscopic surgery and is an oncologically acceptable approach with good short-term oncologic outcomes. This type of surgery may require a highly specialized center with adequate experience in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. No competing financial interests exist. Runtime of video: 9 mins 5 secs.

Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Gallbladder: A Step Beyond Palliative Therapy, Experience of 25 Cases.

PURPOSE: Published literature on gall bladder neuroendocrine tumors (GB NETs) is limited with none reporting the role of multimodal therapy. METHODS: Patients with histologically confirmed GB NETs treated at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, from January 2010 to June 2017 were analyzed. Staging was done by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) of abdomen and chest or a positron emission topography (PET) scan. Tumor marker (CA19-9) was measured. WHO-2017 guideline was used to classify GB NETs. GB NETs were categorized as early disease (ED) (T1, T2, N0, i.e., stages I and II); locally advanced disease (LAD) (T3, T4, or N+, i.e., stage III); and metastatic disease (MD). Response to treatment was assessed with RECIST1.1 criteria. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients of GB NETs were identified; 19 with neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) and 6 with mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas (MANECs). Two patients (8%) presented with ED, 9 (36%) with LAD, and 14 (56%) had MD. Those with ED underwent open revision radical cholecystectomy. Both received adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) with six cycles of carboplatin-etoposide and were disease-free at 3 months of follow-up. Of the nine patients with LAD, six received three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) (carboplatin-etoposide) and three operated upfront. All six patients showed partial response to NACT and five underwent open radical cholecystectomy with R0 resection. All patients operated after NACT received three cycles of ACT. Their median follow-up was 7 months (range 3-22 months). Three patients with LAD developed metastasis after median disease-free survival of 5 months. The median survival in patients with MD was 12 (range 6-23) months. CONCLUSIONS: In carefully selected patients of GB NECs, downsizing with NACT facilitates radical resection with negative margins.

Extracapsular excision of hepatic hemangioma: A single centre experience.

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Hepatic hemangioma is a common non-epithelial neoplasm of the liver. Presence of symptoms and uncertainty in diagnosis are the most common indications for surgery. METHODS: Eighteen patients with hepatic hemangioma, operated on from January 2011 to December 2016 at the Hepato-pancreato-biliary surgical unit of Tata Memorial Hospital, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Main indications for operation were presence of symptoms, the most common being pain and diagnostic uncertainty. The median size of hemangioma was 9.9 cm (range 3.2 to 24 cm). All patients underwent extra-capsular excision of hemangioma. The median operating time was 180 minutes (range 75 to 460 minutes) and median blood loss was 950 ml (range 100 to 3,500 ml). Median post-operative stay was 5.5 days (range 3 to 10 days). One (5.6%) patient required re-exploration for post-operative hemorrhage, Clavien Dindo (CD) grade IIIb, and one (5.6%) had postoperative purulent intra-abdominal collection requiring percutaneous cutaneous drainage CD grade IIIa. There was no postoperative mortality. Postoperative day 3 liver function tests were within normal limits. Size of the tumor did not correlate significantly with postoperative complications (p=0.135). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of hemangioma should be guided by presence of symptoms or by the presence of diagnostic uncertainty, not by size alone. The size had no correlation with perioperative complications. The technique of extra-capsular excision is safe and technically feasible in most of the hemangiomas. This technique preserves maximum liver parenchyma, resulting in early postoperative recovery with minimal morbidity.

Is Portal Venous Pressure or Porto-systemic Gradient Really A Harbinger of Poor Outcomes After Living Donor Liver Transplantation?

BACKGROUND: Portal hyperperfusion as a cause of small for size syndrome (SFSS) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) remains controversial. Portal venous pressure (PVP) is often measured indirectly and may be confounded by central venous pressure (CVP). METHODS: In 42 adult cirrhotics undergoing elective LDLT, PVP was measured by direct canulation of portal vein and porto systemic gradient (PSG) was obtained after subtracting CVP from PVP. None underwent portal inflow modulation. SFSS was looked in 27 patients after excluding 15 with technical complications. RESULTS: Clinical features of SFSS found in 6 patients, 5 with graft recipient weight ratio (GRWR) > 0.8% and PVP < 20 mm of Hg. One with GRWR < 0.8% could truly be labeled as SFSS. Incidence of SFSS was not higher in patients with elevated PVP > 20 mm of Hg (14.3% vs 0%, P = 0.259) or PSG > 13 mm of Hg (33.3% vs 0%, P = 0.111). Intensive care unit (ICU) stay was longer in patients with elevated PVP (14.55 vs 9.13 days, P = 0.007) and PSG (16.8 vs 9.72 days, P = 0.009). There was no difference in graft functions, post-operative complications and mortality in first month post-LDLT. CONCLUSION: Elevated PVP or PSG increased morbidity but neither predicted SFSS nor affected survival.