Comparative Analysis of Open and Closed Sphincterotomy for the Treatment of Chronic Anal Fissure: Safety and Efficacy Evaluation.

BACKGROUND Chronic anal fissure is a common condition that causes pain and discomfort and has a significant impact on quality of life. When conservative management fails, surgical sphincterotomy can be successful. This retrospective study from a single center in Turkey included 188 patients with chronic anal fissures and aimed to compare outcomes from open and closed sphincterotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study included 188 patients treated with lateral internal sphincterotomy (LIS) for chronic anal fissure between January 2015 and December 2021 in our hospital. Open LIS procedure was performed in 91 patients and closed LIS was performed in 97 patients. Demographic characteristics, postoperative complications, and recurrence were compared for these 2 methods. RESULTS Of the 188 patients included in the study, 47.9% were women and 52.1% were men. The mean age was 42.9 (20-84) years. In the open LIS group, recurrence occurred in 2 patients (2.19%), and no incontinence was observed. In the closed LIS group, recurrence occurred in 3 patients (3%; P=0.703), and incontinence developed in 5 patients (5.15%; P=0.035). CONCLUSIONS Comparing the 2 methods used in chronic anal fissure surgery, and considering the recurrence and risk of incontinence, the most feared outcome by the patient and surgeon, open LIS stands out as a superior technique, especially in young male patients.

Comparative Analysis of Transoral Endoscopic Parathyroidectomy Vestibular Approach and Focused Open Surgery for Primary Hyperparathyroidism Treatment: A Single Center Experience.

BACKGROUND Primary hyperparathyroidism is one of the most common endocrine disorders, for which the definitive treatment is surgical parathyroidectomy. Generally, surgical exploration is performed as open focused neck surgery. The vestibular route is a new approach to minimally invasive endoscopic parathyroidectomy. This retrospective study from a single center in Turkey aimed to compare surgical outcomes from the transoral endoscopic vestibular approach (TOEPVA) vs direct open parathyroidectomy in 57 patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Our study included data from 57 patients. TOEPVA was performed in 20 of these patients who did not want a cervical scar, and focused surgery was performed in the remaining 37 patients. The variables we analyzed were size, volume, and localization of the adenoma, operative time, presence of bleeding, presence of the recurrent laryngeal nerve damage, preoperative, short-term, and long-term postoperative PTH levels, use of drain, presence of postoperative hypocalcemia, and short-term and long-term calcium levels. RESULTS No laryngeal nerve and mental nerve damage was observed in either group. The mean operative time in focused open surgery was 80.54±33.1 min, while the mean operative time in TOEPVA was 128.21±30.88 (p: 0.794) min. The mean hospitalization period of patients who underwent open surgery was 3.29±1.9 days, while the mean discharge days of patients who underwent endoscopic surgery was 2.40±1.2. (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS TOEPVA is a safe method in patients who underwent parthyroid surgery to avoid cervical scarring.

Transoral endoscopic parathyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOEPVA) for primary hyperparathyroidism: Turkey's experience.

AIM: Parathyroid surgery has witnessed a significant evolution with the introduction of more efficacious preoperative localization imaging techniques and the use of rapid intraoperative parathormone assays. Parathyroid surgery can now be performed with the minimum of invasion. Through the adaptation of the transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOETVA), the technique has now been adopted for parathyroid surgery, known as the transoral endoscopic parathyroidectomy vestibular approach (TOEPVA). We present here the initial experiences of 11 centers carrying out TOEPVA surgery in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participating in the study were 11 centers, all of which were tertiary care institutions carrying out endocrine surgery. A retrospective review was made of 35 primary hyperparathyroidism patients who underwent the TOEPVA procedure between July 2017 and January 2020. RESULTS: Of the total 35 patients, 32 patients underwent the TOEPVA procedure successfully. All patients but one were female, and the mean age was 47.2 (20-73) years. According to localization studies, 18 of the lesions were lower left, 12 were lower right, 3 were upper right and 2 were upper left. The mean operative time was 116 (30-225) min, and three cases were converted to an open procedure. Simultaneous thyroidectomy was performed in seven cases. The average PTH level dropped to normal within 20 min. after the resection in all cases. The complication rate was 19% (ecchymosis, subcutaneous emphysema, nasal bleeding, surgical site infection and seroma). There were neither recurrent nerve palsies, nor mental nerve root or branch injuries. The average hospital stay was 1 day. No persistence was documented on follow up. CONCLUSION: TOEPVA is a "hidden scar" parathyroidectomy procedure that can be safely performed on parathyroid adenomas, in cases that have scar-related concerns. Having its own procedure-related complications, the procedure provides satisfactory objective results, particularly in centers experienced in endoscopic and endocrine surgery.

Urgent Organ Retrieval from Non-Heart-Beating Donor with Declared Brain Death: Harvest at Arrest.

OBJECTIVE: Due to insufficient donor number to meet the needs of organ transplantation, new researches are ongoing. In this context, the cases with cardiac arrest and brain dead are assessed as probable donors in recent years. The aim of this study is to discuss the healthfully techniques of organs retrieval with minimum damage and maximum rapidity in conditions of our center and to present our own experiences. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total 4 of 13 patients brain dead declared and developed cardiac arrest while awaiting for laboratory test results in our center between 2015 and 2016, were urgently taken into operation under external heart massage and urgent organ retrieval were performed. The clinical data of this specific group were analyzed. Results: Thirteen donors with brain dead organ procurement were performed in our center between 2015 and 2016. Of the 13 cases, 9 had undergone urgent laparotomy and cannulation, and the organs were retrieved after in-situ cold perfusion and no problems occurred in these cases. However, in 4 cases who developed cardiac arrest ex-vivo cold perfusion was performed due to lack of facilities in operation room,vascular and paranchimal damage occurred in 2 livers and the 2 kidneys. With this technique, four liver and eight kidneys were removed and transplanted. CONCLUSION: Urgent laparotomy, cannulation, and in-situ cold perfusion is ideal approach for shorter warm ischemia time and less organ damage in cadavers in difficult conditions such as sudden cardiac arrest in hospital, however ex-vivo cold perfusion technique should be kept in mind to meet the increasing of more and more organ needs.

Is the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio a potential diagnostic marker for peptic ulcer perforation? A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Peptic ulcer perforation (PUP) accounts for 5% of all abdominal emergencies and is recognized as a gastrointestinal emergency requiring rapid and efficient clinical evaluation and treatment. The mortality rate ranges from 10% to 40% among patients with perforation. In the present retrospective study, we examined the potential utility of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in early diagnosis of PUP; we asked whether this ratio allowed PUP and peptic ulcer disease to be distinguished. METHODS: We enrolled the following patients: 58 with PUP, 62 with noncomplicated peptic ulcer diseases (NCPU), and 62 controls, between May 2010 and 2015. Patients who underwent surgical repair to treat PUP were included in the study group. Another group consisted of NCPU patients who had a noncomplicated peptic ulcer. The control group consisted of patients presenting with nonspecific abdominal pain to the emergency department. RESULTS: The mortality rate was 5.2% in the PUP group. The white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, and NLRs were higher in the PUP compared to the other groups (P<.001 for all). The white blood cell count and NLR did not differ between the NCPU and control groups. The sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values of the NLRs were 68.0%, 88.0%, 82.9%, and 72.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that preoperative NLR aids in the diagnosis of PUP and can be used to distinguish this condition from peptic ulcer disease. Thus, the NLR should be calculated in addition to the clinical examination.

Lili-Hics trial: Efficacy of the lipid test in liver hydatid cyst surgery.

Bile leakage is a common complication following liver surgeries, particularly in the cases of liver hydatid cyst operations. Currently, there is no adequate method which could be utilized to prevent this complication effectively. Our study aimed to assess the efficacy of the biliary lipid test (BLT) in reducing biliary complications after hydatid cyst surgery. We retrospectively included patients who underwent open liver hydatid cyst surgery between January 2011 and January 2024. The study encompassed 122 patients, with 41 males and 81 females, ranging in age from 18 to 79 years. In the BLT group, a lipid solution was injected transcystically after cholecystectomy. The BLT was performed on 65 patients, while 57 patients did not undergo the test. Following the transcystic injection of the lipid solution, orifices at the site of lipid droplets that became visible were ligated with 5.0 prolene sutures. A total of 200 leak sites were sutured. Remarkably, none of the patients in the BLT group experienced postoperative bile leakage lasting longer than one week. Consequently, a shorter hospital stay was observed in this group. Transcystic injection of the lipid solution with distal clamping effectively demonstrated leak sites, and suturing these sites prevented postoperative bile leakage. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of the LIpid test in LIver Hydatid Cyst Surgery (Lili-Hics) in reducing biliary complications following hydatid cyst surgery.

A rare breast tumor: primary neuroendocrine carcinoma.

Breast cancer is the most frequently seen cancer in females but primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast, which was defined as a separate entity in the 2003 World Health Organisation tumour classification, is seen extremely rarely. This entity, which is still not well-defined and has not been well-researched, demonstrates a more aggressive course than invasive ductal carcinoma. As metastatic breast neuroendocrine tumours are more widespread and the treatment strategy is different, preoperative differential diagnosis is important. The basic diagnostic method is pathological examination. If a neuroendocrine pattern is determined in microscopy, then immunohistochemical study of neuroendocrine markers should be made. It is necessary to be vigilant in terms of synchronous tumours and metachronous tumours which may develop in the postoperative period as the incidence of synchronous and metachronous cancers in patients with neuroendocrine tumours is higher compared to the general population. The case presented here is of a 73-year old patient who presented with complaints of a breast lump, which was thought to be invasive breast cancer, and as a result of the operation with pathological and immunohistochemical examination, primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast was determined. With more advanced evaluations, no synchronous or metachronous tumours were determined.

Propolis reduces bacterial translocation and intestinal villus atrophy in experimental obstructive jaundice.

AIM: To investigate the effects of propolis on bacterial translocation and ultrastructure of intestinal morphology in experimental obstructive jaundice. METHODS: Thirty Wistar-Albino male rats were randomly divided into three groups, each including 10 animals: group I, sham-operated; group II, ligation and division of the common bile duct (BDL); group III, BDL followed by oral supplementation of propolis 100 mg/kg per day. Liver, blood, spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes, and ileal samples were taken for microbiological, light and transmission electron microscopic examination on postoperative 7th d after sacrification. RESULTS: The mean number of villi per centimeter and mean mucosal height of the propolis group were significantly different in the BDL group (P = 0.001 and 0.012, respectively). The electron microscopic changes were also different between these groups. Sham and BDL + propolis groups had similar incidence of bacterial translocation (BT). The BDL group had significantly higher rates of BT as compared with sham and BDL + propolis groups. BT was predominantly detected in MLNs and the most commonly isolated bacteria was Escherichia coli. CONCLUSION: Propolis showed a significant protective effect on ileal mucosa and reduced bacterial translocation in the experimental obstructive jaundice model. Further studies should be carried out to explain the mechanisms of these effects.

Development of acute cholecystitis following laparoscopic partial cholecystectomy.

In cases where the dissection of Calot's triangle is difficult during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic partial cholecystectomy is an alternative to total cholecystectomy to prevent bile duct damage. However, recurrent symptoms and bile duct problems associated with the remaining gallbladder tissue may develop in patients over time. The case of a 45-year-old male who underwent laparoscopic partial cholecystectomy one year previously is presented here. In the postoperative period, as a result of tests for the continuing symptoms of cholecystitis, stones and surrounding abscess were detected in the remaining gallbladder tissue, so open completion cholecystectomy was applied. In acute cholecystitis, as severe inflammation of the hilar structures does not allow safe dissection, partial cholecystectomy can be applied. However, in these patients, there is a risk of recurrence of cholecystitis symptoms and the development of biliary pancreatitis and choledocolithiasis because of the remaining tissue. Therefore, it should not be forgotten that endoscopic and/or surgical intervention may be necessary at least in some patients.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis: A rare cause of intraabdominal free air.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is a rarely seen disease characterized by cysts filled with multiple gases in the wall of the small or large intestine. Many factors have been suggested in the etiology and pathogenesis, including peptic ulcer, pyloric stenosis, and endoscopic trauma. Because various clinical characteristics and symptoms are observed together, diagnosis is generally difficult. It may be a cause of free air observed on direct radiographs. Treatment is directed at the cause and although there is generally a good course, it can sometimes lead to severe complications. In this paper, we present the case of a 33-year old male being prepared for surgery for pyloric stenosis due to a peptic ulcer. In the preoperative tests, because acid was determined within the abdomen and free air below the diaphragm, pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis was considered in the differential diagnosis. Definitive diagnosis was made during the operation and surgical treatment was applied.

A rare case: spontaneous cutaneous fistula of infected splenic hydatid cyst.

Hydatid disease is caused by the larval stage of the genus Echinococcus. Live hydatid cysts can rupture into physiologic channels, free body cavities or adjacent organs. Although hydatid disease can develop anywhere in the human body, the liver is the most frequently involved organ, followed by the lungs. Cysts of the spleen are unusual. There are only five case reports of spontaneous cutaneous fistulization of liver hydatid cysts in the literature. But there isn't any report about cutaneous fistula caused by splenic hydatid cyst. We report a first case of spontaneous cutaneous fistula of infected splenic hydatid cyst. A 43-year-old man was admitted to our Emergency Service with abdominal pain and fluid drainage from the abdominal wall. He has been suffering from a reddish swelling on the abdominal wall skin for four months. After a white membrane had been protruded out from his abdominal wall, he was admitted to our Emergency Service. On physical examination, a white membrane was seen to protrude out from the 2 cm x 1 cm skin defect on the left superolateral site of the umblicus. Large, complex, cystic and solid mass of 9.5 cm-diameter was located in the spleen on ultrasonographic examination. At operation, partial cystectomy and drainage was performed. After the operation, he was given a dosage of 10 mg/kg per day of albendazole, divided into three doses. He was discharged on the postoperative 10(th) d. It should be kept in mind that splenic hydatid cysts can cause such a rare complication.

Case report: mesenteric schwannoma.

Schwannomas are benign neurogenic tumors that arise from Schwann cells that line the sheaths of peripheral nerves. Schwannomas are commonly located in the soft tissues of the head and neck, extremities, mediastinum, retroperitoneum, and pelvis, but they are very rare in the mesentery. A 56-y-old man was admitted to the emergency service with nausea, vomiting, acute abdominal pain, and constipation. He reported weight loss and an intra-abdominal mass. On physical examination, the abdomen was distended, and a mass that was approximately 15 cm in diameter was palpated at the middle abdomen. Generalized abdominal tenderness and muscle spasm were noted. Air-fluid levels were seen on plain radiographs. Ultrasonography identified an intra-abdominal mass with intra-abdominal hemorrhage or perforation. Clinical signs and laboratory findings suggested an intra-abdominal mass, mechanical bowel obstruction, and an acute abdomen. The patient underwent surgery. The mass was completely excised and included a 4-cm-long intestinal segment that was densely adherent to the mass. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical examination revealed a mesenteric schwannoma. The patient was well 11 mo after surgery. Although schwannomas are very rare and generally asymptomatic, these tumors can become quite large and may cause acute abdominal problems such as mechanical bowel obstruction.

A rare cause of acute abdomen: spontaneous common hepatic duct perforation.

Spontaneous extrahepatic bile duct perforation is generally seen in infants. Although rarely seen in adults, it may be seen with fatal bile peritonitis. Therefore, for a patient presenting with acute abdominal symptoms, differential diagnosis must be made with radiological imaging such as abdominal ultrasonography or computed tomography, without any loss of time. In these imaging tests, in cases of gallstone disease together with perihepatic free fluid or choledocus which can not be monitored, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis. An emergency surgical intervention should be planned to avoid serious complications. The aim of this paper was to present the rare cause of acute abdomen which developed associated with spontaneous common hepatic canal perforation in an adult.

Automated segmentation of the injured spleen.

PURPOSE: To develop a novel automated method for segmentation of the injured spleen using morphological properties following abdominal trauma. Average attenuation of a normal spleen in computed tomography (CT) does not vary significantly between subjects. However, in the case of solid organ injury, the shape and attenuation of the spleen on CT may vary depending on the time and severity of the injury. Timely assessment of the severity and extent of the injury is of vital importance in the setting of trauma. METHODS: We developed an automated computer-aided method for segmenting the injured spleen from CT scans of patients who had splenectomy due to abdominal trauma. We used ten subjects to train our computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) method. To validate the CAD method, we used twenty subjects in our testing group. Probabilistic atlases of the spleens were created using manually segmented data from ten CT scans. The organ location was modeled based on the position of the spleen with respect to the left side of the spine followed by the extraction of shape features. We performed the spleen segmentation in three steps. First, we created a mask of the spleen, and then we used this mask to segment the spleen. The third and final step was the estimation of the spleen edges in the presence of an injury such as laceration or hematoma. RESULTS: The traumatized spleens were segmented with a high degree of agreement with the radiologist-drawn contours. The spleen quantification led to [Formula: see text] volume overlap, [Formula: see text] Dice similarity index, [Formula: see text] precision/sensitivity, [Formula: see text] volume estimation error rate, [Formula: see text] average surface distance/root-mean-squared error. CONCLUSIONS: Our CAD method robustly segments the spleen in the presence of morphological changes such as laceration, contusion, pseudoaneurysm, active bleeding, periorgan and parenchymal hematoma, including subcapsular hematoma due to abdominal trauma. CAD of the splenic injury due to abdominal trauma can assist in rapid diagnosis and assessment and guide clinical management. Our segmentation method is a general framework that can be adapted to segment other injured solid abdominal organs.

Diagnostic utility of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) remains fatal in 50-70% of cases. AMI is recognized as a vascular emergency, requiring rapid and efficient clinical evaluation and treatment. In the present retrospective study, the possible utility of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the early diagnosis of AMI was explored. The potential use of this ratio to distinguish AMI from non-vascular bowel necrosis (NVBN) was investigated. METHODS: A total of 58 AMI, 62 NVBN, and 62 control patients were enrolled between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2015. Patients who underwent laparotomies and/or bowel resections to treat AMI were included, as were NVBN patients who underwent segmental bowel resection to treat incarcerated and strangulated hernias. Controls were patients who presented to the emergency room with non-specific abdominal pain. RESULTS: Mortality rate was 51.7% in the AMI and 4.8% in the NVBN groups. White blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and red cell distribution width (RDW) were highest in the AMI group. NLR was higher in the AMI and NVBN groups than in the control group (p<0.001), though no difference in NLR was found between the AMI and NVBN groups. In addition, WBC count, CRP level, and NLR were higher in the NVBN group than in the controls (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: We suggest that preoperative NLR aids in the diagnosis of AMI, and can be used to distinguish this condition from NVBN. NLR should be calculated, in addition to clinical examination.

Eyedrop-shaped, modified Limberg transposition flap in the treatment of pilonidal sinus disease.

BACKGROUND: Pilonidal sinus disease is an inflammatory disease seen in the intergluteal region, which is a commonly encountered problem in surgical practice that mostly affects young people. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the modified Limberg flap technique with eyedrop excision in the treatment of pilonidal sinus disease. PATIENTS: The study population consisted of 91 patients with pilonidal disease in the sacrococcygeal region who underwent operation between June 2010 and December 2012. All cases underwent eyedrop-shaped excision and modified Limberg flap reconstruction. RESULTS: The mean operative time was 41.2 ± 6.7 minutes. All patients were followed up for >8 months, and the mean follow-up period was 13.1 ± 3.7 months. There were three wound dehiscences because of fecal contamination and riding cycle on postoperative Day 5. Seroma and flap echimosis were observed in two and four cases, respectively. Five patients experienced recurrence in this series (4.5%). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that use of the eyedrop-shaped modified Limberg flap is associated with a lower maceration and recurrence rate when compared with the available data on the use of the Limberg flap. Flap necrosis and wound healing was better, and the routine use of drains did not affect the wound-related complications and recurrence rates.

Outpatient burn management and unnecessary referrals.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the profile of burn patients presented in our polyclinic and evaluate the current status in comparison to the treatment methods of past series. METHODS: Burn patients presented in the polyclinic in a one-year period were included into this prospective study. The records of all patients were examined in respect of gender, age, burn percentage, burn location, cause of burn, degree of burn, dressing material, number of dressings, type of treatment, place of trauma, and month of trauma. RESULTS: From a total of one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five patients presented, management was completed in the polyclinic for one thousand five hundred and eleven cases with a mean age of 27.9 years, with a female: male ratio of 0.88. While most patients were in the 18-64 age group, hot liquid burn was the leading cause in all age groups (p<0.05, p<0.001). Of the total patients, 89.6% were injured at home (p<0.001). The extremities were determined as the body area most often burned (p<0.001). While a single dressing was applied to 446 patients (29.5%), in 64.9% of cases polyclinic follow-up was terminated after the first 3 dressings. The mean number of dressings was greater in patients with deep dermal burns (mean 14.5, median 14, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: A higher incidence of burns was found due to increasing urban populations compared to previous years. Currently, the majority of patients are referred to a healthcare facilty near their residences for follow-up after a few dressings. Unneccessary presentation at specialist centres increases the workload of these centres and creates a burden of wasted time and transport expense for the patients. The application of current burn treatment principles in primary and secondary health facilities will reduce the workload of reference centres.

Rare cause of oesophagus perforation.

INTRODUCTION: Oesophagus perforations, which are generally caused by iatrogenic injuries, are a serious clinical event. There are still high rates of mortality and morbidity and there is no gold standard of surgical treatment. PRESENTATION OF CASE: The case is here presented of a 54-year old female with complaints of dysphagia after having swallowed a bone in food, who was determined with oesophagus perforation on CT examination. DISCUSSION: Oesophagus perforation generally occurs secondary to interventional procedures and rarely develops associated with foreign bodies. Treatment depends on the perforation site and dimension. CONCLUSION: While conservative primary surgical repair may be chosen for cervical lesions, more aggressive approaches such as resection and delayed reconstruction are recommended for thoracic lesions. Early determination and appropriate treatment are life-saving.