Robotic versus laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for left-sided pancreatic tumors: a single surgeon's experience of 228 consecutive cases.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) has gained popularity for the treatment of left-sided pancreatic tumors. Robotic systems represent the most recent advancement in minimally invasive surgical treatment for such tumors. Theoretically, robotic systems are considered to have several advantages over laparoscopic systems. However, there have been few studies comparing both systems in the treatment of distal pancreatectomy. We compared perioperative and oncological outcomes between the two treatment modalities. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of all consecutive minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy cases performed by a single surgeon at a high-volume center between January 2015 and December 2017. RESULTS: The analysis included 228 consecutive patients (LDP, n = 182; Robotic-assisted laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy [R-LDP], n = 46). Operative time was significantly longer in the R-LDP group than in the LDP group (166.4 vs. 140.7 min; p = 0.001). In a subgroup analysis of patients who underwent the spleen-preserving approach, the spleen preservation rate associated with R-LDP was significantly higher than that associated with LDP (96.8% vs. 82.5%; p = 0.02). In another subgroup analysis of patients with pancreatic cancer, there were no significant differences in median overall and disease-free survival between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: R-LDP is a safe and feasible approach with perioperative and oncological outcomes comparable to those of LDP. R-LDP offers an added technical advantage that enables the surgeon to perform a complex procedure with good ergonomic comfort.

Trends in brain-dead organ donor characteristics: a 13-year analysis.

BACKGROUND: Driven by disease trends, such as obesity and metabolic syndrome, that are increasingly prevalent in the general population, we aimed to evaluate the comorbidities and attributes of the brain-dead organ donor population over time in a longitudinal study. METHODS: We compared overall health and baseline attributes of organ donors between 2000-2005 and 2006-2012 using our prospective transplant database. Descriptive and comparative analyses of the 2 historical cohorts were performed. RESULTS: A total of 1040 brain-dead organ donors were included in our analysis: 496 from the 2000-2005 period and 544 from the 2006-2012 period. Our analysis revealed that donors from the recent (2006-2012) period were more likely to have increased body mass index (26.4 ± 6.0 v. 25.0 ± 4.8, p = 0.003), smoking history (57.0% v. 27.2%, p < 0.001), coronary artery disease (14.3% v. 3.2%, p = 0.015) and dyslipidemia (19.1% v. 4.2%, p < 0.001), but less likely to have concurrent infection (1.1% v. 7.9%, p < 0.001) than those from the earlier period. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the characteristics and comorbidities of brain-dead organ donors have somewhat deteriorated over the last decade. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of these health attributes on donated organ utilization and outcomes.

CONTEXTE: Comme la prévalence de l'obésité et du syndrome métabolique est actuellement en hausse dans la population générale, nous avons voulu évaluer, dans une étude longitudinale, les comorbidités et les caractéristiques de la population de donneurs d'organes en état de mort cérébrale au fil du temps. MÉTHODES: Nous avons comparé la santé globale et les caractéristiques de base des donneurs d'organes de 2000-2005 et de 2006-2012 au moyen de notre base de données prospective sur les greffes. Des analyses descriptives et comparatives des 2 cohortes ont été effectuées. RÉSULTATS: Au total, 1040 donneurs d'organes en état de mort cérébrale ont été inclus dans notre analyse : 496 de la période de 2000-2005 et 544 de la période de 2006-2012. Notre analyse a révélé que les donneurs de la période récente (2006-2012) étaient plus susceptibles d'avoir un indice de masse corporelle élevé (26,4 ± 6,0 c. 25,0 ± 4,8, p = 0,003), des antécédents de tabagisme (57,0 % contre 27,2 %, p < 0,001), une coronaropathie (14,3 % c. 3,2 %, p = 0,015) et une dyslipidémie (19,1 % c. 4,2 %, p < 0,001), mais moins susceptibles d'avoir une infection concomitante (1,1 % c. 7,9 %, p < 0,001) que ceux de la période antérieure. CONCLUSION: Nos données semblent indiquer que les caractéristiques et les comorbidités des donneurs d'organes en état de mort cérébrale se sont quelque peu détériorées au cours de la dernière décennie. D'autres études sont nécessaires pour évaluer l'incidence de ces caractéristiques de santé sur l'utilisation des organes donnés et les résultats.

Multifocal Primary Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma With No Precursor Lesion: A Report of Two Cases.

The aim of this clinical case report is to highlight the unusual presentation of pancreatic malignancy in which multiple foci of primary adenocarcinoma involving the body and tail of the pancreas are associated with another primary pancreatic mass of adenocarcinoma in the pancreatic head with no precursor lesions in two cases. A retrospective medical chart review was performed at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to identify cases with confirmed multifocal pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Data collected include clinical evaluations and laboratory and imaging results. Informed consent was waived. There was no evidence of multifocal cancer on imaging. The unexpected intraoperative findings and pathology report necessitated a total pancreatectomy for both cases. A negative imaging does not rule out a multifocal pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Such awareness may help in the early detection of pancreatic cancer. Moreover, the presence of more than one primary cancer in one organ is a distinctive phenomena that needs further study.

Pancreatectomy for a secondary metastasis to the pancreas: A single-institution experience.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes of secondary metastasis to the pancreas in terms of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) after pancreatectomy.This retrospective study included 29 patients who underwent pancreatectomy for secondary metastasis to the pancreas between December 1995 and August 2016.The study group was divided into renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (17 patients) and non-RCC (12 patients). The non-RCC group had 5 cases of colorectal cancer and 7 of another primary origin. The OS for the whole cohort was 86.2% at 1 year, 63.2% at 3 years, and 46.7% at 5 years. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups at 1, 3, and 5 years survival and OS. In subgroup analysis of patients who underwent curative resection, there was no significant difference in OS between the 2 groups at 1, 3, and 5 years. However, there was a significant difference in recurrence rate at 3 years (P = .035). Pathologic analysis showed that the non-RCC group had significantly more positive lymph node metastasis than the RCC group (P = .002).Pancreatectomy for secondary metastasis has promising short- and long-term outcomes in terms of OS and DFS.

Hemobilia post laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A high index of suspicion and early identification and therapy are important points needed to prevent rupture. We report a case of complex biliary and vascular injuries 4 weeks after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patient had recurrent bleeding from a hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm that has been treated successfully with angiographic stenting and embolization.

Surgical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an epithelial tumor derived from hepatocytes; it accounts for 80% of all primary liver cancers and ranks globally as the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. HCC treatment is a multidisciplinary and a multimodal task, with surgery in the form of liver resection and liver transplantation (LT) representing the only potentially curative modality. However, there are variable opinions and discussions about applying these surgical options and using other supporting treatments. This article is a narrative review that includes articles published from 1984 to 2013 located by searching scientific databases such as PubMed, SCOPUS, and Elsevier, with the main keyword of hepatocellular carcinoma in addition to other keywords such as liver transplantation, liver resection, transarterial chemoembolization, portal vein embolization, bridging therapy, and downstaging. In this review, we focus mainly on the surgical treatment options offered for HCC, in order to illustrate the current relevant data available in the literature to help in applying these surgical options and to use other supporting treatment modalities when appropriate.

Post-transplant liver function score as an early surrogate marker of long-term outcome.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there is no universally accepted method to evaluate liver function post-orthotopic liver transplant (OLTx) and there are no early surrogate function markers to assess the impact of perioperative interventions in trial settings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 495 patients were included in the study. On multivariate analysis, PTLF score, defined as normal (score <4) or dysfunctional (score ≥ 4), was the only significant variable for determining significant complications (P=0.014) and graft survival (P=002) during the perioperative period. RESULTS: In total, 495 patients were included in the study. On multivariate analysis, PTLF score, defined as normal (score <4) or dysfunctional (score ≥ 4), was the only significant variable for determining significant complications (P=0.014) and graft survival (P=002) during the perioperative period. CONCLUSIONS: PTLF score shows promise as an early surrogate marker of post-orthotopic liver transplantation mortality and morbidity by providing results within the first 7 days post-transplantation. PTLF score can potentially be used as a tool to assess the impact of perioperative interventions by predicting long-term outcomes early in the clinical course of transplant patients.