A foundation for evaluating the surgical artificial intelligence literature.

With increasing growth in applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in surgery, it has become essential for surgeons to gain a foundation of knowledge to critically appraise the scientific literature, commercial claims regarding products, and regulatory and legal frameworks that govern the development and use of AI. This guide offers surgeons a framework with which to evaluate manuscripts that incorporate the use of AI. It provides a glossary of common terms, an overview of prerequisite knowledge to maximize understanding of methodology, and recommendations on how to carefully consider each element of a manuscript to assess the quality of the data on which an algorithm was trained, the appropriateness of the methodological approach, the potential for reproducibility of the experiment, and the applicability to surgical practice, including considerations on generalizability and scalability.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Surge on Surgical Outcomes: A Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, including surgical care. While many studies examined the effect of the pandemic on different patient outcomes, there are none to date examining the impact of the pandemic surge on surgical outcomes. Our aim is to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 surges on surgical outcomes using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database. METHODS: A single-center retrospective analysis of 7436 patients who underwent surgery between February 2020 and December 2022 was conducted. Patients were divided into those who underwent surgery during the surge of the pandemic (n = 1217) or outside that period (n = 6219). Primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and morbidity. Secondary outcomes included 30-day mortality, operation time, transfusion, reoperation, and specific postoperative complications. Multivariable logistic regression was used in our analysis. All analyses were conducted using the software "R" version 4.2.1. Statistical significance was set at α = .05 level. RESULTS: After adjusting for confounders, we found no significant difference in 30-day mortality and morbidity (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: .89-1.226, P = .5173) or 30-day mortality only (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: .788-2.14, P = .1364) between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in secondary outcomes. Sensitivity analyses yielded similar results to the multivariable logistic regression. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence of increased 30-day mortality and morbidity in patients undergoing surgery during the COVID-19 surges compared to those undergoing surgery outside that period. Our results suggest that surgical care was maintained despite the challenges of the pandemic surges.

Gastric cancer complicated by paraneoplastic neurological syndrome which presented with extremity numbness: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes refer to a group of neurological disorders, which occur as distant effects of malignant tumors and are not caused by metastasis, nutritional disorders, or side effects of antitumor drugs. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old woman complained of a 1-month history of extremity numbness. Upon presentation to our hospital, she had worsening numbness, and experienced staggering and falling. Physical examination revealed diminished tendon reflexes in both lower limbs, stocking and glove-type abnormal sensation, and left-sided dominant high-steppage gait due to weakness of the bilateral tibialis anterior muscles. Blood tests indicated anemia, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed gastric cancer, leading to laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. A nerve conduction velocity test showed demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. Further blood tests and imaging studies ruled out nutritional disorders, such as vitamin deficiency, diabetes-related diseases, connective tissue diseases, and central nervous system metastasis, leading to the suspicion of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome. After laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, the progression of symptoms stopped, and with intravenous high-dose immunoglobulin and steroid therapy, the symptoms improved to only minor numbness in the peripheral limbs as of the 18-month follow-up. As of the 2-year follow-up, there has been no cancer recurrence or metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: When paraneoplastic neurological syndrome is suspected, early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach, including surgical treatment, are important before irreversible neurological damage occurs.

Pancreatic morphological abnormality that was challenging to differentiate from an ectopic pancreas: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Protrusion of the lateral contour of the pancreatic head is a pancreatic morphological abnormality, which is known as rare shape atypia. We present a rare case of protrusion of the lateral contour of the pancreatic head, which was challenging to distinguish from an ectopic pancreas. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 40-year-old man with a history of acute pancreatitis that occurred twice in the past. He complained of epigastric pain since the day before the visit; his blood workup showed high serum amylase level and a CT scan revealed a 25-mm-large mass with contrast effect from the anterior wall of the gastric pylorus to the duodenum and increased surrounding fatty tissue density. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a mass lesion in the gastric pylorus with continuity with the gastric wall and suspected partial continuity with the pancreatic head. Thus, the possibility of pancreatic morphological abnormality or an ectopic pancreas was considered. Following which, resection was attempted and intraoperative findings showed a wide extension of the pancreatic parenchyma from the pancreatic head to the anterior wall of the gastric pylorus to the duodenal bulb. Since the patient only had mild pancreatitis, the resection was judged to be too invasive and was completed by exploratory laparoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Even if the findings on preoperative CT are suspicious for an ectopic pancreas or tumor, a pancreatic morphological abnormality, such as a protrusion of the lateral contour of the pancreatic head, should be included in the differential diagnosis.

Ischemic proctitis 6 months after laparoscopic sigmoidectomy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic colitis is a common disease; however, its pathophysiology remains unclear, especially in ischemic proctitis after sigmoidectomy. We present a rare case of ischemic proctitis 6 months after laparoscopic sigmoidectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 60-year-old man with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. He was a smoker. He underwent laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for pathological stage I sigmoid colon cancer and was followed up without any adjuvant therapy. Six months after his surgery, he complained of lower abdominal discomfort, bloody stools, and tenesmus. Colonoscopy showed extensive rectal ulcers between the anastomotic site and the anal canal, which was particularly severe on the anal side several centimeters beyond the anastomosis. We provided non-surgical management, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The rectal ulcers had healed 48 days after the therapeutic intervention. He has not experienced any recurrence for 3.5 years. CONCLUSIONS: While performing sigmoidectomy, it is important to consider the blood backflow from the anal side of the bowel carefully, especially for patients with risk factors of ischemic proctitis.

Periostin as a novel biomarker for postoperative recurrence of chronic rhinosinitis with nasal polyps.

We previously reported that chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) was subdivided into four chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) subtypes using the JESREC scoring system. We sought to identify the gene expression profile and biomarkers related with CRSwNP by RNA-sequence. RNA-sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed genes between nasal polyps (NPs) and inferior turbinate mucosa from 6 patients with CRSwNP, and subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR was performed to verify the results. ELISA was performed to identify possible biomarkers for postoperative recurrence. In the RNA-sequencing results, periostin (POSTN) expression was the highest in NP. We focused on POSTN and investigated the protein level of POSTN by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. POSTN was diffusely expressed in moderate and severe eosinophilic CRS using immunohistochemistry, and its staining pattern was associated with the severity of the phenotype of the CRSwNP (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference between the POSTN high/low groups for postoperative recurrence when the cutoff point was set at 115.5 ng/ml (P = 0.0072). Our data suggests that the protein expression level of POSTN was associated with the severity of CRSwNP, and serum POSTN can be a novel biomarker for postoperative recurrence of CRSwNP.

The expression of protease-activated receptors in chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: A recent study suggested that protease-activated receptors (PARs) are involved in allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most common chronic airway diseases, but little is understood about its pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to compare the expression and distribution of PARs in biopsy specimens obtained from CRS and control patients. METHODS: Biopsy specimens were obtained from 7 pituitary tumor patients as controls, 8 CRS patients with aspirin-tolerant asthma (ATA), 7 CRS patients with aspirin-induced asthma (AIA), and 7 CRS patients without asthma (CRS). Sections were stained for PAR-1, PAR-2, PAR-3 and PAR-4 using specific polyclonal antibodies. Staining was scored semiquantitatively for both intensity and distribution. To confirm the presence of PARs on inflammatory cells, double staining with eosinophil cationic protein (EG2) and elastase was also performed. RESULTS: Both the epithelium and the infiltrating inflammatory cells in the CRS with asthma groups showed significant upregulation of the expression of PAR-2 and PAR-3 compared with the CRS without asthma group and the control group. In the patients with CRS complicated by asthma, eosinophils were increased among PAR-2- and PAR-3-positive cells. In the patients with CRS not complicated by asthma, neutrophils were increased among PAR-2-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the expression of PAR-2 and PAR-3 on epithelial cells, eosinophils and neutrophils may be involved in the pathogenesis of CRS. CRS may be able to be treated by targeting PAR-2 and PAR-3.

[Evaluation of clinical features of antrochoanal polyps].

Current knowledge on the prevalence and clinical features of antrochoanal polyps (ACPs), benign lesions arising in the maxillary sinus and extending into the choana, is very limited in Japan. We prospectively evaluated prevalence and clinical features in 15 subjects with ACPs from among 728 undergoing endoscopic endonasal sinus surgery between April 2007 and March 2008, and prospectively enrolled in this study. The 15 subjects, who accounted for 2.1% of the total, had nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, and postnasal drip. Symptoms significantly reduced postoperatively. Maxillary-sinus-origin ACP distribution was 40% from the maxillary sinus floor to the posterior wall, 26.7% from maxillary sinus floor, and 20% from the maxillary sinus floor to the internal wall. Postoperative recurrence was 13.3%. Endoscopic endonasal sinus surgery for ACPs was most effective for polyp is originating in the maxillary sinus determined carefully and excised as completely as possible, followed by appropriate postoperative treatment.

[Endoscopic sinus surgery complications a prospective multicenter study].

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the rate of complications in endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and associated risk factors. METHODS: We prospectively studied 1,382 subjects undergoing ESS for rhinosinusitis and cystic sinus disease at 16 hospitals during 2007 and 2008. Surgeons provided information on peri-and postoperative complication occurrence. RESULT: Results of complications were seen in 80 subjects (5.8%), the most frequent was perioperative lamina papyracea injury. Analysis showed the complication rate to be linked to gender, and anesthesia type, but not the grade of surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: While care should be taken to avoid them, complications should be identified and treated in a timely and accurate manner.

[Blowout fracture repositioning by fenestration].

Blowout fracture repositioning is done, surgically, infraorbitally, transnasally following endoscopic sinus surgery, and transantrally. Repositioning using fenestration is minimally invasive compared to the conventional Caldwell Luc procedure. Subjects involved 21 cases, and was under the medical treatment. I estimated the treatment results as the improvement degree of subjective symptoms at the improvement degree of the visible symptom views that used a Hess chart. As a result, the fenestration method showed good improvement degree, and it was not the thing which had the big vice-damage. Fenestration thus is useful in blowout fracture repositioning.

Chronic rhinosinusitis: risk factors for the recurrence of chronic rhinosinusitis based on 5-year follow-up after endoscopic sinus surgery.

BACKGROUND: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is one of the most frequent chronic diseases in the US, and little is understood about its pathogenesis. This study was conducted to characterize, retrospectively, the clinical, objective and immunological parameters that accompany recurrence of CRS during long-term follow-up after surgery. METHODS: Fifty-six patients with CRS who had undergone endoscopic sinus surgery were followed up for 5 years after the surgery. The CRS parameters chosen were as follows: history of asthma and/or allergic rhinitis, peripheral eosinophilia of at least 520 cells/microl, peripheral eosinophil count, total IgE, presence of polyps, CT score, presence of fungi (positive fungal culture or stain), mucus or mucosal eosinophilia, mucosal eosinophil count, presence of acute infection after surgery, gender and age. Individual correlations and stepwise regression were performed. RESULTS: Patients with a total peripheral eosinophil count of 520/microl or more and those with asthma were likely to experience recurrence of CRS within 5 years after surgery. Furthermore, patients with mucus or mucosal eosinophilia who were diagnosed as having eosinophilic CRS (ECRS) showed a high incidence of recurrence within 5 years. The parameter of mucus or mucosal eosinophilia (diagnosis of ECRS) had a positive predictive value of 85.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons should always examine the inflammatory infiltrate of nasal polyps or the paranasal mucosa, and patients with ECRS require anti-inflammatory medications, such as steroids, for a long time after surgery. Long-term follow-up is also essential.