Laparoscopic resection of a large paraganglioma arising in the organ of Zuckerkandl: Report of a case and review of the literature.

Paragangliomas are catecholamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumours arising from chromaffin tissue at extra-adrenal sites. The commonest site for a paraganglioma is the organ of Zuckerkandl. Traditional treatment of paraganglioma of organ of Zuckerkandl (POZ) involves open surgical resection, and only a few cases of laparoscopic approach to this pathology have been reported. We report the successful laparoscopic resection of a large POZ in a 22-year-old woman and review the previous cases reporting a laparoscopic approach to this rare tumour.

Stapled haemorrhoidopexy for prolapsed haemorrhoids: short- and long-term experience.

OBJECTIVE: In prolapsed haemorrhoids, there is a permanent outward displacement of the mucosa of the anal canal, often involving the rectal mucosa. On this background, Longo set up a technique in 1998 to reduce haemorrhoidal prolapse, using a circular stapler. The aim of this study is to report our 7 years of experience on patients treated using this new surgical technique for haemorrhoids. METHODS: Between October 1998 and June 2005, 496 patients were treated by stapled haemorrhoidopexy. We analysed data from 300 of these patients in whom follow-up was longer than 12 months. RESULTS: The duration of the procedure ranged from 12 to 45 minutes. In 184 patients (37%), haemostatic stitches of the suture line were necessary after firing the stapler. Pain score (visual analogue scale, 1-10) after 24 hours ranged from 2 to 4 and after 5 days from 1 to 3. The average length of hospital stay was 2.3 days. Long-term results showed that only 9% of patients required further treatment after long follow-up, while 10.1% complained of some discomfort or residual symptoms in the perianal region. CONCLUSION: Our short- and long-term results show that stapled haemorrhoidopexy for haemorrhoids is a safe procedure with less pain and lower complication rate compared to conventional haemorrhoidectomy.

Laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy for bilateral cortisol-secreting adenomas.

Bilateral cortisol-secreting adenomas are a rare cause of Cushing's syndrome. We report a case of a 35-year-old woman who presented with ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome and bilateral adrenal adenomas. Adrenal venous sampling confirmed both adenomas to be hyper-secreting cortisol. She underwent bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy; total right and partial left adrenalectomies. At 2-year follow-up, she is maintained on low-dose fludrocortisone and hydrocortisone, and without recurrence of hypercorticolism. Laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy is a feasible option for this rare condition; however, long-term follow-up is needed to determine her total independence from steroid usage.

Managing intra-operative complications during totally extraperitoneal repair of inguinal hernia.

Laparoscopic inguinal hernia repairs are looked upon as technically demanding procedures having have a stiff 'learning curve' associated with its performance in terms of clinical outcome and patient's satisfaction. Complication rates have been shown to drop with increased surgical experience. The complication rate for laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernia ranges from less than 3% to as high as 20%. Complications of a totally extraperitoneal (TEP) repair include general complications that occur with any surgical procedure and anesthesia, mesh-related complications and those specific to the TEP procedure, like visceral injury, vascular injury, nerve injury and injury to the cord. Intraoperative complications can occur at every step of the operation, even though some of them are only occasionally reported. However, it is important to analyze all of them chronologically, so that we can define methods to prevent them or tackle them if they occur. Risk reduction strategies are required to improve the clinical outcome of TEP and this must be adopted for each individual surgical step.

Laparoscopic Resection of a Renal Hilar Pheochromocytoma in an Adolescent With a Circumaortic Left Renal Vein.

Pheochromocytoma is a neuroendocrine tumor that usually develops from the chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla. Extra-adrenal pheochromocytomas arise in the neural crest cells of the retroperitoneal paraganglia and renal hilum is a common site for their occurrence. We describe a 17-year-old boy, whom we believe to be the first reported case of successful laparoscopic resection of a renal hilar extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma in the setting of a circumaortic left renal vein.

Laparoscopic repair of left paraduodenal hernia: Report of two cases and review of the literature.

Internal hernia is the cause of only 1% of intestinal obstructions, and left paraduodenal hernias (PDH) comprise about 50% of these cases. As the presentation of PDH is varied, diagnosis is often delayed. Here, we report two patients with left PDH presenting in a subacute manner and diagnosed rapidly with the help of a CT scan. Both underwent successful laparoscopic repair; one patient had closure of the defect, and the other required excision of the sac prior to the closure. We review 21 cases of left PDH treated laparoscopically that were previously reported in the literature, including 14 from Asian countries.

Transabdominal preperitoneal repair of a port-site incisional hernia.

A 47-year-old woman presented with an incisional hernia at the site of a 10-mm port placed in the left iliac fossa during laparoscopic oopherectomy performed 6 years previously. The hernia was repaired laparoscopically by a transabdominal preperitoneal approach using one 10-mm and two 5-mm ports. Adherent omentum was reduced from the sac and a wide flap of peritoneum extending 5 cm on all sides of the fascial defect was raised. The peritoneum was circumcised around the neck of the sac, leaving the sac undisturbed. A 12 x 12 cm polypropylene mesh was placed in the preperitoneal plane and secured in place with endoscopic spiral tackers. The peritoneal incision was approximated with a running 2-0 polyglactin suture. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged after 48 hours. She resumed normal activity within 5 days and remains well one year later. A transabdominal preperitoneal repair seems a feasible alternative for repair of port-site incisional hernias that usually occur through a single and small fascial defect.

Laparoscopic management of antenatally-diagnosed abdominal cysts in newborns.

We report two newborns each detected to have a large intra-abdominal cyst on antenatal ultrasonography. Postnatal imaging confirmed presence of the cysts and showed a complex cyst with multiple septae in the first patient and evidence of bleeding in both. Laparoscopy performed on the 14th and 19th day of life, respectively, showed ovarian cysts with hemorrhage and torsion. The cysts were treated successfully by laparoscopic oopherectomy. Histopathology revealed an ovarian gonadoblastoma in the first patient and a simple cyst with calcification in the second. Both patients remain well at a follow up of six and four months. Laparoscopic treatment of antenatally detected cystic abdominal masses is a feasible option in the newborn.

Thoracoscopic window for a post-coronary artery bypass grafting pericardial effusion.

We report the case of a 60-year-old man presenting with a symptomatic, posteriorly loculated, pericardial effusion, and a concomitant pleural effusion a month after coronary artery bypass grafting. Following the initial insertion of an intercostal drain, he was treated by thoracoscopic creation of a pericardial window. His postoperative recovery was uneventful, and he remains well 6 months post-procedure. Creation of a thoracoscopic pericardial window is a safe and feasible option in the management of patients with loculated pericardial effusions.

Laparo-endoscopic single-site left adrenalectomy using conventional ports and instruments.

Laparo-endoscopic single-site adrenalectomy (LESS-A) is commonly performed using specialized access devices and/or instruments. We report a LESS-A in a 47-year-old woman with a left aldosteranoma via a subcostal approach utilizing conventional laparoscopic ports and instruments. The feasibility and cost-effectiveness of this approach are highlighted and the literature on the subject is reviewed.

Prevention and management of complications of laparoscopic splenectomy.

Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) has become a commonly performed minimal-access operation. With increasing experience, surgeons are undertaking LS for multiple pathologies and tackling spleens of diverse sizes. LS remains a challenging procedure to be performed by experienced laparoscopic surgeons, well supported by a team. Bleeding remains the commonest intraoperative complication and perhaps the commonest reason for conversion to a laparotomy. Although the incidence of postoperative complications following LS is lower than that after open splenectomy, thrombosis of the splenoportal axis is being increasingly recognised. The present review describes both the common as well as uncommon intraoperative and postoperative complications of LS and outlines measures to be taken for their prevention and management.

Retroperitoneoscopic drainage of a psoas abscess.

Pyogenic psoas abscess in the pediatric age group is a primary condition caused mostly by Staphylococcus aureus. The preferred treatment is percutaneous or surgical drainage under a cover of systemic antibiotics. Laparoscopic drainage scores over open surgery in terms of minimal invasion, shorter hospital stay, better patient comfort, and more complete drainage compared with the percutaneous approach. The authors report a case of a 4-year-old boy with a psoas abscess that was effectively drained laparoscopically through an extraperitoneal approach.