Indocyanine green in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: utility and correlation with a preoperative risk score.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare the visualization of the cystic duct-common bile duct junction with indocyanine green (ICG) among 3 groups of patients divided according to the difficulty of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: Conducted at a single center, this non-randomized, prospective, observational study encompassed 168 patients who underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy and were assessed with a preoperative risk score to predict difficult cholecystectomies, including clinical factors and radiological findings. Three groups were identified: low, moderate, and high risk. A dose of 0.25 mg of IV ICG was administered during anesthesia induction and the different objectives were evaluated. RESULTS: The visualization of the cystic duct-common bile duct junction was achieved in 28 (100%), 113 (91.1%), and 10 (63%) patients in the low, moderate, and high-risk groups, respectively. The high-risk group had longer total operative time, higher conversion, more complications and longer hospital stay. In the surgeon's subjective assessment, ICG was considered useful in 36% of the low-risk group, 58% in the moderate-risk group, and 69% in the high-risk group. Additionally, there were no cases where ICG modified the surgeon's surgical approach in the low-risk group, compared to 11% in the moderate-risk group and 25% in the high-risk group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study confirm that in the case of difficult cholecystectomies, the visualization of the cystic duct-common bile duct junction is achieved in 63% of cases and prompts a modification of the surgical procedure in one out of four patients.

Need for a targeted perioperative antibiotic treatment protocol for patients with preoperative biliary drainage undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the bacterobilia in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) based on whether they carry a preoperative biliary drainage or not and to analyse if a targeted perioperative antibiotic treatment based on the expected microbiology leads in no differences in Surgical Site Infections (SSI) between the groups. METHODS: Retrospective observational single-center study of patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy with preoperative biliary stent (group P, Prosthesis) and without stent (group NP, No Prosthesis). Postoperative complications including SSI and its subtypes were analyzed after applying a targeted perioperative antibiotic treatment protocol with cefotaxime and metronidazole (group NP) and piperacillin-tazobactam (group P). RESULTS: Between January 2014 and December 2021, 127 patients were treated (84 in group NP and 43 in group P). Intraoperative cultures were positive in 16.7% (group NP) vs 76.7% (group P, p < 0.01). Microorganisms isolated in group NP included Enterobacterales (10.7%) and Enterococcus spp. (7.1%) with no Candida detected. In group P: Enterobacterales (51.2%), Enterococcus spp. (48.8%), and Candida (16.3%) were higher (p < 0.01%). No differences in morbidity and mortality were observed between the groups. SSI rate was 17.8% in group NP and 23.2% in group P (ns). CONCLUSION: Bacterobilia differs in patients with biliary drainage, showing a higher presence of Enterobacterales, Enterococcus spp., and Candida. There were no differences in SSI incidence after applying perioperative antibiotic treatment tailored to the expected microorganisms in each group. This raises the need to reconsider conventional surgical prophylaxis in patients with biliary stent.

Robotic liver surgery: A new reality. Descriptive analysis of 220 cases of minimally invasive liver surgery in 182 patients.

INTRODUCTION: The level of recommendation of the robotic approach in liver surgery is controversial. The objective of the study is to carry out a single-center retrospective descriptive analysis of the short-term results of the robotic and laparoscopic approach in liver surgery during the same period. METHODS: Descriptive analysis of the short-term results of the robotic and laparoscopic approach on 220 resections in 182 patients undergoing minimally invasive liver surgery. RESULTS: Between April 2018 and June 2022, a total of 92 robotic liver resections (RLR) were performed in 83 patients and 128 laparoscopic (LLR) in 99 patients. The LLR group showed a higher proportion of major surgery (P < .001) and multiple resections (P = .002). The two groups were similar in anatomical resections (RLR 64.1% vs. LLR 56.3%). In the LLS group, the average operating time was 212 min (SD 52.1). Blood loss was 276.5 mL (100-1000) and conversion 12.1%. Mean hospital stay was 5.7 (SD 4.9) days. Morbidity was 27.3% and 2% mortality. In the RLS group, the mean operative time was 217 min (SD 53.6), blood loss 169.5 mL (100.900), and conversion 2.5%. Mean hospital stay was 4.1 (SD 2.1) days. Morbidity was 15%, with no mortality. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive liver surgery is a safe technique, and in particular, RLS allows liver resections to be performed safely and reproducibly; it appears to be a non-inferior technique to LLS, but randomized studies are needed to determine the minimally invasive approach of choice in liver surgery.

Venous resection in pancreatic oncologic surgery: Different techniques for different situations.

INTRODUCTION: To report the clinical results of patients with malignant pancreatic lesions who underwent oncological surgery with vascular resection. The type of intervention performed, types of vascular reconstruction, the pathological anatomy results, postoperative morbidity and mortality, and survival at 3 and 5 years were analyzed. METHODS: Retrospective, cross-sectional and comparative analysis. We include 41 patients with malignant pancreatic lesions who underwent surgery with vascular resection due to vascular involvement, from 2013 to 2021. RESULTS: The most performed surgery was pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure) using median laparotomy, in 35 out of the 41 patients (85%). One of the cases in the series was performed laparoscopically. Type 1 reconstruction (simple suture) was performed in 11 (27%) patients, type 2 in 4 (10%) cases, type 3 (end-to-end) in 23 (56%) cases, and type 4 reconstruction by autologous graft in 3 (7%) cases. The mean length of the resected venous segment was 21 (11-46) mm, and mean surgical time was 290 (220-360) minutes. 90% (37/41) were pancreatic adenocarcinoma. 83% were considered R0, and there was involvement in the resected vascular section in 41% of the cases. Four patients had Clavien Dindo morbidity >3, and there were no cases of postoperative mortality. Survival at 3 years was 48% and at 5 years 20%. CONCLUSIONS: The aggressive surgical treatment with venous resection in pancreatic malignant lesions to ensure R0 and its vascular reconstruction is a feasible technique, with an acceptable morbid-mortality rate and overall survival.

Long-term results of liver-first approach strategy in patients with advanced synchronous liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The "liver-first" approach (LFA) is a strategy indicated for advanced synchronous liver metastases (ASLM) from colorectal cancer (CRC). Includes neoadjuvant chemotherapy, resection of the ASLM followed by CRC resection. METHODS: Retrospective descriptive analysis from a prospective database of hepatectomies from liver metastases (LM) from CRC in two centers. Between 2007-2019, 88 patients with CRC-ASLM were included in a LFA scheme. Bilobar (LM) was present in 65.9%, the mean number of lesions was 5.5 and mean size 42.7 mm. Response to treatment was assessed by RECIST criteria. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS: Seventy-five of 88 patients (85.2%) completed the LFA. RECIST evaluation showed partial response in 75.7% and stable disease in 22.8%. Severe morbidity rate (Clavien-Dindo ≥ IIIA) after liver and colorectal surgery was present in 29.4% and 9.3%, respectively. There was no 90-day postoperative mortality in both liver and colorectal surgeries. Recurrence rate was 76%, being the liver the most frequent site, followed by the pulmonary. From the total number of recurrences (106) in 56 patients, surgical with chemotherapy rescue treatment was accomplished in 34 of them (32.1%). The mean PFS was 8.5 and 5-year OS was 53%. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with CRC-ASLM the LFA allows control of the liver disease beforehand and an assessment of the tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, optimising the chance of potentially curative liver resection, which influences long-term survival.