Feasibility of initiating robotic surgery during the early stages of gastrointestinal surgery education.

PURPOSE: Minimally invasive surgery for gastrointestinal cancers is rapidly advancing; therefore, surgical education must be changed. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of early initiation of robotic surgery education for surgical residents. METHODS: The ability of staff physicians and residents to handle robotic surgical instruments was assessed using the da Vinci® skills simulator (DVSS). The short-term outcomes of 32 patients with colon cancer who underwent robot-assisted colectomy (RAC) by staff physicians and residents, supervised by a dual console system, between August 2022 and March 2024 were compared. RESULTS: The performances of four basic exercises were assessed after implementation of the DVSS. Residents required less time to complete these exercises and achieved a higher overall score than staff physicians. There were no significant differences in the short-term outcomes, operative time, blood loss, incidence of postoperative complications, and length of the postoperative hospital stay of the two surgeon groups. CONCLUSION: Based on the evaluation involving the DVSS and RAC results, it appears feasible to begin robotic surgery training at an early stage of surgical education using a dual console system.

Distal Bypass Improves Skin Perfusion Pressure at the Whole Foot Regardless of Angiosomes in Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia.

Objectives: Distal bypass surgery's effect on tissue blood pressure beyond a focal angiosome remains debated. This study assessed tissue blood pressure in both direct revascularized angiosome (DRA) and indirect revascularized angiosome (IRA) after bypass surgery, utilizing repeated skin perfusion pressure (SPP) measurements. Methods: Twenty-nine limbs in 27 chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) patients (22 males and five females, age: 70.2 ± 9.3 years) who received distal bypass surgery were enrolled. SPP measurements were conducted for the DRA and IRA at 10 time intervals, encompassing both preoperative and postoperative periods of every 3-5 days until 30 days. Results: In total, 486 SPP measurements were collected from 58 measurement sites, and the transition of the SPP at the DRA was 35.4-62.5-59.5-70.2-58.2-62.2-63.1-63.6-63.8-73.4 mmHg and IRA was 29.4-53.4-53.7-58.8-51.3-63.1-47.9-62.1-57.6-61.0 mmHg. No significant differences were observed between SPP at the DRA and IRA. Fifteen wounds on the DRA (63%) and five on the IRA (100%) healed. Conclusion: Distal bypass improves SPP in both direct and IRAs of CLTI patients. These data indicated distal bypass improves tissue blood flow at entire foot regardless of angiosomes.

Spontaneous complete regression of pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysms with celiac artery occlusion after aorto-splenic bypass without additional treatment: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pancreaticoduodenal artery aneurysm (PDAA) is a rare, but fatal disease. However, the association between aneurysm size and the risk of rupture remains unclear. There are many options for therapeutic strategies that should be discussed well because the treatment options are often complicated and highly invasive. However, it remains unclear whether additional endovascular therapy is essential for all patients undergoing bypass surgery. Here, we present a case of triple PDAAs with celiac axis occlusion and spontaneous complete regression of inferior PDAAs (IPDAA) after aneurysmectomy of superior PDAA (SPDAA) and aorto-splenic bypass. CASE PRESENTATION: A 68-year-old woman presented with one SPDAA and two IPDAAs caused by celiac axis occlusion. Aneurysmectomy for IPDAAs was difficult because of their anatomical location and shape. Therefore, we planned a two-stage hybrid therapy. The patient underwent aorto-splenic bypass and resection of the SPDAA. Follow-up CT was performed to evaluate the IPDAAs before planned endovascular embolization. Spontaneous regression of the IPDAAs and normalized PDA arcade decreased the blood flow in the PDA arcade. The patient is doing well without graft occlusion, and the IPDAAs have completely regressed 7 years after surgery. CONCLUSION: Normalization of hyperinflow to the PDA arcade can lead to the regression of PDAA. Potentially, additional endovascular therapy may not be required in all cases when dilation of the PDA improves. However, more cases must be accumulated to establish criteria for predicting the risks of short- and long-term PDAA ruptures.

Long-Term Outcomes of Surgical Treatment by In Situ Graft Reconstruction for Infected Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.

Objectives: The optimal surgical management for primary infected abdominal aortic aneurysm (IAAA) is controversial. Here, we report the early and long-term results of surgical treatments with the resection of the IAAA and in situ graft reconstruction with pedicled omental coverage that was performed at out hospital. Methods: Between 2010 and 2017, 27 consecutive patients (26 males, 1 female, median age 69 years) with IAAA were surgically treated with the resection of the IAAA, in situ graft reconstruction and covered with a pedicled omental flap. Perioperative and long-term outcomes were reviewed retrospectively by medical records. Results: Clinical manifestations, including pyrexia, fever and abdominal pain, were observed during the treatment of the patients. Aneurysm excision and in situ graft reconstruction with omental coverage were performed for all cases. In 13 cases (48.1%), tissue culture was positive. The antibiotic was administered intravenously for 9 to 47 days (median 18 days) postoperatively, and after confirming the reduction of the inflammatory response, it was administered as oral agents for 24 to 443 days (median 169 days).There was no perioperative death or re-infection. Perioperative complications were found in 8 cases (29.6%) of minor spinal cord infarction, ileus, chylous ascites, and cholangitis due to choledochlithiasis. During the observation period of median 1,147 days, there was no recurrence of infection, graft infection, or disease-related death. There were six deaths due to other diseases. And the overall survival rate was 76.2%. Conclusion: According to our study, the long-term outcomes of surgical treatment with in situ graft reconstruction for IAAA were considered satisfactory. (This is a translation of Jpn J Vasc Surg 2019; 28: 35-40.).

Oral Steroid Use and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Expansion　- Positive Association.

BACKGROUND: The maximum axial diameter (MAD) of a fusiform abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an indicator of the risk of expansion or rupture. Apart from smoking and MAD itself, few expansion risk factors have been reported. In this study, we investigated expansion risk factors for AAA.Methods and Results:This retrospective cohort study included 176 patients who attended Tohoku University Hospital with infrarenal fusiform AAA. AAA expansion rate was determined on multidetector computed tomography, and the correlations between expansion rate and the clinical data were analyzed. The median expansion rate was 2.405 mm/year. On univariate analysis, a significant positive correlation with expansion rate was observed for the initial MAD (P<0.001) and significant negative correlations for oral angiotensin receptor blocker usage (P=0.025), height (P=0.005), body weight (P=0.017), total cholesterol (P=0.007), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.004), and HbA1c (P=0.037). On logistic regression analysis, significant positive associations with expansion rate were observed for initial MAD (P<0.001) and oral steroid usage (P=0.029) and a negative association for height (P=0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Oral steroid usage is an important risk factor for AAA expansion, independent of other risk factors of atherosclerosis and MAD.

Efficacy of iliac inflow repair in patients with concomitant iliac and superficial femoral artery occlusive disease.

BACKGROUND: In multilevel arterial disease, whether complete revascularization or staged runoff repair should be performed remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of iliac inflow repair and to identify clinical conditions that are associated with the need for runoff repair in concomitant iliac and superficial femoral artery (SFA) occlusive disease. METHODS: Patients undergoing inflow repair for complicated flow-limiting iliac lesions with diffuse SFA disease between 2007 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with poor response to inflow repair underwent infrainguinal revascularization (IIR). RESULTS: The 29 ischemic limbs examined in this study represent 26 different patients (22 males; mean age, 77 ± 8 years). Indications for inflow repair were Rutherford Classifications III (31%), IV (31%), V (31%), and VI (7%). Severity of the complicated SFA disease was either TASC (TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus) type C (14%) or type D (86%). Overall, freedom from IIR was 90% after 30 days and 83% after 1 year. Patients having claudication, rest pain, and shallow ischemic ulcers experienced the relief of symptoms, whereas patients with deep gangrene that needed minor amputation required IIR more frequently (p < 0.01). Anatomical risk factors for poor response to inflow repair were poor quality of the deep femoral artery (p < 0.01) and the flow-limiting popliteal artery (p = 0.02), and poor below-knee runoff (≤ 1 vessel, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Iliac inflow repair can reverse the symptoms in patients with multilevel arterial occlusive disease that are not associated with gangrenous toes.

Long-Term Outcomes of Surgical Treatment with In Situ Graft Reconstruction for Secondary Aorto-Enteric Fistula.

Objectives: The optimal surgical management for secondary aorto-enteric fistula (sAEF) is controversial. Here, we report the long-term outcomes of a surgical treatment with in situ graft reconstruction for sAEF that was performed at our hospital. Methods: Between 2009 and 2012, 10 consecutive patients (8 males, 2 females, mean age 75.9 years) with sAEF were surgically treated with in situ graft reconstruction. Perioperative and long-term outcomes were reviewed retrospectively by medical records. Results: Clinical manifestations, including gastrointestinal bleeding, shock, sepsis, and back and abdominal pain, were observed during the treatment of the patients. In all the cases, the fistula was found between the duodenum or small intestine and the graft anastomosis, the graft itself, or pseudoaneurysm. Total graft excision and in situ graft reconstruction with omental coverage and digestive tract reconstruction was performed for all cases. There were two operative deaths because of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and sepsis. The other patients showed no sAEF related complications, such as graft infection, and were alive during the 54-month mean follow-up period (33-76 months). Conclusion: According to our study, the long-term outcomes of surgical treatment with in situ graft reconstruction for sAEF were considered satisfactory. (This article is a translation of Jpn J Vasc Surg 2016; 25: 1-6.).

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy improves the walking ability of patients with peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication.

BACKGROUND: Despite the recent advances in bypass surgery and catheter interventional therapy for peripheral artery disease (PAD), the long-term outcome of revascularization therapy for infrapopliteal lesions remains unsatisfactory. We have previously demonstrated that low-energy extracorporeal shock wave (SW) therapy effectively induces neovascularization through upregulation of angiogenic factors and improves myocardial ischemia in pigs and humans and in hindlimb ischemia in rabbits. In this study, we thus examined whether our SW therapy also improves the walking ability of patients with PAD and intermittent claudication. METHODS AND RESULTS: We treated 12 patients (19 limbs) in Fontaine II stage (males/females, 10/2; 60-86 years old) with low-energy SW therapy to their ischemic calf muscle 3 times/week for 3 consecutive weeks. After 24 weeks, the pain and distance subscale scores of the walking impairment questionnaire were significantly improved (33±25 vs. 64±26, 27±16 vs. 64±23, respectively, both P<0.01). Maximum walking distance was also significantly improved at 4 weeks (151±37% from baseline, P<0.01) and was maintained at 24 weeks (180±74% from baseline, P<0.01). Moreover, the recovery time of the tissue oxygenation index in the calf muscle during a treadmill test, which reflects local O2 supply, was significantly shortened (295±222s vs. 146±137s, P<0.01). Importantly, no adverse effects were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Non-invasive SW therapy improves the walking ability of PAD patients.