Laparoscopic transversus abdominis plane block is useful in pain relief after laparoscopic stapled repair of diastasis recti and ventral hernia.

Background: There is still no consensus on perioperative pain control techniques in patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery; protocols of conventional therapy can be improved by the use of perioperative anaesthesiologic techniques, such as epidural or loco-regional analgesic administration as transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block. The aim of this evaluation was to investigate the role of laparoscopic-assisted TAP block during repair of diastasis recti associated with primary midline hernias in term of post-operative pain relief. Methods: This was a retrospective evaluation of a prospectively maintained database including patients undergoing laparoscopic repair of diastasis recti associated with primary ventral hernia. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A patients (n = 34) received laparoscopic-assisted bilateral TAP-block of 7.5 mg/ml ropivacaine for each side and Group B patients (n = 29) received conventional post-operative therapy. All patients received 24 h infusion of 20 mg morphine; pain was checked at 6, 24 and 48 h after surgery by numeric rating scale (NRS) score. A rescue analgesia by was given if NRS score was >4 or on patient request. Results: No differences in operative time, complications and post-operative stay, no complications related to TAP-block technique were found. Post-operative pain scores (determined by NRS) were found to be significantly different between groups. Group A patients showed a significant reduction in NRS score at 6, 24 and 48 h (P < 0.005) and in the number of patients requiring further analgesic drugs administration (P < 0.005) compared to Group B patients. Conclusions: Laparoscopic-guided TAP-block can be considered safe and effective in the management of post-operative pain and in the reduction of analgesic need in patients undergoing laparoscopic repair of diastasis recti and ventral hernias. The non-randomised nature of the study and the lack of a consistent series of patients require further evaluations.

Laparoscopic-Guided Ropivacaine Trocar-Site Infiltration Can Improve Post-Operative Pain Control after Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on pain control in patients undergoing laparoscopy; nowadays, conventional therapy may be improved by transversus abdominis plane block. The aim of this evaluation is to investigate the role of laparoscopic-assisted trocar-site ropivacaine infiltration during adrenalectomy in pain control. METHODS: This is a retrospective evaluation of a prospectively maintained database including patients undergoing adrenalectomy. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Group A patients received laparoscopic-assisted trocar-site infiltration of 7.5 mg/mL ropivacaine and Group B patients did not receive any infiltration. All patients received a 24-hour infusion of 20 mg morphine; pain was checked at 6, 24, and 48 hours after surgery by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score. A rescue analgesia by was given if VAS score was > 4 or on patient request. RESULTS: No differences in operative time, complications, and post-operative stay and no complications related to trocar-site infiltration were found. 6-hour and 48-hour VAS scores were not found to be significantly different between groups, even if a slight decrease in VAS score in Group A was reported. Group A showed significant reduction in VAS score at 24 hours (2.44 +/- .41 vs 3.01 +/- .78, P < .005) and in the number of patients requiring further analgesic drugs administration (40.6% vs 57.8%, P < .005). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic-guided trocar-site ropivacaine infiltration can be considered safe and effective in the management of post-operative pain and in the reduction of analgesic need in patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The retrospective nature of the study and the lack of a consistent series of patients require further evaluations.

Infection of Prosthetic Patches after Femoral Endarterectomy: An Unreported Complication.

BACKGROUND: The femoral prosthetic patch is a surgical procedure frequently used to treat atherosclerotic lesions involving femoral artery bifurcation. Even though it is an easy to perform procedure, surgical management of complications, first of all graft infection, may be challenging, with a high morbidity and mortality risk for patients. We report our experience on surgical treatment of femoral patch infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 2012 and April 2018, 26 patients (26 limbs) were referred to the emergency department at our institution for the treatment of femoral prosthetic patch infections. None of the patients had been previously treated at our institution. All patients underwent a wide debridement of the infection site. Blood flow was restored through a vein interposition graft anastomosed at least 4-5 cm from the site of infection. End points of the study were death-related events, major or minor limb loss (major loss for above or below the knee amputation and minor for foot or toe), vein interposition graft failures, recurrent graft infections, or surgical wound healing. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients (21 male and 5 female patients) underwent surgical treatment. The mean age of patients was 69 years. The majority of our patients (54%) had been previously treated with an isolated femoral artery prosthetic patch. Three (11%) patients had been treated with a bilateral prosthetic femoral patch, but only one side was infected. After debridement of the infection site, we used the great saphenous vein to revascularize the lower limb in 22 (85%) cases, whereas the cephalic vein was used in only 4 cases (15%). The 5-year survival rate was 81% (standard error [SE] = 0.12). The 5-year primary patency rate was 70% (SE = 0.14). During follow-up, 4 graft occlusions occurred, and in 2 cases, a major amputation was required. The limb salvage rate at 5 years was 81% (SE = 0.13). CONCLUSIONS: An infection can complicate the femoral prosthetic patch carrying a high rate of morbidity, mortality, and limb loss. Surgical indication for a primary procedure must be restricted to critical limb ischemia, and it must be associated to a multilevel correction of the atherosclerotic disease.

Is the Endovascular Treatment of Mild Iliac Stenoses Worthwhile to Improve Wound Healing in Patients Undergoing Femorotibial Bypass?

BACKGROUND: After an infrapopliteal reconstruction, minor amputations are frequently required, but even in the case of successful revascularization, wound healing is a major concern. We studied the role of iliac artery inflow correction in patients undergoing infrapopliteal vein grafts to improve the heal of midfoot amputation. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients affected with Rutherford grade III category 5 peripheral arterial disease, who underwent successful simultaneous iliac endovascular procedure, infrapopliteal reversed vein bypass graft, and minor amputation, were enrolled in this retrospective study. The population was divided in group 1 (20 patients) with inflow vessels Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus Document on Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease (TASC) II type B atherosclerotic lesions and group 2 (18 patients) with TASC II type A atherosclerotic lesions determining an invasive pressure drop greater than 15 mm Hg. Fifteen patients (group 3) undergoing infrapopliteal reversed vein bypass graft without associated inflow procedures (TASC II type A and invasive pressure drop greater than 15 mm Hg) were matched with group 2 based on propensity score. Healing was calculated by subtracting the final ulcer area from the initial ulcer area and dividing by the number of follow-up months to obtain the total area healed per month (cm2/month). Stepwise logistic regression analysis adjusted for demographics and medical comorbid conditions was used to test the association between wound healing and treatment modalities. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were available for further analysis. Ten patients were excluded because of graft occlusion with consequent impairment of wound healing. After midfoot amputations, mean wound diameter was 20 ± 8 cm2, and mean healing time was 10 ± 4 months (range 3-20 months; median 9 months). Wounds of groups 1 and 2 healed faster than those of group 3 at 4 and 8 months (P < 0.02 and P < 0.001, respectively; P < 0.04 and P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis demonstrated the association between wound healing and inflow correction (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: An aggressive treatment is necessary to obtain the heal of the ischemic wounds. The most important predictive factor for nonhealing wounds is the absence of inflow correction. We demonstrated that the inflow should be also corrected in the presence of subclinical lesions.

Ultrasound-Guided Placement of Central Venous Port Systems via the Right Internal Jugular Vein: Are Chest X-Ray and/or Fluoroscopy Needed to Confirm the Correct Placement of the Device?

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous central venous port (CVP) placement using ultrasound-guidance (USG) via right internal jugular vein is described as a safe and effective procedure. The aim of this study is to determine whether intraoperative fluoroscopy (IF) and/or postoperative chest X-ray (CXR) are required to confirm the correct position of the catheter. METHODS: Between January 2012 and December 2014, 302 adult patients underwent elective CVP system placement under USG. The standard venous access site was the right internal jugular vein. The length of catheter was calculated based on the height of the patient. IF was always performed to confirm US findings. RESULTS: 176 patients were men and 126 were women and average height was 176.2 cm (range 154-193 cm). The average length of the catheter was 16.4 cm (range 14-18). Catheter malposition and pneumothorax were observed in 4 (1.3 %) and 3 (1 %) patients, respectively. IF confirmed the correct position of the catheter in all cases. Catheter misplacement (4 cases) was previously identified and corrected on USG. Our rates of pneumothorax are in accordance with those of the literature (0.5-3 %). CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography has resulted in improved safety and effectiveness of port system implantation. The routine use of CXR and IF should be considered unnecessary.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Pathway in Diffuse Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma.

Diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (DMPM) is a rare form of mesothelioma that carries a very poor prognosis. The 5-year overall survival is about 20% (±5.9). Survival is optimal for patients suitable for cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), with a median OS ranging from 34 to 92 months. However, selecting patients for surgery remains a complex task and requires a careful preoperative workup, rational analysis of prognostic profiles, and risk prediction models. Systemic chemotherapy could be offered: (1) in the adjuvant setting for high-risk patients; (2) for patients not eligible for CRS; and (3) for those with recurrent disease. It mainly includes the combination of Platin compound with Pemetrexed or immunotherapy. The biology of DMPM is still largely unknown. However, progress has been made on some fronts, such as telomere maintenance mechanisms, deregulation of apoptosis, tyrosine kinase pathways, and mutation of BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1). Future perspectives should include translational research to improve our understanding of the disease biology to identify druggable targets. We should also clear the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors and investigate new locoregional technologies, such as pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) or normothermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (NIPEC).

Ultrasound-guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block is Effective as Laparoscopic Trocar site infiltration in Postoperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Adrenal Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Pain management in patients undergoing laparoscopy is still a matter of debate as several techniques have been proposed to reduce postoperative analgesic consumption and improve recovery. Among these, transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is considered as safe, effective, and easy to perform under ultrasound guidance; even so, recently laparoscopically guided trocar site anesthetic infiltration has been proposed as a "surgeon-dependent alternative to TAP block." The aim of this evaluation is to compare these analgesic techniques in the setting of laparoscopic adrenalectomy. METHODS: This is a retrospective evaluation of a prospectively maintained database. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A patients received laparoscopic-assisted trocar site infiltration of ropivacaine; Group B patients received bilateral ultrasound-guided TAP block with ropivacaine. All patients received 24 h infusion of 20 mg morphine postoperatively; pain was checked at 6, 24 and 48 h after surgery. A rescue analgesia was given if numerical rating scale (NRS) score was > 4 or on patient request. RESULTS: One hundred and three patients were enrolled in the evaluation (57 in group A and 46 in group B). There were no differences in operative time, complications and postoperative stay, and no complications related to trocar site infiltration. There were no differences in NRS at 6, 24, and 48 hours as well as in patients requiring further analgesic administration. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic-guided trocar site ropivacaine infiltration has similar pain outcomes compared to ultrasound-guided TAP block in the management of postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Since there is no difference among these techniques, the decision can be based on surgeon or anesthesiologist preference.

Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after thyroid surgery: a prospective, randomized study comparing totally intravenous versus inhalational anesthetics.

The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after thyroidectomy and the association of Propofol versus Sevoflurane use for anesthesia maintenance were investigated during a randomized, prospective study. One hundred and ninety-eight patients underwent thyroidectomy receiving either Sevoflurane (0.5-1.3% end-tidal) or Propofol (50-200 mg/kg/min) for anesthesia maintenance. All patients received Propofol for induction of anesthesia, Succinylcholine or Vecuronium, Nitrous Oxide, and Fentanyl. Prophylactic antiemetics were not administered. The combined incidence of PONV was 54.4 per cent over the 24-hour postoperative evaluation period. PONV was more common in patients receiving Sevoflurane than Propofol for maintenance of anesthesia (64.6% vs 43.8%). In women (n = 117), the incidence of PONV resulted higher when receiving inhalational Sevoflurane than Propofol for maintenance (70.6% vs 42.4%). However, in men (n = 81), there was no significant difference in PONV between anesthetic regimens (47.4% with Sevoflurane vs 49.6% with Propofol). Patients undergoing thyroid surgery are at high risk for the development of PONV. Propofol for maintenance of anesthesia, although more expensive than Sevoflurane, may reduce the rate of PONV.

A Prospective, Comparative Evaluation on Totally Implantable Venous Access Devices by External Jugular Vein versus Cephalic Vein Cutdown.

The request for totally implantable venous access devices (TIVADs) has rapidly grown up through the last decades. TIVADs are implanted by direct vein puncture or by surgical approach with vein cutdown. The authors present a comparative prospective study evaluating external jugular vein (EJV) and cephalic vein cutdown techniques. Two hundred and fifteen patients were consecutively submitted to TIVAD implantation to perform chemotherapy. Patients were divided in two groups, depending on the implantation technique. Group A patients (106) underwent implantation via EJV cutdown and group B (109) patients underwent implantation by cephalic vein cutdown. The following variables were investigated: operating time, need for conversion to other approaches, complications, and intraoperative and postoperative pain. In Group A patients, the success rate of the procedure was 100 per cent, whereas in 11 patients (10.1%) of Group B, a modification of the initial approach was needed. Mean operative time was 23.9 ± 9.2 minutes in Group A and 35.4 ± 11.9 in Group B, and this was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Complication rates at 30 days were similar. Considering intraoperative pain, a difference was found between the two groups because the mean value of pain in Group A was lower than that in Group B (4.13 ± 0.3 vs 5.22 ± 1.24), even if not significant. External jugular vein cutdown approach is quick and safe and allows a very high success rate with very low risk of complications. For these reasons, this approach could be considered as a first choice in TIVAD placement.