Effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on thyroid hormones and relationship between metabolic parameters and long-term total weight loss.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery has significant effects on metabolic parameters and hormone levels. However, the specific impact of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) on thyroid hormones and other metabolic parameters remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the short and long-term effects of LSG on thyroid hormone levels, HbA1c, and other metabolic parameters. METHODS: A total of 619 euthyroid patients without a history of thyroid disease or thyroid hormone replacement therapy were included in the study. Patients with diabetes were excluded from the study. Preoperative, 1-year postoperative, and 5-year postoperative levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4), HbA1c, and other metabolic parameters were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: LSG resulted in significant weight loss and improvements in metabolic parameters. At 1 year postoperatively, there were significant reductions in BMI, HbA1c, TSH, fT3, and triglyceride levels, while fT4 levels increased. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between preoperative HbA1c level and percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) value at the fifth postoperative year. Additionally, a statistically significant negative correlation was found between the 5-year change in TSH and %TWL. CONCLUSION: Being the first study to predict long-term total weight loss based on preoperative HbA1c, it is significant. This finding has important implications for personalized patient management and could aid clinicians in identifying individuals who may benefit most from sleeve gastrectomy as a treatment modality. This is valuable in that it emphasizes multidisciplinary work, including the endocrinologist and dietician.

Investigation of the Relationship Between Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Using 24-hour Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance With pH Testing According to Current Consensus.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a popular weight loss procedure with potential effects on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, research on the association between LSG and GERD using objective evaluation criteria, such as multichannel intraluminal impedance combined with pH testing (MII-pH), is limited. This study aimed to investigate the impact of LSG on GERD using MII-pH and current consensus guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was conducted as a prospective clinical study on 33 patients who underwent LSG between January 2022 and August 2022. MII-pH and high-resolution manometry were performed preoperatively and 3 to 6 months postoperatively. GERD diagnosis was based on MII-pH results using the Lyon and Update Porto consensus guidelines. RESULTS: Postoperative MII-pH analysis revealed a significant increase in acid reflux time, acid exposure time, reflux index, esophageal clearance, total reflux time, and longest reflux period. Weak acid reflux episodes decreased, while Demeester score and alkaline reflux showed nonsignificant increases. Pathologic reflux significantly increased postoperatively based on MII-pH diagnosis. High-resolution manometry showed a significant increase in unsuccessful motility. CONCLUSION: Although the Demeester score calculation consists of 6 metrics, including acid exposure time, the acid exposure time is more specific in detecting pathologic reflux. Pathologic GERD increases significantly with LSG in the early period. Therefore, preoperative and postoperative endoscopy and MII-pH can provide valuable information regarding the need for closer follow-up after LSG.

Effects of Sleeve Gastrectomy on Pelvic Floor Disorders in Female Patients with Severe Obesity: a Prospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is associated with pelvic floor disorders (PFD). Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is one of the most effective weight loss methods. Although SG has been found to improve urinary incontinence (UI) and overactive bladder (OAB), its impact on fecal incontinence (FI) remains controversial. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, randomized study involved 60 female patients with severe obesity who were randomly assigned to two groups: the SG group and the diet group. The SG group underwent SG, while the diet group received a low-calorie, low-lipid diet for 6 months. The patients' condition was assessed before and after the study using three questionnaires: the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-FLUTS), the Overactive Bladder 8-Question Awareness Tool (OAB-V8), and the Wexner Score (CCIS). RESULTS: After 6 months, the SG group had a significantly higher percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) compared to the diet group (p<0.01). Both groups showed a decrease in the ICIQ-FLUTS, OAB-V8, and CCIS scores (p<0.05). UI, OAB, and FI improved significantly in the SG group (p<0.05), but no improvement was observed in the diet group (p>0.05). The correlation between %TWL and PFD was statistically significant but weak, with the strongest correlation between %TWL and ICIQ-FLUTS score and the weakest correlation between %TWL and CCIS score (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We recommend bariatric surgery for the treatment of PFD. However, given the weak correlation between %TWL and PFD after SG, further research should explore factors other than %TWL that are effective in recovery, particularly in relation to FI.

Status of Weight Change, Lifestyle Behaviors, Depression, Anxiety, and Diabetes Mellitus in a Cohort with Obesity during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Turk-Com Study Group.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to a lockdown period. Confinement periods have been related to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. Our study aimed to determine weight change, changes in eating and exercise habits, the presence of depression and anxiety, and diabetes mellitus (DM) status in a cohort of patients with obesity. METHODS: The study was undertaken in nine centers of Collaborative Obesity Management (COM) of the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) in Turkey. An e-survey about weight change, eating habits, physical activity status, DM status, depression, and anxiety was completed by patients. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) score was used to determine physical activity in terms of metabolic equivalents (METs). A healthy nutrition coefficient was calculated from the different categories of food consumption. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Questionnaire  were used for determining depression and anxiety, respectively. RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-two patients (age 45 ± 12.7 years, W/M = 350/72) were included. The healthy nutrition coefficient before the pandemic was 38.9 ± 6.2 and decreased to 38.1 ± 6.4 during the pandemic (p < 0.001). Two hundred twenty-nine (54.8%) patients gained weight, 54 (12.9%) were weight neutral, and 135 (32.3%) lost weight. Patients in the weight loss group had higher MET scores and higher healthy nutrition coefficients compared with the weight gain and weight-neutral groups (p < 0.001). The PHQ and GAD scores were not different between the groups. Percent weight loss was related to healthy nutrition coefficient (CI: 0.884 [0.821-0.951], p = 0.001) and MET categories (CI: 0.408 [0.222-0.748], p = 0.004). One hundred seventy patients had DM. Considering glycemic control, only 12 (8.4%) had fasting blood glucose <100 mg/dL and 36 (25.2%) had postprandial BG <160 mg/dL. When patients with and without DM were compared in terms of dietary compliance, MET category, weight loss status, PHQ-9 scores, and GAD-7 scores, only MET categories were different; 29 (11.7%) of patients in the nondiabetic group were in the highly active group compared with 5 (2.9%) in the diabetic group. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 lockdown resulted in weight gain in about half of our patients, which was related to changes in physical activity and eating habits. Patients with DM who had moderate glycemic control were similar to the general population in terms of weight loss but were less active.

A comparison of patients who have appendectomy during the COVID-19 pandemic period with the period before the pandemic.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare the waiting and operating times of the patients who applied to our hospital with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) during the pandemic, how the process was managed in terms of AA and other data of the patient compared to the pre-pandemic period. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed among patients who were hospitalized in the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital General Surgery Clinic with a pre-diagnosis of AA. For this purpose, two groups were formed. Group 1: It comprised patients who were operated between March 11 and June 1, 2020; Group 2: It comprised patients who were operated between March 11 and June 1, 2019, with a pre-diagnosis of AA. RESULTS: Forty-six patients in Group 1 and 79 patients in Group 2 were operated with the pre-diagnosis of AA. There was no difference between groups in terms of pre-operative symptom durations or surgery waiting times. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, significant decrease observed in the number of patients operated because of AA can be interpreted as the avoidance of patients from applying to the hospital with the concern of infection. Moreover, it may suggest that uncomplicated cases undergo spontaneous resolution; however, there is a requirement for further research to support this assumption and define the criteria for this condition by including a level of scientific evidence.

Management of Acute Uncomplicated Diverticulitis: Inpatient or Outpatient.

Objectives: Diverticular disease is a highly frequent condition and affects 50% of the population in the 9th decade in Western society. Acute diverticulitis is the most prevalent complication. The patients who are clinically stable and tolerate fluid should be hospitalized if fluid intake tolerance worsens, fever occurs, or pain increases. Bowel rest, intravenous fluid therapy, and empiric antibiotic therapy are the traditional treatments for patients admitted to the hospital. This retrospective study aimed to determine the parameters that will affect the outpatient or inpatient treatment of patients diagnosed with uncomplicated acute diverticulitis. Methods: Patients who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain between January 2018 and December 2020 and were diagnosed with uncomplicated diverticulitis (modified Hinchey 1a) on computed tomography (CT) taken after intravenous contrast material shoot up were included in the study. Patient records were recorded retrospectively in the Excel file. After being seen in the emergency department, a comparison was performed between the inpatient group (Group 1) and the outpatient follow-up group (Group 2). Results: The study comprised 172 patients with acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (modified Hinchey 1a). While 110 (64.0%) patients were followed up and treated as inpatients (Group 1), 62 (36.0%) patients were followed up as outpatients (Group 2). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of patients readmitted to the hospital in the first 30 days after discharge (both for outpatient follow-up in the emergency department and after treatment in the inpatient group). Conclusion: In this retrospective study, in which we evaluated the hospitalization criteria in uncomplicated Modified Hinchey 1a patients, it was found that patients can be safely treated as an outpatient if they have poor physical examination findings. Although there was no difference between the two groups in terms of hospital readmission after discharge and it was thought that follow-up of patients with Modified Hinchey 1a diverticulitis with outpatient oral antibiotic therapy might be reliable, prospective studies with larger numbers of patients are needed.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy: An update for the 2020s.

Cholecystectomy is the standard treatment of acute cholecystitis. Surgery, however, poses significant risks for patients with advanced age and/or comorbid conditions. For such patients, percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) is the only option. This interventional procedure does not have any absolute contraindications because of the life-threatening nature of the disease, in which other treatment options cannot be offered due to their risks. Nonetheless, these risk factors necessitate performing PC under urgent, rapid, and in many cases suboptimal conditions. In this article, PC was revisited in the light of our extensive experience in addition to the most current literature. Pre-procedural evaluation including the risk assessment and procedural steps was presented in detail. If conducted properly, PC provides significant clinical improvement in the short term and is life-saving, especially in the elderly and in patients with comorbid diseases or high surgical risk. It may also be the definitive treatment method for acute cholecystitis.

Effectiveness of local anesthetic application methods in postoperative pain control in laparoscopic cholecystectomies; a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that causes pain originating from parietal and visceral peritoneum. Many studies have been conducted to improve postoperative pain management and comfort of patients. Various methods such as local anesthetic injection (LAI) at trocar access points, intraperitoneal local anesthetic injection (IPLA), pneumoperitoneum pressure reduction, transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB), and reducing the number of trocars used during the operation were attempted to reduce postoperative pain. METHODS: In this study, we compared LAI, TAPB and IPLA methods with the control group in which no local anesthetic was applied to reduce postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We also demonstrated the effect of these methods on postoperative pain, need for additional analgesics, length of hospitalization, and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Overall, 160 patients aged 18-74 years who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis between October 2018 and August 2019 were included in the study and divided into four groups as follows: LAI group, TAPB group, IPLA group, and the control group without any intervention. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) values at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h in the control group were significantly higher than in the LAI, TAPB, and IPLA groups. Further, VAS values at 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h in the IPLA group were significantly higher than in the LAI and TAPB groups. No significant difference was observed between the LAI and TAPB groups in terms of VAS values at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 h. VAS values at 12 h in the LAI group were significantly higher than in the TAPB group. CONCLUSIONS: Peroperative local anesthetic administration methods were more effective in preventing pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy compared to the control group. In addition to reducing postoperative pain, these methods reduced the need for postoperative analgesics and increased patient satisfaction.

Comparison of the Pretzelflex Retractor and Nathanson Retractor in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery.

PURPOSE: Retraction of the left lobe of the liver is an important step in most bariatric surgical procedures. The left lobe of the liver may be enlarged, and laceration, hematoma, or necrosis may develop in the liver due to retraction. In this study, the results of use of the Nathanson retractor (NR) and PretzelFlex retractor (PFR) in the patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) were compared. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients who underwent LSG were divided into three groups based on the type of liver retraction device used. Group 1: NR was used fixed during the operation; Group 2: PF retractor was used; Group 3: NR were used only for fundus dissection and when necessary. All groups were evaluated in terms of demographic characteristics, liver function tests, and developing complications. RESULTS: The study was conducted with a total of 120 consecutive patients. Operation time in the second group was found to be significantly lower than the other two groups (p = 0.009; p = 0.001; p < 0.01). The duration of retractor use in the first group was significantly higher than the other two groups (p = 0.001; p = 0.001; p < 0.01). While aspartate aminotransferase (AST) values were found to be high in Group 1, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values were found to be high in Groups 1 and 3. CONCLUSION: PFR has shorter operating and retraction times. It causes less measurable liver damage. Although the NR will be used, intermittent use causes less damage to the liver as in PFR.

The Effect of Helicobacter pylori Eradication on Gastric Wall Thickness in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

PURPOSE: The most important cause affecting the thickness of the gastric wall other than the tumor is chronic gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori (Hp), which is most frequently detected in the antrum. This study aims to investigate the effect of bismuth-based treatment (BBT) combined with proton pump inhibitor (PPI) on wall thicknesses measured in the postoperative gastric specimen and early postoperative complications in patients with Hp-positive pre-LSG endoscopic gastric biopsies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients who underwent LSG procedure for morbid obesity were divided into three groups as follows: Hp-negative, Hp-positive without eradication treatment, and Hp-positive, and LSG was performed after eradication treatment. Macroscopic and microscopic gastric wall thickness measurements were made at a distance of 1 cm from the proximal surgical margin, from the middle part of the specimen, and 1 cm from the distal surgical margin in the gastric specimen and the results were compared. RESULTS: A total of 132 patients were included in the study, 44 patients in each group. Microscopically measured antrum mucosal thickness was found to be statistically significantly higher in group 2 compared to other groups (groups 1.15, 1.35, 1.16 mm, respectively, p = 0.000). There was no difference between the groups in terms of early complications such as bleeding, wound site infection, or leakage from the staple line within the first 28 days after surgery. CONCLUSION: This study found that LSG had no effect on early complications due to Hp positivity or eradication of Hp. KEY POINTS: • The presence of HP increases the wall thickness of the gastric antrum mucosa. • After HP eradication, stomach antrum wall thickness returns to normal. • HP eradication before LSG reduces the wall thickness of the gastric antrum mucosa. • It was determined that HP scanning and eradication before LSG had no effect on postoperative complications.

Effective use of CT by surgeons in acute appendicitis diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis (AA) still maintains its prominence among general surgical emergencies, and the risk of developing AA is 8.6% for men and 6.7% for women. The clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis has a rate of approximately 20% false positive and false-negative. Ultrasound (US) and Computed Tomography (CT) are the imaging methods most utilized in this field. The present study aims to determine the relationship between the evaluation results of the clinician who examined the patient and the radiologist's evaluation in the evaluation of cross-sectional imaging tests for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. METHODS: In this study, the records of 1891 patients who underwent an appendectomy in the General Surgery Clinic of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital between January 2010 and 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. From the file of the patients who underwent appendectomy with acute appendicitis and whose appendix was reported as normal in CT results, clinical examination findings of the patient in the emergency department and CT evaluation results of the relevant surgeon (Compatible with acute appendicitis, normal appendix or appendix could not be visualised) were recorded. RESULTS: Of the 1891 patients, who underwent appendectomy on suspicion of acute appendicitis, 1478 had CT scans for diagnosis and 145 were reported as normal by radiologists. In the evaluations by surgeons of these CT results all reported as normal by radiologists, 105 (%) 72,4) were compatible with acute appendicitis, while 18 (12.4%) were considered normal. In 22 (15.2%) patients, appendix could not be the visualized by surgeons. 70.0% of the cases with Lymphoid hyperplasia - fibrous obliteration pathology result; 73.8% of the cases with acute appendicitis; 75.6% of those with phlegmonousappendicitis and 64.0% of those with gangrenous/perforated appendicitis were diagnosed as appendicitis by CT evaluation performed by a general surgeon. CONCLUSION: Diagnostic accuracy rates increase significantly when the CT results are interpreted by the physician performing the clinical evaluation of the patient. The chance of reaching the correct diagnosis will increase with gaining the ability to interpret abdominal cross-sectional imaging techniques during general surgery specialty training.

Clinical approach to patients admitted to the emergency room due to acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic and percutaneous cholecystostomy experience.

BACKGROUND: Acute cholecystitis (AC), a common complication of gallstones, is responsible for a significant part of emergency applications, and cholecystectomy is the only definitive treatment method for AC. Early cholecystectomy has many reported advantages. Operation-related morbidity and mortality have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, our aim is to present our general clinical approach to patients who were diagnosed with AC during the pandemic and our percutaneous cholecystostomy experience during this period. METHODS: This study included 72 patients who were presented to our hospital's emergency room between March 11 and May 31, 2020, with AC. Patients were divided into three groups based on their treatment: outpatients (Group 1), inpatients (Group 2) and patients undergoing percutaneous cholecystostomy (Group 3). These three groups were compared by their demographic and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: There were 36 (50%) patients in Group 1, 25 (34.7%) patients in Group 2, and 11 (15.3%) patients in Group 3. The demographic characteristics of the patients were similar. The CRP and WBC levels of the patients in Group 3 were significantly higher compared to the other groups. Moreover, the wall of the gallbladder was thicker and the size of the gallbladder was larger in Group 3. Patients had percutaneous cholecystostomy at the median of 3.5 days and the length of hospital stay was longer compared to Group 2 (3.9 days versus 9.2 days, p=0.00). The rate of re-hospitalization after discharge was similar in Group 2 and Group 3, but none of the patients in Group 1 required hospitalization. None of 72 patients developed an emergency condition requiring surgery, and there was no death. CONCLUSION: Although many publications emphasize that laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) can be performed with low morbidity at the first admission in acute cholecystitis, it is a clinical condition that can be delayed in the COVID-19 pandemic and other similar emergencies. Thus, percutaneous cholecystostomy should be effectively employed, and its indications should be extended if necessary (e.g., younger patients, patients with lower CCI or ASA). This approach may enable us to protect both patients and healthcare professionals that perform the operation from the risk of COVID-19.

An infrequent case of intussusception caused by gastrointestinal stromal tumor in an adult patient.

Intussusception may occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal system. Unlike its idiopathic childhood counterpart, it is uncommon during adult life and a definitive cause is usually found; almost half of cases develop with malignancy. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) originate from interstitial Cajal cells of the gastrointestinal tract. They more frequently occur in the stomach and small intestines, and often grow extraluminally, making it unlikely to cause an obstruction or bleeding. Presently described is an unusual instance of ileo-ileal intussusception due to GIST.

Importance of critical view of safety in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a survey of 120 serial patients, with no incidence of complications.

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: To determine the importance of critical view of safety techniques in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: A total of 120 patients were included in the study, between January 2015 to March 2016. Hydrodissection was performed for cases presenting with severe adhesions or cholecystitis. A critical view of safety was performed for all patients undergoing the procedure for isolation of cystic duct and cystic artery with cystic plate dissection. Demographic characteristics of the patients, as well as intraoperative and postoperative minor or major complications were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 81 (67.5%) female and 39 (32.5%) male patients succesfully underwent surgeries following the critical view of safety and hydrodissection technique. Acute/chronic cholecystitis, or severe adhesions in the surgical field, were detected in 34 (28.3%) patients. There were no intraoperative or postoperative biliary complications. Wound infection was detected in 5 (4.1%) patients. All patients were discharged on either the first, second or third postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS: Biliary duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is an important complication. In this study, we show that the critical view of safety and hydrodissection techniquesminimizes the bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, including in difficult cases.

Spontaneous rupture of the splenic artery aneurysm: a rare clinical presentation of acute abdomen.

Splenic artery aneurysms are very rare causes of acute abdomen but are important to recognize since they carry high rate of mortality when ruptured. The aim of this study was to present a middle aged man with sudden onset of abdominal pain. Being previously on steroid treatment due to sarcoidosis, the patient developed hypovolemic shock during work-up in diagnostic imaging and went on emergency laparatomy. The source was identified as a ruptured splenic artery aneurysm. Splenectomy en bloc with the aneurysmatic distal splenic artery was performed, and he was discharged uneventfully. Despite rare, it is important to recognize splenic artery aneurysm in the emergency department, and immediate intervention is required to save the patient.

[A rare cause of small intestinal obstruction: Spontaneous strangulated trans-omental hernia]. / Nadir bir ince bagirsak tikaniklik nedeni: Spontan strangüle transomental fitik.

Internal herniation is a very rare condition which can cause small bowel obstruction. Trans-omental hernias are an infrequent form of internal herniation and can be seen without a history of trauma and previous abdominal surgery. An 85-year-old male patient without a history of abdominal surgery or trauma was admitted to the emergency service with severe abdominal pain and vomiting. Physical examination and laboratory tests revealed a diagnosis of ileus. During laparotomy, a trans-omental hernia causing strangulation of the ileum was detected. Resection-anastomosis was performed and the omental defect was disrupted by partial omentectomy. Although trans-omental hernia is a very rare condition, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients without mechanic intestinal obstruction.

Incarcerated abdominal wall hernia surgery: relationship between risk factors and morbidity and mortality rates (a single center emergency surgery experience).

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate morbidity and mortality-related risk factors in patients undergoing surgery due to incarcerated abdominal wall hernia. METHODS: The patients were grouped according to the type of hernia (inguinal, umbilical, incisional, femoral), and these groups were evaluated in terms of risk factors affecting morbidity and mortality such as age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, type of anesthesia, concomitant diseases, and the presence of intestinal strangulation and necrosis. RESULTS: Inguinal hernia was frequent in males, whereas femoral hernia was frequent in females (p<0.001). The rate of intestinal resection due to strangulation and necrosis was found significantly higher among femoral hernias as compared to the other types of hernia (p<0.005 and p<0.001, respectively). Advanced age (≥ 65 years), concomitant disease, strangulation, necrosis, high ASA score (III-IV), time from the onset of symptoms, and time to hospital admission were found to have significant influences on morbidity and mortality. General anesthesia was found to be a risk factor for morbidity as well (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Incarcerated abdominal wall hernias are surgical problems with high morbidity and mortality rates. Therefore, surgery should be planned under elective conditions when hernia is detected.

Factors affecting mortality and morbidity in emergency abdominal surgery in geriatric patients.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to determine the factors affecting morbidity and mortality in geriatric patients undergoing abdominal surgery. METHODS: Ninety-two patients who had undergone acute abdominal surgery at >65 years of age were evaluated in terms of surgical indications, morbidity and mortality rates and the factors affecting morbidity and mortality. Forty-eight patients (52.2%) were males and 44 (47.8%) were females. The mean age was 73.32±6.37 (65-92) years. RESULTS: The most common surgical indication was acute cholecystitis (26.09%). Morbidity was established as 21 (22.82%) and mortality as 14 (15.21%), and the most common cause of mortality was mesenteric vascular occlusion. American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) IV was noted in 90.05% of the patients admitted to intensive care, and 92.85% of the patients had mortal progression. The mean hospitalization duration was 7.94±7.13 days (median, 7 days). While older age and high ASA scores were significantly correlated with morbidity, mortality and duration of hospitalization, gender was not (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: In order to decrease the postoperative mortality rate in geriatric patients, precaution should be taken beforehand to avoid surgical complications. By carrying out elective surgery in geriatric patients, the likelihood of common causes of acute abdomen, such as acute cholecystitis and incarcerated hernia, can be reduced.