Fertility-sparing uterine displacement for pelvic malignancies: surgical options and radiotherapy dosimetry on a human cadaver.

BACKGROUND: Radio(chemo)therapy is often required in pelvic malignancies (cancer of the anus, rectum, cervix). Direct irradiation adversely affects ovarian and endometrial function, compromising the fertility of women. While ovarian transposition is an established method to move the ovaries away from the radiation field, surgical procedures to displace the uterus are investigational. This study demonstrates the surgical options for uterine displacement in relation to the radiation dose received.  METHODS: The uterine displacement techniques were carried out sequentially in a human female cadaver to demonstrate each procedure step by step and assess the uterine positions with dosimetric CT scans in a hybrid operating room. Two treatment plans (anal and rectal cancer) were simulated on each of the four dosimetric scans (1. anatomical position, 2. uterine suspension of the round ligaments to the abdominal wall 3. ventrofixation of the uterine fundus at the umbilical level, 4. uterine transposition). Treatments were planned on Eclipse® System (Varian Medical Systems®,USA) using Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy. Data about maximum (Dmax) and mean (Dmean) radiation dose received and the volume receiving 14 Gy (V14Gy) were collected. RESULTS: All procedures were completed without technical complications. In the rectal cancer simulation with delivery of 50 Gy to the tumor, Dmax, Dmean and V14Gy to the uterus were respectively 52,8 Gy, 34,3 Gy and 30,5cc (1), 31,8 Gy, 20,2 Gy and 22.0cc (2), 24,4 Gy, 6,8 Gy and 5,5cc (3), 1,8 Gy, 0,6 Gy and 0,0cc (4). For anal cancer, delivering 64 Gy to the tumor respectively 46,7 Gy, 34,8 Gy and 31,3cc (1), 34,3 Gy, 20,0 Gy and 21,5cc (2), 21,8 Gy, 5,9 Gy and 2,6cc (3), 1,4 Gy, 0,7 Gy and 0,0cc (4). CONCLUSIONS: The feasibility of several uterine displacement procedures was safely demonstrated. Increasing distance to the radiation field requires more complex surgical interventions to minimize radiation exposure. Surgical strategy needs to be tailored to the multidisciplinary treatment plan, and uterine transposition is the most technically complex with the least dose received.

Risk factors for in-hospital mortality after emergency colorectal surgery in octogenarians: results of a cohort study from a referral center.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate predictive factors of mortality in emergency colorectal surgery in octogenarian patients. METHODS: It is a retrospective cohort study conducted at a single-institution tertiary referral center. Consecutive patients who underwent emergency colorectal surgery between January 2015 and January 2020 were identified. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients were identified (43 men, 68 women). Mean age was 85.7 ± 3.7 years (80-96). Main diagnoses included complicated sigmoiditis in 38 patients (34.3%), cancer in 35 patients (31.5%), and ischemic colitis in 31 patients (27.9%). An ASA score of 3 or higher was observed in 88.3% of patients. The mean Charlson score was 5.9. The Possum score was 35.9% for mortality and 79.3% for morbidity. The 30-day mortality rate was 25.2%. Univariate analysis of preoperative risk factors for mortality shows that the history of valvular heart disease (p = 0.008), intensive care unit provenance (p = 0.003), preoperative sepsis (p < 0.001), diagnosis of ischemic colitis (p = 0.012), creatinine (p = 0.006) and lactate levels (p = 0.01) were significantly associated with 30-day mortality, and patients coming from home had a lower 30-day mortality rate (p = 0.018). Intraoperative variables associated with 30-day mortality included ileostomy creation (p = 0.022) and temporary laparostomy (p = 0.004). At multivariate analysis, only lactate (p = 0.032) and creatinine levels (p = 0.027) were found to be independent predictors of 30-day mortality, home provenance was an independent protective factor (p = 0.004). Mean follow-up was 3.4 years. Survival at 1 and 3 years was 57.6 and 47.7%. CONCLUSION: Emergency colorectal surgery is challenging. However, age should not be a contraindication. The 30-day mortality rate (25.2%) is one of the lowest in the literature. Hyperlactatemia (> 2mmol/L) and creatinine levels appear to be independent predictors of mortality.

Proposal and multicentric validation of a laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery ontology.

BACKGROUND: Phase and step annotation in surgical videos is a prerequisite for surgical scene understanding and for downstream tasks like intraoperative feedback or assistance. However, most ontologies are applied on small monocentric datasets and lack external validation. To overcome these limitations an ontology for phases and steps of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is proposed and validated on a multicentric dataset in terms of inter- and intra-rater reliability (inter-/intra-RR). METHODS: The proposed LRYGB ontology consists of 12 phase and 46 step definitions that are hierarchically structured. Two board certified surgeons (raters) with > 10 years of clinical experience applied the proposed ontology on two datasets: (1) StraBypass40 consists of 40 LRYGB videos from Nouvel Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France and (2) BernBypass70 consists of 70 LRYGB videos from Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland. To assess inter-RR the two raters' annotations of ten randomly chosen videos from StraBypass40 and BernBypass70 each, were compared. To assess intra-RR ten randomly chosen videos were annotated twice by the same rater and annotations were compared. Inter-RR was calculated using Cohen's kappa. Additionally, for inter- and intra-RR accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and application dependent metrics were applied. RESULTS: The mean ± SD video duration was 108 ± 33 min and 75 ± 21 min in StraBypass40 and BernBypass70, respectively. The proposed ontology shows an inter-RR of 96.8 ± 2.7% for phases and 85.4 ± 6.0% for steps on StraBypass40 and 94.9 ± 5.8% for phases and 76.1 ± 13.9% for steps on BernBypass70. The overall Cohen's kappa of inter-RR was 95.9 ± 4.3% for phases and 80.8 ± 10.0% for steps. Intra-RR showed an accuracy of 98.4 ± 1.1% for phases and 88.1 ± 8.1% for steps. CONCLUSION: The proposed ontology shows an excellent inter- and intra-RR and should therefore be implemented routinely in phase and step annotation of LRYGB.

Deep sedation versus orotracheal intubation for endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG): preliminary experience.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an emerging bariatric procedure currently performed under general anaesthesia with orotracheal intubation (OTI). Several studies have shown the feasibility of advanced endoscopic procedures under deep sedation (DS) without impacting patient outcomes or adverse event rates. Our goal was to perform an initial comparative analysis of ESG in DS with ESG under OTI. METHODS: A prospective institutional registry was reviewed for ESG patients between 12/2016 and 1/2021. Patients were stratified into OTI or DS cohorts, and the 1st 50 cases performed in each cohort were included for comparability. Univariate analysis was performed on demographics, intraoperative, and postoperative outcomes (up to 90 days). Multivariate analyses evaluated the relationship between anesthesia type, preclinical and clinical variables. RESULTS: Of the 50 DS patients, 21(42%) underwent primary and 29 (58%) revisional surgery. There was no significant differences in Mallampati score across groups. No DS patient required intubation. DS patients were younger (p = 0.006) and lower BMI (p = 0.002) than OTI. As expected, DS patients overall and in the primary subgroup had shorter operative time (p ≤ 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively) and higher rates (84% DS vs. 20% OTI, p ≤ 0.001) of ambulatory procedures. There were no significant differences in the sutures used between groups (p = 0.616). DS patients required less postoperative opioids (p ≤ 0.001) and antiemetics (p = 0.006) than OTI. There were no significant differences in 3-month postoperative weight loss across cohorts. There was no rehospitalization in either group. In primary ESG cases, we found DS patients were more likely younger (p = 0.006), female (p = 0.001), and had a lower BMI (p = 0.0027). CONCLUSIONS: ESG under DS is safe and feasible in select patients. We found DS safely increased rates of outpatient care, reduced use of opioids and antiemetics, and provided the same results of postoperative weight loss. Patient selection for DS may be more clearer for durable weight loss.

Towards automatic verification of the critical view of the myopectineal orifice with artificial intelligence.

BACKGROUND: Visualization of key anatomical landmarks is required during surgical Trans Abdominal Pre Peritoneal repair (TAPP) of inguinal hernia. The Critical View of the MyoPectineal Orifice (CVMPO) was proposed to ensure correct dissection. An artificial intelligence (AI) system that automatically validates the presence of key and marks during the procedure is a critical step towards automatic dissection quality assessment and video-based competency evaluation. The aim of this study was to develop an AI system that automatically recognizes the TAPP key CVMPO landmarks in hernia repair videos. METHODS: Surgical videos of 160 TAPP procedures were used in this single-center study. A deep neural network-based object detector was developed to automatically recognize the pubic symphysis, direct hernia orifice, Cooper's ligament, the iliac vein, triangle of Doom, deep inguinal ring, and iliopsoas muscle. The system was trained using 130 videos, annotated and verified by two board-certified surgeons. Performance was evaluated in 30 videos of new patients excluded from the training data. RESULTS: Performance was validated in 2 ways: first, single-image validation where the AI model detected landmarks in a single laparoscopic image (mean average precision (MAP) of 51.2%). The second validation is video evaluation where the model detected landmarks throughout the myopectineal orifice visual inspection phase (mean accuracy and F-score of 77.1 and 75.4% respectively). Annotation objectivity was assessed between 2 surgeons in video evaluation, showing a high agreement of 88.3%. CONCLUSION: This study establishes the first AI-based automated recognition of critical structures in TAPP surgical videos, and a major step towards automatic CVMPO validation with AI. Strong performance was achieved in the video evaluation. The high inter-rater agreement confirms annotation quality and task objectivity.

International survey among surgeons on the perioperative management of rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Several pivotal studies and international guidelines on the perioperative management of rectal cancer have been published. However, little is known about the current state of perioperative management of rectal cancer patients in clinical practice worldwide. METHODS: An online survey including 13 questions focusing on key topics related to the perioperative management of patients with rectal cancer was conducted among colorectal surgeons registered within the database of the Research Institute Against Digestive Cancer (IRCAD). RESULTS: A total of 535 respondents from 89 countries participated in the survey. Most surgeons worked in the European region (40.9%). Two hundred and fifty-four respondents (47.5%) performed less than 25% of surgical procedures laparoscopically. The most commonly used definition of the upper limit of the rectum was a fixed distance from the anal verge (23.4%). Magnetic resonance imaging was used to define the upper limit of the rectum by 258 respondents (48.2%). During total mesorectal excision (TME), 301 respondents (56.3%) used a high-tie technique. The most commonly constructed anastomosis was an end-to-end anastomosis (68.2%) with the majority of surgeons performing a leak test intraoperatively (88.9%). A total of 355 respondents (66.4%) constructed a diverting ostomy, and the majority of these surgeons constructed an enterostomy (82%). A total of 208 respondents (39.3%) closed a stoma within 8 weeks. Lastly, 135 respondents (25.2%) introduced a solid diet on postoperative day 1. CONCLUSION: There is considerable heterogeneity in the perioperative management of rectal cancer patients worldwide with several discrepancies between current international practice and recommendations from international guidelines. To achieve worldwide standardization in rectal cancer care, further research is needed to elucidate the cause of this heterogeneity and find ways of improved implementation of best practice recommendations.

Educational Scoring System in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Is It the Right Time to Standardize?

Background and Objectives: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is one of the most performed surgeries worldwide. Procedure difficulty and patient outcomes depend on several factors which are not considered in the current literature, including the learning curve, generating confusing and subjective results. This study aims to create a scoring system to calculate the learning curve of LC based on hepatobiliopancreatic (HPB) experts' opinions during an educational course. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was submitted to the panel of experts attending the HPB course at Research Institute against Digestive Cancer-IRCAD (Strasbourg, France) from 27-29 October 2022. Experts scored the proposed variables according to their degree of importance in the learning curve using a Likert scale from 1 (not useful) to 5 (very useful). Variables were included in the composite scoring system only if more than 75% of experts ranked its relevance in the learning curve assessment ≥4. A positive or negative value was assigned to each variable based on its effect on the learning curve. Results: Fifteen experts from six different countries attended the IRCAD HPB course and filled out the questionnaire. Ten variables were finally included in the learning curve scoring system (i.e., patient body weight/BMI, patient previous open surgery, emergency setting, increased inflammatory levels, presence of anatomical bile duct variation(s), and appropriate critical view of safety (CVS) identification), which were all assigned positive values. Minor or major intraoperative injuries to the biliary tract, development of postoperative complications related to biliary injuries, and mortality were assigned negative values. Conclusions: This is the first scoring system on the learning curve of LC based on variables selected through the experts' opinions. Although the score needs to be validated through future studies, it could be a useful tool to assess its efficacy within educational programs and surgical courses.

Artificial Intelligence for Surgical Safety: Automatic Assessment of the Critical View of Safety in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Using Deep Learning.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a deep learning model to automatically segment hepatocystic anatomy and assess the criteria defining the critical view of safety (CVS) in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). BACKGROUND: Poor implementation and subjective interpretation of CVS contributes to the stable rates of bile duct injuries in LC. As CVS is assessed visually, this task can be automated by using computer vision, an area of artificial intelligence aimed at interpreting images. METHODS: Still images from LC videos were annotated with CVS criteria and hepatocystic anatomy segmentation. A deep neural network comprising a segmentation model to highlight hepatocystic anatomy and a classification model to predict CVS criteria achievement was trained and tested using 5-fold cross validation. Intersection over union, average precision, and balanced accuracy were computed to evaluate the model performance versus the annotated ground truth. RESULTS: A total of 2854 images from 201 LC videos were annotated and 402 images were further segmented. Mean intersection over union for segmentation was 66.6%. The model assessed the achievement of CVS criteria with a mean average precision and balanced accuracy of 71.9% and 71.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning algorithms can be trained to reliably segment hepatocystic anatomy and assess CVS criteria in still laparoscopic images. Surgical-technical partnerships should be encouraged to develop and evaluate deep learning models to improve surgical safety.

International survey among surgeons on laparoscopic right hemicolectomy: the gap between guidelines and reality.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the current approaches and perioperative treatments of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy (LRHC) and to highlight similarities and differences with international guidelines and scientific evidence, we conducted a survey for surgeons across the globe. METHODS: All digestive and colorectal surgeons registered with the database of the Research Institute against Digestive Cancer (IRCAD) were invited to take part in the survey via email and through the social media networks of IRCAD. RESULTS: There were a total of 440 respondents from 78 countries. Most surgeons worked in the European region (38.6%) followed by the Americas (34.1%), the Eastern Mediterranean region (13.0%), the South-East Asian region (5.9%), the Western Pacific region (4.8%), and Africa (3.2%) respectively. Over half of the respondents performed less than 25% of right hemicolectomies laparoscopically where 4 ports are usually used by 68% of the surgeons. The medial-to-lateral, vessel-first approach is the approach most commonly used (74.1%). The most common extraction site was through a midline incision (53%) and an abdominal drain tube is routinely used by 52% of the surgeons after surgery. A total of 68.6% of the responding surgeons perform the majority of the anastomoses extracorporeally. Finally, we found that the majority of responders (60.7%) routinely used mechanical bowel preparations prior to LRHC. CONCLUSION: Regarding several topics related to LRHC care, a discrepancy was observed between the current medical practice and the recommendations from RCTs and international guidelines and significant regional differences were observed.

Impact of surgical repair on type IV paraesophageal hernias (PEHs).

BACKGROUND: Paraesophageal hernias (PEHs; types II-III-IV) account for about 5% of all hiatal hernias (HHs). The peculiarity of PEHs is the presence of a herniated sac which contains a more or less important part of the stomach, along with other abdominal organs in type IV PEHs. Surgical treatment is more complex since it requires a reduction not only of the herniated content but also of the "container," namely the sac adherent to mediastinal structures. Since type III and IV PEHs are mostly grouped together as large PEHs, there is a lack of articles in the literature with regards to clear surgical outcomes, as well as management algorithms in type IV PEHs. This study aims to compare outcomes in type IV vs. type III PEHs after surgical repair. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients who underwent laparoscopic PEH hernia repair (LPEHR) was conducted in a single institution between 2006 and 2020. Patient baseline characteristics and surgical outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients were included in the analysis. Patients presenting with type IV PEHs (12/103) were significantly older than patients with type III PEHs (91/104) (75.25 ± 7.15 vs. 66.91 ± 13.58 respectively (p = 0.039), and more fragile with a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) (4.25 ± 1.48 vs. 2.96 ± 1.72, p = 0.016). Operative time was significantly longer (243 ± 101.73 vs. 133.38 ± 61.76, p = 0.002), and postoperative morbidity was significantly higher in type IV PEH repair (50% vs. 8.8% type III, p = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Patients with type IV PEHs appear to be older and frailer. The higher incidence of postoperative complications in patients with type IV PEHs should advocate for a precise indication for surgical treatment, which should be performed in centers of expertise.

A Computer Vision Platform to Automatically Locate Critical Events in Surgical Videos: Documenting Safety in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a computer vision platform to automatically locate critical events in surgical videos and provide short video clips documenting the critical view of safety (CVS) in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). BACKGROUND: Intraoperative events are typically documented through operator-dictated reports that do not always translate the operative reality. Surgical videos provide complete information on surgical procedures, but the burden associated with storing and manually analyzing full-length videos has so far limited their effective use. METHODS: A computer vision platform named EndoDigest was developed and used to analyze LC videos. The mean absolute error (MAE) of the platform in automatically locating the manually annotated time of the cystic duct division in full-length videos was assessed. The relevance of the automatically extracted short video clips was evaluated by calculating the percentage of video clips in which the CVS was assessable by surgeons. RESULTS: A total of 155 LC videos were analyzed: 55 of these videos were used to develop EndoDigest, whereas the remaining 100 were used to test it. The time of the cystic duct division was automatically located with a MAE of 62.8 ±â€Š130.4 seconds (1.95% of full-length video duration). CVS was assessable in 91% of the 2.5 minutes long video clips automatically extracted from the considered test procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning models for workflow analysis can be used to reliably locate critical events in surgical videos and document CVS in LC. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical impact of surgical data science solutions for safer laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

A Standard Set of Value-Based Patient-Centered Outcomes for Pancreatic Carcinoma: An International Delphi Survey.

BACKGROUND: Global health systems are shifting toward value-based health care to improve patient outcomes in the face of rising health care costs. The challenge is to identify standardized outcome measurements that allow optimal quality-of-care monitoring and comparison to optimize medical practices and patient pathways. A common outcomes definition is required, including medical results (Clinical Reported Outcomes Measurements [CROMs]) and quality-of-life components that matter most to patients (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurements [PROMs]), which are particularly important for severe pathologies with short life expectancy such as pancreatic cancer. This study aimed to create standardized metrics that could be used for outcomes analysis of pancreatic cancer care. METHODS: A multidisciplinary working group (WG) was assembled. A systematic review was performed to collect the most used outcomes in clinical studies of pancreatic cancers. The study reviewed 570 studies published in the last 10 years. From these studies, 3370 outcomes, including CROMs, and PROMs, were listed and prioritized. The WG reached a consensus on key outcomes, proposed groupings for CROMs and PROMs, identified existing questionnaires that could be used for PROMs collection, and set the timeline for data collection. To refine and validate the final outcomes set, an international external committee completed a Delphi process (two rounds for both CROMS and PROMs). RESULTS: After the systematic literature review, the WG selected 102 outcomes (92 CROMs and 10 PROMs) for submission to the international Delphi vote committee. The committee retrained 89 outcomes (78 CROMs and 11 PROMs). For the PROMs, the WG and the international external committee chose a validated questionnaire, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary, which covers all of the 11 selected PROMs. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized set of outcome measures that need to be validated through international health outcome comparisons and quality-of-care assessments was built. Pilot projects are underway to test and optimize the approach in real-life conditions.

Computer-assisted quantification and visualization of bowel perfusion using fluorescence-based enhanced reality in left-sided colonic resections.

BACKGROUND: Fluorescence-based enhanced reality (FLER) is a computer-based quantification method of fluorescence angiographies to evaluate bowel perfusion. The aim of this prospective trial was to assess the clinical feasibility and to correlate FLER with metabolic markers of perfusion, during colorectal resections. METHODS: FLER analysis and visualization was performed in 22 patients (diverticulitis n = 17; colorectal cancer n = 5) intra- and extra-abdominally during distal and proximal resection, respectively. The fluorescence signal of indocyanine green (0.2 mg/kg) was captured using a near-infrared camera and computed to create a virtual color-coded cartography. This was overlaid onto the bowel (enhanced reality). It helped to identify regions of interest (ROIs) where samples were subsequently obtained. Resections were performed strictly guided according to clinical decision. On the surgical specimen, samplings were made at different ROIs to measure intestinal lactates (mmol/L) and mitochondria efficiency as acceptor control ratio (ACR). RESULTS: The native (unquantified) fluorescent signal diffused to obvious ischemic areas during the distal appreciation. Proximally, a lower diffusion of ICG was observed. Five anastomotic complications occurred. The expected values of local capillary lactates were correlated with the measured values both proximally (3.62 ± 2.48 expected vs. 3.17 ± 2.8 actual; rho 0.89; p = 0.0006) and distally (4.5 ± 3 expected vs. 4 ± 2.5 actual; rho 0.73; p = 0.0021). FLER values correlated with ACR at the proximal site (rho 0.76; p = 0.04) and at the ischemic zone (rho 0.71; p = 0.01). In complicated cases, lactates at the proximal resection site were higher (5.8 ± 4.5) as opposed to uncomplicated cases (2.45 ± 1.5; p = 0.008). ACR was reduced proximally in complicated (1.3 ± 0.18) vs. uncomplicated cases (1.68 ± 0.3; p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS: FLER allows to image the quantified fluorescence signal in augmented reality and provides a reproducible estimation of bowel perfusion (NCT02626091).

Hyperspectral enhanced reality (HYPER) for anatomical liver resection.

BACKGROUND: Clinical evaluation of the demarcation line separating ischemic from non-ischemic liver parenchyma may be challenging. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a noninvasive imaging modality, which combines a camera with a spectroscope and allows quantitative imaging of tissue oxygenation. Our group developed a software to overlay HSI images onto the operative field, obtaining HSI-based enhanced reality (HYPER). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of HYPER to identify the demarcation line after a left vascular inflow occlusion during an anatomical left hepatectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the porcine model (n = 3), the left branches of the hepatic pedicle were ligated. Before and after vascular occlusion, HSI images based on tissue oxygenation (StO2), obtained through the Near-Infrared index (NIR index), were regularly acquired and superimposed onto RGB video. The demarcation line was marked on the liver surface with electrocautery according to HYPER. Local lactates were measured on blood samples from the liver surface in both ischemic and perfused segments using a strip-based device. At the same areas, confocal endomicroscopy was performed. RESULTS: After ligation, HSI demonstrated a significantly lower oxygenation (NIR index) in the left medial lobe (LML) (0.27% ± 0.21) when compared to the right medial lobe (RML) (58.60% ± 12.08; p = 0.0015). Capillary lactates were significantly higher (3.07 mmol/L ± 0.84 vs. 1.33 ± 0.71 mmol/L; p = 0.0356) in the LML versus RML, respectively. Concordantly, confocal videos demonstrated the absence of blood flow in the LML and normal perfusion in the RML. CONCLUSIONS: HYPER has made it possible to correctly identify the demarcation line and quantify surface liver oxygenation. HYPER could be an intraoperative tool to guide perfusion-based demarcation line assessment and segmentation.

Original Preoperative Localization Technique of Parathyroid Adenomas by 3-Dimensional Virtual Neck Exploration.

Objective. Preoperative imaging in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is essential for planning of parathyroidectomy-particularly for selection of a minimally invasive approach. The objective of this cohort study was to evaluate the diagnostic precision of 3D virtual neck exploration (3D-VNE), to evaluate its impact on choice of surgical approach, and to document the correlation with long-term outcomes. Methods. 235 consecutive patients with PHPT were studied (January 2014 to December 2018), with 6-month follow-up. 220 patients had a preoperative computed tomography (CT), 172 of these had a 3D-VNE based on the CT, and 226 patients had a Tc-99m sestamibi scan. Results. Sensitivity of exact, per gland, adenoma localization was 57.09% (95% CI: 50.85-63.10%) for nonspecialized radiologist interpretation of CT scan, 58.17% (95% CI: 51.99-64.10%) for Tc-99m sestamibi scan, and 90.21% (95% CI: 85.21-93.64%) for 3D-VNE, and thereby favoring 3D-VNE compared to CT scan alone (OR 34.5, 95% CI: 9.19-290.56%, P < 2.2 × 10-16) and to Tc-99m sestamibi scan (OR 16.25, 95% CI: 6.05-61.42%, P = 3.1 × 10-15). Specificity was 87.38% for CT scan, 86.36% for 3D-VNE, and 90% for Tc-99m sestamibi scan (P > .05). The cure rate was 100%. The long-term recurrence rate (RR) was 2.978%. The RR was 1.324% in the video-assisted parathyroidectomy group of 151 patients and 5.952% in the group of 84 patients with cervicotomy (P = .0459). Conclusion. CT-based 3D-VNE proved to be the most accurate localizing study in PHPT and aided in selecting patients for targeted minimally invasive parathyroidectomy, which was associated with the lower recurrence rate. 3D-VNE could be proposed as a first-line imaging study in patients with PHPT.

State of the Art in Robot-Assisted Eye Surgery.

Despite the advantages that robot-assisted surgery can offer to patient care, its use in ophthalmic surgery has not yet progressed to the extent seen in other fields. As such, its use remains limited to research environments, both basic and clinical. The technical specifications for such ophthalmic surgical robots are highly challenging, but rapid progress has been made in recent years, and recent developments in this field ensure that the use of this technology in operating theatres will soon be a real possibility. Fully automated ocular microsurgery, carried out by a robot under the supervision of a surgeon, is likely to become our new reality. This review discusses the use of robot-assisted ophthalmic surgery, the recent progress in the field, and the necessary future developments which must occur before its use in operating theatres becomes routine.

Does endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty stand the test of time? Objective assessment of endoscopic ESG appearance and its relation to weight loss in a large group of consecutive patients.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is a promising bariatric treatment. Gastric volume reduction and delayed gastric emptying are the probable mechanisms driving weight loss. However, there are concerns regarding the overtime ESG effectiveness. This study aims to evaluate the correlation between endoscopic gastroplasty integrity overtime and weight loss. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing follow-up endoscopy (6 and 12 months) after ESG were included. ESG were classified in three groups according to endoscopic appearance: open when all the stiches were loose; partially intact if at least one stitch was loose; intact if all the stitches were present and tight. Initial BMI, excess weight loss (%EWL) and total weight loss (%TWL) at 6 and 12 months were assessed against gastroplasty endoscopic appearance. RESULTS: From October 2016 to April 2019, 133 patients underwent ESG, 87 (65.4%) had a follow-up EGD at 6 months. ESG was open in six cases (6.9%), partially intact in 38 (43.7%) and intact in 43 (49.4%). The overall %EWL and %TWL was 34.5 ± 19.8 and 13.2 ± 7.4, respectively; 25.7 ± 26.9 and 11.8 ± 11.8 for the open group, 30.8 ± 20.1 and 12.4 ± 7.8 for the partially intact group; 39.1 ± 19.7 and 14.0 ± 6.4 for the intact gastroplasty. Forty-one patients underwent a 12 months endoscopy: 10 (24.4%) had an intact ESG, 24 (58.5%) had a partially intact gastroplasty, and in 7 (17.0%) cases the sutures were lost. Overall %EWL and %TWL at 12 months was 34.3 ± 21.9 and 13.1 ± 8.1: 19.3 ± 13.4 and 8.9 ± 6.1 for the open group; 36.0 ± 24.2 and 13.1 ± 8.9 for the partially intact group; 40.3 ± 17.3 and 17.2 ± 5.4 for the intact group. ESG appearance correlated with preoperative BMI (r 0.34; p 0.001) and %EWL at 6 months (r 0.22; p 0.035) and 12 months (r 0.29; p 0.065). CONCLUSION: This preliminary work shows that weight loss correlates with ESG endoscopic appearance over time. Initial BMI predicts endoscopic suture duration over time. Larger studies and longer follow-up are needed.

Formalizing video documentation of the Critical View of Safety in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a step towards artificial intelligence assistance to improve surgical safety.

BACKGROUND: In laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), achievement of the Critical View of Safety (CVS) is commonly advocated to prevent bile duct injuries (BDI). However, BDI rates remain stable, probably due to inconsistent application or a poor understanding of CVS as well as unreliable reporting. Objective video reporting could serve for quality auditing and help generate consistent datasets for deep learning models aimed at intraoperative assistance. In this study, we develop and test a method to report CVS using videos. METHOD: LC videos performed at our institution were retrieved and the video segments starting 60 s prior to the division of cystic structures were edited. Two independent reviewers assessed CVS using an adaptation of the doublet view 6-point scale and a novel binary method in which each criterion is considered either achieved or not. Feasibility to assess CVS in the edited video clips and inter-rater agreements were evaluated. RESULTS: CVS was attempted in 78 out of the 100 LC videos retrieved. CVS was assessable in 100% of the 60-s video clips. After mediation, CVS was achieved in 32/78(41.03%). Kappa scores of inter-rater agreements using the doublet view versus the binary assessment were as follows: 0.54 versus 0.75 for CVS achievement, 0.45 versus 0.62 for the dissection of the hepatocystic triangle, 0.36 versus 0.77 for the exposure of the lower part of the cystic plate, and 0.48 versus 0.79 for the 2 structures connected to the gallbladder. CONCLUSIONS: The present study is the first to formalize a reproducible method for objective video reporting of CVS in LC. Minute-long video clips provide information on CVS and binary assessment yields a higher inter-rater agreement than previously used methods. These results offer an easy-to-implement strategy for objective video reporting of CVS, which could be used for quality auditing, scientific communication, and development of deep learning models for intraoperative guidance.

Simultaneous computer-assisted assessment of mucosal and serosal perfusion in a model of segmental colonic ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Fluorescence-based enhanced reality (FLER) enables the quantification of fluorescence signal dynamics, which can be superimposed onto real-time laparoscopic images by using a virtual perfusion cartogram. The current practice of perfusion assessment relies on visualizing the bowel serosa. The aim of this experimental study was to quantify potential differences in mucosal and serosal perfusion levels in an ischemic colon segment. METHODS: An ischemic colon segment was created in 12 pigs. Simultaneous quantitative mucosal and serosal fluorescence imaging was obtained via intravenous indocyanine green injection (0.2 mg/kg), using two near-infrared camera systems, and computer-assisted FLER analysis. Lactate levels were measured in capillary blood of the colonic wall at seven regions of interest (ROIs) as determined with FLER perfusion cartography: the ischemic zone (I), the proximal and distal vascularized areas (PV, DV), and the 50% perfusion threshold proximally and distally at the mucosal and serosal side (P50M, P50S, D50M, D50S). RESULTS: The mean ischemic zone as measured (mm) for the mucosal side was significantly larger than the serosal one (56.3 ± 21.3 vs. 40.8 ± 14.9, p = 0.001) with significantly lower lactate values at the mucosal ROIs. There was a significant weak inverse correlation between lactate and slope values for the defined ROIs (r = - 0.2452, p = 0.0246). CONCLUSIONS: Mucosal ischemic zones were larger than serosal zones. These results suggest that an assessment of bowel perfusion from the serosal side only can underestimate the extent of ischemia. Further studies are required to predict the optimal resection margin and anastomotic site.

Acute abdomen in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection or co-infection.

PURPOSE: Patients with an acute abdomen require emergency surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection can affect multiple organ systems, including the digestive tract. Little is known about the consequences of COVID-19 infection in emergency surgical patients. METHODS: Perioperative data for COVID-19 patients undergoing emergency surgery from March 1, 2020, to May 23, 2020 were collected prospectively (NCT04323644). RESULTS: During this period, 215 patients underwent surgery, including 127 patients in an emergency setting, of whom 13 (10.2%) had COVID-19. Two scenarios were identified: (a) patients who were admitted to a hospital for an acute surgical condition with a concomitant diagnosis of COVID-19, and (b) patients with severe COVID-19 developing acute abdominal pathologies during their hospital stay. When compared with those in group B, patients in group A globally recovered better, with a lower mortality rate (14.3% vs. 33.3%), lower ARDS rate (28.5% vs. 50.0%), less rates of preoperative invasive ventilation (14.3% vs. 50.0%) and postoperative invasive ventilation (28.5% vs. 100.0%), and a shorter duration of invasive ventilation. No causality between SARS-CoV-2 infection and gastrointestinal affliction was found. CONCLUSION: Our observations underline that mild co-infection with COVID-19 did not result in more complications for emergency abdominal surgery. Howe, an acute abdomen during severe COVID-19 infection was part of an unfavorable prognosis.