Effective weight control and normalization of metabolic parameters after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a single center experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Obesity is one of the most serious public health problems. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), a type of bariatric surgery, is emerging as the new promising therapy for the treatment of morbid obesity. METHODOLOGY: In the present study we aimed to assess the effects of LSG on body weight and other obesity related pathological conditions. RESULTS: A total of 19 obese subjects underwent LSG surgery. All patients underwent complete evaluation including anthropometric/clinical parameters and laboratory tests. Hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM), body mass index (BMI), and hyperlipidemia were significantly reduced after LSG. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study demonstrate that LSG induces stable weight loss and resolution of obesity-associated comorbidities.

Outcomes of Endoscopic Totally Extraperitoneal (TEP) repair of clinically occult inguinal hernia diagnosed with ultrasonography.

Inguinal hernias generally present with groin lump and pain. Although inguinal hernias can be diagnosed clinically in most cases, patients without a groin lump pose a considerable diagnostic challenge. The first-line diagnostic imaging tool in these cases is ultrasound (US) and the recommended surgical procedure is laparoscopic-endoscopic repair. This retrospective study aims at evaluating postoperative results and complication rates of TEP technique in patients with occult contralateral hernias diagnosed with US in comparison to patients with clinically diagnosed hernias. A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the outcomes of TEP procedure in patients with radiologically diagnosed occult contralateral hernias in comparison to patients with clinically diagnosed hernias. All hernias included in this study were repaired by TEP technique and secured with an extraperitoneal mesh. Demographic data, patient characteristics and perioperative information were obtained by reviewing medical records. A total number of 109 patients were enrolled in the study. The majority of patients were male and the mean age was 48.9 ± 14.6 years. In 56 cases, hernias were repaired unilaterally, while the remaining 53 were repaired bilaterally. Right-sided hernias were more common than left-sided hernias. The morbidity rate was 7.1% in unilateral repairs and 3.8% in bilateral repairs. The recurrence rate was 3.6% for unilateral repairs and 5.7% for bilateral repair. Some studies report that the incidence of clinical contralateral inguinal hernias identified after primary unilateral surgery is approximately 10%. If these contralateral hernias were diagnosed prior to the primary surgery, the risk of performing another operation could be avoided. Laparoscopic surgery enables bilateral hernia repair without any additional incisions, presenting similar morbidity rates when compared to unilateral repair. There was no significant difference between unilateral and bilateral TEP repair in terms of intraoperative and postoperative surgical complications. These results suggest that laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair is a safe and effective surgical technique for both unilateral and bilateral procedures. In order to prevent second operation, all patients with suspected inguinal hernia should undergo an US examination before surgery.

Prognostic factors in acute mesenteric ischemia and evaluation with multiple logistic regression analysis effecting morbidity and mortality.

<b>Background:</b> Acute mesenteric ischaemia (AMI) is a catastrophic abdominal emergency characterized by sudden critical interruption to the intestinal blood flow which commonly leads to bowel infarction and death. AMI still has a poor prognosis with an in-hospital mortality rate of 50-69 %. This high mortality rate is related to the delay in diagnosis which is often diffucult and overlooked. Early intervention is crucial and the potential for intestinal viability. <br><b>Methods:</b> The charts of 140 patients who were hospitalazed with AMI between May 1997 and August 2013 in Ege University Faculty of Medicine, department of general surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Demographical and clinical features of patients determining the best predictors which effect on morbidity and mortality were evaluated by Multiple Logistic Regression analysis by Enter method after adjustment for all possible confounding factors. <br><b>Results:</b> After Multiple LR analysis by Enter method after adjustment for all possible confounding factors affecting morbidity; shock, exploration and stay in hospital were statistically significant. Age, cardiac comorbidities, ASA scores, the time delay between onset of acute abdominal pain to surgery, the presence of acidosis and shock, the involved organs (small bowel and both), type of surgery and medical treatment and small bowel length under 100 cm were statistically significant on mortality. <br><b>Conclusion:</b> Risk factors related to mortality and morbidity have been poorly analyzed due to lack of prospective studies and smaller number of patients. Early diagnosis generally depends on clinical awareness and suspicion. Age and time of delay between onset of acute abdominal pain to surgery longer than 24 hours are the most important parameters that predict the mortality for patients presenting with shock and acidosis.

Reliability of fine needle aspiration biopsy in large thyroid nodules.

OBJECTIVE: Fine needle aspiration biopsy provides one of the most important data that determines the treatment algorithm of thyroid nodules. Nevertheless, the reliability of fine needle aspiration biopsy is controversial in large nodules. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adequacy of fine needle aspiration biopsy in thyroid nodules that are four cm or greater. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined 219 patients files who underwent thyroidectomy for thyroid nodules that were greater than four centimeter between May 2007 and December 2012. Seventy-four patients with hyperthyroidism, and 18 patients without preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology were excluded from the study. Histopathologic results after thyroidectomy were compared with preoperative cytology results, and sensitivity and specificity rates were calculated. RESULTS: False-negativity, sensitivity and specificity rates of fine needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules were found to be 9.7%, 55.5%, and 85%, respectively. Within any nodule of the 127 patients, 28 (22.0%) had thyroid cancer. However, when only nodules of at least 4 cm were evaluated, thyroid cancer was detected in 22 (17.3%) patients. CONCLUSION: In this study, fine needle aspiration biopsy of large thyroid nodules was found to have a high false-negativity rate. The limitations of fine-needle aspiration biopsy should be taken into consideration in treatment planning of thyroid nodules larger than four centimeters.

A rare cause of colonic obstruction "colonic intussusception": report of two cases.

Colocolic intussusceptions are rare clinical entities in adults and almost always caused by a leading lesion which often warrants resection. Mostly being malignant, the leading lesions are rarely benign lesions where intraluminal lipomas are the most frequent among them. Most adult intussusceptions require surgical resection owing to two major reasons: common presence of a leading lesion and significantly high risk of malignancy-reaching as high as 65% regardless of the anatomic site-of the leading lesion. Resection of the affected segment is usually the treatment of choice, since preoperative diagnosis of the lesion is usually ineffective and most leading lesions are malignant. This paper represents two cases of adult colocolic intussusception caused by intraluminal lipomas with a brief review of the literature.

Retroperitoneal paraganglioma presenting with pancytopenia: A rare case with rare manifestation.

INTRODUCTION: Paragangliomas are tumors that arise from extraadrenal chromaffin cells and most of them are asymptomatic presenting with painless mass. Retroperitoneal paragangliomas are mostly benign with good prognosis; however, they can present with abdominal pain, palpable mass, or hypertensive episodes. Surgical resection is still the main treatment and necessary for histological assessment. CASE REPORT: A 41 year old female patient presented with 6 months of loss of appetite, weight loss, weakness and breathlessness on exertion.. The patient's initial blood examination showed marked anemia, reduced leukocyte count with neutropenia and lymphopenia and a marked reduction in the platelet count. The patient was admitted for evaluation of her pancytopenia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 8×7×8cm sized mass closed to the pancreatic tail invading splenic hilum. A large mass was identified retroperitoneally, closed to the tail of pancreas with a splenic hilum invasion. Total mass resection and splenectomy was performed. DISCUSSION: Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice for extra-adrenal paragangliomas as well as for recurrent or metastatic neoplasms. Reactive thrombocytosis is a common cause of thrombocytosis. Splenectomy was found to be one of the main causes of extreme reactive thrombocytosis. Reactive thrombocytosis is a predictable finding after splenectomy and management of the thrombocytosis and prevention of complications should be initiated.

Prognostic factors in peptic ulcer perforations: a retrospective 14-year study.

Regarding the complications of peptic ulcer, a perforation remains the most important fatal complication. The aim of our retrospective study was to determine relations between postoperative morbidity and comorbid disease or perioperative risk factors in perforated peptic ulcer. In total, 239 patients who underwent emergency surgery for perforated peptic ulcer in Ege University General Surgery Department, between June 1999 and May 2013 were included in this study. The clinical data concerning the patient characteristics, operative methods, and complications were collected retrospectively. One hundred seventy-five of the 239 patients were male (73.2%) and 64 were female (26.8%). Mean American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score was 1 in the patients without morbidity, but mean ASA score was 3 in the morbidity and mortality groups. Primary suture and omentoplasty was the selected procedure in 228 of the patients. Eleven patients underwent resection. In total, 105 patients (43.9%) had comorbidities. Thirty-seven patients (67.3%) in the morbidity group had comorbid diseases. Thirteen (92.9%) patients in the mortality group had comorbid diseases. Perforation as a complication of peptic ulcer disease still remains among the frequent indications of urgent abdominal surgery. Among the analyzed parameters, age, ASA score, and having comorbid disease were found to have an effect on both mortality and morbidity. The controversial subject in the present study is regarding the duration of symptoms. The duration of symptoms had no effect on mortality nor morbidity in our study.

Isolated metastasis of uterine leiomyosarcoma to the pancreas: Report of a case and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Metastatic tumors of the pancreas are uncommon and rarely detectable clinically. Metastases to the pancreas are rare. We present a patient with pancreatic metastases from a leiomyosarcoma of the uterus and review the literature about the clinical features of pancreatic metastasis and its surgical management. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 40-year-old woman, who underwent hysterectomy, left oophorectomy, omentectomy and lymp node dissection for leiomyosarcoma of the uterus. At the follow up, the patient complained of non-specific abdominal discomfort. Preoperative diagnosis were pancreatic pseudocyst, cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma. At laparotomy, a cystic mass was found in the tail of the pancreas which was invased to the transverse colon mesenterium and the spleen. Distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy and transverse colon resection was performed. Histologically, the tumor was evaluated as poorly differentiated leiomyosarcoma. DISCUSSION: Metastatic lesions of the pancreas are uncommon and less than 2% of all pancreatic malignancies. However a few cases of leiomyosarcoma with metastases to the pancreas have been reported in the literature. Before deciding that the lesion in the pancreas was metastasis, primary leiomyosarcoma of the pancreas had to be ruled out. Histologically, leiomyosarcoma of the pancreas contains interlacing spindle cells with varying degrees of atypia and pleomorphism. The surgical approach to the pancreatic metastases must be aimed complete excision of the tumor with a wide negative margin of clear tissue and maximum preservation of pancreatic remnant if possible. CONCLUSION: In the absence of widespread metastatic disease, aggressive surgical approach with negative margins must be aimed.

S-shaped wide excision with primary closure for extensive chronic pilonidal sinus disease.

Background. The management of complex pilonidal sinus disease (PSD) with multiple pits on and beside the natal cleft is variable, contentious, and problematic. Wide excision of the sinus and reconstruction of the defect using different flap techniques have become more popular in recent years. Case Report. We report a case with a complex chronic PSD to which we applied primary closure after S-shaped wide excision. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and at the end of one-year followup he is now disease-free and comes for routine checkups. Conclusion. The simplicity of the technique and the promising results support the applicability of the S-shaped wide excision in chronic bilaterally extended large PSDs. Further studies entailing large patient populations are needed to reach a definite conclusion.

Isolated retroperitoneal hydatid cyst invading splenic hilum.

Introduction. Hydatid disease (HD) is an infestation that is caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. The liver is affected in approximately two-thirds of patients, the lungs in 25%, and other organs in a small proportion. Primary retroperitoneal hydatid cyst is extremely rare. The most common complaint is abdominal pain; however, the clinical features of HD may be generally dependent on the location of the cyst. Case Presentation. A 43-year-old female was admitted with the complaint of abdominal pain. Her physical examination was normal. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a 17 × 11 cm cystic lesion, with a thick and smooth wall that is located among the left liver lobe, diaphragm, spleen, tail of the pancreas, and transverse colon and invading the splenic hilum. Total cystectomy and splenectomy were performed. Pathological examination was reported as cyst hydatid. Discussion. Cysts in the peritoneal cavity are mainly the result of the spontaneous or traumatic rupture of concomitant hepatic cysts or surgical inoculation of a hepatic cyst. Serological tests contribute to diagnosis. In symptomatic and large hydatid peritoneal cysts, surgical resection is the only curative treatment. Total cystectomy is the gold standard. Albendazole or praziquantel is indicated for inoperable and disseminated cases. Percutaneous aspiration, injection, and reaspiration (PAIR) technique is another nonsurgical option.

Left sided Amyand's hernia.

The presence of the appendix in an inguinal hernia sac has been referred to as Amyand's hernia. Vermiform appendix located in an external hernia sac is not an uncommon condition, and the incidence of these cases is approximately 1%. In Amyand's hernias, appendices are frequently found in the hernia sac; but an incarceration particularly on the left side is a very unusual sight. In this report we present 32-year-old male with Amyand's hernia on the left side.

Autoimmune pancreatitis and treatment approaches with case reports.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to review retrospectively the data of 10 patient who were treated and followed-up in our clinic and to review the current approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed 10 patients retrospectively who were operated on and had the diagnosis of AIP histopathologically in the Ege University School of Medicine Department of General Surgery. RESULTS: Between June 2001-November 2010, 10 patients who were diagnosed as AIP were examined retrospectively. Radiologically, a pancreatic mass was found in the pancreatic head with ultrasound in 7 (70%) of 10 patients and suspicious lesions were identified in the head of the pancreas in 3 (30%) patients. All patients were operated on in our clinic with the preliminary diagnosis of pancreatic head tumor; 8 patients underwent Whipple's procedure, 1 patient underwent pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy, and in 1 patient an exploratory pancreatic biopsy (frozen section) was carried out. CONCLUSION: Autoimmune pancreatitis is a disease with increasing incidence and characterized by lymphoplasmocytic cell infiltration and fibrosis. Patients with a pancreatic mass, if there is an autoimmune disease or chronic pancreatitis suspected in the detailed history, it is necessary to evaluate patients in terms of AIP serologically to protect the patients from an incoorectng diagnosis and morbidity of surgery.

Endometriosis of the terminal ileum: a diagnostic dilemma.

Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue consisting of glands and/or stroma located outside the uterus. Involvement of the terminal ileum is extremely rare. Preoperative distinction of ileal endometriosis from other diseases of the ileocecal region is difficult in terms of clinical presentation, symptomatology, radiological appearance, and surgical and pathological findings. We report a case initially diagnosed as Crohn's disease due to a longstanding diarrhea with subsequent intestinal obstruction, but finally diagnosed as ileal endometriosis by histopathological evaluation after resection of the involved segment.