Benefits of AirSeal System in Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Benign Condition: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare the AirSeal insufflation system with the standard insufflation system for postoperative abdominal pain after laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign pathology. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Teaching Hospital La Conception, Marseille, France, February 2018 to July 2020. PATIENTS: A total of 80 patients scheduled for a laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign pathology (40 per group). INTERVENTION: Laparoscopic hysterectomy using the AirSeal insufflation system with a pneumoperitoneum between 8 and 10 mm Hg compared with the standard insufflation system with a pneumoperitoneum between 12 and 15 mm Hg. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary end point was abdominal pain at 6 hours after the end of surgery, assessed by a Simple Numerical Scale from 0 to 10. The secondary end points were intraoperative (operating time and difficulty of the surgery felt by the operator), early postoperative (intensity of abdominal and scapular pain at H0 [end of surgery], H2 [two hours after the end of surgery, H12 [twelve hour after the end of surgery], H24 [twenty four hours after the end of surgery], H48 [fourty eight hours after the end of surgery]), and late postoperative (late postoperative complication, estimated time to return to normal life, and overall patient satisfaction assessed by the SF-12 general health survey). The median values for abdominal pain were not different between the 2 groups at 6 hours (AirSeal group median, 0; interquartile range, 2 vs standard laparoscopy group median, 1; interquartile range, 2; p = .41). The abdominal and scapular pain values were similar in both groups at all postoperative times. There were no differences between the groups regarding secondary end points. CONCLUSION: Use of the AirSeal insufflation system with low-pressure pneumoperitoneum in laparoscopic hysterectomy for a benign indication did not reduce postoperative abdominal and scapular pain.

Superior Hemimastectomy with Inferior Pedicle Nipple-Bearing Flap: A Five-Step Surgical Technique.

SUMMARY: Oncoplastic breast surgery is an evolving field combining both breast aesthetic surgery and oncologic breast surgery. It aims to optimize cosmetic outcomes without interfering with oncologic safety. The superior hemimastectomy is a technique that can be considered for large upper-quadrant breast tumors or multifocal and multicentric breast tumors localized in the upper quadrants. As with mastectomy, axillary procedures can be performed through the same incision. The nipple-areola complex can be preserved and reimplanted. Superior hemimastectomy allows wide excision of the breast tissue, but its main disadvantage is the increased risk of necrosis of the free grafted nipple-areola complex. In this article, the authors present the surgical technique of superior hemimastectomy with an inferior pedicle nipple-bearing flap. This technique is presented as a simple five-step algorithm. A modified superior hemimastectomy with nipple-areola complex preservation using an inferior pedicle nipple-bearing flap is an alternative to the classic superior hemimastectomy technique. This modified technique decreases the risk of nipple-areola complex necrosis and preserves better nipple-areola complex sensitivity.

Evaluation of PIG-A-mutated granulocytes and ex-vivo binucleated micronucleated lymphocytes frequencies after breast cancer radiotherapy in humans.

Although the PIG-A gene mutation frequency (MF) is considered a good proxy to evaluate the somatic MF in animals, evidence remains scarce in humans. In this study, a granulocyte PIG-A-mutant assay was evaluated in patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer. Breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant RT were prospectively enrolled. RT involved the whole breast, with (WBNRT) or without (WBRT) nodal area irradiation. Blood samples were obtained from participants before (T0) RT, and T1, T2, and T3 samples were collected 3 weeks after the initiation of RT, at the end of RT, and at least 10 weeks after RT discontinuation, respectively. The MF was assessed using a flow cytometry protocol identifying PIG-A-mutant granulocytes. Cytokinesis-blocked micronucleated lymphocyte (CBML) frequencies were also evaluated. Thirty patients were included, and five of them had received chemotherapy prior to RT. The mean (±SD) PIG-A MFs were 7.7 (±12.1) per million at T0, 5.2 (±8.6) at T1, 6.4 (±8.0) at T2 and 3.8 (±36.0) at T3. No statistically significant increases were observed between the PIG-A MF at T0 and the MFs at other times. RT significantly increased the CBML frequencies: 7.9 ‰ (±3.1‰) versus 33.6‰ (±17.2‰) (p < .0001). By multivariate analysis, the CBML frequency was correlated with age at RT initiation (p = .043) and irradiation volume at RT discontinuation (p = .0001) but not with chemotherapy. RT for breast cancer therapy failed to induce an increase in the PIG-A MF. The PIG-A assay in humans needs further evaluation, in various genotoxic exposures and including various circulating human cells.