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Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) is a commonly performed procedure in ICUs as a safe and cost-effective alternative to surgical tracheostomy (ST). Bronchoscopy is frequently used during PT for real-time confirmation of needle placement and tube positioning. We present a case of a 42-year-old female with a complex medical history who underwent PT and experienced acute airway loss due to endotracheal tube obstruction caused by accumulated secretions. To prevent such complications, vigilance regarding airway obstruction, cautious bronchoscope advancement, avoiding endotracheal tube puncture, and readiness to abort the procedure and replace the tube are crucial.
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Radiation enteritis poses a treatment challenge for patients undergoing or completing radiation therapy. A significant issue has been the patient's and surgeon's lack of awareness of the condition and the radiotherapy or associated surgical treatments. A 66-year-old female presented with acute onset of diffuse abdominal pain and peritonitis for one day, status post radiation therapy following a diagnosis of cervical cancer. A review of systems was positive for diffuse sweating, chills, and nausea. The patient was diagnosed with an entero-colonic fistula with mesenteric edema. An entero-colonic fistula due to radiation enterocolitis is a rare but important complication that can occur after radiation therapy for abdominal or pelvic malignancies. With any patient who has a history of abdominal or pelvic cancer and has received radiotherapy and shows up with acute abdomen, bowel perforation should be considered in the differential diagnosis with the possible management of acute complications.
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Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a reproducible low-cost model useful for the development and acquisition of skills and competencies required for endoscopic hernia repairs. Methods: Ten general surgery residents (PGY3) were instructed to construct the model and perform the maneuvers necessary for the simulation of laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty by the trans-abdominal pre-peritoneal (TAPP) technique. They practiced for 4 weeks in the model, and the time required to perform simulated hernioplasty by the laparoscopic TAPP technique in the initial session was compared to the time required after 4 weeks of training. Results: The time required to perform the exercise was significantly lower than in the initial session (p < 0.01). The time required by residents to complete the exercise in the initial session was significantly longer than that used by expert surgeons in the same task (p < 0.01), and although a significant difference persisted, this difference was substantially reduced to 3.60 min after the residents completed 4-week training in the model (p < 0.01). An independent expert, blinded to the level of training of the person who performed the exercise, could recognize all residents as novices and all experienced surgeons as experts in the initial session of the exercise with the model, but after 4 weeks of training, they did not recognize 4 of the 10 residents as novices (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The routine implementation of training in this model could be very useful in the laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty teaching-learning process.
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Background: The planning of revisional bariatric surgery is a complex process. The availability of accurate anatomical information is especially important for the planning of such challenging surgical procedures, we present our initial experience using three-dimensional-computed tomography (3D-CT) images to preoperatively assess the anatomy of patients before bariatric revisional surgery. Methods: We used 3D reconstructed images of CT scans to assess the anatomy and plan revisional surgery in 144 patients 98 of them had a previous sleeve gastrectomy 41 had a previous gastric by-pass and 4 Vertical banded gastroplasties. An effervescent preparation was used to distend the stomach and the proximal bowel allowing volume estimation. Results: Eleven sleeve patients underwent a re-sleeve gastrectomy and 44 were revised to a "Roux-en-Y" gastric bypass (RYGBP). Forty-two patients with a previous gastric by-pass were revised due to weight regain or other issues and 4 patients with previous vertical banded gastroplasty (VBGP) were revised to RYGBP. 3D-CT scans provided valuable information for the planning of all revisional procedures by offering accurate information about the existing anatomy and measures of the volume of the gastric pouch, the size of the gastro-jejunal anastomosis in gastric by-pass cases, or the volume and shape of the gastric tube in gastric sleeve cases. Conclusion: 3D-CT is a fast, widely available, reliable, and accurate tool to assess the anatomy after bariatric procedures. This noninvasive method can be particularly useful for the evaluation of postbariatric patients with failures, suboptimal results, and complications, and for the planning of revisional surgery.
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INTRODUCTION: Diastasis recti is a common condition with functional and cosmetic effects that can occur in both female and male patients. However, it is more prevalent in females after pregnancies and can be associated with midline hernias. The preaponeurotic endoscopic repair (REPA) has become an emerging procedure for the surgical treatment of this condition. CASES REPORT: We present four cases of vasomotor changes in the abdominal skin, during physical activity or heat exposure, limited to the subcutaneous dissection area after REPA. All patients reported occasional skin redness (erythema) in the subcutaneous dissection area, triggered by exposure to heat or sunlight. The skin redness subsided completely in all the patients after a few minutes in a cool environment and after cessation of physical activity. DISCUSSION: Recently, subcutaneous preaponeurotic repair of diastasis recti has gained popularity. Changes in abdominal skin sensitivity have been reported, but to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of what appears to be vasomotor skin changes after these procedures. CONCLUSION: Vasomotor changes can occur after endoscopic dissections of the abdominal skin and subcutaneous tissue. Incidence and causes remain unclear.
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BACKGROUND: The volume of the postoperative gastric remnant is a key factor in excess weight loss (EWL) after sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Traditional methods to estimate gastric volume (GV) after bariatric procedures are often inaccurate; usually conventional biplanar contrast studies are used. METHODS: Thirty patients who underwent SG were followed prospectively and evaluated at 6 months after the surgical procedure, performing 3D CT reconstruction and gastric volumetry, to establish its relationship with EWL. The gastric remnant was distended with effervescent sodium bicarbonate given orally. Helical CT images were acquired and reconstructed; GV was estimated with the software of the CT device. The relationship between GV and EWL was analyzed. RESULTS: The study allowed estimating the GV in all patients. A dispersion diagram showed an inverse relationship between GV and %EWL. 55.5% of patients with GV ≤ 100 ml had %EWL 25-75% and 38.8% had an %EWL above 75% and patients with GV ≥ 100 ml had an %EWL under 25% (50% of patients) or between 25 and 75% (50% of this group). The Pearson's correlation coefficient was R = 6.62, with bilateral significance (p ≤ .01). The Chi-square result correlating GV and EWL showed a significance of .005 (p ≤ .01). The 3D reconstructions showed accurately the shape and anatomic details of the gastric remnant. CONCLUSIONS: 3D volumetry CT scans accurately estimate GV after SG. A significant relationship between GV and EWL 6 months after SG was established, seeming that GV ≥ 100 ml at 6 months of SG is associated with poor EWL.