Abdominal Drains After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Should They Be Used?

Purpose: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is one of the most common surgical procedures worldwide for the treatment of morbid obesity. Blake-type drains are widely used in this procedure despite the lack of clear evidence regarding their benefits in the diagnosis and treatment of common postoperative complications such as gastric suture line leak (GSLL) and postoperative bleeding (PB). Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study with prospective case registry was conducted, analyzing all patients who underwent LSG between January 2012 and December 2022 at a high-volume center. Our primary outcome was to evaluate the role of drains for diagnosis and treatment of GSLL and PB in LSG. Our secondary outcome was to determine drain related surgical site infection (DRSSI) rate. Results: A total of 335 LSG were performed in the studied period. In all patients one abdominal drain was placed during surgery. Six GSLL (1.79%) and 5 PB (1.49%) were recorded. Drain placement did not prove to ensure early diagnosis or conservative management of GSLL or PB after LSG. Furthermore, an incidence of DRSSI of 4.1% (14 patients) was found. Conclusion: In our study, no clear diagnostic or therapeutic benefits of the systematic use of drains for GSLL or PB in LSG was found; but drain use did show a considerable rate of DRSSI, which must be taken into consideration prior to considering drain systematic use. While no randomized prospective trials have been performed, the retrospective data does not support drain systematic use.

Eight years of community structure monitoring through recreational citizen science at the "SS Thistlegorm" wreck (Red Sea).

Large artificial coral reef communities, such as those thriving on sunken shipwrecks, tend to mirror those of nearby natural coral reefs and their long-term dynamics may help future reef resilience to environmental change. We examined the community structure of the world-renown "SS Thistlegorm" wreck in the northern Red Sea from 2007 through 2014, analyzing data collected during the recreational citizen science Red Sea monitoring project "Scuba Tourism for the Environment". Volunteer divers collected data on 6 different diving parameters which included the date of the dive, maximum depth, average depth, temperature, dive time, hour of dive, and gave an abundance estimation of sighted taxa from a list of 72 target taxa. Although yearly variations in community structure were significant, there was no clear temporal trend, and 71 of all 72 target taxa were sighted throughout the 8 years. The 5 main taxa driving variations among year clusters in taxa presence/absence (Soft Tree Coral-Dendronephthya spp., Giant Moray-Gymnothorax javanicus, Squirrel Fish-Sargocentron spp., Humpback Batfish-Platax spp., and Caranxes-Carangidae) and taxa abundance (Soft Tree Coral, Giant Moray, Red Sea Clownfish-Amphiprion bicinctus, Napoleon Wrasse-Cheilinus undulatus, and Caranxes) data were determined. The "SS Thistlegorm" provides a compelling example of how artificial coral reefs can sustain a well-established community structure similar to those of their natural counterparts.

Outcomes after laparoscopic adrenalectomy for unilateral primary aldosteronism.

Unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common surgically correctable cause of hypertension. Determination of success after laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is limited by the lack of standardized criteria. We sought to evaluate the surgical recurrence and functional outcomes of LA in patients with Conn's syndrome applying the primary aldosteronism surgical outcome (PASO) Criteria. Descriptive observational analysis of patients treated with LA due to confirmed u nilateral Conn's syndrome between May 2007 and August 2020: Twenty patients were included in the cohort; 16 patients had TLA and other four PLA [58% male, median age 47 (IQR: 44-59.5) years and median follow-up of 64 (IQR: 2-156) ] months. Median tumor size was 1.2 (0.8-1.8) cm. No conversions to open surgery were recorded and the overall morbidity of the series was 1/20. No surgical or biochemical recurrence was observed. Five patients were excluded from the analysis of functional results due to lack of follow-up. According to the PASO criteria, complete, partial, and no success were observed in 8/15, 6/15, and 1/15, respectively. The surgical treatment of the disease is supported by the literature, and we were able to reproduce the results of other series. The use of standardized and reproducible criteria to assess its functional results would be essential for a more complete and integrated evaluation of adrenal surgery.

El hiperaldosteronismo primario es la causa más frecuente de hipertensión secundaria pasible de tratamiento quirúrgico. La determinación del éxito de la adrenalectomía laparoscópica (AL), actualmente, está limitada por la falta de criterios estandarizados. Buscamos evaluar la tasa de recurrencia quirúrgica y los resultados funcionales de la AL en pacientes con Síndrome de Conn aplicando los criterios PASO (primary aldosteronism surgical outcome). Análisis descriptivo y observacional de pacientes tratados con AL en contexto de síndrome de Conn unilateral confirmado, entre Mayo-2007 y Agosto-2020. Se incluyeron 20 pacientes en el estudio; 16 pacientes tratados mediante AL total y 4 con AL parcial (55% hombres, edad mediana de 47 (IQR: 44-59.5) años y mediana de seguimiento 64 (IQR: 2-156) meses. La mediana de tamaño tumoral fue de 1.2 (0.8-1.8) cm. No se registraron conversiones a cirugía abierta y la morbilidad global de la serie: 1/20. No se observó recurrencia quirúrgica o bioquímica. Se excluyeron 5 pacientes en el análisis de resultados funcionales por falta de seguimiento. Según los criterios PASO, se observó un éxito completo, parcial y ausente en 8/15, 6/15 y 1/15, respectivamente. El tratamiento quirúrgico de la enfermedad es avalado por la literatura y pudimos reproducir los resultados de otras series. El uso estandarizado y reproducible de criterios para valorar sus resultados funcionales sería fundamental para una evaluación más completa e integrada de la cirugía suprarrenal.

Outcomes after laparoscopic adrenalectomy for unilateral primary aldosteronism / Resultados luego de adrenalectomía laparoscópica en hiperaldosteronismo primario unilateral

Abstract Unilateral primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common surgically correctable cause of hypertension. Determination of success after laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is limited by the lack of standardized criteria. We sought to evaluate the surgical recurrence and functional outcomes of LA in patients with Conn's syndrome applying the primary aldosteronism surgical outcome (PASO) Criteria. Descriptive obser vational analysis of patients treated with LA due to confirmed u nilateral Conn's syndrome between May 2007 and August 2020: Twenty patients were included in the cohort; 16 patients had TLA and other four PLA [58% male, median age 47 (IQR: 44-59.5) years and median follow-up of 64 (IQR: 2-156) ] months. Median tumor size was 1.2 (0.8-1.8) cm. No conversions to open surgery were recorded and the overall morbidity of the series was 1/20. No surgical or biochemical recurrence was observed. Five patients were excluded from the analysis of functional results due to lack of follow-up. According to the PASO criteria, complete, partial, and no success were observed in 8/15, 6/15, and 1/15, respectively. The surgical treatment of the disease is supported by the literature, and we were able to reproduce the results of other series. The use of standardized and reproducible criteria to assess its functional results would be essential for a more complete and integrated evaluation of adrenal surgery.

Resumen El hiperaldosteronismo primario es la causa más frecuente de hipertensión secundaria pasible de tratamiento quirúrgico. La determinación del éxito de la adrenalectomía laparoscópica (AL), actualmente, está limitada por la falta de criterios estandarizados. Buscamos evaluar la tasa de recurrencia quirúrgica y los resultados funcionales de la AL en pacientes con Síndrome de Conn aplicando los criterios PASO (primary aldosteronism surgical outcome). Análisis descriptivo y observacional de pacientes tratados con AL en contexto de síndrome de Conn unilateral confirmado, entre Mayo-2007 y Agosto-2020. Se incluyeron 20 pacientes en el estudio; 16 pacientes tratados mediante AL total y 4 con AL parcial (55% hombres, edad mediana de 47 (IQR: 44-59.5) años y mediana de seguimiento 64 (IQR: 2-156) meses. La mediana de tamaño tumoral fue de 1.2 (0.8-1.8) cm. No se registraron conversiones a cirugía abierta y la morbilidad global de la serie: 1/20. No se observó recurrencia quirúrgica o bioquímica. Se excluyeron 5 pacientes en el análisis de resultados funcionales por falta de seguimiento. Según los criterios PASO, se observó un éxito completo, parcial y ausente en 8/15, 6/15 y 1/15, respectivamente. El tratamiento quirúrgico de la enfermedad es avalado por la literatura y pudimos reproducir los resultados de otras series. El uso estandarizado y reproducible de criterios para valorar sus resul tados funcionales sería fundamental para una evaluación más completa e integrada de la cirugía suprarrenal.