Successful Laparoscopic Treatment of Morgagni's Hernia in an Elderly Female Presenting as a Hypoxemic Hypercapnic Respiratory Distress.

Morgagni's hernia (MH) occurs when the abdominal viscera herniates into the thoracic cavity through a congenital anatomical defect in the diaphragm, termed the foramen of Morgagni. Although it is more frequently detected in childhood, its delayed presentation in adults and the elderly could be easily overlooked due to the non-specificity of its symptoms. Here, we report the case of an elderly female who presented purely with dyspnea and desaturation, necessitating admission to the intensive care unit. Her computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the presence of MH with complete lobar collapse. Laparoscopy was successful in reducing the hernia, and the patient improved with a good prognosis. Surgical treatment for MH is advised for all cases in order to prevent the occurrence of serious complications.

Laparoscopic Repair of Acute Traumatic Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Case Report.

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia (TDH) is a rare condition resulting from blunt or penetrating thoracoabdominal trauma and is characterized by the protrusion of abdominal organs into the thoracic cavity through a ruptured diaphragm. Due to its diverse clinical presentations, TDH often faces diagnostic challenges. Accurate diagnosis relies on imaging studies and surgical exploration, with surgical intervention being the primary treatment approach. This case presentation highlights a young patient who presented to Saint George Hospital following a blunt thoracoabdominal injury. The patient experienced unexplained dyspnea upon admission, and imaging revealed herniated bowels in the left hemithorax. Laparoscopic exploration confirmed a left hemi-diaphragmatic tear, with the transverse colon, omentum, most of the small bowel, and stomach herniating into the left hemithorax. The patient underwent laparoscopic repair, involving the reduction of the herniated organs into the peritoneal cavity and tension-free primary closure with gastropexy without the use of mesh for reinforcement. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and complete recovery was achieved. This case report provides insights into the diagnosis and management of TDH, highlighting the importance of prompt recognition and appropriate surgical intervention in achieving successful outcomes.

Neck Sinus Post-Thyroidectomy Secondary to Retained Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose: A Case Report.

The present study aims to report the first case of chronic neck sinus post-thyroidectomy caused by oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC). A 55-year-old female patient underwent a total thyroidectomy operation. Three months after the surgery, the patient presented with persistent purulent discharge and sinus at the site of the drain. A CT scan of the neck showed a fistula tract, deep-neck fluid collection, and bilateral paratracheal high-density lesions at the thyroid bed, suggesting infected foreign bodies. The patient underwent surgery, during which the mesh of the ORC was found nonresorbed at the paratracheal space. The treatment involved neck exploration with the removal of all retained material and excision of the sinus tract. The patient had a favorable outcome following the surgical excision of the sinus tract and the removal of retained hemostatic materials. Further research is needed to explore the risk factors and preventive measures for neck sinus formation to enhance the safety and outcomes of thyroidectomy.

Impact of Bariatric Surgery on the Healthy Eating Index, Binge Eating Behavior and Food Craving in a Middle Eastern Population: A Lebanese Experience.

Even though bariatric surgeries (BS) are on the rise in Lebanon and the Middle East, the changes in diet quality, binge eating, and food cravings in this region are poorly studied peri-operatively. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess binge eating behaviors, food craving and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) in Lebanese patients who underwent BS in a duration that exceeds 6 months. Evaluation included a dietary assessment of usual diet preoperatively and postoperatively. It included the collection of information on sociodemographic, anthropometric and surgical variables, as well as the administration of dietary recalls and questionnaires to calculate the HEI score, the Binge Eating Scale (BES) and the Food Craving Inventory (FCI). Participants (n = 60) were mostly females (85%) who had undergone sleeve gastrectomy (90%), with a mean duration since BS of 2.4 ± 1.8 years. Despite improvements in their HEI scores, 97% of the participants remained in the worst category. The frequency of participants in the severe BES category dropped markedly postoperatively from 78% to 5% (p < 0.01). Food craving followed a similar trend, with scores dropping from 50 ± 36 pre-surgery to 30 ± 25 post surgery (p < 0.01). Weight regain, prevalent among 40% of participants, was predicted by BES. Despite the improvement in BES and FCI, HEI improvement remained shy. Future interventions should validate findings in other countries and assess means for optimizing HEI scores among BS patients in the Middle East region.

Unexpected Gastric Ectopic Pancreas During Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Ectopic or heterotopic pancreas is relatively rare pathology described as pancreatic tissue lacking communication with the normal pancreas. Ectopic pancreatic tissue can be found along the gastrointestinal tract, with the most common location the stomach along the greater curvature. This congenital condition could be identified incidentally, or present with symptoms that range from pain and bleeding to obstruction and malignant transformation. CASE REPORT We report a case of a 30-year-old female, who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity of body mass index (BMI) of 46 kg/m², and who was found to have a 3 cm submucosal mass at the lesser curvature while dividing the stomach. The sleeved stomach tube's intraoperative gastroscopy showed a submucosal mass at the posterior stomach wall towards the lesser curvature, increasing the suspicion of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) tumor. The choice was to continue with a secure margin and conversion to roux-en-y gastric bypass with gastric tumor resection. It turned out that the final pathology was submucosal ectopic pancreas. Despite being a rare pathology, for any submucosal gastric mass, ectopic pancreas should be on the differential diagnosis list. During the sleeve surgery, the mass was found, and the approach was changed to intraoperatively subtotal gastrectomy and roux-en-y gastric bypass. CONCLUSIONS Before any bariatric operation, even in asymptomatic young patients, it is worth doing routine upper endoscopy to prevent surprising intraoperative pathology.

Chest Wall Reconstruction with a Bilayered Wound Matrix Mesh Following Toilet Mastectomy.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is still the most common malignancy in women. Though management of local disease has been thoroughly studied, management of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is still under much debate. Modern diagnostic tools allow the detection of early metastatic disease, which may be more responsive to treatment than late metastatic disease. Source control of MBC by "toilet mastectomy" is being studied in many case reports and studies. CASE REPORT We present the case of a 43-year-old woman presenting with MBC and complaining of a recurrent breast fungating disease, aiming to highlight the importance of palliative surgical treatment in systemic breast malignancy and to report our experience with the effectiveness of the 'Integra" mesh. CONCLUSIONS Chest wall reconstruction using bilayered wound matrix mesh following "toilet mastectomy" offers excellent reconstructive results and local control of disease, and is a low-morbidity procedure.

Recurrent Asymptomatic Sigmoid Diverticular Perforation in a Patient with Pemphigus Vulgaris on Immunosuppressive Therapy: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Perforation of the colon is associated with high mortality and requires early diagnosis. However, the diagnosis of perforation from atypical causes can be a diagnostic challenge. This report is of a rare case of recurrent sigmoid colonic perforation in a patient with diverticular disease who did not present with an acute abdomen but who had pemphigus vulgaris treated with immunosuppressive therapy. CASE REPORT A 57-year-old man with pemphigus vulgaris was treated with steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), and azathioprine. He had episodes of abdominal bloating but denied any other symptoms. He was diagnosed with spontaneous sigmoid diverticular perforation without presenting with an acute abdomen. CONCLUSIONS Diverticular perforation can be asymptomatic in patients on immunosuppressive therapy. Therefore, there should be a high index of suspicion for bowel perforation in patients with abdominal symptoms who are treated for skin diseases, such as pemphigus vulgaris, and are on steroids and other immunosuppressive treatments.

Abdominal Wall Endometriosis: A Case Report.

Abdominal wall endometriosis is a rare condition that occurs after a cesarean section or pelvic surgery and it has an incidence of 0.03%-1.5% in women with previous cesarean delivery. The predominant clinical picture is cyclic pain. We report two cases of abdominal wall endometriosis. The first was a 36-year-old female patient who presented for recurrent cyclic abdominal pain and was found to have endometriosis near the cesarean scar. The second was a 40-year-old female who had the same clinical presentation and was found to have endometriosis away from the scar. These cases highlight the need to have a high index of suspicion when treating women with recurrent cyclic abdominal pain.

Pitfalls of Diagnosing Left Lower Quadrant Pain Causes: Making the Uncommon Common Again.

BACKGROUND Left-sided acute appendicitis, although well described in the literature, is still an easily missed diagnosis. Midgut malrotation and situs inversus are 2 known leading conditions that contribute to misdiagnosis of appendicitis. CASE REPORT Here is the case of a 27-year-old male without any previous medical history, who presented with left lower quadrant tenderness and was misdiagnosed with gastroenteritis as an outpatient and sent home; the patient presented the next day to the emergency department where he was found to have acute appendicitis with situs inversus. He underwent laparoscopic appendectomy where a phlegmon was identified. Pathology came back as peri-appendiceal mucocele with no signs of malignancy. CONCLUSIONS This case report aimed to revisit the idea of left-sided acute appendicitis and discuss the management of a perforated appendiceal mucocele contained by a phlegmon.