Robotic Approach in Benign and Malignant Esophageal Tumors; A Preliminary Seven Case Series.

Esophageal surgery has been recognized as very challenging for surgeons and risky for patients. Thoracoscopic approach have proved its benefit in esophageal surgery but has some drawbacks as tremor and limited degrees of freedom, contra-intuitive movements and fulcrum effect of the surgical tools. Robotic technology has been developed with the intent to overcome these limitations of the standard laparoscopy or thoracoscopy. These benefits of robotic procedure are most advantageous when operating in remote areas difficult to reach as in esophageal surgery. AIM: The aim of this paper is to present our small experience related with robotic approach in benign and malignant esophageal tumors and critically revise the evidence available about the use of the robotic technology for the treatment of these pathology. Methods: From January 2008 to September 2016 robotic surgery interventions related with benign or malignant esophageal tumors were performed in "Dan Setlacec" Center for General Surgery and Liver Transplantation of Fundeni Clinical Institute in seven patients. This consisted of dissection of the entire esophagus as part of an abdomino-thoracic-cervical procedure for esophageal cancer in 3 patients and the extirpation of an esophageal leiomyoma in 3 cases and a foregut esophageal cyst in one case. Results: All procedures except one were completed entirely using the da Vinci robotic system. The exception was the first case - a 3 cm leiomyoma of the inferior esophagus with ulceration of the superjacent esophageal mucosa. Pathology reports revealed three esophageal leiomyoma, one foregut cyst and three squamous cell carcinomas with free of tumor resection margins. The mean number of retrieved mediastinal nodes was 24 (22 - 27). The postoperative course was uneventful in four cases, in the other three a esophageal fistula occurred in the converted leiomyoma case (closed in the 14th postoperative day), a prolonged drainage in one esophageal cancer case and a temporary right recurrent nerve palsy in an other one. One patient with esophageal cancer and all patients with benign lesions are alive with no signs of recurrence and no symptomatology. CONCLUSION: Our experience is limited and we cannot conclude for the long term benefits of robotic surgery for esophageal tumors. In our experience the early outcomes were better then using classic open approach, but similar with the cases performed by thoracoscopic approach. We have noticed significant advantages of robotic surgery in relation of lymph node retrieval, leiomyoma dissection safe from esophageal mucosa and suturing. Ergonomics for the surgeon was incomparable better then with the thoracoscopic approach.

Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma with ovarian metastasis - an unusual presentation.

AIM: Fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) has been considered a distinct clinical entity vs. hepatocellular carcinoma, with respect to its epidemiology, etiology, and prognosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the unusual case of a 23-year-old female patient with FLC and ovarian (Krukenberg) and peritoneal metastases, clinically mimicking an ovarian carcinoma. Multiple recurrences occurred despite initial R0 resection and chemotherapy, requiring surgical treatment. The patient survived five years and died from generalized disease. DISCUSSION: The particularities of our case are discussed by comparison with the other two similar cases and other date from the literature. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, the ovarian involvement encountered in our case is the third case published in literature, being explained by the superficial location of the liver tumor.

Ten-year results of thoracoscopic unilateral extended thymectomy performed in nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the 10-year results of thoracoscopic unilateral extended thymectomy (TUET) performed in nontumoral myasthenia gravis according to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America recommendations. BACKGROUND DATA: Thoracoscopic unilateral extended thymectomy has the benefits of a minimally invasive approach. Previous data have shown promising midterm results but long-term results were lacking. METHODS: Two hundred forty patients with nontumoral myasthenia gravis who underwent surgery between 1999 and 2009 were eligible for the study. The mean follow-up was of 67 months (range: 12-125), 134 patients completed follow-up assessments more than 60 months after TUET. RESULTS: There were 39 males (16.3%) and 201 females (83.7%), with an age range from 8 to 60 years. The mean preoperative disease duration was 21.5 months. All patients underwent preoperative steroid therapy. Anticholinesterase drugs were required for 123 patients (51.3%), and immunosuppressive drugs were required for 87 (36.3%) patients. The pathologic findings were as follows: normal thymus in 13 patients (5.5%), involuted thymus in 65 patients (27%), and hyperplastic thymus in 162 patients (67.5%). The average weight of the thymus was 110 ± 45 g. Ectopic thymic tissue was found in 147 patients (61.3%). There was no mortality, and morbidity consisted of 12 patients (5%). Complete stable remission was achieved in 61% of the patients, and the cumulative probability of achieving complete stable remission was 0.88 at 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: With zero mortality, low morbidity, and comparable long-term results to open surgery, TUET can be regarded as the best treatment option for patients undergoing surgery for myasthenia gravis.

Preoperative noninvasive EUS evaluation in patients with esophageal cancer considered for esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, esophageal cancer ranks fifth in the mortality rate regarding tumor locations. EUS is an essential tool in the evaluation of these patients allowing accurate staging and permitting stratified treatment options. AIM. We have studied prospectively the impact of EUS in the evaluation and decision for therapy of patients with esophageal cancer diagnosed in our center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From March 2001 through March 2006, 220 patients were hospitalized at the Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Fundeni Clinical Institute, with the diagnosis of esophageal cancer. Out of the 220 patients, 41 patients, with no major comorbidities contraindicating esophagectomy already having been screened by abdominal and thoracic CT to disclose distant metastases, had EUS with the definite purpose of staging esophageal carcinoma and selecting adequate therapy. Assuming that without preoperative staging by EUS, all 41 patients in the study group would have been offered surgical treatment, we evaluated the number of patients and the modality in which EUS resulted in changes to the therapeutic plan. RESULTS: Depth of invasion was recorded for the 41 patients as follows: T1 in 2 patients (4.9%), T2 in 6 patients (14.6%), T3 in 24 patients (58.5%), and T4 in 10 patients (22%). Regional lymph node (N) status as determined by EUS criteria was as follows: N0 in 7 patients (17%) and N1 in 34 patients (83%). Assessment of distant metastases (M) was recorded showing 4 patients with celiac axis lymph nodes metastases (M1). Preoperative EUS staging changed the decision for surgery in 18 of 41 patients (44%) (p<0.0001) and allowed primary esophagectomy in only 6 patients (15%) (p<0.0001). Compared to histopathology, the overall accuracy of EUS staging for pT1 and pT2 was 80% for staging pT3 and pT4 77% and for lymph node evaluation was approximately 75%. CONCLUSION: Esophageal EUS offers useful information to clinicians caring for patients with esophageal cancer, impacts clinical decision making, and should be used in appropriate settings to plan patients' care.

Sequential therapy in a case of extrahepatic biliary atresia associated with ventricular septal defect: liver transplantation followed by surgical closure of the septal defect.

Patients with extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA), the commonest indication for liver transplantation in pediatric cases, may have associated congenital anomalies, e.g. interventricular septal defect (IVSD). Even if there is a well established therapeutical algorithm for a ventricular septal defect as an isolated disease, the surgical approach raises special problems in a liver transplanted patient. We present the case of a little girl with EHBA and IVSD. The patient underwent a living related liver transplantation when she was 1 year old. Persistence of the symptomatic IVSD required open heart surgery, performed 9 months posttransplantation. The decision to perform the closure of the IVSD was difficult, yet it proved to be beneficial; the child had an uneventful postoperative course, with remission of the symptoms and a good late outcome. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a living-related liver transplantation patient undergoing open heart surgery for IVSD closure.