Literature Review on the Incidence of Primary Stapler Malfunction.

Background. Surgical stapling devices are known for their reliability and convenience. A letter to health care professionals published by the US Food and Drug Administration in March 2019 highlighted the increasing number of adverse events associated with surgical staplers. Driven by a case of stapler malfunction during an elective laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, we performed a literature review to investigate the incidence of primary stapler malfunction. We also discuss the common types and an approach to its management. Methods. PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases were searched for articles discussing surgical stapler malfunction. Twelve studies were selected that described the incidence and/or consequences of primary stapler malfunction. A narrative synthesis was performed. Results. From observational studies, the incidence ranged from 0.022% to 2.3%. A prospective survey reported that 86% of laparoscopic surgeons either had personal experience with or knew of surgeons who experienced stapler malfunction, implying a higher incidence. Underreporting has been an issue as manufacturers can get exemptions from public reporting. Significantly, higher malfunctions have been reported after exemptions were lifted. The most common types of stapler malfunction are stapler misfire and stapler locking. Major morbidity and mortality have been reported. Conclusion. Surgeons are increasingly reliant on technological innovations. Stapling failure occurs and it is imperative to be aware of this. Given the high volume of stapler use, a high percentage of surgeons are likely to encounter this problem in their career. It is important to have an approach to the prevention and management of this potentially catastrophic complication.

Magnetic Surgical Instruments for Robotic Abdominal Surgery.

This review looks at the implementation of magnetic-based approaches in surgical instruments for abdominal surgeries. As abdominal surgical techniques advance toward minimizing surgical trauma, surgical instruments are enhanced to support such an objective through the exploration of magnetic-based systems. With this design approach, surgical devices are given the capabilities to be fully inserted intraabdominally to achieve access to all abdominal quadrants, without the conventional rigid link connection with the external unit. The variety of intraabdominal surgical devices are anchored, guided, and actuated by external units, with power and torque transmitted across the abdominal wall through magnetic linkage. This addresses many constraints encountered by conventional laparoscopic tools, such as loss of triangulation, fulcrum effect, and loss/lack of dexterity for surgical tasks. Design requirements of clinical considerations to aid the successful development of magnetic surgical instruments, are also discussed.

A case of a bleeding benign gastrocolic fistula in 2014.

INTRODUCTION: In the era of proton pump inhibitors in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease, the incidence of a gastrocolic fistula arising from unoperated gastric ulcers is extremely low. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present the case of a 68-year old farmer who presented with melaena and was found to have a benign gastrocolic fistula in the setting of untreated peptic ulcer disease, chronic NSAID ingestion and heavy alcohol intake. The diagnosis was made by gastroscopy. En bloc surgery was undertaken due to the size of the fistula and concomitant significant bleeding of the ulcer which would not have made it amenable to medical management. DISCUSSION: The symptoms of a gastrocolic fistula are undifferentiated and the diagnosis can easily be missed in the setting of other complications such as bleeding or perforation of a hollow viscus. Barium enamas are the most accurate for the diagnosis but gastroscopy with biopsy is usually performed to rule out malignancy. The mainstay of treatment is usually surgical, though patients can be medically managed if he/she is not a surgical candidate. CONCLUSION: Benign gastrocolic fistulas are rare and its diagnosis is easily missed.

Acute surgical unit: the Australasian experience.

BACKGROUND: The acute surgical unit (ASU) model of care is a new paradigm shift in the provision of emergency surgery. Clinical and non-clinical outcomes have been described after the introduction of the ASU model in Australia and New Zealand. This paper reviews and analyses the current published literature and methods of implementation of contemporary ASU models. METHOD: We conducted a comprehensive database search to identify all relevant published papers pertaining to the ASU. Included papers compared ASU models to emergency surgery's traditional model of care. Relevant clinical and non-clinical end points were extracted for analysis. RESULTS: Seven papers and two abstracts published data assessing clinical and non-clinical end points within the ASU. Four out of six studies reported a reduction in hospital length of stay. Two out of three studies showed reduction in mean time to emergency department review and two out of four studies reported a reduction in time to surgery. Additionally, four out of five studies showed a reduction in after hours operating with an ASU model. CONCLUSION: Trends in clinical outcomes are seen including reduced length of stay, time to emergency department assessment and surgery, supplemented by non-clinical outcomes including reduced after hours operating and the potential for increased training opportunities. The published data presents certain weaknesses and further information is required to appreciate the applicability of certain aspects of the ASU model to smaller centres.

Torsion of the gallbladder: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Gallbladder torsion is a rare disease, predominantly affecting elderly women. It is an important differential in the acute surgical abdomen. METHODS: A total of 324 published case reports of torsion of the gallbladder were reviewed. Features in diagnostic imaging suggestive of torsion were reviewed and summarized. RESULTS: Gallbladder torsion is primarily a disease of elderly people; the median age at presentation is 77 years. It is more common amongst women, occurring at a female : male ratio of 4 : 1, although not in childhood, when it occurs at a male : female ratio of 2.5 : 1. CONCLUSIONS: Improved imaging techniques within the last 20 years have enabled the preoperative diagnosis of one quarter of patients with gallbladder torsion. With prompt surgical intervention, the condition has an excellent prognosis.