Modified chest wall lateral intercostal artery perforator (MCW-LICAP) flap: a versatile flap in the era of oncoplastic breast surgery.

BACKGROUND: Breast reconstruction following oncological resection is becoming more common in recent years. In some ladies, implant reconstruction is not ideal due to significant implant visibility or palpability. Autologous reconstruction addresses the limitations of implant reconstruction but results in potential donor site morbidities. To date, there is no clear advantage ascribed to any technique. With appropriate selection, patients with adequate lateral mammary fold have the option of reconstruction with MCW-LICAP flap. We present our techniques and outcomes from a series of 29 patients who underwent MCW-LICAP flap. METHODS: A retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent curative resection for breast cancer with immediate MCW-LICAP flap reconstruction, between July 2018 to April 2022 was conducted. The techniques used with its variations along with video demonstrations are presented. RESULTS: A total of 29 patients underwent 34 procedures. Nineteen breast conserving surgeries and 15 mastectomies were completed, and immediate reconstruction performed in all cases. Twenty-three patients had MCW-LICAP, 1 with a Stacked intercostal artery perforator (STICAP) flap, and 5 had MCW-LICAP combined with a Goldilocks mastectomy. There were no cases of complications requiring re-operation. All patients had acceptable time to adjuvant therapy with a median of 36 days. Learning curve analysis showed a significant reduction in operative time after the 6th case. CONCLUSION: In our preliminary experience, MCW-LICAP flap is a safe, reliable, and versatile oncoplastic reconstruction option.

Emergency laparoscopic repair of an incarcerated obturator hernia, a case report.

Obturator hernias are rare hernias with high morbidity and mortality if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Various minimally invasive techniques have been reported in literature. Here we describe a novel technique of repairing an obturator hernia complicated by small bowel incarceration and obstruction, via a laparoscopic trans-abdominal approach.

Incidence and analysis of sharps injuries and splash exposures in a tertiary hospital in Southeast Asia: a ten-year review.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to report the ten-year incidence and trend of sharps injuries and splash exposures (SISE), and analyse the causative instruments and risk factors leading to these injuries to identify potential areas of improvement. METHODS: A retrospective review of self-reported SISE incidents from 2005 to 2014 was conducted in Singapore General Hospital. Data was extracted from the electronic database of the Department of Infection Prevention and Control. Incidence of SISE was calculated per 1,000 healthcare workers (HCWs) per year. RESULTS: Over the ten-year period, a total of 1,901 SISE were reported. The average SISE incidence per year was 110.5 per 1,000 doctors and 22.8 per 1,000 nursing staff, with an overall incidence of 28.9 per 1,000 HCWs. The incidence of SISE decreased from 30.3 to 22.0 per 1,000 HCWs per year from 2005 to 2014, while that for splash exposures increased from 1.9 to 3.7 per 1,000 HCWs per year. Doctors reported the highest number of SISE (43.7%), followed by nurses (37.7%). Top mechanisms of injury were intraoperative procedures (22.8%), drawing blood (14.4%) and splash exposures (13.7%). CONCLUSION: Overall incidence of SISE decreased over the decade. Improved training and increasing use of safety devices, education and awareness could have contributed to the fall in incidence of sharps injuries; these measures should be reinforced and continued. However, the incidence of splash exposures increased over the same period. Preventive measures such as the use of protective goggles and face shields, together with personal protective equipment, should be emphasised and encouraged.

Uncommon indications for cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has changed treatment for selected patients with peritoneal metastases (PM) arising from appendiceal, colorectal, epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal and gastric cancers. However, the results of CRS with HIPEC remain unclear in PM from other tumor histologies. METHODS: We report a series of 10 patients who underwent CRS and HIPEC between 2006 and 2015, for PM arising from uncommon tumor origins. RESULTS: Ten patients with PM from uncommon tumor origins underwent CRS and HIPEC. Median age was 46.5 years. Two patients had ovarian Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors (SLCT) and two had small bowel adenocarcinomas. The other histologies included: ovarian transitional cell carcinoma, ovarian granulosa cell tumor, endometroid adenocarcinoma, endocervical adenocarcinoma, synovial sarcoma, and ovarian leiomyosarcoma. Median peritoneal cancer index was 9 (2-18) and complete cytoreduction was achieved for all patients. Median follow-up was 14 months (2-100), and median time to recurrence from CRS and HIPEC was 16.0 months by Kaplan-Meier estimate. Four patients remain alive and disease-free, five are alive with disease, and one had died with disease. Median survival was not reached. CONCLUSIONS: Eight of ten patients with peritoneal metastases in the above rare indications survived 10 months or more after CRS and HIPEC. These encouraging results are a rationale for prospective clinical trials in these tumor histologies.