Comparison of early surgical outcomes of robotic and laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection reported by a busy district general hospital in England.

Robotic platforms provide a stable tool with high-definition views and improved ergonomics compared to laparoscopic approaches. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the intra- and short-term postoperative results of oncological resections performed robotically (RCR) and laparoscopically (LCR) at a single centre. Between February 2020 and October 2022, retrospective data on RCR were compared to LCR undertaken during the same period. Parameters compared include total operative time, length of stay (LOS), re-admission rates, 30-day morbidity. 100 RCR and 112 LCR satisfied inclusion criteria. There was no difference between the two group's demographic and tumour characteristics. Overall, median operative time was shorter in LCR group [200 vs. 247.5 min, p < 0.005], but this advantage was not observed with pelvic and muti-quadrant resections. There was no difference in the rate of conversion [5(5%) vs. 5(4.5%), p > 0.95]. With respect to perioperative outcomes, there was no difference in the overall morbidity, or mortality between RCR and LCR, in particular requirement for blood transfusion [3(3%) vs. 5(4.5%), p 0.72], prolonged ileus [9(9%) vs. 15(13.2%), p 0.38], surgical site infections [5(4%) vs. 5(4.4%), p > 0.95], anastomotic leak [7(7%) vs. 5(4.4%), p 0.55], and re-operation rate [9(9%) vs. 7(6.3%), p 0.6]. RCR had shorter LOS by one night, but this did not reach statistical significance. No difference was observed in completeness of resection but there was a statically significant increase in lymph node harvest in the robotic series. Robotic approach to oncological colorectal resections is safe, with comparable intra- and peri-operative morbidity and mortality to laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision and D3 lymphadenectomy using the open book approach: a video vignette.

According to the concept of total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer, Hohenberger translated this concept to colonic cancer by introducing complete mesocolic excision (CME). The concept of this surgical technique was further elucidated by Benz et al. in the form of an open book approach. This article presents and demonstrates in a video a case of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with CME and D3 lymphadenectomy using open book approach in the treatment of a T3N1M0 distal ascending colonic adenocarcinoma. The final pathology report confirmed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with a maximum tumor size of 55 mm and 0/60 lymph nodes. The mesocolic fascia was intact and R0 was achieved. The final staging was pT3pN0pM0. However, D3 lymphadenectomy is not universally adopted due to concerns of higher morbidity we believe that with adequate training and supervision CME with D3 LDN is feasible and safe to be offered to all right-sided colorectal cancers with curative intent treatment.

Emergency transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) repair of a strangulated obturator hernia: A literature review and video vignette.

Obturator hernia (OH), a rare and potentially life-threatening condition, presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This review article comprehensively delves into the clinical features, diagnosis, and management of OH, with a particular emphasis on the pivotal role of computed tomography (CT) in timely and accurate diagnosis. Delays, particularly in contrast-enhanced CT, dramatically increase mortality due to potential bowel strangulation. To illustrate the challenges and complexities surrounding OH, we present a video vignette of a 74-year-old female patient who presented with symptoms suggestive of bowel obstruction (BO) secondary to a strangulated left-sided OH. This patient case complements the theoretical framework established in the review, serving as a practical example for healthcare professionals. Her presentation included abdominal pain, absence of flatus and bowel movements, and abdominal distension. Laboratory tests demonstrated a mildly elevated white blood cell count and C-reactive protein. CT imaging confirmed the diagnosis of a strangulated OH with an ischemic small bowel. An emergency laparoscopy was undertaken, and the hernia was repaired using the transabdominal preperitoneal approach. A portion of the ischemic small bowel was resected through a 5-cm extension of the umbilical port, and an anastomosis was performed using a modified Barcelona technique. The surgery was successfully completed without immediate or long-term complications. This case highlights the crucial role of timely CT diagnosis and minimally invasive surgical management in achieving improved outcomes in acute BO secondary to OH, particularly when facilitated by pre-operative CT planning.

Consenting surgical patients for the risk of contracting COVID-19 during the hospital stay.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative COVID-19 and are associated with high mortality. The Royal College of Surgeons of England published guidance on recovery of surgical services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. One part of this toolkit looked at unique considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular the risk of contracting COVID-19 while in the hospital. This quality improvement project sought to assess consent forms from the authors' surgical department to see if patients were being consented for the risks associated with COVID-19 during their stay in the hospital. METHODS: Over an 8-week period in October and November 2020, consent forms for patients under the general surgery department were audited four times against the Royal College of Surgeons of England's standards. Patients were included in the study if they were deemed to have capacity to consent to a procedure. Posters in the hospital, generic emails and teaching sessions were used as the interventions after each cycle of the audit. RESULTS: Baseline measurement showed that fewer than 37% of patients were consented for the risk of contracting COVID-19; this rose to almost 61%, 71% and 85% in the second, third and fourth parts of the project respectively. Year 1 and 2 core surgical trainees and clinical fellows below registrar level showed the greatest improvement, from consenting only 8% of patients up to 100% of patients, while specialty registrars showed improvement in consenting from 52% to 73%. The change was sustained 2 years after the initial interventions, with almost 60% of patients consented for the risk associated with in-hospital COVID-19 infection in March 2023. CONCLUSIONS: Errors or omission of important elements in documentation of patient consent can delay operations, expose hospital trusts to medicolegal risk and ultimately may represent a failure to fully respect patient autonomy. This project sought to evaluate consenting practice during the presence of COVID-19 in society. While the teaching session showed some improvement in the consenting for the risk of COVID-19, emails and visual posters increased the consent rates further.

Radiofrequency thermocoagulation of haemorrhoids: learning curve of a novel approach.

Haemorrhoidal disease (HD) is a common condition that often requires surgical treatment. In comparison with other traditional techniques, radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFTC) has multiple advantages to traditional repairs and can be a good alternative in surgical management of HD. We retrospectively analysed 20 patients with Grades 2 (n = 6, 30%) and 3 (n = 12, 70%) haemorrhoids undergoing RFTC from 1 September 2019 to 31 December 2021. Outcomes including post-operative (PO) pain, immediate/late PO complications, recurrence and patient satisfaction were assessed. Twenty cases were included in this case series. All pathological symptoms showed significant improvement in PO period. Eight complications were noted, including minor bleeding (n = 2), bleeding that required admissions (n = 3), pain (n = 2) and recurrence (n = 1). The mean time off work is 7 days and all patients were satisfied or very satisfied PO as per telephone questionnaire. RFTC is a safe and effective solution in the management of HD and is a good alternative to conventional procedures.

Gastric cancer in Jammu and Kashmir, India: A review of genetic perspectives.

Gastric Carcinoma (GC) is one of the most common malignancies, which accounts for 6.8% of total cancer population worldwide. In India, the northeastern region has the highest gastric cancer incidence, and the Kashmir Valley has a very high incidence of gastric cancer as compared to other parts of Northern India. It exceeds 40% of total cancers with an incidence rate of 3-6-fold higher than other metro cities of India. Gastric cancer is a heterogeneous disease where most of the cases are sporadic, and <15% are due to obvious familial clustering. The heterogeneous nature of the disease can be associated with differences in genetic makeup of an individual. A better understanding of genetic predisposition toward GC will be helpful in promoting personalized medicine. The aim of this review is to analyze the development and progression of GC and to explore the genetic perspectives of the disease with special emphasis on Jammu and Kashmir, India.

LRFN2 gene variant rs2494938 provides susceptibility to esophageal cancer in the population of Jammu and Kashmir.

BACKGROUND: Leucine-rich repeat and fibronectin type 2 gene (LRFN2) variant rs2494938 has recently been found associated with esophageal cancer in a genome-wide association study in an Asian population. However, this association has not been replicated in any Indian population despite high incidence of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present case-control study, 166 cases and 459 controls were included. Taqman assay technique using real-time PCR was employed to investigate the association of the variant with esophageal cancer in the population of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for rs2494938 was assessed using the Chi-square test. The allele- and genotype-specific risk was estimated by odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Variant rs2494938 was observed to be significantly associated with esophageal cancer with an allelic OR of 1.59 (1.23-2.04 at 95% CI, P = 0.0003). CONCLUSION: The study highlights LRFN2 as a candidate gene for esophageal cancer susceptibility in the population of J&K and calls for a detailed study with a large sample size and involving more ethnic groups of India.

Genetic polymorphism of hOGG1 ser326cys and its association with breast cancer in Jammu and Kashmir.

BACKGROUND: 8-Oxo-7, 8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) is a potent DNA damage marker that leads to cellular oxidative stress. It is a DNA-repair enzyme that participates in "8-oxodG" DNA adducts removal. Previous studies show weak associations of rs1052133 (hOGG1) in breast cancer patients of Northern India. We performed this study to explore the variant rs1052133 (hOGG1) with breast in the population of Jammu and Kashmir (J and K). METHOD: A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism -based single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypic study was carried out in peripheral blood samples of 165 breast cancer patients and 200 healthy controls, using specific primers. Sanger sequencing verified the results. RESULTS: hOGG1-Ser326Cys polymorphism occurred frequently in cases as compared with controls. Data were evaluated by SPSS V.13 software, following Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P = 0.002 at OR 2.57; 95% CI [1.68-3.93]), which showed that the SNP rs1052133 had a significant association with increased risk of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results of this analysis show that the hOGG1-Ser326Cys polymorphism may be associated with an increased risk for breast cancer in the J and K population.

Genetic variants of DNAH11 and LRFN2 genes and their association with ovarian and breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of newly identified genetic variants G>A (rs2285947) of the DNAH11 gene and G>A (rs2494938) of the LRFN2 gene with ovarian and breast cancers in women belonging to Jammu and Kashmir state, where the prevalence of ovarian and breast cancers is remarkably high in the population. METHODS: A candidate gene prospective case-control association study design was adopted, in which 354 cases (219 cases of ovarian cancer and 135 cases of breast cancer) were histopathologically confirmed and 330 healthy controls matched for age and ethnicity were recruited. The details of cases and controls were also recorded in a predesigned pro forma after their written informed consent. Both variants were genotyped by TaqMan allele discrimination assay using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the corrected odds ratio (OR), confidence interval (CI), and level of significance (P value) for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: The rs2285947 variant of DNAH11 was found to be significantly associated with both ovarian and breast cancers with adjusted ORs of 1.7 (95% CI 1.2-2.4; P=0.004) and 1.70 (95% CI 1.13-2.54; P=0.0009), respectively. However, no significant association of variant rs2494938 of LRFN2 was observed with ovarian cancer (estimated OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.6-1.4; P=0.919) or breast cancer (estimated OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.8-1.9; P=0.216). CONCLUSIONS: The collected data proposed that the variant rs2285947 of DNAH11 gene is a potential risk factor for ovarian and breast cancers in the studied population.

Association of newly identified genetic variant rs2853677 of TERT with non-small cell lung cancer and leukemia in population of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

BACKGROUND: Telomere genetics has recently been emerged as an important field in molecular oncology. Various genome-wide association studies in different population groups have revealed that polymorphisms in Telomere maintenance gene (TERT) gene located on 5p15.33 is associated with susceptibility to leukemia and lung cancer risk. However, association of TERT with leukemia and lung cancer risk in north Indian population groups is still unknown. This study observed the association between genetic variant rs2853677 of TERT and leukemia and lung cancer in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India. METHODS: A total of 781 subjects, out of which 381 cases (203 leukemic patients and 178 non-small cell lung cancer patients NSCLC) and 400 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Genetic variant rs2853677of TERT was detected using the real-time and Taqman Chemistry. Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium was assessed using the chi square test. The allele and genotype- specific risks were estimated as odds ratio with 95% confidence interval. RESULTS: We observed that variant rs2853677 was strongly associated with lung cancer and leukemia risk with an odds ratio (OR) =1.8 (1.03-3.2 at 95% CI); p value (adjusted) = 0.03; odds ratio (OR) =2.9 (1.4-5.5.at 95% CI); p value (adjusted) = 0.002, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggested that rs2853677 of TERT signifies association in multiple cancers and suggests that it can become potential marker for diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer and leukemia. The study will provide an insight in understanding the genetic etiology and highlights the role of telomere-associated pathways in non-small cell lung cancer and leukemia. However, it would be quite interesting to explore the contribution of this variant in other cancers as well.

DNA base excision repair genes variants rs25487 (X-ray repair cross-complementing 1) and rs1052133 (human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1) with susceptibility to ovarian cancer in the population of the Jammu region, India.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is highly prevalent in the population of Jammu, in India; the ovarian cancer ranks third among other types of cancer prevalent in females. However, association studies on ovarian cancer are lacking in this region. We aimed to investigate the disease susceptible variants rs1052133 (human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 [hOGG1]) and rs25487 (X-ray repair cross-complementing 1 [XRCC1]) with ovarian cancer in population of Jammu, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study conducted in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University is a 3-year study which included a total of 280 well-characterized samples (130 ovarian cancer cases and 150 healthy controls). hOGG1 and XRCC1 polymorphisms were determined by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism, and these genotyping results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for both single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was assessed using the Chi-square test. The allele and genotype-specific risks were estimated by odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: In this preliminary study, SNP rs1052133 showed protection with ovarian cancer (P = 0.042). The SNP rs25487 was not found associated with ovarian cancer (P = 0.271). CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the G allele of rs1052133 imparts protection to the population whereas variant rs25487 was not associated with ovarian cancer in population from the Jammu region, indicating that larger sample size is needed for further statistical validation. Further, association of other SNPs in these genes should also be carried out as their role cannot be ruled out.