Impact of laparoscopy on the perioperative outcomes of penetrating abdominal trauma.

BACKGROUND: Penetrating abdominal trauma (PAT) poses a significant challenge to trauma surgeons. Laparotomy is still the most popular procedure for managing PAT but has high morbidity and mortality rates. Presently, laparoscopy aims to provide equal or superior visualization compared to open approaches but with less morbidity, postoperative discomfort, and recovery time. The aim of this research is to assess the impact of laparoscopy on the management of PAT. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study carried out at the Emergency Hospital of Mansoura University/Egypt and at King Faisal Medical Complex, Taif/KSA from September 2014 to September 2018. All hemodynamically stable patients with PAT who were managed by laparoscopy were included in this study. Data extracted for analysis included demographic information, criteria of abdominal stabs, type of management, and perioperative outcome. RESULTS: Forty patients were recruited in this research and the male-to-female ratio was 5.6:1. The mean age of the patients was 31.4 ± 12.318 years. During the laparoscopic procedure, no peritoneal penetration was observed in 4 patients (negative laparoscopy), while peritoneal penetration was observed in the remaining 36 patients. No visceral injuries were noted in 2 patients of the 36 patients with peritoneal penetration, while the remaining 34 patients had intra-abdominal injuries. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy performed on hemodynamically stable trauma patients was found to be safe and technically feasible. It also reduced negative and non-therapeutic laparotomies and offered paramount therapeutic and diagnostic advantages for traumatic diaphragmatic injuries.

Aesthetic monitoring-based assessment of oncological safety of oncoplastic management of breast cancer: a multi-center research study.

BACKGROUND: Oncoplastic Breast surgeries (OBS) in breast cancer have evolved to preserve the cancerous breast rather than its amputation to improve postoperative cosmetic results. The lack of evidence to support the oncological safety and benefits of OBS is questionable. In this study, we evaluate various aspects of oncoplastic surgeries with a focused monitoring of aesthetic results and oncological safety. METHODS: This was a multi-center observational study focused on the statistics of data collected from cases who underwent oncoplastic surgeries from the cohort of breast cancer candidates at Mansoura University Hospitals/Egypt and King Faisal Medical Complex/KSA from January 2015 to June 2018. All data were analyzed carefully using SPSS v-26. RESULTS: Eighty cases who underwent different oncoplastic surgeries were included and reviewed for the aesthetic outcome and oncological safety. The recurrence rate was found to be 2.5%. The breast impact treatment scale assessment method was used to analyze the aesthetic outcomes, and average scores were accepted in 90% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The oncoplastic breast surgeries are feasible and they had a high rate of oncological safety with the maintenance of good aesthetic outcomes and patient satisfaction.

The assessment of perioperative risk factors of anastomotic leakage after intestinal surgeries; a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic leaks (AL) are among the most serious complications due to the substantial impact on the quality of life and mortality. Inspite of the advance in diagnostic tools such as laboratory tests and radiological adjuncts, only moderate improvement has been recorded in the rate of detected leaks. The purpose of the research was to assess the perioperative risk factors for AL. METHODS: This study was achieved at MUH and MIH/Egypt within the period between January 2016 and January 2019 for the candidates who underwent bowel anastomosis for small intestinal (except duodenal one) and colorectal pathology. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS of V-26. RESULTS: This study included 315 cases, among them, 27 cases (8.57%) developed AL. The percentage of covering stoma was significantly higher in the non-leakage group vs leakage one (24.3% vs 11.1% respectively). lower albumin, operative timing, perforation, and covering stoma were shown as significant risk factors for leakage, but with multivariate analysis for these factors, the emergency operation, and serum albumin level was the only independent risk factors that revealed the significance consequently (p = 0.043, p = 0.015). The analysis of different predictors of AL on the third day showed that the cut-off point in RR was 29 with 83% sensitivity and 92% specificity in prediction of leakage, the cut-off point in RR was 118 with 74% sensitivity and 87% specificity in prediction of leakage and the cut-off point in CRP was 184.7 with 82% sensitivity and 88% specificity in prediction of AL and all had statistically significant value. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative serum albumin level and the emergency operations are independent risk factors for anastomotic leakage. Moreover, leakage should be highly suspected in cases with rising respiratory rate, heart rate, and CRP levels.

Cardiovascular risk factors among high-risk individuals attending the general practice at king Abdulaziz University hospital: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the primary cause of death worldwide, accounting for 31.0% of all deaths and more than 18 million deaths annually. The 2008 World Health Report indicated that 144 (35%) of the 413 deaths per 100,000 in 2002 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) were due to CVD. Primary prevention is an important focus of most of the cardiovascular prevention guidelines around the world. In this study, we aimed to describe the prevalence of extrinsic risk factors for CVDs in a high-risk population attending general practice in Jeddah, KSA. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah. Patients started on lipid-lowering and/or antihypertensive and/or antidiabetes treatments without a history of established cardiovascular disease were interviewed. The questionnaire was adopted from the EUROASPIRE III study. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty high-risk individuals (80.0% female) were interviewed. Overall, 72% of the patients had been diagnosed with hypertension, 61.2% of patients had dyslipidemia, and approximately two-thirds of patients had diabetes mellitus. Most of the patients (88%) were non-smokers. The mean waist circumference of patients was 101.6 ± 14.1 cm, which suggests most were clinically obese. About 54.8% of the patients followed an unhealthy diet and 52.0% were physically inactive. There were significant differences between women and men in relation to dyslipidemia (p = 0.007), unhealthy diet (p = 0.034), being overweight (p = 0.018), and high blood cholesterol (p = 0.002). We observed significantly greater prevalence of hypertension (p = 0.073), unhealthy diet (p = 0.015), being overweight (p = 0.018), and high blood cholesterol (p = 0.000) in those patients with dyslipidemia. CONCLUSION: Our study presents novel findings in the KSA. Women were more likely to have high-risk CVD risk factors compared with their male counterparts in this sample. Gender-specific prevention programs in the KSA should be considered to more appropriately target at-risk individuals, to reduce preventable morbidity and mortality associated with CVDs.

Routine Preoperative Coagulation Tests in Children Undergoing Elective Surgery or Invasive Procedures: Are They Still Necessary?

INTRODUCTION: Preoperative coagulation screening tests in pediatric patients was once routine clinical practice globally and still used as standard practice in some countries before surgical procedures to assess of perioperative bleeding risk. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate unselected routine preoperative coagulation testing in children undergoing elective or invasive surgery to predict abnormal perioperative bleeding. The study also aimed to provide a rational approach of determining bleeding and family history of coagulation disorders as a predictive risk for bleeding. METHODS: This retrospective study conducted between 2014 and 2015 (1 year) on normal healthy children aged under 15 years admitted to the hospitals for elective mild to intermediate surgery or invasive procedures. We reviewed and collected the details of the clinical history, previous surgery, trauma, family history, detail of anti-thrombotic medication and coagulation tests performed (prothrombin time (PT), the activated partial prothrombin time (APTT), and international normalized ratio (INR)) at the time of admission. RESULTS: Among 2078 cases, 1940 cases had normal coagulation tests (93.4%), 77 cases had abnormal coagulation results (3.7%), and 61 patients underwent surgery without preoperative coagulation screening (2.9%). In 15 of 77 patients, coagulation tests were normal on repeat testing. A total of 52 were confirmed to have abnormal screening testing. Among these 52 cases, 45 had normal factors assay; where seven patients had abnormal factors assay. Postoperative bleeding occurred only in three cases (0.14%), two cases due to surgical procedures with normal preoperative testing and one due to hemophilia A which was detected postoperatively as no preoperative testing was performed. CONCLUSIONS: Routine coagulation screening before surgery or invasive procedures to predict perioperative bleeding in unselected patients is not recommended. Our study emphasizes that selective preoperative testing is more appropriate. Selective criteria for consideration of the latter includes physical examination, type of surgery, family and bleeding history, and concomitant use of antiplatelet and anti-thrombotic therapy.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: Single-Center Series of 12 Cases from Saudi Arabia.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare but potentially fatal disease that commonly appears in infancy, although it has been reported in adults. Chemoimmunotherapy-based treatments have improved the survival of patients with HLH; however, overall survival is still poor. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 12 HLH patients who were admitted between 2005 and 2014. All patients were Saudi Arabia in origin with a female predominance (75%) and a median age of onset of 9.5 months. The consanguinity rates were significantly high (75%) with a positive family history in 41% of cases. Of the 12 patients, nine were defined as primary HLH patients and three were confirmed to be secondary HLH patients. All patients fulfilled the 2004 diagnostic criteria for HLH and received HLH-2004 treatment. Six of these patients showed a good response to chemotherapy, while the remainder of the patients showed partial or no response to chemotherapy. Five patients in this cohort received stem cell transplant, and these patients are currently in remission. The mortality rate of this cohort is currently 50%. Genetic mutational analysis showed a positive STX11 mutation in five patients and a PRF1 (perforin) mutation in two patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case series of HLH from Saudi Arabia.

Regional consensus opinion for the management of Beta thalassemia major in the Arabian Gulf area.

Thalassemia syndrome has diverse clinical presentations and a global spread that has far exceeded the classical Mediterranean basin where the mutations arose. The mutations that give rise to either alpha or beta thalassemia are numerous, resulting in a wide spectrum of clinical severity ranging from carrier state to life-threatening, inherited hemolytic anemia that requires regular blood transfusion. Beta thalassemia major constitutes a remarkable challenge to health care providers. The complications arising due to the anemia, transfusional iron overload, as well as other therapy-related complications add to the complexity of this condition. To produce this consensus opinion manuscript, a PubMed search was performed to gather evidence-based original articles, review articles, as well as published work reflecting the experience of physicians and scientists in the Arabian Gulf region in an effort to standardize the management protocol.