Posterior fixation of gastric tube with fibrin sealant in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a promising method to prevent revision surgeries.

BACKGROUND: We aim to assess the effects of gastric posterior fixation with fibrin sealant in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in aspects of 12th-month body mass index and gastric volume. METHODS: The patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy between January 2019 and February 2021 were divided into two groups preoperatively. The first 75 patients were appointed to the posterior fixation group, and the second 75 were to the control group. Changes in gastric volume and body mass index were assessed in the postoperative 12th month. RESULTS: There were 110 patients in the final analysis. Fifty-four patients had posterior fixation, and 56 had only laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The posterior fixation group was superior in terms of total weight loss rate (39.1% vs. 34.5%, p<0.001) and less gastric volume increase rate (39.8% vs. 164.7%, p<0.001) in the postoperative 12th month. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that posterior fixation with fibrin sealant in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a promising method for preventing weight regain and creating a need for revision surgery.

Effectiveness of a telehealth patient education intervention for breast cancer awareness and screening uptake among Afghan refugee women: a cross-sectional survey and feasibility study.

Background: Refugee populations have low levels of cancer awareness, low cancer screening rates, and a high rate of advanced or metastatic cancer at diagnosis. Educational interventions to improve cancer awareness and screening have been successful in other nationality refugee populations but have never been implemented in Afghan refugee populations. We aimed to estimate the level of breast cancer awareness among Afghan refugee women and test the feasibility of a telehealth breast cancer educational intervention to increase breast cancer awareness in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of Afghan refugee women residing in Istanbul, Türkiye who had no personal history of breast cancer and who presented to outpatient primary clinics for care between August 1, 2022, and February 10, 2023 was performed. Participant awareness of breast cancer (BC) was assessed using the validated BC awareness tool, Breast Cancer Awareness Measure (BCAM), during a telehealth encounter. After this baseline assessment, a BC educational intervention was administered to each participant during the telehealth encounter. Six months after the initial assessment and education, a follow-up BCAM was administered via telehealth in order to determine the effectiveness of the education intervention. Findings: One hundred participants were accrued to the study. Median age was 49 years (range: 40-64). All participants had no formal education, were married, and were not employed. Prior to the educational intervention, BC awareness was low; none of the participants were able to identify some common signs/symptoms and risk factors for BC. Prior to the educational intervention, zero participants had ever had a mammogram or seen a physician for a breast-related concern. Six months after the educational intervention, up to 99 percent of participants (99 of 100 participants) were able to correctly identify common signs or symptoms and risk factors for BC. Six months after the educational intervention, all one hundred participants had accepted the offer of a screening mammogram. Interpretation: A telehealth BC education intervention meaningfully increased BC awareness in Afghan refugee women. This increase in BC awareness was associated with a strong increase in completion of BC screening. Further implementation of educational interventions is warranted in order to increase participant awareness and improve screening rates. Funding: Dana Farber Cancer Institute Jay Harris Junior Faculty Research Grant.

Barriers to Coronavirus Disease 19 vaccination in patients with obesity.

BACKGROUND: Patients with obesity are at a high risk of severe disease and death from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Vaccination offers a safe and effective means of reducing this risk. The rate of COVID-19 vaccine refusal in patients with obesity is unknown. METHODS: Patients with obesity were administered validated questionnaires assessing COVID-19 fear, general vaccine hesitancy, and COVID-19-specific vaccine hesitancy. RESULTS: 507 participants completed the study. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was high: Fifteen percent of patients refused COVID-19 vaccine. Hesitancy related to other vaccines was also high: Eight percent of patients refused a vaccine in the past, and 15% delayed a vaccine. Fear of side effects and doubts regarding effectiveness were the most common reasons for vaccine refusal. CONCLUSIONS: Despite high risk for complications, vaccine hesitancy is high among patients with obesity. Targeted public health interventions are critical to reduce vaccine hesitancy and improve vaccination rates.

Breast cancer awareness among Afghan refugee women in Turkey.

Background Refugees and asylum-seekers have lower levels of cancer awareness and this contributes to low rates of screening and more advanced cancers at diagnosis, compared to non-refugee populations, due largely to reduced access to medical information and care. The global Afghan refugee population is rapidly increasing with the ongoing Afghan political crisis. The present study investigates breast cancer (BC) awareness among Afghan refugee women. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of Afghan refugee women residing in Turkey was performed in September 2021. A validated BC patient awareness assessment, the Breast Cancer Awareness Measure (BCAM), was used to assess participants' knowledge of seven domains of BC: symptoms, self-examination, ability to notice breast changes, age-related risk of BC, urgency of addressing changes in the breast, BC risk factors, and BC screening. BCAM was translated into patients' native language and administered verbally by a physician with the assistance of an official interpreter. Routine statistical methods were employed for data analysis. Findings: A total of 430 patients were recruited to the study. The response rate was 97·7% (420 patients). The median participant age was 35 years (range: 18 to 68 years). The majority of participants (84%) had no formal education. Most participants (96%) were married, and most (95%) were not employed. Awareness of warning signs of BC was low: only seven to 18% of participants recognized 11 common warning signs of BC. Participant use of breast self-exam (BSE) was low, with 82% of participants stating they rarely or never complete BSE. Zero of 420 patients reported ever seeing a physician for a change in their breasts. Awareness of risk factors for BC was also low: only 15% of participants recognized increasing age as a risk factor for BC, and other risk factors were only recognized by four to 39% of participants. Interpretation: BC awareness among Afghan refugee women is critically low. There is an urgent need to target this population for practical interventions to increase BC awareness, in addition to screening and earlier diagnosis. Evidence-based interventions include educational sessions in patients' native language and use of BSE and clinical breast examination for screening. Funding: American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) - Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology (ARRO) Global Health Scholar Grant, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Jay Harris Junior Faculty Research Grant.

Effect of hyperthermic chemotherapy on topical hemostatic agents.

PURPOSE: There is no clear consensus as to which topical hemostatic agent is best used during cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hyperthermic chemotherapy on the biomechanical properties of organic topical hemostatic agents and histologically fibrin formation rates. METHODS: Four topical hemostatic agents (Spongostan™, Surgicel®, Fibrillar™, Arista®) were evaluated. All agents were mixed with 3 ml blood in sterile tubes separately to form clot formation. The resulting clot formations were incubated with 36 °C and 42 °C with saline or cisplatin for 1 h. Strength and flexibility of hemostatic samples were evaluated under weight of 0 g, 50 g, 100 g, 200 g and 300 g. All samples were stained with hemotoxylin-eosin and compared histologically for fibrin clot formation under light microscope. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences according to strength and flexibility of topical hemostatic agents on hyperthermic chemotherapy. Histopathologically, the highest fibrin formation was observed in Surgicel®, followed by Fibrillar™. The least fibrin formation was detected in Arista®. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that exposure to hyperthermic chemotherapy did not significantly affect the biomechanical properties of organic topical hemostatic agents and the fibrin clot formation.

New Technique of Posterior Fixation of Tube With Fibrin Sealant Prevents Dysphagia in Patients Undergoing Sleeve Gastrectomy.

INTRODUCTION: This study compared the effects of posterior fixation (PF) of the remnant tube with fibrin tissue glue to prevent sharp angulation and gastric twist and traditional techniques on postoperative dysphagia and vomiting. METHODOLOGY: In total, 200 patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) as a bariatric surgical intervention were randomly classified into 2 groups (LSG + PF and LSG alone). We compared postoperative dysphagia symptoms among patients who underwent PF and those who did not. The Dysphagia Handicap Index (DHI) results were compared statistically among these groups. RESULTS: The study included a total of 191 patients (85.9% (n = 164) women and 14.1% (n = 27) men) who underwent LSG for obesity. The groups were similar in terms of the patient demographics. The DHI scores of the LSG + PF group were statistically significantly lower than those of the LSG alone group. CONCLUSION: Adoption of a standardized method of PF with a standardized surgical procedure after LSG considerably reduced the rate of surgical complications.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy instead of laparoscopy to treat acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic period: single center experience.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the accepted standard treatment for acute cholecystitis (AC) in patients eligible for surgery. Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) can provide a permanent treatment for high-risk patients for surgery or act as a bridge for later surgical treatment. This study is an evaluation of the use of PC during the current coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at a single hospital. METHODS: Fifty patients with AC were admitted as of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey through June 2020. Patients with pancreatitis, cholangitis, and/or incomplete data were excluded from the study. Data of the remaining 36 patients included in the study were recorded and a descriptive statistical analysis was performed. The patients were divided into three groups: PC (n=14), only conservative treatment with antibiotherapy (OC) (n=14), and LC (n=8). The findings were compared with a group of 70 similar patients from the pre-pandemic period. RESULTS: The mean age of the pandemic period patients was 53 years (range: 26-78 years). The female/male ratio was 1.11. PC was preferred in eight (11%) patients in the same period of the previous year, whereas 14 (39%) patients underwent PC in the pandemic period. Four of the 36 pandemic patients were positive for COVID-19, including one member of the PC group. There was one (7.1%) mortality in the pandemic-period PC group due to cardiac arrest. The length of hospital stay between the groups based on the type of treatment was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: LC is not recommended during the pandemic period; PC can be an effective and safe alternative for the treatment of AC.

Different approaches in diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis: Results of attitude survey.

BACKGROUND: Acute biliary pancreatitis is one of the most frequently encountered diseases among general surgeons in emergency surgical diseases. Differences in diagnosis and treatment management of these patients, varying from physician to physician, are common in clinical practice. We aimed to present these differences and discuss the results in the light of current guidelines in the literature. METHODS: In this study, 21 questions were prepared regarding the physicians' approach in the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis (Appendix).The questionnaires were completed by face to face interviews with 94 general surgery specialists at the 20th National Surgery Congress. RESULTS: In this study, 38 (40%) of the physicians who answered the questionnaire were working in the Training and Research Hospital, 27 (29%) in the State Hospital, 19 (20%) in the University Hospital and nine in private health care was working in the establishment. 85% of the physicians were general surgery specialists with 10 years of experience. 53% (50) of the surgeons reported that they had less than five cases of acute biliary pancreatitis each month, and 35% (34) stated that they wanted amylase value daily for follow-up. Ultrasonography and computed tomography were the most commonly used imaging modalities and 15% of the respondents indicated that each patient underwent magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. 45% of surgeons stated that antibiotics were started at the time of diagnosis of pancreatitis. The percentage of surgeons who did not undergo cholecystectomy early in patients with mild to moderate pancreatitis was 60%. The reason for not preferring surgery in the early period was the most frequent operation difficulty with 40% and not supporting the operation in the early period. CONCLUSION: According to the attitude survey results, there are differences between general surgery specialists in the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of acute biliary pancreatitis.

Analysis of 89 patients who underwent tube thoracostomy performed by general surgeons.

OBJECTIVE: Death due to thoracic trauma accounts for 20% of all trauma deaths. The aim of this study was to discuss the approach applied by general surgeons to thoracic trauma in our center. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 89 patients (82 male, 7 female; mean age: 26.8 years; range: 7 to 77 years) with thoracic trauma who were admitted to the emergency department and underwent thoracostomy performed by general surgeons between January 2008 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Penetrating trauma was found in 61 patients (68%); this was the most common cause of thoracic trauma. Pneumothorax, the most common clinical sign, was found in 57 patients (64%). Abdominal pathologies, the most common concomitant extra-thoracic pathologies, were found in 17 patients (19%). Fifteen patients (17%) underwent laparotomy due to intra-abdominal organ injuries. Splenic trauma and diaphragmatic injury were detected in five patients. Complications were seen in two patients (2.2%): one had an air leak and one had persistent pneumothorax. Three patients with multi-trauma died in the early period due to additional pathologies. No mortality was seen in any patient due to thoracic trauma. CONCLUSION: All general surgeons should be highly familiar with approaches to thoracic trauma, and necessary interventions should be performed in emergency situations. It is also essential to correctly identify patients who require timely and appropriate referral to a tertiary center to reduce the rates of mortality and morbidity.

Prosthetic Mesh Repair for Incarcerated Inguinal Hernia.

BACKGROUND: Incarcerated inguinal hernia is a commonly encountered urgent surgical condition, and tension-free repair is a well-established method for the treatment of non-complicated cases. However, due to the risk of prosthetic material-related infections, the use of mesh in the repair of strangulated or incarcerated hernia has often been subject to debate. Recent studies have demonstrated that biomaterials represent suitable materials for performing urgent hernia repair. Certain studies recommend mesh repair only for cases where no bowel resection is required; other studies, however, recommend mesh repair for patients requiring bowel resection as well. AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of different surgical techniques performed for strangulated hernia, and to evaluate the effect of mesh use on postoperative complications. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. METHODS: This retrospective study was performed with 151 patients who had been admitted to our hospital's emergency department to undergo surgery for a diagnosis of incarcerated inguinal hernia. The patients were divided into two groups based on the applied surgical technique. Group 1 consisted of 112 patients treated with mesh-based repair techniques, while Group 2 consisted of 39 patients treated with tissue repair techniques. Patients in Group 1 were further divided into two sub-groups: one consisting of patients undergoing bowel resection (Group 3), and the other consisting of patients not undergoing bowel resection (Group 4). RESULTS: In Group 1, it was observed that eight (7.14%) of the patients had wound infections, while two (1.78%) had hematomas, four (3.57%) had seromas, and one (0.89%) had relapse. In Group 2, one (2.56%) of the patients had a wound infection, while three (7.69%) had hematomas, one (2.56%) had seroma, and none had relapses. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with respect to wound infection, seroma, hematoma, or relapse (p>0.05). In Group 3, it was observed that one (6.7%) of the patients had wound infections, while one (6.7%) had a hematoma, one patient (6.7%) had seroma, and none had relapses. In Group 4, seven (7.2%) of the patients had wound infections, while one (1%) had a hematoma, three (3%) had seromas, and one (1%) had a relapse. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to wound infection, seroma, hematoma, or relapse (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: In urgent groin hernia repair surgeries, polypropylene mesh can be safely used even in the patients undergoing bowel resection.

The predictive value of elastography in thyroid nodules and its comparison with fine-needle aspiration biopsy results.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of elastography in determining malignancy during preoperative investigation of thyroid nodules and to compare its results with preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) and postoperative histopathology results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Among the group of patients who had indications for thyroidectomy between January 2013- September 2013 in the department of general surgery 86 euthyroid patients were prospectively included in the study. Informed consent was obtained from all patients. All patients received simultaneous thyroid ultrasonography and elastography by an experienced radiologist. The patients were classified into five scores according to Tsukuba scoring. Score 1 and 2 were evaluated as soft nodules (benign), score 3 as medium consistency (usually benign), and scores 4 and 5 as hard nodules (malignant). For statistical purposes, the FNA results were classified as benign, probably benign or malignant. The histopathological results were classified as benign or malignant. The results were compared with FNA and elastography findings. RESULTS: The fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the nodules revealed 60.5% benign, 17.4% high probability of benign, and 22.1% malignant cases; and the elastography diagnosed 38.4% benign, 23.3% high probability of benign, and 38.4% malignant nodules. The postoperative pathology evaluation diagnosed 67.4% of patients as benign, and 32.6% as malignant. The rate of detection of thyroid cancer cases (sensitivity) by elastography was 67.9%, the ability to distinguish healthy individuals (specificity) was 75.9%, and the overall adequacy of the method (accuracy) was determined as 73.3%. CONCLUSION: Elastography overlaps with especially benign cytology-pathology at a high rate, and provides definite diagnosis in 58% of malignant cases. In our study, elastography provided more reliable results than FNA, in terms of diagnosing malignancy.