Is there a role for routine intraoperative cholangiogram in diagnosing CBD stones in patients with normal liver function tests? A prospective study.

Objectives: Cholecystectomy with or without intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) is an accepted treatment for cholelithiasis. Up to 11.6 % of cholecystectomies have incidental common bile duct (CBD) stones on IOC and 25.3 % of undiagnosed CBD stones will develop life-threatening complications. These will require additional intervention after primary cholecystectomy, further straining the healthcare system. We seek to examine the role of IOC in patients with normal LFTs by evaluating its predictive values, intending to treat undiagnosed CBD stones and therefore ameliorate these issues. Methods: All patients who underwent cholecystectomies with normal LFTs from October 2019 to December 2020 were prospectively enrolled. IOC was done, ERCPs were performed for filling defects and documented as "true positive" if ERCP was congruent with the IOC. "False positives" were recorded if ERCP was negative. "True negative" was assigned to normal IOC and LFT after 2 weeks of follow-up. Those with abnormal LFTs were subjected to ERCP and documented as "false negative". Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were calculated. Results: A total of 180 patients were analysed. IOC showed a specificity of 85.5 % and a NPV of 88.1 % with an AUC of 73.7 %. The positive predictive value and sensitivity were 56.5 and 61.9 % respectively. Conclusions: Routine IOC is a specific diagnostic tool with good negative predictive value. It is useful to exclude the presence of CBD stones when LFT is normal. It does not significantly prolong the length of hospitalization or duration of the cholecystectomy hence reducing the incidence of undetected retained stones and preventing its complications effectively.

Healthcare System Impact on Deceased Organ Donation and Transplantation: A Comparison Between the Top 10 Organ Donor Countries With 4 Countries in Southeast Asia.

The need for organ donation is constantly increasing. Some countries have made improvements, while others, such as countries in Southeast Asia (SEA), have some of the lowest rates of deceased donors (pmp). This review aims to compare 14 countries with regards to many variables related to healthcare systems. Countries leading in deceased organ donation spend more on health and education, which is associated with increased potential for deceased organ donation. Out-of-pocket expenditure, is also associated with a decrease in deceased organ donation. Countries in SEA are lacking in healthcare resources such as workforce and materials, which are both necessary for a successful transplant program. Most countries in SEA have an excellent foundation for successful organ donation systems, including proper legislation, government support, and brain death laws along with an overall acceptance of brain death diagnosis. Priorities should include improving coordination, donor identification, and healthcare worker education. Countries in SEA have a lot of potential to increase deceased organ donation, especially by investing in healthcare and education. There is no one size fits all for organ donation programs and countries in SEA should focus on their strengths and take cultural differences into consideration when planning interventions.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Biliary Drainage: Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Hepaticogastrostomy in Malignant Biliary Obstruction.

Patients with unresectable malignant biliary obstruction often require biliary drainage to decompress the biliary system. Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the primary biliary drainage method whenever possible. Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD) is used as a salvage method if ERCP fails. Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Biliary Drainage (EUS-BD) provides a feasible alternative biliary drainage method where one of the methods is EUS guided Hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS). Here we describe the EUS-HGS technique in a case of unresectable malignant hilar biliary obstruction to achieve biliary drainage. Presented here is the case of a 71-year-old female with painless jaundice and weight loss for 2 weeks. Computed Tomography (CT) imaging showed a 4 x 5 cm hilar tumor with lymphadenopathy and liver metastasis. EUS fine needle biopsy (FNB) of the lesion was consistent with cholangiocarcinoma. Her bilirubin levels were 212 µmol/L (<15) during presentation. A linear echoendoscope was used to locate the left dilated intrahepatic ducts (IHD) of the liver. The segment 3 dilated IHD was identified and punctured using a 19 G needle. Contrast was used to opacify the IHDs under fluoroscopic guidance. The IHD was cannulated using a 0.025-inch guidewire. This was followed by the dilation of the fistula tract using a 6 Fr electrocautery dilator along with a 4 mm biliary balloon dilator. A partially covered metallic stent of 10 cm in length was deployed under fluoroscopic guidance. The distal part opens in the IHD and the proximal part was deployed within the working channel of the echoendoscope that subsequently released into the stomach. The patient was discharged three days after the procedure. Follow up performed in the second and fourth weeks showed that the bilirubin levels were 30 µmol/L and 14 µmol/L, respectively. This indicates that EUS-HGS is a safe method for biliary drainage in unresectable malignant biliary obstruction.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity among adult donors are major challenges to living-donor liver transplantation: A single-center experience.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are rampant in South East Asia. There is paucity of data exploring its' impact on donor suitability for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We aimed to describe and examine the factors related to non-utilization of potential donors in our LDLT programme. METHODS: This is an analysis of prospectively collected data on potential donors for an adult LDLT programme, between January 2017 and December 2019. RESULTS: Fifty-five donors for 33 potential recipients were evaluated. The mean age was 31.6 ± 8.5 years, 52.7% were female and the ethnic divisions were: Chinese (50.9%), Indian (25.5%) and Malay (23.6%). The mean body mass index (BMI) among potential donors was 25.1 ± 4.0 kg/m2; 25.5% of donors had normal BMI, 23.6% were overweight and 50.9% were obese. Using the CAP modality of Fibroscan®, we identified the following grades of hepatic steatosis: 36.6% S0, 19.5% S1, 2.4% S2 and 41.5% S3. The non-utilization rate of our donors was 74.5% (41/55) and the main reasons were significant hepatic steatosis and/or obesity. Compared to suitable donors, unsuitable donors had significantly greater mean BMI, mean CAP scores, higher rates of dyslipidaemia and NAFLD. CONCLUSION: NAFLD and obesity represent major challenges to an emerging LDLT programme in Malaysia.

The effectiveness of handout assisted versus verbal consent on post-operative recall and understanding - A randomized control study.

BACKGROUND: Consent is an important component of surgical care. Poorly attempted consent bears significant ethical and legal implications. We assessed the effectiveness of handouts in improving postoperative consent understanding and recall compared to standard verbal consent during laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a tool that may improve information retention and leads to better treatment satisfaction. METHODS: This is a prospective block randomized, non-blinded study conducted at a single tertiary hospital. Patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy between August 2017 and October 2018 were recruited and randomized into Handout Assisted Consent (HC) and Verbal Consent (VC) group. The HC group was given an adjunct handout on laparoscopic cholecystectomy during consent process in addition to the standard verbal consent. A validated open-ended verbal understanding and recall questionnaire was administered to all patients in both groups at Day 1, 30 and 90 after surgery. Patient satisfaction of the consent process was evaluated with Likert scale. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients were enrolled, 41 patients and 38 patients in VC and HC groups respectively. Level of understanding among patients were equal and consistent across time in both groups (P > 0.05). There was significant decline (P < 0.0001) for both groups in ability to recall information between Day 1 to Day 30 and Day 30 to Day 90. A slightly higher satisfaction rate was found among patients that received HC (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There is good consistent understanding of the surgery in both groups. However, recall of specific surgical consent items decreased significantly over time in both groups. Handouts may have increased satisfaction among patients but did not improve recall in this preliminary study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: MREC No.:201783-5468.

Common musculoskeletal disorders in chronic liver disease patients.

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is the commonest ailment affecting the hepatobiliary system. Six significant pathologies related to CLD include hepatic osteodystrophy (HO), increased infection susceptibility, sarcopenia, osteonecrosis of the femoral head (OFH), increased risk of periprosthetic complications and fracture. Hepatic osteodystrophy, which comprises osteopenia, osteoporosis, and osteomalacia, refers to alterations in bone mineral metabolism found in patients with CLD. The HO prevalence ranges from 13 to 95%. Low complement levels, poor opsonization capacity, portosystemic shunting, decreased albumin levels, and impaired reticuloendothelial system make the cirrhotic patients more susceptible to developing infectious diseases. Septic arthritis, osteomyelitis, prosthetic joint infection, and cellulitis were common types of CLD-associated infectious conditions. The incidence of septic arthritis is 1.5 to 2-fold higher in patients with cirrhosis. Sarcopenia, also known as muscle wasting, is one of the frequently overlooked manifestations of CLD. Sarcopenia has been shown to be independent predictor of longer mechanical ventilation, hospital stay, and 12-month mortality of post-transplantation. Alcohol and steroid abuse commonly associated with CLD are the two most important contributory factors for non-traumatic osteonecrosis. However, many studies have identified cirrhosis alone to be an independent cause of atraumatic osteonecrosis. The risk of developing OFH in cirrhosis patients increases by 2.4 folds and the need for total hip arthroplasty increases by 10 folds. Liver disease has been associated with worse outcomes and higher costs after arthroplasty. Cirrhosis is a risk factor for arthroplasty complications and is associated with a prolonged hospital stay, higher costs, readmission rates, and increased mortality after arthroplasty. Greater physician awareness of risk factors associated with musculoskeletal complications of CLD patients would yield earlier interventions, lower healthcare costs, and better overall clinical outcomes for this group of patients.

Baska mask versus endotracheal tube in laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery: a prospective randomized trial.

Background: Supraglottic airway devices have increasingly been used as the airway technique of choice in laparoscopic surgeries. This study compared the efficacy and safety of the Baska Mask with endotracheal tube (ETT) in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Research design and methods: This single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial recruited 60 patients aged 18-75 years with American Society of Anesthesiologists' classifications I to III. The time taken to achieve effective airway, number of attempts, ease of insertion, ventilation parameters, hemodynamics data, and pharyngolaryngeal complications were recorded.Results: The time taken to achieve effective airway was shorter for the Baska group (26.6 ± 4.7 vs. 47.2 ± 11.8 s; p < 0.001), although the first-time insertion success rate was ≥90% for both groups. The ETT group experienced more pharyngolaryngeal complications, including cough, trauma, spasm, dysphonia, and sore throat, during device insertion and removal and had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures during intubation (p = 0.001). The Baska Mask achieved significantly lower peak airway pressure (p = 0.024) with stable oropharyngeal leak pressure ≥33 cmH2O throughout the surgery.Conclusions: The Baska Mask is a suitable alternative to endotracheal intubation in selected patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, with shorter insertion times, fewer perioperative complications, and improved ventilatory performance and hemodynamic response.Trial registration: The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03045835), 8 February 2017.

Early identification of the critical view of safety in laparoscopic cholecystectomy using indocyanine green fluorescence cholangiography: A randomised controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Achieving critical view of safety (CVS) is vital during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). There is no known study determining use of indocyanine green fluorescence cholangiography (ICGFC) in early identification of CVS during LC. This study aims to compare use of ICGFC in LC against conventional LC in early identification of CVS. METHODOLOGY: Patients undergoing LC in a single centre were randomized into ICGFC-LC and conventional LC. Surgery was performed by a single surgeon and the time taken to achieve CVS from the time of gallbladder fundus retraction was measured. Difficulty level for each surgery was rated and analysed using a modified scoring system (Level 1- Easy to Level 4-Very difficult). RESULTS: 63 patients were recruited where mean time (min) to achieve CVS was 22.3 ± 12.9 in ICGFC-LC (n = 30) and 22.8 ± 14.3 in conventional LC (p = 0.867). The time taken to achieve CVS was shorter in ICGFC-LC group across all difficulty levels, although not significant (p > 0.05). No major complication was observed in the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study had shown ICGFC-LC reduces time to CVS across all difficulty levels but not statistically significant. ICGFC-LC maybe useful in difficult LC and in surgical training. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials NCT04228835. STUDY GRANT: UMMI Surgical - Karl Storz Distributor (Malaysia).

The Role of the Single Incision Laparoscopic Approach in Liver and Pancreatic Resectional Surgery.

Introduction. Single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has gained increasing support over the last few years. The aim of this narrative review is to analyse the published evidence on the use and potential benefits of SILS in hepatic and pancreatic resectional surgery for benign and malignant pathology. Methods. Pubmed and Embase databases were searched using the search terms "single incision laparoscopic", "single port laparoscopic", "liver surgery", and "pancreas surgery". Results. Twenty relevant manuscripts for liver and 9 for pancreatic SILS resections were identified. With regard to liver surgery, despite the lack of comparative studies with other minimal invasive techniques, outcomes have been acceptable when certain limitations are taken into account. For pancreatic resections, when compared to the conventional laparoscopic approach, SILS produced comparable results with regard to intra- and postoperative parameters, including length of hospitalisation and complications. Similarly, the results were comparable to robotic pancreatectomies, with the exception of the longer operative time reported with the robotic approach. Discussion. Despite the limitations, the published evidence supports that SILS is safe and feasible for liver and pancreatic resections when performed by experienced teams in the tertiary setting. However, no substantial benefit has been identified yet, especially compared to other minimal invasive techniques.