Knowledge, attitude, and perception of robotic-assisted surgery among the general population in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has revolutionized surgical practices, with robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) significantly advancing. However, the understanding and acceptance of RAS vary, impacting its widespread adoption. This study aims to assess Saudi Arabians' attitudes and comprehension of RAS, which is crucial for promoting its integration into surgical procedures. A cross-sectional study was conducted in various Saudi Arabian cities. A total of 1449 participants were included, while participants with cognitive issues were excluded. Demographic information, knowledge, technology experience, attitudes, and perceptions about RAS were collected using an online self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Of the participants, 51.1% demonstrated awareness of RAS, mainly through social media (36.9%). Factors influencing awareness included gender, education, income, occupation, computer literacy, and technology comfort. Gender disparities were evident in attitudes and perceptions toward RAS. Concerns about RAS included robot malfunction (62.0%), surgical errors (45.4%), and surgeon competency (44.7%). 36.4% of the participants believe RAS is faster, 29.9% believe RAS is less painful, and 25.3% believe RAS has fewer complications. Positive perceptions encompassed the belief that robot-using surgeons are more skilled (44.5%) and hospitals offering RAS are better (54.3%). Notably, 47.7% expressed willingness to consider RAS as a treatment option. The study underscores the significance of promoting awareness and informed decisions to ensure the successful integration of RAS in surgical practices. Addressing concerns and misconceptions and enhancing public comprehension are pivotal for facilitating informed decision-making and fostering RAS acceptance within Saudi Arabia's surgical landscape.

Prevalence of Thumb and Wrist Pain Among Smartphone Users in the Saudi Arabian General Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background This study aims to investigate the prevalence of thumb and wrist pain among smartphone users in the general population of Saudi Arabia, examining the potential links between the duration and frequency of smartphone usage, specific smartphone activities, and the occurrence of discomfort in the thumb and wrist. Methodology This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, between July 2022 and June 2023. The questionnaire developed following an extensive literature review, covered demographic information, smartphone usage patterns, assessment of thumb or wrist pain, and evaluation of the impact of this discomfort. Descriptive statistical methods were employed, and relationships between thumb or wrist pain and demographic variables were analyzed using chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Results In total, 811 participants were included in this study. Approximately 322 (39.7%) study participants reported wrist or thumb pain. Notably, female sex (P = 0.001) and prolonged daily smartphone usage exceeding five hours (P = 0.045) were linked to thumb or wrist pain. Additionally, emailing on smartphones was linked to thumb or wrist pain (P = 0.04). Concerning smartphone ergonomics, the majority of respondents reported holding their phones with one hand (215, 66.77%), in a downward position (290, 90.06%), and with their wrists bent downward (136, 42.24%). Conclusions Our study highlights a relatively high prevalence of wrist and thumb pain among smartphone users in the general Saudi Arabian population. Furthermore, we identified a connection between prolonged smartphone use and wrist and thumb pain, with a more pronounced prevalence observed among females.

Left-Sided Amyand's Hernia: A Rare Variant of Inguinal Hernia.

Inguinal hernia is the most commonly diagnosed hernia, with approximately one out of every three males eventually being diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. Amyand's hernia is a subtype of an inguinal hernia that occurs when the appendix is located within the hernia sac. It is an uncommon condition that is usually discovered as an incidental finding in less than 1% of all patients with inguinal hernia. The management options for this condition will vary depending on the presence or absence of appendicitis. This case report highlights a rare occurrence where a patient with a left-sided scrotal swelling was found to have a left-sided Amyand's hernia that was eventually managed without complications.

Exploration of the Causal Association Between Behavioral Risk Factors and Gallstone Disease Development in Two European Ancestry Populations.

Introduction Risk factors for developing gallstones are related to disturbances in either cholesterol or bilirubin metabolism in the biliary tract. The risk of forming gallstones can be associated with chronic illnesses, dietary habits, reduced gallbladder motility, and medications. Our study aims to explore the causal relationship between multiple risk factors, including nutritional habits (cheese intake, salad intake, processed meat intake, coffee drinking), smoking behavior, overall obesity measured by body mass index (BMI), lipid biomarkers, total bilirubin and maternal diabetes mellitus (DM) and the development of gallstone disease in two different populations of European ancestry (United Kingdom Biobank (UKB) and FinnGen). Materials and methods Using publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data, we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to examine the association between risk factors and gallstone development. Exposures used in this study included age of smoking initiation, smoking intensity, coffee intake, cheese intake, salad intake, processed meat intake, BMI, and lipid biomarkers (cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL)). Current analyses were based on 93 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for smoking initiation, four SNPs for smoking intensity, 65 SNPs for cheese intake, three SNPs for coffee intake, 22 SNPs for salad intake, 23 SNPs for processed meat intake, 79 SNPs for BMI, 26 SNPs for maternal DM, 89 SNPs for total bilirubin, 46 SNPs for cholesterol, 41 SNPs for LDL, 55 SNPs for TG, and 89 SNPs for HDL. The outcome in this study is gallstones/cholelithiasis. To evaluate the causal relationships between these risk factors and gallstones, two-sample MR methods were used. TwoSampleMR package in R software version 4.0.5 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) was used to obtain MR analyses and sensitivity analyses. Results  In the UKB, genetic predispositions to smoking initiation, BMI, and total bilirubin were significantly associated with an increased risk of gallstones. The odds of gallstones would increase per 1-SD increase of genetically estimated smoking initiation (OR: 1.004, P=0.008), BMI (OR: 1.02, P<0.001), and total bilirubin (OR: 1.0001, P=0.025). Conversely, genetic predispositions to cheese intake, coffee intake, cholesterol, LDL, and TG were statistically significantly associated with a decreased risk of gallstones (OR=0.99, P=0.014; OR=0.97, P=0.009; OR=0.99, P=0.006; OR=0.99, P=0.01; and OR=0.99, P<0.001, respectively). In FinnGen, genetic predispositions to BMI and total bilirubin were significantly associated with an increased risk of gallstones. The odds of gallstones would increase per 1-SD increase of genetically estimated BMI (OR: 1.7, P<0.001) and total bilirubin (OR: 1.02, P=0.002). Conversely, genetic predispositions to cheese intake, coffee intake, cholesterol, LDL, and TG were statistically significantly associated with a decreased risk of gallstones (OR=0.23, P=0.006; OR=0.42, P=0.041; OR=0.77, P=0.034; OR=0.88, P=0.008; and OR=0.70, P=0.005, respectively). Conclusion  Genetically estimated BMI and total bilirubin levels were associated with increased risk of gallstones among the two populations while genetically estimated cheese intake, coffee intake, and cholesterol, LDL, and TG levels factors were consistently associated with reduced risk of gallstones among the two populations.

Rare cause of painless lower gastrointestinal bleeding: A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Endometriosis is a complex disease in which an abnormal uterine lining-like estrogen-dependent cells settle outside the uterine cavity. Gastrointestinal tract is the commonly affected region in extragenital endometriosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 44-year-old female patient suffering from intermittent hematochezia for the past three months was presented with no medical history or any other symptoms correlating with current complaints. Clinical examination showed the patient in good condition with soft abdomen without evidence of tenderness or palpable mass or any sign of haemorrhoids or fissures. Initial abdominal sonography revealed a 20 × 25 mm hypoechoic change in caecal region. Colonoscopic biopsies and histopathological examination revealed only colon mucosa with mucosal oedema and an unspecific inflammatory reactive regenerative polypoid with no evidence of tumor tissue adenoma. Intermittent hematochezia of the patient got worse in the following months without any other concurrent symptom. Laparoscopically assisted ileocecal resection with a sutured side-to-side ileoascendostomy was then performed. The patient was kept on enhanced recovery program and was discharged on the fourth post-operative day with analgesics. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Patients who present with diagnostic challenges or fails to respond to initial treatments for alternative gastrointestinal diagnoses (e.g., IBS), should be analyzed for endometriosis especially in patients with a history or risk factors including nulliparity, early menarche, haematocolpos, retrograde menstruation or even positive family history. CONCLUSION: Endometriosis must be considered as a gastrointestinal pathology as much as gynecological one, and the gastrointestinal surgeons and physicians should be aware of its symptoms or presentation.