Portal venous contrast enhancement ratio of the adrenal glands and spleen as prognostic marker of mortality in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia.

PURPOSE: Contrast enhancement of the adrenal gland defined by computed tomography (CT) was previously analyzed as a prognostic factor for critically ill patients in various diseases. However, no study investigated this quantitative parameter in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the contrast enhancement of the adrenal glands in patients with clinically suspected AMI. METHODS: All patients with clinically suspected AMI were retrospectively assessed between 2016 and 2020. All patients underwent surgical exploration after CT imaging. Overall, 134 patients (52 female patients, 38.8%) with a mean age of 69.2 ± 12.4 years were included into the present analysis. For all patients, the preoperative CT was used to calculate the contrast media enhancement of the adrenal glands and the spleen. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients (18.5%) died within the first 24 h and over the following 30-day 94 patients (68.6%) died. There were statistically significant differences regarding the mean values for adrenal-to-spleen ratio for 24-h mortality (p = 0.001) and 30-day mortality (p = 0.004), whereas the radiodensity of the inferior vena cava and the radiodensity of the spleen was statistically significant between survivors and non-survivors after 30 days (p = 0.037 and p = 0.028, respectively). In Cox regression analysis, mean adrenal radiodensity was associated with 24-h mortality (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.02-1.16, p = 0.01) but not with 30-day mortality (HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.99-1.07, p = 0.13). CONCLUSION: The contrast media enhancement of the adrenal gland is associated with the 24-h and 30-day mortality in patients with AMI. However, the prognostic relevance for translation into clinical routine needs to be validated in other cohorts.

Sidedness is not a prognostic factor in an unselected cohort of patients with colon cancer but prognosis for caecal carcinoma is worse - A multivariate analysis of a large single institution database.

PURPOSE: Sidedness has emerged as a prognostic factor for metastatic colorectal cancer treated with modern systemic therapies. This study investigates whether it is also relevant for an unselected patient cohort including all stages. METHODS: All consecutive patients admitted with colon cancer between 1995 and 2018 were retrieved from an institution-held database. Patients were divided into two cohorts. The first cohort included patients without distant metastases who were able to undergo curative resection. The second cohort presented with distant metastases (stage IV). Potentially prognostic factors were subjected to multivariate Cox Regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 1,606 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. An R0-resection was achieved in 1,222 patients without distant metastases. Five-year cause-specific survival rate was 89.3% for this group. There was no difference between right- and left-sided cancers (88.2% vs. 90.1%, p = 0.220). However, prognosis of caecal carcinoma was significantly worse than that of all other sites combined (83.5% vs. 90.2%, p = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, pT-category, pN-category, grading, vascular invasion, emergency operation, adjuvant chemotherapy, and caecal carcinoma remained as independent prognostic factors. In the 384 patients with stage IV-disease, 3-year overall survival for right- vs. left-sided cancers differed only in univariate analysis (17.7% vs. 28.6%, p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: In non-metastatic colon cancer, location in the caecum is an independent prognostic factor. In unselected patients with stage IV colon cancer, sidedness was not found to be a prognostic factor. Differentiation into right- and left-sided tumors may be simplistic, and further studies on the biological behavior of different colonic sites are warranted.

Intraoperative Laparoscopic Hyperspectral Imaging during Esophagectomy-A Pilot Study Evaluating Esophagogastric Perfusion at the Anastomotic Sites.

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a non-invasive and contactless technique that enables the real-time acquisition of comprehensive information on tissue within the surgical field. In this pilot study, we investigated whether a new HSI system for minimally-invasive surgery, TIVITA® Mini (HSI-MIS), provides reliable insights into tissue perfusion of the proximal and distal esophagogastric anastomotic sites during 21 laparoscopic/thoracoscopic or robotic Ivor Lewis esophagectomies of patients with cancer to minimize the risk of dreaded anastomotic insufficiency. In this pioneering investigation, physiological tissue parameters were derived from HSI measurements of the proximal site of the anastomosis (esophageal stump) and the distal site of the anastomosis (tip of the gastric conduit) during the thoracic phase of the procedure. Tissue oxygenation (StO2), Near Infrared Perfusion Index (NIR-PI), and Tissue Water Index (TWI) showed similar median values at both anastomotic sites. Significant differences were observed only for NIR-PI (median: 76.5 vs. 63.9; p = 0.012) at the distal site (gastric conduit) compared to our previous study using an HSI system for open surgery. For all 21 patients, reliable and informative measurements were attainable, confirming the feasibility of HSI-MIS to assess anastomotic viability. Further studies on the added benefit of this new technique aiming to reduce anastomotic insufficiency are warranted.

The impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on surgical outcomes after surgery for an acute abdominal diagnosis.

PURPOSE: The current study was undertaken to describe the independent contribution of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to the risk of postoperative morbidity and in-hospital mortality among patients undergoing surgery for an acute abdominal diagnosis. METHODS: Patients who underwent emergency abdominal procedures were identified from the electronic database of the Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery of our institution. To evaluate differences in surgical risk associated with COPD, patients with COPD were matched for age, sex, and type of surgery with an equal number of controls who did not have COPD. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate the univariate and multivariate associations between the independent variables, including COPD and outcome variables. RESULTS: Between January 2012 and December 2022, 3519 patients undergoing abdominal emergency surgery were identified in our abdominal surgical department. After removing ineligible cases, 201 COPD cases with an equal number of matched controls remained for analysis. The prevalence of COPD after the exclusion of ineligible cases was 5.7%. There were statistically significant differences in the rate of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs [57.7% vs. 35.8%; P < 0.001]), ventilator dependence (VD [63.2% vs. 46.3%; P < 0.001]), thromboembolic events (TEEs [22.9% vs. 12.9%; P = 0.009]), and in-hospital mortality (41.3% vs. 30.8%; P = 029) for patients with and without COPD. Independent of other covariates, the presence of COPD was not associated with a significantly increased risk of in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.16; 95% CI 0.70-1.97; P = 0.591) but was associated with an increased risk of PPCs (OR, 2.49; 95% CI 1.41-4.14; P = 0.002) and VD (OR, 2.26; 95% CI 1.22-4.17; P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Preexisting COPD may alter a patient's risk of PPCs and VD. However, it was not associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality.

Visceral obesity determined in routine preoperative CT scans predicts risk of postoperative burst abdomen.

Burst abdomen (BA) remains a severe postoperative complication after abdominal surgery. Obesity is a known risk factor for postoperative complications but objective parameters such as body mass index fail to predict BA after abdominal surgery. In recent literature, CT-derived body composition assessment could predict obesity-related diseases and surgical site infections. We report data from the institutional wound register, comparing patients with BA to a subgroup of patients without BA. The CT images were evaluated for intraabdominal and subcutaneous fat tissues. Univariate and multivariate risk factor analysis was performed in order to evaluate CT-derived obesity parameters as risk factor for BA. 92 patients with BA were compared to 32 controls. Patients with BA had significantly more visceral obesity (VO; p < 0.001) but less subcutaneous obesity (SCO) on CT scans. VO and SCO both were positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.452 and 0.572) but VO and SCO were inversely correlated (r = -0.189). Multivariate analysis revealed VO as significant risk factor for postoperative BA (OR 1.257; 95% CI 1.084-1.459; p = 0.003). Our analysis of patients with postoperative BA revealed VO as major risk factor for postoperative BA. Thus, preoperative CT scans gives valuable information on possible risk stratification.

Computed tomography texture analysis to discriminate fungal and non-fungal infected fluid collections.

Purpose: Texture analysis of computed tomography (CT) can aid in characterization of fluid collections providing biomarkers. The present study tested whether texture analysis can discriminate between fungal or non-fungal infection in patients undergoing CT-guided percutaneous drainage treatment. Approach: Overall, 214 patients [(n=76 females, 35.5%); mean age 62±14 years and range 20 to 94 years] with 255 fluid collections were included in the analysis. All patients underwent CT-guided drainage treatment and were evaluated with microbiological analysis. CT texture analysis was performed with the MaZda package. Results: Only three of the investigated CT texture features were statistically significant different between the groups, namely kurtosis (p=0.04), S(3,3)InvDfMom (p=0.02), and S(5,-5)DifEntrp (p=0.003). These texture features were further investigated by the receiver operating characteristic curve. S(3,3)InvDfMom achieved the highest accuracy with an area under the curve of 0.62, resulting in a sensitivity of 0.66 and a specificity of 0.57. Conclusion: Some CT texture features were different between fungal and non-fungal infected fluid collections. The diagnostic overlap is large, which could reduce the clinical benefit. Further studies are needed to identify the possible diagnostic benefit of texture analysis in these patients.

[Diagnostics and treatment of splenic abscesses]. / Diagnostik und Therapie des Milzabszesses.

A splenic abscess is a rare disease found in less than 1% of all autopsy studies. Several different diseases are associated as a predisposing factor, such as septic bacteremia due to endocarditis or diverticulitis, previous splenic trauma, immunosuppressive medication or diseases. The reported mortality in the literature is up to 24.5% in correctly diagnosed and treated cases. The diagnostic work-up primarily comprises sonography and computed tomography as well as a percutaneous puncture for determination of the pathogen. In most cases, a percutaneous interventional drainage treatment is sufficient and a splenectomy is necessary only in refractory cases.

Computed Tomography-Defined Body Composition as Prognostic Parameter in Acute Mesenteric Ischemia.

INTRODUCTION: Body composition comprising low-skeletal muscle mass (LSMM) and subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue (SAT and VAT) can be assessed by using cross-sectional imaging modalities. Previous analyses suggest that these parameters harbor prognostic relevance in various diseases. Aim of this study was to analyze possible associations of body composition parameters on mortality in patients with clinically suspected acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI). METHODS: All patients with clinically suspected AMI were retrospectively assessed between 2016 and 2020. Overall, 137 patients (52 female patients, 37.9%) with a median age of 71 years were included in the present analysis. For all patients, the preoperative abdominal computed tomography (CT) was used to calculate LSMM, VAT, and SAT. RESULTS: Overall, 94 patients (68.6%) of the patient cohort died within 30 days within a median of 2 days, range 1-39 days. Of these, 27 patients (19.7%) died within 24 h. According to the CT, 101 patients (73.7%) were classified as being visceral obese, 102 patients (74.5%) as being sarcopenic, and 69 patients (50.4%) as being sarcopenic obese. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) was lower in non-survivors compared to survivors (37.5 ± 12.4 cm2/m2 vs. 44.1 ± 13.9 cm2/m2, p = 0.01). There were no associations between body composition parameters with mortality in days (SMI r = 0.07, p = 0.48, SAT r = -0.03, p = 0.77, and VAT r = 0.04, p = 0.68, respectively). In Cox regression analysis, a nonsignificant trend for visceral obesity was observed (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.36-1.05, p = 0.07). CONCLUSION: SMI might be a valuable CT-based parameter, which could help discriminate between survivors and non-survivors. Further studies are needed to elucidate the associations between body composition and survival in patients with AMI.

Barrett`s Esophagus in Bariatric Surgery: Regression or Progression?

INTRODUCTION: Morbid obesity is well known as a risk factor for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its related disorders such as Barrett's esophagus (BE). This study aimed to evaluate the development of BE in patients who underwent bariatric surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a single-center prospectively established database of obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery from 01/2012 to 12/2019, we retrospectively compared the preoperative endoscopic findings of BE to those after 1-2 years and 3-5 years following bariatric surgery. The change of BE was detected endoscopically according to Prague classification and histologically according to the British guidelines of detecting columnar epithelium on the distal esophagus. RESULTS: Among 914 obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery and received a preoperative esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), we found 119 patients (13%) with BE. A follow-up EGD was performed in 74 of the BE patients (62.2%). A total of 37 (50%) patients underwent a follow-up EGD after 1-2 years and 45 (60.8%) patients underwent it after 3-5 years. Among many clinical parameters, the surgical procedure was the only significant factor for the change of BE after bariatric surgery (p < 0.05). A regression of BE was found in 19 patients (n = 54, 35%) after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y- gastric bypass (LRYGB). Furthermore, a progression of BE was detected in six patients (n = 20, 30%) after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). CONCLUSION: RYGB should be considered in obese patients with BE. Detecting BE prior to bariatric surgery may have an impact on decision-making regarding the suitable surgical bariatric procedure.

Vascular Injury During Lumbar Disc Surgery: Case Report.

A retroperitoneal organ injury-vascular injury or solid organ injury-that occurs during lumbar disc surgery needs to be dealt with adequately, because otherwise it could result in a poor (or, even, fatal) outcome of a "simple" procedure. Vascular injuries require special attention from the neurosurgical side (think of the possibility!) and cooperation between neurosurgeons and abdominal/vascular surgeons. In the presented case of a very obese female patient, a bite injury of the aorta during L3/4 disc surgery led to delayed intra-abdominal hemorrhage, which then required an emergency abdominal operation followed by major thromboembolic complication, and ultimately resulted in amputation of the patient's healthy leg. Pitfalls in intraoperative diagnosis and postoperative care are discussed, along with related medicolegal issues.

[Anastomotic techniques in minimally invasive bariatric surgery]. / Anastomosentechniken in der minimal-invasiven bariatrischen Chirurgie.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations for the use of specific anastomotic techniques are not available in laparoscopic bariatric surgery. Recommendation criteria should consider the rate of insufficiency, bleeding, tendency to stricture or ulceration as well as the impact on weight loss or dumping. OBJECTIVE: This article gives a review of the available evidence on the anastomotic techniques of typical surgical procedures in laparoscopic bariatric surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The current literature was reviewed and is discussed regarding anastomotic techniques for Roux-en­Y gastric bypass (RYGB), one-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB), single anastomosis sleeve ileal (SASI) bypass and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS). RESULTS: Few comparative studies exist, except for the RYGB. In RYGB gastrojejunostomy, a complete manual suture was shown to be equivalent to a mechanical anastomosis. In addition, the linear staple suture showed slight advantages over the circular stapler in terms of wound infections and bleeding. The anastomosis technique of the OAGB and SASI can be performed entirely with a linear stapler or with suture closure of the anterior wall defect. There seems to be an advantage of manual anastomosis in BPD-DS. CONCLUSION: Due to the lack of evidence, no recommendations can be made. Only in RYGB was there an advantage of the linear stapler technique with hand closure of the stapler defect compared to the linear stapler. In principle, prospective, randomized studies should be strived for.

Effect of Pre-Transplant Recipient Underweight on the Postoperative Outcome and Graft Survival in Primary Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of recipient underweight on the short- and long-term outcomes of patients undergoing primary kidney transplantation (KT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Three hundred thirty-three patients receiving primary KT in our department between 1993 and 2017 were included in the study. Patients were divided according to their body mass index (BMI) into underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2; N = 29) and normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2; N = 304) groups. Clinicopathological characteristics, postoperative outcomes, and graft and patient survival were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The postoperative rate of surgical complications and renal function were comparable between the groups. One year and 3 years after KT, 70% and 92.9%, respectively, of the pre-transplant underweight patients reached a normal BMI (≥18.5 kg/m2). The mean death-censored graft survival was significantly lower in pre-transplant underweight patients than in pre-transplant normal-weight patients (11.5 ± 1.6 years vs 16.3 ± 0.6 years, respectively; P = .045). Especially KT recipients with a moderate or severe pre-transplant underweight (BMI <17 kg/m2; N = 8) showed an increased rate of graft loss (5- and 10-year graft survival: 21.4% each). No statistical difference could be observed between the 2 groups regarding causes of graft loss. In multivariate analysis, recipient underweight (P = .024) remained an independent prognostic factor for graft survival. CONCLUSION: Being underweight did not affect the early postoperative outcome after primary KT. However, underweight, and especially moderate and severe thinness, is associated with reduced long-term kidney graft survival, and therefore this group of patients should be monitored with special attention.

Rectal colonization is predictive for surgical site infections with multidrug-resistant bacteria in abdominal surgery.

PURPOSE: Superficial surgical site infections (SSI) are a common complication after abdominal surgery. Additionally, multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) have shown an increasing spread in recent years with a growing importance for health care. As there is varying evidence on the importance of MDRO in different surgical fields and countries as causative agents of SSI, we report our findings of MDRO-caused SSI. METHODS: We assembled an institutional wound register spanning the years 2015-2018 including all patients with abdominal surgery and SSI only, including demographics, procedure-related data, microbiological data from screenings, and body fluid samples. The cohort was examined for the frequency of different MDRO in screenings, body fluids, and wound swabs and assessed for risk factors for MDRO-positive SSI. RESULTS: A total of 138 out of 494 patients in the register were positive for MDRO, and of those, 61 had an MDRO isolated from their wound, mainly multidrug-resistant Enterobacterales (58.1%) followed by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (19.7%). As 73.2% of all MDRO-carrying patients had positive rectal swabs, rectal colonization could be identified as the main risk factor for an SSI caused by a MDRO with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.407 (95% CI 1.782-10.896, p = 0.001). Secondly, a postoperative ICU stay was also associated with an MDRO-positive SSI (OR 3.73; 95% CI 1.397-9.982; p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: The rectal colonization status with MDRO should be taken into account in abdominal surgery regarding SSI prevention strategies. Trial registration Retrospectively registered in the German register for clinical trials (DRKS) 19th December 2019, registration number DRKS00019058.