From adjustable gastric banding to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass - case report.

INTRODUCTION: Adjustable gastric banding (AGB) used to be a popular bariatric procedure. However, it fails in more than half of those operated on in the long term, becomes ineffective and must be removed. Therefore, the use of AGB has been in decline globally. Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) are the most used bariatric revision surgeries when AGB is removed. CASE REPORT: We present the case of a woman after AGB removal and conversion to SG who developed a stenosis of the sleeve. Therefore, a decision was made to convert to RYGB with a good effect. CONCLUSION: Revisional procedures are more technically challenging than primary procedures and have higher complication rates. The most performed revisional operations include SG and RYGB. Stenosis of the sleeve can occur after SG, with a negative impact on the patient's nutritional status and quality of life. This can be managed by endoscopic dilatation, and where this solution proves ineffective, RYGB can be indicated.

Sleeve gastrectomy - still popular bariatric method.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is currently the most common multifactorial disease affecting almost all social strata of the population. Conservative therapy of obesity usually succeeds in reducing excess weight by an average of 10-15%. After surgical treatment of severe obesity (bariatric surgery), the average decrease in excess weight is several times greater and, in most cases, has a long-term positive effect on the overall clinical condition of the patients. METHODS: Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is the most used bariatric method of treating severe obesity today. The principle of SG is a vertical resection of a major portion of the gastric greater curvature. After the resection, the residual stomach has the shape of a sleeve with a remaining volume of about 120-150 ml. The effect of the method is both restrictive and hormonal, because after SG, the plasma level of active ghrelin decreases in the long term, among other things. CONCLUSION: Obesity is considered one of the most serious global health problems today. In 2018 a total of 696,191 bariatric procedures were performed worldwide. Sleeve gastrectomy was originally used in high-risk severely obese patients as the first stage of a duodenal switch (DS) or gastric bypass. Since 2003, this method has been used independently because for most of the patients, SG had a sufficient effect on weight reduction and improvement of comorbidities, and that is why since 2015, SG has become the most frequently used bariatric method.

The significance of glycocalyx in surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical treatment is associated with an unwanted response of the organism to the so-called surgical trauma. This response is called surgical stress. Ischaemia-reperfusion injury is one of essential causes of tissue damage. It comprises functional and structural changes in tissue that occur after the restoration of circulation, after an episode of ischaemia. Necrosis of irreversibly changed cells and endothelial and mitochondrial-induced tissue swelling occur. METHODS: Physiology, pathophysiology of endothelial glycocalyx: Endothelial glycocalyx is a 0.2 to 5 micrometres thin heteropolysaccharide layer that covers the endothelium on its intraluminal side. Backbone molecules of the glycocalyx include proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and glycosaminoglycans. Damage of the endothelial glycocalyx was described in trauma patients, in patients with septic shock, in ischemia and reperfusion injury, and during extensive surgical procedures. Approaches to prevent endothelial glycocalyx damage: Remote ischemic preconditioning was tested as a method of ischemia and reperfusion injury prevention during and after surgery. Nevertheless, the expected effect was not confirmed in performed meta-analyses. Endothelial glycocalyx damage can be prevented pharmacologically with a broad spectrum of substances, such as antithrombin III, doxycycline, hydrocortisone, etanercept, or nitric oxide donors. Hydrogen inhalation or albumin affects glycocalyx positively. Sulodexide provides a positive effect on the protection and reparation of endothelial glycocalyx. This proteoglycan with antithrombotic, fibrinolytic, hypofibrinogenemic, and lipolytic function is used for the treatment of venous diseases, ischaemic heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease. A positive effect of sulodexide on renal dysfunction was documented in a model of ischaemia and reperfusion injury. Equally, a positive effect of sulodexide was described on endothelium repair after its mechanical damage. CONCLUSION: Further research needs to be performed to evaluate the effect of endothelium-protectives on glycocalyx damage prevention and repair in ischaemia and reperfusion models involving large laboratory animals or in clinical trials in patients undergoing surgical revascularisation procedures.

Blast syndrome - pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of blast injuries.

The incidence of explosions in large agglomerations is high even during peacetime and continues rising. Blast syndrome injuries are complex, with shock wave causing severe injuries of multiple organ systems. In situations with large numbers of injured persons, effective triage allows an early diagnosis and treatment of the highest number of victims. Treatment is challenging, and potentially conflicting therapeutic goals may alternate. This review provides an overview of the pathophysiology of blast injuries, current diagnostic algorithms and therapeutic procedures.

Peripheral vascular trauma - basic management, diagnosis and treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral vascular injuries occur in 1-3% of all traumas in civilian settings. The management of these injuries is often based on experience derived from war medicine where these injuries are more common. The goal of this article is to summarize basic guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of vascular injuries. METHODS: Western Trauma Association (WTA) and Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) both have their own guidelines for vascular trauma management. RESULTS: Vascular injuries occur both in penetrating and blunt traumas. Complete vessel disruption occurs more frequently in penetrating traumas. In the case of blunt trauma, intimal defects are more common, resulting in dissection, false aneurysm, or intramural hematoma. The limb is mostly endangered due to ischemia, reperfusion injury and the compartment syndrome. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are paramount. Vascular trauma management is part of the ATLS protocol and life-over-limb principle. The primary goal is to stop the massive external bleeding. Clinical examination and CT angiography are the most helpful for the diagnosis. Surgical revision is indicated when hard signs are present. This can be a damage control surgery with the primary goal to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible. A shunt can be used for temporary reperfusion of the limb. Definitive treatment can take the form of a simple suture, patches or graft interposition; both prosthetic and autologous grafts are used. Sufficient debridement and fasciotomy are important steps in the therapy. In some cases, endovascular treatment can be used. CONCLUSION: Over the last century, the treatment strategy changed dramatically. Data from recent military conflicts show a decrease in amputation rates, and limb salvage has become a standard.

Robotic-assisted resection of deep pelvic schwannoma.

INTRODUCTION: Schwannomas are a group of well differentiated benign tumors originating from the Schwann cells of the peripheral nervous system. Their localization in the pelvis is very rare. Schwannomas with expansive growth can cause wide neurologic symptoms or oppression of pelvic organs. CASE REPORT: The authors present a case study of a 60-year-old woman with a large, symptomatic deep pelvic schwannoma. The patient underwent robotic-assisted surgery resulting in complete tumor extirpation. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful with a total of two hospitalization days. The diagnosis of a schwannoma was confirmed by histopathologic analysis. At 11-month follow-up surveillance the patient did not present any neurological deficit or other symptoms. CONCLUSION: Robotic-assisted surgery allows safe and effective surgical treatment in difficult-to-access anatomical areas. Magnetic resonance imaging is required for preoperative imaging of neurogenic tumors. Histological verification is not recommended in cases where evidence of a schwannoma is found. Multidisciplinary cooperation of a dedicated team experienced in minimally invasive pelvic surgery is necessary.

Acute appendicitis during the spring COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 - a comparative retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common abdominal emergency. This article aims to document the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on timely diagnosis of AA, duration of symptoms before examination in a medical institution, levels of laboratory inflammatory markers, and the length of hospital stay. Collected data were compared with current world literature. METHOD: Two datasets were created, comprising patients with the histological diagnosis of AA determined from March 1 to June 30, 2019 (before of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic) and in the same period of the spring pandemic of COVID-19 in 2020. The following information was obtained from patient medical records: Demographic data, information on symptom duration before AA diagnosis, information on laboratory inflammatory marker levels, the used surgical method, antibiotic treatment, histopathological findings, and the length of hospital stay. These data were processed using descriptive statistics methods and the two created datasets were compared with the use of statistical methods (an unpaired t-test and Welchs t-test). RESULTS: Thirty seven patients (26 men and 11 women) with the median age of 41 years were operated on for acute appendicitis at the Department of Surgery, Military University Hospital in Prague from March 1 to June 30, 2019. Thirty four patients (19 men and 15 women) with the median age of 42 years were operated on in the same period of 2020. No significant differences were found between these two compared datasets in terms of symptom duration, laboratory inflammatory marker levels or the length of hospital stay. The distributions of histopathological findings and used antibiotic treatments were also similar. CONCLUSION: In our study, we were unable to demonstrate any statistically significant differences between the datasets of patients operated on before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regenerative abilities of a nanofiber wound dressing based on polylactide.

INTRODUCTION: The development of an ideal dressing for wound healing remains an unresolved issue. Thanks to the development of electrospinning technology, polymers in the form of nanofibers have come to the forefront of research interest. A modern and very promising dressing material is a “nonwoven” based on nanofibers of the synthetic polymer polylactide (PLA). The aim of this work was to assess the regenerative abilities of PLA in a standardized wound in a porcine model and compare our results to the literature data. METHODS: We applied PLA-based nanofiber dressings to the standardized wounds created in the porcine model. On the third, tenth, seventeenth and twenty-fourth days after the formation of the defect, we changed the wound dressing while taking a tissue sample for histopathological examination. We continuously monitored serum levels of acute phase proteins. RESULTS: PLA stimulated an inflammatory response. From the third day, the thickness of the fibrin layer with granulocytes increased. It reached its maximum values on the tenth day (mean 340 μm); at the same time the level of serum amyloid A, as a marker of inflammation, culminated. The individual phases of healing intertwined. The highest thickness values of the granulation tissue with cellular connective tissue (diameter 8463 μm) were reached on the seventeenth day. On the twenty-fourth day, the defects were healed macroscopically with a mean reepithelialization layer of 9913 μm. CONCLUSION: PLA-based nanofiber dressing potentiates the inflammatory, proliferative and reepithelialization phases of healing. Its structure perfectly mimics the extracellular matrix and serves as a 3D network for the growth and interaction of cellular elements. In addition to biocompatibility, PLA has a unique ability of two-phase biodegradation. It is a promising material for industrial production of dressing materials. Most of the available studies were performed in vitro. In vivo comparative studies approximating the use of PLA to daily practice are still missing.

Minimally invasive pancreatic resection in the light of evidence state of the art.

The trend of minimally invasive surgery expands even into the most technically demanding areas, including HPB surgery. Faster recovery and elimination of surgical site infections achieved with a minimally invasive approach provides, in addition to a better quality of life, the possibility of starting adjuvant treatment earlier. However, evidence of non-inferiority of short-term and oncological results compared to open surgery is required. In minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that it as the method of choice for benign tumors and low-grade malignancies. For pancreatic cancer, the long-term results so far appear to be equivalent, although this still needs to be confirmed by ongoing randomized controlled trials (RCT). Enucleation of accessible lesions is also a suitable procedure for the minimally invasive approach. In contrast, in pancreaticoduodenectomy, available evidence does not demonstrate a clear benefit of the minimally invasive approach. Safety concerns still remain, and not even formal training has been successful in eliminating the consequences of the long learning curve for perioperative outcomes. Robotic approach appears to be more promising than laparoscopy for pancreaticoduodenectomy. Key words: pancreaticoduodenectomy distal pancreatectomy minimally invasive - laparoscopic robotic.

Negative pressure wound therapy updates for 2021.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been used in clinical practice for 25 years. Worldwide, it has been used to treat more than 10 million wounds. The repertoire of NPWT procedures is still growing. This originally simple procedure entails a number of pitfalls and limits, and full utilisation of the micro-deformation potential of NPWT depends on many key details. We present the pathophysiology, effects and forms of NPWT use including our own experience, tips and a proposal for the use of NPWT during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer results of a non-randomized study.

INTRODUCTION: The Czech Republic belongs to countries in which colorectal cancer significantly contributes to the overall oncological burden. Radical removal of tumor-affected tissues plays a key role in the multimodal therapy of rectal cancer. In the first decade of the third millennium the mini-invasive approach in rectal cancer surgery gradually expanded to include robotic-assisted surgeries. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a non-randomized study with prospectively collected data from robotically assisted rectal cancer surgeries. METHODS: 204 patients with rectal cancer (.

Pancreatic head resections in the setting of celiac axis stenosis: Case report and review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: Ischemic complications are a notable cause of morbidity in patients after pancreatic head resections. Stenosis of celiac axis in patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy requires further perioperative attention. CASE REPORT: We present a patient with pancreatic head malignancy scheduled for Whipple procedure in the setting of hemodynamically significant celiac axis stenosis. Despite release of the artery from compression by median arcuate ligament, elevation of liver function tests on the first postoperative day was noted. Endovascular stenting was performed on the same day with significant radiological improvement and subsequent normalization of laboratory values. The patient had no further postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Fast recognition of ischemic complications after pancreatic head resection is crucial. Even postoperatively, endovascular intervention might be a feasible treatment modality of celiac axis stenosis in selected patients who undergo pancreatoduodenectomy.

Ten years of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy at the Military University Hospital in Prague.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate a group of bariatric patients operated at the Military University Hospital in Prague during the last 10 years (20112020), in whom laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy was performed. METHODS: Retrospective survey of the internal operation database. The search used the following combination of keywords: “sleeve“, “LSG“ and the diagnosis “E6*“. A total of 279 operated patients were enrolled. We evaluated the sex, age at the time of surgery, complications, need for drainage, weight, BMI, presence of type two diabetes mellitus and any effect of the surgery on its improvement, length of hospital stay, follow-up duration and % excess weight loss. RESULTS: A total of 279 patients, including 195 women and 84 men, underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in the period of 10 years. The mean age was 44.46 years. The average operating time was 111 minutes. The mean BMI of the patients before surgery was 42.24 and the weight was 123.4 kg. The mean BMI one year after the surgery corresponded to a decrease of approximately 10 and the mean weight of 93.8 kg. Rather severe acute postoperative complications occurred in 2.87% patients. An improvement or complete cure of type two diabetes mellitus was observed in 57.8% patients. CONCLUSION: Currently, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is the most common bariatric operation at the Military University Hospital in Prague. This study demonstrates a satisfactory effect of bariatric surgery in terms of long-term significant weight loss and an improvement or even cure of associated diseases such as type two diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension and others.

Posttraumatic intercostal pulmonary herniation - case report.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary hernias are rare conditions, most are the results of an injury or previous thoracic surgery. CASE REPORT: We present a case of a 48-year-old woman injured in a car accident. The examination in the trauma centre revealed a chest injury with herniation of the lung parenchyma into the chest wall and fractures of long bones of lower limbs. Initially, an osteosynthesis of the left femur and the right tibia fracture were performed. The patient underwent a subsequent surgery to repair the pulmonary hernia. CONCLUSION: A pulmonary hernia is diagnosed either directly during a clinical examination or by imaging. A sovereign diagnostic method is a computed tomography. The method of treatment is a surgical repair with primary suture of the chest wall defect or implantation of a mesh to repair the pulmonary hernia.

Penetrating abdominal trauma - selected case reports.

We present 3 case-reports with penetrating abdominal injury from our practice in this article. An urgent laparotomy was performed in all cases because of haemodynamic instability or the mechanism of injury. Penetrative abdominal traumas are associated with a high risk of life-threatening intra-abdominal injuries, require urgent revision and are often accompanied by postoperative infections of the peritoneal cavity. In recent years, there has been a growing tendency towards mini-invasive approaches or even non-operative treatment. This trend is particularly evident in the United States of America, where doctors experience a higher number of penetrating injuries compared to the prevalent blunt force trauma in Europe. The authors describe the need to follow all recommended procedures in the pre-hospital and hospital phases of treatment of these patients and compare them with recent literature. Key words: penetrating abdominal trauma.

[Laparoscopic versus open left pancreatectomy: surgical stress response comparison in the porcine model]. / Srovnání operacní záteze u laparoskopické a otevrené levostranné pankreatektomie v experimentu na velkém laboratorním zvíreti.

INTRODUCTION: Although several techniques of laparoscopic left pancreatectomy have already been developed through experiments on animals and human patients, there is still insufficient information about their pathophysiological mechanisms, especially the impact on surgical stress. METHOD: In a group of 10 pigs, open left pancreatectomy was performed, and the other group of 10 pigs underwent laparoscopic left pancreatectomy. Postoperative stress was compared by determining serum levels of leukocytes, interleukin 1, 6 and CRP from peripheral venous blood collection. The blood was collected prior to incision, 1 and 2 hours after incision, 24 hours after the beginning of the procedure, and on the 7th postoperative day. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found between open and laparoscopic left pancreatectomy in the measured values of leukocytes, IL-1 and 6 and CRP.Key words: laparoscopy - left pancreatectomy surgical stress response interleukin 1 interleukin 6.

VATS lobectomy, history, indication, contraindication and general techniques.

VATS lobectomy is a respected modality of anatomic lung resections nowadays. Video-assisted lobectomies without rib extractor fulfil all current requirements for minimally invasive lung resections. This type of an anatomic pulmonary resection with a targeted treatment of hilar structures doesn't traumatize the intercostal space by using rib retractor. Videothoracoscope serves to visualize the surgical field on the screen. Assisted VATS (aVATS) lobectomy is a procedure using 3-5 cm working incision. Fully endoscopic resection (VTS) or complete VATS lobectomy (cVATS) are operations performed only through ports, without working incision. The authors supplement the article with a videorecord of VATS lobectomy general technique (Fig. 4, Ref. 11).

Our own method of fixation of biodegradable tracheal stent.

The authors present their own unique original method of fixation polydioxan biodegradable stents in the treatment of tracheal stenosis documented by pictures and video (Fig. 3, Ref. 12).

Importance of histological verification of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in exact staging of non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostics and treatment of bronchogenic non-small cell lung carcinoma is a severe clinical problem. Radical surgery is the major treatment modality with the highest chance for a long-time survival. The aim of the study was to map metastasizing of bronchogenic non-small cell lung carcinoma into homolateral mediastinal lymph nodes and to assess the importance of histological verification of mediastinal lymphadenectomy for exact staging and treatment. METHODS: Study of 29 patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma in stage IIIa, IIIb and IV (TNM classification) diagnosed from September 2006 to March 2007, with mediastinal lymph nodes invasion according to CT, and with subsequent mediastinal lymph node dissection during autopsy. RESULTS: 50% of the right upper lobe tumors metastasized into group 1 nodes (N1-N4) and 50% into group 3 (N7). 66% of the right lower lobe tumors metastasized into group 3 nodes (N7) and 33.3% into group 1 (N1-4). 20.0% of the left upper lobe tumors metastasized into group 1 nodes (N1-4), 33.0% into group 2 (N5-6), 25.0% into group 3 (N7) and 16.7% into group 4 (N8-9). 23.5% of the left lower lobe tumors metastasized into group 1 nodes (N1-4), 23.5% into group 2 (N5-6), 23.5 % into group 4 (N8-9) and 29.5% into group 3 (N7). 27.6% of examined patients had false positivity of lymph node metastasis according to CT. CONCLUSION: Histological verification of suspect mediastinal lymph nodes via Endobronchial Ultrasound Biopsy (EBUS) or mediastinoscopy or thoracoscopy is crucial for determining the stage of the disease according to the TNM classification. False positivity of imaging methods in diagnostics of non-small cell brochogenic carcinoma can contraindicate up to quarter of potentially operable patients (Tab. 3, Ref. 11).

Importance of systemic mediastinal lymphadenectomy in exact staging of bronchogenic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Constituent part of radical lung resection for lung cancer is a dissection of mediastinal lymph nodes. Lymphadenectomy is a standard procedure in an assessment of clinical stage of the disease. The aim of the study was to map metastasizing of bronchogenic non-small cell lung carcinoma into homolateral mediastinal lymph nodes and to assess the importance of mediastinal lymphadenectomy for exact staging and survival. METHODS: Study of 31patients with lung resection and systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy operated from August 2004 to January 2007, with pre-operative stage Ia to IIb (TNM classification) - according to CT without mediastinal lymph nodes invasion and with positive histological finding after systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: Tumors in right upper lobe metastasized in 45.5 % into group 1 nodes (stages N1-N4) and group 3 nodes (stages N7) and in 9 % into group 4 nodes (stages N8-N9). Tumors of the right middle lobe metastasized in 100 % into group 3 nodes (stage N7).Tumors of the right lower lobe metastasized in 87.5 % into group 3 nodes (N7) and in 12.5 % into group 4 nodes (stages N8-N9). Tumors of the left upper lobe metastasized in 9.0 % in group 1 nodes (stages N1-N4), in 82 % into group 2 nodes (stages N5-N6) and in 9.0 % were found skip metastases into group 4 nodes (stages N8-N9). Tumors of the left lower lobe metastasized in 26.7 % in group 4 nodes, 46.6 % into group 3 nodes, in 20,0 % into group 2 nodes and in 6,7 % into group 1 nodes. CONCLUSION: Systematic mediastinal lymphadenectomy is crucial for determining the stage of the disease according to the TNM classification. Systematic lymphadenectomy is essential for the diagnosis of stage IIIa disease and setting of additional therapy that prolongs survival (Ref. 17).