Impact of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Identified by Citrullinated Histone H3 Immunohistochemistry for Postoperative Prognosis in Patients with Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are extracellular chromatin structures composed of cytoplasmic, granular, and nuclear components of neutrophils. Recently, NETs have received much attention for their role in tumor biology; however, their impact on the postoperative prognosis of patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (EHCCs) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify the impact of NETs identified by immunohistochemical citrullinated histone H3 (Cit-H3) staining on postoperative overall survival (OS) in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PHCC) and distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC). METHODS: This study included 318 patients with EHCC (PHCC, n = 192; DCC, n = 126) who underwent surgical resection with curative intent. Neutrophils and NETs were identified by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against CD15 and Cit-H3, respectively. Based on the distribution of CD15 and Cit-H3 expression in the tumor bed, the patients were classified into four groups: one negative group and three subgroups of the positive group (diffuse, intermediate, and focal subgroups). RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the postoperative OS rate depending on the distribution of CD15 expression in patients with PHCC or DCC. However, the three subgroups with positive Cit-H3 expression had significantly poorer OS than the negative group for both PHCC and DCC. Moreover, positive Cit-H3 was an independent OS factor in the multivariable analyses of PHCC (hazard ratio [HR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-2.59, P = 0.0115) and DCC (HR 2.03; 95% CI 1.21-3.42, P = 0.0057). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of NETs in the tumor microenvironment may have adverse prognostic effects in patients with EHCCs.

Effects of communication delay in the dual cockpit remote robotic surgery system.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of dual cockpit telesurgery on proctors and operators, and acceptable levels of processing delay for video compression and restoration. METHODS: Eight medical advisors and eight trainee surgeons, one highly skilled per group, performed gastrectomy, rectal resection, cholecystectomy, and bleeding tasks on pigs. Using the Medicaroid surgical robot hinotori™, simulated delay times (0 ms, 50 ms, 100 ms, 150 ms, and 200 ms) were inserted mid-surgery to evaluate the tolerance level. Operative times and dual cockpit switching times were measured subjectively using 5-point scale questionnaires (mSUS [modified System Usability Scale], and Robot Usability Score). RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in operative times between proctors and operators (proctor: p = 0.247, operator: p = 0.608) nor in switching times to the dual cockpit mode (p = 0.248). For each survey setting, proctors tended to give lower ratings to delays of ≥ 150 ms. No marked difference was observed in the operator evaluations. On the postoperative questionnaires, there were no marked differences in the mSUS or Robot Usability Score between the proctors and operators (mSUS: p = 0.779, Robot Usability Score: p = 0.261). CONCLUSION: Telesurgery using a dual cockpit with hinotori™ is practical and has little impact on surgical procedures.

Incidence of atrial fibrillation after esophageal cancer surgery with L-carnitine use: a preliminary single-group interventional study.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the POAF rate and blood FABP4 levels after perioperative L-carnitine administration in patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS: L-carnitine (3 g in three divided doses) was administered to 15 patients 2 days before and 3 days after surgery. POAF during the study period and blood FABP4 levels (ELISA) before and after L-carnitine administration were evaluated. Accurate 95% confidence intervals (CI) for POAF incidence and changes in blood FABP4 levels were calculated. The preoperative predicted POAF rate was calculated using an application for esophageal cancer. The correlation between FABP4 levels and the predicted POAF rate was analyzed using Pearson's coefficient (r). RESULTS: Thirteen patients completed this study. The predicted POAF rate was 24% (17%, 34%) (median; interquartile range). The actual incidence of POAF was 7.7% (95% CI: 0.2-36%). Blood FABP4 levels changed from 10.3 to 7.0 ng/mL; the average change was - 3.3 (95% CI: - 6.6 to - 0.1). A positive correlation was found between preoperative FABP4 levels and the predicted POAF rates (r = 0.564). CONCLUSIONS: The POAF rate after esophageal surgery was 7.7% for L-carnitine. L-carnitine may reduce blood FABP4 levels. This preliminary study will contribute to the planning of sample sizes in future randomized trials.

Clinical practice guidelines for telesurgery 2022 : Committee for the promotion of remote surgery implementation, Japan Surgical Society.

Telesurgery is expected to improve medical access in areas with limited resources, facilitate the rapid dissemination of new surgical procedures, and advance surgical education. While previously hindered by communication delays and costs, recent advancements in information technology and the emergence of new surgical robots have created an environment conducive to societal implementation. In Japan, the legal framework established in 2019 allows for remote surgical support under the supervision of an actual surgeon. The Japan Surgical Society led a collaborative effort, involving various stakeholders, to conduct social verification experiments using telesurgery, resulting in the development of a Japanese version of the "Telesurgery Guidelines" in June 2022. These guidelines outline requirements for medical teams, communication environments, robotic systems, and security measures for communication lines, as well as responsibility allocation, cost burden, and the handling of adverse events during telesurgery. In addition, they address telementoring and full telesurgery. The guidelines are expected to be revised as needed, based on the utilization of telesurgery, advancements in surgical robots, and improvements in information technology.

Field experiment of a telesurgery system using a surgical robot with haptic feedback.

PURPOSE: To verify the usefulness of haptic feedback in telesurgery and improve the safety of telerobotic surgery. METHODS: The surgeon's console was installed at two sites (Fukuoka and Beppu; 140 km apart), and the patient cart was installed in Fukuoka. During the experiment, the surgeon was blinded to the haptic feedback levels and asked to grasp the intestinal tract in an animal model. The surgeon then performed the tasks at each location. RESULTS: No marked differences in task accuracy or average grasping force were observed between the surgeon locations. However, the average task completion time was significantly longer, and the system usability scale (SUS) was significantly lower rating for remote operations than for local ones. No marked differences in task accuracy or task completion time were observed between the haptic feedback levels. However, with haptic feedback, the organ was grasped with a significantly weaker force than that without it. Furthermore, with haptic feedback, experienced surgeons in robotic surgery tended to perform an equivalent task with weaker grasping forces than inexperienced surgeons. CONCLUSION: The haptic feedback function is a tool that allows the surgeon to perform surgery with an appropriate grasping force, both on site and remotely. Improved safety is necessary in telesurgery; haptic feedback will thus be an essential technology in robotic telesurgery going forward.

Real-time telementoring with 3D drawing annotation in robotic surgery.

BACKGROUND: In telementoring, differences in teaching methods affect local surgeons' comprehension. Because the object to be operated on is a three-dimensional (3D) structure, voice or 2D annotation may not be sufficient to convey the instructor's intention. In this study, we examined the usefulness of telementoring using 3D drawing annotations in robotic surgery. METHODS: Kyushu University and Beppu Hospital are located 140 km apart, and the study was conducted using a Saroa™ surgical robot by RIVERFIELD Inc. using a commercial guarantee network on optical fiber. Twenty medical students performed vertical mattress suturing using a swine intestinal tract under surgical guidance at the Center for Advanced Medical Innovation Kyushu University. Surgical guidance was provided by Beppu Hospital using voice, 2D, and 3D drawing annotations. All robot operations were performed using 3D images, and only the annotations were independently switched between voice and 2D and 3D images. The operation time, needle movement, and performance were also evaluated. RESULTS: The 3D annotation group tended to have a shorter working time than the control group (25.6 ± 63.2 vs. - 36.7 ± 65.4 min, P = 0.06). The 3D annotation group had fewer retries than the control group (1.3 ± 1.7 vs. - 1.1 ± 0.7, P = 0.006), and there was a tendency for fewer needle drops (0.4 ± 0.7 vs. - 0.5 ± 0.9, P = 0.06). The 3D annotation group scored significantly higher than the control group on the Global Evaluate Assessment of Robot Skills (16.8 ± 2.0 vs. 22.8 ± 2.4, P = 0.04). The 3D annotation group also scored higher than the voice (13.4 ± 1.2) and 2D annotation (16.2 ± 1.8) groups (3D vs. voice: P = 0.03, 3D vs. 2D: P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Telementoring using 3D drawing annotation was shown to provide good comprehension and a smooth operation for local surgeons.

Telesurgery and telesurgical support using a double-surgeon cockpit system allowing manipulation from two locations.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies on telesurgery have been reported globally, a clinically applicable technique has not yet been developed. As part of a telesurgical study series conducted by the Japan Surgical Society, this study describes the first application of a double-surgeon cockpit system to telesurgery. METHODS: Surgeon cockpits were installed at a local site and a remote site 140 km away. Three healthy pigs weighing between 26 and 29 kg were selected for surgery. Non-specialized surgeons performed emergency hemostasis, cholecystectomy, and renal vein ligation with remote assistance using the double-surgeon cockpits and specialized surgeons performed actual telesurgery. Additionally, the impact of adding internet protocol security (IPsec) encryption to the internet protocol-virtual private network (IP-VPN) line on communication was evaluated to address clinical security concerns. RESULTS: The average time required for remote emergency hemostasis with the double-surgeon cockpit system was 10.64 s. A non-specialized surgeon could safely perform cholecystectomy or renal vein ligation with remote assistance. Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills and System Usability Scale scores were higher for telesurgical support-assisted surgery by a non-specialized surgeon using the double-surgeon cockpits than for telesurgery performed by a specialized surgeon without the double-cockpit system. Adding IPsec encryption to the IP-VPN did not have a significant impact on communication. CONCLUSION: Telesurgical support through our double-surgeon cockpit system is feasible as first step toward clinical telesurgery.

Predictors of Long-Term Survival in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma after Pancreatectomy: TP53 and SMAD4 Mutation Scoring in Combination with CA19-9.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a fatal cancer for which even unfavorable clinicopathological factors occasionally fail to preclude long-term survival. We sought to establish a scoring system that utilizes measurable pre-intervention factors for predicting survival following surgical resection. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 34 patients who died from short-term recurrences and 32 long-term survivors among 310 consecutively resected patients with PDA. A logistic regression model was used to define factors related to clinical parameters, molecular profiles of 18 pancreatic cancer-associated genes, and aberrant expression of major tumor suppressors. RESULTS: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) had the best ability to classify patients with short-term recurrence and long-term survivors [odds ratio 21.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.612-96.019], followed by SMAD4 and TP53 mutation scoring (odds ratio 41.322, 95% CI 3.156-541.035). Missense TP53 mutations were strongly associated with the nuclear expression of p53, whereas truncating mutations were associated with the absence of nuclear p53. The former subset was associated with a worse prognosis. The combination of aberrant SMAD4 and mutation types of TP53 exhibited a better resolution for distinguishing patients with short-term recurrences from long-term survivors (compared with the assessment of the number of mutated KRAS, CDKN2A, TP53, and SMAD4 genes). Calibration of mutation scores combined with CA19-9 in a logistic regression model setting demonstrated a practical effect in classifying long survivors and patients with early recurrence (c-statistic = 0.876). CONCLUSIONS: Genetic information, i.e., TP53 mutation types and SMAD4 abnormalities, combined with CA19-9, will be a valuable tool for improving surgical strategies for pancreatic cancer.

Effects of obesity on CC16 and their potential role in overweight/obese asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Club cell secretory protein-16 (CC16) is a major anti-inflammatory protein expressed in the airway; however, the potential role of CC16 on overweight/obese asthma has not been assessed. In this study, we examined whether obesity reduces airway/circulatory CC16 levels using experimental and epidemiological studies. Then, we explored the mediatory role of CC16 in the relationship of overweight/obesity with clinical asthma measures. METHODS: Circulating CC16 levels were assessed by ELISA in three independent human populations, including two groups of healthy and general populations and asthma patients. The percentage of cells expressing club markers in obese vs. non-obese mice and human airways was determined by immunohistochemistry. A causal mediation analysis was conducted to determine whether circulatory CC16 acted as a mediator between overweight/obesity and clinical asthma measures. RESULTS: BMI was significantly and monotonously associated with reduced circulating CC16 levels in all populations. The percentage of CC16-expressing cells was reduced in the small airways of both mice and humans with obesity. Finally, mediation analysis revealed significant contributions of circulatory CC16 in the association between BMI and clinical asthma measures; 21.8% of its total effect in BMI's association with airway hyperresponsiveness of healthy subjects (p = 0.09), 26.4% with asthma severity (p = 0.030), and 23% with the required dose of inhaled corticosteroid (p = 0.042). In logistic regression analysis, 1-SD decrease in serum CC16 levels of asthma patients was associated with 87% increased odds for high dose ICS requirement (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that airway/circulating CC16, which is inversely associated with BMI, may mediate development and severity in overweight/obese asthma.

Validation study of a skill assessment tool for education and outcome prediction of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND: The Japanese operative-rating scale for laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (JORS-LDG) was developed through cognitive task analysis together with the Delphi method to measure intraoperative performance during laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. This study aimed to investigate the value of this rating scale as an educational tool and a surgical outcome predictor in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. METHODS: The surgical performance of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy was assessed by the first assistant, through self-evaluation in the operating room and by video raters blind to the case. We evaluated inter-rater reliability, internal consistency, and correlations between the JORS-LDG scores and the evaluation methods, patient characteristics, and surgical outcomes. RESULTS: Fifty-four laparoscopic distal gastrectomy procedures performed by 40 surgeons at 16 institutions were evaluated in the operating room and with video recordings using the proposed rating scale. The video inter-rater reliability was > 0.8. Participating surgeons were divided into the low, intermediate, and high groups based on their total scores. The number of laparoscopic surgeries and laparoscopic gastrectomy procedures performed differed significantly among the groups according to laparoscopic distal gastrectomy skill levels. The low, intermediate, and high groups also differed in terms of median operating times (311, 266, and 229 min, respectively, P < 0.001), intraoperative complication rates (27.8, 11.8, and 0%, respectively, P = 0.01), and postoperative complication rates (22.2, 0, and 0%, respectively, P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The JORS-LDG is a reliable and valid measure for laparoscopic distal gastrectomy training and could be useful in predicting surgical outcomes.

Outcomes of laparoscopic total gastrectomy in elderly patients: a propensity score matching analysis.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the short-term outcomes and prognosis after laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) in elderly patients aged ≥ 80 years in a multicenter retrospective cohort study using propensity score matching. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 440 patients who underwent curative LTG for gastric cancer at six institutions between January 2004 and December 2018. Patients were categorized into an elderly patient group (EG; age ≥ 80 years) and non-elderly patient group (non-EG; age < 80 years). Patients were matched using the following propensity score covariates: sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status, extent of lymph node dissection, and Japanese Classification of Gastric Carcinoma stage. Short-term outcomes and prognoses were compared. RESULTS: We identified 37 propensity score-matched pairs. The median operative time was significantly shorter, and postoperative stay was longer in the EG. In terms of postoperative outcomes, the rates of all complications were comparable. The median follow-up period of the EG and non-EG was 11.5 (1-106.4) months and 35.7 (1-110.0) months, respectively; there were significant differences in 5-year overall survival between the two groups (EG, 58.5% vs. non-EG, 91.5%; P = 0.031). However, there were no significant differences in 5-year disease-specific survival (EG, 62.1% vs. non-EG, 91.5%; P = 0.068) or 5-year disease-free survival (EG, 52.9% vs. non-EG, 60.8%; P = 0.132). CONCLUSIONS: LTG seems to be safe and feasible in elderly patients. LTG had a limited effect on morbidity, disease recurrence, and survival in elderly patients. Therefore, age should not prevent elderly patients from benefitting from LTG.

Tele-assessment of bandwidth limitation for remote robotics surgery.

PURPOSE: We investigated the communication bandwidth (CB) limitation for remote robotics surgery (RRS) using hinotori™ (Medicaroid, Kobe, Japan). METHODS: The operating rooms of the Hokkaido University Hospital and Kyushu University Hospital were connected using the Science Information NETwork (SINET). The minimum required CB for the RRS was verified by decreasing the CB from 500 to 100 Mbps. Ten surgeons were tested on a task (intracorporeal suturing) at different levels of video compression (VC) (VC1: 120 Mbps, VC2: 40 Mbps, VC3: 20 Mbps) with the minimum required CB, and assessed based on the task completion time, Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS), and System and Piper Fatigue Scale-12 (PFS-12). RESULTS: Packet loss was observed at 3-7% and image degradation was observed at 145 Mbps CB. The task performance with VC1 was significantly worse than that with VC2 and VC3 according to the task completion time (VC1 vs VC2, P = 0.032; VC1 vs. VC3, P = 0.032), GEARS (VC1 vs VC2; P = 0.029, VC1 vs VC3; P = 0.031), and PFS-12 (VC1 vs. VC2; P = 0.032, VC1 vs. VC3; P = 0.032) with 145 Mbps. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide evidence that RRS using hinotori™ requires a CB ≥ 150 Mbps. We also found that when there is insufficient CB, RRS can be continued by compressing the image.

Social implementation of a remote surgery system in Japan: a field experiment using a newly developed surgical robot via a commercial network.

PURPOSE: In recent years, the expectations for telesurgery have grown with the development of robot-assisted surgical technology and advances in communication technology. To verify the feasibility of the social implementation of telesurgery, we evaluated the communication integrity, availability, and communication delay of robotic surgery by remote control under different communication conditions of commercial lines. METHODS: A commercial line was used to connect hospitals 150 km apart. We had prepared guaranteed-type lines (1Gbps, 10Mbps, 5Mbps) and best effort-type lines. Two types of robotic teleoperations were performed, and we evaluated the round-trip time (RTT) of communication, packet loss, and glass-to-glass time. RESULTS: The communication delay was 4 ms for the guaranteed-type line and 10 ms for the best effort-type line. Packet loss occurred on the 5 Mbps guaranteed-type line. The mean glass-to-glass time was 92 ms for the guaranteed-type line and 95 ms for the best effort-type line. There was no significant difference in the number of errors in the task according to the type of line or the bandwidth speed. CONCLUSIONS: The social implementation of telesurgery using the currently available commercial communication network is feasible.

Clinical and oncological benefits of left hepatectomy for Bismuth type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study aimed to clarify whether the postoperative prognosis differs between right and left hepatectomy for Bismuth type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: Preoperative images of 195 patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma were reexamined. Patients with Bismuth type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma without a difference in extraductal tumor invasion between the right and left sides of the hepatic portal region were classified into those undergoing left (L group) or right (R group) hepatectomy. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (11.8%) were classified into the L group and 33 (16.9%) into the R group. All eight patients with pTis/1 belonged to the L group. The L group had significantly less liver failure than the R group (p = 0.001). One patient (4.3%) in the L group and four patients (12.1%) in the R group died from postoperative complications. Among 48 patients with pT2, the L group tended to have better overall survival (median, 12.2 vs. 5.6 years; p = 0.072), but not recurrence-free survival (median, 9.1 vs. 3.6 years; p = 0.477), in comparison to the R group. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative survival after left hepatectomy for Bismuth type I/II perihilar cholangiocarcinoma is expected to be as long as that after right hepatectomy.

Targeted amplicon sequencing for primary tumors and matched lymph node metastases in patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is one of the most adverse prognostic factors in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC) cases. As next-generation sequencing technology has become more widely available, the genomic profile of biliary tract carcinoma has been clarified. However, whether LNMs have additional genomic alterations in patients with EHCC has not been investigated. Here, we aimed to compare the genomic alterations between primary tumors and matched LNMs in patients with EHCC. METHODS: Sixteen patients with node-positive EHCCs were included. Genomic DNA was extracted from tissue samples of primary tumors and matched LNMs. Targeted amplicon sequencing of 160 cancer-related genes was performed. RESULTS: Among the 32 tumor samples from 16 patients, 91 genomic mutations were identified. Genomic mutations were noted in 31 genes, including TP53, MAP3K1, SMAD4, APC, and ARID1A. TP53 mutations were most frequently observed (12/32; 37.5%). Genomic mutation profiles were highly concordant between primary tumors and matched LNMs (13/16; 81.3%), and an additional genomic mutation of CDK12 was observed in only one patient. CONCLUSION: Genomic mutations were highly concordant between primary tumors and matched LNMs, suggesting that genotyping of archived primary tumor samples may help predict genomic mutations of metastatic tumors in patients with EHCC.

Robotic real-time vessel navigation using indocyanine green fluorescence for lymph node dissection along the left gastroepiploic vessels during robotic distal gastrectomy - First experience.

Splenic infarction (SI) following gastrectomy is common; severe complications related to SI, such as splenic haemorrhage, abscess formation or rupture, can be fatal. To overcome these problems, we performed real-time vessel navigation using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence during robotic distal gastrectomy (RDG). The aim of study is to report the efficacy of robotic real-time vessel navigation for lymph node dissection (LND) along left gastroepiploic vessels (LGEVs). We treated seven patients with gastric cancer who underwent LND along the LGEVs using robotic real-time vessel navigation during RDG at our institution from January 2021 to July 2021. There were no complications (Clavien-Dindo classification II). There were no cases of post-operative SI or spleen-related complications. Robotic real-time vessel navigation using ICG for LND along LGEVs during RDG could help to reduce post-operative spleen-related complications associated with RDG.

A novel laparoscopic near-infrared fluorescence spectrum system with indocyanine green fluorescence overcomes limitations of near-infrared fluorescence image-guided surgery.

BACKGROUND: Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence image-guided surgery (FIGS) introduces a revolutionary new approach to address this basic challenge in minimally invasive surgery. However, current FIGS systems have some limitations - the infrared rays cannot detect and visualise thick tissues with low concentrations of the fluorescent agent. We established a novel laparoscopic fluorescence spectrum (LFS) system using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence to overcome these limitations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was conjugated to ICG, and the mixtures were serially diluted at 5 × 10-8-5 × 10-1 mg/mL. We used the LFS system and a NIR camera system (NLS; SHINKO OPTICAL CO., LTD Tokyo, Japan) to determine the optical dilution for the fluorescence detection. BSA was conjugated to ICG (5.0 × 10-2 mg/mL) and used to coat the clips. We attempted to identify the fluorescence-coated clip from the serosal side of the cadaveric porcine stomach tissues using the LFS system and the NIR camera system. We measured the depth of the cadaveric porcine stomach wall at the thickest part that could be confirmed. RESULTS: We could not visualise fluorescence concentrations <2.5 × 10-3 mg/mL using the NIR camera system. The spectrum was detected at a concentration <2.5 × 10-3 mg/mL. We were able to identify the spectrum of ICG (829 nm) to a 13-mm depth of cadaveric porcine stomach wall by using the LFS system but could not identify the same with the NIR camera system regardless of wall thickness. CONCLUSIONS: The novel LFS system with NIR fluorescence imaging in this ex vivo and cadaveric porcine model was confirmed useful at deeper depths and lower concentrations. Based on these findings, we anticipate that the LFS system can be integrated and routinely used in minimally invasive surgery.

The assessment of risk factors for postoperative delirium using cubic spline curves in gastroenterological surgery.

PURPOSE: Delirium is associated with longer hospital stays and increased medical costs and mortality. This study explored the risk factors for postoperative delirium in gastroenterological surgery and investigated the association between qualitative changes in risk factors and the incidence of postoperative delirium. METHODS: A total of 418 patients > 18 years old who underwent gastroenterological surgery at our department between April 2018 and September 2019 were included. Risk factors were identified by comparing patients with and without postoperative delirium. Continuous variables were evaluated graphically using cubic spline curves. A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess independent risk factors. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative delirium was 6.9%. The cubic spline curve showed that the incidence of postoperative delirium began to increase at 50 years old and increased sharply at 70 years old. A multiple logistic regression analysis of patients > 50 years old identified 5 risk factors: age ≥ 70 years, preoperative serum albumin ≤ 3.8 g/dL, psychosis, sedative-hypnotics, and intensive-care unit admission. CONCLUSION: The risk of postoperative delirium increases progressively at 50 years old and sharply at 70 years old. Advanced age, preoperative hypoalbuminemia, psychosis, sedative-hypnotics, and intensive-care unit admission are risk factors for postoperative delirium in patients > 50 years old undergoing gastroenterological surgery.

Laparoscopic real-time vessel navigation using indocyanine green fluorescence during laparoscopy-assisted gastric tube reconstruction: First experience.

A considerable percentage of morbidity and mortality after oesophagectomy is due to leakage of oesophagogastrostomy, which is mainly caused by ischaemia of the gastric tube. Therefore, we performed laparoscopic real-time vessel navigation (LRTVN) using indocyanine green fluorescence (ICG) during laparoscopy-assisted gastric tube reconstruction (LAGR) to evaluate gastric tube blood flow and avoid vascular injury. This study included five oesophageal cancer patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic oesophagectomy and LAGR. We confirmed the presence of the left gastroepiploic artery (LGEA) in all cases, and no findings such as post-operative gastric tube ischaemia were observed. In all cases, no vascular injury was observed, and the vascularization of LGEA was confirmed. This report is the first to consider the usefulness of LRTVN using ICG during LAGR. LRTVN using ICG during LAGR was considered to be useful for evaluating gastric tube blood flow and avoiding vascular injury around the splenic hiatus.

Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic arteriovenous malformation complicated with portal hypertension.

Pancreatic arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is defined as a vascular anomaly with an abnormal anastomosis of the arterial and portal networks within the pancreas. Treatment modalities of PAVM include transarterial embolisation (TAE), irradiation and operation. Most patients treated with TAE alone will experience recurrence, so surgery is the best radical treatment. A female patient was admitted to our institution for the treatment of haematemesis. Examination revealed varices in the oesophagus and stomach, collateral circulation development caused by portal hypertension and PAVM of the pancreas. Surgical treatment was intended to reduce left portal hypertension. In this case, collateral circulation were considered dangerous points for unexpected bleeding. TAE was performed on the splenic artery before surgery to reduce blood flow in the areas with collateral circulation. En bloc resection of retroperitoneal tissue using the surgical procedure of radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy was effective to minimise blood loss.