Increased use of surgical energy promotes methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in rabbits following open ventral hernia mesh repair.

BACKGROUND: Surgical energy has been widely implemented because of ease of use, effective hemostasis, and surgical dissection. Studies demonstrate its use to be an independent risk factor for postoperative wound infection. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the most common bacteria found in postoperative mesh infection. No reports are available on the sequelae of surgical energy use for open ventral hernia repair (oVHR) with mesh. We hypothesized that increasing amounts of surgical energy will result in higher infectious burden after oVHR with composite multifilament polyester mesh (Parietex™ PCO). METHODS: New Zealand rabbits underwent bridging oVHR with Parietex™ PCO and were divided into three surgical treatment groups: (1) scalpel alone, (2) 120 J of energy, and (3) 600 J of energy. The bioprosthesis was then inoculated with 105 colony-forming units of MRSA. Rabbits were survived for 7 days with daily physical examination. Complete blood count, basci metabolic panel, and blood cultures were performed on postoperative days one, four, and seven. Surviving rabbits were killed, and meshes explanted for MRSA colony counts. RESULTS: Rabbits receiving the most surgical energy developed signs and symptoms of severe sepsis and wound necrosis within 24 h. In comparison, rabbits receiving no surgical energy had significantly less MRSA recovered from explanted mesh, significantly less bacteremia, and fewer adhesions. CONCLUSIONS: Increased use of surgical energy promoted greater colonization, exaggerated septic response to bacterial contamination, and more severe adhesions. In the absence of devitalized tissue, rabbits can effectively limit bacterial contamination. These findings support the surgical principles of proper tissue handling and highlight the detrimental effects of indiscriminant surgical energy usage, thus emphasizing the importance of programs such as Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy.

Dehiscence of the posterior semicircular canal.

Semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) is a condition of the inner ear wherein the temporal bone adjacent to the vestibular apparatus thins or erodes completely. It has no clear epidemiological predisposing factors that have been identified to date. Its diagnosis is made difficult by a clinical presentation that often overlaps with other pathologies of the ear. Symptoms of SCD are believed to result from a "third-window" phenomenon, which disrupts the transmission of acoustic energy in the inner ear. Symptoms, when present, may change or worsen over time, confounding the diagnosis. We present a case of SCD of the posterior canal that mimicked Meniere's disease for several decades. We also discuss the clinical findings that may steer clinical suspicion towards this diagnosis.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of robotic vs conventional thyroidectomy approaches for thyroid disease.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared postoperative technical, quality-of-life, and cost outcomes following either robotic or open thyroidectomy for thyroid nodules and cancer. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. REVIEW METHODS: We examined relevant controlled trials, comparative effectiveness studies, and cohort studies for eligible publications. We calculated the pooled relative risk for key postoperative complications, mean differences for operative time, and standardized mean differences for length of stay (LOS) using random effects models. Quality-of-life outcomes were summarized in narrative form. RESULTS: The meta-analysis comprised 11 studies with 726 patients undergoing robotic transaxillary or axillo-breast thyroidectomy and 1205 undergoing open thyroidectomy. There were no eligible cost-related studies. Mean operative time for robotic thyroidectomy exceeded open thyroidectomy by 76.7 minutes, while no significant difference in LOS was identified. There were no significant differences in hematoma, seroma, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, hypocalcemia, or chyle leak rates. The systematic review included 12 studies. Voice, swallowing, pain, and paresthesia outcomes showed no significant differences between the 2 approaches. The robotic cohort reported higher cosmetic satisfaction scores, although follow-up periods did not exceed 3 months and no validated questionnaires were used. CONCLUSIONS: Transaxillary and axillo-breast robotic and open thyroidectomy demonstrate similar complication rates, but robotic approaches may introduce the risk of new complications and require longer operative times. Robotic thyroidectomy appears to improve cosmetic outcomes, although longer follow-up periods and use of validated instruments are needed to more rigorously examine this effect.