Feasibility and Safety of Laparoscopic Complete Mesocolic Excision (CME) for Right-sided Colon Cancer: Short-term Outcomes. A Randomized Clinical Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective clinical study is to compare short-term outcome of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy using the Complete Mesocolic Excision (CME group) with patients who underwent conventional right-sided colonic resection (NCME group). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Although CME with central vascular ligation in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy is associated with a significant decrease in local recurrence rates and improvements in cancer-related 5-year survival, there may be additional risks associated with this technique because of increased surgical complications. As a result, there is controversy surrounding its use. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, several primary endpoints (operative time, intraoperative blood loss, other complications, conversion rate, and anastomotic leak) and secondary endpoints (overall postoperative complications) were evaluated. In addition, we evaluated histopathologic data, including specimen length and the number of lymph nodes harvested, as objective signs of the quality of CME, related to oncological outcomes. RESULTS: The CME group had a significantly longer mean operative time than the NCME group (216.3 minutes vs 191.5 minutes, P = 0.005). However, the CME group had a higher number of lymph nodes (23.8 vs 16.6; P < 0.001) and larger surgical specimens (34.3 cm vs 29.3 cm; P = 0.002). No differences were reported with respect to intraoperative blood loss, conversion rate, leakage, or other postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: In this study laparoscopic CME were a safe and feasible technique with improvement in lymph nodes harvesting and length of surgical specimens with no increase of surgical intraoperative and postoperative complications.

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy: preoperative data, surgical technique and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become the standard treatment for adrenal lesions. The better clinical outcoms of laparoscopic technique are valid for treatment of small benign masses (< 5-6 cm), instead there are still open questions in literature regarding the correct management of larger lesions (> 6 cm) or in case of potentially malignant adrenal tumors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of laparoscopic adrenalectomy in a referral surgical department for endocrine surgery. METHODS: at the University Hospital Policlinico "P. Giaccone" of Palermo between January 2010 and December 2017 we performed a total of 81 laparoscopic adrenalectomy. We created a retrospective database with analysis of patients data, morphologic and hormonal characteristics of adrenal lesions, surgical procedures and postoperative results with histological diagnosis and complications. RESULTS: Mean size of adrenal neoplasm was 7,5 cm (range 1.5 to 18 cm). The mean operative time was 145 min (range 75-240). In statistical analysis lenght of surgery was correlated to the lesion diameter (p < 0.05) but not with pre-operative features or histological results. 5 intraoperative complications occurred. Among these patients 4 presented bleeding and 1 a diaphagmatic lesion. No conversion to open surgery was necessary and no intraoperative blood transfusion were required. Mean estimated blood loss was 95 ml (range 50-350). There was no capsular disruption during adrenal dissection. Mean length of hospital stay was 3.7 days (range 3-6 days). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe procedure with low rate of morbidity. An accurate preoperative radiological examination is fundamental to obtain a stringent patients selection. The lesion diameter is related to longer operative time and appeares as the main predictive parameter of intraoperative complications but these results are not statistically significant. On the other side secreting adrenal tumors require more attention in operative management without increased rate of postoperative complications.

"Relaparoscopic" management of surgical complications: The experience of an Emergency Center.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Laparotomy has been the approach of choice for re-operations in patients with surgical complications. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the feasibility and the safety of laparoscopic approach for the management of general abdominal surgery complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report a retrospective review of 75 patients who underwent laparoscopic evaluation for postoperative complications over a 4-year period. Primary outcomes (resolution rate by exclusive laparoscopic approach, conversion rate, further surgery rate) and secondary outcomes (mortality, hospitalization, prolonged ileus, wounds problems and median operative time) were evaluated. RESULTS: Sixty-six patients (88 %) were managed with laparoscopic approach without conversion; of these, sixty-three patients (84 %) had no more or further complications and were discharged from hospital between 4 ± 3 days after "second-look" surgery; three patients (4 %) developed postoperative complications requiring a third surgery. Nine cases (12 %) underwent conversion in open surgery after laparoscopic approach. Two elderly patients (2.7 %) died in intensive care unit, because of multi-organ failure syndrome. Median time elapsed between an intervention and another was about 2.5 ± 9.5 days. Mean operative time was 90 ± 150 min. Postoperative hospital stay was between 4.5 and 18 days. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy has begun to be the preferred method to manage postoperative problems, but only few reports are available actually. Our experience in "relaparoscopic" management of surgical complications seems to suggest that laparoscopy "second look" is an effective tool after open or laparoscopic surgery for the management of postoperative complications and it may avoid diagnostic delay and further laparotomy and related problems.

Dedifferentiated retroperitoneal large liposarcoma and laparoscopic treatment: Is it possible and safe? The first literature case report.

INTRODUCTION: Soft tissue sarcomas are rare neoplasms often characterized by local invasiveness and distant metastasis with poor prognosis for affected patients. Among the most frequent sarcomas we find well-differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcomas characterized by a better survival compared to the other histological types. When it is possible the only curative treatment for these neoplasms is surgical resection. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 62-year-old caucasian woman with CT abdominal scan that demonstrated a voluminous solid oval mass in the left perirenal space with dislocation of the kidney and in continuity with the anterior renal fascia. After a percutaneous CT-guided biopsy of the mass the histopathological diagnosis was a dedifferentiated retroperitoneal liposarcoma. We performed a laparoscopic surgical resection of the retroperitoneal mass in block with kidney and left adrenal gland. DISCUSSION: When possible, surgical resection with adequate margins represents the only curative therapeutic option for this pathology. Only a few papers are available in literature which take into consideration the possibility of laparoscopic approach for retroperitoneal masses with better vision of surgical field, reduction of post-operative pain and better cosmesis. CONCLUSION: A retroperitoneal mass represents a serious diagnostic challenge. The choice of the best surgical procedure can benefit to the patient prognosis. To our opinion laparoscopy can be a safe and successful treatment and it can represent a valid alternative to open surgery. However, we have no randomized controlled trials that compare laparoscopic versus open resection for retroperitoneal liposarcomas.

Systemic schistosomiasis and large bowel perforation: An unexpected surgical urgency. Report of a case and literature review.

In the presence of suggestive clinical picture (high eosinophil count and multiple CT scan granuloma-like lesions), schistosomiasis should be taken into account in case of suspected bowel perforation even if common risk factors are not identified through anamnesis.

Three-dimensional (3D) versus two-dimensional (2D) laparoscopic adrenalectomy: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is today considered the gold standard of treatment for adrenal tumors. The development of high definition cameras does not eliminate the major limitation of two-dimensional (2D) laparoscopy: lack of depth perception and loss of spatial orientation. Tree-dimensional (3D) HD laparoscopy was developed as an alternative to conventional 2D laparoscopy. METHODS: We report our experience with use of 3D vision system for laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Between January 2009 and March 2015 we performed a total of 52 laparoscopic adrenalectomies. In this case-control study we considered 13 laparoscopic adrenalectomies performed with three-dimensional (3D) vision system as case group. The last 26 procedures made with two-dimensional (2D) HD laparoscopic system represented the control group. We considered primary end-points: operative time, intraoperative complications and conversion rate. We evaluated also quality of depth perception and surgical strain. RESULTS: Although the operative time for the entire surgical procedure was shorter in 3D group, there were no significant differences. The surgeon experienced better depth perception with 3D system and subjectively reported less strain using 3D vision system. Residents and medical students confirmed these data on surgical outcome. CONCLUSION: 3D system vision does not seem to influence the operative time of laparoscopic adrenalectomy performed by experienced surgeon because the surgical technique request simple tasks. We obtain the better visualization in depth perception with effect on surgical precision. Comparative studies are necessary to verify if 3D can reduce perioperative complication with similar operative time.

Whipple's pancreaticoduodenectomy: Surgical technique and perioperative clinical outcomes in a single center.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth cause of death from cancer in Western countries. The radical surgical resection is the only curative option for this pathology. The prevalence of this disease increases with age in population. The causes of pancreatic cancer are unknown, but we consider risk factors like smoke and tobacco usage, alcohol consumption coffee, history of diabetes or chronic pancreatitis. In this study we report our experience in the treatment of resectable pancreatic cancer and periampullary neoplasms with particular attention to evaluate the evolution of surgical technique and the clinical postoperative outcomes. METHODS: In our Department between January 2010 and December 2014 we performed a total of 97 pancreaticoduodenectomy. We considered only resectable pancreatic cancer and periampullary neoplasms defined by absence of distant metastases, absence of local tumor extension to the celiac axis and hepatic artery as the lack of involvement of the superior mesenteric vasculature. None of these patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. RESULTS: The mean age of these patients was 64.5 years. Jaundice was the commonest presenting symptom associated to anorexia and weight loss. The mean operative time was 295 min (± 55 min). The mean blood loss was 450 ml and median blood transfusion was 1 units. 12.1% of patients had an intra-abdominal complication. The commonest complication was Delayed Gastric Emptying responsable of increased length of hospital stay and readmission rate. Postoperative pancreatic fistula of grade C occurred in 4 patients. 2 patients developed a postpancreatectomy hemorrhage. Perioperative mortality was 4.1%. CONCLUSION: Pancreaticoduodenectomy is a complex surgical technique and the associated high morbidity and mortality resulted in initial reluctance to adopt this surgery for the management of pancreatic and periampullary tumors. Surgical outcomes of pancreatic surgery are better at high-volume experienced center reporting mortality rates below 5%. We perform an end-to-side duct-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy with routinely use of internal pancreatic stent. However no one technique has been shown to definitely be the solution to the problem of postoperative pancreatic fistula. At our center we have a reasonable volume and our data are comparable to literature data.

Corrigendum to "Hiatal Hernia Repair with Gore Bio-A Tissue Reinforcement: Our Experience".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2014/851278.].

Role and outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the elderly.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the standard of treatment for gallstones disease and acute colecystitis. The prevalence of this disease increases with age and the population is aging in industrialized countries. So, in this study we report our experience in the treatment of gallstone disease in elderly patients, particularly analyzing the outcomes of laparoscopic approach. METHODS: Between January 2010 and May 2014 we performed a total of 1227 cholecystectomies. In this retrospective study age group was the primary independent variable: 351 patients were 65-79 years of age and 65 were 80 years of age or older. RESULTS: Only 65 patients (5.3%) of all population had primary open cholecystectomy, but the rate in young group was 3.7% respect the highest frequency (9.2%) in the elderly group. The conversion rate was higher (1.2%) in the older group but there was no significant difference with younger group. LC in emergency setting was performed in 10.3% of young patients and in 13.8% of elderly group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a feasible and safe procedure in elderly patients and might be performed during the same hospitalization like definitive treatment of gallstone disease. The old age and subsequent comorbidity are the fundamental predictor of surgical outcomes. Elective treatment should be recommended when repeated gallstone symptoms have occurred in the elderly patient before the development of acute cholecystitis and related complications.

Right diaphragmatic injury and lacerated liver during a penetrating abdominal trauma: case report and brief literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Diaphragmatic injuries are rare consequences of thoracoabdominal trauma and they often occur in association with multiorgan injuries. The diaphragm is a difficult anatomical structure to study with common imaging instruments due to its physiological movement. Thus, diaphragmatic injuries can often be misunderstood and diagnosed only during surgical procedures. Diagnostic delay results in a high rate of mortality. METHODS: We report the management of a clinical case of a 45-old man who came to our observation with a stab wound in the right upper abdomen. The type or length of the knife used as it was extracted from the victim after the fight. CT imaging demonstrated a right hemothorax without pulmonary lesions and parenchymal laceration of the liver with active bleeding. It is observed hemoperitoneum and subdiaphragmatic air in the abdomen, as a bowel perforation. A complete blood count check revealed a decrease in hemoglobin (7 mg/dl), and therefore it was decided to perform surgery in midline laparotomy. CONCLUSION: In countries with a low incidence of inter-personal violence, stab wound diaphragmatic injury is particularly rare, in particular involving the right hemidiaphragm. Diaphragmatic injury may be underestimated due to the presence of concomitant lesions of other organs, to a state of shock and respiratory failure, and to the difficulty of identifying diaphragmatic injuries in the absence of high sensitivity and specific diagnostic instruments. Diagnostic delay causes high mortality with these traumas with insidious symptoms. A diaphragmatic injury should be suspected in the presence of a clinical picture which includes hemothorax, hemoperitoneum, anemia and the presence of subdiaphragmatic air in the abdomen.

Achalasia Secondary to Submucosal Invasion by Poorly Differentiated Adenocarcinoma of the Cardia, Siewert II: Consideration on Preoperative Workup.

Secondary achalasia due to submucosal invasion of cardia by gastric cancer is a rare condition. We report a case of pseudoachalasia, secondary to the involvement of gastroesophageal junction by poorly differentiated gastric cancer, initially mistaken as idiopathic form. We focus on the difficulty to establish differential diagnosis only on the basis of routine exams and we stress the necessity of "second level" instrumental exams; EUS in routine workup in selected patients should be considered. We support that routine workup based on history, clinical presentation, radiological and endoscopic findings, and certainly manometry could be insufficient for a correct differential diagnosis between primary and secondary forms in some patients.