Complete enclosure of gall bladder inside the lesser omentum - a rare anomaly.

Gall bladder is known for many congenital anomalies such as duplication, intrahepatic position, floating position etc. Most of its anomalies can be detected in ultrasound examination and radiography. We report an extremely rare congenital anomaly of gall bladder as observed in a male cadaver during dissection classes. The gall bladder was totally enclosed in the right free margin of the lesser omentum, in front of the usual contents of the right free margin of lesser omentum. The size, shape and blood supply of the gall bladder were normal. Though this anomaly might not cause any functional disturbances, it might result in complications during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Biliary leakage from gallbladder bed after cholecystectomy: Luschka duct or hepaticocholecystic duct?

Anatomic variations in the biliary tract are common and can cause difficulties when a cholecystectomy is performed. One of the most common ones are hepaticocholecystic ducts and Luschka ducts, connecting the gallbladder or its bed to the bile ducts but distinction between these two types of ducts can be difficult. We do discuss here the differences between these anatomical variations, their origin and their clinical implications. These aberrant ducts may go unnoticed and may require further complementary procedures in case of postoperative biliary leakage. In addition to a careful surgical procedure and an examination of the cystic bed in the end of the intervention, an intraoperative cholangiography should be performed as often as possible.

Cholecystectomies in the COVID-19 Pandemic During and After the First Lockdown in Germany: an Analysis of 8561 Patients.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to global changes in healthcare systems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on surgical care of patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of routine data from the largest hospital group in Germany (68 acute hospitals). Included were inpatients who underwent cholecystectomy between March 19, 2020 (beginning of the first lockdown in Germany) and September 22, 2020. These patients were compared with those treated in the same interval in 2019. RESULTS: In the 2020 study period, 4035 patients met the inclusion criteria (2019: 4526 patients). During the first lockdown, there was a significant reduction in the number of cholecystectomies performed (51.1% decrease). More patients with a higher risk profile underwent urgent operations, which were accompanied by a significant increase in conversion from laparoscopic to open cholecystectomy. The patients were treated as inpatients for a longer duration than 2019, and the mortality rate increased significantly to 1.3% (2019: 0.1%). The complication rate also showed a significant increase. After the end of the first lockdown, daily admission rates normalized very quickly. However, it was not possible to fully address the backlog of operations. CONCLUSION: There is still a "patient stagnation" 6 months after the first German lockdown. Extrapolated to the national level, this corresponds to almost 21,000 fewer cholecystectomies performed in Germany in 2020. It remains to be seen whether surgical rates will return to pre-pandemic levels and whether complications will arise in the future due to the lack of operations.

[Gallstone complications in sickle cell patients]. / Complications lithiasiques chez les patients drépanocytaires.

Chronic haemolysis exposes patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) to the development of black pigment gallstones, which can trigger biliary complications. In order to avoid these complications, elective cholecystectomy is recommended in France for all SCD patients with detected gallstones. However, all surgeries, and especially abdominal surgeries, entail an increased risk of vaso-occlusive complications in the peri- and post-operative periods, the most dreadful one being the acute chest syndrome. Preoperative transfusion has been shown in several studies to reduce acute postoperative complications, but exposes the patient to definitive alloimmunization, or even delayed post- transfusion haemolysis, justifying a recent trend towards transfusion sparing. The conditions for avoiding transfusion for a simple and frequent surgery such as cholecystectomy are based on a benefit- risk balance, and must be discussed on a case-by-case basis by the SCD specialist. In particular, it seems fully justified to perform prophylactic preoperative transfusion in patients with a history of recent vaso-occlusive crisis or acute chest syndrome (within 6 months preoperatively), and those operated on in an emergency setting, who are particularly at risk of postoperative events.

Routine histopathological study of cholecystectomy specimens. Useful? A retrospective study of 1960 cases.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Traditionally, a gallbladder removed for presumed benign disease is sent for histopathological examination, but this practice has been the subject of controversy. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of routine histopathological examination of cholecystectomy specimens and its impact on the management of patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The histopathological reports of 1960 patients who underwent cholecystectomy from January 2011 to November 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Results : There were 519 men and 1441 women (sex-ratio M/F = 0,36) aged between 8 and 96 years (mean = 51,23 years). All patients underwent cholecystectomy (either open or laparoscopic). Histological examination of the surgical specimens showed chronic cholecystitis (n = 1319) (67,29%), acute cholecystitis (n = 117) (5,96%), cholestrolosis (n = 255) (13%), follicular cholecystitis (n = 230) (11,73%), xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (n = 6) (0,30%), cholesterol polyps (n = 5) (0,255), tubular adenoma (n = 3) (0,15%), mucocele (n = 2) (0,10%), pancreatic heterotopia (n = 2 ) (0,10%), hyperplastic Luschka ducts (n = 2) (0,10%), adenomyoma (n = 2) (0,10%), porcelain calcification (n = 2) (0,10%) and biliary-type adenocarcinoma (n = 9) (0,46%). In 9 cases (0,46%), the gallbladder was histologically normal. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that the incidence of pre-malignant and malignant lesions of the gallbladder is very low. We therefore recommend selective histopathological examination of cholecystectomy specimens with abnormal macroscopic findings.

Laparoscopy in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy for abdominal surgical emergencies.

OBJECTIVE: To assess complications and outcomes of pregnancies following laparoscopic abdominal surgery during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective single-center study of 23 cases of laparoscopic surgery in the second or third trimesters of pregnancy between January 2005 and May 2016. RESULTS: The laparoscopies were performed between 15 and 33 weeks of gestation, a mean of 23 weeks+2 days, with 6 cases in the 3rd trimester. The operations were: 11 cholecystectomies, 6 appendectomies, 1 intestinal occlusion (volvulus on a gastric band), 3 adnexal torsions, 1 ovarian cyst and 1 paratubal cyst with torsion. No secondary laparotomy was required. The postoperative courses were favorable in most cases. However, 3 appendectomies were complicated, one by chorioamnionitis and miscarriage at 20½ weeks of gestation and 2 by right iliac fossa abscesses requiring percutaneous radiological drainage, one of these women delivered a healthy term baby and the other had chorioamnionitis and preterm delivery at 34 weeks, followed by neonatal death. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy can be safely performed for surgical indications in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. In case of abdominal symptoms, a timely diagnosis is required to decide whether or not to operate and imaging should not be withheld particularly in case of suspected appendicitis which has a high risk of complications.

[Negative pressure pulmonary edema following a cholecystectomy - A case report]. / Œdème pulmonaire à pression négative après une cholécystectomie ­ à propos d'un cas.

Negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) or post-obstructive pulmonary edema (POPE) is a rare but a life threatening respiratory situation. The most frequent cause of NPPE is a post anesthetic laryngospasm. Edema is developed after relief of upper airway obstruction. Its incidence is 0.1 % of general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. We report this clinical case of a 28-year-old woman, who developed dyspnea followed by acute respiratory distress with unilateral pulmonary edema after extubation following general anesthesia for cholecystectomy under celioscopy. After elimination of any other cause, context, clinical and radiological characteristics, and the favorable evolution under oxygen and furosemide made it possible for us to link this acute respiratory distress to a NPPE whose pathophysiological causes and mechanisms are discussed.

[Emphysematous cholecystitis: a case study]. / Cholecystite emphysemateuse: a propos d'un cas.

The emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare pathological entity which has to be recognized early in order to quickly administer the most suitable treatment and to avoid septic shock then death. We report the case of an acute emphysematous diagnosed by computed tomography with a positive prognostic due to antibiotherapy and cholecystectomy.

La cholécystite emphysémateuse est une entité pathologique rare qui nécessite un diagnostic précoce en vue d'un traitement rapide et adapté pour éviter l'évolution vers un choc septique puis au décès. Nous rapportons un cas diagnostiqué par le scanner et dont l'évolution a été favorable sous antibithérapie et cholecystectomie.