Proposal of set-up standardization for general surgery procedures with the CMR Versius system, a new robotic platform: our initial experience.

BACKGROUND: The article describes our initial experience using CMR Versius platform for several procedures in general surgery. METHODS: Between September 2022 and April 2023, seventy patients underwent robotic surgery in a multi-robotic referral center (San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy). Three surgeons with only laparoscopic experience performed 24 cholecystectomies, 13 inguinal hernia repairs, 9 ventral hernia repairs, 7 right hemicolectomies, 11 left hemicolectomies, 1 sigmoidectomy, 1 ileocecal resection, 1 ventral rectopexy, 1 Nissen fundoplication, 1 total splenectomy, and 1 exploration with multiple biopsies. RESULTS: All surgeries were full-robotic, with only one conversion to laparoscopy. The short length of stay and low rate of severe morbidity are promising findings. Although operative time was lengthened, clinical outcomes were not affected. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience demonstrates that the adoption of Versius system is safe and feasible in general surgery. The standardization of port placement and BSU set-up can certainly reduce the operative time.

High-energy devices in different surgical settings: lessons learnt from a full health technology assessment report developed by SICE (Società Italiana di Chirurgia Endoscopica).

BACKGROUND: The present paper aims at evaluating the potential benefits of high-energy devices (HEDs) in the Italian surgical practice, defining the comparative efficacy and safety profiles, as well as the potential economic and organizational advantages for hospitals and patients, with respect to standard monopolar or bipolar devices. METHODS: A Health Technology Assessment was conducted in 2021 assuming the hospital perspective, comparing HEDs and standard monopolar/bipolar devices, within eleven surgical settings: appendectomy, hepatic resections, colorectal resections, cholecystectomy, splenectomy, hemorrhoidectomy, thyroidectomy, esophago-gastrectomy, breast surgery, adrenalectomy, and pancreatectomy. The nine EUnetHTA Core Model dimensions were deployed considering a multi-methods approach. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used: (1) a systematic literature review for the definition of the comparative efficacy and safety data; (2) administration of qualitative questionnaires, completed by 23 healthcare professionals (according to 7-item Likert scale, ranging from - 3 to + 3); and (3) health-economics tools, useful for the economic evaluation of the clinical pathway and budget impact analysis, and for the definition of the organizational and accessibility advantages, in terms of time or procedures' savings. RESULTS: The literature declared a decrease in operating time and length of stay in using HEDs in most surgical settings. While HEDs would lead to a marginal investment for the conduction of 178,619 surgeries on annual basis, their routinely implementation would generate significant organizational savings. A decrease equal to - 5.25/-9.02% of operating room time and to - 5.03/-30.73% of length of stay emerged. An advantage in accessibility to surgery could be hypothesized in a 9% of increase, due to the gaining in operatory slots. Professionals' perceptions crystallized and confirmed literature evidence, declaring a better safety and effectiveness profile. An improvement in both patients and caregivers' quality-of-life emerged. CONCLUSIONS: The results have demonstrated the strategic relevance related to HEDs introduction, their economic sustainability, and feasibility, as well as the potentialities in process improvement.

COVID-19 outbreak and acute cholecystitis in a Hub Hospital in Milan: wider indications for percutaneous cholecystostomy.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Italian National Health Care system at many different levels, causing a complete reorganization of surgical wards. In this context, our study retrospectively analysed the management strategy for patients with acute cholecystitis. METHODS: We analysed all patients admitted to our Emergency Department for acute cholecystitis between February and April 2020 and we graded each case according to 2018 Tokyo Guidelines. All patients were tested for positivity to SARS-CoV-2 and received an initial conservative treatment. We focused on patients submitted to cholecystostomy during the acute phase of pandemic and their subsequent disease evolution. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients were admitted for acute cholecystitis (13 grade I, 16 grade II, 8 grade III). According to Tokyo Guidelines (2018), patients were successfully treated with antibiotic only, bedside percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PC) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in 29.7%, 21.6% and 48.7% of cases respectively. Therapeutic strategy of three out of 8 cases, otherwise fit for surgery, submitted to bedside percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (37.5%), were directly modified by COVID-19 pandemic: one due to the SARS-CoV-2 positivity, while two others due to unavailability of operating room and intensive care unit for post-operative monitoring respectively. Overall success rate of percutaneous cholecystostomy was of 87.5%. The mean post-procedural hospitalization length was 9 days, and no related adverse events were observed apart from transient parietal bleeding, conservatively treated. Once discharged, two patients required readmission because of acute biliary symptoms. Median time of drainage removal was 43 days and only 50% patients thereafter underwent cholecystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous cholecystostomy has shown to be an effective and safe treatment thus acquiring an increased relevance in the first phase of the pandemic. Nowadays, considering we are forced to live with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, PC should be considered as a virtuous, alternative tool for potentially all COVID-19 positive patients and selectively for negative cases unresponsive to conservative therapy and unfit for surgery.

Surgical Strategy During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a University Metropolitan Hospital in Milan, Italy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly, forcing some drastic changes not only in our daily lives, but also in our clinical and surgical activities. Given our extensive Italian experience, we hereby describe how our surgical unit activity has changed and how, in some cases, it was necessary to modify surgical strategies. We hope our experience can be shared with our global colleagues who are suffering under similar condition.

Surgical management of duodenal stump fistula after elective gastrectomy for malignancy: an Italian retrospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Duodenal stump fistula (DSF) is a severe complication of gastrectomy. Although nonsurgical therapy is preferred, surgery is still mandatory in one third of DSF patients. The aim of this article is to analyze the surgical management of DSF and factors related to its outcome. METHODS: We performed a retrospective multicenter study using data from January 1990 to November 2011 in 16 Italian surgery centers. We collected 8,268 elective gastrectomies for malignancies, 7,987 by the laparotomic and 281 by the laparoscopic approach. Two hundred five patients developed a DSF, 75 of whom underwent surgery for DSF. We analyzed mortality and DSF healing time as well as the impact of clinical, oncological, and surgical characteristics. RESULTS: The laparoscopic approach increased the risk of DSF development (odds ratio 5.6, 95% confidence interval 2.7-10.6, P < 0.001). The indication for first DSF surgery was intra-abdominal sepsis; the failure rate was over 30%, associated with the appearance of fistulas of neighboring organs, bleeding, and the need for reoperations. The mortality rate was 28% and was related to the presence of vascular disease (P = 0.04), more than one reoperation (P = 0.05), sepsis (P < 0.001), and renal failure (P < 0.001). Fifty-four patients recovered after a median of 39 days (interquartile range 22-68 days); the need to perform more reoperations (P < 0.01) and the presence of an abdominal abscess (P < 0.01) led to an increase in healing time. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for DSF has a poor prognosis. Our data will help to identify patients at risk of death, but unfortunately could not establish the best surgical procedure applicable to all cases of DSF.

Persistence of High Percentage of Peripheral Activated CD8+ T Cells Predict Cytologic HPV-Related Dysplasia in cART-Treated, HIV-Positive Subjects.

Background: People with HIV are at increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) disease progression, given the persistence of immune activation and residual inflammation despite effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Whether a low CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio, known to mirror peripheral immune dysfunction, is associated with squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) is unknown. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study on cART-treated HIV-positive subjects undergoing screening for HPV-related dysplasia (anal/cervical cytology and HPV genotyping). SIL was defined as the presence of either atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), low-grade SILs, or high-grade SILs. Demographic and viro-immunological parameters (T-cell count, CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio, CD8+ CD38+ T-cell percentage) at the time of screening were analyzed by the chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 419 cART-treated subjects were included. Half of the patients had cervical/anal SIL. Individuals with SIL were more commonly males, were men who have sex with men, were coinfected with Treponema pallidum, had been treated with integrase inhibitor (INSTI)-based cART regimens, and had a shorter time since HIV diagnosis and cART initiation than subjects with normal cytology. CD38+ CD8+ T-cell percentage, but not the CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio, correlated with SILs. HPV infection, especially with multiple and high-risk genotypes, was confirmed to be associated with SIL. In multivariate analysis, the only factors independently associated with cervical/anal dysplasia were HPV infection and harboring higher percentages of peripheral activated CD38+ CD8+ T cells. Conclusions: HPV infection is the major driver of dysplasia in the setting of HIV infection. In this study, CD8+ CD38+ T cells were an independent predictor of dysplasia in cART-treated subjects, while CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio was not. In the setting of HIV-HPV coinfection, CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio may not fully capture the alterations of HPV-specific immunity.

Management of Leaks Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Using Specifically Designed Large Covered Metal Stents.

BACKGROUND: Leaks are the major complication associated with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of specifically designed large covered metal stents for the management of post-laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy leaks. METHODS: Prospectively collected databases from three Italian Endoscopy Units were reviewed. The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate the clinical success of stents placement, defined as complete resolution of clinical and laboratory signs of sepsis with radiological evidence of leak closure. Secondary outcomes were stent-related adverse events and mortality. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (67% females, mean age 45 years) were included in the study and a total of 26 stents were placed. Technical success of stent placement was achieved in all cases (100%). Clinical success was observed in 85.5% of patients. Stent-related adverse events occurred in 9 patients (43%), with stent migration as the most frequent complication (33%). Adverse events were more frequently observed in patients who had undergone bariatric surgery prior to laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy compared to patients without previous surgery (83% et al. 27%, p=0.018). CONCLUSION: The placement of specifically designed covered metal stents appears to be an effective and safe therapeutic approach for post-laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy leaks. Stent migration can be a frequent complication.

SARS-CoV-2-related ARDS in a maintenance hemodialysis patient: case report on tailored approach by daily hemodialysis, noninvasive ventilation, tocilizumab, anxiolytics, and point-of-care ultrasound.

Without rescue drugs approved, holistic approach by daily hemodialysis, noninvasive ventilation, anti-inflammatory medications, fluid assessment by bedside ultrasound, and anxiolytics improved outcomes of a maintenance hemodialysis patient affected by severe COVID-19.

Laparoscopic ablation therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma: could specific indications for the laparoscopic approach influence the effectiveness?

Percutaneous thermo-ablation (TA) may be unfeasible for the tumor location: laparoscopic ablation therapies (LATs) are an alternative option. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of LATs in the treatment of HCC not eligible for percutaneous TA or surgical resection. LAT was offered to 503 patients fulfilling at least one of the following criteria: (a) patients with a single nodule or up to three nodules smaller than 3 cm not suitable for surgery; (b) patients not suitable for percutaneous TA; (c) short-term recurrence of HCC (< 3 months). Technical success was achieved with one session in 467 patients (93%). One-month mortality and severe morbidity rates were 0.4% and 2.19%, respectively. During a median follow-up of 38.4 months in the remaining 501 patients, 361 (67%) developed intrahepatic recurrence: it appeared as a local tumor progression (LTP) in 74 cases (15%). Subcapsular lesions showed lower LTP rates (p = 0.008), as well as HCC nodules contiguous to viscera (p = 0.012). In the treatment of HCC, LAT has proved to be a safe and effective technique that enables to treat lesions not eligible for percutaneous approach, with a low morbidity rate.

"Wandering spleen" as a rare cause of recurrent abdominal pain: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Wandering spleen (WS) is a rare and generally acquired condition, resulting from abnormal ligamentous laxity failing to fixate the spleen in its normal location in the left upper quadrant, thus leading to its migration to the pelvis due to gravity. Such migration leads to an elongated vascular pedicle, which is prone to torsion causing splenic infarction; thus, a prompt surgical intervention is recommended. Since this adverse event affects childbearing women or children, it is crucial to choose the most appropriate surgical strategy, such as splenectomy or splenopexy, both effective and widely diffused options. The aim of this paper is to perform a literature review on WS reports treated by surgery. We also present a case of symptomatic WS migrated in pelvis in a young female treated by splenectomy. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: All relevant articles from 1895 up to December 2017 were identified by literature searches in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: A total of 376 patients treated with surgical approach for WS were identified. The most common presentations were abdominal pain and abdominal mass, and approximately half of the patients had an acute clinical onset. Radiology is essential for the diagnosis. Surgical strategy changed over the time; splenectomy is the most reported treatment although in the last years there is an increasing trend towards a more conservative strategy, preferring splenopexy or a laparoscopic approach. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery is the gold standard strategy, and laparoscopic approach is recommended, for the treatment of wandering spleen. Both splenopexy or splenectomy are effective and safe surgical options.

Hem-o-Lok clip migration into the duodenum after laparoscopic digestive surgery: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The wide use of hemoclips during laparoscopic surgery has led to a variety of unusual complications, among these, there is the migration of Hem-o-Lok clip into the duodenum. We performed a literature review of all cases of Hem-o-Lok clip migration into the duodenum after laparoscopic digestive surgery reported in literature. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: All relevant articles were extracted up to June 2019 based on the results of searches in MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: At the time of this review, a total of seven cases have been described. The mean age was 49 years and the majority of these patients were women (57%). Previous laparoscopic surgery was performed for cholecystectomy (four patients), cholecystectomy with common bile duct exploration (one patient), right hemicolectomy (one patient) and distal gastrectomy (one patient). Symptoms occurred from 3 months to 2 years after laparoscopic surgery. The majority of patients developed symptoms of bowel occlusion and abdominal pain. Three patients remained asymptomatic. In many cases the Hem-o-Lok wedged into the wall of the first or second portion of the duodenum. In all cases, esophageal gastroduodenoscopy was the primary modality to make the diagnosis. Initial treatment was conservative with watch-and-wait strategy or proton pump inhibitors followed by endoscopic removal, while surgical treatment was required in two cases. CONCLUSIONS: The application of Hem-o-Lok clip during laparoscopic surgery is safe and effective. Postoperative Hem-o-Lok migration into the duodenum is rare. The treatment could be conservative in the majority of cases.

Risk Factors for Prolonged Postoperative Ileus in Adult Patients Undergoing Elective Colorectal Surgery: An Observational Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Prolonged Postoperative Ileus (PPOI) after abdominal surgery may affect unfavourably the patient recovery. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of PPOI in patients elective for colorectal resection and investigate perioperative variables associated with PPOI. METHODS: A consecutive series of 428 patients undergoing colorectal resection (median age 72, range 24-92, years; men/women ratio 1.14) were analyzed. Data were extracted retrospectively throughout a five-year period from an electronic prospectively maintained database. PPOI was defined as the need for postoperative insertion of a nasogastric tube in a patient experiencing nausea and two episodes of vomiting and further showing absence of adequate bowel function (absence of flatus/stool) with lack of bowel sounds and abdominal distension. RESULTS: Incidence of PPOI was 7% [95% confidence interval (95%CI), 4.8-9.9%]. Mean hospital stay was 8 days longer in patients with PPOI. Male gender, cancer, cardiac and respiratory co-morbidity, rectal resection, open/converted access, duration of operation, stoma formation and body mass index were associated with PPOI at univariate analysis (0.001< P< 0.048). PPOI was independently associated with male gender [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 4.2; 95%CI, 1.5-11.5], stoma formation (OR, 2.8; 95%CI, 1.2-6.8) and obesity (OR of obese vs. normal weight patients, 3.8, 95%CI, 1.2-12.0). CONCLUSION: After colorectal resection, PPOI leads to a prolonged hospital stay and slower patient's recovery. An international standardized definition of PPOI is strongly needed to make comparable results from researches and to reliably identify patients with increased risk, also to improve the therapeutic preventive policies in these patients.

Effect of Age (over 75 Years) on Postoperative Complications and Survival in Patients Undergoing Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Thanks to technical advancement in surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatic resection (HR) for elderly HCC patients has become safer. However, elderly patients may have shorter long-term survival after surgery if compared with younger patients because of their expected life span. The aim of the present study was to evaluate clinical outcomes and safety after HR in HCC patients aged >75 years (older) compared with HCC patients aged <75 years (younger). METHOD: One hundred sixty-eight patients who underwent HR for HCC from 1998 to 2015 in our Center were analyzed using a prospective database. Complications, disease-free survival rates, and cumulative survival rates were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: During the immediate postoperative period, no differences were found about liver-related complications, hospital stay and 90-day mortality. However, older patients had more complications in class II or higher (Clavien classification) (p = 0.017). Although disease-free survival in both groups was similar (p = 0.099), overall survival was worse in the elderly group (p = 0.024). On multivariate analysis, only age ≥75 years was significantly related to overall survival. CONCLUSION: If elderly patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC are appropriately selected and evaluated, they might have favorable prognoses after HR.