Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: perioperative outcomes, weight loss and impact on type 2 diabetes mellitus over 2 years.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an increasingly performed operation for morbid obesity worldwide. To date there has been limited experience in Canada. We report our intermediate results, assessing whether LSG can be safely performed at a Canadian academic teaching hospital and whether it is effective as a bariatric procedure and as metabolic therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all patients who underwent LSG at our institution from Sept. 1, 2007, to June 30, 2011. RESULTS: We included 166 patients (mean age 44 yr, 82% female) in our study. The mean preoperative body mass index was 49.61. At baseline, 87 (52%) patients had type 2 diabetes. For this subgroup, mean preoperative HbA1c and AC glucose were 7.6% and 8.3 mmol/L, respectively. The mean duration of surgery was 93 minutes. Major complications included 1 staple line leak (0.6%), and 2 patients required reintervention for bleeding (1.2%). The mean hospital stay was 2.6 days. Two patients required readmission (1.2%). Seven minor complications occurred (4%). Postoperative excess weight loss was 49.3% at 6 months, 54.2% at 12 months and 64.4% at 24 months. In the type 2 diabetes subgroup, resolution occurred in 78% and improvement in 7% of patients at 12 months. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy can be safely performed at Canadian teaching hospitals. It is effective both as a bariatric procedure and as a therapeutic intervention for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

CONTEXTE: La gastrectomie verticale par laparoscopie (GVL) est une intervention de plus en plus utilisée pour traiter l'obésité morbide partout dans le monde. À ce jour, au Canada, l'expérience en a été limitée. Nous faisons état de nos résultats intérimaires et nous évaluons si la GVL peut être effectuée de manière sécuritaire dans un hôpital d'enseignement universitaire canadien et si elle est efficace en tant qu'intervention bariatrique et comme traitement métabolique du diabète de type 2. MÉTHODES: Nous avons procédé à une revue rétrospective des dossiers de tous les patients qui ont subi une GVL dans notre établissement entre le 1er septembre 2007 et le 30 juin 2011. RÉSULTATS: Nous avons ainsi inclus 166 patients (âge moyen 44 ans, 82 % de femmes) dans notre étude. L'indice de masse corporelle préopératoire moyen était de 49,61. Au départ, 87 patients (52 %) souffraient de diabète de type 2. Pour ce sous-groupe, l'HbA1c et la glycémie à jeun préopératoires moyennes étaient respectivement de 7,6 % et de 8,3 mmol/L. La durée moyenne de la chirurgie a été de 93 minutes. Les complications majeures ont inclus une fuite au niveau de la ligne d'agrafage (0,6 %) et on a dû réintervenir chez 2 patients en raison de saignements (1,2 %). Le séjour hospitalier moyen a été de 2,6 jours. Deux patients ont dû être réadmis (1,2 %). Sept complications mineures sont survenues (4 %). La perte de poids excédentaire postopératoire a été de 49,3 % à 6 mois, de 54,2 % à 12 mois et de 64,4 % à 24 mois. Dans le sousgroupe atteint de diabète de type 2, la résolution est survenue chez 78 % des patients et une amélioration, chez 7 % des patients à 12 mois. CONCLUSION: La gastrectomie verticale par laparoscopie peut être effectuée de façon sécuritaire dans les hôpitaux universitaires canadiens. Il s'agit à la fois d'une intervention bariatrique et d'un traitement pour le diabète de type 2.

Acute general surgery in Canada: a survey of current handover practices.

BACKGROUND: Today's acute care surgery (ACS) service model requires multiple handovers to incoming attending surgeons and residents. Our objectives were to investigate current handover practices in Canadian hospitals that have an ACS service and assess the quality of handover practices in place. METHODS: We administered an electronic survey among ACS residents in 6 Canadian general surgery programs. RESULTS: Resident handover of patient care occurs frequently and often not under ideal circumstances. Most residents spend less than 5 minutes preparing handovers. Clinical uncertainty owing to inadequate handover is most likely to occur during overnight and weekend coverage. Almost one-third of surveyed residents rate the overall quality of the handovers they received as poor. CONCLUSION: Handover skills must be taught in a systematic fashion. Improved resident communication will likely decrease loss of patient information and therefore improve ACS patient safety.

CONTEXTE: De nos jours, le modèle de service appliqué aux soins intensifs en chirurgie suppose de fréquents transferts de soins entre chirurgiens traitants et résidents. Nous avions pour objectifs d'analyser les pratiques actuelles en matière de transfert des soins dans les hôpitaux canadiens qui disposent de services de soins intensifs chirurgicaux et d'en évaluer la qualité. MÉTHODES: Nous avons administré un questionnaire électronique à des résidents en chirurgie (soins intensifs) inscrits à 6 programmes canadiens de chirurgie générale. RÉSULTANTS: Il y a souvent des transferts de soins entre résidents et dans bien des cas, ces transferts ne se déroulent pas dans des conditions idéales. La plupart des résidents consacrent moins de 5 minutes à préparer les transferts de soins. L'incertitude clinique associée à des transferts de soins inadéquats risque davantage de s'observer la nuit et la fin de semaine. Près du tiers des résidents interrogés ont déclaré que la qualité globale des transferts qu'ils recevaient était médiocre. CONCLUSIONS: Il faut adopter une approche systématique à l'enseignement des compétences nécessaires pour des transferts de soins cohérents. En améliorant la communication chez les résidents, on réduira probablement la perte de renseignements importants au sujet des patients et on améliorera par conséquent la sécurité des patients qui reçoivent des soins d'urgence en chirurgie.

Patient compliance with a group model of care: the hernia clinic.

BACKGROUND: In February 2006, a hernia clinic was established at the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was based on a group model of care and was established to increase effective use of resources to reduce waiting times. We conducted a survey of patients referred to the hernia clinic to determine compliance. METHODS: We developed and mailed a questionnaire to all patients who had surgery after assessment at the hernia clinic. Data were analyzed for the entire study group and for 2 subgroups: patients in group I had the same surgeon for assessment and surgery, whereas patients in group II had a different surgeon for assessment and surgery. Differences between subgroups were assessed using the 2-tailed Fisher exact test. Waiting times were recorded. RESULTS: In all, 94 patients responded to the survey. Of these, 67% had the same surgeon for assessment and surgery, and 31% had a different surgeon; 2% were not sure. Two-thirds were comfortable having their surgery performed by a surgeon whom they met the day of surgery. Most patients had confidence in the competence of any surgeon and considered service to be better and faster in a specialized centre. Most felt that a group of surgeons providing hernia care uses resources more effectively. The waiting times from referral to initial consult decreased from 208 (standard deviation [SD] 139) days in 2007 to 59 (SD 70) days in 2009. CONCLUSION: Patient compliance with a group model of care for hernia surgery is high.

Morbidity of hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy compared to conventional laparoscopic splenectomy: a 6-year review.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) has several advantages over the open procedure but can be technically demanding when performed in patients with massive splenomegaly. We hypothesized that patients who undergo hand-assisted LS (HALS) may experience the benefits of LS while having their enlarged spleens removed safely. METHODS: We reviewed the charts of patients who underwent HALS or LS between January 2003 and June 2008. Evaluated parameters included intraoperative and early postoperative morbidity and mortality, conversion to open surgery, need for blood transfusion, length of postoperative hospital stay, patient demographics, diagnosis leading to splenectomy, splenic weight and number of postoperative days to resuming normal diet. Differences were analyzed while controlling for splenic weight and malignant diagnosis using multiple linear and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In all, 103 patients underwent splenectomy (23 HALS, 80 LS). Patients who had HALS were older and had larger spleens, and a greater proportion had malignant diagnoses. We observed no significant differences in morbidity, conversion to open surgery or need for blood transfusion. The mean length of postoperative stay, duration of surgery and days to resuming full diet were longer in the HALS group. No patients died. No group differences were significant after controlling for splenic weight and malignant diagnosis. CONCLUSION: The morbidity associated with HALS is comparable to that with LS. The longer duration of surgery and hospital stay for HALS patients was likely related to greater splenic weight, older age and greater proportion of malignant diagnoses. Hand-assisted LS is a viable alternative to open surgery in patients with massive spleens.

Laparoscopic accessory splenectomy: the value of perioperative localization studies.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic splenectomy is an effective treatment for many patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) who fail or relapse after treatment with steroids. Patients with an incomplete response to splenectomy and those who experience recurrence of symptoms should be evaluated for the presence of an accessory spleen. The clinical effectiveness of laparoscopic excision of an accessory spleen after a previous splenectomy for ITP has varied in different studies. Laparoscopic intraoperative identification of an accessory spleen can be difficult. The authors report their experience with laparoscopic accessory splenectomy (LAS) and the use of perioperative localization methods for this procedure. METHODS: This study reviewed seven consecutive patients who underwent LAS, after initial splenectomy failed to cure ITP, at a tertiary care center between April 9, 2003 and March 31, 2008. Demographics, diagnostic and localization studies, technical success, and the effect on thrombocytopenia were examined. The location of the accessory spleen also was recorded. A novel method for localizing accessory spleen was used. It consisted of preoperative computed tomography (CT)-guided injection of methylene blue at the accessory spleen's site, preoperative intravenous injection of 99m-technetium-labeled, heat-damaged red blood cells, or both. Intraoperatively, the dye was used for visual identification, and the gamma probe was used to aid in locating and confirming the presence of the accessory spleen in the excised specimen. RESULTS: Seven patients with recurrent ITP after initial failed splenectomy underwent LAS during the study period. Five of these patients had the initial splenectomy performed laparoscopically. All seven patients had successful laparoscopic removal of the accessory spleen based on a final pathologic examination. One patient required the second laparoscopic exploration with perioperative localization after a failed attempt without it. These perioperative localization methods were used in subsequent operations on other patients. These methods were found to be helpful in the intraoperative identification of the accessory spleens. The accessory spleens missed at initial splenectomy were found in unusual locations. Five of the seven patients had sustained improvement in platelet counts after LAS. One patient had a postoperative ileus that resolved with nonoperative management. No other complications or mortality was observed. CONCLUSION: The LAS procedure after previous splenectomy is feasible and safe. Perioperative localization methods aid in the intraoperative identification of an accessory spleen. Accessory spleens missed at initial splenectomy are generally found in unusual locations. Treatment of recurrent or unresolved ITP with LAS can be effective for some patients.

Is right laparoscopic donor nephrectomy right?

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy has become the standard of care in many renal transplant centers. Many centers are reluctant to perform right laparoscopic donor nephrectomies, primarily due to concerns about transplanting a kidney with a short renal vein. METHODS: A retrospective review of 26 right and 24 left consecutive donor nephrectomies and their recipients was performed. Patient demographics, preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative data were recorded and compared. RESULTS: Patient demographics were similar between groups. Multiple vessels were encountered more frequently on the right side (10 vs. 3, p = 0.04) and the donated kidney had lesser preoperative function in the right group as determined by nuclear medicine imaging (46.5% vs. 49.4%, p < 0.001). Donor operating times were less in the right group (198 vs. 226 min, p = 0.016). There was no difference in implantation difficulty as demonstrated by similar operative and warm ischemia times. Complication rates were similar between both groups of donors and recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Right laparoscopic donor nephrectomy requires less operating time than, and is associated with similar outcomes for donors and recipients as, left laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Right laparoscopic donor nephrectomy may be preferable in general and should be considered when multiple renal vessels are present on the left side and/or when preoperative function of the left kidney is greater than the right.

Choosing the right physical laparoscopic simulator? Comparison of LTS2000-ISM60 with MISTELS: validation, correlation, and user satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: The LTS 2000-ISM60 (LTS; Realsim Systems, Alburquerque, NM, USA) is a computer enhanced video-laparoscopic training system. Our purpose was to validate the LTS and to correlate its scoring performance with that of the McGill Inanimate System for Training and Evaluation of Laparoscopic Skills (MISTELS), a widely used and well-validated physical simulator. METHODS: Participants (n = 124) included medical students, residents, fellows, and attending surgeons from general surgery, gynecology, and urology in 3 Canadian universities. They were classified in groups based on laparoscopic experience: novice, intermediate, competent, and expert. Participants (n = 124) were tested on the LTS, and 74 were tested on both the LTS and the MISTELS. A user satisfaction questionnaire was completed after each performance. RESULTS: LTS metrics showed a progressive improvement in total scores according to academic level as well as level of laparoscopic experience (P < .001). Good correlation was found between the LTS and the MISTELS (r = .79). Level of user satisfaction was highest with LTS. CONCLUSIONS: Based on laparoscopic experience and academic level, the LTS has a comparable discriminating capability for level of performance with that of the MISTELS. The higher degree of user satisfaction attributed to the LTS could justify its use as a training and assessment tool for surgical specialties.

Measuring surgical recovery: the study of laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy.

Following laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN), recovery has only been studied using traditional outcomes, subjective and confounded by comorbidity and psychosocial variables. The purpose of this study is to estimate surgical recovery following LDN using standardized, validated instruments and to compare this recovery profile to that obtained with traditional measures. This was a prospective study of patients undergoing LDN at a single institution between September 2001 and January 2004 (n = 35). At baseline and 4 weeks following surgery, functional exercise capacity was measured using the 6-min walk test (6MWT) and health-related quality of life was assessed with the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, including physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores. Patients' self-assessment of recovery and time to resumption of regular activities was ascertained. At follow-up (median 29 days), patients' 6MWT was lower by a median of 30 m (p = 0.07) and PCS decreased from 57.1 to 42.3 (p = 0.0001), whereas MCS remained constant. Overall, length of stay, return to activities and patient-stated recovery were inadequate outcomes for classifying patient recovery using 6MWT and PCS as the reference standards. Four weeks following LLDN, patients have returned to baseline exercise capacity, but not baseline general physical health. Traditional measures of recovery are incomplete descriptors of recovery.