Diagnostic performance of intraoperative assessment in grade 2 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynecologic malignancy in developed countries. Grade 2 carcinoma is associated with pelvic lymph-node metastasis, depending on selected risk factors. Intraoperative assessment (IOA) can identify patients at risk for lymph node metastasis who should undergo staging surgery. Our objective was to establish the diagnostic precision of IOA in determining the need for surgical staging in grade 2 endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: Two hundred twenty-two patients underwent IOA. Results were compared to the final pathology report. The accuracy of the IOA parameters was calculated. Variables were evaluated in patients with positive versus negative IOA. Overall and disease-free survivals were calculated according to IOA, lymphadenectomy, and nodal metastasis. RESULTS: IOA was positive in 80 patients. It showed an accuracy of 76.13% when compared with the postoperative assessment. The best individual parameter was myometrial invasion. Nodal metastasis was observed in 16 patients in the positive IOA group and 7 patients in the negative group. Patients with lymph node metastasis had a 5-year overall survival rate of 80.9%, whereas patients without metastasis had a 5-year overall survival rate of 97.9%. CONCLUSIONS: IOA is an adequate tool to identify high-risk patients in grade 2 endometrial carcinoma. Myometrial invasion is the individual parameter that yields the highest diagnostic precision.

Laparoscopic subtotal gastrectomy with a new marking technique, endoscopic cautery marking: preservation of the stomach in patients with upper early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic subtotal gastrectomy (LsTG) has several advantages, including technical safety and preservation of postoperative function, compared with total or proximal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer. However, LsTG has some technical issues with respect to achieving a safe resection margin and patency in patients with lesions close to the cardia or fornix. When LsTG is performed for lesions located rather close to the cardia or fornix, conventional marking clips can physically hinder transection by an endoscopic linear stapler. Additionally, tracing the tumor boundary to create a precise resection line is difficult. To resolve these issues, we introduced a new marking technique called endoscopic cautery marking (ECM) involving the creation of small cauterized spots. METHODS: Of 791 patients who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy from 2015 to 2017, 16 underwent LsTG with ECM. Before surgery, ECM was performed and the pathological tumor boundary was traced according to preoperative biopsies. Under intraoperative endoscopic guidance, we divided the stomach with an endoscopic linear stapler on the proximal side of the ECM site and examined the stump by pathological frozen section analysis to confirm the absence of cancer. RESULTS: The median length of the endoscopically measured distance from the esophagogastric junction to the tumor was 30.0 mm (range 15-40 mm), and the median pathological proximal margin was 11.5 mm (range 0-26 mm). Although the ECM site was completely resected in all patients, frozen section analysis showed a positive margin in one lesion, which had an unclear tumor boundary due to gastritis. For this patient, we converted the procedure to laparoscopic completion gastrectomy. No severe complications or recurrences occurred. CONCLUSIONS: LsTG with ECM was technically feasible, and short-term outcomes were acceptable in this preliminary study. Further experience and investigations are imperative to verify the oncological and functional implications of LsTG with ECM.

How we do it: the intra-operative identification of a pharyngocele.

A pharyngocele is an uncommon condition, where pharyngeal mucosa herniates through the thyrohyoid membrane. It can be difficult to locate when the patient is at rest. To locate the pharyngocele intra-operatively, a bag valve mask was used to inflate the herniated mucosa. We describe a cost-effective and simple way to locate the pharyngocele intra-operatively.

Role of diagnostic laparoscopy in deciding primary treatment in advanced-stage ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the usefulness of preoperative diagnostic laparoscopy for treatment planning in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 614 patients diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer between January 2010 and May 2018. Primary debulking surgery (PDS) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by interval debulking surgery were selected based on preoperative laparoscopic (Group 1, n=192) and computed tomography findings (Group 2, n=422). The primary outcomes in the PDS and NAC groups were suboptimal cytoreduction (residual disease >1 cm) rate and non-high-grade serous carcinoma (non-HGSC) rate, respectively. RESULTS: The patients who underwent PDS in group 1 and group 2 were 49 (25.5%) and 279 (66.1%), respectively. The suboptimal cytoreduction rate after PDS was lower in Group 1 than in Group 2 (2.0% vs 11.1%, p=0.023). Moreover, Group 1 showed a tendency toward a lower proportion of non-HGSC patients who underwent NAC than that in Group 2 (9.1% vs. 15.4%, p=0.069). Further, Group 1 showed lower rates of postoperative morbidity than Group 2 (5.2% vs. 10.4%, p=0.033). However, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no significant differences in survival outcomes between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Diagnostic laparoscopy reduced the suboptimal cytoreduction rate in the PDS group and the implementation rate of NAC in non-HGSC patients. Moreover, it reduced postoperative morbidity without affecting survival in both groups. Thus, diagnostic laparoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool for determining the primary treatment.

Single versus multiple video-assisted thoracocopic lung biopsy for suspected interstitial lung disease: a perspective on diagnostic efficacy and length of hospital stay.

Background: Nearly one-third of the patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) require surgical biopsy for a definite diagnosis. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical (VATS) biopsy has replaced open lung biopsy, but the number of biopsy required to achieve an accurate diagnose is controversial. Objectives: Our study aims to show that a well-planned single VATS biopsy is as effective as multiple biopsies for the accurate diagnosis of ILD by reduced days of hospital stay. Methods: We included 111 patients with suspected ILD who underwent VATS biopsy in our study. Patients were separated into three groups according to the number of biopsies obtained. The differences between groups for diagnostic yield, mean time for chest tube removal, perioperative complications, and approximate volume per biopsy were analyzed statistically. Results: Eighteen single, 74 double, and 19 triple biopsies were made. Mean times of chest tube removal and hospital stay for single, double, and triple biopsy were 3.5, 4.8, and 6.1 days respectively. The number of biopsy and length of hospital stay was strongly related (p = 0.02), but there was no difference for diagnostic yield between single and multiple biopsy groups (p > 0.05). There was no intraoperative complication or perioperative mortality. In postoperative period, eight patients with multiple biopsies had prolonged air leak. Conclusion: Although classical knowledge suggests multiple biopsies from different locations of the lung are essential, recent reports have shown that the site and the number of biopsy are not as effective as previously thought in achieving the diagnosis for ILD. Our results show that a "single" biopsy, decided with multidisciplinary evaluation, is an effective and safe diagnostic tool, with lesser days of hospital stay. Main novel aspects: 1. The classical knowledge that multiple biopsies should be taken from different regions of the lung in the diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases has changed over time.2. Diagnostic concordance between multiple biopsy specimens is above 85%.3. A "single" biopsy, decided with multidisciplinary evaluation, is an effective and safe diagnostic tool with lower days of hospital stay.

Experience of Unilateral Cleft Lip Repair using the Anatomical Subunit Technique in an Omani Population over a Five-Year Period.

Objectives: This study aimed to report the authors' experience with the anatomical subunit technique for unilateral cleft lip repair, which has gained popularity worldwide. Methods: From July 2015 to April 2020, 114 consecutive cases of cleft lip underwent primary cleft lip repair with closed rhinoplasty by a single surgeon. The demographic data, severity and type of the cleft lip, surgical outcomes, including vermillion notching, were assessed by an independent senior surgeon. The rate of revision surgery was collected from the Al-Shifa® - 3Plus healthcare information system (Ministry of Health, Oman). Parents' satisfaction regarding scar quality and lip and nose appearance was collected and all data were statistically analysed. Results: A total of 82 cases satisfied the inclusion criteria. The mean age at surgery for cleft lip was 32 weeks. Among these, 35 cases (43%) were complete cleft lips and 47 cases (57%) were incomplete. Additionally, 43 children (52%) were born of consanguineous marriage. Six patients (7%) needed revision surgery. The digital survey was completed by 40 subjects (response rate: 48.8%) which showed 85% satisfaction rate with the postoperative scar and 77.5% satisfaction with the aesthetic appearance of the nose. Conclusion: The anatomical subunit technique resulted in a predictable outcome indicating a high rate of patient satisfaction with scar quality and nasal and lip symmetry in children with varying severity of cleft lip. The high percentage of consanguinity (52%) in this study highlights the need for more targeted national campaigns involving premarital counselling in the Omani population.

Restoration-guided implant rehabilitation of the complex partial edentulism: a clinical report.

BACKGROUND: The hard and soft tissue deficiency is a limiting factor for the prosthetic restoration and any surgical attempt to correct the anatomic foundation needs to be precisely executed for optimal results. The purpose of this paper is to describe the clinical steps that are needed to confirm the treatment plan and allow its proper execution. METHODS: Team work and basic principles are emphasized in a step-by-step description of clinical methods and techniques. This clinical report describes the interdisciplinary approach in the rehabilitation of a partially edentulous patient. The importance of the transitional restoration which sets the guidelines for the proper execution of the treatment plan is especially emphasized along with all the steps that have to be followed. RESULTS: The clinical report describes the diagnostic arrangement of teeth, the ridge augmentation based on the diagnostic evaluation of the removable prosthesis, the implant placement with a surgical guide in the form of the removable partial denture duplicate and finally the special 2-piece design of the final fixed prosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical approach and prosthesis design described above offers a predictable way to restore partial edentulism with a fixed yet retrievable prosthesis, restoring soft tissue and teeth and avoiding an implant supported overdenture.

Hereditary angioedema: three cases report, members of the same family.

BACKGROUND: This current clinical case report highlights three cases of Hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients who are all members of the same family (father and his two daughters). The father has C1-INH deficiency, while his daughters have low C1-INH levels: the first possesses only 10% function and the second has low C1-INH level with 0% function. Of note, the second daughter was discovered to have HAE at the age of 2, thus making her the youngest known HAE case report in the English literature. METHODS: Assess the efficacy of administration of C1-INH before dental operation as regards the prevention of HAE episode, when total or partial C1-INH deficiency exist. RESULTS: Acute angioedema leading to laryngeal oedema is a possibly fatal complication for HAE patients undergoing dental procedures. Use of both short-term and long-term HAE prophylaxis prior to dental operations might be life saving for those patients. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention and early recognition of potential laryngeal oedema that can occur as a complication of dental procedures may be lifesaving for HAE patients.