Renal subcapular saline injection during percutanoues renal cryoablation to prevent bowel injury.

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the feasibility of percutaneous injection of saline in the renal subcapsular space to prevent bowel injury and histopathologic effects of bowel cryolesion during renal cryoablation in a porcine model. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Six pigs underwent percutaneous renal cryoablation with two freeze cycles in the lower pole of both kidneys. Six kidneys were injected with 10 ml saline into the renal subcapular space before cryoablation. The bowel was brought into contact with the edge of the ice ball with laparoscopic assistance during renal cryoablation, on the side with saline injection as well as on the control side. One of these animals was kept for survival follow-up and laparotomy for 7 days post cryoablation. The bowel cryolesion sites were observed and compared based on the presence or absence of renal subcapsular saline injection. RESULTS: The mean diameter of acute bowel injury with and without saline renal subcapsular injection was 7.25 +/- 1.26 and 14.5 +/- 0.58 mm, respectively. The influence of injecting a saline buffer was a significant decrease in the bowel cryolesion compared to controls (p = 0.0003). In addition, a pig kept for follow-up confirmed no bowel perforation after 7 days at a site that was cryolesioned on the side with renal subcapsular saline injection, but sustained bowel perforation in another segment lesioned by contact with a kidney without a saline injection. Gross and microscopic pathological examination was consistent with these interpretations. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results in a porcine model show that percutaneous renal subcapsular saline injection is a feasible and promising technique for preventing bowel complications of percutaneous image-guided renal cryoablation.

Total laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty: experimental technique in a porcine model

OBJECTIVE: Describe a unique simplified experimental technique for total laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty in a porcine model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty on 10 animals. The gastroepiploic arch was identified and carefully mobilized from its origin at the pylorus to the beginning of the previously demarcated gastric wedge. The gastric segment was resected with sharp dissection. Both gastric suturing and gastrovesical anastomosis were performed with absorbable running sutures. The complete procedure and stages of gastric dissection, gastric closure, and gastrovesical anastomosis were separately timed for each laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty. The end-result of the gastric suturing and the bladder augmentation were evaluated by fluoroscopy or endoscopy. RESULTS: Mean total operative time was 5.2 (range 3.5 - 8) hours: 84.5 (range 62 - 110) minutes for the gastric dissection, 56 (range 28 - 80) minutes for the gastric suturing, and 170.6 (range 70 to 200) minutes for the gastrovesical anastomosis. A cystogram showed a small leakage from the vesical anastomosis in the first two cases. No extravasation from gastric closure was observed in the postoperative gastrogram. CONCLUSIONS: Total laparoscopic gastrocystoplasty is a feasible but complex procedure that currently has limited clinical application. With the increasing use of laparoscopy in reconstructive surgery of the lower urinary tract, gastrocystoplasty may become an attractive option because of its potential advantages over techniques using small and large bowel segments.

Laparoscopic-assisted nephroureterectomy after radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience with laparoscopic-assisted nephroureterectomy for upper tract transitional cell carcinomas after radical cystectomy and urinary diversion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven patients (53-72 years-old) underwent laparoscopic-assisted nephroureterectomy 10 to 53 months after radical cystectomy for transitional cell carcinoma at our institution. Surgical technique, operative results, tumor features, and outcomes of all patients were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Mean operative time was 305 minutes with a significant amount of time spent on the excision of the ureter from the urinary diversion. Estimate blood loss and length of hospital stay averaged 180 mL and 10.8 days, respectively. Intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in two patients each. There was one conversion to open surgery. Pathology confirmed upper-tract transitional cell carcinoma in all cases. Metastatic disease occurred in two patients after a mean follow-up of 14.6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Nephrouretectomy following cystectomy is a complex procedure due to the altered anatomy and the presence of many adhesions. A laparoscopic-assisted approach can be performed safely in properly selected cases but does not yield the usual benefits seen with other laparoscopic renal procedures.

Refining the laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer

Since its initial description, the laparoscopic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection has evolved considerably, from a purely diagnostic tool performed to stage germ cell testicular cancer to a therapeutic operation that fully duplicates the open technique. Herein, we describe the current technique employed at our institution, along with illustrations of all surgical steps, and delineate the refinements of the technique over time.