Abdominal Visceral Injury, a Devastating Consequence of Abdominal Liposuction: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Abdominal liposuction is a commonly performed cosmetic procedure. However, as with any procedure, it can be associated with complications. One of the life-threatening complications of this procedure is visceral injury and bowel perforation. This complication is very rare, nevertheless general, and acute care surgeons must be aware of its possibility, its management, and its possible sequelae. We report a case of a 37-year-old female who underwent abdominal liposuction which was complicated by bowel perforation and was transferred to our facility for further care. She underwent an exploratory laparotomy in which multiple perforations were repaired. The patient then underwent multiple surgeries including stoma creation and had a long postoperative course. A literature review reveals the devastating sequelae of reported similar visceral and bowel injuries. The patient eventually did well and her stoma was reversed. This patient population will require close intensive care unit observation and a low threshold of suspicion for missed injuries during initial exploration. Further down the line, they will need psychosocial support and the mental health implications of this outcome must be cared for. The long-term aesthetic outcome is yet to be addressed.

Surgical Site Infection After Stoma Reversal: A Comparison Between Linear and Purse-String Closure.

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal stomas are utilized for both benign and malignant conditions of the intestine to mitigate the risk of anastomotic leakage and re-exploration. However, stomas are associated with various complications, such as stoma necrosis, peri-stomal irritation, parastomal hernia, bleeding, bowel obstruction, and electrolyte abnormalities. Surgical site infection (SSI) is a significant source of morbidity following stoma reversal, leading to increased patient morbidity. The conventional method of stoma reversal involves closing the skin with non-absorbable sutures in a linear fashion, which is known as linear skin closure (LSC). Recently, a new method of skin closure using purse-string approximation (PSA) has been advocated, which allows healing by secondary intention. The rationale for this study is to compare the SSI associated with LSC and PSA after stoma reversal. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to compare the frequency of SSI between LSC and PSA in stoma reversal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted at the Department of General Surgery, Shifa International Hospitals Ltd. (SIH), Islamabad, Pakistan. The study is a randomized controlled clinical trial carried out between the 14th of March 2021 and the 22nd of November 2022. The sampling technique was non-probability consecutive random sampling. The sample size was calculated using the WHO sample size calculator by using the hypothesis test for two population proportions. The minimum sample size in each group was 40 patients. The total sample size was 80 patients. RESULTS: The overall frequency of SSI in all the patients was 18/80 (22.5%). The frequency of SSI in Group 1 (LSC) was 6/40 (15.0%), and in Group 2 (PSA), it was 12/40 (30.0%). The frequency of SSI in Group 2 (PSA) was twice as high as in Group 1 (LSC); however, the p-value was calculated to be 0.108. Therefore, this difference was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: While PSA has exhibited promise in reducing SSI rates and enhancing aesthetic outcomes and patient satisfaction, there is still enough data favoring LSC. Moreover, insufficient data is available for our population to make a definitive statement. Consequently, further research on this topic is warranted, preferably involving larger sample sizes and multicenter randomized controlled trials, to establish which technique is superior in SSI reduction.

Spontaneously Ruptured Idiopathic Mesenteric Hematoma: A Case Report With Review of Literature.

Ruptured mesenteric hematoma is a rare entity that is not frequently reported in the literature. Spontaneous rupture of mesenteric hematoma has been vaguely described in a handful of cases. The majority of cases (unlike ours) had a reported etiology, like trauma, postoperative complications, connective tissue disease, and coagulopathy. To our knowledge, only two cases were reported for spontaneous rupture of idiopathic mesenteric hematoma. We, herein, present a 45-year-old male presented with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting associated with hypotension. His investigations, including abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan, showed a large lobulated mesenteric structure involving the small bowel mesentery, representing a mesenteric hematoma. Due to suspicion of intra-abdominal bleeding; we proceeded for exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperative findings showed a large mesenteric hematoma. The patient was stabilized after the evacuation of hematoma and no specific source of bleeding was identified. Ruptured idiopathic mesenteric hematoma is an extremely rare condition that poses a diagnostic challenge, it should be kept among deferential diagnoses, especially, in unstable patients with abdominal symptoms.

Stercoral Perforation of Sigmoid Colon in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Rare Cause of Peritonitis.

Stercoral perforation (SP) is a rare cause of peritonitis. It is caused by pressure necrosis of the colonic wall by fecaloma. SP is a lethal condition that is associated with high morbidity and mortality, therefore early diagnosis and treatment are of paramount importance. Herein, we describe a case of SP in a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient. A 44-year-old female, known case of SLE, presented with severe abdominal pain, fever, and hypotension. CT scan showed features of perforated sigmoid. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy which revealed perforation of sigmoid, fecalomas in the peritoneal cavity, and colon loaded with fecal matter. The patient underwent Hartmann's operation with successful control of her intra-abdominal sepsis. Her postoperative course was complicated by SLE flare and wound dehiscence which was probably due to long term steroid use. Even though SP is rare, it carries a worse prognosis especially if the patients are immunocompromised. The key to successfully manage such cases is early diagnosis, aggressive resuscitation, antibiotics, and prompt surgical intervention. A multidisciplinary approach is often helpful in such cases.

Idiopathic Retroperitoneal Non-pancreatic Pseudocyst in an Adult Male: Radiological Images and Surgical Video of Laparoscopic Excision.

Retroperitoneal pseudocyst (RPC) is an uncommon surgical entity. The pseudocyst is characterized by the absence of epithelial lining in the cyst wall. Mostly, it occurs as a sequela of pancreatitis. Pseudocyst due to a non-pancreatic cause, however, is very rare. We report a 49-year-old male, who presented to the emergency department with moderate intensity lower abdominal pain. Computed tomography scans revealed a huge retroperitoneal cyst which was overlying the right ureter and right iliac vessels. The patient underwent laparoscopic excision of the cyst and recovered without any complications. Histopathological examination showed a non-pancreatic RPC. In conclusion, non-pancreatic RPC is a rare surgical disease which can result in pressure symptoms depending on its location and size. In our patient, it was treated by laparoscopic excision despite its proximity to iliac vessels and ureter. A laparoscopic approach using safe surgical principles is a viable option for non-pancreatic RPC. The proximity of the lesion to the iliac vessels and the ureter can be carefully navigated safely by laparoscopy. The ureter can be confirmed by stimulating peristalsis of the duct when in doubt.

Post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy pain: effects of intraperitoneal local anesthetics on pain control--a randomized prospective double-blinded placebo-controlled trial.

Postoperative pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is generally less than open cholecystectomy; however, the postoperative shoulder and abdominal pain experienced by patients still causes preventable distress. Intraperitoneal irrigation of the diaphragmatic surface and gallbladder fossa using normal saline, bupivacaine, or lignocaine may effectively control visceral abdominal pain after an LC. Two hundred patients with similar demographics undergoing elective LC were randomized to one of four groups of 50 patients each, including Group A placebo control, Group B with isotonic saline irrigation, Group C with bupivacaine irrigation, and Group D with lignocaine irrigation. All patients received preperitoneal abdominal wall infiltration with 0.25 per cent bupivacaine to control parietal (somatic) abdominal pain. The visual analogue and verbal rating pain scores at 0, 4, 8, 12 and 24 hours for both shoulder and abdominal pain were recorded in a prospective double-blind fashion at four points during the first 24 postoperative hours. Analgesia requirements, vital signs, blood glucose, and incidence of nausea and vomiting were also recorded. Patients in each group demonstrated a significant difference in visual analogue and verbal rating pain scores and analgesic consumption when compared with controls. Lignocaine controlled pain significantly better than saline or bupivacaine. Bowel function recovery was similar in all patients, and there were no significant complications. We conclude that intraperitoneal irrigation with either saline, bupivacaine, or lignocaine can significantly reduce visceral abdominal pain after LC. Lignocaine was the most efficacious local anesthetic in this trial and has a high safety profile when used at recommended doses.