Fluorescence angiography during transanal trans-stomal proctectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis: a video vignette.

Indocanine green (ICG) fluorescence is able to assess in vivo tissue perfusion. This technique has been validated in colorectal surgery and provides, by real time angiography, the evaluation of bowel perfusion before anastomosis[1]. This video shows the usefulness of ICG fluorescence application in ileal pouch anal surgery. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Single access cholecystectomy using standard laparoscopic instruments.

The aim of this study was to verify feasibility and safety of single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy using conventional surgical instruments. Twenty patients underwent single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Indications for cholecystectomy were symptomatic cholelithiasis. Operative time, postoperative length of stay, intraoperative and postoperative complications, postoperative pain (by visual analogue scale), and patient cosmetic satisfaction were considered. All 20 procedures were successfully concluded without additional skin incisions. The mean operative time was 69 ± 16 min with a trend toward a reduction in operating time with increasing surgical experience. Intraoperative bile leakages for gallbladder rupture were observed in only three cases. No postoperative complications were recorded. The median pain scale value was 3 and the median value of cosmetic satisfaction was 3. The mean postoperative length of stay was 1.3 ± 0.9 days. Single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy with conventional surgical instruments is a feasible and safe procedure, but additional studies in larger series are needed to confirm our results.

Single incision laparoscopic right colectomy.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to describe the surgical technique for single-incision laparoscopic right colectomy and present preliminary short-term results. Laparoscopic surgery has been fully validated as alternative, minimally invasive treatment for different benign and malignant conditions. In the attempt to reduce even more the surgical trauma, natural orifices transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES™) and single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) have been proposed. Although the lack of proper instrumentations makes NOTES™ not fully suitable for advanced procedures, SILS might play a significant role, although, to date, only limited series and few case reports of single-incision right colectomy are present in the literature. METHODS: After signed, informed consent was obtained, patients with malignant tumors or large polyps of the right colon underwent single-incision colonic resection through a 3-cm incision using two different single-port devices and articulated or coaxial curved instruments. Preliminary results were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients were selected for SILS procedure. There were no intraoperative complications or conversions to the standard laparoscopic procedure. One patient had a postoperative urinary tract infection and one prolonged ileum that did not required any surgical intervention. No complications were reported in all the remaining cases. The mean postoperative stay was 5 ± 1.2 days (range, 4-14), and mean lymph node retrieval and tumor-free margins was 24 ± 7 (range, 29-15) and 8 ± 3 (range, 6-12) cm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results show that single-incision laparoscopic right colectomies are feasible and safe from the oncological point of view; nevertheless larger, randomized experiences are needed to demonstrate the benefits of SILS compared with standard laparoscopic resections.

Technological advances in minimally invasive surgery.

Advances in technology continue at a rapid pace affecting several aspects of life; medicine is no exception. Minimally invasive surgery is, by its nature, a highly technological specialty of surgical practice. The development of new instruments and new technologies during the last few years have allowed complex procedures that were previously considered unsuitable for minimally invasive surgery. The aim of this article is to review some of these advances and the impact they are having on the managements of different surgical problems.