Safe and Accurate Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy for Remnant Gastric Cancer With Severe Adhesions Using Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging: Guidance in Detection of the Accurate Dissection Layer to Avoid Organ Injury.

Laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for remnant gastric cancer (RGC) requires advanced techniques due to severe postoperative adhesions and anatomic changes. We performed LTG in 2 patients with RGC using intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging. Both cases previously underwent distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I reconstruction for gastric cancer and were subsequently diagnosed with early-stage gastric cancer of the remnant stomach. Indocyanine green (2.5 mg/body) was administered intravenously during surgery. The liver and common bile duct were clearly visualized during surgery using near-infrared fluorescence laparoscopy, and the adhesions between the hepatobiliary organs and remnant stomach were safely dissected. Laparoscopic total gastrectomy was successfully performed without complications, and the postoperative course was uneventful in both cases. Intraoperative real-time ICG fluorescence imaging allows clear visualization of the liver and common bile duct and can be useful in LTG for RGC with severe adhesions.

Clinical Treatment of Perioperative Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in Patients Who Underwent Gastrointestinal and Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear how effective recombinant thrombomodulin (rTM) treatment is in disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) during the perioperative period of gastrointestinal and hepato-biliary-pancreatic surgery. The current study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic outcomes of rTM for perioperative DIC. METHODS: We enrolled 100 consecutive patients diagnosed with perioperative DIC after gastrointestinal surgery, and hepato-biliary-pancreatic including emergency procedures, between January 2012 and May 2021. Patients received routine rTM treatment immediately after DIC diagnosis. Then, the DIC, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores were calculated and used for evaluation. The outcomes of rTM treatment and the predictors of survival were evaluated. RESULTS: The causative diseases of DIC were as follows: perforated peritonitis, n = 38; intestinal ischemia, n = 23; intra-abdominal abscess, n = 13; anastomotic leakage, n = 7; pneumonia, n = 7; cholangitis, n = 4; and others, n = 6. The 30-day mortality rate was 18.0%. There were significant differences in the platelet count (13.78 vs 10.41, P = .032) and the SOFA score (5.22 vs 9.89, P<.0001) at the start of DIC treatment between the survivor and non-survivor groups (day 0). The survivor group had a significantly lower DIC score (3.13 vs 4.93, P = .0006) and SOFA score (4.94 vs 12.14, P < .0001) and a higher platelet count (13.50 vs 4.34, P < .0001) than the non-survivor group on day 3. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive and systemic treatment is fundamentally essential for DIC, in which rTM may play an important role in the treatment of perioperative DIC.

Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Image-guided Laparoscopic Hepatectomy Enabled Resection of a Tumor Invisible With Ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography (US) is widely used for pre-operative detection of liver tumors. However, US does not have high resolution and very small tumors, tumors located near the liver surface, or those in cirrhotic livers are often not detected. CASE REPORT: A 47-year-old woman with a previous surgery for sigmoid colon cancer (T3N1bM0 Stage3b) showed a liver tumor on the surface of segment 2 by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and gadoliniumethoxybenzyldiethlenetriaminepen-taacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, preoperative US could not identify a tumor lesion at the same site. The most likely preoperative diagnosis was metastasis from her sigmoid colon cancer and laparoscopic liver resection was performed. Intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) did not identify the tumor, but it was visualized with indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence at the surface of segment 2. Laparoscopic liver resection was performed under fluorescence guidance. Pathological examination showed a pseudotumor with negative margins. CONCLUSION: ICG fluorescence imaging can allow visualization of liver tumors that are undetectable on US.

Experience of the pancreas duodenectomy for so-called carcinosarcoma of the common bile duct:a case report and review of literature.

A 79-year-old man presented with malaise and jaundice at a local hospital. His blood tests showed severe inflammation, liver failure, and high expression of several tumour markers. Radiological findings revealed dilated common and intrahepatic bile ducts and a lower bile duct constricted by a soft tissue mass. Histological findings by endoscopy showed a suspected adenocarcinoma, which was determined as class IV by cytology. The patient was referred to our hospital for surgical treatment. He underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and the final diagnosis was so-called carcinosarcoma of the bile duct. He had liver metastasis and died at 26 postoperative months.

A case of ruptured right gastroepiploic aneurysm treated by transcatheter arterial embolization avoiding emergency surgery.

Gastroepiploic aneurysms are rare. We report the case of a 74-year-old man who presented with temporary loss of consciousness and abdominal pain. Computed tomography revealed a ruptured right gastroepiploic artery aneurysm. His vital signs improved after extracellular fluid infusion; hence, we performed transcatheter arterial embolization. There were no postoperative complications, and the patient was discharged on the 15th day of hospitalization. Ruptured abdominal aneurysms are often fatal and should be considered in patients with symptoms of anemia and abdominal pain. Currently, minimally invasive transcatheter arterial embolization had been designated as the preferred treatment option because of effectiveness in both diagnosis and treatment. Thus, we report a case of ruptured right gastroepiploic artery aneurysm treated by transcatheter arterial embolization, thereby preventing an emergency surgery.

A long-term survival case after surgical resection of skeletal muscle metastasis following esophagectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

Cases of skeletal muscle metastasis of esophageal carcinoma are very rare, with few reports of long-term survival. We report a case of long-term survival after surgical resection of skeletal muscle metastasis. A 56-year-old man with advanced esophageal cancer and early gastric cancer underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy, 2-field lymph node dissection, partial gastrectomy and gastric tube reconstruction. Six months later, cervical lymph node metastasis and mediastinal lymph node recurrence were found. Therefore, the patient underwent cervical lymph node dissection and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Two years and 3 months after the esophagectomy, a muscle metastasis was found in the left shoulder, and he underwent tumor dissection, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for a year. There has been no sign of recurrence since, even 13 years after the esophagectomy. We believe our aggressive surgical treatment might have led to long-term survival.

Intrathoracic Hernia after Total Gastrectomy.

Intrathoracic hernias after total gastrectomy are rare. We report the case of a 78-year-old man who underwent total gastrectomy with antecolic Roux-Y reconstruction for residual gastric cancer. He had alcoholic liver cirrhosis and received radical laparoscopic proximal gastrectomy for gastric cancer 3 years ago. Early gastric cancer in the remnant stomach was found by routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. We initially performed endoscopic submucosal dissection, but the vertical margin was positive in a pathological result. We performed total gastrectomy with antecolic Roux-Y reconstruction by laparotomy. For adhesion of the esophageal hiatus, the left chest was connected with the abdominal cavity. A pleural defect was not repaired. Two days after the operation, the patient was suspected of having intrathoracic hernia by chest X-rays. Computed tomography showed that the transverse colon and Roux limb were incarcerated in the left thoracic cavity. He was diagnosed with intrathoracic hernia, and emergency reduction and repair were performed. Operative findings showed that the Roux limb and transverse colon were incarcerated in the thoracic cavity. After reduction, the orifice of the hernia was closed by suturing the crus of the diaphragm with the ligament of the jejunum and omentum. After the second operation, he experienced anastomotic leakage and left pyothorax. Anastomotic leakage was improved with conservative therapy and he was discharged 76 days after the second operation.