Most cited 100 articles from Turkey on abdominal wall hernias: a bibliometric study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to search the most-cited articles from Turkey on abdominal wall hernias and analyze their characteristics with several parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In March 2019, a search was conducted through all databases in the Web of Science (WoS) to determine the most-cited articles on abdominal wall hernias. Each article was evaluated in regard to host journal, year of publication, the complete list of authors, the type of article, main subject of the study, institution of the study group. Citation counts in Google Scholar (GSch) were also obtained. RESULTS: Mean number of citations of the top 100 articles in herniology was 30.50. Articles were published in 38 journals; Hernia is the leading host. No correlation was observed between the journal impact factors and the number of the citations. Two thirds of the articles were clinical studies. Article types had no significant effect on the citation counts. Inguinal hernia was the most frequent topic by taking place in 58 papers. Articles related to incisional hernias had a higher mean number of citations in comparison with other topics. Ankara University School of Medicine had most cited articles, the highest number of total citations, and the highest citation per articles. Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital and Istanbul University School of Medicine had the highest number of the articles in the list. CONCLUSION: Citation counts of hernia related articles from Turkey are relatively low. Hernia is the leading journal for Turkish studies. Inguinal hernia is the most frequent topic whereas papers about incisional hernias receive more citations than others.

Hernia and Cancer: The Points Where the Roads Intersect.

Introduction: This review aimed to present common points, intersections, and potential interactions or mutual effects for hernia and cancer. Besides direct relationships, indirect connections, and possible involvements were searched. Materials and Methods: A literature search of PubMed database was performed in July 2018 as well as a search of relevant journals and reference lists. The total number of screened articles was 1,422. Some articles were found in multiple different searches. A last PubMed search was performed during manuscript writing in December 2018 to update the knowledge. Eventually 427 articles with full text were evaluated, and 264 included, in this review. Results: There is no real evidence for a possible common etiology for abdominal wall hernias and any cancer type. The two different diseases had been found to have some common points in the studies on genes, integrins, and biomarkers, however, to date no meaningful relationship has been identified between these points. There is also some, albeit rather conflicting, evidence for inguinal hernia being a possible risk factor for testicular cancer. Neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapeutic modalities like chemotherapy and radiotherapy may cause postoperative herniation with their adverse effects on tissue repair. Certain specific substances like bevacizumab may cause more serious complications and interfere with hernia repair. There are only two articles in PubMed directly related to the topic of "hernia and cancer." In one of these the authors claimed that there was no association between cancer development and hernia repair with mesh. The other article reported two cases of squamous-cell carcinoma developed secondary to longstanding mesh infections. Conclusion: As expected, the relationship between abdominal wall hernias and cancer is weak. Hernia repair with mesh does not cause cancer, there is only one case report on cancer development following a longstanding prosthetic material infections. However, there are some intersection points between these two disease groups which are worthy of research in the future.

Comments on the new groin hernia guidelines: What has changed? What has remained unanswered?

Guidelines are meant to evaluate the options available in the current circumstances and suggest the proper solutions for particular problems. The duty of a guideline is to present a basis for decision-making. Surgical options for the treatment of groin hernias are numerous. Recently, a joint guideline called "International Guidelines for Groin Hernia Management" was developed by five continental hernia societies, the International Endo hernia Society, and the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery. This article aimed to review the methodology, statements, and recommendations of the new guidelines and emphasized the importance of the tailored surgery for groin hernias. Spreading the guidelines may provide surgeons with an up-to-date knowledge and be useful for better outcomes in groin hernia surgery.

Umbilical Hernia Repair and Pregnancy: Before, during, after .

Umbilical hernias are most common in women than men. Pregnancy may cause herniation or render a preexisting one apparent, because of progressively raised intra-abdominal pressure. The incidence of umbilical hernia among pregnancies is 0.08%. Surgical algorithm for a pregnant woman with a hernia is not thoroughly clear. There is no consensus about the timing of surgery for an umbilical hernia in a woman either who is already pregnant or planning a pregnancy. If the hernia is incarcerated or strangulated at the time of diagnosis, an emergency repair is inevitable. If the hernia is not complicated, but symptomatic an elective repair should be proposed. When the patient has a small and asymptomatic hernia it may be better to postpone the repair until she gives birth. If the hernia is repaired by suture alone, a high risk of recurrence exists during pregnancy. Umbilical hernia repair during pregnancy can be performed with minimal morbidity to the mother and baby. Second trimester is a proper timing for surgery. Asymptomatic hernias can be repaired, following childbirth or at the time of cesarean section (C-section). Elective repair after childbirth is possible as early as postpartum of eighth week. A 1-year interval can give the patient a very smooth convalescence, including hormonal stabilization and return to normal body weight. Moreover, surgery can be postponed for a longer time even after another pregnancy, if the patients would like to have more children. Diastasis recti are very frequent in pregnancy. It may persist in postpartum period. A high recurrence risk is expected in patients with rectus diastasis. This risk is especially high after suture repairs. Mesh repairs should be considered in this situation.

An evaluation of treatment results of emergency versus elective surgery in colorectal cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer is still one of the most common causes of cancer related deaths in the world despite improvements in diagnosis and treatment modalities, and application of community-based screening methods. Symptoms of colorectal cancer are non-specific and usually manifest following local progression. A number of patients with advanced stage colorectal cancer present to emergency departments with obstruction as the first sign of disease without any previous symptoms. This presentation is an indication for emergency surgery that has a high rate of morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to determine the factors associated with early diagnosis and survival by comparing postoperative results of colorectal cancer patients who underwent surgery under emergency or elective situation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Files of colorectal patients treated between 2009-2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Data on patient age, gender, operation type, intraoperative results, length of hospital stay, co-morbidities, postoperative complications and pathological results were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between groups in terms of age, gender, and pathology results (p>0.05). The difference between groups in terms of postoperative length of hospital stay, presence of co-morbid diseases, pathological stage, and postoperative complications was statistically significant (p<0.05). Length of hospital stay, advanced stage on admission, complications such as surgical site infection, evisceration, and anastomosis leakage rates were higher in patients in the emergency surgery group. CONCLUSION: Risk groups should be determined in order to diagnose colorectal cancer patients at an early stage while they are still asymptomatic, and this information should be incorporated into effective screening programs. This approach will be beneficial to treatment outcomes, complication rates, length of hospital stay, and survival and treatment results.

Tizanidine for the management of acute postoperative pain after inguinal hernia repair: A placebo-controlled double-blind trial.

BACKGROUND: α2-Agonists are used postoperatively as a component of multimodal analgesia. Tizanidine is a centrally acting α2-agonist with muscle relaxant properties. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of tizanidine with placebo in terms of postoperative pain scores, analgesic consumption, return to daily activity and health-related quality of life. DESIGN: A randomised double-blind study. SETTING: Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital. INTERVENTIONS: After obtaining ethical approval and informed patient consent, 60 patients undergoing inguinal hernia repair under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated into one of the two groups. The patients in Group T received tizanidine 4 mg orally 1 h before surgery and twice daily during the first postoperative week. The patients in Group P received the same treatment with a placebo pill. Both the groups received a standard analgesic treatment regimen comprising intravenous dexketoprofen 25 mg prior to induction of anaesthesia, dexketoprofen 25 mg orally three times daily for 1 week and intravenous paracetamol 1 g at the end of surgery. Supplemental analgesia was provided with paracetamol if the visual numerical rating scale (NRS) was at least 4 cm. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postoperative pain was assessed using the NRS. Total analgesic consumption was determined. Return to normal daily activity was evaluated using a five-point daily activity score after the first postoperative week, and health-related quality of life was evaluated using the short form-36 one month after surgery. RESULTS: The patients in Group T had significantly lower NRS pain scores than those in Group P 6, 12 and 24 h postoperatively both at rest and during movement (P < 0.001), and on postoperative days 1, 2, 3 and 4. The analgesic consumption was also lower in patients who received tizanidine. Ten patients (33%) in Group T and 23 patients (77%) in Group P consumed supplemental paracetamol (P < 0.001) after discharge. The daily activity score was lower in Group T than in Group P (P < 0.001), and the short form-36 scores were significantly different in the pain dimension [74 (74 to 100) in Group T and 74 (31 to 80) in Group P, (P < 0.001)] and in the physical component summary score. CONCLUSION: The addition of tizanidine to the postoperative pain therapy after herniorrhaphy decreased postoperative pain and analgesic consumption and improved return to normal activity and quality of life. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02016443 (10 October 2013, Principal investigator D. Yazicioglu).

Current options in umbilical hernia repair in adult patients.

Umbilical hernia is a rather common surgical problem. Elective repair after diagnosis is advised. Suture repairs have high recurrence rates; therefore, mesh reinforcement is recommended. Mesh can be placed through either an open or laparoscopic approach with good clinical results. Standard polypropylene mesh is suitable for the open onlay technique; however, composite meshes are required for laparoscopic repairs. Large seromas and surgical site infection are rather common complications that may result in recurrence. Obesity, ascites, and excessive weight gain following repair are obviously potential risk factors. Moreover, smoking may create a risk for recurrence.

[The effect of clinical, laboratory and radiologic results on treatment decision and surgical results in patients admitted to the emergency department with blunt abdominal trauma due to traffic accident]. / Acil servise trafik kazasina bagli künt abdominal travma ile basvuran hastalarda klinik degerlendirme, laboratuvar parametreleri ve radyolojik sonuçlarin tedavi kararina ve cerrahi sonuçlarina etkisi.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of clinical, laboratory and radiological results on treatment decision and surgical results in patients with blunt abdominal trauma, who were admitted to the emergency department due to traffic accident. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-two patients with blunt abdominal trauma were included into this retrospective study. Pearson chi square, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression methods were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: All patients were analyzed by complete blood count and biochemistry and abdominal sonography. Eighty-two patients were also evaluated by CT. Twenty-three patients underwent surgery. Positive findings on physical examination, sonography and CT, increased white blood cell count and liver function tests, decreased hemoglobin were associated with the need for surgery. DISCUSSION: For the surgical evaluation of patients with blunt abdominal trauma, a reliable physical examination is not possible when the patients have concomitant injuries causing disturbing pain, or when the patients are unconscious. Laboratory tests should be interpreted with the clinical and radiologic analysis. Radiologic procedures play an important role in the management of patients with blunt abdominal trauma, especially for intubated patients.

Current Status of Hernia Centres Around the Globe.

Institutions specifically dedicated to treatment of abdominal wall hernias have gained popularity over the last years. This study aimed to determine the current situation of hernia centres worldwide. A web-based search was conducted using the common search engines Google and PubMed. The details recorded were as follows: name of the centre, country, establishment year, administrative structure (hospital affiliated, private practice group, or independent solo practice), whether or not the centre has its own operation room, the number of employed surgeons, preferred anaesthesia type, preferred repair type, laparoscopic technique option, case volume per year, and the number of scientific publications. A total of 182 centres were found in 30 different countries. Eighty-one (44.5 %) centres provide services as part of an affiliation within a general hospital (18 in university hospitals). Only 28 (15.5 %) of the centres have published a paper on abdominal wall hernias indexed by PubMed. The total number of papers in PubMed by 182 centres is 354. We observed that clinical outcomes in hernia centres are not shared globally by publishing them in scientific journals, and whether specific hernia surgeons and centres provide better outcomes in treating abdominal wall hernias, compared to general surgeons who deal with all kinds of surgical procedures, remains unclear.

Are fibrinogen and complete blood count parameters predictive in incarcerated abdominal hernia repair?

Therapeutic delays in cases of external incarcerated hernias typically result in increasing morbidity, mortality, and health expenditures. We investigated the diagnostic role of blood fibrinogen level, white blood count (WBC), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) in patients with incarcerated hernia. Two groups, each containing 100 patients, were studied. Group A underwent elective, and group B underwent incarcerated and urgent external hernia repair. We observed high fibrinogen and WBC levels but low MPV and PDW values for patients in group B. Contrary to our expectations, we found lower MPV and PDW values in the complicated group than in the elective group. The morbidity rate and cost burden were higher in group B, and the results were statistically significant. Early operation should be recommended for patients with incarcerated external hernias if their fibrinogen and WBC levels are high.

The effect of relaparotomy timing on wound healing in an animal model.

BACKGROUND: The effect of the timing of the second laparotomy on wound healing is not clear. In an experimental study in rats, we aimed to investigate the effect of timing on wound healing after reoperations on the same surgical site. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-eight rats were divided into four groups. The control group (GC) didn't have another laparotomy whereas the relaparotomies on the same surgical site were performed either on the 3rd, 15th or the 30th postoperative days in the three study groups (G3, G15, G30 respectively). The midline tension pressure, collagen types I, III and, histological analysis were performed from the specimens in order to assess the wound healing and strength. RESULTS: The tensile strength was the highest in GC and decreased gradually in G3, G15 and G30, the difference between the groups did not reach statistical significance. Higher collagen levels, increased fibrosis, and large defects were observed in relaparotomy groups than CG. The musculoaponeurotic gap was shortest in GC when compared to other three relaparotomy groups (P < 0.001) and, it was the longest in G30 (P = 0.004 between G3 and G30). CONCLUSIONS: Although non-statistically significant the gradual decrease in the tensile strength and the statistically significant increase in the musculoaponeurotic gap with time point out the importance of the timing of relaparotomy in the healing process. Early relaparotomies do not disrupt the healing process as much as relaparotomy performed later.

Changes in the frequencies of abdominal wall hernias and the preferences for their repair: a multicenter national study from Turkey.

Abdominal wall hernias are a common problem in the general population. A Western estimate reveals that the lifetime risk of developing a hernia is about 2%. As a result, hernia repairs likely comprise the most frequent general surgery operations. More than 20 million hernias are estimated to be repaired every year around the world. Numerous repair techniques have been described to date however tension-free mesh repairs are widely used today because of their low hernia recurrence rates. Nevertheless, there are some ongoing debates regarding the ideal approach (open or laparoscopic), the ideal anesthesia (general, local, or regional), and the ideal mesh (standard polypropylene or newer meshes).

Mini-mesh repair for femoral hernia.

INTRODUCTION: Femoral hernia consists only 4% of all primary groin hernias. It is described as "the Bête Noire of Hernias" because of its nature and anatomy which is difficult to understand for the surgeons and tendency to recurrence. Although there is some large series of femoral hernia in the literature, few studies prospectively comparing repair techniques especially for this type of hernia has been published. A new technique named mini-mesh repair is described here. PRESENTATION OF CASE: After hernia sac is dissected completely and sent back into the preperitoneal space, femoral canal is exposed. A round or oval shaped patch is prepared in 1.5-2.5cm in diameter according to the size of the femoral canal. Mesh is secured to the Cooper's ligament with 2/0 polypropylene suture. Eight femoral hernias in 8 patients were repaired with this new technique. Patient satisfaction is very good. One seroma and one limited ecchymosis were recorded. No recurrence was observed in a mean follow-up of 22.4 months. No chronic pain was recorded. DISCUSSION: Many techniques for femoral hernia repair have been described to date with a variety of clinical outcomes. Each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. Mesh repairs without tension seems to be better choices. When the transversalis fascia is healthy and strong in a patient with femoral hernia a large piece of mesh may be unnecessary. The simple technique described in this paper can be a good alternative. It is totally problem-oriented, and the burden of prosthetic material is very limited. CONCLUSION: Mini mesh repair may be a good solution for selected patients with femoral hernia.

Hernia, mesh, and topical antibiotics, especially gentamycin: seeking the evidence for the perfect outcome .

Inguinal hernia repair is a clean surgical procedure and surgical site infection (SSI) rate is generally below 2%. Antibiotic prophylaxis is not routinely recommended, but it may be a good choice for institutions with high rates of wound infection (>5%). Typical prophylaxis is the intravenous application of first or second-generation cephalosporins before the skin incision. However, SSI rate remains more than 2% in many centers in spite of intravenous antibiotic prophylaxis. Even a 1% SSI rate may be unacceptable for the surgeons who specifically deal with hernia surgery. A hernia center targets to be a center of excellence not only in respect of recurrence rate but also for other postoperative outcomes, therefore a further measure is required for an excellent result regarding infection control. Topical gentamycin application in combination with preoperative single-dose intravenous antibiotic may be a useful to obtain this perfect outcome. Data about this subject are not complete and high-grade evidence has not been cumulated yet. Prospective randomized controlled trials can make our knowledge more solid about this subject and help the surgeons who seek perfect outcome regarding infection control in inguinal hernia surgery.

Factors affecting the safety of drains and catheters in surgical patients.

OBJECTIVE: Drains and catheters are used for both prophylactic and therapeutic reasons in clinical practice. This study aimed to investigate the factors that affect safety of drains, catheters, nasogastric tube and central venous line in patients who underwent surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and four consecutive patients who were operated at the general surgery clinics under general anesthesia were included in the study. Factors that affect the safety of drains and catheter were followed and recorded prospectively. RESULTS: During follow-up period, 12 (5.8%) patients have experienced problems regarding safety of drains/catheters. The mean age of patients who were followed-up in terms of security problems was 63.1 (39-86) years. Eight (66.7%) patients had been operated emergently, and four (33.3%) patients electively. Three (25%) patients had psychiatric/neurological co-morbidities and 3 (25%) patients were confused due to anesthesia/intensive care unit treatment when the drain safety was broken. Eight (66.7%) patients withdrew the drains or catheters by themselves, in 2 (16.7%) patients the drains spontaneously came out and in 2 (16.7%) patients the wrong drain was withdrawn. One patient had dementia, one patient had Alzheimer's disease and one patient was being followed-up with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. In three (25%) patients the abdominal drain, in four (33.3%) patients nasogastric tube, in one (8.3%) patient intubation tube, in one (8.3%) patient central venous catheter, and in three (25%) patients multiple drains were removed. CONCLUSION: The inaccurate use of drains or re-intervention for an unintentionally removed drain causes problems regarding patient safety. Close monitoring of surgical patients in terms of security, and submission of additional measures for patients with confusion and neurological/psychiatric disorders are of great importance.

The learning curve of real time elastosonography: a preliminary study conducted for the assessment of malignancy risk in thyroid nodules.

BACKGROUND: Malignancy is correlated with stiffness which is assessed by real time elastosonography (RTE). RTE is not used in routine practice. We aimed to establish the learning curve of RTE on radiology residents. METHODS: Forty >/=1 cm solitary thyroid nodules referred to fine needle aspiration cytology were examined with RTE by a radiology specialist and two radiology residents separately. Patients with malignant and undetermined FNAC findings underwent surgery. Strain ratio and elasticity score results of the radiology residents were compared to the results of the radiology specialist taking the histopathology results as the reference. To establish the learning curve and compare the diagnostic accuracy of residents, Receiver Operating Characteric curves were generated and Area Under the Curve were calculated. RESULTS: Thirty-four nodules were benign and the others were malignant. The radiology specialist had a very high correct class prediction for the differentiation of benign versus malignant thyroid nodules. Statistical analysis of the strain ratio measurements showed that one of the residents had similar results with the radiology specialist after the seventh patient and the other one after the fourth patient. On the other hand the elasticity score measurements of all examiners had low correct class prediction. CONCLUSÝONS: Strain ratio measurement by RTE is an easily learned sonographic method that can assist in the evaluation of benign versus malignant nature of the lesions. However, interpretation of the elasticity scores requires more expertise. The results of this preliminary study need to be verified with a larger sample population.

Knowledge and awareness of auxiliary health personnel about colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. On the other hand, it is one of the most preventable cancers. There are effective treatment choices only if it is diagnosed at an early stage. Therefore, the screening programs are essential and the role of auxiliary health personnel is pivotal. Our study aimed to evaluate the awareness and knowledge of nurses on this subject. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prepared a questionnaire for 100 participants. The questionnaire contained ten questions about the disease. The participants were chosen from big hospitals where high percentages of this disease are observed. We achieved 100 percent attendance to our survey. All of the questionnaires were completed by the planned study population and evaluated. RESULTS: There were satisfactory answers about the definition of colorectal cancer, incidence rate, general sign, symptoms, and prevention. The true answer rate was at least 69% for these questions. All participants had enough knowledge about what the colonoscopy procedure is, however, 25% had misinformation about haemorrhoidal disease. A quarter of the study population had no satisfactory knowledge about early diagnosis and screening. CONCLUSIONS: Since early diagnosis is very important for colorectal cancer survival rates, screening tests are vital. There are no established screening programs in Turkey. Turkey has to establish and implement these sorts of programs. Certainly, regular screening programs provide public awareness, help prevent colorectal cancer and reduce the mortality rates. We found some knowledge deficiency among auxiliary healthcare personnel about potential causes of colorectal cancer, early diagnosis, and screening. They must be trained and empowered to take active roles in screening programs.

A rare but distinctive cause of acute abdomen: appendiceal diverticulitis.

BACKGROUND: Diverticulosis and diverticulitis of appendix vermiformis is a rare diagnosis. Clinical and laboratory examinations do not show a difference between a progressing diverticulitis and simplex appendicitis. But this entity has a higher mortality rate than common appendicitis. OBJECTIVE: This case is presented to illustrate the point that preoperative simple diagnosis of acute appendicitis according to the clinical signs and physical examination may not only be insufficient, but could be fatal in certain circumstances, like appendiceal diverticulitis, if surgical intervention is delayed. CASE REPORT: Here we present a female patient with a history of right lower abdominal pain and fever of 3 days duration. She was diagnosed with acute appendicitis according to the preoperative physical, laboratory, and imaging examinations. The appendiceal diverticulitis accompanying acute appendicitis was an intraoperative finding, which was proven by histopathologic examination. CONCLUSION: It is not easy to document this entity preoperatively. When diagnosed either preoperatively by imaging studies or intraoperatively, the only choice is appendectomy to prevent its serious complications.

Emergency surgery due to go-kart injuries: report of two consecutive cases.

Injury due to go-karting accidents is a new kind of surgical emergency in Turkey and may show variations between patients. There are special details as relate to the design of the vehicles and patient characteristics. We report two seriously injured patients as a result of two different go-kart accidents. Severe intraabdominal hemorrhage due to liver laceration was seen in one patient and mesenteric intestinal avulsion in the other. Both patients were treated surgically and discharged uneventfully.