Safety of elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients on dialysis: an analysis of the ACS NSQIP database.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) remains one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures. The safety of LC in patients with renal disease is unclear. The postoperative outcomes of elective LC in patients on dialysis were studied and risk factors associated with longer length of stay and mortality were sought. METHODS: Patients who underwent LC between the dates of 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2010 at all hospitals in North America participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project were reviewed. Data from 80,995 patients were collected, and the patients on dialysis (N = 512) were separated and compared with those of patients not on dialysis (N = 80,483). RESULTS: Postoperative complications for patients on and not on dialysis, respectively, included mortality (4.1 vs. 0.2%, p < 0.001), myocardial infarction (0.8 vs. 0.1%, p = 0.002), pneumonia (2.3 vs. 0.4%, p < 0.001), sepsis (3.1 vs. 0.4%, p < 0.001), and return to operating room (4.3 vs. 1.0%, p < 0.001). In patients on dialysis, multivariate analysis was used to identify risk factors, including congestive heart failure and prior cardiac surgery as significant independent predictors of longer length of stay and mortality. CONCLUSION: Patients on dialysis who undergo LC should be carefully selected due to the significantly higher complication and mortality rate. Several predictors of longer length of stay and mortality were identified that can determine which patients on dialysis are good candidates for LC.

Minimally invasive surgery for splenic malignancies.

While minimally invasive surgery, i.e. laparoscopy, has become well-accepted in the treatment algorithm for malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract and gynecologic tumors, the role of laparoscopy for malignancies involving the spleen is less clear. Initially described in 1992 for benign hematologic disease, laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) for splenic malignancy was avoided secondary to the severe hematologic disease, profound cytopenia, and massive splenomegaly frequently seen in these patients. As experience with LS grew and larger data were generated, it became clear that hematologic malignancy and splenomegaly could be safely managed laparoscopically. In experienced hands, LS can be used for the diagnosis and treatment of both lymphoproliferative and myeloproliferative disorders affecting spleen, in addition to splenic tumors of both primary and metastatic origin. LS can be performed from a lateral or anterior approach, and hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy can provide significant benefit in cases of massive splenomegaly. Preoperative imaging for accurate splenic measurement is invaluable to guide surgical planning. Triple vaccination should be given to all patients prior to surgery, and splenic artery embolization before surgery should be considered in patients with massive splenomegaly to reduce intraoperative bleeding. LS can be performed safely for nearly all cases of malignancy involving the spleen, and potentially offers significant advantages of decreased pain and recovery time while maintaining equivalent complications and survival compared to open splenectomy.

Laparoscopic management of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

BACKGROUND: Surgery remains the standard for nonmetastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Laparoscopic surgery should be considered for these tumors as their biologic behavior lends them to curative resection without requiring large margins or extensive lymphadenectomies. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent laparoscopic treatment of GISTs by surgeons at the Mount Sinai Medical Center from 2000-2005. Records were reviewed with respect to patient demographics, medical history, diagnostic workup, operative details, postoperative course, and pathologic characteristics. RESULTS: Laparoscopic surgery was attempted in 43 patients with GISTs. The average age was 65 years and 21 were women. Fifty-six percent of patients presented with anemia or gastrointestinal bleeding. The tumors were located in the stomach (65%) and in the small bowel (35%). The mean tumor sizes were 4.6 cm (stomach) and 3.7 cm (small bowel). Gastric operations included laparoscopic wedge (29%), sleeve (21%), and partial (29%) gastrectomies. The three gastric conversions were due to local invasion of tumor into adjacent organs or proximity to the gastroesophageal junction. Small bowel operations included laparoscopic resections with extracorporeal (47%) and intracorporeal anastamoses (33%). Conversion in small bowel operations was associated with coincidental pathology in addition to the GIST. This consisted of an associated bowel perforation and a synchronous colonic carcinoma. There was one mortality and a 9% morbidity rate, including an evisceration requiring reoperation. All tumors were pathologically confirmed with CD117 immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: In light of their biologic behavior, GISTs should be considered for laparoscopic resection. This minimally invasive approach to these tumors can be performed safely and reliably.