Application of Polydioxanone Sutures in the Nuss Procedure.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The Nuss procedure is the most common surgical repair for pectus excavatum (PE). Surgical steel wires are used in some modifications of the Nuss procedure to attach one or both ends of a support bar to the ribs. During follow-up, wire breakage was found in some cases. Patients with wire breakage may undergo prolonged bar removal surgery and may be exposed to excessive radiation.In this study, we had a series of patients who received polydioxanone suture (PDS) fixations instead of steel wires. This retrospective study was conducted to explore the differences between these two fixation materials in the incidence of related complications and efficacies. Furthermore, we attempted to observe whether the two materials lead to similar surgical efficacy in the Nuss procedure, whether they have divergent effects on the bar removal surgery, and whether PDS can reduce the risks due to steel wire breakage as expected. METHODS: We retrospectively studied PDS and surgical steel wires as fixation materials for the Nuss procedure in children with congenital PE and reviewed the outcomes and complications. A total of 75 children who had undergone Nuss procedure repairs and bar removals from January 2013 to December 2019 were recruited to participate in this study. They were divided into three groups: the PDS group, the unbroken wire (UBW) group, and the broken wire (BW) group, according to the fixation materials and whether the wires had broken or not. Moreover, we selected the duration of operation (DO), intraoperative blood loss (BL), bar displacement (BD), postoperative pain score (PPS), and incision infection as the risk indicators and the postrepair Haller index (HI) as the effectiveness indicator. These indicators were statistically compared to determine whether there were differences among the three groups. RESULTS: One BD occurred in the PDS and BW groups while none took place in the UBW group. No incision infection was found in any of the groups. The PDS group had the shortest DO, while the DO in the UBW group was shorter than that in the BW group (p < 0.05). BL in the PDS group was less than that in the other two groups (p < 0.05). Additionally, no difference was observed in BL between the BW and UBW groups (p > 0.05). The PPS of the PDS group was less than that of the BW group (p < 0.05), whereas no differences were found between the other two groups. No statistical difference emerged in HI among the groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: PDS fixation results in a similar repair outcome and shows certain advantages in the DO, BL, and PPS; also, PDSs are safe and effective in the Nuss procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Primary Yolk Sac Tumor in the Cerebellar Hemisphere: A Case Report and Literature Review of the Rare Tumor.

Yolk sac tumor (YST) is one of rare malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs). Primary intracranial YST, also endodermal sinus tumor (EST), is a quite rare type of brain tumor. Here, we report a case of YST, review the relevant literature, and propose a treatment strategy for this rare tumor. A 6-year-old boy initially manifested symptoms of dizziness and vomiting. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a large irregular oval tumor in the cerebellar hemisphere. We subtotally removed the tumor by microsurgery through the left suboccipital approach. Immunohistochemical staining showed that alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was positive and the Ki-67 proliferation index was high (60%), suggesting a germ cell tumor. After 3 months of follow-up, neither recurrence of tumor nor complications were found in the patient. The diagnosis of YST should be confirmed on the basis of clinical manifestations, neuroimaging and pathological findings. Gross total resection (GTR) is an ideal treatment for YST. However, due to the location of the tumor, GTR is usually difficult, and the rate of postoperative complications is high. This reported case shows that subtotal resection can be a good treatment strategy for YST.

A new type of forceps for stabilizer removal after NUSS procedure.

This paper describes the design and application of a new type of forceps for stabilizer removal after NUSS procedure. The forceps are made up of two strips of streamline forceps, which is composed of forceps handle and forceps head. One forceps head was designed as "Y" shaped, with an "L" shaped convex teeth set on each tip. It protrudes a small cylinder on the end platform of the other forceps head. Compared to the traditional operation method, with utilization of the forceps for stabilizer removal, it is expected that the operation time will be shortened and the bleeding will be reduced. The clinical application showed a good value of using the forceps in stabilizer removal after NUSS procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.