Biliary Complications in Living Liver Donors After Donor Hepatectomy: A Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVES: The most frequent postoperative morbidity following living donor liver transplant is biliary complications, which can happen for both anatomical and procedural reasons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 104 patients who were living liver donors undergoing hepatectomy from January 2011 to April 2022. We evaluated all perioperative finding such as age, sex, remnant liver volume, biliary anatomy, theduration of operation time and hospitalization, and blood loss. RESULTS: Clavien-Dindo classification grade III complications were observed in 24% of all donors, with rate of biliary complications of 7.6% (n = 8). All biliary complications were typified as biliary leakage, and an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedure was performed for 5 patients. We analyzed the clinical and surgical features and discovered that the duration of hospitalization was longer in the biliary leakage group than the group without leakage (15.7 ± 5.8 days vs. 30.8 ± 9.3 days, respectively; P < .08). There was no significant statistical relationship between age, the duration of operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and remnant liver volume versus biliary leakage (P = .074, P = .217, P = .219, and P = .363, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Early detection and treatment of complications are ensured during the perioperative process by carefuldonor selection andaccurate identification of the patient atrisk for biliary complications.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Followed by Cytoreductive Surgery and HIPEC Improves Survival in Peritoneal Metastatic Gastric Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the difference in overall survival (OS) between peritoneal metastatic gastric cancer (PMGC) patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by cytoreductive surgery ± hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS ± HIPEC) and those who did not have surgery but instead received palliative chemotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective study included 80 patients who were followed up with the diagnosis of PMGC, those undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by CRS ± HIPEC (CRS ± HIPEC group) and those receiving chemotherapy only (non-surgical group), in the medical oncology clinic between April 2011 and December 2021. Clinicopathological features, treatments, and OS of the patients were compared. RESULTS: There were 32 patients in the SRC CRS ± HIPEC group and 48 in the non-surgical group. In the CRS ± HIPEC group, CRS + HIPEC was performed on 20 patients, and only CRS was performed on 12 patients. All of the patients who underwent CRS + HIPEC, and 5 of the patients who underwent only CRS received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. While the median OS was 19.7 (15.5-23.8) months in the CRS ± HIPEC group, the median OS was 6.8 (3.5-10.2) months in the non-surgical group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: As a result, CRS + HIPEC significantly improves survival in PMGC patients. With experienced surgical centres and appropriate patient selection, the life expectancy of patients with PM can be extended.

Minimally Invasive Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Similar Morbidity and No Mortality in the Learning Period.

Objectives: Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is one of the most challenging operations in gastrointestinal system due to the difficulty of dissection areas and the need for complex reconstruction. The aim of this study is to compare the morbidity, post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF), and mortality rates of the cases we have from the learning period for minimally invasive PD and our previous open PD cases with similar fistula risk scores (FRSs). Methods: Patients with similar age, ASA score, pre-operative drainage, and FRS were included in the study. A total of 71 patients, 48 of whom were operated with open surgery and 23 with minimally invasive methods, were included in the study. Results: When the statistical analysis performed, no statistically significant difference was found between open surgery and minimally invasive surgery groups in terms of age, gender, ASA score, pre-operative drainage, pancreatic texture, and treatment of pancreatic leakage (p=0.27, p=0.09, p=0.4, p=0.39, p=0.76, and p=0.36, respectively). There was a statistically significant difference between two groups in terms of clinically relevant pancreatic anastomotic leakage (Grade-B and Grade-C fistula) (p=0.11). The rate of Grade-BL and B leakage was higher in the minimally invasive surgery group, while Grade-C fistula was not observed in any patient (p=0.002). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the management of pancreatic leakage and related morbidity (p=0.36). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of tumor size, number of lymph nodes removed, FRS, amount of intraoperative bleeding, and diameter of Wirsung and common bile duct (p=0.15, p=0.20, p=0.145, p=0.80, and p=0.073, respectively). Considering the operation time, it was found that the operation time was longer in patients who received minimally invasive surgical treatment and this was statistically significant (p<0.0001). Conclusion: As a result, we believe that minimally invasive PD operation can be performed with similar morbidity and acceptable CR-POPF rates when compared with the open PD with similar FRS at the learning stage.

High Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma in a Liver Transplant Recipient Patient: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

According to GLOBOCAN 2020 data, the incidence of ovarian cancer is 1.6%. Ovarian cancer ranks 19th in incidence and 15th in mortality with a rate of 2.1%. High-grade serous ovarian cancer is the most common subtype of malignant ovarian tumors, and around 70% to 80% of all ovarian malignancies are included in this group. The incidence of gynecologic malignancies in liver transplant recipients is between 0% and 1.5%, and the duration of diagnosis for gynecologic cancer after transplantation is between 1 and 59 months. A 52-year-old patient was admitted to our hospital complaining of a periumbilical nodule. Her medical history revealed she had a cadaver liver transplantation in 2003 because of cirrhosis due to hepatitis B. On her physical examination, an erythematous nodular lesion was observed in the umbilical region. Ultrasonography demonstrated diffuse ascites and approximately 30 mm of a soft tissue density with lobulated contours located on the periumbilical skin. Both cytology and biopsy results were reported consistent with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. She underwent an operation, she had no problems during the postoperative follow-ups, and she was discharged on the eighth postoperative day. According to the 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging criteria for ovarian cancer, the patient's cancer was stage IVB. The patient received 6 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy that included carboplatin (AUC = 6) and paclitaxel (175 mg/m2). The patient was evaluated as having a complete response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. The patient has been disease-free for 11 months after diagnosis.

COVID-19 infection frequency and clinical course in patients with liver transplantation: Results of a single transplant center in Türkiye.

Objectives: In this paper, it was tried to determine the incidence of COVID-19, course of the disease, and mortality rate in liver transplant patients by evaluating all patients operated on in our center. In addition, the results of liver transplantation performed in our center during the pandemic period were also presented. Material and Methods: All patients who had undergone liver transplantation in our liver transplant center were questioned about their history of COVID-19 either at their routine controls in the clinic or by phone interview. Results: Our liver transplant unit had 195 registered liver transplantation patients (2002-2020), and 142 of these were still alive and under follow-up. During the pandemic period, 80 patients referred to our outpatient clinic for follow-up, and their records were evaluated retrospectively in January 2021. Among 142 liver transplant patients, a total of 18 (12.6%) COVID-19 patients were identified. While 13 of these patients were males, mean age of the patients at the time of interviews was 48.8 years (22-65 years). Nine of the patients had living donor liver transplant, and the rest had cadaveric liver transplant. The most common COVID-19 associated symptom in the patients was fever. During the pandemic period, 12 liver transplant operations were performed in our center. Nine of them were living donor liver transplantation and the remainder were cadaveric liver transplantations. Two of our patients got COVID-19 positive during this period. One of them who was transplanted after COVID treatment was followed-up in intesive care for a long time and was lost not related to COVID-19. Conclusion: The incidence of COVID-19 is higher in liver transplant patients than in the general population. Nonetheless, mortality rates are low. During the pandemic period, liver transplantation can be continued by following general precautions.

Treatment Modalities and the Role of Endoscopy for Delayed Gastric Emptying After Whipple Operation: Analysis of 53 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is one of the most common complications after Whipple surgery. This situation delays postoperative oral food intake and prolongs hospitalization. Postoperative DGE often develops due to complications such as intra-abdominal abscess, collections, and anastomosis leaks, and these are called secondary DGE. The pathogenesis of primary DGE is still unknown, and there are insufficient data in the literature about the treatment. In this study, patients undergoing Whipple operation were examined separately as primary and secondary DGE. We discussed the causes and treatments of these patients, and also we aimed to present the therapeutic effect of endoscopy for primary DGE after the Whipple procedure. METHODS: From March 2014 to March 2018, data of 262 patients who underwent the Whipple procedure were collected prospectively. We observed that postoperative DGE developed in 53 (21.7%) patients. We retrospectively divided the patients by etiology into 2 groups as primary and secondary and graded DGE according to the International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery. We defined patients who did not have secondary causes such as intra-abdominal abscess as primary DGE. Appropriate interventional procedures were performed for patients with secondary causes. We performed endoscopic intervention with therapeutic intent for patients who had primary DGE. RESULTS: The overall rate of DGE was 21.7% (n = 53) among 262 patients undergoing the Whipple procedure. It was observed that in 31 (58.5%) of these 53 patients, DGE was developed due to secondary causes. Interventional procedures were performed to these patients when necessary. A total of 22 (41.5%) patients developed primary DGE. Of these, 9 patients were grade A, 7 were grade B, and 6 were grade C. The mean duration of hospitalization for secondary DGE and primary DGE was 20.36 and 28.7 days, respectively. After endoscopic intervention with therapeutic intent to primary DGE patients, we observed that patients tolerated solid meal after 12 hours in grade B and after 26 hours in grade C patients. CONCLUSION: Delayed gastric emptying, which is a common complication after Whipple operation and which deteriorates the quality of life and prolongs the duration of hospital stay, should be treated according to the cause. In secondary DGE, treatment modalities must be focused on intra-abdominal causes such as hematoma, collection, and abcess. We suggest that the primary DGE which is unresponsive to medical treatments could be treated endoscopically. After endoscopic intervention, patients with primary DGE can be started oral intake on the same day and discharged more quickly.

Biliary Stenting Prior to Pancreaticoduodenectomy and its Effects on Postoperative Outcome. Twenty Years of Experience with 805 Patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential effects of biliary drainage before pancreaticoduodenectomy on postoperative outcomes. METHODS: This study was conducted retrospectively on data from 820 cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy performed in the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department of Ankara City Hospital between April 1999 and August 2019. Twenty years of collected patient data were re-examined and 805 patients were divided into two groups as those who underwent preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) and those who did not (non-PBD). Demographic data of patients, and preoperative, operative and postoperative details, including morbidity, were collected and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were 574 (71.3%) patients in the PBD group and 231 (28.6%) patients in the non-PBD group. Total complications according to Clavien-Dindo classification were significantly higher in the PBD group (P<0.001). Intraabdominal hemorrhage, delayed gastric emptying and wound infection were found to be higher in the PBD group but the rate of pancreatic fistula was similar in both groups. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of complications according to preoperative bilirubin levels. In drained patients with normal bilirubin levels, wound infections were significantly higher in a group with diameter of common bile duct>8 mm (P=0.020). CONCLUSION: PBD is not associated with anastomotic leakage after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Wound infection, delayed gastric emptying and intraabdominal hemorrhage were significantly associated with PBD. Preoperative bilirubin level had no effect on these results. In subgroup analysis, in patients undergoing drainage, if bilirubin falls below 5 mg/dL, the risk of wound infection was still high in patients with bile duct diameter>8 mm.

Single-Center Results of Choledochal Cysts in Turkish Population.

BACKGROUND: Choledochal cysts are seen commonly in Asian populations, but rarely in Western populations. The pathogenesis of these premalignant lesions is not fully understood yet and the risk of malignant transformation increases with age. The overall malignancy risk is 10%-15% in East Asian countries. In this study, we aimed to present our surgical experience as a hepatobiliary center to the literature. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data from the medical records of 70 patients operated for choledochal cyst between 2008-2019. RESULTS: Sixty-two of the 70 (89%) patients were female and 8 (11%) were male, the mean age was 45.89 ± 15.32 years. Overall, 44 (63%) patients had type I (a+b+c), 20 (28%) type V (Caroli), 2 (3%) type II, 2 (3%) type III and 2 (3%) type IVb cysts. The most common operation was cyst excision combined with hepaticojejunostomy (n: 26, 37%). The median diameter of the resected cysts was 3 cm (min- max: 1-11 cm). Malignancy was observed only in three (4%) patients with type III, type Ib, and type V cyts, who were 19, 38, and 72 years old, respectively. Mortality was not observed, morbidity was determined totally in 30 (43%) cases during early and late postoperative periods. CONCLUSION: Type of surgery in choledochal cysts differs according to the type of the cyst. Malignancy was observed at a rate of 4% in all age groups. Although the frequency of malignancy varies, the main treatment of choice should be surgery because malignancy can be seen at a young age.

How can surgical continuity be maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic? A quality improvement study in the pre-vaccination period.

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the elective surgeries had to be postponed. However, it is not possible to delay the surgical treat- ment of cancer patients for a long time. The aim of this study was to present how gastrointestinal system surgery operations are managed without delay and how employee safety is ensured , together with the results of the last five months. For this purpose, a preclinical and clinical screening system was created. Material and Methods: Data of the patients who presented to our outpatient clinic between April 1st 2020 and August 31st 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: During the last five months of the pandemic, a total of 387 patients were hospitalized and 309 of these patients underwent surgical procedures. 165 of the patients who underwent surgery were newly diagnosed malignancy patients. All patients who were hospitalized were subjected to a screening for COVID-19 during the preclinical, clinical and surgical period. In the preclinical period, five patients were found positive and were directed to COVID-19 treatment without hospitalization. In the clinical period, six patients were isolated by showing symptoms during the hospitalization period. Only one of these patients received surgical treatment. The remaining five patients underwent endoscopic and interventional procedures. In this process, COVID-19 positivity was detected in a total of five healthcare workers. Conclusion: With this preclinical and clinical screening method, it is shown that a COVID-19 sterile environment can be provided by early detection of positive cases in both patients and healthcare workers. In this way, the possibility of surgical continuity was demonstrated.

The attitude of Turkish general surgeons during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of "general surgery COVID-19 pandemic attitude survey".

OBJECTIVES: The whole world is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, and healthcare professionals are the most affected group. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of general surgeons about COVID-19 and understand the attitude and current situation of our colleagues. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This descriptive study comprised general surgeons working in different parts of Turkey. A survey with 23 questions was prepared to determine the demographic characteristics of the participants, workplace characteristics, change in daily work practices and their attitudes in the pandemic process. RESULTS: A total of 332 forms were evaluated. Survey results show that the majority of surgeons have changed their daily surgical practices. Many surgeons take part in the treatment of COVID-19. While most benign cases are delayed, the managemet of malignant cases differs. There are also differences in the evaluation of patients preoperatively and the type of operation. Personal protective measures are followed. While the rate of infected surgeons is low, the majority of surgeons have concerns about infection. CONCLUSION: Turkish surgeons have managed to get a quick reaction from the start of the pandemic. However, there are still differences in preoperative patient evaluation and operation selection and precautions during the operation. Surgeons also should be informed about the management of malignant patients.

Comparison of endocrinological and cytokine response to trauma in laparoscopic and conventional appendectomy in patients with acute appendicitis.

PURPOSE: In this study, we compared the endocrine and cytokine reaction of the patients which laparoscopic and conventional appendectomy was done for acute appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHOD: 50 patients who were operated for acute appendicitis in Ankara Atatürk Research and Training Hospital between the dates December 2013 and February 2014 were enrolled and grouped as either laparoscopic or conventional. Serum ACTH, IL-6 and CRP levels were obtained at induction of anesthesia and postoperative 6th hour. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of gender, co-morbidities, and perforation rate. Preoperative ACTH levels were similar for both groups while it is significantly lower in postoperative period for laparoscopy group. Moreover, IL-6 levels were also higher in postoperative period for conventional period compared to laparoscopy group. Despite preoperative CRP value of the laparoscopic group was significantly higher than the conventional group, postop values showed no statistical difference. The mean operation time of the laparoscopic appendectomy group was significantly higher than the conventional group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic appendectomy causes less metabolic and cytokine response than conventional surgery. ACTH and IL-6 levels could be assessed to evaluate metabolic outcome of surgical intervention. KEY WORDS: ACTH, Appendectomy, Conventional appendectomy, IL-6, CRP, Laparoscopic appendectomy, Perforation.

Is It Necessary to Specifically Define the Cause of Surgically Treated Biliary Tract Infections? A Rare Case of Raoultella planticola Cholecystitis and Literature Review.

Raoultella planticola is an aquatic and soil organism that does not notoriously cause invasive infections in humans. Infections in the literature are limited only in case reports. We present a very rare case of R. planticola cholecystitis. A 71-year-old female patient with abdominal pain was diagnosed with acute cholecystitis. Patient received intravenous antibiotic treatment, but the treatment failed and the patient underwent an open cholecystectomy. The final pathological result was gangrenous cholecystitis complicated with R. planticola. Eventually, the patient recovered with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Patients with acute cholecystitis are usually treated without any microbiological sampling and antibiotic treatment is started empirically. To date, there have only been 5 reported biliary system related R. planticola infections in humans. We believe that Raoultella species might be a more frequent agent than usually thought, especially in resistant cholecystitis cases. Resistant strains should be considered as a possible causative organism when the patient's condition worsened despite proper antimicrobial therapy. It should be considered safe to send microbiological samples for culture and specifically define the causative microorganisms even in the setting of a cholecystectomized patient.

A modified technique for the laparoscopic management of large gastric bezoars.

Bezoar is an intraluminal mass formed by the accumulation of undigested material anywhere in the gastrointestinal system. Most of small bezoars are removed by gastrointestinal endoscopy, while the best approach for the larger ones is surgical removal. Currently, laparoscopic technique is successfully used in the treatment of bezoars, which are used to be managed by open surgery. In the laparoscopic treatment of bezoars, contamination of peritoneal cavity is a major problem. We describe a modified laparoscopic technique in which an endobag is placed in the stomach instead of the peritoneal cavity in order to avoid spillage of the bezoar during laparoscopic removal.

A rare cause of acute abdomen in a young patient: Cecal volvulus.

Cecal volvulus is an uncommon cause of intestinal obstruction and acute abdomen. Previous laparotomy and pregnancy may increase the predisposition to cecal volvulus. Delays in diagnosis cause serious outcomes. Treatment of the disease depends on the patient's status. In this case, a 23 year old woman with no previous history of laparotomy presented with acute abdomen. Immediate laparotomy was done and a cecal volvulus was encountered. There was no perforation or faecal contamination. Right hemicolectomy and end-to-side ileotransversostomy were performed on the patient and she was discharged uneventfully on the sixth postsurgical day.

Comparison of surgical Limberg flap technique and crystallized phenol application in the treatment of pilonidal sinus disease: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the efficacy of crystallized phenol method with Limberg flap in pilonidal sinus treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with a diagnosis of pilonidal sinus disease treated with surgical excision + Limberg rhomboid flap technique and crystallized phenol method between 2010-2011 in the Sevket Yilmaz Training and Research Hospital, Department of General Surgery were evaluated retrospectively. Patients' age, sex, length of hospital stay, complications and recurrence rates were evaluated. RESULTS: Eighty eight percent of patients were male and mean age was 26.84±6.41 in the Limberg group, and 24.72±5.00 in the crystallized phenol group. Sinus orifice locations and nature, and duration of symptoms before surgery were similar in the two groups. Length of hospital stay in the Limberg group was 1.46±0.61 days; whereas all patients in the crystallized phenol group were discharged on the same day. Infection, hematoma, wound dehiscence, and cosmetic problems were significantly higher in the Limberg group. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of recurrence and seroma formation. CONCLUSION: The less invasive method of crystallized phenol application may be an alternative approach to rhomboid excision and Limberg flap in patients with non-complicated pilonidal sinus disease, yielding acceptable recurrence rates.

Gastric adenocarcinoma and GIST (collision tumors) of the stomach presenting with perforation; first report.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are very rare tumors of stomach. To our knowledge there are a few reported cases of synchronous occurrence of epithelial and gastrointestinal stromal tumors of stomach. Also, tumor perforation is very rare. This is the first case of gastrointestinal stromal tumor synchronous with primary gastric adenocarcinoma presented with perforation (Fig. 1, Ref. 6).

[Evaluation of Ohmann and Eskelinen scores, leukocyte count and ultrasonography findings for diagnosis of appendicitis]. / Apandisit tanisinda Ohmann ve Eskelinen skorlari ile lökosit sayisi ve ultrasonografi bulgularinin degerlendirilmesi.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the diagnostic value of Ohmann and Eskelinen scores, leukocyte count and ultrasonographic (USG) evaluations in acute appendicitis. METHODS: This is a retrospective presentation of 186 patients (105 males, 81 females; mean age 29.94+/-12.70; range 6 to 70 years) operated with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis between May 1, 2004 and January 1, 2005. The diagnostic value of Ohmann and Eskelinen scores, leukocyte counts, and USG evaluations and the differences between the sexes were studied. RESULTS: According to the evaluation of Ohmann and Eskelinen scores, there were significant differences in positive and negative appendectomy between the total patient population and female patients (p=0.01), but no significant difference was found for men (p=0.341 and p=0.217, respectively). The leukocyte count increase and USG evaluations also demonstrated significant differences between negative and positive appendectomy in female patients (p=0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). However, no significant differences in the leukocyte count increase and USG evaluations between positive and negative appendectomy were determined in male patients (p=0.480 and p=0.732, respectively). CONCLUSION: Ohmann and Eskelinen scores could be useful in definitive diagnosis of appendicitis especially in primary care units. The leukocyte count increase alone or with the help of USG evaluation could be helpful in the diagnosis of appendicitis especially in females during the reproductive period.

Does low molecular weight heparin impair anastomotic wound healing?

BACKGROUND: Enoxaparin is an important molecule which had been using in prophylaxis and treatment of deep venous thrombosis. Also, it is showed that it prevents postsurgical peritoneal adhesions in rats. It is aimed to evaluate its effects on gastrointestinal wound healing. METHODS: Thirty Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups as control, subcutan, and intraperitoneal enoxaparin groups. Left colon anastomoses were performed. On postoperative seventh day, anastomotic healing was evaluated by measuring anastomotic bursting pressure, tissue hydroxyproline levels, and histopathological examination. RESULTS: The anastomotic bursting pressure was highest in subcutan enoxaparin group (p < 0.001), intraperitoneal enoxaparin group (p < 0.01) came the second, and the control group has the worst value. The hydroxyproline results were found nearly similar to the bursting pressure values (subcutan (p < 0.001) > intraperitoneal (p < 0.05) > control). Neovascularization in subcutan group (p < 0.001) has a statistically significant difference to other groups. CONCLUSION: Enoxaparin did not interfere with colonic anastomotic resistance but improved the intestinal wound healing.

Family history of acute appendicitis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association of acute appendicitis with age, sex, Alvarado score (AS) and family history. METHODS: Medical records of 2670 patients, who were admitted to our hospital's emergency department between January 2005 and June 2007, were reviewed. These patients were referred as acute abdominal pain by general practitioners. The data of patients were devided into sub-groups according to their age, sex, operative status, AS status and having a pathologically confirmed postoperative diagnose of acute appendicitis or not. Logistic regression analysis was performed to find out relationships among the sub-groups. RESULTS: Male gender (1.37), age < 50 (2.4), positive family history (3.16), AS 5-6 (13) and AS 7 (31) increased the risk of acute appendicitis. The sensitivity and specificity of AS was 91.5% and 60.5% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of family history was 68.9% and 75.4% respectively. CONCLUSION: Family history is an important parameter while predicting acute appendicitis.