Indications for the surgical management of pancreatic trauma: An update.

Pancreatic trauma is rare compared to other abdominal solid organ injuries, accounting for 0.2%-0.3% of all trauma patients. Moreover, this type of injury may frequently be overlooked or not readily appreciated on initial clinical examinations and investigations. The organ injury scale determines the severity of the trauma. Nonetheless, there are conflicting recommendations for the best strategy in severe cases. Overall, conservative management of induced severe traumatic pancreatitis is adequate. Modern imaging modalities such as ultrasound scanning and computed tomography scanning can detect injuries in fewer than 60% of patients. However, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) have diagnostic accuracies approaching 90%-100%. Thus, management options include ERCP and stent placement or distal pancreatectomy in cases of complete gland transection and wide drainage only for damage control surgery, which can prevent mortality but increases the risk of morbidity. In the majority of cases, surgical intervention is not required and should be reserved for only severe grade III to grade V injuries.

Preoperative Hyponatremia Indicates Complicated Acute Appendicitis.

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency. Early detection of patients with complicated appendicitis leads to prompt surgical management and better outcome. This study investigated the relationship between the severity of acute appendicitis and the presence of preoperative hyponatremia. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical files of adult patients operated on for acute appendicitis over a 6-year period. Hyponatremia was defined as serum sodium level of ≤135 mEq/L. Patients were classified into complicated appendicitis and noncomplicated appendicitis according to operative findings and/or histopathology reports. Results: A total of 129 patients were identified and included in this study. Complicated appendicitis was found more frequently in female patients and older patients. Hyponatremia was found significantly more frequently in patients with complicated appendicitis (p < 0.001) and also in patients with perforation than without perforation (p=0.047). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that preoperative hyponatremia is associated with complicated appendicitis. Serum sodium levels, a routine, low-cost laboratory test, could act as an accessory marker aiding surgeons in earlier identification of gangrenous or perforated acute appendicitis.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Training of Surgical Residents in Greece: Results of a Survey Conducted One Year after the Onset of the Pandemic.

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is an ongoing crisis. In light of mounting concerns about the training of surgical residents, we examined surgical residents perceptions regarding the pandemic's impact on their training. Methods: We developed an anonymous online questionnaire comprising 15 multiple-choice questions, which we sent via email to residents educated and employed in northern Greece hospitals. Our survey took place in January and February of 2021. Results: A total of 124 residents across a broad spectrum of surgical fields completed the questionnaire. The majority (51.6%) reported a significant decline in the number of operations performed weekly during the pandemic. Approximately 38% of the respondents stated that their surgical skills have been negatively affected to a significant extent, and 35.5% reported that their theoretical knowledge had deteriorated to a moderate extent. Almost half of them reported that they were satisfied with the online courses and a total of 67.7% affirmed the need to prolong their clinical training. Conclusions: The aims and scope of a surgical department include the provision of high-quality training to young surgeons. The impact of the pandemic on routine surgical activities has been dramatic. Our results clearly indicate that young surgeons have been significantly affected in terms of their training.

Non-Operative Management of Delayed Splenic Rupture 4 Months Following Blunt Abdominal Trauma.

BACKGROUND Delayed splenic rupture is a rare complication of non-operative management of a primary splenic trauma which, without proper clinical vigilance, may result in life-threatening events. It usually occurs 4-8 days after injury and, in most cases, surgery is the treatment of choice. Since non-operative management of splenic trauma, which allows splenic salvage, has become increasingly popular, the same approach could also be applied in delayed splenic rupture. We herein present a case of delayed splenic rupture that occurred 4 months after the trauma and was successfully managed non-operatively. CASE REPORT A 32-year-old woman presented with diffuse abdominal pain, chest pain, and dyspnea 4 months after sustaining minor thoracoabdominal blunt trauma due to a car accident. That event was inadequately investigated and was not admitted for further monitoring. Computerized tomography revealed a rupture of a splenic hematoma in the context of the previous splenic trauma. She was closely monitored and remained hemodynamically stable. She was discharged and followed up, with no reported relapse of her clinical condition. CONCLUSIONS Delayed splenic rupture occurring 4 months after the primary splenic trauma is extremely rare. Due to its prolonged delay, delayed rupture of the spleen can easily be overlooked and not be included in the original differential diagnosis. Negligence of this event can result in dreaded complications with hemodynamic instability or even death. Furthermore, its higher mortality rate compared to primary splenic rupture highlights the importance of proper clinical vigilance. Non-operative management should be attempted in hemodynamically stable patients.

Robot-Assisted Thyroidectomy Versus Open Thyroidectomy in the Treatment of Well Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of thyroid cancer has increased worldwide during the last decade, becoming the most common endocrine malignancy and accounting for 3.8% of new cancer diagnosis. Surgical resection, namely conventional thyroidectomy, remains at the frontline of therapy, as surgical outcomes are undoubtedly successful. Minimally invasive techniques gained popularity through the years, in terms of feasibility, safety, and cosmesis. However, endoscopic approach could be characterized by some limitations concerning thyroid surgery. Robotic technology with its unique features was introduced to overcome these limitations. Since then, robotic thyroidectomy has been used for both benign and malignant thyroid disease. DATABASE: This study presents the use of robot-assisted transaxillary thyroidectomy in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma through an extensive review of the literature in the PubMed database, including previous meta-analyses and case series. CONCLUSION: In terms of oncological efficacy, morbidity, and quality of life, outcomes seem comparable in thyroid cancer patients undergoing either open or robotic thyroidectomy. Surgical completeness also appears similar. Moreover, the rates of locoregional recurrence and survival outcome at 5 years are similar between the former and the latter, thus confirming the oncological value of robotic thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer. In order for more surgeons to adopt robotic approaches several issues need to be resolved, namely: expansion of robotic thyroidectomy in treating larger well-differentiated carcinomas and neck dissection, equipment costs, and prolonged operation times.

Undiagnosed Endoscopy Capsule Retention Causing Delayed Intestinal Obstruction in a Patient with a Small Bowel Neuroendocrine Tumor.

BACKGROUND Capsule endoscopy has played a significant role in small bowel investigation, providing the opportunity of detecting neoplastic lesions to a greater degree and at an earlier stage than other diagnostic procedures. Failure to excrete the capsule with the feces within 48 h can lead to capsule retention with increased risk of further complications such as bowel obstruction and perforation. Capsule retention can remain undetected in case of incomplete follow-up and poor patient compliance. Acute small bowel obstruction as late as many months following capsule endoscopy investigation is very rare, with only a few cases reported in the published literature. We herein report a rare case of prolonged capsule retention which remained undiagnosed, resulting in small bowel obstruction 6 months after the initial investigation. CASE REPORT An 82-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain and symptoms suggestive of intestinal obstruction. The patient history included a capsule endoscopy investigation because of episodes of abdominal pain 6 months prior to admission. Both the outcome of the investigation and the excretion of the capsule remained undetermined due to her history of dementia and follow-up failure. Radiologic investigations identified the capsule causing small bowel obstruction. Upon surgery, the capsule was found to be impacted in a stenotic small bowel lesion, and a segmental small bowel resection was performed. Histologic examination revealed the presence of a stenotic small bowel neuroendocrine tumor. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate follow-up is necessary to diagnose the complication of capsule retention which, if it remains unrecognized, can cause life-threatening complications as late as many months after capsule endoscopy.

A case of acute abdomen caused by spontaneous rupture of a splenic abscess secondary to cancer of the splenic flexure.

Splenic abscesses are rare, difficult to diagnose, difficult to treat and usually appear in immunosuppressed patients. We present the case of a 64-year-old patient with left pleuritic chest pain, anorexia and fever with rigors diagnosed with splenic abscess due to splenic flexure colon cancer. The abscess spontaneously ruptured and the patient was operated on for acute abdomen. Splenectomy and Hartmann's hemicolectomy were performed. The patient was discharged from the hospital and referred to the oncologic department. Continuous spread of infection and especially initiating from a cancer lesion is a usual mechanism of splenic abscess formation. Although computed tomography-guided percutaneous drainage is the treatment of choice, an exploratory laparotomy was necessary in this case because of the rupture of the abscess. It is important for the clinicians to include splenic abscesses and their complications in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen.

B-Lymphoblastic Lymphoma of the Small Bowel: An Extremely Rare Occurrence.

B-lymphoblastic lymphoma is a neoplasm of immature B cells and is characterized by aggressive behavior and disease progression. Common sites of involvement are skin, lymph nodes, bone, soft tissues, breast, and the mediastinum. Gastrointestinal lesions are rarely encountered and therefore not fully described. We herein report the case of a 28-year-old male, who presented with abdominal pain and CT scan showed a tumor involving the small bowel and its mesentery. He underwent emergency laparotomy and enterectomy. Histopathology report revealed B-lymphoblastic lymphoma affecting the small bowel and the adjacent mesentery. This is the first documented case of a small bowel tumor diagnosed as B-lymphoblastic lymphoma in published literature.

The Immunohistochemical Expression MTA 1 Protein and its Prognostic Value in Pancreatic Cancer.

Purpose/aim: To examine with immunohistochemical assay MTA1 protein expression levels in pancreatic cancer tissues defining its prognostic value. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The specimens derived from 51 patients who underwent surgery. The levels of MTA1 protein were compared with the age of the patients, their survival, and prognosis. Also, we studied clinical and histopathological factors such as the degree of tumor differentiation and its stage in correlation with MTA1 protein levels. In parallel, there was correlation between the expression of the ΜΤΑ1 protein and the aforementioned factors regarding survival rate. Furthermore, we independently correlated the patient's survival in relation to whether they had undergone adjuvant chemotherapy or not. RESULTS: It has been found to be low, moderate, or high expression of MTA1 levels in 48 out of 51 cancer tissues. Specifically, 49.0% of patients had low expression, 33.3% moderate, and 11.8% high expression of MTA1. Regarding the expression of MTA1 protein in correlation with various clinical and histopathological factors, a statistically significant correlation was observed with the degree of differentiation (p = 0.0068) and with the stage of the disease (p = 0.0173), but not with survival (p = 0.0740) or the age of them (p = 0.1547). Finally, it was found that overexpression of the MTA1protein is a prognostic factor for shorter survival in patients with pancreatic cancer (average 4.67 ± 0.95 months). CONCLUSIONS: MTA 1 protein may constitute an important prognostic marker in pancreatic cancer and could improve prognosis and treatment.

Inadvertent insertion of a nasogastric tube into the brain: case report and review of the literature.

The inadvertent insertion of a nasogastric tube (NGT) into the brain of a trauma patient with skull base fractures is reported. A 52-year-old male with head trauma was referred following a car accident with an NGT in situ. Serosanguineous fluid was withdrawn from the NGT, which was considered to be an indication of gastrointestinal bleeding, and cold saline lavage was performed. Skull X-rays revealed intracranial position and coiling of the NGT and pneumocranium. The NGT was immediately removed manually. The patient finally went through neurosurgical operation because of an extradural hematoma, with normal postoperative course and outcome.

Isolated complete avulsion of the gallbladder (near traumatic cholecystectomy): a case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Injury of the gallbladder after blunt abdominal trauma is an unusual finding; the reported incidence is less than 2%. Three groups of injuries are described: simple contusion, laceration, and avulsion, the last of which can be partial, complete, or total traumatic cholecystectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: A case of isolated complete avulsion of the gallbladder (near traumatic cholecystectomy) from its hepatic bed in a 46-year-old Caucasian man without any other sign of injury is presented. The avulsion was due to blunt abdominal trauma after a car accident. The rarity of this injury and the stable condition of our patient at the initial presentation warrant a description. The diagnosis was made incidentally after a computed tomography scan, and our patient was treated successfully with ligation of the cystic duct and artery, removal of the gallbladder, coagulation of the bleeding points, and placement of a drain. CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis of such injuries is quite difficult because abdominal signs are poor, non-specific, or even absent. Therefore, a computed tomography scan should be performed when the mechanism of injury is indicated.

Current surgical management of pancreatic endocrine tumor liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: The management of metastatic disease in pancreatic endocrine tumors (PETs) demands a multidisciplinary approach and the cooperation of several medical specialties. The role of surgery is critical, even when a radical excision cannot always be achieved. DATA SOURCES: A PubMed search of relevant articles published up to February 2011 was performed to identify current information about PET liver metastases regarding diagnosis and management, with an emphasis on surgery. RESULTS: The early diagnosis of metastases and their accurate localization, most commonly in the liver, is very important. Surgical options include radical excision, and palliative excision to relieve symptoms in case of failure of medical treatment. The goal of the radical excision is to remove the primary tumor bulk and all liver metastases at the same time, but unfortunately it is not feasible in most cases. Palliative excisions include aggressive tumor debulking surgeries in well-differentiated carcinomas, trying to remove at least 90% of the tumor mass, combined with other additional destructive techniques such as hepatic artery embolization or chemoembolization to treat metastases or chemoembolization to relieve symptoms in cases of rapidly growing tumors. The combination of chemoembolization and systemic chemotherapy results in better response and survival rates. Other local destructive techniques include ethanol injection, cryotherapy and radiofrequency ablation. CONCLUSION: It seems that the current management of PETs can achieve important improvements, even in advanced cases.

The effect of bevacizumab on colon anastomotic healing in rats.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of angiogenesis inhibition by bevacizumab, a monoclonal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody, on the healing process of colonic anastomoses in rats, assessing some specific involved factors. This new agent is used mainly in metastatic colorectal cancer. The angiogenesis plays an important role in both wound healing and metastatic invasion and spread of malignant cells. There has not been any evidence assessing the optimal time for its safe use in operated patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four equal groups. A colonic anastomosis was performed in all rats. Half of them received intraoperatively a single dose of bevacizumab 5 mg/body weight and the rest received placebo. The animals were sacrificed on the 7th (Avastin 7th, placebo 7th) and 14th (Avastin 14th, placebo 14th) postoperative day. The anastomosis was resected and sent for histological study and for tissue biochemical assays (VEGF, endothelin-1 (ET-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB), carbonylated proteins, hydroxyproline) using specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. For statistical analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test was used (of statistical significance when P < 0.05). RESULTS: No complication or anastomotic dehiscence was observed. Histology did not reveal statistically significant differences between groups concerning degree of inflammation, fibroblasts, collagen, and fibrosis. Likewise, hydroxyproline levels did not differ. However, some statistically significant differences were found in VEGF, CRP and carbonyl proteins (Avastin 7th vs placebo 7th, placebo 14th vs placebo 7th), ET-1, and PAB (Avastin 14th vs Avastin 7th), which did not finally affect the collagen synthesis marker hydroxyproline, nor did the anastomotic strength. CONCLUSIONS: Bevacizumab, when administered intraoperatively, has no significant effect on colon anastomotic healing in rats despite a transient mild ischemia.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with cirrhosis of the liver and symptomatic cholelithiasis.

BACKGROUND: The indications and benefits of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in patients with liver cirrhosis and symptomatic cholelithiasis have not been satisfactorily documented. The aim of this study was to investigate its efficacy and safety in such patients. METHODS: Medical records of 38 patients with liver cirrhosis (stages Child-Pugh A and B) who underwent LC were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic characteristics and other parameters including initial presentation, conversion rate, complication rate, mortality, and duration of hospital stay were investigated and compared with noncirrhotic patients' parameters in our database. RESULTS: Cirrhotic patients who underwent LC were older than noncirrhotic patients (P=0.021). Both the conversion rate (15.78%) and the duration of hospital stay were increased in the cirrhotic group, but without significant differences. Major complications occurred more often in the cirrhotic group (P=0.027), increasing morbidity; however, the mortality was zero. CONCLUSIONS: LC can be safely performed in Child-Pugh A and B cirrhotic patients with symptomatic gallstone disease, with acceptable complication and conversion rates. The increased risk for a major complication, however, demands more attention than usual.