RESUMO
The use of digital technology is increasing rapidly across surgical specialities, yet there is no consensus for the term 'digital surgery'. This is critical as digital health technologies present technical, governance, and legal challenges which are unique to the surgeon and surgical patient. We aim to define the term digital surgery and the ethical issues surrounding its clinical application, and to identify barriers and research goals for future practice. 38 international experts, across the fields of surgery, AI, industry, law, ethics and policy, participated in a four-round Delphi exercise. Issues were generated by an expert panel and public panel through a scoping questionnaire around key themes identified from the literature and voted upon in two subsequent questionnaire rounds. Consensus was defined if >70% of the panel deemed the statement important and <30% unimportant. A final online meeting was held to discuss consensus statements. The definition of digital surgery as the use of technology for the enhancement of preoperative planning, surgical performance, therapeutic support, or training, to improve outcomes and reduce harm achieved 100% consensus agreement. We highlight key ethical issues concerning data, privacy, confidentiality and public trust, consent, law, litigation and liability, and commercial partnerships within digital surgery and identify barriers and research goals for future practice. Developers and users of digital surgery must not only have an awareness of the ethical issues surrounding digital applications in healthcare, but also the ethical considerations unique to digital surgery. Future research into these issues must involve all digital surgery stakeholders including patients.
RESUMO
We report a 48-year-old man in whom a chronic postbulbar duodenal ulcer destroyed much of the back wall of the duodenum and gastroduodenal artery causing pseudoaneurysm. The lesion was found and evaluated by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (that revealed a large pseudoaneurysm of 83 mm × 75 mm in diameter) and by angiography and then treated with transcatheter embolization leading to a complete resolution of the lesion. The case is rare and important for several reasons. First, we demonstrate that pseudoaneurysm of the gastroduodenal artery caused by a duodenal ulcer can occur and present a diagnostic challenge (as far as we know, only three cases have been reported previously in the literature). Second, this case report focuses on the importance of ligation of the gastroduodenal artery when bleeding of peptic ulcers occurs. Additionally, we present an overview of the relevant literature.
RESUMO
Laparoscopic surgery reduces, but not eliminates, the rate of incisional hernia. It is accepted that large trocar orifices should be sutured, in order to prevent future herniation. In morbidly obese patients, the closure of the anterior fascia is a very difficult job, and it does not prevent from preperitoneal herniation. Ventralex composite mesh is a very easy-to-place device, which closes satisfactorily both the peritoneal opening and the subcutaneous trocar pathway. We recommend its use for large diameter orifices and Hasson orifices in bariatric patients.
