Minimally-invasive approach via percutaneous femoral cannulation for the resection of intra-cardiac masses: a single center experience in the Middle-East.

BACKGROUND: Intra-cardiac masses are rare and challenging lesions with an overall incidence ranging of 0.02-0.2%. Minimally invasive approaches have been recently introduced for surgical resection of these lesions. Here, we evaluated our early experience using minimally invasive techniques in addressing intra-cardiac lesions. METHODOLOGY: This is a retrospective descriptive study conducted between April 2018 to December 2020. All patients were diagnosed with cardiac tumors and treated via a right mini-thoracotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass through femoral cannulation at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah. RESULTS: Myxoma was the most common pathology representing 46% of cases followed by thrombus (27%), leiomyoma (9%), lipoma (9%) and angiosarcoma (9%). All tumors were resected with negative margins. One patient was converted to open sternotomy. Tumor locations were in the right atrium, left atrium, and left ventricle in 5, 3, and 3 patients, respectively. The median ICU stay was 1.33 days. The median length of hospitalization was 5.7 days. There was no 30-days hospital mortality recorded in this cohort. CONCLUSION: Our early experience shows that minimally invasive resection can be performed safely and effectively for intra-cardiac masses. The minimally invasive approach using a mini-thoracotomy with percutaneous femoral cannulation can be an effective alternative in resecting intra-cardiac masses that achieves clear margin resection, quick post-operative recovery, and low rates of recurrence for benign lesions.

Removal of a Migrated Intrauterine Contraceptive Device Perforating the Terminal Ileum: A Case Report.

We aim to present a rare case of a missing intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) that was found in the terminal ileum by laparoscopy and was managed initially by laparoscopy and then proceeded to laparotomy. A 29-year-old female who had a copper IUCD inserted by a senior gynecologist presented to the clinic with pelvic pain and discomfort. She underwent laparoscopy for IUCD removal. Intraoperatively, the IUCD was discovered to be embedded in the terminal ileum, and therefore, laparoscopy was converted to an open laparotomy. The patient was readmitted multiple times because of abnormal fluid collection in the pelvic region, which was resolved finally by pigtail insertion. This case sheds a light on the possibility of complications occurring in the medical field even if the practitioner is a senior gynecologist. Furthermore, missed IUCDs require thorough investigation and imaging to make an appropriate management plan to avoid serious complications.

A robotic-assisted hybrid coronary revascularization program: Establishment and early experience in the Middle East.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) is a technique that merges coronary artery bypass grafting surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) approaches for the treatment of multivessel coronary artery disease. The surgical component of the procedure is minimally invasive and can be done using robotic technology that avoids the need for sternotomy. Our objective is to study all patients who underwent robotic-assisted HCR (RHCR) to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the procedure during the establishment phase. METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review conducted at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre in Jeddah (KFSRC-J). The study focuses on patients who underwent RHCR between July 2018 to December 2020. The study was approved by the institutional review board #2020-103. RESULTS: Robotic-assisted HCR was performed on 78 patients (mean age, 56 years (range, 43-72 years); 89.75% males) during the study phase. Left internal mammary artery grafting was used in all patients. There was no hospital mortality, and the mean hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay were 5.8 and 1.4 days, respectively. We found that 93.6% of the patients had no blood transfusion. There were no major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and perioperative MI recorded. There was a 3.8% rate of postoperative complications. The percentage of surgeries converted to conventional and re-exploration for bleeding were 1.2% and 2.6%, respectively. The average operation time was 164 min. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes on the safety and effectiveness of RHCR in treating patients with multivessel coronary artery disease. Moreover, robotic-assisted hybrid coronary revascularization offers an alternative, functionally complete revascularization option to a selected group of patients with minimal surgical trauma, short hospital and ICU length of stay, quick recovery, and little to no blood transfusion requirement.

Resistant Hypertension in Patients With Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Single-Center, Cross-Sectional Study.

Background The prevalence of resistant hypertension in Saudi patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has not been previously estimated. Therefore, our objective was to assess the prevalence and characteristics of resistant hypertensive patients with T2DM at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods This cross-sectional study included patients with hypertension and T2DM who presented to our center in 2018. We examined 1960 patients with T2DM during the study period; 809 were hypertensives. We compared T2DM patients with controlled hypertension versus resistant hypertension. Results The prevalence of resistant hypertension in patients with T2DM was 137/809 (16.93%). The mean age was 66.38±10.80 years, and females presented 56% of the study population (n= 451). Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA; OR: 2.60 [1.15- 5.87]; P=0.02) and ischemic heart disease (IHD; OR: 3.01 [2.04- 4.45]; P˂0.001) were significantly associated with resistant hypertension. The most common medications used with resistant hypertension were calcium channel blockers (CCBs; 89.05%), ß-blockers (76.64%), and angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs; 62.77%). Conclusions Resistant hypertension in patients with T2DM is common in Saudi Arabia. Resistant hypertension could be associated with OSA and IHD. Further studies are required to evaluate the temporal relationship between resistant hypertension and risk factors.

Clinical outcomes of simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty.: A tertiary-center experience.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize patients who underwent simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (simBTKA) and study the outcomes of surgery along with complication rates. METHODS: This is a retrospective study carried out at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The study included patients who had undergone simultaneous bilateral total knee replacement from January 2010 until June 2021. RESULTS: The median age of our patients was 64 (Q1-Q3: 59-70) years, 76 (13.2%) males and 393 (83.8%) were females. Hypertension was the most common associated comorbidity (56.29%) and primary osteoarthritis was the most common indication of surgery (96.8%). The median duration of surgery was 155 (140-175) minutes and the median duration of hospital stay was 9 (8-11) days. A total of 17 (3.62%) patients needed revision of surgery in a median duration of 265 (112-529) days. The composite endpoint of complications, intensive care unit admission, and blood transfusion occurred in 132 (28.14%) patients. Hospital stay was longer in males (coefficient: 0.11 [0.02-0.19]; p=0.01) and in patients with cardiac (coefficient: 0.12 [0.02-0.21]; p=0.02), and renal diseases (coefficient: 0.23 (0.06-0.39); p=0.01). Cardiac disease was the only factor associated with the composite outcome (odds ratio: 2.25 [1.19-4.24]; p=0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest simBTKA is a safe procedure with a low complication rate. However, male patients and those with cardiac and renal diseases are at increased risk of post-operative complications and prolonged hospital stay.