Glanzmann's thrombasthenia: A nightmare for hernia surgeons.

ABSTRACT: Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is a rare inherited disorder affecting one in one million. It is characterised by a lack of platelet aggregation due to a defect in the platelet membrane receptor complex (αIIb/ßIIIa), which mediates the aggregation of platelets at the site of vessel injury. We report here the first case of successful perioperative haemostatic management of a male patient with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia, who underwent an elective laparoscopic hernia repair. The patient was posted for elective surgery considering the availability of expertise in minimally invasive surgery and accessibility to recombinant activated factor VII. The patient was operated using the extended-view totally extraperitoneal technique for inguinal hernia repair. The patient recovered successfully and reported no complication during follow-up. We conclude that with proper perioperative haematological consultation, and careful coordination between anaesthetists and surgeons, elective laparoscopic procedure can be done in patients with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia, with only recombinant factor VIIa support.

Impact of cadaver training for learning abdominal wall reconstruction: our early experience.

PURPOSE: Assess the utility of a hands-on cadaver workshop for teaching abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR) using components separation technique. METHODS: Over a year, from June 2022 to July 2023, 112 surgeons participated in seven training courses focused on the eTEP technique for inguinal and ventral hernias. The workshops covered theoretical learning sessions followed by hands-on training using frozen human cadavers. An online survey was used to know the influence of our workshop on the clinical practice of the attendees. RESULTS: Out of 112 total participants, 70% (78) participants completed the survey. Among them, 58% (45) surgeons had over 10 years of experience. The workshop resulted in approximately 85% (66) of participants successfully adapting to eTEP. Confidence levels significantly increased for all steps of the technique after the workshop (p < 0.001, Rank-Biserial Correlation = -1.000). Participants expressed high satisfaction with the course. CONCLUSION: The cadaver model training program was found to be effective in reducing the learning curve and being replicable. This suggests its potential for widespread implementation as an introductory training model for learning the anatomy of abdominal wall and adapting this for treating hernias requiring AWR.

Gene therapy for heart failure: A novel treatment for the age old disease.

Across the globe, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality. According to reports, around 6.2 million people in the United states have heart failure. Current standards of care for heart failure can delay but not prevent progression of disease. Gene therapy is one of the novel treatment modalities that promises to fill this limitation in the current standard of care for Heart Failure. In this paper we performed an extensive search of the literature on various advances made in gene therapy for heart failure till date. We review the delivery methods, targets, current applications, trials, limitations and feasibility of gene therapy for heart failure. Various methods have been employed till date for administering gene therapies including but not limited to arterial and venous infusion, direct myocardial injection and pericardial injection. Various strategies such as AC6 expression, S100A1 protein upregulation, VEGF-B and SDF-1 gene therapy have shown promise in recent preclinical trials. Furthermore, few studies even show that stimulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation such as through cyclin A2 overexpression is a realistic avenue. However, a considerable number of obstacles need to be overcome for gene therapy to be part of standard treatment of care such as definitive choice of gene, gene delivery systems and a suitable method for preclinical trials and clinical trials on patients. Considering the challenges and taking into account the recent advances in gene therapy research, there are encouraging signs to indicate gene therapy for heart failure to be a promising treatment modality for the future. However, the time and feasibility of this option remains in a situation of balance.

Strategies for closing the posterior rectus sheath during enhanced view totally extraperitoneal Rives-Stoppa repair.

Introduction: The popularity of endolaparoscopic extraperitoneal repairs has been on the rise due to advantages such as sublay mesh placement and early return to daily activities. However, the procedure requires overcoming a learning curve, and with increased adoption, new complications have emerged. One significant complication is the rupture of the posterior rectus sheath (PRS). In this article, we present our modifications of the technique to reduce tension during PRS closure. Patients and Methods: The study included 105 patients who underwent endolaparoscopic extraperitoneal repairs for ventral hernias using two different techniques. Group A (n = 68) underwent the original technique, whereas Group B (n = 37) underwent the modified technique. The modifications in Group B included preserving the peritoneal bridge between the two PRS and the hernia sac, conducting a complete dissection of the space of Bogros and adopting a transverse or oblique closure of PRS along the lines of least tension. To assess the efficacy of these modifications in preventing PRS rupture, we compared the results of both groups. Results: Our findings indicate that following all the technical steps of the modified technique resulted in a reduced need for transversus abdominis release for PRS closure and a lower incidence of PRS rupture in the postoperative period. However, to further validate the effectiveness of these modifications, a larger follow-up period and a bigger sample size are required. Conclusions: The adoption of the modified technique can help achieve a tension-free PRS closure.

Modified optical port entry site for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Our experience.

<b><br>Introduction:</b> The four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a recognized entity in the surgical management of gallstone disease. We report our experience and feasibility of optical port entry site modification.</br> <b><br>Material and Methods:</b> To assess the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy with a different port placement, we undertook a prospective study with 60 patients at Seth GSMC and KEM Hospital, India between Jan 2022 and July 2022. Our study offered the benefit of a flexible optical port entry site, using a 5 mm optical trocar instead of the conventional 10 mm trocar. A single surgeon did all the cases and definite criteria of simple cases of gallstone disease patterned on clinical and radiological grounds.</br> <b><br>Results:</b> 60 cases of gallstone disease were subjected to the new technique of laparoscopic cholecystectomy over seven months. 39 cases were females and 21 were males. The age range of our patients was between 20 and 55 years with a median age of 39 years. Mean Body mass index 30 (range 25 - 37). The mean operative time was 30 min (range 15 - 45 min) and a follow-up period ranged from 10 to 14 months. No cases were converted to open. We did not encounter any untoward mishaps during surgery.</br> <b><br>Discussion:</b> Our modification of the optical port placement and size received good results and patient satisfaction. Moreover, the placement of the port at a site further from the midline and umbilicus decreases the risk of development of trocar site incisional hernia.</br>.