A 'traumatic' mechanical small bowel obstruction after blunt pelvic trauma.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH) is a rare form of herniation caused by blunt trauma that can lead to intestinal obstruction. This report details a rare case of delayed mechanical ileus resulting from TAWH due to an acetabular fracture. The patient was successfully treated with laparoscopic closure of the peritoneal orifice, followed by orthopaedic repair of the fracture. The presented scenario underlines the importance of timely diagnosis and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex TAWH cases.

Report of two rare manifestations of abdominal tuberculosis mimicking neoplasia.

Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) can affect any organ of the gastrointestinal tract, and as a result of its unspecific symptoms, it may even mimic neoplasia. Rare manifestations are difficult to detect even for the trained eye and require clinical suspicion. We report rare cases of a mechanical ileus due to peritoneal TB in a 41-year-old man and an isolated peripancreatic infection in a 54-year-old woman. While in one patient, suspected malignancy led to diagnostic laparoscopy, it led to a total pancreatectomy with splenectomy in the other case. However, both times histology ruled out malignancy and showed unexpected similarities with TB. The patients responded well to medical treatment, although one patient is struggling with pancreatogenic diabetes.

Dynamic Serosal Perfusion Assessment during Colorectal Resection Using Visible Light Spectroscopy.

INTRODUCTION: Anastomotic leakage (AL) in colorectal surgery occurs with an incidence of up to 20%. Bowel perfusion is deemed to be one of the most important factors for anastomotic healing. However, not much is known about its variability during colorectal surgery and its impact on the outcome. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate serosal oxygen saturation patterns during colorectal resections with visible light spectroscopy (VLS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bowel perfusion in patients undergoing left-sided colorectal resections was assessed at different timepoints during surgery using VLS on the colonic serosa. The primary outcome parameter was serosal oxygen saturation (StO2) at the anastomosis during different timepoints of surgery. RESULTS: We included 50 patients who underwent colorectal resection for bowel cancer (58%) and diverticular disease (34%). StO2 at the proximal site of the anastomosis increased significantly throughout the surgery (mean difference 3.61%; 95% CI -6.22 to -1.00; p = 0.008). However, aberrancy from this identified perfusion pattern had no impact on the postoperative outcome. CONCLUSION: During colorectal resections, we could demonstrate an increase of the colonic StO2 throughout surgery. Appearance of AL was not associated with lower StO2, underlining the multifactorial genesis of developing AL.

Perioperative Tablet-Based Telemonitoring After Abdominal Wall Hernia Surgery: Pilot Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Hernia repairs account for millions of general surgical procedures performed each year worldwide, with a notable shift to outpatient settings over the last decades. As technical possibilities such as smartphones, tablets, and different kinds of probes are becoming more and more available, such systems have been evaluated for applications in various clinical settings. However, there have been few studies conducted in the surgical field, especially in general surgery. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the feasibility of a tablet-based follow up to monitor activity levels after repair of abdominal wall hernias and to evaluate a possible reduction of adverse events by their earlier recognition. METHODS: Patients scheduled for elective surgical repair of minor abdominal wall hernias (eg, inguinal, umbilical, or trocar hernias) were equipped with a telemonitoring system, including a tablet, pulse oximeter, and actimeter, for a monitoring phase of 7 days before and 30 days after surgery. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: We enrolled 16 patients with a mean overall age of 48.75 (SD 16.27) years. Preoperative activity levels were reached on postoperative day 12 with a median of 2242 (IQR 0-4578) steps after plunging on the day of surgery. The median proportion of available activity measurements over the entire study period of 38 days was 69% (IQR 56%-81%). We observed a gradual decrease in the proportion of available data for all parameters during the postoperative course. Six out of ten patients (60%) regained preoperative activity levels within 3 weeks after surgery. Overall, patients rated the usability of the system as relatively easy. CONCLUSIONS: Tablet-based follow up is feasible after surgical repair of minor abdominal wall hernias, with good adherence rates during the first couple of weeks after surgery. Thus, such a system could be a useful tool to supplement or even replace traditional outpatient follow up in selected general surgical patients.