Endoscopic filling with polyglycolic acid sheets and fibrin glue of persistent fistula after esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of anastomotic leakage in reconstruction after esophagectomy remains challenging. This report presents a new endoscopic filling method for persistent fistula after failure of conservative treatment of leakage caused by anastomotic insufficiency. METHODS: 10 of 14 patients, in whom post-esophagectomy leakage had failed to resolve after 2 weeks of conservative treatment, underwent endoscopic filling with polyglycolic acid (PGA) sheet and fibrin glue into the anastomotic leakage site, using a delivery tube and endoscopic catheter, respectively. RESULTS: Each patient underwent jejunostomy, to secure nutrition. The leakage was resolved in all 10 patients. The mean number of PGA - fibrin glue procedures was 1.7. The mean period from the first application to the resumption of oral intake was 31.6 days, from the final application it was 14.7 days. CONCLUSIONS: The reported filling method offers a new endoscopic approach for persistent fistula after esophagectomy when conservative treatment of leakage has failed.

Utility of thoracic cage width in assessing surgical difficulty of minimally invasive esophagectomy in left lateral decubitus position.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the surgical difficulty of minimally invasive esophagectomy in the left lateral decubitus position for patients with esophageal cancer from the perspective of short-term outcomes, including operation time, blood loss, and morbidity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The initial 44 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy were statistically analyzed retrospectively. Thoracic cage area was measured from preoperative computed tomography as a factor affecting the surgical difficulty of minimally invasive esophagectomy, as well as other patient characteristics. Correlations with short-term outcomes including chest operation time, blood loss, and morbidity rate were then examined. RESULTS: In univariate analyses, smaller area of the upper thoracic cage width correlated with prolonged thoracic procedure time (p = 0.0119) and greater blood loss during thoracic procedures (p = 0.0283), but area of the lower thoracic cage showed no correlations. History of respiratory disease was associated with thoracic procedure time (p < 0.0001), but not blood loss. In multivariate analysis, small area of the upper thoracic cage was independently associated with prolonged thoracic procedure time (p = 0.0253). Small upper thoracic cage area was not directly correlated with morbidity rate, but prolonged thoracic procedure time was associated with increased blood loss (p < 0.0001) and morbidity rate (p = 0.0204). Empirical time reduction (p = 0.0065), but not blood loss, was associated with thoracic procedure time. However, area of the upper thoracic cage did not correlate with empirical case number. In multivariate analysis, area of the upper thoracic cage (p = 0.0317) and empirical case number (p = 0.0193) correlated independently with thoracic procedure time. CONCLUSION: A small area of the upper thoracic cage correlated significantly with prolonged thoracic procedure time and increased thoracic blood loss for minimally invasive esophagectomy in the left lateral decubitus position, suggesting the surgical difficulty of minimally invasive esophagectomy in the left lateral decubitus position.

Clinical significance of preoperative nutritional parameter and patient outcomes after pancreatectomy: A retrospective study at two academic institute.

BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Preoperative nutritional status has been reported to influence patient outcomes after pancreatectomy. The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) is a useful parameter to reflect the outcomes of patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. Therefore, the relationship between the PNI and clinicopathological factors, surgical data, and postoperative morbidity were retrospectively evaluated at two academic institutes in a cohort study. METHODS: Curative pancreatectomy was performed on 222 patients at the University of Nagasaki between 1995 and March 2015, and 101 at the University of Miyazaki between April 2015and March 2018. The PNI was calculated using preoperative albumin and total cholesterol levels. RESULTS: The mean PNI in our series was 39.2±5.4 and the prevalence of PNIs less than 40 was observed in 134 patients (44%). The PNI was not significantly different between normal, hard, and fatty architecture of the pancreatic parenchyma. The PNIs were significantly negatively correlated with higher age (p<0.01), but not with gender, co-morbidity, or habits. The PNI was significantly correlated with levels of hemoglobin, prothrombin activity, choline esterase, total protein, albumin and cholesterol (p<0.01), and with postoperative total protein and albumin levels (p<0.05). Although the preoperative PNI tended to be lower in patients with total postoperative complications, no significant differences for each complication were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Although the preoperative PNIs reflect the perioperative nutritional status, its predictive usefulness for postoperative complications could not be significantly confirmed.

A resected case of hepato-pancreaticoduodenectomy for widely extended cholangiocarcinoma undergoing previous intra-abdominal poly-surgery.

INTRODUCTION: This case report describes a successful radical operation for a patient with extensive advanced cholangiocarcinoma who had previously undergone intra-abdominal poly-surgery for advanced gall bladder carcinoma. Careful diagnosis to define the adequate division of the right hepatic duct was performed, and the operation was completed without postoperative complications. CASE PRESENTATION: A 61-year-old woman was admitted to a hospital for obstructive jaundice, and extra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma was found. Seven years prior, she underwent poly-surgery, which included cholecystectomy, gastrectomy, and colectomy, for advanced gall bladder carcinoma. Although she did not receive adjuvant chemotherapy, she had no tumor relapse. She was recommended chemo-radiation therapy to treat the cholangiocarcinoma; however, she visited our hospital to inquire the possibility of receiving radical operation. Enhanced computed tomography showed extensive cholangiocarcinoma without distant metastases, which was confirmed by endoscopic biopsy. Since the transected bile duct was without cancer-invasion, which was confirmed by a negative biopsy result, we were able to perform radical left hepatectomy and pancreaticoduodenectomy (HPD). The patient was discharged without any complications. Careful preoperative examination allowed for a complex operation to be successfully completed. DISCUSSION: Complex surgery for advanced hepato-biliary-pancreatic malignancies after poly-surgery is difficult and requires expertise and intensive postoperative care. CONCLUSION: HPB surgeons should adopt an aggressive policy to treat patients who have undergone previous major abdominal surgery.

A successfully resected case of left trisectionectomy with arterio-portal combined resection for advanced cholangiocarcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: The present case report demonstrated the successfully radical operation (R0) for the highly advanced cholangiocarcinoma involving hilar hepatic arteries and portal vein, The careful preoperative diagnosis to define the adequate resection area and the expert operation was achieved without postoperative severe complications. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 55-year-old male was admitted to our hospital with obstructive jaundice, and the perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PC) was found. At the time of finding PC, enhanced computed tomography showed the widely extension and involved the surrounding right hepatic artery (RHA) and bilateral portal veins (PV). According to extension of PC, left trisectionectomy combined resection of RHA and PV trunk was scheduled. By supporting plastic surgeon's procedure, the scheduled R0 operation could be achieved and the patient was discharged without any severe complication but delayed intrahepatic abscess formation. After abscess drainage, he could immediately recovered and tumor relapse was not observed for a couple of months. By carefully preoperative examination, a complicated operation was successfully completed. DISCUSSION: The major hepatectomy with arterio-portal resections and anastomosis for advanced has been challenged at the high-volume center and the improvement of survival seemed to be obtained and, however, operative risk is still remained. This operation could be achieved by the expert surgeons under precise planning or management. CONCLUSION: The role of HBP surgeons is to challenge aggressive surgery even for patients with highly advanced local extension of PC.

A case of separation surgery with drainage tube-less (DRESS) esophagostomy for advanced cancer with a respiratory fistula.

INTRODUCTION: An esophagorespiratory fistula (ERF) can cause severe pneumonia or a lung abscess which progresses to life-threatening sepsis. A case of a patient with esophageal cancer and an esophagopulmonary fistula (EPF) who underwent separation surgery with drainage tube-less (DRESS) esophagostomy and was promptly started on definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is reported. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 79-year-old man visited a clinic with a month-long history of dysphagia. Esophageal cancer at the middle thoracic esophagus was detected, and invasion of the left main bronchus and lower lobe of the right lung was seen on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). Three weeks later, the patient was transferred to our hospital. CT showed a lung abscess in the lower lobe of the right lung that continued into the adjacent esophageal cancer. Due to the EPF, the patient underwent emergency surgery that consisted of esophageal separation surgery and double bilateral esophagostomy and enterostomy. Definitive CRT for the esophageal cancer was started from postoperative day 25. At six-month follow-up, the patient achieved relapse-free survival. DISCUSSION: Separation surgery with a DRESS esophagostomy provides good control of inflammation because of division of the respiratory tract from the alimentary tract, which allows prompt initiation of CRT. Alternatively, a DRESS esophagostomy allows patients to be free from any tube trouble. CONCLUSION: Separation surgery with a DRESS esophagostomy for an ERF is a promising method to improve patient quality of life that is less invasive, controls inflammation, and facilitates subsequent definitive CRT.