Achalasia Treatment. Robotic Approach or Laparoscopy?

Background: Nowadays the question persists whether to choose the endoscopic or surgical method as the first treatment of choice for achalasia. Another debate topic is about the differences between the outcomes of the two approaches of minimally invasive surgical treatment and their feasibility. Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 193 patients with achalasia treated between 2008 and 2021. The patients were divided into 2 groups (A and B): 152 with minimally invasive heller myotomy (HM), and 41 with pneumatic dilation (PD). Patients surgically treated were then subdivided into robotic group (RG) and laparoscopic group (LG). Results: The recurrence rate was significantly higher in PD group (Ã?2 = 16.81, DF = 1, p 0.0001), with a success rate of 63,4%, comparing with 92,7% in HM group. No significant difference was obtained between the 2 groups concerning symptom relief on patients successfully treated. The success rate was comparable between the robotic and laparoscopic groups (p = 1). Significant difference was obtained in length of hospital stay between the 2 groups, with a mean of 4.78 +-1.59 days in the RG and, respectively, 5.52 +-2.1 days in the LG (t = 2.40, DF = 124.34, p = 0.0177). Postprocedural esophagitis rates were higher in patients with no fundoplication (6 out of 37 - 16.2%) and in patients treated with pneumatic dilation (4 out of 26 - 15.4%) than in patients with fundoplication (4 out of 46 - 8.5%). Conclusion: The present study indicates that surgery may be a better choice in fit patients for the treatment of achalasia. The procedure has a better success rate, even if the long-term outcomes are comparable in patients successfully treated. The success rate and long-term results were comparable between laparoscopy and robotic surgery.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Acute Biliary Pancreatitis: Urgent vs. Delayed and the Outcome of Same-Admission Cholecystectomy.

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis (AP) represents a major burden for the medical system, associating important morbidity and mortality rates. This paper is focused on debatable aspects of the management of biliary AP, namely indications, timing and outcomes of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) on the hand and, on the other hand, same-admission cholecystectomy as a preventive measure for recurrent disease. Material and methods: This is a retrospective study including 108 patients with biliary AP in whom ERCP was performed, treated in the Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest between 2016 and 2020. According to the urgency of the ERCP, we divided the patients into two groups: urgent versus delayed ERCP. Results: Urgent ERCP was performed in 52 patients, while delayed ERCP was performed in 56 patients; the hospital stay was higher in the urgent group than in the delayed group (10 days vs 8 days, p = 0.299) with no difference in morbidity rates. The mean time between ERCP and surgery was 5 days, without significant difference between the groups. The laparoscopic approach was the preferred method, with a conversion rate of 7%. Conclusion: ERCP with stone extraction followed by same-admission laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe therapeutic option, that prevents recurrent pancreatitis. The timing of the procedures remains debatable, further prospective studies being needed to achieve statistical significance.

Abdominoperineal Resection for Rectal Cancer: Open, Laparoscopic or Robotic Approach.

OBJECTIVES: The present study compares abdominoperineal resection (APR) performed by minimally invasive and open approach, regarding preoperative selection criteria, intraoperative and early postoperative aspects, in choosing the suitable technique performed by surgical teams with experience in both open and minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Methods: This is a retrospective study, conducted between 2008-2020. Two hundred thirty-three patients with APR performed for low rectal or anal cancer were included. The cohort was divided into two groups, depending on the surgical approach used: Minimally Invasive Surgery (laparoscopic and robotic procedures) and Open Surgery (OS). The perioperative characteristics were analyzed in order to identify the optimal approach and a possible selection criteria. Results: We identified a high percentage of patients with a history of abdominal surgery in the open group (p = .0002). Intraoperative blood loss was significantly higher in the open group (p= .02), with an increased number of simultaneous resections (p = .041). The early postoperative outcome was marked by significantly lower morbidity in the MIS group (p = .005), with mortality recorded only in the open group (3 cases), in patients that associated severe comorbidities. The hystopathological results identified a significant number of patients with stage T2 in the MIS group (p= .037). Conclusions: Minimally invasive surgery provides a major advantage to APR, by avoiding an additional incision, the specimen being extracted through the perineal wound. The success of MIS APR seems to be assured by a good preoperative selection of the patients, alongside with experienced surgical teams in both open and minimally invasive rectal resections. The lack of conversion identified in robotic APR confirm the technical superiority over laparoscopic approach.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Cirrhotic Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Cirrhosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Although cirrhotic patients are considered to have a higher risk for surgical procedures than non-cirrhotic ones, there are certain pathologies such as gallstones cholecystitis that cannot be treated otherwise. The focus of this study is to evaluate the main characteristics of the patients with lithiasic cholecystitis and liver cirrhosis and to assess if there is a correlation between them and postoperative morbidity evaluated with Dindo-Clavien classification. Material and Methods: This is a retrospective study. The database from General Surgery Department of Fundeni Clinical Institute was queried between 2014-2018 using as key words "cirrhosis" and "cholecystitis". The initial interrogation reveled 57 cases out of which 3 were excluded since other resections were associated. Results: This study identified that Dindo-Clavien classification positively correlates with the open approach (0.405, p=0.002), emergency surgery (0.599, p=0.000), acute cholecystitis (0.476, p=0.000), high MELD score (0.291, p=0.008) and Child score (0.346, p=0.007) and furthermore with high levels of total bilirubin (0.220, p=0.047), high INR (0.286, p=0.010), the presence of ascites (0.303, p=0.022) and portal hypertension (0.266, p=0.044). It also correlates negatively with the levels of hemoglobin (-0.295, p=0.044). Conclusion: Adequate estimation of perioperative mortality and morbidity is generally limited by the retrospective nature of most studies and the patient's selection criteria. Emergency surgery, acute cholecystitis and the open approach carry the highest risk for unfavorable results of cholecystectomy in cirrhotic patients.

Ureteric Stent Use - Part of the Solution and Part of the Problem.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to comprehensively report on a single tertiary referral center experience with the use of ureteric stents, assess complication burden and determine risk factors to further inform institutional practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrospectively analyzed cohorts includes 529 patients treated over a 12 months period. Data regarding details of the index pathology, stent characteristics and complications were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: Most stents (58.9%) were used in the context of stone surgery. Stent encrustation occurred in 14.5% of patients and sepsis in 4.3%. There was a statistically significant difference between the complications of the stents removed after 90 days and the rest of the cohort. Infectious complications were more frequent in diabetic patients and in patients with chronic renal impairment. At our institution, we managed to avoid forgotten stents and catastrophic complications. CONCLUSION: Stent complications are the complex outcome of interplay between the foreign body and the collecting system environment, influenced by the nature and timing of surgery. Longer stent dwelling times are associated with increased complications rates, especially in patients with significant comorbidities.

Periprosthetic bleeding 18 years post-silicone reconstruction of the orbital floor.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic orbital haemorrhage is an uncommon complication of the alloplastic implants used in post-traumatic orbital floor repair. The small case series or individual reports provide no definite causative explanation for this delayed bleeding around silicone implants. It is likely that it is related to the disruption of fine capillaries within the pseudocapsule surrounding the implant, since the material does cause low-grade irritation with evidence of chronic inflammation. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a patient who developed a spontaneous periprosthetic bleeding 18 years' post-silicone sheet reconstruction of the orbital floor. RESULTS: Urgent removal of the implant insured prompt resolution of all symptoms and no further problem during the 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: This report emphasizes that periprosthetic orbital haemorrhage can occur years after the initial repair. Awareness of this rare complication allows for prompt diagnosis, decreasing the possibility of permanent damage of the orbital content. The removal of implant is necessary to relieve the symptoms and prevent potential infective complications.

Training of microsurgical skills on nonliving models.

Although direct exposure to procedures in the operating theater environment, together with practice on laboratory animals, is still seen as the gold standard of teaching in microsurgery, practice on nonliving simulators is currently being validated as an important educational tool. We reviewed the widely used nonliving training models, together with currently accepted innovations, which are parts of curricula of training courses in microsurgery. Using the experience accumulated in training programs at the Centre for Simulation and Training in Surgery, we identified which particular skills can be reliably targeted by each nonliving tissue exercise. We were able to find five groups of nonliving training models: basic manipulation, knot-tying principles, completing the anastomosis, the real tissue experience, and training in virtual reality. The more abstract models might seem quite far from the real life experience, but they each closely address specific skills. It thus becomes convenient for the instructor to train these skills separately. This generates series of consistently favorable results once the skills are integrated into a more complex procedure. Focused exercises, once assembled in continuity, reconstruct the real life scenario. The training program can comprise a series of increasingly difficult exercises, which mirror the real life situations. Performance on nonliving models in each progressively more challenging exercise can be assessed via direct observation, assisted by clear and objective criteria. Finally, focused training will help both the transition to human surgery and replication of the favorable results to large series of subjects.

Assessment of the microsurgical skills: 30 minutes versus 2 weeks patency.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the amount of training needed by a trainee, with no background in microsurgery, in order to achieve proper skills for microvascular anastomosis. A protocol based on the rat femoral artery was established to provide a quantitative representation. Five inexperienced subjects started performing microvascular anastomosis. Patency was assessed at 30 min. The final assessment was performed at 2 weeks when rats were reoperated and the patency below the anastomosis was checked. The experiment was discontinued for one subject when he/she succeeded to have two series of four anastomosis with 100% patency at 2 weeks. The results were: 47.5% patency rate at 30 min and 7.5% at 2 weeks (series 1-2); 67.5 and 32.5% (3-4); 82.5 and 35% (5-6); 100 and 70% (7-8); 100 and 87.5% (9-10). Two trainees obtained 100% patency at 2 weeks after series 9-10. Other three needed two more series. There is a significant statistic difference (P < 0.01) between the results at 30 min and 2 weeks for the series (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8). The patency rate at 2 weeks reflects in a better way the microsurgical skills of a trainee. For long term functioning anastomosis, the training period needs an extension beyond that necessary for 100% patency at 30 min.