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Background/Aims: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has affected the worldwide practice of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Here we designed a modified N95 respirator with a channel for endoscope insertion and evaluated its efficacy in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Methods: Thirty patients scheduled for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were randomized into the modified N95 (n=15) or control (n=15) group. The mask was placed on the patient after anesthesia administration and particles were counted every minute before (baseline) and during the procedure by a TSI AeroTrak particle counter (9306-04; TSI Inc.) and categorized by size (0.3, 0.5, 1, 3, 5, and 10 µm). Differences in particle counts between time points were recorded. Results: During the procedure, the modified N95 group displayed significantly smaller overall particle sizes than the control group (median [interquartile range], 231 [54-385] vs. 579 [213-1,379]×103/m3; p=0.056). However, the intervention group had a significant decrease in 0.3-µm particles (68 [-25-185] vs. 242 [72-588]×103/m3; p=0.045). No adverse events occurred in either group. The device did not cause any inconvenience to the endoscopists or patients. Conclusions: This modified N95 respirator reduced the number of particles, especially 0.3-µm particles, generated during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.
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BACKGROUND: Despite the infrequency of trocar site hernias (TSHs), fascial closure continues to be recommended for their prevention when using a ≥ 10-mm trocar. AIM: To identify the necessity of fascial closure for a 12-mm nonbladed trocar incision in minimally invasive colorectal surgeries. METHODS: Between July 2010 and December 2018, all patients who underwent minimally invasive colorectal surgery at the Minimally Invasive Surgery Unit of Siriraj Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent cross-sectional imaging for TSH assessment. Clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. Incidence rates of TSH and postoperative results were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 254 patients included, 70 (111 ports) were in the fascial closure (closed) group and 184 (279 ports) were in the nonfascial closure (open) group. The median follow up duration was 43 mo. During follow up, three patients in the open group developed TSHs, whereas none in the closed group developed the condition (1.1% vs 0%, P = 0.561). All TSHs occurred in the right lower abdomen. Patients whose drains were placed through the same incision had higher rates of TSHs compared with those without the drain. The open group had a significantly shorter operative time and lower blood loss than the closed group. CONCLUSION: Routine performance of fascial closure when using a 12-mm nonbladed trocar may not be needed. However, further prospective studies with cross-sectional imaging follow-up and larger sample size are needed to confirm this finding.
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In the highly contagious coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) are associated with high-risk of transmission. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a procedure with the potential to cause dissemination of bodily fluids. At present, there is no consensus that endoscopy is defined as an AGP. This review discusses the current evidence on this topic with additional management. Prevailing publications on coronavirus related to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and aerosolization from the PubMed and Scopus databases were searched and reviewed. Comparative quantitative analyses showed a significant elevation of particle numbers, implying that aerosols were generated by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The associated source events have also been reported. To reduce the dispersion, certain protective measures have been developed. Endoscopic unit protocols are recommended for the concerned personnel. Therefore, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy should be classified as an AGP. Proper practices should be adopted by healthcare workers and patients.
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Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with complication after gastrectomy for gastric or esophagogastric cancer compared among surgical purpose (curative vs. palliative), surgical extent (subtotal vs. total vs. extended), and patient age (adult vs. older adult vs. octogenarian). Materials and methods: Medical records of patients with gastric/esophagogastric junction cancer who underwent gastrectomy at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) during January 2005 to June 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Complications were compared and risk factors were identified. Results: Of 454 included patients, 84.8% and 15.2% underwent curative and palliative gastrectomy, respectively. Overall postoperative morbidity was not significantly different between groups. Extended and total gastrectomy demonstrated a trend towards higher postoperative complication. Age ≥70 years in curative gastrectomy, and age ≥80 years in palliative gastrectomy were significantly associated with increased postoperative complications (OR: 4.67, 95%CI: 1.46-14.9 and OR: 17.50, 95%CI: 1.22-250.36, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed age ≥70 years, coronary artery disease (CAD), tumor size >5 cm, and operative time >210 min to be independent risk factors for postoperative complication. ASA class III-IV and preoperative serum albumin <3.5 g/dL did not survive multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Purpose and extent of surgery were not associated with incidence and severity of postoperative morbidity. Age ≥70 years was associated with higher postoperative complication after curative gastrectomy, and age ≥80 years was associated with adverse events after palliative gastrectomy. Patients with age ≥70 years, CAD, tumor size >5 cm, and operative time >210 min should be considered high-risk patients.
