Obturator Hernia in a 71-Year-Old Patient: A Diagnostic Challenge.

An obturator hernia is a relatively rare form of pelvic hernia, wherein abdominal organs protrude through an opening in the pelvis known as the obturator foramen. The majority of patients with this condition present to the emergency room with symptoms of bowel obstruction. Due to the non-specific nature of these symptoms, making a preoperative diagnosis of obturator hernia can be challenging. Any delay in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition can lead to a significant risk of mortality. In this report, we present the case of a 71-year-old patient who presented to the emergency department complaining of lower abdominal pain and nausea. An abdominal X-ray revealed bowel dilation, and based on the patient's symptoms, a diagnosis of bowel obstruction was suspected. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis was performed to investigate the reason for bowel dilation, and the existence of an obturator hernia was confirmed.

Minimally invasive surgery for paraduodenal hernias: report of a case and mini-review of operative techniques.

BACKGROUND: Paraduodenal hernias (PDHs) are the most common congenital internal hernias. Herein, we present a successful laparoscopic repair of a left PDH and we review the minimally invasive techniques that have been used to treat PDHs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An 18-year-old female patient with multiple visits to the emergency department for abdominal pain was ultimately diagnosed with a left PDH. She underwent a four-port laparoscopic repair. In order to review the minimally invasive PDH repair techniques used, we searched the PubMed® database and found 53 original studies with a total of 66 minimally invasive PDH repairs (51 left PDH repairs, 15 right PDH repairs) over a period of 24 years (1998-2022). RESULTS: The patient's postoperative course was uneventful and she was discharged on the 7th postoperative day. The literature review showed that closure of the hernia orifice was performed in 88% of left PDH repairs, whereas wide opening of the hernia orifice with or without mobilization of the right colon was performed in 81% of right PDH repairs. Of the patients with available postoperative data, none experienced complications other than grade Ι according to the Clavien-Dindo classification in the early postoperative period, and only one patient presented symptomatic hernia recurrence at a median follow-up of 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Based on limited publications and our own experience, minimally invasive repair of PDHs has so far been shown to be feasible and safe in the great majority of cases without irreversible small intestine ischemia/peritonitis.

Right-Sided Diverticulitis: A Rare Cause of Right-Sided Abdominal Pain.

Acute diverticulitis is a particularly common medical entity, and its frequency increases with age. The most commonly affected part of the large intestine is the sigmoid colon, while right-sided diverticulitis is very rare. Here, we report the case of a 59-year-old man who presented to the emergency department due to acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain. The patient was diagnosed with a computed tomography scan of the abdomen with intravenous contrast with right-sided diverticulitis. The patient's treatment included hydration and intravenous antibiotics (ciprofloxacin and metronidazole). After three days of hospitalization, the patient was discharged from the hospital in stable condition and without signs of inflammation. This case report demonstrates the importance of including right-sided diverticulitis in the differential diagnosis of acute right lower quadrant abdominal pain, as in most cases patients are treated conservatively without the need for surgical intervention.

Femoral Hernia Containing a Strangulated Appendix: A Hybrid Approach.

We present an intriguing case of an incarcerated femoral hernia containing an inflamed appendix inside the sac, also known as a De Garengeot hernia. This type of hernia is a rare occurrence that was first described in 1731 by the French surgeon René-Jacque Croissant de Garengeot. A 64-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with a painful mass in the right groin region. Following a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis to evaluate the mass, the diagnosis of a femoral hernia containing a strangulated appendix was established. Subsequently, a hybrid surgical approach was utilized, consisting of an open hernia repair and a laparoscopic appendectomy.

Outcomes of percutaneous cholecystostomy in elderly patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) represents a management option to control sepsis in patients with acute cholecystitis, who are unable to tolerate surgery. AIM: This review aimed to evaluate the outcomes of elderly patients treated with PC and compare it with emergent cholecystectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An electronic search of the Embase, Medline Web of Science, and Cochrane databases was performed. Percutaneous cholecystostomy was used as the reference group, and weighted mean differences (WMD) were calculated for the effect of PC on continuous variables, and pooled odds ratios (POR) were calculated for discrete variables. RESULTS: There were 20 trials included in this review. Utilisation of PC was associated with significantly increased mortality (POR = 4.85; 95% CI: 1.02-7.30; p = 0.0001) and increased re-admission rates (POR = 2.95; 95% CI: 2.21-3.87; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This pooled analysis established that patients treated with PC appear to have increased mortality and readmission rates relative to those managed with cholecystectomy.

Symptomatic pseudoaneurysms following laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Focus on an unusual and dangerous complication.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been associated with an increase in the incidence of biliary and vascular injuries. Pseudoaneurysms (PAs) following LC are rare life-threatening events with limited available experience regarding diagnosis and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An extensive review of literature during a 26-year period (1994-2020) using MEDLINE® database and Google Scholar® academic search engine revealed 134 patients with at least one symptomatic PA following LC. RESULTS: Nearly.81% of patients with PAs become symptomatic during the first 8 weeks following LC. The most common symptoms were gastrointestinal bleeding (74%) and abdominal pain (61%). In 28% of cases, there was a concomitant bile duct injury or leak from the cystic duct stump, whereas in about one-third of cases, PAs presented following an uneventful LC. The most common involved arteries were the right hepatic artery (70%), the cystic artery (19%) or both of them (3%). Trans-arterial embolisation was the favoured first-line treatment with a success rate of 83%. During a median follow-up of 9 months, the mortality rate was 7%. CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware of the PA occurrence following LC. Prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential.

Are the Changes in Gastrointestinal Hormone Secretion Necessary for the Success of Bariatric Surgery? A Critical Review of the Literature.

Ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and peptide YY (PYY) are involved in energy balance regulation and glucose homeostasis. Obesity is characterized by lower fasting levels and blunted postprandial responses of ghrelin, GLP-1, and possibly PYY. Both Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) have been shown to increase postprandial GLP-1 and PYY levels. Human studies have shown that enhanced postprandial GLP-1 and PYY release are associated with favorable weight loss outcomes after RYGB. However, studies in knockout mice have shown that GI hormones are not required for the primary metabolic effects of bariatric surgery. Here, we summarize the complex interaction between obesity, bariatric surgery, and GI hormones in order to determine the exact role of GI hormones in the success of bariatric surgery.

A shift to more targeted thyroidectomies increased the detection of thyroid cancer and in particular low-risk papillary tumors in Southwestern Greece the decade 2007 to 2016.

OBJECTIVES: Data regarding thyroid cancer (TC) epidemiology in Greece in the last decade are scarce, so we investigated the trends in TC detection during 2007 to 2016. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 2040 pathology reports of total thyroidectomies performed at our institution from 2007 to 2016. RESULTS: A number of 478 cases of TC were identified in the studied decade. The overall incidence of TC among thyroidectomies rose over the years. The proportion of papillary T1 tumors among thyroidectomies increased in the second period of our study (2012-2016), while that of papillary T2 to T4 tumors and other TC subtypes remained unchanged. Papillary T1 tumors represented 63.6% of all TC cases and 75.3% of them were low-risk microcarcinomas (papillary thyroid microcarcinoma). The strategy of fine needle aspiration (FNA) prior to surgery in the management of thyroid nodules was adopted by more clinical endocrinologists in the area of Southwestern (SW) Greece in the second period of our study (2012-2016:29.7% vs 2007-2011:18.4%, P < .001). Consequently, the indication for thyroidectomy was set by FNA more frequently in 2012 to 2016 than in 2007 to 2011 (42.5% vs 26.4% of cases, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The wider use of FNA in the triage of thyroid nodules led to increased rates of TC in thyroidectomies performed in SW Greece during the decade 2007 to 2016; low-risk, small papillary tumors represented the majority of TC cases.