Dealing with malignancy involving the inferior vena cava in the 21st century.

INTRODUCTION: Malignancies involving the inferior vena cava (IVC) have historically been considered not amendable to surgery. More recently, involvement of the IVC by neoplastic processes in the kidney, liver or in the retroperitoneum can be managed successfully. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: In this systematic review we summarize the current evidence regarding the surgical management of the IVC in cases of involvement in neoplastic processes. Current literature was searched, and studies selected on the base of the PRISMA guidelines. Evidence was synthesized in narrative form due to heterogeneity of studies. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Renal cell carcinoma accounts for the greatest proportion of studied patients and can be managed with partial or complete vascular exclusion of the IVC, thrombectomy and direct closure or patch repair with good oncological prognosis. Hepatic malignancies or metastases may involve the IVC, and the joint expertise of hepatobiliary and vascular surgeons has developed various strategies, according to the location of tumor and the need to perform a complete vascular exclusion above the hepatic veins. In retroperitoneal lymph node dissection, the IVC can be excised en-block to guarantee better oncological margins. Also, in retroperitoneal sarcomas not arising from the IVC a vascular substitution may be required to improve the overall survival by clearing all the neoplastic cells in the retroperitoneum. Leiomyoma can have a challenging presentation with involvement of the IVC requiring either thrombectomy, partial or complete substitution, with good oncological outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: A multidisciplinary approach with specialist expertise is required when dealing with IVC involvement in surgical oncology. Multiple techniques and strategies are required to deliver the most efficient care and achieve the best possible overall survival. The main aim of these procedures must be the complete clearance of all neoplastic cells and achievement of a safe margin according to the perioperative treatment strategy.

Safety analysis of endoscopic haemostasis using a high-frequency live tissue electric welding device - EKVZ300 PATONMED.

INTRODUCTION: The method of a bipolar high-frequency welding (HFEW) of soft living tissues of animals and humans has been used in various areas of surgery. However, it has not been utilized in endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures yet. HFEW has strong potential to be used in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures due to the competitive cost of generator devices and due to its proven ability to coagulate vessels of wide diameter as compared to standard electrocautery devices. AIM: To investigate the effectiveness of the endoscopic haemostasis using HFEW generator device - 300 PATONMED - in a porcine model of arterial gastrointestinal bleeding. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A porcine model of arterial gastrointestinal bleeding was created. A 300 PATONMED set to the "welding" regime and a flexible 7 Fr bipolar coagulation probe with two electrodes on the tip fashioned spirally attached to convey energy were tested. Once bleeding from the artery had been initiated, the bipolar probe was applied to coagulate the bleeding site. Animals were observed for clinical evidence of recurrent bleeding and subsequently were euthanised for histological examination. RESULTS: A total of 10 experiments were successfully completed. An optimal haemostatic effect was achieved with durations of cautery of five to eight seconds in all animals. Continuous observation after haemostasis revealed no evidence of re-bleeding. No systemic side-effects of the technique were observed. Histological examination has shown that the peripheral thermal injury area that surrounded the coagulation zone did not spread beyond the mucosal layer in depth and 2 mm in width. CONCLUSIONS: This animal study provided evidence for the safety of an HFEW in the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding. The advantages of this technology are smokeless operative area, no tissue overheating, minimal necrosis and damage to surrounding gastric tissue, and the fact that the area of HFEW is confined to the area of the electrodes.

Meckel's diverticulitis: a rare entity of Meckel's diverticulum.

Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital abnormality of the small intestine that results from incomplete closure of the vitelline (omphalo-mesenteric) duct. This true diverticulum, ~2 ft from the ileocecal valve commonly found on the anti-mesenteric border of the ileum, is benign and majority asymptomatic. Diagnosis challenges arise when it became inflamed or presented in following ways, for example, haemorrhage (caused by ectopic pepsin-and hydrochloric acid-secreting gastric mucosa), intestinal obstruction (secondary to intussusception or volvulus) or the presence of diverticulum in the hernia sac (Littre's hernia). We report a case of a 59-year-old male who was admitted under the surgical service at Blackpool Victoria Hospital with suspected appendicitis that turned out to be a Meckel's diverticulitis, a rare presentation of an acute abdomen. We discuss the issues involved in his investigation and management as well as perform a literature review comparing different surgical approaches.

The effects of enteral immunonutrition in upper gastrointestinal surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: The beneficial of immunonutrition on overall morbidity and mortality remains uncertain. We undertook a systematic review to evaluate the effects of immune-enhancing enteral nutrition (IEN) in upper gastrointestinal (GI) surgery. METHODS: Main electronic databases [MEDLINE via Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Cochrane Library, and clinical trial registry (ClinicalTrial.gov)] were searched for studies reported clinical outcomes comparing standard enteral nutrition (SEN) and immunonutrition (IEN). The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and meta-analysis was analysed using fixed and random-effects models. RESULTS: Nineteen RCTs with a total of 2016 patients (1017 IEN and 999 SEN) were included in the final pooled analysis. The ratio of patients underwent oesophagectomy:gastrectomy:pancreatectomy was 2.2:1.2:1.0. IEN, when administered post-operatively, was associated with a significantly lower risk of wound infection (risk ratio (RR) 0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40 to 0.88; p = 0.009) and shorter length of hospital stay (MD -2.92 days, 95% CI -3.89 to -1.95; p < 0.00001). No significant differences in other post-operative morbidities of interest (e.g. anastomotic leak and pulmonary infection) and mortality between the two groups were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our analysis found that IEN decreases wound infection rates and reduces length of stay. It should be recommended as routine nutritional support as part of the Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) programmes for upper GI Surgery.

Intra-abdominal drainage for laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To assess the effectiveness of intra-abdominal drainage (IAD) post laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). METHODS: Main electronic databases [MEDLINE via Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Cochrane Library, and clinical trial registry (ClinicalTrial.gov)] were searched for randomised controlled trial (RCT) reporting outcomes of IAD. The systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and meta-analysis was analysed using fixed and random-effects models. RESULTS: Twelve RCTs involving 1763 patients (897 drained versus 866 without drain) were included in the final pooled analysis. There was no statistically significant different in the rate of intra-abdominal collections (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.49; p = 0.65). IAD did not reduce the overall incidence of nausea and vomiting (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.36; p = 0.36) and shoulder tip pain (RR 0.99, 95% CI 0.69 to 1.40; p = 0.93). Drain group had a significant higher pain scores (measured by visual analogue scale) (MD 10.08, 95% CI 5.24 to 14.92; p < 0.00001). IAD prolonged operative time (MD 4.93 min, 95% CI 3.40 to 6.47; p < 0.00001) but not the length of hospital stay (MD 0.22 day, 95% CI -0.45 to 0.89; p = 0.52). Wound infection was found to be unrelated to the use of a drain (RR 1.86, 95% CI 0.95 to 3.63; p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant advantage of IAD placement. The routine use of abdominal drain seems to have unfavourable clinical outcome and the practice should be carefully re-considered.

A systematic review of spinal cord injury and cerebrospinal fluid drainage after thoracic aortic endografting.

BACKGROUND: The use of thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) is increasing. Similar to open repair, TEVAR carries a risk of spinal cord ischemia (SCI). We undertook a systematic review to determine whether preoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage reduces SCI. METHODS: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and conference abstracts were searched using the keywords thoracic endovascular aortic repair, cerebrospinal fluid, spinal cord ischaemia, TEVAR, and aneurysm. Studies reporting SCI rates and CSF drain rates for TEVAR patients were eligible for inclusion. SCI rates across studies were pooled using random-effects modeling. Study quality was evaluated using the Downs and Black score. RESULTS: Study quality was generally poor to moderate (median Downs and Black score, 9). The systematic review identified 46 eligible studies comprising 4936 patients; overall, SCI affected 3.89% (95% confidence interval, 2.95.05%-4.95%). Series reporting routine prophylactic drain placement or no prophylactic drain placement reported pooled SCI rates of 3.2% and 3.47%, respectively. The pooled SCI rate from 24 series stating that prophylactic drainage was used selectively was 5.6%. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal chord injury is uncommon after TEVAR. The role of prophylactic CSF drainage is difficult to establish from the available literature. High-quality studies are required to determine the role of prophylactic CSF drainage in TEVAR.