Minimally Invasive Therapy & Allied Technologies最新文献

Introduction: Hysteroscopy is a critical procedure in gynecology for diagnosing and managing intrauterine pathology. Traditional hands-on training faces ethical and safety challenges, leading to an increased reliance on simulation training. This review systematically assesses the effectiveness of hysteroscopic simulation training in enhancing the technical skills of obstetrics and gynecology residents and medical students.

Methods: A PRISMA-guided literature search was conducted, covering English-language articles from January 2000 to December 2023. Studies were selected based on pre-defined criteria, focusing on the impact of simulation training on the targeted educational group. Metrics for evaluating skill improvement included machine-recorded metrics, Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS), and global rating scales.

Results: The review included nine studies with varied designs, demonstrating significant improvements in hysteroscopic skills following simulation training. Virtual reality (VR) simulators showed substantial benefits in skill acquisition, while physical simulators provided valuable tactile feedback. However, long-term skill retention and the impact on non-technical skills were not adequately assessed.

Conclusions: Simulation-based training effectively enhances hysteroscopic skills in medical students and residents. Further research is needed to explore long-term skill retention and the development of non-technical competencies. Robust studies, including randomized trials, are required for definitive validation.

Background: The proliferation of several robotic platforms presents an opportunity to pinpoint the most suitable system for specific procedures and patient profiles. This study aims to explore differences in complications and functional outcomes among patients undergoing deep endometriosis excision with the da Vinci surgical system compared to the Hugo^™ RAS system.

Method: This is a retrospective, multicenter cohort study. Patients were categorized based on the surgical system used: the Da Vinci system and the Hugo^™ RAS system. Perioperative complications, functional outcomes (via validated questionnaire: BFLUTS, KESS, GIQLI), and pain symptoms both before and after surgery were compared between the two groups.

Results: A total of six postoperative complications were reported: four in the Da Vinci system group (20%) and two in the Hugo^™ RAS system group (12.5%). No difference in the mean operative time (p = 0.647), median estimated blood loss (p = 0.179), and hospital stay (p < 0.0001) was found between the two groups. A significant difference was reported in questionnaire score changes and dyspareunia severity in the da Vinci system arm.

Conclusions: Both robotic systems offer comparable performances in terms of intraoperative complications, although there was a higher incidence of postoperative complications in patients who underwent surgery with the Da Vinci system. Moreover, there was an improvement in dyspareunia, urinary, and gastrointestinal function in the same group.

Background: Hysterectomy for endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer in morbidly obese patients is challenging. Here, we reported data regarding three minimally invasive approaches.

Method: This is a multicenter retrospective study evaluating 30-day and 90-day surgery-related outcomes of morbidly obese patients (those with BMI > 40kg/m²) undergoing robotic-assisted, laparoscopic, and vaginal hysterectomy.

Results: Charts of 95 morbidly obese patients who underwent surgery for endometrial cancer were retrieved. Overall, robotic-assisted, laparoscopic, and vaginal surgeries were performed in 35 (36.8%), 38 (40%), and 22 (23.2%) patients, respectively. Patients having robotic-assisted surgery experienced longer operative time than patients having vaginal and laparoscopic approaches (p < 0.001). Surgical approaches did not influence the risk of having intraoperative and severe (Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or more) postoperative complications. No 90-day mortality occurred.

Conclusions: Robotic-assisted, laparoscopic, and vaginal surgery represent three safe and feasible minimally invasive approaches to manage morbidly obese patients with endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare and analyze the clinical effects of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and endoscopic band electrocision ligation (EEL) in the removal of gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs).

Method: We analyzed the clinical data of 130 patients with gastrointestinal SMTs (diameter ≤10 mm) who underwent endoscopic resection, including 62 cases in the EEL group and 68 in the ESD group, and compared indicators such as surgical time, intraoperative and postoperative complications, postoperative hospital stay, and surgical cost, between the EEL and ESD group.

Results: EEL surgery time (8.9 ± 1.1 min) was significantly shorter than the ESD group (62.3 ± 2.8 min) (p < .05), EEL surgery cost (5126.8 ± 26.5 yuan) was significantly lower than the ESD group (15721.3 ± 39.6 yuan) (p < .05), and intraoperative blood loss was also markedly lower in the EEL group (5.6 ± 1.7 ml) compared to the ESD group (42.3 ± 3.5 ml) (p < .05). There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative hospitalization time or postoperative complication incidence between the two groups (p > .05).

Conclusions: In treating gastric muscular, mucosal, or submucosal tumors with a diameter of less than 10 mm, the EEL surgical method was superior to the ESD surgical method in terms of surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, and cost. There was no difference in hospital stay and postoperative complication rate between the two methods, which was worthy of clinical application.

Background: Currently, there is no automated method for assessing cleanliness in video capsule endoscopy (VCE). Our objectives were to automate the process of evaluating and collecting medical scores of VCE frames according to the existing KOrea-CanaDA (KODA) scoring system by developing an easy-to-use mobile application called artificial intelligence-KODA (AI-KODA) score, as well as to determine the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of the KODA score among three readers for prospective AI applications, and check the efficacy of the application.

Method: From the 28 patient capsule videos considered, 1539 sequential frames were selected at five-minute intervals, and 634 random frames were selected at random intervals during small bowel transit. The frames were processed and shifted to AI-KODA. Three readers (gastroenterology fellows), who had been trained in reading VCE, rated 2173 frames in duplicate four weeks apart after completing the training module on AI-KODA. The scores were saved automatically in real time. Reliability was assessed for each video using estimate of intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). Then, the AI dataset was developed using the frames and their respective scores, and it was subjected to automatic classification of the scores via the random forest and the k-nearest neighbors classifiers.

Results: For sequential frames, ICCs for inter-rater variability were 'excellent' to 'good' among the three readers, while ICCs for intra-rater variability were 'good' to 'moderate'. For random frames, ICCs for inter-rater and intra-rater variability were 'excellent' among the three readers. The overall accuracy achieved was up to 61% for the random forest classifier and 62.38% for the k-nearest neighbors classifier.

Conclusions: AI-KODA automates the process of scoring VCE frames based on the existing KODA score. It saves time in cleanliness assessment and is user-friendly for research and clinical use. Comprehensive benchmarking of the AI dataset is in process.

Objective: A study analyzing perioperative outcomes related to a sudden switch from 3D to 2D-4K technology for laparoscopic sacral colpopexy by expert pelvic surgeons: are we addicted to technology?

Material and methods: After a sudden transition from 3D to 2D-4K laparoscopic technology, a total of 115 consecutive pelvic prolapse patients who underwent sacral colpopexy from June 2020 to September 2021 were retrospectively assessed from our database. Perioperative parameters, operative times (OT), and intraoperative difficulty scales were assessed. One-year follow-ups were analyzed for the study. Primary endpoints were OT; secondary endpoint was the evaluation of complications linked to this procedure.

Results: We found statistical differences in OT and intraoperative difficulty scales between medians of the last 3D procedures and the first ten 2D-4K surgeries, without differences between operators. Only after more than 20 surgeries, we observed no significant differences between 3D and 2D-4K sacral colpopexy. We observed no statistical differences in terms of anatomic failure, PGI-I, and intra-postoperative complications.

Conclusion: The transition of urogynecology from an exclusive vaginal approach to 2D-3D-4K laparoscopy significantly increased the level of technology necessary for surgical treatment of prolapse. This could, as a result, lead to pelvic surgeons becoming increasingly dependent on technology.

Background: Endometriosis of the distal segment of the uterosacral ligament may lead to a displaced ureter in the surgical field and must be identified before safe disease excision can be carried out. The aim of this study is to investigate the benefit of the systematic use of preoperative intraureteral indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence injection in patients undergoing endometriosis surgery.

Method: In this proof-of-concept, monocentric, observational, cohort study data were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Patients underwent laparoscopic surgery for deep infiltrating endometriosis with suspected ureteral involvement between January 2022 and December 2023. Using the propensity score matching (PSM) in a 1:1 matching ratio, patients who underwent preoperative ICG injection were compared with those who did not in terms of ureterolysis length and duration, and operative time.

Results: The mean length of ureterolysis was shorter in the ICG group compared to the non-ICG group (p < 0.001). The ICG group also had shorter ureterolysis duration (p < 0.001) and operative time (p = 0.02). No complications were reported at mean 6.8-month follow-up visit.

Conclusions: The systematic use of intraureteral ICG prior to uterosacral ligaments endometriosis surgery may be safe and could assist in reducing the length of ureterolysis and operative time. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Introduction: As life expectancy has been increasing, older patients are becoming more central to the healthcare system, leading to more intensive care use and longer hospital stays. Nevertheless, advancements in minimally invasive surgical techniques offer safe and effective options for older patients with colorectal diseases. This study aims to provide comprehensive evidence on the role of minimally invasive surgery in treating colorectal diseases in older patients.

Material and methods: All articles directly compared the minimally invasive approach with open surgery in patients aged ≥65 years. The present metanalysis took 30-day complications as primary outcomes. Length of hospital stay, readmission, and 30-day mortality were also assessed, as secondary outcomes. Further subgroup analyses were carried out based on surgery setting, lesion features, and location.

Results: After searching the main databases, 84 articles were included. Evaluation of 30-day complications rate, length of hospital stay, and 30-day mortality significantly favored minimally invasive approaches. The outcome readmission did not show any significant difference.

Conclusions: The current metanalysis demonstrates clear advantages of minimally invasive techniques over open surgery in colorectal procedures for older patients, particularly in reducing complications, mortality, and hospitalization. This suggests that prioritizing these techniques, based on available expertise and facilities, could improve outcomes and quality of care for older patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Background: Indocyanine green (ICG) is a visible near-infrared fluorescent dye. Several studies have reported its benefit in identifying important anatomical structures, tissue vascularization, and sentinel lymph nodes in the case of tumors. Studies have shown that ICG is critical and safe in gynecologic surgeries. However, research on how ICG dye can help surgeons in laparoscopic surgeries correctly identify the course of the ureter has yet to be further investigated.

Method: This cross-sectional study enrolled 62 gynecology attending and resident surgeons who were asked to identify the course of the ureter on images of laparoscopic surgeries. The results were then compared with images in which ICG dye highlighted the course of the ureter. The purpose of this study was to detect the ability of surgical assistants and residents to adequately identify the course of the ureter in laparoscopic pelvic surgeries.

Results: No statistically significant differences were found in terms of year of residency, years of experience, number of laparoscopic procedures attended, and correct identification of ureter course. ICG proved useful in identifying the correct ureteral trajectory.

Conclusions: ICG can be a valuable tool to improve the correct identification of ureters and improve surgical outcomes.

Purpose: This study was designed to conduct pooled comparisons of the relative clinical efficacy and safety of computed tomography (CT)-guided localization for pulmonary nodules (PNs) using either coil- or liquid material-based approaches.

Material and methods: Relevant articles published as of July 2023 were identified in the Web of Science, PubMed, and Wanfang databases, and pooled analyses of relevant endpoints were then conducted.

Results: Six articles that enrolled 287 patients (341 PNs) and 247 patients (301 PNs) that had respectively undergone CT-guided localization procedures using coil- and liquid material-based approaches prior to video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) were included in this meta-analysis. The liquid material group exhibited a significantly higher pooled successful localization rate as compared to the coil group (p = 0.01), together with significantly lower pooled total complication rates (p = 0.0008) and pneumothorax rates (p = 0.01). Both groups exhibited similar rates of pulmonary hemorrhage (p = 0.44) and successful wedge resection (p = 0.26). Liquid-based localization was also associated with significant reductions in pooled localization and VATS procedure durations (p = 0.004 and 0.007).

Conclusions: These data are consistent with CT-guided localization procedures performed using liquid materials being safer and more efficacious than coil-based localization in patients with PNs prior to VATS resection.