Updates in Surgery最新文献

Pre-operative risk assessment tools and frailty scores are increasingly common due to the growing number of elderly, comorbid and frail patients. This study aims to assess the performance of the ACS-NSQIP-SRC (American College of Surgeons- National Surgical Quality Improvement Program- Surgical Risk Calculator) and the 5mFI (5-items modified Frailty Index) in predicting clinical outcomes after emergency cholecystectomy. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with acute calculous cholecystitis admitted at our tertiary care center from 2018 to 2023. We evaluated discrimination, calibration, and accuracy of the ACS-NSQIP-SRC and 5mFI in predicting any complication, mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS), need for readmission and supported discharge (30-day follow-up). Among 365/642 patients who underwent surgery, the 5mFI showed poor discrimination for all outcomes but good overall accuracy in the prediction of a supported discharge. In 198 operated patients with available data for the ACS-NSQIP-SRC, it underestimated complications and need for readmission while overestimated the need for supported discharge. There was no concordance between predicted and observed LOS. Among 277/642 patients undergoing non-operative management, 2/3 were frail or mild frail and had a predicted rate of any unfavorable outcome after surgery between 0 and 20%, being 95% above the average risk of each outcome. Mortality couldn't be studied because no death was reported. ACS-NSQIP-SRC and 5mFI performance in predicting outcomes after emergency cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis was poor. In the emergency cholecystectomy setting, the ACS-NSQIP-SRC may be less informative, and the 5mFI may be excessively simplistic by neglecting the multidimensional nature of frailty.

The careful selection of donors is crucial to achieving a successful outcome in living donor liver transplantation. The evaluation process involves obtaining a comprehensive medical history and pertinent laboratory testing, evaluating surgical anatomy using cross-sectional radiologic imaging and understanding donor motivation and psycho social considerations. This review outlines the evaluation of a potential living liver donor and discussed frequently encountered special considerations that may need to be addressed by the transplant team.

Robotic surgical approaches have demonstrated improved outcomes in primary hepatectomies. However, data on their effectiveness in redo hepatectomies (subsequent liver resections) are limited. This study aims to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing primary and redo robotic hepatectomies, with additional analysis comparing outcomes of robotic versus open redo hepatectomies. With IRB approval, we prospectively followed 101 patients from a parent population of 465, who were classified as either primary (non-redo) or redo robotic hepatectomy patients between 2013 and 2023. A Propensity Score Matched (PSM) analysis was conducted to compare perioperative variables between the two cohorts, using age, sex, BMI, IWATE score, tumor size, and tumor type as matching variables. Data are presented as median (mean ± standard deviation). Significance was accepted at p ≤ 0.05. After 3:1 PSM analysis (3 primary patients to 1 robotic redo patient), no significant differences were observed in pre-, intra-, or postoperative variables, except for the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (p = 0.022). Additional analysis comparing robotic and open redo hepatectomies showed similar perioperative outcomes, with the robotic approach demonstrating comparable safety and feasibility. Length of stay, blood loss, operative duration, morbidity, and mortality showed no significant differences between the two groups. Major complications (Clavien-Dindo score ≥ III) occurred in 4% of non-redo patients, with none observed in the redo group. The findings suggest that patients undergoing redo robotic hepatectomies achieve outcomes comparable to those of primary hepatectomy patients. This indicates the potential of robotic platforms to mitigate the added complexities and risks associated with redo hepatectomies. Further multi-center collaboration is necessary to validate these findings.

Subtotal cholecystectomy is one of the most frequent bail-out procedures performed during difficult cholecystectomy. A common complication to this procedure is bile leak, and thus multiple strategies have been created to avoid its appearance. This study aims to evaluate the effectivity of using an omental patch as bile leak prevention in patients undergoing subtotal cholecystectomy. A retrospective cohort study including patients who underwent subtotal cholecystectomy between 2014 and 2022 was performed. 17 patients had an omental patch, while 378 did not; the latter were included to evaluate surgical outcomes with bile leak as a primary outcome using a propensity score matching analysis (PSM). Patients' median age in both groups after PSM was 71.00 (IQR: 59.00-81.00) and 69.00 (IQR: 61.75-80.25) years, respectively. The dominant sex in both groups was male. In most cases surgical procedure indication was cholecystitis. Patients who had an omental patch did not present statistically significant differences for bile leak rates compared to patients who did not (29.4% versus 17.6%, p = 0.456, respectively). Similar results were observed when evaluating the need for postoperative ERCP for bile leak management (23.5 versus 5.9%, p = 0.078). A statistically significant higher proportion of major complications were observed in patients who had an omental patch (47.1% versus 19.1%, p = 0.038). Pedicled omental patch was not an effective measure for preventing bile leak, and it even presented a higher rate of complications. It is thus imperative to continue evaluating other strategies for the prevention of bile leak during subtotal cholecystectomy.

Liver transplantation (LT) is the primary treatment for selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, HCC-related mortality post-LT remains a significant concern, with up to 10% of cases reported in international series. Identifying risk factors for adverse clinical outcomes is essential. We hypothesized that post-LT HCC-related mortality rates are higher in patients with a high (≥ 42) Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) calculated at discharge. This study aims to compare post-LT HCC-related mortality rates between two groups of patients with high versus low CCI following LT for HCC. This study included data from seven collaborative European centers. A cohort of 1121 HCC patients transplanted between 2005 and 2019, surviving more than six months post-LT, was analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups based on the CCI at discharge: Low-CCI Group (n = 942, 84.0%) and High-CCI Group (n = 179, 16.0%). An inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) approach was applied for analysis. In the post-IPTW cohort, four multivariable logistic regression models with mixed effects identified independent risk factors for HCC-related death, overall death, recurrence, and early recurrence. A CCI score of ≥ 42 emerged as an independent risk factor across all models. Specifically, CCI ≥ 42 was associated with increased odds of HCC-related death (OR = 3.35; P < 0.0001), overall death (OR = 2.63; P < 0.0001), overall recurrence (OR = 2.09; P = 0.001), and early recurrence (OR = 1.88; P = 0.02). A CCI score at discharge should be considered a critical factor for recurrence and HCC-related mortality risk. Incorporating CCI into standard post-LT predictive models may enhance prognostic accuracy for adverse HCC outcomes.

The study was designed to compare the effectiveness of two-step percutaneous transhepatic choledochoscopic lithotripsy (T-PTCSL) with laparoscopic anatomical hepatectomy combined with choledocholithotomy (LAHC) for patients with hepatolithiasis. From January 2020 to September 2023, 98 patients who underwent LAHC (n = 40) or T-PTCSL (n = 58) for hepatolithiasis in our hospital were included in this study. Their perioperative and long-term outcomes were analyzed. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in stone clearance rates (90.0% vs. 84.5%, P = 0.429) and postoperative complication rates (35.0% vs. 22.4%, P = 0.170). The T-PTCSL group had significantly shorter operative time, postoperative hospitalization, and intake time (all P < 0.001). Postoperative biochemical indices showed lower ALB, ALT, AST, and WBC in the T-PTCSL group compared to the LAHC group (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression indicated age as an independent risk factor for stone clearance (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.89-0.99, P = 0.049). Subgroup analysis showed no significant impact of gender and type of stone distribution on stone clearance (all P > 0.05). The KM curve analysis revealed no significant difference in stone recurrence between the groups (log-rank P = 0.925). Hemoglobin concentration was significantly associated with time-to-stone recurrence (TR = 1.02, 95% CI = 1.01-1.04, P < 0.05) in the multivariate Accelerated Failure Time Model. T-PTCSL may be an alternative option to LAHC. Compared with LAHC, T-PTCSL offers favorable postoperative recovery and less surgical injury for patients with hepatolithiasis, as well as equivalent effectiveness of stone clearance and recurrence.

We analyzed the electrical characteristics of the da Vinci system's low-power monopolar coagulation mode with an electrocautery analyzer to determine its suitability as an alternative to monopolar soft coagulation mode. The voltage at the plateau of the power limit between 15 and 16 W and between 23 and 24 W of the forced coagulation mode of the da Vince system was close to that of the effect 8 and 10 of the soft coagulation mode, respectively. Experiments using chicken meat and an infrared thermographic camera confirmed the safety and effectiveness of low-power monopolar coagulation mode showing no carbonization at temperatures below 90 °C. In 73 robotic-assisted lung resection using low-power coagulation mode, no electric spark or carbonization was observed and all cauterizations were similar to soft coagulation mode. In conclusion, Forced coagulation mode of the da Vinci system can be used as an alternative to monopolar soft coagulation mode with appropriate effect and power limit settings.

Appendectomy, whether open or minimally invasive (MIS) is one of the most frequent procedures performed by young residents. We designed and tested a new methodology and a new inexpensive silicone model for Laparoscopic Appendectomy (LA) simulation. This study aimed to assess their fidelity, usefulness and educational value in an introduction to laparoscopy course. The course was open to first-year general surgery residents. The group was divided in two and one of the groups watched a video of the procedure before the simulation. Individual performances were assessed directly on the models, using a specific assessment scale. Participants answered a questionnaire at the end of the course for evaluation. Thirty-five residents participated in this study. Execution, quality, and global performance were higher in the group that had more experience with the model. Thirty-two trainees (91%) answered the questionnaire. There was a strong agreement that the model was adequate for this type of course and face and content validity was considered high/very high. Participants strongly agreed that this model gives more confidence to perform a real LA and almost 97% (n = 31) considered they have learned solid foundations about LA. This study shows face, content and construct validation and also educational value for this new low-cost, laparoscopic appendectomy model. The integration of this model in an introduction to laparoscopy course showed good results in regard to an increase of confidence among first-year surgery residents. It can be a valuable tool for learning and training laparoscopic appendectomy.

Esophagectomy for cancer is a highly invasive procedure with significant post-operative morbidity and mortality. The literature suggests a clear volume outcome correlation. Since 2019, esophageal surgery has been centralized in Belgium. In 2019, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) guidelines were published for esophagectomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of implementation of these ERAS guidelines in Belgium. Surgeons from centralized esophageal surgery centers in Belgium were questioned. A Delphi questionnaire regarding peri-operative ERAS care and center-specific outcome data were sent to all participating surgeons. An ERAS scoring system was created to estimate and compare the level of ERAS implementation. Length of stay, post-operative pneumonia, anastomotic leakage and 30-day and 90-day mortality were evaluated. A high response rate of 94.1% was achieved. All surgeons used a peri-operative protocol in their center. The mean ERAS score for Belgian surgeons was 15.5 out of 20. The highest ERAS score per center is 18.6. Anastomotic leakage rate is 14.6% and post-operative pneumonia rate is 20.8% in Belgium. The mean length of stay is 12 days. Mortality after 30 days and 90 days are, respectively, 3.2% and 6.6%. This study gives an overview of the Belgian situation regarding the implementation of ERAS protocols in esophageal surgery centers. The overall implementation of ERAS guidelines in Belgium is good, but there is room for improvement in terms of uniformity nationally.