Endoscopic tympanoplasty includes various surgical methods, such as internal repair, interlayer repair, and external overlay. This technique requires autologous materials, allografts, and xenografts, which are used to repair tympanic membrane (TM) perforation. To obtain good results, appropriate surgical methods and repair materials should be selected. This study aims to assess the efficacy of repairing refractory TM perforations in the porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) during transcanal endoscopic type I tympanoplasty.
A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who underwent TM perforation repair with porcine SIS and tragus cartilage between January 2022 and September 2022 at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Perforation size, tympanic status, pre- and postoperative symptoms, follow-up data, wound healing rates, and hearing improvement were analysed.
Of the 115 patients included in the study, 56 underwent interlayer repair with porcine SIS of the TM, and 59 patients underwent internal repair with tragus cartilage. No significant difference was found between the two groups at baseline in terms of age, sex, disease course, perforation side, tympanic status, underlying disease, or preoperative infection. The total postoperative effective rate of interlayer implantation with porcine SIS was 91.07% (51 patients), and that of internal implantation with tragus cartilage was 88.14% (52 patients). No significant difference was found in terms of the graft success rate between the two surgical methods (p = 0.887). Postoperative pure tone auditory (PTA) and air-bone gap (ABG) density significantly increased in both groups compared with before surgery (p < 0.05). However, the postoperative PTA and ABG density were not significantly different 3 months post-surgery between the two groups (p > 0.05). Compared to those in the internal implantation group, the patients in the interlayer group had a shorter operation duration (51.36 ± 6.76 min vs. 59.71 ± 7.45 min, t = 6.298, p < 0.001) and less blood loss (11.91 ± 2.61 mL vs. 15.27 ± 2.57 mL, t = 7.019, p < 0.001).
Our study suggests that the porcine SIS, as well as the tragus cartilage, has a high success rate in repairing irreversible TM perforation. Endoscopic tympanoplasty via interlayer implantation with porcine SIS offers distinct advantages, including the absence of donor-site incision and scar formation, and ease of graft modification and manipulation.
Colon cancer has the fifth highest incidence worldwide and has the sixth highest mortality. Compared with rectal cancer, colon cancer currently has the worst 5-year overall survival for patients with stage II and III disease. Complete mesocolic excision has been developed as a standardized and optimized surgical technique for the excision of colon cancers. This technique has traditionally been performed through an open approach since laparoscopy is generally considered technically challenging. The robotic approach has been slowly implemented for colon cancer, but the newest robotic platforms allow for a safer and optimized approach for right colon cancer. Several robotic approaches have been developed and explored. The expansion of the current robotic platform ecosystem is gradually providing new outputs in the application of the robotic approach to complete mesocolic excision. This review gains an oversight of existing literature on robotic complete mesocolic excision for right colon cancer (learning curve, training, techniques, approach, platforms, and future perspectives).
The role of selective decontamination with oral antibiotics (OABs) and mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) prior to elective colorectal surgery is still widely debated. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of selective decontamination with neomycin, metronidazole and MBP compared to those of decontamination with MBP alone or with no preparation.
Selective decontamination with neomycin and metronidazole combined with bowel preparation was introduced prior to elective colorectal surgery as part of an enhanced recovery after surgery program at Westmead Hospital, a major Australian tertiary referral hospital, between June 2017 and January 2023. Comparisons between short-term outcomes of OAB + MBP and MBP/no preparation were made using prospectively collected data on length of stay (LOS), readmission, mortality within 30 days, anastomotic leakage (AL), surgical site infection (SSI), urinary tract infection, deep venous thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, and ileus. Follow-up was limited to hospital stays and subsequent presentations within the health district within thirty days of surgery. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyse continuous data, and the chi-square test was used for categorical data. Univariate and multivariate regression modelling was performed to identify risk factors associated with an increased likelihood of SSI and AL.
Patients with oral neomycin and metronidazole combined with bowel preparation had reduced superficial SSI (2.7% vs. 7.6%, p = 0.043) and overall complications (32.7% vs. 44.6%, p = 0.020), particularly Clavien–Dindo 1 complications (7.3% vs. 16.5%, p = 0.009). However, the differences in AL (2.7% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.369) and organ/space SSI (1.3% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.327) were not statistically significant. The median LOS (6 d vs. 6 d, p = 0.370) was not different between the groups.
Selective decontamination with neomycin and metronidazole reduces the risk of SSIs and overall complications. There was a trend to toward a lower AL, but this difference was not statistically significant.
Diaphragm eventration is the permanent elevation of a hemidiaphragm and can be due to congenital or acquired causes. It is a rather uncommon condition in adults and causes a spectrum of symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic incidental findings on imaging to life-threatening respiratory distress. Asymptomatic patients do not require any treatment, but plication is the conventional, well-known method for treating symptomatic patients. Management varies depending on the symptoms. In this article, we discuss two rare cases of diaphragmatic eventration that were treated with minimal access surgery.
Robotic systems have become popular in modern surgical procedures. The option of telesurgery has effectively addressed geographic limitations. These systems are offered by numerous companies worldwide. In this review article, we discuss four models of robotic systems to determine their advantages: the Sina flex system from Iran and the da Vinci Xi, SP, and 5 systems from the USA. We compared aspects such as architecture, instruments, visualizations, clinical use, and costs. Our findings suggest that the da Vinci robot, which was introduced earlier than the Sina system, utilizes proprietary and limited-use EndoWrist instruments with diameters ranging from 8 to 12 mm and features advanced imaging capabilities, including three-dimensional optical, tomographic, and fluorescence imaging. It is well established and widely utilized in various surgical procedures. Conversely, the Sina flex system employs single-use 5 mm instruments and is equipped with two-dimensional optical imaging as a standard, with optional three-dimensional and fluorescence imaging upgrades available. Despite its affordability, the Sina flex system is relatively new and has not yet been clinically tested. Additionally, the Sina flex system is more user-friendly.