Reliability of frozen section diagnosis of gallbladder tumor for detecting carcinoma and depth of its invasion

Robotic versus open extended cholecystectomy for T1a–T3 gallbladder cancer: A matched comparison

Background

The feasibility and safety of robotic extended cholecystectomy (REC) are still uncertain. This study was performed to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of REC with those of open extended cholecystectomy (OEC) for T1a–T3 gallbladder cancer.

Methods

From January 2015 to April 2022, 28 patients underwent REC in our center. To minimize any confounding factors, a 1:2 propensity score-matching analysis was conducted based on the patients’ demographics, liver function indicators, T stage, and symptoms. The data regarding demographics, perioperative outcomes, and long-term oncologic outcomes were reviewed.

Results

The visual analogue scale score was significantly lower in the REC than OEC group immediately postoperatively (3.68 ± 2.09 vs. 4.73 ± 1.85, P = 0.008), on postoperative day 1 (2.96 ± 1.75 vs. 3.69 ± 1.41, P = 0.023), and on postoperative day 2 (2.36 ± 1.55 vs. 2.92 ± 1.21, P = 0.031). In addition, the REC group exhibited a shorter time to first ambulation (P = 0.043), a shorter time to drainage tube removal (P = 0.038), and a shorter postoperative stay (P = 0.037), but hospital costs were significantly higher in the REC group (P < 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference was found in the operation time (P = 0.134), intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.467), or incidence of postoperative morbidity (P = 0.227) or mortality (P = 0.289) between the REC and OEC groups. In regard to long-term outcomes, the 3-year disease-free survival rate was comparable between the OEC and REC groups (43.1% vs. 57.2%, P = 0.684), as was the 3-year overall survival rate (62.8% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.619).

Conclusion

REC can be an effective and safe alternative to OEC for selected patients with T1a–T3 gallbladder cancer with respect to short- and long-term outcomes.

Unsuspected gallbladder cancer management during or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

AIM: To explore the effectiveness of surgeons in determining the unsuspected gallbladder carcinoma (UGC) at laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and the management of UGC.

METHODS: A total of 6429 patients with gallbladder disease were included in this study who underwent LC during June, 1989 and November, 2008. Patients with UGC were reviewed retrospectively to assess preoperative diagnosis, intraoperative findings and outcomes.

RESULTS: Of the total patients, 27 in 6429 (0.4%) were histopathologically diagnosed as UGC during (17) or after (10) LC. The tumor stages of the 27 diagnosed were pT₁ (9), pT₂ (9), and pT₃ (91), each with 9 cases. The survival rates of all the UCG patients in one-year, three-year and five-year were 74.1%, 63% and 59.3%, respectively. The five-year survival rates of pT₁ stage, pT₂ stage and pT₃ stage were 100%, 66.7% and 0.0%, respectively, not significantly affected by whether the patients had been diagnosed with UGC during or after LC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The survival rate from UGC is associated with tumor stage and it is confirmed that a carefully performed LC is adequate treatment for pT₁ stage cancer. If a suspicious lesion is found, intraoperative frozen section is performed for pathological examination. However, radical operation is recommended for T₂ patients and effective measures should be taken to avoid tumor implant and metastasis.