Short Operation Time: An Important Element to Reduce Operative Invasiveness in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

A method of laparoscopic treatment of large adnexal cysts - Two port trocar suction

OBJECTIVE

The size of the adnexal cyst is a limitation to perform laparoscopic adnexal surgery. Large adnexal cysts may constrain the surgery space and may increase the risk of inadvertent cyst rupture during the surgery. Here, we offer a method to solve the difficulty in laparoscopic management of large adnexal cysts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study of 43 patients with large (≧10 cm) adnexal cysts, managed laparoscopically at one center from October 2016 to October 2019. All the surgeries were performed by an experienced laparoscopic surgeon. Malignancy was excluded before the surgeries according to the sonographic features. Cystectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy was decided according to the age, the sonographic pattern of the cyst and the patients' willingness. A 2 cm vertical incision was made at the umbilicus, and an open laparoscopy method was used to enter the peritoneal cavity. A wound protector was applied with a glove and two trocars being set up. The second wound was made at the left abdomen, and a 5 mm trocar was inserted. Then the cyst was punctured by means of the 5 mm trocar, and the content of the cyst was then soon aspirated by means of the air-flow hole of the trocar. Afterward, cystectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation unless stated otherwise.

RESULTS

The mean operative duration was 54.7 ± 33.4 min, and the result was shorter than the previous study (P < 0.05, CI (-32.92, -12.38)) according to one sample t-test. Most estimated blood loss (EBL) was minimum. No obvious complication was found.

CONCLUSION

Two-port trocar suction in laparoscopic management of large adnexal cysts is feasible after proper evaluation, and it takes short operative time.

The utility of the Stapler with PGA sheet for pulmonary wedge resection: a propensity score-matched analysis

Background

Air leakage is a common complication after pulmonary wedge resection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of staple line reinforcement in reducing air leakage after pulmonary wedge resection.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent pulmonary wedge resection. The patients were classified into 2 groups; the Stapler with polyglycolic acid sheet was used for the reinforced and the Stapler without polyglycolic acid sheet was used for the non-reinforced group. The patients were matched one-to-one based on a propensity score that comprised several patient characteristics. A propensity score-matched analysis was performed to compare patient outcomes.

Results

A total of 291 patients who met the inclusion criteria were investigated. There were 165 in the reinforced group and 126 patients in the non-reinforced group. Propensity score analysis generated 104 matched pairs of patients in both the reinforced and the non-reinforced groups. The rate of non-placement of chest tube was significantly higher in the reinforced group than in the non-reinforced group (61.5% vs. 36.5%; P<0.001). The rate of postoperative air leakage was higher in the non-reinforced group than in the reinforced group (13.5% vs. 1.9%, P<0.001). On logistic regression analysis, not using the reinforcement device was one of the independent factors related to pulmonary air leakage after pulmonary wedge resection (OR: 8.58, P<0.001).

Conclusions

The use of the Stapler with polyglycolic acid sheet during pulmonary wedge resection increased the rate of intraoperative chest tube removal and reduced the rate of postoperative air leakage.

Effects of Surgical Assistant's Level of Resident Training on Surgical Treatment of Intermittent Exotropia: Operation Time and Surgical Outcomes

Purpose

To evaluate the effects of the surgical assistant's level of resident training on operation time and surgical outcome in the surgical treatment of intermittent exotropia.

Methods

This study included 456 patients with intermittent exotropia who underwent lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection and were followed up for 24 months after surgery. The patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical assistant's level of resident training: group F (surgery assisted by a first-year resident [n = 198]) and group S (surgery assisted by a second-, third-, or fourth-year resident [n = 258]). The operation time and surgical outcomes (postoperative exodeviation and the number of patients who underwent a second operation) were compared between the two groups.

Results

The average operation times in groups F and S were 36.54 ± 7.4 and 37.34 ± 9.94 minutes, respectively (p = 0.33). Immediate postoperative exodeviation was higher in group F (0.79 ± 3.82 prism diopters) than in group S (0.38 ± 3.75 prism diopters). However, repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed no significant difference in exodeviation between the two groups during the 24-month follow-up period (p = 0.45). A second operation was performed in 29.3% (58 / 198) of the patients in group F, and in 32.2% (83 / 258) of those in group S (p = 0.51).

Conclusions

No significant difference in operation time was observed when we compared the effects of the level of resident training in the surgical treatment of intermittent exotropia. Although the immediate postoperative exodeviation was higher in patients who had undergone surgery assisted by a first-year resident, the surgical outcome during the 24-month follow-up was not significantly different.

Significance of hemolysis on extracorporeal life support after cardiac surgery in children

Hemolysis is common during extracorporeal life support (ECLS). Elevated levels of circulating plasma free hemoglobin (FHb) has been linked to the development of hemoglobinuria nephropathy. Its clinical significance in patients receiving ECLS remains unknown. Medical records of 104 children <3 years old who required ECLS after repair of congenital heart disease were reviewed. Forty-two patients required continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) during ECLS (CRRT group), and 62 patients did not (no-CRRT group). For all patients, FHb level and the degree of fluid overload at the end of ECLS predicted the mortality rate during ECLS. Compared with the no-CRRT group, the CRRT group had a higher mortality rate during ECLS, a higher peak FHb level during ECLS, a higher FHb level at the end of ECLS, and more days of ECLS. In the CRRT group, the FHb level at the end of ECLS predicted death during ECLS. In the no-CRRT group, the peak FHb level was associated with a worse renal function. In conclusion, elevated FHb levels were associated with renal dysfunction and death during ECLS in children undergoing cardiac surgery. Further studies are needed to elucidate the cause-effect relationship in our findings.