Characterization and management of postoperative hemorrhage following upper retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery

Evaluation of predictive factors for i-CLARAS (intraoperative complications in laparoscopic renal and adrenal surgery): a multicentre international retrospective cohort study

The laparoscopic approach represents the standard of treatment for renal and adrenal diseases, and its use is increasing even outside referral centres. Although most procedures are routinely performed, intraoperative complications do not occur, and the rate and predictive factors of these complications have not been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and type of intraoperative complications and to identify predictive factors in patients undergoing laparoscopic renal and adrenal surgery. This was a cohort, multicentre, international retrospective study. Patients who underwent laparoscopic renal and adrenal surgeries between April 2017 and March 2022 were included in the study. Bivariate analysis was performed using contingency tables and the χ2 test for independent samples to compare qualitative variables and the T test and Mood test for continuous variables. Multivariate analysis was performed using a logistic regression model to obtain adjusted odds ratios. A total of 2374 patients were included in the study. Intraoperative complications were reported for 8.09% of patients who underwent renal surgery, with the most common complications reported being hollow viscus and vascular complications, and for 6.75% of patients who underwent adrenal surgery, with the most common complication reported being parenchymatous viscous complications. Multivariate analysis revealed that both adrenal and renal surgery radiological preoperative factors, such as invasive features during adrenalectomy and the RENAL score during nephrectomy, are predictive factors of intraoperative complications. In contrast to existing data, surgeon experience was not associated with a reduction in the incidence of perioperative complications.

Methodological quality for systematic reviews of adverse events with surgical interventions: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of systematic reviews assessed the safety of surgical interventions over time. How well these systematic reviews were designed and conducted determines the reliability of evidence. In this study, we aimed to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews on the safety of surgical interventions.

METHODS

We searched PubMed for systematic reviews of surgical interventions with safety as the exclusive outcome from 1st-Jan, 2015 to 1st-Jan, 2020. The methodological quality of eligible systematic reviews was evaluated according to the AMSTAR 2.0 instrument. The primary outcomes were the number of methodological weaknesses and the global methodological quality. The proportion of each methodological weakness among eligible systematic reviews was compared by three pre-defined stratification variables. The absolute difference of the proportion (PD) was used as the effect estimator, with the two-tailed z-test for the significance.

RESULTS

We identified 127 systematic reviews from 18,636 records. None (n = 0, 0.00%) of them could be rated as "high" in terms of the global methodological quality; in contrast, they were either rated as "low" (n = 18, 14.17%) or as "critically low" (n = 109, 85.83%). The median number of methodological weaknesses of these systematic reviews was 8 (interquartile range, IQR: 6 to 9), in which 4 (IQR: 2 to 4) were critical weaknesses. Systematic reviews that used any reporting guideline (e.g., domain 13, PD = -0.22, 95% CI: - 0.39, - 0.06; p = 0.01) and developed a protocol in advance (e.g., domain 6, PD = -0.20, 95% CI: - 0.39, - 0.01; p = 0.04) were less likely to have methodological weakness in some domains but not for the rest (e.g., domain 8, PD = 0.04, 95% CI: - 0.14, 0.21; p = 0.68; with protocol vs. without).

CONCLUSIONS

The methodological quality of current systematic reviews of adverse events with surgical interventions was poor. Further efforts, for example, encouraging researchers to develop a protocol in advance, are needed to enhance the methodological quality of these systematic reviews.

[Preferable surgery for benign tumors of the adrenal glands]

AIM

To determine optimal surgical approach in patients with adrenal tumors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Overall experience of treatment of patients with adrenal tumors comprises over 300 procedures including 152 minimally invasive surgeries.

RESULTS

We have presented the advantages and relative disadvantages of various technologies which are useful to be considered to determine the most optimal surgery in these patients.

CONCLUSION

There are no serious contradictions to use existing surgical methods in patients with adrenal tumors. Minimally invasive procedures along with conventional (open) interventions significantly enlarged rational choice in surgery for adrenal neoplasms and optimized personified approach.

Transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy: five years' experience with 35 patients

OBJECTIVE

To present our laparoscopic surgery experience in the treatment of adrenal masses.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Between January 2008 and February 2013, a total of 35 patients (24 females, 11 males) underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy to treat an adrenal mass. The patients underwent hormonal evaluation, chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging, or abdominal computed tomography. Twenty-seven patients (77.1%) had a hormone-active adrenal mass.

RESULTS

Eighteen right, 16 left, and one bilateral transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomies were performed. The mean age and body mass index of the patients were 47.4 years and 26.6 kg/m(2), respectively. The mean adrenal mass size, operation time, estimated blood loss, and hospitalization duration were 41.9 mm, 94.7 min, 30 cc, and 2.4 days, respectively. No minor or major complications were observed perioperatively or postoperatively. In one patient (2.8%), the laparoscopic approach was converted to open surgery due to severe bradycardia resulting from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Histopathological examinations revealed adrenocortical hyperplasia in 23 (66%) patients, benign pheochromocytoma in 8 (22.8%) patients, and periadrenal paraganglioma, adrenocortical carcinoma, myeloid metaplasia, and myelolipoma in one (2.8%) patient for each entity.

CONCLUSION

Transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe and efficient minimally invasive treatment option with a low morbidity rate in the surgical treatment of adrenal masses.

A novel endoscopic treatment for ureteric remnant hemorrhage post laparoscopic radical nephrectomy

Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy is commonly used to treat renal masses. Given the ubiquitous presence of this technique, rare complications are becoming more commonplace. It is thus essential that practicing urologists be aware of all possible complications as well as the novel management approaches that exist. This report presents a situation in which a patient developed rapid-onset, postoperative gross hematuria. This complication is rare and multiple sources of bleeding must be considered. In the situation reported here, the ureteric remnant was the cause of the unremitting gross hematuria. While others have described surgical exploration as the primary treatment, the authors were successful in using a minimally invasive endoscopic approach with fulguration and instillation of a fibrin sealant. Indeed, they propose that the endoscopic approach described herein may be considered first line in cases of unremitting gross hematuria originating from the ureteric remnant.

Understanding the significance, reasons and patterns of abnormal vital signs after gastric bypass for morbid obesity

Anastomotic leaks and bleeding are the two most feared major complications in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass (LRYGB). This study was designed to evaluate if there is a clinical correlation between abnormal vital signs and postoperative leaks and bleeding. After IRB approval and adherence to HIPAA guidelines, a retrospective review of medical records was performed on 518 patients who underwent LRYGB between October 2002 and October 2006. Vital signs from each patient were monitored hourly. Eight patients out of 518 (1.54%) were discovered to have anastomotic leak. A marked increase in heart rate up to 120 bpm at 20 h after surgery occurred in five of eight patients (62.5%). Of the eight patients who had a leak, seven (87.5%) experienced sustained tachycardia above 120 bpm. On the other hand, 20 patients out of 518 (3.86%) were discovered to have postoperative bleeding. A gradual rather than a dramatic increase in heart rate was recorded in 17 of 20 patients (85%) starting 8 h after surgery. Five patients (25%) had unsustained tachycardia above 120 bpm. Twelve patients in this group (60%) were seen to have cyclical tachycardia that never exceeded 120 bpm at any point during hospitalization. Marginal hypotension was found in seven patients (35%) in this group. Sustained tachycardia with a heart rate exceeding 120 bpm appears to be an indicator of anastomotic leak. Tachycardia less than 120 bpm that has occurred in a cyclical pattern strongly pointed toward postoperative bleeding. Anastomotic leaks and bleeding are the two most feared major complications in patients undergoing LRYGB. This study was designed to evaluate if there is a clinical correlation between abnormal vital signs and postoperative leaks and bleeding.

Retroperitoneal renal laparoscopy

The retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach to the kidney offers a minimally invasive access that mimics the open surgical techniques of renal surgery. It allows renal surgery without violation of the peritoneal cavity with its attendant complications such as bowel injury and ileus. Over the last two decades, all renal surgery has been shown to be feasible through this technique. This includes complicated procedures such as a donor nephrectomy and radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract transitional cell cancers. We began performing retroperitoneoscopic renal surgery in the early 1990s and have developed a number of modifications to existing techniques so as to make this surgery easy and cost effective. In this review, we discuss the evolution of retroperitoneoscopic renal surgery, the indications, techniques and outcome of all types of retroperitoneoscopic renal surgery.

Intraoperative complications of laparoscopic adrenalectomy

A laparoscopic or retroperitoneoscopic access to the adrenal gland is the standard of care for adrenalectomy in most cases. Although in laparoscopic adrenalectomy the approach is minimally invasive, the procedure is challenging. This is reflected in the scope of possible complications. The surgeon must consider complications related to the anatomical topography of the adrenal gland, which typically encompasses the complications known from open surgery and complications related to the minimal invasive access. In this topic paper we will address the most frequently encountered complications of adrenalectomy: vascular injuries, injuries of the bowel, pleural tears, and injuries to the liver, spleen and pancreas. Fortunately, these complications occur rarely. However, many of these complications can have devastating consequences. Therefore, it's the surgeon's obligation to be aware of the possible complications he might encounter during laparoscopic adrenalectomy. This awareness is essential for their prevention and it helps the laparoscopic surgeon to identify complications intraoperatively.