Laparoscopic management of iatrogenic lesions

2023 WSES guidelines for the prevention, detection, and management of iatrogenic urinary tract injuries (IUTIs) during emergency digestive surgery

Iatrogenic urinary tract injury (IUTI) is a severe complication of emergency digestive surgery. It can lead to increased postoperative morbidity and mortality and have a long-term impact on the quality of life. The reported incidence of IUTIs varies greatly among the studies, ranging from 0.3 to 1.5%. Given the high volume of emergency digestive surgery performed worldwide, there is a need for well-defined and effective strategies to prevent and manage IUTIs. Currently, there is a lack of consensus regarding the prevention, detection, and management of IUTIs in the emergency setting. The present guidelines, promoted by the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES), were developed following a systematic review of the literature and an international expert panel discussion. The primary aim of these WSES guidelines is to provide evidence-based recommendations to support clinicians and surgeons in the prevention, detection, and management of IUTIs during emergency digestive surgery. The following key aspects were considered: (1) effectiveness of preventive interventions for IUTIs during emergency digestive surgery; (2) intra-operative detection of IUTIs and appropriate management strategies; (3) postoperative detection of IUTIs and appropriate management strategies and timing; and (4) effectiveness of antibiotic therapy (including type and duration) in case of IUTIs.

Management of vesicovaginal fistulas (VVFs) in women following benign gynaecologic surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Vesicovaginal fistulas (VVF) are the most commonly acquired fistulas of the urinary tract, but we lack a standardized algorithm for their management. Surgery is the most commonly preferred approach to treat women with primary VVF following benign gynaecologic surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of operative techniques or conservative treatment for patients with postsurgical VVF. Our secondary objective was to define the surgical time and determine the types of study designs.

METHODS

PubMed, Old Medline, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were used as data sources. This systematic review was modelled on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement, including a registration number (CRD42012002097).

RESULTS

We reviewed 282 full text articles to identify 124 studies for inclusion. In all, 1379/1430 (96.4%) patients were treated surgically. Overall, the transvaginal approach was performed in the majority of patients (39%), followed by a transabdominal/transvesical route (36%), a laparoscopic/robotic approach (15%) and a combined transabdominal-transvaginal approach in 3% of cases. Success rate of conservative treatment was 92.86% (95%CI: 79.54-99.89), 97.98% in surgical cases (95% CI: 96.13-99.29) and 91.63% (95% CI: 87.68-97.03) in patients with prolonged catheter drainage followed by surgery. 79/124 studies (63.7%) provided information for the length of follow-up, but showed a poor reporting standard regarding prognosis. Complications were studied only selectively. Due to the inconsistency of these data it was impossible to analyse them collectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the literature is imprecise and inconsistent, existing studies indicate that operation, mainly through a transvaginal approach, is the most commonly preferred treatment strategy in females with postsurgical VVF. Our data showed no clear odds-on favorite regarding disease management as well as surgical approach and current evidence on the surgical management of VVF does not allow any accurate estimation of success and complication rates. Standardisation of the terminology is required so that VVF can be managed with a proper surgical treatment algorithm based on characteristics of the fistula.

Laparoscopic vesicovaginal fistula repair: report of five cases, literature review, and pooling analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic repair of vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) by literature review and pooling analysis, and this is the first report of the experience of using this approach in a patient with a history of radiotherapy.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Five patients with VVF, including one with a history of cervical cancer and radiation, underwent laparoscopic repair from August 2010 to December 2011 performed by the same experienced surgeon.

RESULTS

The surgical procedure was uneventful in all of the patients, and no conversion to open surgery was required. Mean operation time was 134 minutes (range, 100-185 minutes). Mean blood loss was 300 mL (range, 250-370 mL), and no one required blood transfusion. Mean hospital stay was 4 days (range, 3-6 days). Laparoscopic repair was successful in 4 patients at the mean follow-up period of 8 months (range, 2-15 months), even in the patient with a history of radiotherapy. VVF recurred in 1 subject, who underwent repeat laparoscopic repair, and 2-month follow-up revealed no fistula.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic surgery may be a good alternative to the open approach to manage even complicated VVF if it is performed by skilled surgeons.