Laparoscopic Exposure in Obese High-Risk Patients With Mechanical Displacement of the Abdominal Wall

Minimally Invasive Surgery in Pregnancy

If it is medically necessary to perform nonobstetrical abdominal surgery in pregnancy, a minimally invasive approach should be considered. The benefits of laparoscopy are well known and current studies promote the safety of laparoscopy in pregnancy, when certain guidelines are followed. This article will review the safety of surgery in pregnancy, maternal physiology, fetal considerations, maternal obesity, laparoscopic cerclage, large adnexal mass, and complications. Guidelines for surgery will be reviewed as well.

Intraperitoneal onlay mesh repair (IPOM) plus technique using a hybrid procedure of open laparotomy and laparoscopic approach (hybrid IPOM plus) for incarceration of umbilical hernia in a severely obese patient: a case report

Background

A standard procedure for the treatment of incarcerated umbilical hernia among severely obese patients has yet to be established. We used the hybrid intraperitoneal onlay mesh repair (IPOM) plus method, which combines open and laparoscopic surgery to treat incarcerated umbilical hernia in a severely obese patient.

Case presentation

A 46-year-old man presented in our department with a chief complaint of a painful mass in the umbilical region. Incarcerated umbilical hernia was diagnosed on the basis of abdominal computed tomography, and the decision was made to perform emergency surgery. The patient was severely obese (body mass index, 53.8 kg/m²), and the incarcerated portion of the hernia was therefore first addressed by open surgery. As bowel resection was unnecessary, the risk of infection was considered low, and after direct closure of the hernia orifice, IPOM was performed laparoscopically using the hybrid IPOM plus method.

Conclusion

Among severely obese patients, first trocar insertion is difficult and the wound site tends to come under strain, meaning that simple closure of the hernia orifice results in a high recurrence rate. The hybrid IPOM plus method used in this case combines open surgery and laparoscopy and appears useful for treating uninfected incarcerated umbilical hernia in severely obese patients safely and with an anticipated low rate of postoperative recurrence.

Bladeless direct optical trocar insertion in laparoscopic procedures on the obese patient

Results of the study suggest that direct optical entry technique reduced entry time and blood loss with trends to slightly decrease the occurrence of minor vascular and bowel injuries in obese women.

Background:

Recently, we have shown advantages of a direct optical entry (DOE) using a bladeless trocar in comparison with the open Hasson technique (OHT) in older reproductive-age women with previous operations, as well as in comparison with Veress needle entry in reproductive-age and postmenopausal women.

Objectives:

A prospective multicenter randomized study to determine whether the DOE is feasible for establishing safe and rapid entry into the abdomen in comparison with those of the OHT in reproductive-age obese women.

Methods:

Two types of surgical techniques were blindly applied in 224 obese reproductive-age women with benign neoplastic diseases of ovary and uterus. Namely, laparoscopic entry into the abdomen in 108 patients was performed by DOE and in 116 women by OHT. Following parameters (entry time in seconds needed to establish the intra-abdominal vision after pneumoperitoneum, blood loss, occurrence of vascular and/or bowel injuries) were compared during surgery as main outcomes.

Results:

Main baseline characteristics of patients, including age (36.1 ± 4.5 vs 35.7 ± 5.8), body mass index (34.9 ± 5.1 vs 35.1 ± 4.9 kg/m²), and parity (2.1 ± 0.4 vs 1.9 ± 0.9), were not significantly different between the DOE and OHT groups (P > .05). While intraoperative parameters such as the entry time (71.9 ± 3.7 vs 215.1 ± 6.2 seconds) and blood loss value (9.7 ± 6.1 vs 12.2 ± 2.9 mL) were significantly reduced in the DOE group in comparison with those of OHT group (respectively, P < .0001 and < .01), there were also trends to slight decrease of the occurrence of the minor injuries, manifested as omental small vessels rupture (0 of 108 vs 4 of 116) and punctures and pinches of jejunal serosa (0 of 108 vs 3 of 116) in patients of the DOE group in comparison with those of OHT group (respectively, P = .0515 and = .0925).

Conclusions:

DOE reduced entry time and blood loss with trends to slightly decrease of the occurrence of the minor vascular and bowel injuries, thus enabling a possible alternative to OHT in obese women; however, further larger trials need to confirm the possible additional benefits of a DOE.

Umbilical stalk elevation technique for safer Veress needle insertion in obese patients: a case-control study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare our umbilical stalk elevation (USE) technique with the classic Veress needle (VN) technique in obese patients.

STUDY DESIGN

The USE technique was performed on 40 patients. One control per case was randomly selected from among those undergoing the classic VN technique using a random number table. In USE technique, a 12 mm skin incision was created at the superior crease of the umbilical fold, and the underlying subcutaneous adipose tissue was bluntly dissected using the tip of a fine clamp until the umbilical stalk was isolated at the inferior and central part of the incision. Next, the umbilical stalk was covered and held by a towel clip, and the abdominal wall was elevated by upward traction. The VN was then inserted nearly perpendicular to the incision and turned toward the pelvis immediately after resistance to the needle had been lost. A post-hoc power analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The number of attempts was significantly lower in the USE laparoscopy group than in the classic laparoscopy group (1.2 ± 0.4 vs. 2.1 ± 0.7, respectively; P<0.001). The USE technique group had a slightly shorter abdominal entry time than did the classic technique group (328.52 ± 63.71 vs. 434.95 ± 124.10s; P<0.001). Six (7.5%) failed insufflations occurred in our study (5 patients in the classic group vs. 1 patient in the USE group (P=0.10).

CONCLUSION

Our novel USE technique can be an effective means of establishing pneumoperitoneum in obese patients undergoing gynecologic laparoscopic procedures.

Laparoscopy in the morbidly obese pregnant patient using a modified foley lap-lift technique: case report

Obesity in women of reproductive age is increasing. Gynecologic laparoscopy in the morbidly obese pregnant patient presents challenges, and is not often attempted. Herein is reported a successful case using a modified Foley lap-lift technique, which improved visualization and facilitated mechanical ventilation.

Laparoscopy in pregnancy: a literature review

The first laparoscopic surgery in pregnancy was a cholecystectomy in 1991. Since that time, a number of articles and case series have been published addressing laparoscopy in pregnancy. Current recommendations are on the basis of these findings, such as operating during any trimester in pregnancy can be safely performed, fetal heart monitoring should be made preoperatively and postoperatively, prophylactic tocolytics should not be used, and multiple entry techniques (Veress needle, Hasson trocar, or optical trocar) can be safely performed. This article will review anesthesia, fetal effects, obesity, complications, adnexal masses, and gastrointestinal issues.

A randomized controlled study evaluating the effects of the temperature of insufflated CO2 on core body temperature and blood gases (an experimental study)

BACKGROUND

Heated carbon dioxide (CO2) was used for pneumoperitoneum (Pp) to prevent hypothermia. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the temperature of the insufflated CO2 and blood gases together with the core body temperature (CBT).

METHODS

A prospective controlled study was performed with 24 pigs weighing approximately 20 kg randomized into four groups of 6 pigs each. A pneumoperitoneum at 12 mmHg of pressure was applied for 60 min with the pig under general anesthesia. The CO2)temperature was 22 degrees C in group 1, 37 degrees C in group 2, and 7 degrees C in group 3. In the "sham" group, pneumoperitoneum was not applied. Arterial blood pH and partial pressure of CO2 (PaCO2) were analyzed before insufflation, every 15 min during the pneumoperitoneum, and 15 min after the desufflation. The CBT was recorded before the insufflation, every 20 min during pneumoperitoneum, and 20 min after the desufflation. Blood gas analyses and CBT records for the "sham" group were performed at the same intervals.

RESULTS

Arterial blood pH gradually decreased during pneumoperitoneum. At the 60th minute of pneumoperitoneum, a minimum decrease in arterial blood pH (0.04; p = 0.027) and a minimum increase in PaCO2 (3.67; p = 0.027) were recorded in group 3, whereas a maximum decrease in arterial blood pH (0.18; p = 0.027) and a maximum increase in PaCO2 (17.17; p = 0.027) were recorded in group 2. There was a significant negative correlation between PaCO2 and arterial blood pH in all the groups (r = -0.993; p < 0.01). The mean values of CBT decreases were statistically significant in all the groups: group 1 (p = 0.023), group 2 (p = 0.026), group 3 (p = 0.026), and "sham" group (p = 0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

The changes in PaCO2 were directly proportional and the changes in pH contrarily proportional to the temperature of the insufflated CO2. Significant differences in CBT decreases were found between the groups receiving heated gas and room temperature gas and the groups receiving heated gas and gas below room temperature.