Minimal access surgery of the gastrointestinal tract

Manejo quirúrgico de una fístula gastropleural posterior a manga gástrica

Se presenta el caso de una paciente de 30 años de edad, sometida a un procedimiento de manga gástrica por laparoscopia en marzo de 2014, quien presenta, al tercer y cuarto años del procedimiento inicial, dos episodios de hemoptisis masiva, con falla en la segunda terapia de embolización, por lo que requirió una lobectomía pulmonar inferior izquierda. Al segundo día de este postoperatorio presenta salida de material de nutrición por las sondas de tórax, estableciéndose el diagnóstico de fistula gastro-pleural. Debido a falla con el manejo conservador, fue sometida a una resección quirúrgica de la fístula por vía laparoscópica, con gastrectomía proximal y reconstrucción en Y de Roux. A propósito de nuestra experiencia con esta paciente, se discuten en este artículo las estrategias de manejo para una fístula gastropleural, propuestas en la literatura a la fecha.

Delayed presentation of port-site metastasis from an unknown gastrointestinal malignancy following laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Port-site metastasis (PSM) is often encountered during laparoscopic surgery in patients with malignancy. We report a 45-year-old woman who presented with a single PSM from papillary adenocarcinoma after undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for calculus cholecystitis. Post cholecystectomy, a diagnosis of chronic cholecystitis was confirmed on histopathology. The patient presented with a mass at the site of epigastric port 28 months after surgery. PSM was suspected on clinical examination, which was supported by findings on computed tomography and further confirmed by fine-needle aspiration cytology of the lump. The patient underwent surgical clearance of the mass, and histopathological examination proved the lesion to be papillary adenocarcinoma. The site of the primary tumour was not detected even after thorough examination. Based on the histopathology report following local surgical clearance, the patient was started on chemotherapy. This case is unusual because of the long delay prior to the presentation of PSM and the unknown primary malignancy.

Index admission laparoscopic cholecystectomy for patients with acute biliary symptoms: results from a specialist centre

BACKGROUND

Index admission laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ALC) is the treatment of choice for patients admitted with biliary symptoms but is performed in less than 15% of these admissions. We analysed our results for ALC within a tertiary hepatobiliary centre.

METHODS

Data from all cholecystectomies carried out under the care of the two senior authors from 1998 to 2008 were prospectively collected and interrogated.

RESULTS

1710 patients underwent cholecystectomy of which 439 (26%) were ALC. Patients operated on acutely did not have a significantly different complication rate (P= 0.279; 4% vs.3%). Factors predicting complications were abnormal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (P= 0.037), dilated common bile duct (CBD) (P= 0.026), cholangitis (P= 0.040) and absence of on table cholangiography (OTC) (P= 0.011). There were no bile duct injuries. Patients undergoing ALC had a higher rate of conversion to an open procedure (P < 0.001:10% vs.3%). The proportion of complicated disease was higher in the ALC group (P < 0.001; 70% vs.31%). Only complicated disease (P= 0.006), absence of OTC (P < 0.001) and age greater than 65 years (P < 0.001) were predictive of conversion on multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be performed safely in patients with acute biliary symptoms and should be considered the gold standard for management of these patients thus avoiding avoidable readmissions and life-threatening complications. A higher conversion rate to an open procedure must be accepted when treating more complicated disease. It is the severity of disease rather than timing of surgery which most probably predicts complications and conversions.

Minimizing ports to improve laparoscopic cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND

Minimizing the number and scope of ports used to perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy attempts to build on the improvements in postoperative pain control, rapid return to activity and work, patient satisfaction, and cosmetic result achieved by the laparoscopic method.

METHODS

We studied 141 patients in two sequential studies: the first a prospective randomized trial with 41 patients, and the second an examination of the more minimal procedure in 100 patients. In the randomized trial, patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy with three ports: three 5-mm ports or two 10-mm ports and one 5-mm port. The 100 patients underwent the three 5-mm port procedure.

RESULTS

In the randomized trial, differences were not statistically significant. However, on the average, the group with three 5-mm ports required less medication over less time, had less postoperative pain, and took less time to return to activity than the second group with larger ports. A statistically significant difference was found in incisional pain between the smaller group (21 patients) with two 10-mm ports and one 5-mm port and the larger group (100 patients) with three 5-mm ports, whether the measure was overall incisional pain (p = 0.014) or a comparison based on specific ports (p = 0.001). The percentage of cases requiring port enlargement to remove the gallbladder was not significantly different between the groups. There were no conversions to an open procedure, no fourth trocars added, and no complications. No patient required overnight hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

Reducing the number and size of ports in laparoscopic cholecystectomy sustains or enhances the improvements initiated by performing laparoscopic rather than open cholecystectomy. In a comparison of microlaparoscopic procedures, patients undergoing the procedure with the shorter incisions experienced significantly less pain.

An easy and effective method of cholangiography in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: laparoscopic cholecystocholangiography

BACKGROUND

There is ample evidence that the incidence of operative cholangiography has declined since the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. It has been suggested that one of the reasons for this decline is the technical difficulty of cystic duct catheterization. A method of cholangiography which does not require such catheterization has been developed by others. This paper examines the ease and effectiveness of operative cholangiography performed by direct puncture of the gall-bladder.

METHODS

A retrospective study was made of the records of 380 consecutive patients who underwent attempted laparoscopic cholecystectomy. After exclusion of patients in whom laparoscopic cholecystectomy was abandoned in favour of open cholecystectomy and those patients in whom operative cholangiography was not attempted, the records of 325 patients were available to the study. The operation notes of each patient were studied to determine whether, in the operator's opinion, a successful cholangiogram had been obtained.

RESULTS

There were 290 patients in whom cholangiography was attempted using direct gall-bladder puncture (cholecystocholangiography (CCC)). There were 35 patients in whom cholangiography was attempted via cystic duct cannulation (CDC). Cholecystocholangiography was successful in 86% of those cases in which it was attempted. Cystic duct cannulation was successful in 83% of those cases in which it was attempted.

CONCLUSION

Cholecystocholangiography is a valid alternative to cystic duct catheterization in its ability to achieve intra-operative cholangiography in the setting of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS): a useful technique for complex laparoscopic abdominal procedures

Advanced laparoscopic abdominal surgery is now being performed routinely. However, it can be extremely challenging and time-consuming, and it may be associated with increased intraoperative and postoperative complications, mainly due to the loss of tactile sensation with totally laparoscopic techniques. This article describes a technique of hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery for complex abdominal procedures that allows the surgeon to insert a nondominant hand into the abdominal cavity while preserving the pneumoperitoneum. Use of the hand allows for rapid exploration, methodical dissection, identification of crucial structures, and expeditious performance of a procedure because of the maintenance of the tactile sensation. Our experience with this approach has been favorable.

Port-site metastases following laparoscopic surgery

BACKGROUND

Application of laparoscopy to the resection of malignancy has been followed by a literature describing cases of metastatic involvement at laparoscopic port sites. These include patients who underwent surgery for early stage carcinoma and instances following laparoscopic procedures during which tumours were not dissected.

METHODS

Recently published clinical and experimental studies, and case reports related to this problem are reviewed; their relevance is discussed.

RESULTS

Experimental studies incorporating bench top and large animal models have confirmed that tumour cells may be redistributed to port sites during laparoscopic surgery either directly from contaminated instruments or indirectly via the insufflation gas. Small animal models suggest that the incidence of wound metastasis is increased following conventional laparoscopic surgery, and that it may be decreased by gasless laparoscopy or helium insufflation. This evidence suggests that the development of port-site metastases depends not only on the physical redistribution of tumour cells but also on the specific insufflation gas used, possibly because of influences on local metabolic or immune factors acting at the wound site.

CONCLUSION

Further research in this area is urgent. Until the issue is better understood, patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for malignancy should be entered into clinical trials.