Is laparoscopy equal to laparotomy in detecting and treating small bowel injuries in a porcine model?

A new minimally invasive porcine model for the study of intrahepatic bile duct dilatation

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) procedures are becoming more frequent nowadays and novel techniques are on the rise. These procedures require high technical experience and complex endoscopic skills. The goal of this study was to develop a new minimally invasive animal model of bile duct dilatation in the pig, in order to offer a new tool for endoscopic and surgical therapy training and to test new therapeutic strategies.

METHODS

Twenty-five female pigs underwent laparoscopic surgery in order to perform a common hepatic duct ligation. A pre- and postoperative biochemical analyses were performed: glucose, albumin, total bilirubin (TBil), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase, and alanine aminotransferase were measured. Surgical time and intra- and postoperative complications were registered. Five to six days after surgery, an EUS was performed to measure intrahepatic duct size (mm). Distance from the bile duct to the EUS transductor was also recorded (mm). T-student for quantitative variables was applied. Statistical significance was defined as p value ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

The mean surgical time was 29.5 ± 14.9 min. In five pigs (20%), some mild intraoperative problems occurred. A severe postoperative complication occurred in one animal (4%). No postoperative mortality was registered. Postoperative serum analyses showed an increase in total bilirubin (p = 0.005) and gamma glutamyl transferase levels (p = 0.001). Postoperative EUS showed dilatation of the intrahepatic bile duct in 76% of pigs, with a mean diameter of 9.6 ± 3.6 mm (distance from the gastric wall of 17.0 ± 6.4 mm).

CONCLUSION

The surgical procedure described here is a safe technique to induce dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts in the pig, with a minimally invasive approach and a high efficacy rate. This animal model might be useful for EUS techniques training and for evaluating new therapeutic approaches.

Ingestion of Metallic Shrapnel by a Bomb-blast Victim: A Case Report and Literature Review

This case report describes an unusual incidence of shrapnel ingestion by a bomb-blast victim with infliction of multiple, simultaneous, penetrating injuries.Consequently, the foreign body that appeared within the lumen of cecum on the computed tomography (CT) scan was thought to have entered through one of these penetrating injuries. A 31-year-old male, who was the victim of a bomb-blast, was brought to the emergency room with multiple, penetrating wounds. The CT scan of the abdomen showed a dense metallic body within the cecum but cecal perforation was not ruled out. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a metallic body within the lumen of the cecum with no gut perforation. The metallic foreign body, which was actually ingested shrapnel, subsequently passed out in the stools. Even with the use of high-tech investigations and diagnostic tools, the clinician was unable to reach a conclusive diagnosis. Therefore, the importance of a thorough and detailed clinical history and physical examination and their interpretation should not be underestimated, and physicians should be open to a wide variety of possible causes.

Influence of laparoscopy vs. laparotomy on bacterial translocation and systemic inflammatory responses in a porcine model with peritonitis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to compare the effects of laparoscopy vs. laparotomy on bacterial translocation and immunologic responses in a porcine model with peritonitis caused by small bowel injuries (SBIs).

METHODS

Pigs with SBIs were first established, assigned into either the laparoscopy group or the laparotomy group, and then received surgical intervention. During 72 hours (72 hr) observation period, blood, and tissues of different organs were obtained for bacterial cultures; endotoxin and peripheral leukocyte were determined; serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP were measured.

RESULTS

Blood cultures confirmed systemic bacteremia in all animals and the endotoxin level was comparable between groups at 24 hr after surgery. However, two days later, positive bacteremia was only detected in four pigs following laparoscopy and five following laparotomy. Eight and four pigs during laparoscopy (seven and six pigs during laparotomy) had translocated bacteria in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and liver. The 72 hr later, bacteria in MLN, liver, lung, and kidney was found in 2, 1, 2, and 0 pig after laparoscopy, respectively (3, 2, 2, and 1 pig after laparotomy). The peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) counts remained at a much lower level after laparoscopy than after laparotomy. Serum IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP increased notably after both procedures when compared to preoperative levels. However, significantly faster and lower regression of IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP were observed in the laparoscopy group.

CONCLUSION

Compared with laparotomy, laparoscopy does not result in increased bacterial translocation, but decrease IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP release.

Do patients with penetrating abdominal stab wounds require laparotomy?

BACKGROUND

The optimal management of hemodynamically stable asymptomatic patients with anterior abdominal stab wounds (AASWs) remains controversial. The goal is to identify and treat injuries in a safe cost-effective manner. Common evaluation strategies are local wound exploration (LWE), diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL), serial clinical assessment (SCAs) and computed tomography (CT) imaging. Making a decision about the right time to operate on a patient with a penetrating abdominal stab wound, especially those who have visceral evisceration, is a continuing challenge.

OBJECTIVES

Until the year 2010, our strategy was emergency laparotomy in patients with penetrating anterior fascia and those with visceral evisceration. This survey was conducted towards evaluating the results of emergency laparotomy. So, better management can be done in patients with penetrating abdominal stab wounds.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on patients with abdominal penetrating trauma who referred to Al- Zahra hospital in Isfahan, Iran from October 2000 to October 2010. It should be noted that patients with abdominal blunt trauma, patients under 14 years old, those with lateral abdomen penetrating trauma and patients who had unstable hemodynamic status were excluded from the study. Medical records of patients were reviewed and demographic and clinical data were collected for all patients including: age, sex, mechanism of trauma and the results of LWE and laparotomy. Data were analyzed with PASW v.20 software. All data were expressed as mean ± SD. The distribution of nominal variables was compared using the Chi-squared test. Also, diagnostic index for LWE were calculated. A two-sided P value less than 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

RESULTS

During the 10 year period of the study, 1100 consecutive patients with stab wounds were admitted to Al-Zahra hospital Isfahan, Iran. In total, about 150 cases had penetrating traumas in the anterior abdomen area. Sixty-three (42%) patients were operated immediately due to shock, visceral evisceration or aspiration of blood via a nasogastric tube on admission. Organ injury was seen in 78% of patients with visceral evisceration. Among these 87 cases, 29 patients' (33.3%) anterior fascia was not penetrated in LWE. So, they were observed for several hours and discharged from the hospital without surgery. While for the remaining 58 patients (66.6%), whose LWE detected penetration of anterior abdominal fascia, laparotomy was performed which showed visceral injuries in 11 (18%) cases.

CONCLUSIONS

All in all, 82 percent of laparotomies in patients with penetrated anterior abdominal fascia without visceral evisceration, who had no signs of peritoneal irritation, were negative. So, we recommended further evaluation in these patients. However, visceral evisceration is an indication for exploratory laparotomy, since in our study; the majority of patients had organ damages.