Abdominal esophagocardiectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis, with vagal preservation and construction of a spiral anti reflux valve in the treatment of advanced megaesophagus

OBJECTIVE

present a new operative technique characterized by abdominal esophagocardiectomy, with esophagogastrus anastomosis, vagal preservation and spiral anti-reflux valve construction in the treatment of advanced megaesophagus in patients with severe systemic diseases, as well as its result in an initial group of 17 patients.

METHOD

We selected 17 patients with advanced megaesophagus and comorbidities submitted to new technique. The following parameters were analyzed: age, sex, length of hospital stay, early and late complications, mortality, radiological/endoscopic aspects.

RESULTS

twelve male patients (70%) and five (30%) were operated on, with mean age of 51.5 years and mean hospital stay of 14.8 days. There was no mortality in the immediate intraoperative or postoperative period and there were no cases of postoperative fistula. During hospitalization there was one case of pulmonary atelectasis (5.8%), one of pleural effusion (5.8%), two of wall infection (11.7%) and one of urinary retention (5.8%). Discussion: We believe it to be an easy technique, made exclusively by the abdominal route, that is, without violating the thoracic cavity. Such a procedure would be beneficial in patients with advanced megaesophagus and important comorbidities, as well as in those with a history of previous surgeries.

CONCLUSION

the technique described was easy to perform and safe, when performed by an experienced team, with low morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced megaesophagus and important comorbidities, which could increase your complications with more invasive and complex surgeries.

Managing tube thoracostomy with thoracic ultrasound: results from a randomized pilot study

PURPOSE

Tube thoracostomy (TT) is a simple and a life-saving procedure; nevertheless, it carries morbidity, even after its removal. Currently, TT is managed and removed by chest X-ray (CXR) evaluation. There are limitations and these are directly linked to complications. The use of thoracic ultrasound (US) has already been established in the diagnosis of pneumothorax (PTX) and hemothorax (HTX); its use, in substitution of CXR can lead to improvement in care. Our aim is to evaluate the efficiency and safety of US in the management of TT.

METHODS

Prospective and randomized study with patients requiring TT. They were divided in groups according to their thoracic injuries (PTX and HTX) and randomized into two groups according to TT management: US and CXR. Data collected included gender, age, mechanism of injury, days to TT removal, complications after TT removal and presence of mechanical ventilation.

RESULTS

Sixty-one patients were randomized, of which 68.8% were male. The most frequent diagnosis was PTX, present in 37 cases. Median time for TT removal was 2.5 days in the US group and 4.9 in the control group (p = 0.009). The complication rate was 6.6%, with no morbidity in the US group. TT removal in patients with mechanical ventilation did not increase the incidence of complications.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of US in the management is efficient and safe. It allows early TT removal regardless the cause of the thoracic injury.

Comparative study of abdominal cavity temporary closure techniques for damage control

The damage control surgery, with emphasis on laparostomy, usually results in shrinkage of the aponeurosis and loss of the ability to close the abdominal wall, leading to the formation of ventral incisional hernias. Currently, various techniques offer greater chances of closing the abdominal cavity with less tension. Thus, this study aims to evaluate three temporary closure techniques of the abdominal cavity: the Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy - VAC, the Bogotá Bag and the Vacuum-pack. We conducted a systematic review of the literature, selecting 28 articles published in the last 20 years. The techniques of the bag Bogotá and Vacuum-pack had the advantage of easy access to the material in most centers and low cost, contrary to VAC, which, besides presenting high cost, is not available in most hospitals. On the other hand, the VAC technique was more effective in reducing stress at the edges of lesions, removing stagnant fluids and waste, in addition to acting at the cellular level by increasing proliferation and cell division rates, and showed the highest rates of primary closure of the abdominal cavity. RESUMO A cirurgia de controle de danos, com ênfase em peritoneostomia, geralmente resulta em retração da aponeurose e perda da capacidade de fechar a parede abdominal, levando à formação de hérnias ventrais incisionais. Atualmente, várias técnicas oferecem maiores chances de fechamento da cavidade abdominal, com menor tensão. Deste modo, este estudo tem por objetivo avaliar três técnicas de fechamento temporário da cavidade abdominal: fechamento a vácuo (Vacuum-Assisted Closure Therapy - VAC), Bolsa de Bogotá e Vacuum-pack. Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura com seleção de 28 artigos publicados nos últimos 20 anos. As técnicas de Bolsa de Bogotá e Vacuum-pack tiveram como vantagem o acesso fácil ao material, na maioria dos centros, e baixo custo, ao contrário do que se observa na terapia a vácuo, VAC, que além de apresentar alto custo, não está disponível em grande parte dos hospitais. A técnica VAC, por outro lado, foi mais eficaz na redução da tensão nas bordas das lesões, ao remover fluidos estagnados e detritos, além de exercer ação a nível celular, aumentando as taxas de proliferação e divisão celular, e apresentou as maiores taxas de fechamento primário da cavidade abdominal.

LIVER TRANSPLANTATION AFTER SEVERE HEPATIC TRAUMA: CURRENT INDICATIONS AND RESULTS

Background :

The liver is the most injured organ in abdominal trauma. Currently, the treatment in most cases is non-operative, but surgery may be necessary in severe abdominal trauma with blunt liver damage, especially those that cause uncontrollable bleeding. Despite the damage control approaches in order to achieve hemodynamic stability, many patients develop hypovolemic shock, acute liver failure, multiple organ failure and death. In this context, liver transplantation appears as the lifesaving last resource

Aim :

Analyze the use of liver transplantation as a treatment option for severe liver trauma.

Methods :

Were reviewed 14 articles in the PubMed, Medline and Lilacs databases, selected between 2008-2014 and 10 for this study.

Results :

Were identified 46 cases undergoing liver transplant after liver trauma; the main trauma mechanism was closed/blunt abdominal trauma in 83%, and severe trauma (>grade IV) in 81 %. The transplant can be done, in this context, performing one-stage procedure (damaged organ removed with immediate transplantation), used in 72% of cases. When the two-stage approach is performed, end-to-side temporary portacaval shunt is provided, until new organ becomes available to be transplanted. If two different periods are considered - from 1980 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2014 - the survival rate increased significantly, from 48% to 76%, while the mortality decreased from 52% to 24%.

Conclusion :

Despite with quite restricted indications, liver transplantation in hepatic injury is a therapeutic modality viable and feasible today, and can be used in cases when other therapeutic modalities in short and long term, do not provide the patient survival chances.

Open abdomen in gastrointestinal surgery: Which technique is the best for temporary closure during damage control?

AIM

To compare the 3 main techniques of temporary closure of the abdominal cavity, vacuum assisted closure (vacuum-assisted closure therapy - VAC), Bogota bag and Barker technique, in damage control surgery.

METHODS

After systematic review of the literature, 33 articles were selected to compare the efficiency of the three procedures. Criteria such as cost, infections, capacity of reconstruction of the abdominal wall, diseases associated with the technique, among others were analyzed.

RESULTS

The Bogota bag and Barker techniques present as advantage the availability of material and low cost, what is not observed in the VAC procedure. The VAC technique is the most efficient, not only because it reduces the tension on the boarders of the lesion, but also removes stagnant fluids and debris and acts at cellular level increasing cell proliferation and division. Bogota bag presents the higher rates of skin laceration and evisceration, greater need for a stent for draining fluids and wash-ups, higher rates of intestinal adhesion to the abdominal wall. The Barker technique presents lack of efficiency in closing the abdominal wall and difficulty on maintaining pressure on the dressing. The VAC dressing can generate irritation and dermatitis when the drape is applied, in addition to pain, infection and bleeding, as well as toxic shock syndrome, anaerobic sepsis and thrombosis.

CONCLUSION

The VAC technique, showed to be superior allowing a better control of liquid on the third space, avoiding complications such as fistula with small mortality, low infection rate, and easier capability on primary closure of the abdominal cavity.

Complications of radiofrequency ablation of hepatic tumors: Frequency and risk factors

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become an important option in the therapy of primary and secondary hepatic tumors. Surgical resection is still the best treatment option, but only a few of these patients are candidates for surgery: multilobar disease, insufficient liver reserve that will lead to liver failure after resection, extra-hepatic disease, proximity to major bile ducts and vessels, and co-morbidities. RFA has a low mortality and morbidity rate and is considered to be safe. Thus, complications occur and vary widely in the literature. Complications are caused by thermal damage, direct needle injury, infection and the patient’s co-morbidities. Tumor type, type of approach, number of lesions, tumor localization, underlying hepatic disease, the physician’s experience, associated hepatic resection and lesion size have been described as factors significantly associated with complications. The physician in charge should promptly recognize high-risk patients more susceptible to complications, perform a close post procedure follow-up and manage them early and adequately if they occur. We aim to describe complications from RFA of hepatic tumors and their risk factors, as well as a few techniques to avoid them. This way, others can decrease their morbidity rates with better outcomes.

Torsion of a wandering spleen treated with partial splenectomy and splenopexy

BACKGROUND

Wandering spleen is a rare and unusual entity, characterized by excessive mobility and displacement of the organ from its normal position. This happens due to congenital or acquired anomalies leading to the lack of the spleen's suspensory ligaments. Clinical presentation is variable; acute abdominal pain may occur when persistent torsion of the splenic pedicle results in splenic infarction. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are modalities that may be used in diagnosis. The treatment of choice is surgery, with splenectomy or splenopexy, the latter being preferred.

CASE REPORT

The patient was a 38-year-old woman with a 10-day history of left-sided abdominal pain. Imaging demonstrated a wandering spleen with partial infarction of the inferior pole. An open partial splenectomy with splenopexy of the remaining spleen was performed with the use of an absorbable mesh sutured to the abdominal wall and stomach. Her recovery was uneventful and on follow-up she had no signs of recurrence or complications.

CONCLUSION

Wandering spleen should be considered in cases of acute abdominal pain, and surgery is the treatment of choice, with the goal of preservation of the organ whenever possible.

Spleen preserving distal pancreatectomy in an isolated blunt pancreatic trauma

Blunt isolated pancreatic trauma is uncommon, accounting for 1%-4% of high impact abdominal injuries. In addition, its diagnosis can be difficult; physical signs may be poor and laboratory findings nonspecific, resulting in delayed treatment. Preserving the spleen during distal pancreatectomy (DP) is controversial. One of the spleen’s functions regards immunity; complications following splenectomy include leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, overwhelming post splenectomy sepsis and some degree of immunodeficiency. This is why many authors favor its preservation. We describe a case of a young man with an isolated pancreatic trauma due to a blunt abdominal trauma with a delayed presentation who was treated with spleen-preserving DP and we discuss the value of this procedure with reference to the literature.

Esophagectomy for a traumatic esophageal perforation with delayed diagnosis

Esophageal perforations are rare, and traumatic perforations are even more infrequent. Due to the rarity of this condition and its nonspecific presentation, the diagnosis and treatment of this type of perforation are delayed in more than 50% of patients, which leads to a high mortality rate. An 18-year-old male patient was brought to the emergency room with a penetrating neck injury, caused by a gunshot wound. He was taken to the operating room and underwent surgical exploration of the neck and a chest tube was inserted to treat the hemo- and pneumothorax. During the procedure, a 2 cm lesion was detected in the esophagus, and the patient underwent a primary repair. A contrast leakage into his right hemithorax was noticed on the 4th postoperative day; he was submitted to new surgery, and a subtotal esophagectomy and jejunostomy were performed. He was discharged from the hospital in good condition 20 d after the last procedure. The discussion around this topic focuses on the importance of the timing of diagnosis and the subsequent treatment. In early diagnosed patients, more conservative therapeutics should be performed, such as primary repair, while in those with delayed diagnosis, the patient should be submitted to more aggressive and definitive treatment.

An unusual approach to the spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma

Our aim is to describe an unusual approach to the spontaneous rupture of a large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A 45-year-old man, Hepatitis C virus (+) (HCV+), complaining of abdominal pain. During the investigation, a tumor affecting liver segments V, VI, VII and VIII, with the presence of fluid within the peritoneal cavity, suggesting hemoperitoneum, was found. The patient was submitted to an exploratory laparotomy, revealing a large hepatic tumor mass with capsule rupture in segment V, biopsy verified the diagnosis of HCC. After one week, a superselective chemoembolization of the nutrient artery of the tumor was performed; one month later, the patient was submitted to an embolization of the right portal branch, aimed at causing hypertrophy of the left lateral portion of the liver. A right hepatectomy was performed, as well as a nodulectomy in segment II, without complications along the 40 days subsequent to the portal embolization. The patient is currently on his 53rd postoperative month and evidences no tumor recurrence to the moment. Although the spontaneous rupture of HCC is uncommon, it can be today treated by combining interventionist radiology procedures and conventional liver resections, offering the patient a better chance of survival.

Radiofrequency ablation of primary and metastatic liver tumors--4 years experience

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Radiofrequency ablation of primary and metastatic liver tumors has been shown to be one of the promising new modalities to treat or to palliate liver tumors. It has been used as a bridge to liver transplantation as well as an approach to recurrent tumors after resection.

METHODOLOGY

We present a series of 78 cases, 39 females and 39 males with a mean age of 61 years, the RFA has been used either by laparotomy or percutaneously to treat 117 lesions. There were 32 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 35 metastases of colorectal cancer and 11 cases of other tumors.

RESULTS

The mean number of lesions treated were 1.5 per case with a average size of 3.6 cm per lesion. All liver segments were compromised specially IV, VII, VIII. The morbidity was 28% and the mortality was 2.5%. In 20.5% of the cases we were able to find recurrence after the procedure, with a mean time of 10.5 months.

CONCLUSIONS

The RFA procedure is safe, can be performed by different ways and in the group of patients who are candidates to liver transplantation, while waiting for the organ. For the metastatic diseases it does not substitute surgery but can be used in patients who cannot be operated.