Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

BACKGROUND

Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres.

METHODS

This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low-middle-income countries.

RESULTS

In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of 'single-use' consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low-middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia.

CONCLUSION

This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high- and low-middle-income countries.

Fertility-Sparing Surgery in Infiltrative Mucinous Carcinoma of the Ovary

Introduction

Mucinous ovarian carcinoma is often diagnosed early and can affect young patients. The preservation of the female reproductive organ is one of the critical issues, especially for nulliparous women. This case report aims to reconsider the safe outcome of fertility-sparing surgery for infiltrative type mucinous ovarian carcinoma.

Case Presentation

A 28-year-old woman with a right mucinous ovarian carcinoma, infiltrative subtype stage IA was treated by right salpingo-oophorectomy, omentectomy, and lymph nodes staging. A 5-year follow-up showed no signs of relapse, and she completed two full-term natural pregnancies.

Conclusion

Conservative surgery is a crucial matter for this patient category. The infiltrative type has a poorer prognosis, but few papers have reported the outcome and the safety of fertility-sparing surgery in this context.

Breast amyloidosis associated with Sjögren syndrome: A diagnostic pitfall in breast pathology

BACKGROUND

Amyloidosis is an uncommon disorder characterized by the extracellular deposition of amorphous and insoluble proteins in an abnormal fibrillary configuration. Mammary amyloidosis is an unusual and easily overlooked diagnosis with an ambivalent presentation that could mimic breast cancer.

CASE REPORT

We here report the case of 60-year-old Caucasian woman who presented to our surgical oncology department for clinically and radiologically suspicious breast mass. A fine needle biopsy was irrelevant, so we performed a lumpectomy. Final histology revealed an amyloid deposit and further workup was consistent with nodular cutaneous and breast AL amyloidosis associated with Sjögren's syndrome.

CONCLUSION

Although rare, an awareness of the clinicopathologic characteristics of this easily overlooked entity is of great importance for breast surgeons.

Surgical resection of a massive residual retroperitoneal mass after chemotherapy for a paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare and aggressive mesenchymal tumor, accounting for only 7% of all rhabdomyosarcomas. It is mainly encountered in children and adolescents. The standard treatment consists of radical orchidectomy with negative surgical margins. However, chemotherapy is recommended to control retroperitoneal micrometastasis. The place of surgery for progressive retroperitoneal lymph node metastases remains controversial. We present a case of paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma with progressive retroperitoneal lymph node metastases treated with surgery.

CASE REPORT

We report a case of a 17-year-old North African male with no particular medical history who presented with a left scrotal mass that had been evolving for several months. Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, alpha-fetoprotein, and lactate dehydrogenase were normal. Scrotal ultrasonography revealed the presence of a 6 cm heterogeneous hypoechogenic tissular mass with cystic areas adherent to the left scrotal wall, which was thickened in some places and vascularized by color Doppler. It exerted a mass effect on the homolateral testicle, which was of average volume. The thoracic-abdominal-pelvic computed tomography scan showed the presence of suspicious paraaortic lymph nodes. The most voluminous one measured 16 × 23 mm². A left orchidectomy was performed. The final pathology report revealed an 8 cm paratesticular rhabdomyosarcoma of the embryonic type that displaced the testicle without invading it. Without going beyond it, it infiltrated the epididymis, the rete testis, and the albuginea. The surgical margin at the level of the spermatic cord was free. The patient had adjuvant chemotherapy (ifosfamide, vincristine, and dactinomycin). The patient had a challenging paraaortic lymph node dissection since the mass enlaced the left ureter and renal vessels. On histological examination, the paraaortic lymph nodes were metastatic.

CONCLUSION

Rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive malignancy with high metastatic potential. Therefore, only an accurate diagnosis and early treatment can ensure better survival. Surgery in expert hands seems to be a good option for progressive retroperitoneal nodes. However, further studies are needed to determine the place of surgery in this setting.

Uterine cervix metastasis from primary colon adenocarcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

Introduction

Metastases to the female genital tract from extragenital primary tumors are unusual. We report a rare case of uterine cervix metastasis from colon adenocarcinoma and discuss diagnostic and therapeutic issues.

Case report

We report a case of a 38-year-old North African Caucasian woman treated for a non-metastatic colon adenocarcinoma. She had a sigmoidectomy and incomplete adjuvant chemotherapy. Six months later, she consulted with vaginal bleeding caused by a cervical tumor, which was confirmed to be metastatic disease, and the patient underwent decompressive and hemostatic radiotherapy.

Conclusion

Uterine cervix metastasis from primary colon adenocarcinoma is rare. The resection remains the standard protocol for the local treatment of resectable metastatic disease. Otherwise, systemic therapy is the preferable option.

A renal angiomyolipoma with a challenging presentation: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Renal angiomyolipoma is considered a benign mesenchymal tumor composed of fat, smooth muscle, and blood vessels. It represents 1-3% of solid renal tumors. Despite this tumor's benignity, it can be aggressive with a locoregional extension.

CASE REPORT

A 41-year-old north African caucasian woman consulted with chief complaints of right lower back pain with no hematuria and no urinal sign. Thoracic-abdominopelvic contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed a right inferior polar heterogeneous renal mass complicated with venous thrombus ascending to the right atrium level. The patient underwent radical nephrectomy under extracorporeal circulation and direct supervision of the fatty thrombus at the right atrium level. The postoperative period was uneventful. The final histologic examination was concordant with renal angiomyolipoma.

CONCLUSION

Renal angiomyolipoma is the most common benign kidney tumor. Despite its benignity, it can be associated with lethal complications such as hemorrhage, and it can also show signs of local extension mimicking malignant tumors. The cornerstone of the treatment remains surgery.

Mondor's disease of the breast: a case series

BACKGROUND

Mondor's disease of the breast (MDB) is a rare and benign disorder of the breast. It is characterized by thrombophlebitis of the superficial veins of the chest wall. Clinically, it manifests as a cord-like induration of the breast area. MDB resolves spontaneously without sequela.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report cases of three Caucasian African patients aged 29, 40 and 34, respectively. One patient was under progestative contraception. All the patients had a cord-like induration on the chest wall. Ultrasonography was performed in all patients and was normal in two cases and showed a thrombotic vein in one case. All the patients had symptomatic treatment with total resolution of symptoms within 1 to 4 weeks. No relapse was observed.

CONCLUSION

MDB is benign in most cases. However, it is not to be taken lightly, because it can be the manifestation of an underlying disease such as breast cancer. The diagnosis is based on clinical findings; ultrasonography can be helpful for the diagnosis. Treatment is based on analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Giant Darier-Ferrand dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans of the abdomen and pelvis: a case report

Background

Darier–Ferrand dermatofibrosarcoma (DFS) is a rare malignant cutaneous neoplasm characterized by local aggressiveness, high risk of recurrence, and low metastatic potential.

Case presentation

A 60-year-old Tunisian man with recurrent abdominopelvic DFS for which he had undergone multiple excisions presented with an extensive DFS that invaded the external genitals. He underwent a large excision with emasculation and thin cutaneous graft of the abdominal wall and local skin flap in the pelvis.

Conclusion

DFS is a rare yet recurrent skin tumor. Wide excision with free margins remains the cornerstone of treatment. We report a case of a giant DFS treated with wide excision and reconstructive surgery to cover the defect.

Breast tuberculosis: a case series

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Breast tuberculosis is a rare disease, even in endemic areas. The diagnosis can be challenging, as it can mimic breast cancer. We aim to report our experience and discuss diagnoses and management modalities.

RESULTS

We encountered twelve cases of breast tuberculosis in our institution from 2004 to 2019. The average age of our Caucasian North African patients was 42 years old (22-63). The classic presentation was a breast lump found in half of the cases. On physical examination, we suspected breast carcinoma in seven patients. The average size of the tumors was 39 mm (15-80 mm). Nine patients had a mammogram. In five cases, there was a suspicious breast mass mimicking a malignant tumor with an average size of 33 mm (25-60 mm). A ultrasonography was performed in 6 cases and revealed a suspicious ill-circumscribed nodule in four patients with an average size of 37.5 mm (10-60 mm). Five patients had a lumpectomy, and seven women underwent drainage of the abscess and the biopsy of its hull. The association of epithelioid cell granulomas and caseous necrosis was mandatory for the histological diagnosis of tuberculosis. All of them had an antitubercular therapy. The median period of follow-up was of 43 months (3-156 months). One patient presented with a recurrent abscess of the breast.

CONCLUSION

Our study found that clinical examination and radiological imaging were not specific. Positive cultures for Koch bacillus or histological confirmation are mandatory for the diagnosis. A meta-analysis of the existing cases is needed.

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

BACKGROUND

80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality.

METHODS

This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494.

FINDINGS

Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70-8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39-8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11-3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26-11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08-7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications.

INTERPRETATION

Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications.

FUNDING

National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit.

Bowel obstruction due to the tightening of a loose bowel adhesion with uterus enlargement during pregnancy

Introduction. Acute intestinal obstruction during pregnancy is a rare digestive surgical emergency. Generally, it is associated with significant maternal and fetal mortality. The diagnosis is difficult, often delaying the therapeutic management. It is reported an exceptional association of acute intestinal obstruction due to a band adhesion that is put into tension as the uterus enlarges. Case Report. A 35 years old Caucasian pregnant woman with a past medical history of appendectomy was examined and found with abdominal pain, severe vomiting, and bowel obstruction. The patient underwent surgery. Per operatively, the obstruction was caused by an adhesion put into tension by the enlargement of the uterus. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on day 2. Conclusions. The etiological diagnosis of acute intestinal obstruction during pregnancy is difficult. Surgery is the cornerstone of the treatment and the management varies depending on the intraoperative findings and the condition of the patient.

Multiple cutaneous metastasis of synchronous urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and the renal pelvis: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Cutaneous metastatic disease arising from urinary tract carcinoma is rare and associated with a poor prognosis. We report a case of metastatic disease occurring in a patient treated for synchronous urothelial tumor of the bladder and left renal pelvis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 61-year-old Caucasian man was treated for a synchronous urothelial tumor of the bladder and left renal pelvis. He had an en bloc radical cystectomy and left ureteronehprectomy associated with a cutaneous transileal urinary diversion and lymph node dissection. He was scheduled for chemotherapy but was lost to follow-up. He consulted 1 year later with growing skin tumors that were confirmed to be metastatic disease, and he was referred to the oncology department for palliative chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Cutaneous metastatic disease is a rare entity with poor prognosis. The main treatment remains chemotherapy; however, single-site metastasis should be considered for metastasectomy.

Fertility sparing surgery for ovarian sex cord stromal tumors: a nine case series

Ovarian Sex Cord Stromal Tumors (SCST) are a rare disease carrying a good prognosis. They generally affect young women; therefore fertility preservation is a critical issue. Fertility Sparing Surgery (FSS) showed promising results in both oncologic safety and fertility preservation. A retrospective case series involving 9 patients diagnosed with SCST and treated with fertility sparing surgery at our institution was conducted between January 2000 and May 2015. The median age was 24 years old (10 to 39). The main clinical manifestation was pelvic pain seen in seven patients. Five patients complained about menstrual cycle disorders. The nine patients went through fertility sparing surgery; seven had conservative staging and the other two had a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Three patients out of nine had a pelvic unilateral lymphadenectomy. Two patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Only two patients presented locoregional recurrence that occurred respectively after 7 and 192 months. The treatment combined chemotherapy and surgery based on mass resection. One patient achieved a natural pregnancy after the treatment. FSS seems to be a suitable approach for SCST. However, more case series and meta-analysis should be conducted.

A hydatic cyst of the appendix mimicking a uterine lateral mass: a case report

Background

Hydatic cyst is a zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus. It is a public health problem in Tunisia and remains endemic. It occurs in intra-abdominal organs in 10–15% of the cases, particularly in the liver representing the most common affected organ. The aim of the case is to highlight the scarcity of this appendicle origin and to consider it among the differential diagnosis of any intra-abdominal cystic lesion.

Case presentation

A 45-year-old Tunisian woman, with no past medical history, was admitted for a pelvic cystic mass. The clinical manifestation as well as the imaging findings were toward a lateral uterine mass. Our patient underwent appendectomy and resection of the mass. The patient had no recurrence at 2 years of follow-up.

Conclusions

An extrahepatic hydatid cyst should be recognized among the differential diagnosis of any intra-abdominal cystic lesion. Treatment should be based on surgical excision. Due to the risk of recurrence, a close follow-up is mandatory.

Fertility-sparing surgery in advanced stage malignant ovarian germ cell tumor: a case report

Background

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumor is a rare type of disease, which generally has a good prognosis due to the high chemosensitivity of this type of tumor.

Fertility preservation is an important issue because malignant ovarian germ cell tumor commonly affects young women. Although conservation is the standard for early stage, it becomes more debatable as the disease progresses to more advanced stages.

Aim: Report the case of a patient with an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage IIIc malignant ovarian germ cell tumor, who had conservative surgery and chemotherapy with a good fertility outcome.

Case presentation

A 23-year-old North African woman with a left malignant ovarian germ cell tumor stage IIIc was treated by left adnexectomy and omentectomy followed by chemotherapy. A 15-year follow-up showed no signs of relapse, and she completed three full-term natural pregnancies.

Conclusions

Malignant ovarian germ cell tumor is a rare ovarian tumor with a good prognosis. It is usually associated with a good fertility outcome in early stages. However, due to the rarity of the disease in advanced stages, the fertility outcome for this group of patients is not clear. This lack of data surrounding advanced stages points to the need for a meta-analysis of all published cases.

Identifying accessible prognostic factors for breast cancer relapse: a case-study on 405 histologically confirmed node-negative patients

BACKGROUND

Histologically, node-negative breast cancer generally have a good prognosis. However, 10 to 30% of the cases present local relapses or metastasis. This group of people has high chances of remission if detected early. The aim of this study is to identify financial affordability for developing countries to adjust treatment.

METHODS

We selected 405 patients with histologically confirmed node-negative breast cancer in our institution between January 2001 and December 2003. Patients with metastasis were excluded. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS ver. 18 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, Illinois).

RESULTS

The medial age was 51 years old. The medial tumor size was 35.4 mm. Clinically, 67.2% of the patients were staged cT2 and 63.2%, cN1i. Breast conservation was achieved in 41% of cases. In the histologic examination, the medial size was 30 mm. Grade III tumors were found in 50.1% of patients and positive hormonal receptors in 53.4%. The mean number of lymph nodes was 14. Eight patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Adjuvant locoregional radiation and adjuvant chemotherapy were prescribed respectively in 70.6 and 64.4% of cases. 59.7% had adjuvant hormonal therapy. The follow-up showed 17.7% cases of relapse either locally or in a metastatic way in a mean time of 57.4 months. The disease-free survival at 5 years was 82.1%, and the overall survival for the same period was 91.5%. The histologic tumor size and the grade and number of lymph node dissected were shown to be influencing the disease-free survival. Radiation therapy and hormone therapy showed improved disease-free survival and overall survival.

CONCLUSION

Our study found interesting results that may help personalize the treatment especially for patient living in underdeveloped countries, but further studies are needed to evaluate those and more accessible prognostic factors for a more accessible healthcare.

Laparoscopic assisted foreign body extraction from the small bowel: A case report

•

Only one percent of foreign body ingestion needs surgery.

•

Exploratory laparotomy has been the mainstay of treatment for patients requiring surgery however surgeons are more and more tempted to use laparoscopy in emergency setting.

•

The increased use of minimally invasive surgery resulted in less morbidty and faster recovery after the surgical treatment of many diseases.

•

Large scale randomized controlled trials are needed before this can be used as a standard of care.

Background and aim

Foreign body ingestion is a commonly seen accident in emergencies, only 1% of them will finally need surgery. Historically, exploratory laparotomy has been the mainstay of treatment for patients requiring surgery. However surgeons are more and more tempted to use laparoscopy in emergency setting.

Through this case report we wanted to show in some selected cases the feasibility of laparoscopic assisted foreign body extraction from the small bowel leaving the patient with smaller scar, less morbidity and faster recovery.

Case presentation

A 30 year old male Inmate, ingested 40 days prior to his visit a bottom part of plastic bottle.

Physical examination found an afebrile patient with a whole abdominal tenderness but no signs of peritonitis.

The Abdominal Computed Tomography found a small bowel obstruction caused by a foreign body. No Radiological sign of perforation or peritonitis was found.

First therapeutic strategy was to wait and see, for 24 h with no sign of improvement and the patient was taken to surgery. We opted for a laparoscopic approach y. The patient had bowel and gas movement the day after surgery. In the third day, the patient had developed a parietal abscess Treated medically. In the 10th day, after surgery the patient was discharged.

Fourteenth month after the surgery, the patients is doing well with no late complication.

Conclusion

Laparoscopic assisted foreign body extraction from the small bowel is a good therapeutic option however Large scale randomized controlled trials are needed before this can be used as a standard of care.

Is the systematic circumferential tumor cavity shaving a representative sample for the remaining mammary gland? About 75 cases

INTRODUCTION

The conservative surgery is more and more indicated for breast cancer. However, we still fear local recurrence which is mostly due to residual tumors?. Several techniques have been used to minimize theses residual tumors; one of them is the systematic circumferential tumor cavity shaving (SCTCS).

METHODS

We sampled 75 female patients who had conservative surgery with positive shaved margins in the anatomopathology examination and to whom a complementary treatment with mastectomy have been decided.

RESULTS

The median age was 48 years old. The median tumor size was 23 mm. In the histological examination of the tumors, 93% were invasive ductal carcinoma associated in 50% of the cases to the presence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) where all the lumpectomies had clear margin. For the SCTCS, 62,2% were DCIS and in 17,6% of the cases were invasive ductal carcinoma. A complementary treatment with mastectomy was indicated to all the patients. A residual tumor was detected in the remaining mammary gland in 47,7% of the cases out of which 50% were DCIS. Local recurrence happened in three patients (4,6%) after a median of follow up of 36 months. The overall survival and the disease free survival at five years were respectively 83,6% and 75,5%.

CONCLUSION

Standardized lumpectomy cavity shaving provides a backup to lumpectomy margins in conservative breast surgery but it can also be used as a sample for the remaining breast, helping to detect the residual tumor, and decreasing the rates of local recurrence after BCT.