Acute umbilical hernia rupture in patients with hepatic cirrhosis and ascites is an unusual,but potentially lifethreatening complication,with postoperative morbidity about 70% and mortality between ...60%-80% after supportive care and 6%-20% after urgent surgical repair.Management options include primary surgical repair with or without concomitant portal venous system decompression for the control of the ascites.We present a retrospective analysis of our centre’s experience over the last 6 years.Our cohort consisted of 11 consecutive patients(median age:53 years,range:36-63 years) with advanced hepatic cirrhosis and refractory ascites.Appropriate patient resuscitation and optimisation with intravenous fluids,prophylactic antibiotics and local measures was instituted.One failed attempt for conservative management was followed by a successful primary repair.In all cases,with one exception,a primary repair with non-absorbable Nylon,interrupted sutures,without mesh,was performed.The perioperative complication rate was 25% and the recurrence rate 8.3%.No mortality was recorded.Median length of hospital stay was 14 d(range:4-31 d).Based on our experience,the management of ruptured umbilical hernias in patients with advanced hepatic cirrhosis and refractory ascites is feasible without the use of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt routinely in the preoperative period,provided that meticulous patient optimisation is performed.
Incidental gallbladder cancer (IGBC) represents 50%-60% of gallbladder cancer cases. Data are conflicting on the role of IGBC diagnosis in oncological outcomes. Some studies suggest that IGBC ...diagnosis does not affect outcomes, while others that overall survival (OS) is longer in these cases compared to non-incidental diagnosis (NIGBC). Furthermore, some studies reported early tumour stages and histopathologic characteristics as possible confounders, while others not.
To investigate the role of IGBC diagnosis on patients' overall survival, especially after surgical treatment with curative intent.
Retrospective analysis of all patient referrals with gallbladder cancer between 2008 and 2020 in a tertiary hepatobiliary centre. Statistical comparison of patient and tumour characteristics between IGBC and NIGBC subgroups was performed. Survival analysis for the whole cohort, surgical and non-surgical subgroups was done with the Kaplan-Meier method and the use of log rank test. Risk analysis was performed with univariable and multivariable Cox regression analysis.
The cohort included 261 patients with gallbladder cancer. 65% of cases had NIGBC and 35% had IGBC. A total of 90 patients received surgical treatment (66% of IGBC cases and 19% of NIGBC cases). NIGBC patients had more advanced T stage and required more extensive resections than IGBC ones. OS was longer in patients with IGBC in the whole cohort (29
4 mo,
< 0.001), as well as in the non-surgical (14
2 mo,
< 0.001) and surgical subgroups (29
16.5 mo,
= 0.001). Disease free survival (DFS) after surgery was longer in patients with IGBC (21.5 mo
8.5 mo,
= 0.007). N stage and resection margin status were identified as independent predictors of OS and DFS. NIGBC diagnosis was identified as an independent predictor of OS.
IGBC diagnosis may confer a survival advantage independently of the pathological stage and tumour characteristics. Prospective studies are required to further investigate this, including detailed pathological analysis and molecular gene expression.
Patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer have historically been considered inoperable. The purpose of this report was to determine resectability rates for patients with locally advanced ...pancreatic cancer based on our recently described definitions of type A and type B locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
An institutional prospective pancreas cancer database was queried for consecutive patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer treated between January 2009 and June 2017. All pretreatment imaging was re-reviewed and patients were categorized as locally advanced pancreatic cancer type A or type B. Demographics, induction therapy, resection type, and outcomes were reviewed.
We identified 108 consecutive patients; 12 were excluded from analysis due to the absence of available pretreatment imaging or they had not yet completed all intended neoadjuvant therapy. Of the remaining 96 patients (45 type A, 51 type B), disease progression occurred in 19 (20%) during induction therapy and 30 (31%) were deemed inoperable at final preoperative restaging. Therefore, 47 (49%) of 96 patients were taken to surgery and 40 (42%) underwent successful resection (28 62% of 45 type A and 12 24% of 51 type B); an RO resection was achieved in 32 (80%). Metastatic disease was found intraoperatively (6 at laparoscopy, 1 at laparotomy) in 7 (15%) of 47 patients. There were no mortalities; 6 (15%) patients experienced major postoperative complications. Resected patients had a median overall survival of 38.9 months.
Locally advanced pancreatic cancer can be dichotomized into type A and B with distinctly different probabilities of completing all therapy to include surgery; thereby allowing goals of therapy to be established at the time of diagnosis. Multimodality therapy that includes surgery can be accomplished in selected patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer and is associated with a median overall survival that approximates earlier stages of disease. (Surgery 2017;160:XXX-XXX.)
Background
Prompt diagnosis of vascular compromise following pediatric liver transplantation and restoration of oxygen delivery to the liver improves organ survival. vis‐DRS allows for real‐time ...measurement of liver tissue saturation.
Methods
The current study used vis‐DRS to determine changes in liver saturation during clinically relevant conditions of reduced oxygen delivery. In an in vivo swine model (n = 15), we determined liver tissue saturation (StO2) during stepwise reduction in hepatic artery flow, different inspiratory oxygen fraction (FiO2), and increasing hemodilution. A custom vis‐DRS probe was placed directly on the organ.
Results
Liver tissue saturation decreased significantly with a decrease in hepatic artery flow. A reduction in hepatic artery flow to 25% of baseline reduced the StO2 by 15.3 ± 1.4% at FiO2 0.3 (mean ± SE, p < .0013), and by 8.3 ± 1.9% at FiO2 1.0 (p = .0013). After hemodilution to 7–8 g/dl, StO2 was reduced by 31.8% ± 2.7%, p < .001 (FiO2 0.3) and 26.6 ± 2.7%, p < .001 (FiO2: 1.0) respectively. Portal venous saturation during low hepatic artery flow was consistently higher at FiO2 1.0. The gradient between portal venous saturation and liver tissue saturation was consistently greater at lower hemoglobin levels (7.0 ± 1.6% per g/dl hemoglobin, p < .001).
Conclusions
Vis‐DRS showed prompt changes in liver tissue saturation with decreases in hepatic artery blood flow. At hepatic artery flows below 50% of baseline, liver saturation depended on FiO2 and hemoglobin concentration suggesting that during hepatic artery occlusion, packed red blood cell transfusion and increased FiO2 may be useful measures to reduce hypoxic damage until surgical revascularization.
It is presently unclear what clinical pathways are followed for patients with non-metastatic PDAC in specialised centres for pancreatic surgery across the United Kingdom (UK).
Between August 2019 and ...August 2020 an electronic survey was conducted aiming at a national cohort of pancreatic surgeons in the UK. Participants replied to a list of standardised questions and clinical vignettes, and data were collected and analysed focusing on management preferences, resectability criteria, and contraindications to surgery.
Within the study period, 65 pancreatic surgeons from 27 specialist centres in the UK (96%) completed the survey. Multidisciplinary team meetings are utilised universally for the management of patients with PDAC, however, different staging systems for resectability classification are being applied. In borderline resectable PDAC, most surgeons were keen to proceed with surgical exploration post NAT, but differences were noted in preferred chemotherapy regimens. Surgeons from standard volume institutions performed fewer vein resections annually and were more likely to deem patients with locally advanced PDAC as unresectable. Intra-institutional variability in patient management was also present and ranging between 20-80%.
Significant variability in the surgical management of non-metastatic PDAC was identified both on inter- and intra-institutional level.
Pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) is frequently the surgical treatment indicated for a number of pathologies. Elderly patients may be denied surgery because of concerns over poor perioperative outcomes. The ...aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative clinical outcomes and provide evidence on current UK practice in the elderly population after PD.
This was a multicentre retrospective case-control study of octogenarians undergoing PD between January 2008 and December 2017, matched with younger controls from seven specialist centres in the UK. The primary endpoint was 90-day mortality. Secondary endpoints were index admission mortality, postoperative complications, and 30-day readmission rates.
In total, 235 octogenarians (median age 81 (range 80-90) years) and 235 controls (age 67 (31-79) years) were included in the study. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (median 0 (range 0-3) versus 0 (0-2); P = 0.010) and Charlson Co-morbidity Index score (7 (6-11) versus 5 (2-9); P = 0.001) were higher for octogenarians than controls. Postoperative complication and 30-day readmission rates were comparable. The 90-day mortality rate was higher among octogenarians (9 versus 3 per cent; P = 0.030). Index admission mortality rates were comparable (4 versus 2 per cent; P = 0.160), indicating that the difference in mortality was related to deaths after hospital discharge. Despite the higher 90-day mortality rate in the octogenarian population, multivariable Cox regression analysis did not identify age as an independent predictor of postoperative mortality.
Despite careful patient selection and comparable index admission mortality, 90-day and, particularly, out-of-hospital mortality rates were higher in octogenarians.
Presence of liver metastatic disease in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), either synchronous or metachronous after pancreatic resection, is a terminal diagnosis that warrants management with ...palliative intent as per all international practice guidelines. However, there is an increasing interest on any potential value of surgical treatment of isolated oligometastatic disease in selected cases.
To present the published evidence on surgical management of PDAC liver metastases, synchronous and metachronous, and compare the outcomes of these treatments to the current standard of care.
A systematic review was performed in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines to compare the outcomes of both synchronous and metachronous liver metastases resection to standard care.
356 studies were identified, 31 studies underwent full-text review and of these 10 were suitable for inclusion. When synchronous resection of liver metastases was compared to standard care, most studies did not demonstrate a survival benefit with the exception of one study that utilised neoadjuvant treatment. However, resection of metachronous disease appeared to confer a survival advantage when compared to treatment with chemotherapy alone.
A survival benefit may exist in resection of selected cases of metachronous liver oligometastatic PDAC disease, after disease biology has been tested with time and systemic treatment. Any survival benefit is less clear in synchronous cases; however an approach with neoadjuvant treatment and consideration of resection in some selected cases may confer some benefit. Future studies should focus on pathways for selection of cases that may benefit from an aggressive approach.
Although laparoscopic surgery is readily used in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in adults, its role in the surgical treatment of IBD in the pediatric population is not well ...established. The aim of this narrative review was to analyze the published evidence comparing laparoscopic and open resection in the management of children and adolescents with IBD. The Pubmed and Embase databases were searched using the terms "inflammatory bowel disease," "children," "adolescents," "laparoscopic," and "colectomy." The review identified 10 appropriate studies. Even though laparoscopic surgery generally resulted in longer operating times (between a mean of 40 and 140 min), benefits included reduced postoperative pain (mean duration of opiate use 3 vs 6 days) and reduced length of stay (median length of stay 5-8 vs 10.5-19 days) compared with open surgery. Postoperative complication rates were similar following both approaches. Due to the limited available data and the small sample size of the published series, definite recommendations are not able to be drawn. Nevertheless, current evidence indicates that laparoscopic colorectal resection is safe and feasible in the management of IBD in the paediatric population, with reductions in postoperative pain and length of hospital stay achievable.