Incidence and risk factors for Chyle leak after pancreatic surgery for cancer: A comprehensive systematic review

BackgroundChyle leak (CL) is a clinically relevant complication after pancreatectomy. Its incidence and the associated risk factors are ill defined, and various treatments options have been described. There is no consensus, however, regarding optimal management. The present study aims to systematically review the literature on CL after pancreatectomy.MethodsA systematic review from PubMed, Scopus and Embase database was performed. Studies using a clear definition for CL and published from January 2000 to January 2021 were included. The PRISMA guidelines were followed during all stages of this systematic review. The MINORS score was used to assess methodological quality.ResultsLiterature search found 361 reports, 99 of which were duplicates. The titles and abstracts of 262 articles were finally screened. The references from the remaining 181 articles were manually assessed. After the exclusions, 43 articles were thoroughly assessed. A total of 23 articles were ultimately included for this review. The number of patients varied from 54 to 3532. Incidence of post pancreatectomy CL varied from 1.3% to 22.1%. Main risk factors were the extent of the surgery and early oral or enteral feeding. CL dried up spontaneously or after conservative management within 14 days in 53% to 100% of the cases.ConclusionsThe extent of surgery is the most common predictor of risk of CL. Conservative treatment has been shown to be effective in most cases and can be considered the treatment of choice. We propose a management algorithm based on the current available evidence.     

Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion,A Misnomer?: Where Do We Go From Here?

The importance of the left atrial appendage (LAA) as the source of thromboembolism including stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation is well documented, with more than 90% of ischemic strokes related to a LAA thrombus. Although oral anticoagulation has been the standard of care, approximately 50% to 60% of patients either have contraindications to oral anticoagulation or do not continue the medication beyond the first year. This led to the development of local site-specific therapy to occlude the LAA by either surgical or transcatheter means. Despite marked advancements, incomplete LAA closure with surgical and transcatheter approaches remains frequent. The etiology of incomplete LAA closure and its clinical implications remain unclear. Multiple strategies are in development including changes in deployment techniques, a new device design, and alternative approaches to leak closure.     

Capillary leak syndrome: A rare cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome

Capillary leak syndrome (CLS) is a rare clinical syndrome associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Intensive care and supportive therapy constitute the mainstay of the treatment, along with judicious use of crystalloids and colloids such as dextran and starch during the leak phase. The advantages of proning, steroids, and intravenous immunoglobins are worth contemplating in patients with such a presentation. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation appears to be an excellent strategy to surmount the impediments of the leak and post leak phase of CLS, especially in patients with severe or refractory hypoxemia.     

Fístulas posquirúrgicas de líquido cefalorraquídeo tras cirugía transesfenoidal de adenomas hipofisarios: análisis de una serie de 302 intervenciones

IntroductionTranssphenoidal surgical removal is the preferred treatment of most pituitary adenomas. Postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage is the leading cause of morbidity after this procedure, with an incidence rate that varies from 0,5-15% in the main published series.ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study was to establish the incidence of postoperative CSF leakage in a sample of surgeries performed at the University Hospital of La Ribera by the same surgical team. The secondary objectives were to: ascertain the distinctive features between patients with and without postoperative CSF leakage, identify risk factors for their development, evaluate the relationship between the surgical technique for closing the sella turcica and the onset of postoperative CSF leakage and evaluate different treatment regimens for this complication.MethodsThe data of 302 consecutive transsphenoidal surgical procedures for pituitary adenoma removal which were performed between 1999 and 2017 were retrospectively reviewed.Results and conclusionsThe incidence of postoperative CSF leakage in our series was 2,3% (in accordance with similar published studies). It was possible to correlate intraoperative CSF leakage with two variables: pituitary macroadenoma and tumors with suprasellar extension (P < .005). This correlation did not exist for postoperative CSF leakage. We found a statistically significant correlation between intraoperative and postoperative CSF leakage (P < .005). Due to the low incidence of postoperative CSF leakage in our series, it was not possible to identify risk factors for its development.     

Endoscopic vacuum assisted closure of esophagogastric anastomosis dehiscence:A case report

BACKGROUND Esophagogastric leakage is one of the most severe postoperative complications.Partial disruption of the anastomosis,can be successfully treated with an endoscopic vacuum assisted closure(E-VAC).The advantage of that method of treatment is the ability to adjust a vacuum dressing individually to the size of the dehiscence and thus to reduce the risk of a secondary fistula or abscess.The authors present two patients with postoperative gastroesophageal leakage treated successfully with E-VAC.CASE SUMMARY Two male patients developed a potentially life threatening esophagogastric leakage.Patient A underwent resection of the distal half of the esophagus and upper part of the stomach due to Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction.Proximal resection of the stomach was performed in the patient B after massive bleeding from Mallory-Weiss tears.Both patients were treated successfully with an individually adapted E-VAC with concomitant correction of fluid and electrolyte disturbances,and treatment of sepsis with appropriate antibiotics.CONCLUSION Endoscopic vacuum closure is an effective alternative to endoscopic stenting or relaparotomy.Through individual approach it allows a more accurate assessment of healing.     

Risk factors for prolonged air leak after pulmonary surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aimed to comprehensively identify risk factors for the occurrence of prolonged air leak (PAL) in patients undergoing pulmonary surgery. Studies were retrieved from 3 databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and EmBase up to 13 May 2020. We performed meta-analysis using Bayesian random effect models through divergence restricting conditional tessellation (DIRECT) algorithm. The effect size was expressed as odds ratio (OR) or mean difference (MD), each with 95% credible interval (CrI). The evidence quality was evaluated. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Thirty-nine studies with 89006 patients were finally included. Pooled PAL incidence was 15%. Of 30 risk factors, 22 were significantly associated with increased PAL incidence. Five risk factors were ultimately selected with high evidence quality: smoking history (OR 1.84, 95%CrI 1.45 to 2.31, P<0.001), preoperative steroid use (OR 1.51, 95%CrI 0.87 to 2.65, P = 0.031), lower ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced vital capacity (OR 1.99, 95%CrI 1.22 to 3.33, P = 0.005), non-fissureless technique (OR 2.14, 95%CrI 1.31 to 3.66, P = 0.003), and pathological TNM stage III/IV (OR 1.50, 95%CrI 1.07 to 2.12, P = 0.003). Regarding the negative impact of PAL on the personal cost and postoperative recovery, the verification of previous proposed factors and investigation of recently discovered ones both implied directions for risk stratification and the establishment of an applicable prediction model.     

Biliary complications in liver transplantation: Impact of anastomotic technique and ischemic time on short- and long-term outcome

AIM: To elucidate the impact of various donor recipient and transplant factors on the development of biliary complications after liver transplantation.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 200 patients of our newly established liver transplantation(LT) program, who received full size liver graft. Biliary reconstruction was performed by side-to-side(SS), end-to-end(EE) anastomosis or hepeaticojejunostomy(HJ). Biliary complications(BC), anastomotic stenosis, bile leak, papillary stenosis, biliary drain complication, ischemic type biliary lesion(ITBL) were evaluated by studying patient records, corresponding radiologic imaging and reports of interventional procedures [e.g., endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)]. Laboratory results included alanine aminotransferase(ALT), gammaglutamyltransferase and direct/indirect bilirubin with focus on the first and fifth postoperative day, six weeks after LT. The routinely employed external bile drain was examined by a routine cholangiography on the fifth postoperative day and six weeks after transplantation as a standard procedure, but also whenever clinically indicated. If necessary, interventional(e.g., ERCP) or surgical therapy was performed. In case of biliary complication, patients were selected, assigned to different complication-groups and subsequently reviewed in detail. To evaluate the patients outcome, we focussed on appearance of postoperative/post-interventional cholangitis, need for rehospitalisation, retransplantation, ITBL or death caused by BC.RESULTS: A total of 200 patients [age: 56(19-72), alcoholic cirrhosis: n = 64(32%), hepatocellular carcinoma: n = 40(20%), acute liver failure: n = 23(11.5%), cryptogenic cirrhosis: n = 22(11%), hepatitis B virus /hepatitis C virus cirrhosis: n = 13(6.5%), primary sclerosing cholangitis: n = 13(6.5%), others: n = 25(12.5%) were included. The median follow-up was 27 mo until June 2015. The overall biliary complication rate was 37.5%(n = 75) with anastomotic strictures(AS): n = 38(19%), bile leak(BL): n = 12(6%), biliary drain complication: n = 12(6%); papillary stenosis(PS): n = 7(3.5%), ITBL: n = 6(3%). Clinically relevant were only 19%(n = 38). We established a comprehensive classification for AS with four grades according to clinical relevance. The reconstruction techniques [SS: n = 164, EE: n = 18, HJ: n = 18] showed no significant impact on the development of BCs in general(all n 0.05), whereas in the HJ group significantly less AS were found(P = 0.031). The length of donor intensive care unit stay over 6 d had a significant influence on BC development(P = 0.007, HR = 2.85; 95%CI: 1.33-6.08) in the binary logistic regression model, whereas other reviewed variables had not [warm ischemic time 45 min(P = 0.543), cold ischemic time 10 h(P = 0.114), ALT init 1500 U/L(P = 0.631), bilirubin init 5 mg/d L(P = 0.595), donor age 65(P = 0.244), donor sex(P = 0.068), rescue organ(P = 0.971)]. 13%(n = 10) of BCs had no therapeutic consequences, 36%(n = 27) resulted in repeated lab control, 40%(n = 30) received ERCP and 11%(n = 8) surgical therapy. Fifteen(7.5%) patients developed cholangitis [AS(n = 6), ITBL(n = 5), PS(n = 3), biliary lesion BL(n = 1)]. One patient developed ITBL twelve months after LT and subsequently needed retransplantation. Rehospitalisation rate was 10.5 %(n = 21) [AS(n = 11), ITBL(n = 5), PS(n = 3), BL(n = 1)] with intervention or reinterventional therapy as main reasons. Retransplantation was performed in 5(2.5%) patients [ITBL(n = 1), acute liver injury(ALI) by organ rejection(n = 3), ALI by occlusion of hepatic artery(n = 1)]. In total 21(10.5%) patients died within the follow-up period. Out of these, one patient with AS developed severe fatal chologenic sepsis after ERCP.CONCLUSION: In our data biliary reconstruction technique and ischemic times seem to have little impact on the development of BCs.     

Infants with esophageal atresia and right aortic arch: Characteristics and outcomes from the Midwest Pediatric Surgery Consortium

Purpose

Right sided aortic arch (RAA) is a rare anatomic finding in infants with esophageal atresia with or without tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF). In the presence of RAA, significant controversy exists regarding optimal side for thoracotomy in repair of the EA/TEF. The purpose of this study was to characterize the incidence, demographics, surgical approach, and outcomes of patients with RAA and EA/TEF.