The “onco-functional balance” in surgery for diffuse low-grade glioma: integrating the extent of resection with quality of life

Diffuse low-grade glioma (DLGG) is a growing pre-cancerous tumor, often diagnosed in patients with no or only mild deficit. Maximal and early surgical resection is currently the first therapeutic option, in order to delay the malignant transformation and thus increase the overall survival. Preserving the quality of life (QoL) is nonetheless another priority. Here, our purpose is to weight the value of the extent of resection versus the neurological worsening that could be voluntarily generated by a radical resection; that is, to study the “onco-functional balance” at the individual level. To this end, we will examine DLGG involving the supplementary motor area and DLGG involving visual pathways. We will consider the benefit-risk ratio of different strategies of resection, according to the brain structures actually invaded and their plastic potential. The aim is to increase both the quantity of life and the time with a normal QoL, on the basis of strong interactions between the tumor course, brain reorganization and multistage surgical approach adapted to each patient over time. To this end, beyond the conceptual and technical issues, the most important point remains the honest and unique relationship between the surgical oncologist and the patient, based on clear and complete information about the behavior of DLGG versus the expected medical and social consequences of a resection over years. In other words, in the era of “evidence-based medicine”, it is crucial to not forget “individual-based medicine” by offering tailored resections adapted to each patient.     

Pancreatic resection for carcinoma of the pancreas: Whipple versus total pancreatectomy—An institutional perspective

The collective term pancreatic cancer should be replaced by more specific terminology indicating the histological subtype, e.g., pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, ampullary adenocarcinoma, duodenal carcinoma, pancreatic cystadenocarcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, and malignant islet cell carcinoma. Each of these tumors has its own inherent prognostic and therapeutic characteristics-95% of ampullary lesions being resectable in contrast to ±10% of pancreatic ductal malignancies and comparable 5-year survival figures for these two subtypes are 40% and 5%, respectively. Since the results of adjuvant therapy (chemo- and/or radiotherapy) have been dismal, the only chance of cure remains resective therapy, either by the performance of a total or subtotal pancreatectomy (Whipple procedure). The operative mortality rate for these procedures at our institution has been 12% and 4%, respectively, with corresponding 5-year survival rates of 2% and 4%. Despite earlier promise that total pancreatectomy only would be a superior procedure (elimination of the pancreatojejunal anastomosis, wider lymphadenectomy, irradication of multicentric disease), the operation has thus far not fulfilled these expectations. The Whipple procedure remains the resective procedure of choice at our institution—total pancreatectomy being performed principally in those patients in whom a safe pancreatojejunal anastomosis cannot be constructed. Value of early diagnosis in patients with ductal adenocarcinoma does not appear to imply improved prognosis. Energies should be diverted toward etiological identification of this lethal malignancy which is steadily increasing in incidence.

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Resumen La terminología colectiva de cáncer pancreático debe ser reemplazada por una más específica que indique el subtipo histológico, por ejemplo: adenocarcinoma ductal pancreático, adenocarcinoma ampular, carcinoma duodenal, cistadenocarcinoma pancreático, colangiocarcinoma y carcinoma maligno de las células insulares. Cada uno de estos tumores posee características propias inherentes en cuanto a pronóstico y a terapéutica; el 95% de las lesiones ampulares son resecables en contraste con ± 10% de las neoplasias ductales malignas; las tasas de sobrevida a 5 años para estos dos subtipos son de 40 y 5% respectivamente.Puesto que los resultados de la terapia adyuvante (quimio y/o radioterapia) han sido lúgubres, la única posibilidad de curación sigue siendo la resección quirúrgica por medio de la pancreatectomía total o de la pancreatectomía subtotal (procedimiento de Whipple). La mortalidad operatoria de estos procedimientos en nuestra institución ha sido de 12 y 4% respectivamente, con tasas correspondientes de sobrevida a 5 anos de 2 y 4%. A pesar de la aseveración hecha hace un tiempo de que la pancreatectomía total se demostraría como un procedimiento superior (eliminación de la anastenosis pancreatoyeyunal, linfadenectomía más amplia, erradicación de enfermedad multicéntrica), la operación no ha logrado satisfacer tales expectativas.El procedimiento de Whipple sigue siendo la operación de elección en nuestra institución; la pancreatectomía total es realizada principalmente en los pacientes en quienes no se puede construir una anastomosis pancreatoyeyunal segura.El valor del diagnóstico precoz en pacientes con adenocarcinoma ductal no parece implicar un mejor pronóstico. Todas las energías deben ser desviadas hacia la identificación de la etiología de esta neoplasia letal que en forma constante aumenta en incidencia.

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Résumé Le terme trop vague de cancer du pancréas doit être remplacé par un terme plus précis faisant état du type histologique: adénocarcinome pancréatique canaliculaire, adénocarcinome ampullaire, cancer du duodénum, cystadénocarcinome, cholangiocarcinome, tumeur insulaire maligne. Chacune de ces tumeurs possède son propre pronostic et ses caractéristiques thérapeutiques: 95% des lésions ampullaires sont réséquables alors que la résection des adénocarcinomes canaliculaires est possible seulement dans 10% des cas cependant que la survie à cinq ans est de 40% dans le premier cas et de 5% dans la seconde éventualité.Puisque les résultats des traitements associés (chimiothérapie et radiothérapie) ont été peu satisfaisants, la seule chance de guérison est représentée par l'exérèse: pancréatectomie totale ou pancréatectomie subtotale (opération de Whipple). La mortalité respective de ces deux opérations a été de 12 à 4% et la survie à 5 ans de 2 à 4%. En dépit des affirmations initiales attribuant à la pancréatectomie totale une indiscutable supériorité par rapport à la pancréatectomie subtotale (élimination de l'anastomose pancréaticojéjunale, lymphadénectomie plus étendue, éradication de foyers), l'exérèse élargie n'a pas répondu aux résultats escomptés.L'opération de Whipple reste l'opération de choix entre nos mains, la pancréatectomie totale étant réservée pour nous aux cas où l'anastomose pancréatojéjunale paraît difficile à réaliser.La précocité du diagnostic de l'adénocarcinome canaliculaire n'implique pas une amélioration sensible du pronostic. Des efforts doivent être effectués pour identifier la cause de cette affection maligne mortelle dont la fréquence va augmenter.

     

Population perception of surgical safety and body image trauma: a plea for scarless surgery?

Background  

Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS) and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) are prospected as the future of minimally invasive surgery. While scarless surgery (NOTES and LESS) is gaining increasing popularity, perception of these approaches should be investigated.     

The estimation of the thyroid volume before surgery—an important prerequisite for minimally invasive thyroidectomy

INTRODUCTION: Actually, thyroid volume >25 ml, obtained by preoperative ultrasound evaluation, is a very important exclusion criteria for minimally invasive thyroidectomy. So far, among different imaging techniques, two-dimensional ultrasonography has become the more accepted method for the assessment of thyroid volume (US-TV). The aims of this study were: (1) to estimate the preoperative thyroid volume in patients undergoing minimally invasive total thyroidectomy using a mathematical formula and (2) to verify its validity by comparing it with the postsurgical TV (PS-TV). MATERIALS AND METHOD: In 53 patients who underwent minimally invasive total thyroidectomy (from January 2003 to December 2007), US-TV, obtained by ellipsoid volume formula, was compared to PS-TV determined by the Archimedes' principle. A mathematical formula able to predict the TV from the US-TV was applied in 34 cases in the last 2 years. RESULTS: Mean US-TV (14.4 +/- 5.9 ml) was significantly lower than mean PS-TV (21.7 +/- 10.3 ml). This underestimation was related to gland multinodularity and/or nodular involvement of the isthmus. A mathematical formula to reduce US-TV underestimation and predict the real TV was developed using a linear model. Mean predicted TV (16.8 +/- 3.7 ml) perfectly matched mean PS-TV, underestimating PS-TV in 19% of cases. We verified the accuracy of this mathematical model in patients' eligibility for minimally invasive total thyroidectomy, and we demonstrated that a predicted TV <25 ml was confirmed post-surgery in 94% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that using a linear model, it is possible to predict from US the PS-TV with high accuracy. In fact, the mean predicted TV perfectly matched the mean PS-TV in all cases. In particular, the percentage of cases in which the predicted TV perfectly matched the PS-TV increases from 23%, estimated by US, to 43%. Moreover, the percentage of TV underestimation was reduced from 77% to 19%, as well as the range of the disagreement from up to 200% to 80%. This study shows that two-dimensional US can provide the accurate estimation of thyroid volume but that it can be improved by a mathematical model. This may contribute to a more appropriate surgical management of thyroid diseases.     

Fluorescence-guided surgery with 5-aminolevulinic acid for resection of brain tumors in children—a technical report

Background

5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) can be used as an adjunct for the surgery of adult malignant glioma and improves the rate of gross total resection and patient survival. So far, only three casuistic reports of fluorescence-guided surgery used in children have been published. We report our pilot series of 16 pediatric brain tumors treated with 5-ALA.

Methods

Sixteen patients (mean age 9 years, range 1–16 years) received a standardized 5-ALA dose according to the published protocol after informed parental consent. The fluorescence status (positive versus negative) in correlation with histology as well as blood samples and adverse clinical symptoms were recorded.

Results

Histology revealed pilocytic astrocytoma (n?=?7), classical medulloblastoma (n?=?4), anaplastic astrocytoma (n?=?1), glioblastoma (n?=?3) and anaplastic ependymoma (n?=?1). Positive fluorescence was observed in cases of anaplastic astrocytoma, glioblastoma, and medulloblastoma, respectively. Significant increases were registered for alanine aminotransferase (14.92?±?1.106 U/l vs. 37.70?±?3.795 U/l, P?=?0.0020) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (12.69?±?1.638 U/l vs. 39.29?±?6.342 U/l, P?=?0.0156), correlated with young age. No further adverse reactions were evident.

Conclusion

Positive fluorescence was observed in two high-grade gliomas and one medulloblastoma after oral administration of 5-ALA. Thus, 5-ALA appears capable of inducing fluorescence in pediatric high-grade tumors. Adverse reactions observed in children were similar to those reported for adults, although very young children might be at increased risk. Further studies are required to elucidate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of 5-ALA in children and to assess its prognostic role in the resection of pediatric brain tumors.     

The patients’ view: impact of the extent of resection,intraoperative imaging,and awake surgery on health-related quality of life in high-grade glioma patients—results of a multicenter cross-sectional study

Neurosurgical Review - The objective of the present study is to assess the influence of extent of resection (EoR), use of intraoperative imaging, and awake surgery on health-related quality of life...     

Hearing restoration after resection of an intracanalicular vestibular schwannoma: a role for emergency surgery? Case report and review of the literature

Patients with vestibular schwannomas (VSs) most commonly present with sensorineural hearing loss, which is often insidious or gradual. Up to 26% of patients may present with sudden hearing loss, however, which poses an important surgical challenge. Sudden hearing loss has been attributed to spasm or occlusion of the labyrinthine artery resulting from tumor compression, and it is usually treated with corticosteroids. Hearing preservation surgery is not usually attempted in patients who have poor or nonserviceable hearing preoperatively. The authors describe a 68-year-old man with complete deafness of the left ear since childhood, who developed sudden, profound sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a small right-sided intracanalicular tumor. Treatment with high-dose corticosteroids produced only minimal improvement in hearing. Subsequent emergency decompression and resection of a VS resulted in rapid improvement and restoration of hearing, with facial nerve preservation. Although most neurotologic lesions in patients with hearing in only one ear are managed nonsurgically, resection of small tumors in the setting of sudden hearing loss should be considered in selected cases. This finding indicates that a therapeutic window may exist during which sudden hearing loss caused by intracanalicular tumors is reversible.     

The sound of orthopaedic surgery—the application of acoustic emission technology in orthopaedic surgery: a review

Acoustic emission technology has been developed and extensively used as a non-destructive method of testing within engineering. In recent years, acoustic emission has gained popularity within the field of Orthopaedic research in a variety of situations. It is an attractive method in the detection of flaws within structures due its high sensitivity and non-destructive nature. The aim of this article is firstly to critically review the research conducted using acoustic emission testing in a variety of Orthopaedic-related situations and to present the technique to the wider Orthopaedic community. A summary of the principles and practical aspects of using acoustic emission testing are outlined. Acoustic emission has been validated as a method of early detection of aseptic loosening in femoral components in total hip arthroplasty in several well-conducted in vitro studies [1–3]. Other studies have used acoustic emission to detect microdamage in bone and to assess the biomechanical properties of bone and allografts [9]. Researchers have also validated the use of acoustic emission to detect and monitor fracture healing [4]. Several studies have applied acoustic emission to spinal surgery and specifically to assess the biomechanical environment in titanium mesh cages used in spinal surgery [10, 11]. Despite its growing popularity within Orthopaedic research, acoustic emission remains are relatively unfamiliar technique to the majority of Orthopaedic surgeons.     

Factors affecting the results of surgery for chronic critical leg ischemia—a nationwide survey

Purpose: To assess the factors affecting immediate outcome of surgery for chronic critical leg ischemia, especially the influence of surgeon's caseload and hospital volume. Methods: The data of Finnvasc registry were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 11,747 surgical vascular reconstructions included 1,761 operations for chronic critical leg ischemia during 1991 to 1994. Results: The 30-day postoperative leg amputation rate was 7.5% and the mortality rate 4.7%. Diabetes, previous vascular surgery or amputation, preoperative ulcer or gangrene, a surgeon's annual caseload fewer than 10 operations, and hospital volume fewer than 20 operations for chronic critical leg ischemia adversely affected amputation rates. The presence of coronary artery disease and renal dysfunction increased postoperative mortality rates. Both amputation rates and postoperative mortality rates were affected by the type of procedure. Conclusions: A surgeon's caseload and hospital volume affect amputation rate, but not mortality rate, in patients operated for chronic critical leg ischemia. (J Vasc Surg 1998;27:940-7.)     

Transurethral resection of bladder cancer on the lateral bladder wall without obturator nerve block: extent of adductor spasms using the monopolar versus bipolar technique—a prospective randomised study

Purpose

To establish whether bipolar transurethral resection of tumours (bTURB) on the lateral bladder wall is superior to monopolar transurethral resection (mTURB) of such tumours. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective randomised study, which defines complete resection depending on obturator jerk as primary endpoint.

Methods

In a prospective, randomised, single centre study, 52 patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent bladder tumour on the lateral bladder wall were enrolled and randomised to undergo mTURB or bTURB; 44 patients were eligible for analysis, of whom 21 underwent mTURB and 23 bTURB. Any differences between the two techniques related to the incidence of unwanted stimulation of the obturator nerve and subsequent adductor spasms were evaluated. All procedures were carried out under laryngeal mask anaesthesia without obturator nerve block (ONB) and without drug-induced relaxation.

Results

Baseline characteristics of the two study groups did not differ statistically significantly. The success rate defined as complete resection of the bladder tumour without any clinically relevant adductor spasm was 61.9% in the monopolar group and 82.6% in the bipolar group (p = 0.18).

Conclusions

Complete, undisturbed resection of tumours of the lateral bladder wall is feasible with mTURB and bTURB. Adductor spasms due to obturator jerk can occur suddenly with the risk of bladder perforation. We therefore support ONB when using spinal anaesthesia and drug-induced relaxation when using general anaesthesia when performing TURB on the lateral bladder wall.

     

The impact of the anastomotic configuration on low anterior resection syndrome 3 years after total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: a national cohort study

Aim

After low anterior resection, the bowel can be anastomosed in different ways. It is not clear which configuration is optimal from a functional and complication point of view. The primary aim was to investigate the impact of the anastomotic configuration on bowel function evaluated by the low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score. Secondarily, the impact on postoperative complications was evaluated.

Method

All patients who had undergone low anterior resection from 2015 to 2017 were identified in the Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry. Three years after surgery, patients were sent an extensive questionnaire and were analysed based on anastomotic configuration (‘J-pouch/side-to-end anastomosis’ or ‘straight anastomosis’). Inverse probability weighting by propensity score was used to adjust for confounding factors.

Results

Among 892 patients, 574 (64%) responded, of whom 494 patients were analysed. After weighting, the anastomotic configuration had no significant impact on the LARS score (J-pouch/side-to-end OR 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82–1.34). The J-pouch/side-to-end anastomosis was significantly associated with overall postoperative complications (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.06–1.95). No significant difference was seen regarding surgical complications (OR 1.14, 95% CI 0.78–1.66).

Conclusion

This is the first study investigating the impact of the anastomotic configuration on long-term bowel function, evaluated by the LARS score, in an unselected national cohort. Our results suggested no benefit for J-pouch/side-to-end anastomosis on long-term bowel function and postoperative complication rates. The anastomotic strategy may be based upon the anatomical conditions of the patient and surgical preference.     

Robotic repair of vesico-vaginal fistula with perisigmoid fat flap interposition: state of the art for a challenging case?

Since its introduction, robotic-assisted operations have established themselves in an increasingly wide range of procedures. We applied this approach as a viable surgical alternative for the management of a complex vesicovaginal fistula. We present the case of a patient with total urinary incontinence due to the formation of a vesicovaginal fistula, following total abdominal hysterectomy. The fistula was located at the vaginal vault and at approximately one cm from the right ureteric orifice. For this specific scenario a robotic approach was chosen over the vaginal-, laparotomic- and laparoscopic repair, as in our view it offered the best possibility to specifically treat the target anatomy with a reduced risk for involvement of the surrounding structures, while maintaining a low morbidity and a quick postoperative recovery. In our video we show how the vesicovaginal fistula can be repaired by interposition of a vascularized flap of perisigmoid fat, in order to reduce the risk of recurrences [Ezzat et al., Repair of giant vesicovaginal fistulas, 181(3):1184–1188, 2009]. The postoperative course was uneventful; on postoperative day 1 the patient reported pain of 2/10 on a VAS scale (0 = no pain; 10 = unbearable pain) and was mobilized. She was discharged on postoperative day two with bladder catheter in situ. The successful repair of the fistulous tract was confirmed via retrograde cystogram on postoperative day 10 and the patient was continent immediately after catheter removal. At the six month follow up visit the patient had no complaints.