Can virtual reality simulators be a certification tool for bariatric surgeons?

Background

Construct validity of virtual laparoscopic simulators for basic laparoscopic skills has been proposed; however, it is not yet clear whether the simulators can identify the actual experience of surgeons in more complex procedures such as laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. This study tested the ability of the Lap Mentor simulator to recognize the experience in advanced laparoscopic procedures and to assess its role in the certification of bariatric surgeons.

Methods

Twenty surgeons were divided into two groups according to their experience in laparoscopic and bariatric surgery. The general group included 10 general surgeons performing between 75 and 100 nonbariatric laparoscopic procedures. The bariatric group included 10 bariatric surgeons performing between 50 and 100 laparoscopic bariatric procedures. Participants were tested on the simulator in one basic task (task 1: eye–hand coordination) and in two tasks of the gastric bypass module (task 2: creation of the gastric pouch; task 3: gastrojejunal anastomosis).

Results

Comparing the groups, no significant differences were found in task 1. Analyzing the results from the gastric bypass module (bariatric vs. general), in task 2, significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in the median volume of the gastric pouch (21 vs. 48 cm³), in the percentage of fundus included in the pouch (8.4 vs. 29.4 %), in the complete dissection at the angle of His (10 vs. 3), and in safety parameters. In task 3, significant differences were found in the size and position of enterotomies.

Conclusions

The Lap Mentor may be proposed as a certification tool for bariatric surgeons because it also recognizes their specific skills in the technical details of the procedure that affect long-term results. Furthermore, the possibility of analyzing the performance in detail can help define areas where the surgeon is lacking. These findings indicate a potential role of the Lap Mentor in tailoring the training to maximize improvement.     

Spontaneous nephrocutaneous fistula

Spontaneous renal fistula to the skin is rare. The majority of cases develop in patients with antecedents of previous renal surgery, renal trauma, renal tumors, and chronic urinary tract infection with abscess formation. We report the case of a 62-year old woman, who complained of urine leakage through the skin in the lumbar region for 2 years. She underwent a fistulography that revealed drainage of contrast agent to the collecting system and images suggesting renal lithiasis on this side. The patient underwent simple nephrectomy on this side and evolved without intercurrences in the post-operative period. Currently, the occurrence of spontaneous renal and perirenal abscesses is extremely rare, except in patients with diabetes, neoplasias and immunodepression in general.     

Minor hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients: Kelly clamp crushing resection versus heat coagulative necrosis with bipolar radiofrequency device

Hemorrhage and postoperative liver insufficiency are frequent and serious complications of hepatic resection in cirrhotic patients. The aim of this study was to assess retrospectively whether the surgical techniques using Kelly clamp crushing resection or heat coagulative necrosis with a bipolar radiofrequency device can reduce the incidence of the above complications and an eventual recurrence of neoplasia on the liver slice. We retrospectively reviewed the results of 35 patients who had undergone resection for monofocal hepatocellular carcinoma at our center. Thirteen patients (Group A) had undergone liver resection with Kelly clamp crushing resection, 22 patients (Group B) had had liver resection assisted with a bipolar radiofrequency device. Radiofrequency-assisted liver resection was associated with diminished blood loss (P < 0.0001), a lower blood transfusion rate (P < 0.005), reduced operative time (P < 0.0001), and better postoperative serum albumin levels (P < 0.03). This nonrandomized retrospective study suggests that radiofrequency-assisted liver resection is associated with better results than the Kelly clamp crushing resection technique in cirrhotic patients with focal hepatocellular carcinoma and preserved liver function. These results should now be assessed prospectively in a randomized clinical trial.     

TAFI activity and antigen plasma levels are not increased in acute coronary artery disease patients admitted to a coronary care unit

INTRODUCTION: Hypofibrinolysis, at least in part due to high levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), has been reported to occur frequently in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). A recently described carboxypeptidase, thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), is involved in the regulation of the balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis. High TAFI plasma levels may therefore contribute to a hypofibrinolytic state and to an increased risk for thrombotic disorders. There are contradictory results regarding TAFI levels in CAD patients, possibly because the characteristics of patients investigated and the time of blood sampling were different among different studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fibrinolytic inhibitors (TAFI activity, TAFI antigen and PAI-1 activity plasma levels) were measured in 44 consecutive patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit of the University of Florence and in a group of 44 healthy controls, matched for age and sex, to detect a possible association of their levels with acute CAD. RESULTS: No differences were found in TAFI levels, either activity or antigen, between patients and controls. PAI-1 activity was significant different between patients and controls (p=0.0001). The frequencies of TAFI activity and antigen over cut-off levels were similar in patients and controls. Instead, higher PAI-1 levels were more frequent (p=0.04) in patients respect to controls. The univariate analysis confirmed the association of increased PAI-1 levels with acute CAD [OR=3.3; p=0.04]. Among the patients, TAFI and PAI-1 levels were not different according to clinical presentation of symptoms or indication to immediate percutaneous revascularization. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that in acute phase of CAD no increased levels of TAFI are detectable in plasma.     

Incidence of Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula and Hyperamylasemia after Cytoreductive surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to analyze the postoperative pancreatic morbidity of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and sixty five patients (87M/178F) with PSM underwent 270 consecutive procedures. The mean age was 52 years (range: 22-79 years). CRS was performed using peritonectomy procedures. HIPEC through the closed abdomen technique was conducted using cisplatin (CDDP 25 mg/m2/L of perfusate)+mitomycin C (MMC 3.3 mg/m2/L of perfusate) or CDDP (43 mg/L of perfusate)+doxorubicin (Dx 15.25 mg/L of perfusate), at 42.5 degrees C. Diagnosis and classification of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) were performed according to the international study group on pancreatic fistula criteria. Serum amylase alterations were graded according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) v3. RESULTS: POPF was observed in 13 (4.8%) cases. Three cases were classified as major (grade C). Two cases presented postoperative pancreatitis. G3-4 alteration of amylase was observed in 12.3% of the cases. Performing splenectomy and CDDP dosage for HIPEC >240 mg were proven to be independent risk factors for both G3-4 hyperamylasemia and POPF. CONCLUSIONS: CRS+HIPEC presented an acceptable rate of pancreatic morbidity which did not contribute to the mortality related to the procedure. Most of the POPF were mild and/or easily controlled by conservative measures. Although not specific a normal amylasemia could be a useful marker of pancreatic integrity after CRS+HIPEC.     

Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast. Report of two cases

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) of the breast is a rare entity, not well known, nevertheless literature reports several signalings from different authors. Regarding ethiopathogenesis, SCC of the breast is still the object of numerous discordances and controversies. We report two cases of SCC of the breast referred to our institution in the last year. The first case interests a 35 years-old woman with a lesion of the left breast referred to us with a 3 month history of breast mass. The second case regards a 49 year-old women with multicentric lesions of the right breast operated in two different times. The SCC is a rare breast entity with a controversial histogenesis. The development is characterized by metastasis frequency. The treatment remains not codified. The treatment is currently the same as for infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Indeed, the limited number of this kind of tumor doesn't allow the assessment of different therapeutic protocols.     

Comments on: Preoperative upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery: is it necessary?

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been shown to be an important risk factor for several gastrointestinal diseases. However, the indication for preoperative upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) for all patients before bariatric surgery is controversial. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the spectrum of gastrointestinal diseases detected during preoperative UGE in patients undergoing bariatric surgery and the relevance of this procedure. METHODS: A series of severely obese patients, who had undergone UGE before Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from October 2004 to May 2005 were consecutively enrolled in this study. The demographic and clinical data and endoscopic diagnoses were evaluated. Gastric biopsies were performed in elective patients according to the endoscopic findings. RESULTS: The study included 162 patients, 69.8% of whom were women. The mean age was 36.7 +/- 10.8 years. Abnormal findings were observed in 77.2% of patients. Esophagitis was present in 38.9%, gastritis in 51.2% (erosive gastritis in 49.3% and nonerosive gastritis in 50.7%), gastric ulcers in 1.9%, hiatal hernia, in 8.6%, gastric polyp in .6%, and duodenitis in 6.8% of patients. No patient had esophageal or gastric varices. Helicobacter pylori infection was investigated in 96 patients and was detected in 37.5%. Gastric biopsies were performed in 36 patients, with chronic inflammation found in 72.2%, inflammatory activity in 30.6%, and intestinal metaplasia in 11.1%. Glandular atrophy was not found in any patient. CONCLUSION: The results of our study have shown that the spectrum of gastrointestinal diseases observed in severely obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery is broad. Although this issue remains highly controversial, these findings suggest that systematic preoperative UGE and H. pylori testing should be performed in all patients scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery.     

Hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients: prospective comparison of US, CT and MR imaging

Objectives

To prospectively compare the diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US), multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in cirrhotic patients who were candidates for liver transplantation.

Methods

One hundred and forty consecutive patients with 163 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) nodules underwent US, MRI and MDCT. Diagnosis of HCC was based on pathological findings or substantial growth at 12-month follow-up. Four different image datasets were evaluated: US, MDCT, MRI unenhanced and dynamic phases, MRI unenhanced dynamic and hepatobiliary phase. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV, with corresponding 95 % confidence intervals, were determined. Statistical analysis was performed for all lesions and for three lesion subgroups (<1 cm, 1-2 cm, >2 cm).

Results

Significantly higher diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and NPV was achieved on dynamic + hepatobiliary phase MRI compared with US, MDCT and dynamic phase MRI alone. The specificity and PPV of US was significantly lower than that of MDCT, dynamic phase MRI and dynamic + hepatobiliary phase MRI. Similar results were obtained for all sub-group analyses, with particular benefit for the diagnosis of smaller lesions between 1 and 2 cm.

Conclusions

Dynamic + hepatobiliary phase MRI improved detection and characterisation of HCC in cirrhotic patients. The greatest benefit is for diagnosing lesions between 1 and 2 cm.

Key Points

? US, CT and MRI can all identify HCC in cirrhotic patients ? US has good sensitivity but suffers from false-positive findings ? Dynamic CT and MR have similar diagnostic performance for diagnosing HCC ? Dynamic + hepatobiliary phase MRI significantly improves detection and characterisation of HCC ? The greatest benefit is for the diagnosis of lesions between 1 and 2 cm     

Reliability and validity of the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia in a mixed clinical and nonclinical sample from Italy

The reliability and validity of the Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA) have been demonstrated in previous studies with English-speaking community and psychiatric samples and a German-speaking psychiatric sample. The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the TSIA in a mixed clinical and nonclinical sample from Italy. The original English version of the TSIA was translated into Italian and administered, along with the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), to 80 healthy subjects, 69 medical outpatients, and 62 psychiatric outpatients. Eighty-one videotaped interviews were used for assessing the interrater reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the hierarchical, four-factor structure of the TSIA obtained in previous studies, with four lower-order factors nested within two higher-order latent factors. The TSIA also demonstrated internal and interrater reliability, and concurrent validity with the TAS-20. The results support the use of the TSIA to assess alexithymia especially when a multimethod approach to measurement is possible.