Akinari Hinoki

Two-Stage Thoracoscopic Repair of Long-Gap Esophageal Atresia Using Internal Traction Is Safe and Feasible

BACKGROUND The treatment of long-gap esophageal atresia remains an issue for pediatric surgeons. Many techniques for treating long-gap esophageal atresia have been proposed, but the optimal method has not been established. The thoracoscopic esophageal elongation technique has recently been developed. We previously reported a case in which two-stage thoracoscopic repair was performed using internal esophageal traction without esophageal tearing, and we retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of this procedure in this study. METHODS Five patients underwent thoracoscopic treatment involving internal esophageal traction for esophageal atresia involving a long gap or vascular ring over a 5-year period. RESULTS Between November 2010 and November 2015, 5 patients were treated with thoracoscopic traction. All of these patients successfully underwent thoracoscopic-delayed primary anastomosis. Conversion to open thoracotomy was not required in any case. The postoperative complications experienced by the patients included minor anastomotic leakage in 2 cases, anastomotic stenosis in 1 case, gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in 4 cases, and a hiatal hernia in 1 case. None of the patients died. CONCLUSIONS Two-stage thoracoscopic repair for esophageal atresia involving a long gap or vascular ring is a safe and feasible procedure; however, we must develop methods for treating minor anastomotic complications and GER due to esophageal traction in future.

The efficacy of resection of intrahepatic bile duct stenosis-causing membrane or septum for preventing hepatolithiasis after choledochal cyst excision

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE We previously found that many patients who developed hepatolithiasis after choledochal cyst excisions had intrahepatic bile duct stenosis (IHBDS). In 1992, we started resection of the membrane or septum which was found at the site of IHBDS during choledochal cyst excisions. Since intrahepatic stones usually take years to form, the efficacy of this procedure has not been proved. METHODS The records of patients who had IHBDS-causing membrane or septum and underwent choledochal cyst excision with Roux-Y hepaticojejunostomy between January 1979 and December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients who underwent surgical treatment for IHBDS-causing membrane or septum were compared with those who did not undergo the procedure. RESULTS Sixty-nine patients met the criteria, and seven patients who were followed up for less than 5years were excluded from the study. Thirty-three patients underwent surgical treatment for IHBDS, and three of them developed intrahepatic stones. Meanwhile, 10 of 29 patients who did not undergo the procedure developed intrahepatic stones. A statistically significant difference in intrahepatic stone formation was observed between the two groups in a log-rank test (P=0.016). CONCLUSIONS Meticulous probing and excision of the IHBDS-causing membrane or septum are effective for preventing hepatolithiasis after choledochal cyst excisions. TYPE OF STUDY Retrospective Comparative Study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III.

Long-term outcomes after revision of Kasai portoenterostomy for biliary atresia

The indications for and efficacy of revision of portoenterostomy (PE) for biliary atresia (BA) needs to be reassessed in an era of liver transplantation. We therefore reviewed the long‐term outcomes following revision of PE.

New Navigation Surgery for Resection of Lymphatic Malformations Using Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging

Patient: Male, 15 Final Diagnosis: Lymphatic malformations Symptoms: Abdominal pain Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Navigation surgery Specialty: Surgery Objective: Unusual or unexpected effect of treatment Background: We used indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging to completely resect lymphatic malformations (LMs). This is the first report of navigation surgery utilizing ICG fluorescence imaging for resection of LMs. Case Report: A 15-year-old boy was diagnosed with LMs in the abdominal wall. The extent of the tumor was determined by an ultrasound, and ICG (Diagnogreen®, Daiichi-Sankyo Pharma, Tokyo, Japan) was injected subcutaneously and intradermally into the core and 2 marginal regions of the tumor (3 injections in total), respectively. During surgery, the extent of the tumor was confirmed with a photodynamic eye, and the tumor was completely resected. A fluorescent portion macroscopically estimated as normal was additionally resected and no residual fluorescence or tumor were confirmed in the remaining tissue. Abnormal lymphatic vessels were histopathologically observed in the additionally resected tissue, indicating the invasion of LMs. The surgery had a good outcome with no evidence of recurrence. Conclusions: We performed near-infrared fluorescence-guided imaging surgery for the resection of LMs in the abdominal wall. This is a single case study; therefore, assessment of more cases is warranted for further validation. This procedure could provide significant benefit to patients requiring resection of LMs.

Single-stage laparoscopic transanal pull-through modified Swenson procedure without leaving a muscular cuff for short- and long-type Hirschsprung disease: a comparative study

PurposeThe Soave procedure (SO) is performed most commonly for Hirschsprung disease. SO reduces the risk of injury to the pelvic structures; however, a residual aganglionic muscle cuff could interfere with bowel movement and lead to obstructive enterocolitis. The Swenson procedure is considered ideal in terms of peristalsis. Currently, laparoscopic surgery provides better visualization and facilitates precise dissection, possibly leading to feasible performance of the laparoscopic modified Swenson procedure (SW). We present our operative technique and the efficacy of the SW compared with that of SO.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the records of 16 and 27 patients who underwent SW and SO, respectively, between 2012 and 2017.ResultsOperative time, blood loss, length of stay, and frequency of bowel movements showed no significant difference between the two groups. In the SW group, temporary dysuria occurred in one patient, postoperative enterocolitis in two, wound infection in one, and severe perianal excoriation in four, whereas in the SO group, obstructive symptoms occurred in three patients, small-bowel obstruction in one, and severe perianal excoriation in three. The complications and outcomes were comparable between both groups.ConclusionLaparoscopic SW was safe and feasible for the short-term follow-up outcomes.

The impact of body weight on stapled anastomosis in pediatric patients

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to clarify the impact of body weight on outcomes of stapled anastomosis in pediatric patients. METHODS A total of 253 pediatric patients who underwent intestinal anastomosis were classified according to body weight (<3.5 kg: light group, ≥3.5 kg: heavy group), and clinical outcomes of stapled and hand-sewn anastomoses were compared. RESULTS The light and heavy groups included 77 (stapled: n = 13, hand-sewn: n = 64) and 176 (stapled: n = 58, hand-sewn: n = 118) patients, respectively. In both groups, stapled anastomosis was associated with reduced time to initial oral feeding (light group: 4 vs. 7 days, p = 0.006; heavy group: 3 vs. 5 days, p < 0.001) and full feeding (light group: 12 vs. 16 days, p = 0.026; heavy group: 7 vs. 9 days, p = 0.001), whereas its complication rate was not significantly different from that of hand-sewn anastomosis (light group: 30.8 vs. 12.5%, p = 0.112; heavy group: 3.4 vs. 2.5%, p = 0.665). In patients who underwent stapled anastomosis, the complication rate was significantly higher in the light group (30.8 vs. 3.4%, p = 0.009), with two cases of volvulus related to anastomotic dilatation. CONCLUSIONS Stapled anastomosis is an effective procedure facilitating prompt oral feeding. However, the risk of complications, including volvulus related to anastomotic dilatation, should be considered among patients weighing <3.5 kg. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III.

Novel thoracoscopic navigation surgery for neonatal chylothorax using indocyanine-green fluorescent lymphography

BACKGROUND Postoperative chylothorax after surgery for esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is a rare but serious complication, especially in neonates. This study aimed to identify the thoracic duct and ligate chylous leakage sites, using thoracoscopic navigation of an indocyanine-green (ICG)-based near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging system. METHODS From November 2014 to April 2017, thoracoscopic intraoperative ICG-NIR imaging was performed in 10 newborns (11 surgeries) with first TEF operation or with persistent postoperative chylothorax after TEF operation. NIR imaging was performed 1h after an inter-toe injection of ICG. Thoracoscopic ligations against the NIR-detected leakage sites were performed with sutures. RESULTS The thoracic duct or lymphatic leakage was directly visualized in each patient. In 8 surgeries with first thoracoscopic TEF operation, one case had suspected minor chylous leakage without postoperative chylothorax. Another case with no chylous leakage at the first operation resulted in chylothorax at postoperative day 11. In three neonates with postoperative chylothorax, leakage points were detected near the ablation site of the azygos vein during the first operation. These points were properly ligated, and postoperative chylous leakage ceased with no adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Thoracoscopic ICG-NIR imaging encourages the repair of refractory chylothorax and seems reliable. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV.

Usefulness of fetal magnetic resonance imaging for postnatal management of congenital lung cysts: prediction of probability for emergency surgery

BackgroundEmergency rescue lung resection is rarely performed to treat congenital lung cysts (CLCs) in neonates. Many reports have described fetal CLC treatment; however, prenatal predictors for postnatal respiratory failure have not been characterized. We hypothesized that fetal imaging findings are useful predictors of emergency surgery.MethodsWe retrospectively studied patients with CLC who underwent lung surgery during the neonatal period in our hospital between January 2001 and December 2015. The demographic data, fetal imaging findings, and intra- and postoperative courses of patients who underwent emergency surgery (Em group) were compared with those of patients who received elective surgery, i.e., non-emergency surgery (Ne group).ResultsThe Em group and Ne group included 7 and 11 patients, respectively. No significant difference was noted in gestational age, time at prenatal diagnosis, birth weight, and body weight at surgery. The volumes of contralateral lung per thoracic volume were significantly smaller in the Em group than in the Ne group (p = 0.0188). Mediastinal compression was more common in the Em group (7/7) than in the Ne group (4/11) (p = 0.0128).ConclusionsThis is the report describing neonatal emergency lobectomy in patients with CLC evaluated by fetal MRI using the lung volume ratio and mediastinal shift. In patients with CLC, mediastinal shift and significant decreases in contralateral lung volumes during the fetal stages are good prenatal predictors of postnatal emergency lung resection.

Left thoracoscopic two-stage repair of tracheoesophageal fistula with a right aortic arch and a vascular ring.

A right aortic arch (RAA) is found in 5% of neonates with tracheoesophageal fistulae (TEF) and may be associated with vascular rings. Oesophageal repairs for TEF with an RAA via the right chest often pose surgical difficulties. We report for the first time in the world a successful two-stage repair by left-sided thoracoscope for TEF with an RAA and a vascular ring. We switched from right to left thoracoscopy after finding an RAA. A proximal oesophageal pouch was hemmed into the vascular ring; therefore, we selected a two-stage repair. The TEF was resected and simple internal traction was placed into the oesophagus at the first stage. Detailed examination showed the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) completing a vascular ring. The subsequent primary oesophago-oesophagostomy and dissection of PDA was performed by left-sided thoracoscope. Therefore, left thoracoscopic repair is safe and feasible for treating TEF with an RAA and a vascular ring.

A Novel Laparoscopic Surgery Model with a Device to Expand the Abdominal Working Space in Rats: The Influence of Pneumoperitoneum and Skin Incision Length on Postoperative Inflammatory Cytokines

ABSTRACT Purpose: Experimental models of laparoscopic surgery generally use large animals owing to a sufficient abdominal working space. We developed a novel laparoscopic surgery model in rats. We performed intestinal anastomosis to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of this model. Materials and Methods: We designed a device for rats that expanded the abdominal working space and allowed us to manipulate the intraperitoneal organs by hand under direct vision with pneumoperitoneum. We performed small bowel resection and intestinal anastomosis in rats using this model. To elucidate the effects of pneumoperitoneum and skin incision length, rats were randomly divided into four groups with differing surgical techniques: small incision group, large incision group, small incision + pneumoperitoneum group, and large incision + pneumoperitoneum group. Intraoperative abdominal pressure and postoperative cytokines were measured. Results: One experimenter completed small bowel resection and hand-sewn anastomosis under direct vision without any difficulties or assistance. Carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum was maintained at 8–10 mmHg during surgery in both pneumoperitoneum groups. Necropsies revealed no evidence of anastomotic leakage at 24 h after surgery. The interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein concentrations were significantly greater in large incision group than in small incision group, but were not significantly different between small incision + pneumoperitoneum group and small incision group. These cytokines concentrations were the greatest in large incision + pneumoperitoneum group. Conclusions: Our laparoscopic surgery model in rats is a simple and reliable experimental model. The length of skin incision might be a more influential determinant of surgical invasiveness than pneumoperitoneum.