Alessandra Panarese

Prevention of complications during reoperative thyroid surgery.

BACKGROUND Thyroidectomy performed by an experienced surgeon is associated with a low incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and permanent hypoparathyroidism. During reoperative thyroid surgery there is a higher technical risk because detection and preservation of the recurrent laryngeal nerves and parathyroid glands are more difficult than in the primary surgery. AIM Our retrospective cohort study was to assess short- and long-term complications associated with reoperative thyroid surgery in order to suggest a technical approach to lower the morbidity rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS From January 2005 to September 2013, 745 patients underwent surgery for thyroid disease. Before surgery all patients underwent clinical examination, laboratory blood tests, hormonal assays, neck ultrasound, chest radiography and indirect laryngoscopy. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6 months and then annually after operation with hormonal assays, blood tests and neck ultrasound. RESULTS Eighty (10.7%) out of 745 patients (mean-age= 52.5 years; age-range 18-80) underwent reoperative surgery for recurrent thyroid disease. The primary treatments were enucleoresection (11.2%), thyroid lobectomy(56,3%), thyroid lobectomy with isthmectomy(10%) and subtotal thyroidectomy (22,5%). In the reoperative surgery group (Group Re) the transient RLN complications were 1.3% compared to 0.2% in the primary surgery group (Group P) (p= 0.51). The incidence of temporary hypocalcemia was 45% in the reoperative surgery group vs. 42.7% in the primary surgery group (p=0.72). CONCLUSIONS Reoperative surgery should be reserved to experienced surgeons. However, even in this case, when surgical maneuvers reserved for primary surgery are applied, then this surgery is associated with a low complications rate.

Intraoperative enteroscopy by standard colonoscope with a minimal contamination technique

About 5% of occult gastrointestinal bleeding derives from small intestinal lesions. The intraoperative enteroscopy (IOE), although the development of double-balloon enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy reduced the indications, is still valid to locate the bleeding site in some selected cases. An 88-year-old woman presenting to the emergency department with a severe anemia underwent the laparotomic exploration and IOE. A 15-mm laparoscopy trocar with a sterile camera drape was adopted to introduce a standard colonscope through an enterotomy. The operation was safe and effective, without intraoperative morbidity and early complications related to surgery or endoscopy. We propose a technical solution during the IOE to minimize contamination of the surgical field. Although this technique is safe and feasible, further studies are needed to evaluate the method effectiveness.

Endoscopical En Bloc Resection of a Large Duodenal Adenoma with Focal High Dysplasia

Endoscopic mucosal resection is a potential alternative to surgery when submucosal invasion and lymph node involvement are excluded. We describe an en bloc resection of a large, focal, high-grade tubulovillous nonampullary adenoma of duodenal wall using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as a lifting agent.