Dejan Velickovic

Minimally invasive surgery for benign esophageal disorders: first 200 cases

SummaryBackgroundTo evaluate the method of introduction, feasibility, and early results of a laparoscopic surgery for benign foregut disorders in a single high volume center.MethodsA retrospective clinical study included consecutively laparoscopically operated patients due to benign foregut disorders. The study was conducted at the Department of Esophagogastric Surgery, First Surgical University Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade from March 2010 until July 2014. Complete preoperative diagnostics data, details of surgical procedures, and follow-up results are included.ResultsOverall, 200 consecutive patients were enrolled in the study. GERD and achalasia were the most common indications for laparoscopic surgery, with 81 and 72 patients respectively. Due to giant hiatal hernia, 37 patients were operated on, while the rest were less common indications. There were no conversions to open procedures. In three patients, pneumothorax resulted from intraoperative pleural lesion. One mucosal perforation occurred in an achalasia patient. One reoperation was conducted due to excessive port site bleeding. Short term follow-up results are highly satisfactory, and are presented in detail for every patient group.ConclusionIntroduction of laparoscopy in a foregut surgery high volume center for the treatment of benign foregut disorders can be obtained with low incidence of complications, and satisfactory short term functional results.

Pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy in a patient with an aberrant right subclavian artery: Report of a case

We report a case of carcinoma of the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus in a patient with an aberrant right subclavian artery. Barium esophagograhy, endoscopy, and computed tomography showed a resectable tumor in the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus, coexistent with an aberrant right subclavian artery. We performed pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy with bilateral neck dissection and gastric pull-up through cervical, right thoracic, and abdominal incisions. We also partially resected the aberrant right subclavian artery with reimplantation in the right common carotid artery. To our knowledge, this is the first report of pharyngolaryngoesophagectomy with transposition of an aberrant right subclavian artery.

The association of early postoperative lactate levels with morbidity after elective major abdominal surgery

Lactate levels are widely used as an indicator of outcome in critically ill patients. We investigated the prognostic value of postoperative lactate levels for postoperative complications (POCs), mortality and length of hospital stay after elective major abdominal surgery. A total of 195 patients were prospectively evaluated. Lactate levels were assessed on admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) [L0], at 4 hours (L4), 12 hours (L12), and 24 hours (L24) after the operation. Demographic and perioperative clinical data were collected. Patients were monitored for complications until discharge or death. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the predictive value of lactate levels for postoperative outcomes. The best cut-off lactate values were calculated to differentiate between patients with and without complications, and outcomes in patients with lactate levels above and below the cut-off thresholds were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify variables associated with POCs and mortality. Seventy-six patients developed 184 complications (18 deaths), while 119 had no complications. Serum lactate levels were higher in patients with complications at all time points compared to those without complications (p < 0.001). L12 had the highest predictive value for complications (AUROC12 = 0.787; 95% CI: 0.719-0.854; p < 0.001) and mortality (AUROC12 = 0.872; 95% CI: 0.794-0.950; p < 0.001). The best L12 cut-off value for complications and mortality was 1.35 mmol/l and 1.85 mmol/l, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that L12 ≥ 1.35 mmol/l was an independent predictor of postoperative morbidity (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.27-5.24, p = 0.001). L24 was predictive of POCs after major abdominal surgery. L12 had the best power to discriminate between patients with and without POCs and was associated with a longer hospital stay.