Giulio Carcano

Fascia-to-Fascia Closure with Abdominal Topical Negative Pressure for Severe Abdominal Infections: Preliminary Results in a Department of General Surgery and Intensive Care Unit

BACKGROUND Vacuum-assisted fascial closure (VAFC-KCI(®)) of an open abdomen is one of the latest methods. METHODS A prospective observational study was performed with medical records of nine patients who had been treated by abdominal VAFC-KCI(®) from March 2006 to October 2007 in the Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Insubria. The mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores were 22.62 and 10.62, respectively. All patients had abdominal compartment syndrome and a sepsis source that was difficult to control. RESULTS All patients survived. The mean duration of open abdomen was 22.7 days (range, 3-50 days). Primary fascial closure was possible in six patients (66%), with a closure rate of 100% when early control of the infectious source was possible (Group A) but only 40% in patients with difficult and delayed control of infection (Group B). The mean durations of open abdomen in the two groups were statistically different: 8.5 days for Group A vs. 34.2 days for Group B (p < 0.005; Student t-test). CONCLUSIONS In our brief experience, VAFC-KCI(®) seems to be associated with a high fascial closure rate. The complexity of the management of abdominal source control has a role in the success of primary fascial closure. The VAFC-KCI(®) system seems to contribute positively in fascia-to-fascia abdominal closure in cases of severe abdominal infection, in particular when early surgical source control is obtained.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in colorectal surgery

Nosocomial infections are the most frequent complications observed in surgical patients. In colorectal surgery, the opening of the viscera causes the dissemination into the operative field of microorganisms originating from endogenous sources, increasing the chance of developing postoperative complications. It is reported that without antibiotic prophylaxis, wound infection after colorectal surgery develops in approximately 40% of patients. This percentage decreases to approximately 11% after antibiotic prophylaxis. Specific criteria in the choice of correct antibiotic prophylaxis have to be respected, on the basis of the microorganisms usually found in the surgical site, and on the specific hospital microbiologic epidemiology.

Treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism with ultrasonographically guided percutaneous radiofrequency thermoablation.

We present a case of a 63-year-old woman with a recurrent secondary hyperparathyroidism hyperplasia with absolute contraindication for surgery, treated in 2 sessions with percutaneous ultrasonographically guided radiofrequency tissue ablation. The complete pathologic tissue ablation was confirmed by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography performed before and after the treatment and by clinical and laboratory follow-up. Furthermore in work progress, the percutaneous ultrasonographically guided radiofrequency tissue ablation can be considered a feasible and effective nonsurgical alternative treatment for symptomatic secondary hyperparathyroidism in high-risk patients.

Initial experience with the Gore® Acuseal graft for prosthetic vascular access

Purpose The purpose of this study is to report the short-term results of the Gore® Acuseal graft for prosthetic vascular access (pVA) in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. Methods Between October 2011 and October 2013, all the consecutive patients who underwent implantation of a new expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) tri-layer graft were included in the study. Primary and secondary patency rate, time to first cannulation, and complications were recorded. Follow-up was performed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the intervention. Results Thirty ePTFE tri-layer heparin bonded grafts were implanted in 18 males and 12 females. The graft configuration was radial-basilic (n=12, 40%), brachial-basilic (n=10, 33.3%), femoro-femoral (n=3, 10.0%), radial-cephalic (n=2, 6.7%), radial-antecubital forearm (n=2, 6.7%), and brachial-axillary (n=1, 3.3%). No patient was lost during a mean follow-up time of 6.3±5.9 months (range, 1-24; median, 5). Mean time to first cannulation was 2.4±1.2 days (range, 1-15). Primary functional patency rate was 68.0% ± 10 at 6 and 12 months. Secondary patency rate was 93.3% ± 6 at 6 and 12 months. Pseudoaneurysm, bleeding, seroma, or graft infection was never observed. Conclusions In our experience, the Gore® Acuseal graft was useful and safe. Early cannulation was always performed, and structural complications did not occur. Primary functional and secondary patency rate are satisfactory in the short term.

Report of Four Simultaneous Pancreas–Kidney Transplants in HIV-Positive Recipients With Favorable Outcomes

The advent of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) dramatically changed the view of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection as an exclusion criterion for solid organ transplantation, resulting in worldwide reports of successful transplants in HIV‐infected individuals. However, there are few reports on simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplant in HIV‐positive recipients detailing poor outcomes. A series of four pancreas–kidney transplant performed on HIV‐infected individuals between 2006 and 2009 is presented. All recipients reached stably undetectable HIV‐RNA after transplantation. All patients experienced early posttransplant infections (median day 30, range 9–128) with urinary tract infections and bacteremia being most commonly observed. In all cases, surgical complications led to laparotomic revisions (median day 18, range 1–44); two patients underwent cholecystectomy. One steroid‐responsive acute renal rejection (day 79) and one pancreatic graft failure (month 64) occurred. Frequent dose adjustments were required due to interference between cART and immunosuppressants. At a median follow‐up of 45 months (range, 26–67) we observed 100% patient survival with CD4 cell count >300 cells/mm3 for all patients. Although limited by its small number, this case series represents the largest reported to date with encouraging long‐term outcomes in HIV‐positive pancreas–kidney transplant recipients.

Efficacy, safety and effectiveness of image-guided percutaneous microwave ablation in cystic renal lesions Bosniak III or IV after 24 months follow up

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The aim of the study was to assess the efficacy, safety and effectiveness of percutaneous image-guided microwave ablation (MWA) in Bosniak category III or IV cystic renal lesions after 24 months follow-up duration. METHODS Between May 2008 and December 2012, computed tomography (CT)- or ultrasound (US)-guided MWA was performed in 6 patients with 7 cystic renal lesions (range 13.8-27 mm, mean 17.02 mm, SD 8.5 mm) Bosniak category III or IV. The number of treatment sessions, treatment results, lesion size changes and complications were evaluated. Technical success (TS), technical effectiveness (TE), local tumor progression rate (LTPR), cancer-specific survival rate (CSSR) and overall survival rate (OSR) were computed. MAIN FINDINGS TS was 100% (7/7) and TE was 100%; LTPR was 0%; CSSR and OSR were 100%. No major complications were observed. CONCLUSION Our preliminary experience with MWA shows a potential role for US/CT-guided percutaneous MWA in treating Bosniak category III or IV cystic renal lesions, as a safe approach to treat selected patients not suitable for surgery.

Postoperative infections after oesophageal resections: the role of blood transfusions

BackgroundPerioperative blood transfusion carries numerous potential risks concerning the transmission of infective diseases and immunodepression that can facilitate the occurrence of postoperative infectious complications. Explanation of connections between perioperative blood transfusion and postoperative septic complication worldwide is not well documented. Many studies have described a correlation between perioperative blood transfusions and postoperative infections. On the contrary, other studies indicate that factors influencing the need for blood transfusions during surgery have a greater bearing than blood transfusion per se on the occurrence of postoperative complications.Patients and methodsA prospective study was conducted in our Department on 110 consecutive patients undergoing oesophageal resection for primary cancer, in order to evaluate the incidence of postoperative infections related to perioperative allogenic blood transfusions. For each patient we preoperatively recorded in a computerized data-base several known risk-factors for postoperative infections; in detail we registered the administration of allogenic perioperative blood transfusions (period of administration, number of packages administered).ResultsAmong the enrolled 110 patients, 53 (48%) received perioperative blood transfusions: in this group postoperative infections (overall infective complications) occurred in 27 patients. After a multivariate analysis we observed that perioperative blood transfusions significantly affected as an independent variable the development of wound infections (p = 0.02).ConclusionBlood transfusions independently affected the incidence of wound infections in patients who underwent oesophageal resection for primary cancer.

Influence of new technologies on thyroid surgery: state of the art

The history of thyroid surgery starts with Billroth, Kocher and Halsted, who developed the technique for thyroidectomy between 1873 and 1910. In general, the essential objectives for thyroidectomy are conservation of the parathyroid glands, avoidance of injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, an accurate hemostasis and an excellent cosmesis. In the last 20 years, major improvements and new technologies have been proposed and applied in thyroid surgery; among these are mini-invasive thyroidectomy, new devices for achieving hemostasis and dissection, regional anesthesia and intraoperative neuromonitoring.

Impact of static cold storage VS hypothermic machine preservation on ischemic kidney graft: inflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules as markers of ischemia/reperfusion tissue damage. Our preliminary results

At the present time, deceased heart-beating donor kidney allografts are usually stored cold. Extended-criteria donor (ECD) grafts show higher sensitivity to ischemia-reperfusion damage than standard kidneys. The increasing use of marginal organs in clinical transplantation urgently requires a more effective preservation system. Pulsatile hypothermic machine perfusion has shown major advantages over static cold storage in terms of reduced organ injury during preservation and improved early graft function. This preliminary study aims to compare pulsatile hypothermic machine perfusion and static cold storage of kidney allografts, outlining differences in the levels of early inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-1β) and soluble intracellular adhesion molecule (sICAM-1) in perfusion and preservation liquid.

TUBULAR ADENOMA OF THE BREAST IN AN 84-YEAR-OLD WOMAN: REPORT OF A CASE SIMULATING BREAST CANCER

Abstract:  Tubular adenomas of the breast are rare and they mainly occur in young women. They must be differentiated from other benign lesions and from malignant breast cancer. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult because both radiologic and cytohistologic examinations performed before surgery are often not diagnostic; therefore, in most cases, surgical excision is the only way to reach a precise diagnosis and a definitive treatment. This article describes a case of an 84‐year‐old woman suffering from tubular adenoma of the breast. The authors underline the difficulty in preoperative differentiation between benign and malignant breast lesions.