J. R. Bessell

Minimally Invasive Versus Open Esophagectomy for Patients With Esophageal Cancer

BACKGROUND Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) compared with open esophagectomy (OE) has been shown to have clinical advantages, but selection bias is present. METHODS All patients undergoing MIE or OE for cancer between 1999 and 2007 were eligible for analysis. To minimize selection bias, only patients who also met the selection criteria for the thoracoscopic approach were included in the open esophagectomy group. RESULTS Fifty-six patients underwent MIE and 98 OE. No significant differences in demographics or pathologic data between groups occurred, with the exception of thoracic epidural analgesia (OE 98%, MIE 71.1%, p < 0.001), and neoadjuvant treatment (OE 50.5%, MIE 71.4%, p = 0.016). Morbidity and in-hospital death were not significantly different. Duration of surgery was longer in MIE (250 vs 209 minutes, p < 0.001) and blood loss less (320 mL vs 857 mL, p < 0.001). Intensive care unit stay was shorter in MIE (3.0 vs 6.8 days, p = 0.022). The relative risk (RR) for in-hospital death was 0.57 (p = 0.475) if the patients underwent MIE. After adjusting for thoracic epidural analgesia, the RR was 0.29 (p = 0.213) for the MIE group. The RR for surgical morbidity was 1.47 (p = 0.154) for patients undergoing MIE. Neoadjuvant treatment increased the RR for surgical morbidity to 1.78 (p = 0.028). No difference between the two groups concerning survival occurred. CONCLUSIONS The MIE is comparable with the OE. In MIE, neoadjuvant treatment increased the risk of surgical morbidity. Thoracic epidural analgesia in MIE reduced the risk of in-hospital death and should be considered for all patients undergoing esophagectomy.

Thoracoscopic mobilization of the esophagus: A 6 year experience

BackgroundTraditionally, esophageal resection has been performed using a thoracotomy to access the intrathoracic esophagus. With the aim to avoid the potential morbidity of the open thoracic approach, mobilization of the esophagus under direct vision recently has been described. We report our experience at attempting thoracoscopic mobilization of the esophagus in 162 patients during a 6-year period.MethodsPatients with malignancy or end-stage benign disease of the esophagus considered suitable for a three-stage esophagectomy underwent a thoracoscopy with a view to endoscopic mobilization of the esophagus. Of the 162 patients in whom the procedure was attempted, it was abandoned in 9 patients (6%), and the procedure was converted to open surgery in 11 patients (7%).ResultsIn the patients whose esophagus was mobilized, the average blood loss was 165 ml, and the average time for the thoracoscopic segment of the surgery was 104 min. In the 133 patients who underwent a resection for invasive malignancy, a limited mediastinal nodal dissection retrieved an average of 11 nodes, and the median survival was 29 months. The 30-day mortality was 3.3% and the in-hospital mortality 5.3%.ConclusionsThoracoscopic mobilization can be performed safely with satisfactory outcomes in a center performing a large volume of esophageal surgery and possessing advanced endoscopic surgery skills. Further assessment of this technique and comparisons with traditional open procedures are needed to assess this approach further as an appropriate oncologic procedure.

Evaluation of amylase and lipase in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.

Background: The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis relies heavily on a raised amylase.

A randomized controlled trial assessing the benefit of humidified insufflation gas during laparoscopic surgery

AbstractBackground: We conducted a randomized controlled trial during laparoscopic cholecystectomy to determine the extent of heat preservation and postoperative pain reduction using humidified carbon dioxide (CO2) gas insufflation instead of standard dry insufflation gas. Methods: Forty consecutive patients were randomized. Twenty patients received humidified CO2, and 20 control patients received standard CO2 insufflation. A sample of 16 patients from each group was evaluated for postoperative pain levels. Results: No adverse effects from the humidification of insufflated gas were observed. There was no significant difference in core body temperature between the two groups for this brief operation. Pain, as assessed by the Analogue Pain Score (APS) was significantly less for the group with humidified gas insufflation than for the control group at 6 h postoperatively as well as on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd postoperative day and at follow-up 10 days after the operation. In the humidified group, the mean time to return to normal activities was significantly less—5.9 days, as compared to 10.9 days in the control group. Conclusions: The use of humidified insufflation gas reduces postoperative pain following laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but except for these relatively brief procedures, the heat-preserving effect of humidified gas insufflation is not significant.

A comparison of laparoscopic and open hernia repair as a day surgical procedure.

To evaluate the merits of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LHR) compared to conventional open hernia repair (OHR) a randomized study has been conducted.All patients were day surgical cases, of which 44 were randomized to a standardized OHR under local anesthetic (LA) and 42 to an LHR under general anesthesia (GA). Fifteen LHR patients had bilateral repairs.Operative time for OHR was 30.5 min, for unilateral LHR 35 min, and for bilateral LHR 60 min. OHR patients were discharged after a median of 134.5 min, which was significantly shorter than LHR patients, whose median discharge was 225 min (P<0.01). Pain scores, activity levels, analgesia requirements, and time taken to return to work were not significantly different following surgery in either group (P<0.05). There have been two recurrent hernias and one small bowel obstruction in the LHR group.We conclude that both repairs can be successfully performed as day surgical procedures. The added cost of LHR at this stage does not warrant its widespread use in unilateral hernia repairs. Which procedure is adopted should be individualized; however, patients with bilateral hernias on presentation can be successfully managed as day cases, obviating the need for hospitalization or two operations.

Hypothermia induced by laparoscopic insufflation. A randomized study in a pig model.

Hypothermia is a common postsurgical problem, yet information documenting the impact of laparoscopy on perioperative heat balance is scarce. This paper quantifies the changes in core temperature over a 3-h period of high-flow CO2 insufflation in a randomized, controlled trial of six pigs. Each animal was anesthetized and studied on three occasions under standardized conditions, acting as its own control via insufflation with no gas compared with insufflation by cold gas and warmed gas.Insufflation of CO2 gas at high-flow rates over a prolonged period of time results in a significant fall in core temperature. The provision of warmed rather than cold insufflated gas confers no protection against changes in core temperature during laparoscopic surgery due to the small amount of heat required to warm the gas to body temperature. A much greater effect is the latent heat required to saturate the insufflated gas. Most of the hypothermic effect is due to this, and could be minimized by humidifying the flow.

A randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic extraperitoneal hernia repair as a day surgical procedure

AbstractBackground: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a day surgery setting comparing a standardized variant of the Shouldice hernioplasty with extraperitoneal laparoscopic herniorrhaphy. Methods: The laparoscopic repair was technically challenging, evidenced by conversion from extraperitoneal to transabdominal repairs in 6.25% of patients. It was free from the inherent dangers of intraperitoneal laparoscopy. Surgical morbidity was low and comparable to that for patients randomized to the open repair. Results: Outcome following laparoscopic extraperitoneal herniorrhaphy varied depending on the parameter measured. It was comparable to the open repair with respect to postoperative activity levels and the number of days required for return to work but inferior to the open repair in terms of operation time and time to hospital discharge. The extraperitoneal approach was superior to the open repair with respect to postoperative pain levels and analgesic requirements. No attempt was made to compare recurrence rates due to the short follow-up period. Conclusions: Laparoscopic extraperitoneal herniorrhaphy should not supercede conventional hernia repair until subjected to further trials with the aid of larger study populations and greater technical expertise; the results of long-term recurrence rates are awaited.

Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic esophagectomy: initial experience and outcomes

Background:Although surgical resection currently is the preferred treatment for fit patients with resectable esophageal cancers, it is associated with a relatively high risk of morbidity and significant perioperative mortality. Currently, a range of open surgical approaches are used. More recently, minimally invasive approaches have become feasible, with the potential to reduce perioperative morbidity. This study investigated the outcomes from one such approach.Methods:Outcome data were collected prospectively for 36 consecutive patients who underwent a minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. A three-stage approach was used, with all the patients undergoing a thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization, combined with either open or hand-assisted laparoscopic abdominal gastric mobilization, and open cervical anastomosis. An open abdominal approach was used for 15 of the patients and a hand-assisted laparoscopic approach for 21. A total of 34 patients had invasive malignancy, whereas 2 had preinvasive disease. A group of 23 patients (68%) who had invasive malignancies also received neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy.Results:The mean operating time ranged from 190 to 360 min (mean, 263 min). The median postoperative hospital stay was 16 days. In-hospital mortality was 5.5% (2/36), and perioperative morbidity was 41%. The perioperative outcomes for patients undergoing an open abdominal approach and those who had hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery were similar. For the patients who underwent a hand-assisted laparoscopic abdominal procedure, the total operating time was shorter (248 vs 281 min), and the blood loss was less (223 vs 440 ml). The median follow-up period was 30 months. The 4-year survival predicted by Kaplan–Meir for the 34 patients with invasive malignancy was 44%.Conclusion:The outcome for esophagectomy using thoracoscopic esophageal mobilization, with or without hand-assisted laparoscopic abdominal surgery, was comparable with data from conventional open surgical approaches. These approaches can be performed with an acceptable level of perioperative morbidity. Further application of these techniques, with close scrutiny of outcome data, is appropriate.

Humidified gas prevents hypothermia induced by laparoscopic insufflation : A randomized controlled study in a pig model

AbstractBackground: This experimental study evaluated whether humidification of warmed insufflated CO2 during laparoscopic procedures would resolve the problem of laparoscopy-induced hypothermia. Methods: Changes in core temperature were quantified over a 3-h period of high-flow CO2 insufflation in a randomized, controlled trial of five pigs. Each animal was anesthetized and studied on three occasions under standardized conditions, acting as its own control by insufflation with no gas compared with insufflation by cool dry gas and heated humidified gas. Results: Core temperatures after insufflation with heated humidified gas were no different from that of controls. After insufflation with cool dry gas, core temperature dropped by 1.8°C, which was significantly more than the 0.6°C drop experienced by control animals and those insufflated with heated humidified gas (p < 0.01). Calculations of the heat expended in evaporation of water were also performed. The temperature drop due to water evaporation alone in pigs insufflated with cool dry gas was calculated to be 1.5°C. This compares favorably with the measured 1.2°C temperature difference between these animals and the control group. Conclusions: The majority of heat lost during laparoscopic insufflation is due to water evaporation, and laparoscopic hypothermia may be prevented by using heated and humidified gas insufflation.

Twenty years of experience with laparoscopic antireflux surgery.

There are few reports of large patient cohorts with long‐term follow‐up after laparoscopic antireflux surgery. This study was undertaken to evaluate changes in surgical practice and outcomes for laparoscopic antireflux surgery over a 20‐year period.