Joaquín Martínez

Cancer dissemination during laparoscopic surgery: tubes, gas, and cells.

Abstract. Port-site metastasis has been an unexpected finding after laparoscopic surgery in gastrointestinal cancer patients. No clear explanation exists for this phenomenom. The aims of this study were to evaluate the dissemination pattern in an experimental model of hepatocarcinoma in the rat and summarize current knowledge about the risks and the results of experimental studies on cancer dissemination during laparoscopic surgery. NDA-induced hepatocarcinoma was obtained in Sprague-Dawley rats. Tumors were manipulated during laparoscopy (group 1,n= 11) or laparotomy (group 2, n= 12). A Medline review of all experimental studies about the risk of cancer dissemination during laparoscopic surgery was undertaken. Both models were associated with implants in parietal wounds [1/11 in group 1 (9%) vs. 1/12 in group 2 (8%), p= NS]. Analysis of the current literature confirms that laparoscopy is associated with abdominal cell mobilization, and cells can be recovered in trocars, filtered exhaust gas, and instruments. Postoperative immunosuppression, the biologic aggressiveness of the tumor, and the gas used for laparoscopy also influence tumoral growth. Port-site metastases are secondary to multiple factors, including the technical skill of the surgeon, the biologic properties of the tumors, and local environmental aspects. Undoubtedly, laparoscopy can help disseminate aggressive tumors and should be reserved for diagnostic and staging procedures or for treatment of low-grade malignant tumors. Therapeutic resection, especially of colon cancer, should be restricted to prospective and randomized trials until there are enough hard data to rule out the clinical importance of this potentially severe complication.

Acute Phase is the Only Significantly Reduced Component of the Injury Response after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

AbstractThe objective demonstration of improved postoperative recovery suggests that the surgical injury response induced by the laparoscopic approach is less intense than that after open surgery. Twenty-five patients diagnosed as having noncomplicated gallstones were studied prospectively. They were operated by laparoscopy (group I, n = 12) or open surgery (group II, n = 13). Analgesia requirements (p < 0.026) and postoperative stay (p < 0.001) were significantly less in group I. Cholecystectomy performed by either technical options induced a significant increase over basal values of glucose, lactate, white blood cell count, prolactin, ACTH, cortisol, interleukin 6, C-reactive protein, and PCO2. Both surgical procedures induced a significant reduction of total proteins, albumin, prealbumin, free fatty acids hemoglobin, hematocrit, and pH. There were no differences between the levels of growth hormone, insulin, glucagon, or PO2 during any of the periods studied. Comparison of the results of the two cholecystectomy techniques showed that laparoscopic cholecystectomy induced a significantly less intense acute-phase response (area under the curve) of interleukin 6 (17 ± 17 versus 47 ± 26 pg/ml × hr × 102; p < 0.003), C-reactive protein (16 ± 12 versus 35 ± 16 mg/dl × hr × 10; p < 0.004), and prealbumin (16 ± 2.7 versus 13.8 ± 2.3 mg/dl × hr × 102; p < 0.05). The surgical injury response after laparoscopic cholecystectomy is similar to that after open cholecystectomy, but the acute-phase response component is less intense. This finding may be a consequence of the reduced size of the operative wound with laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Conservative laparoscopic treatment of a posttraumatic splenic cyst

Laparoscopy has recently been demonstrated to be a useful alternative to open surgery for the surgical treatment of spleen disorders, and it can also facilitate a conservative approach for treatment of selected spleen lesions. We present the laparoscopic spleen-preserving treatment of a post-traumatic spleen cyst. A 28-year-old female presented a mass in the left hypochondrium immediately after an uneventful pregnancy. CT revealed a splenic cyst of 10×8 cm. Laparoscopic exploration showed a cyst located in the lower pole of the spleen. All the cyst wall not covered by spleen tissue (70%) was excised, and the fragment of cyst wall was recovered through a bag. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged 72 hours later. The laparoscopic approach should be considered for evaluation and treatment of selected benign cystic lesions of liver, retroperitoneum or spleen origin.

Laparoscopic resection of a retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma

The success of laparoscopic cholecystectomy has expanded the scope of laparoscopic procedures and resection of retroperitoneal organs and selected cystic intraadominal masses have been performed by minimally invasive surgical techniques. We report the case of a 45-year-old that presented a retroperitoneal cystic lymphangioma that was successfully excised by a laparoscopic approach. Laparoscopic surgical techniques should be considered for treatment of selected cystic lesions of intrabdominal or retroperitoneal origin.

Utility of a pneumonia severity index in the optimization of the diagnostic and therapeutic effort for community-acquired pneumonia

The objective was to evaluate the utility of the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) developed by Fine et al. as a tool to streamline diagnostic and therapeutic effort. Site of care of patients was recommended in accordance with the PSI class: classes I and II underwent treatment at home and classes III, IV, and V were hospitalized. Class I comprised 37 patients; class II had 30, class III had 20, class IV had 31, and class V had 10 patients. 80 patients were admitted into the hospital, 3 of whom required admittance to the intensive care unit, and 48 were managed as outpatients from the emergency room. Overall mortality was 4 patients (3.1%). Of these, 3 belonged to class IV and 1 to class V. The aetiological diagnosis was obtained in 53.9% of the cases (69/128). If classes I to III are analysed together, the percentage of aetiological diagnoses was 47% (41/87), increasing to 68% (28/41) for patients in classes IV and V. In our experience Fines PSI classification, with rationalization and adaptation to the particularities of each centre, is an effective tool for deciding on hospitalization for selecting the most suitable battery of diagnostic tests based on cost-benefit criteria. However, it is inadequate for young patients with hypoxia or pleural effusion. Therefore, although hospitalization of patients with pneumonia should be mainly based on clinical criteria, Fines PSI classification could help physicians in making more rational decisions in this respect.

The spilled stone

The application of laparoscopic techniques in digestive surgery to areas in which there was no previous experience has favored the appearance of new complications and clinical situations that were not observed during the open era.Initial opinion considered that stones left in the abdominal cavity were harmless, and a few clinical and experimental studies supported this opinion. But cumulative reports of cases suggest a potential danger. From 1991 to date, 49 cases of complications related to stones left in the abdominal cavity have been reported with severe complications that required an open surgical procedure.Stone spillage has not always been considered an indication of conversion of laparoscopic cholecystectomy but is now accepted as a source of infrequent but severe complications that may require a reintervention for treatment. Therefore it is recommended that efforts should be made to retrieve all spilled stones; the surgical procedure should be prolonged until this is achieved, in order to reduce one source of unpredictable morbidity. Open retrieval should be considered in selected cases if a large number or large stones are lost.