L. Th. de Wit

Laparoscopic ultrasonography for staging of gastrointestinal malignancy.

BACKGROUND Diagnostic laparoscopy has been used frequently as a preoperative staging procedure for different gastrointestinal malignancies. The assessment of solid abdominal organs and retroperitoneal ingrowth or detection of lymph-node metastasis is limited, however. A recent development, laparoscopic ultrasonography, will probably increase the preoperative evaluation of these lesions and thus further improve the preoperative staging. METHOD Since 1993 diagnostic laparoscopy combined with laparoscopic ultrasonography has been performed as an additional diagnostic procedure in patients who have already been selected for curative resection of different GI malignancies. In this prospective study, staging after conventional work-up is compared with the tumour stage after laparoscopy. All patients underwent exploratory laparotomy except those with histologically proven metastases/ingrowth. RESULTS For patients with cancer of the esophagus and gastric cardia (n = 56) the preoperative stage was altered in 17% but laparotomy could only be avoided in 5% (for a subgroup of patients with a tumour of the gastric cardia laparotomy was avoided in 11%). Additional findings during laparoscopy showed that laparotomy could be avoided in 55% of the patients (n = 44) with primary liver tumours, liver metastasis or proximal bile duct tumours. For patients with pancreatic head tumours (n = 73) the preoperative stage of the tumor changed in 40%; the strategy of treatment was changed in 26% and laparotomy could be avoided in 20%. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopy combined with laparoscopic ultrasonography is effective (more accurate) in the staging of gastrointestinal malignancies, in particular for patients with liver, biliary and pancreatic tumours. The preoperative tumour stage changed between 15 and 60% for the different gastrointestinal malignancies and laparotomy could be avoided in 5-55%. The procedure is highly operator-dependent and has a learning curve.

Analysis of the quality and efficiency in learning laparoscopic skills

ObjectivesThis study demonstrates the application of time-action analysis to the evaluation of task performance of diagnostic laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography.MethodsThe first 25 diagnostic laparoscopies with laparoscopic ultrasonography performed by a surgical resident were analyzed and compared with the outcomes of these procedures performed by an experienced surgeon. The time, actions, and correctness of task performance were evaluated. Furthermore, outcome correctness and postoperative complications were assessed.ResultsNo postoperative complications occurred. The resident made one wrong diagnosis, for which the cause was detected by peroperative analysis. Additionally, 1% of the subtasks were performed only partially, 4% not at all, and 2% using the wrong technique. The efficiency for most diagnostic tasks remained significantly lower than that of the experienced surgeon (p<0.001).ConclusionsTime-action analysis can be used to provide detailed insight into the quality and efficiency of learning surgical skills. It enables objective measurement of correctness in task performance as well as time and action efficiency.

Surgical management of iatrogenic bile duct injury

At the Academic Medical Center, 133 patients with a bile duct injury after laparoscopic cholecystectomy were treated between 1991 and April 1998. The management of these patients is discussed in a hepato-pancreato-biliary team consisting of radiologist, gastroenterologists and surgeons. In this paper, a summary of the previously reported AMC experience is presented in combination with a reflection of the findings in the literature concerning incidence, aetiology, symptoms, classification, diagnosis and treatment of iatrogenic bile duct injury after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Fracture of the pancreas in two patients after a go‐kart accident

BACKGROUND After blunt abdominal trauma, an isolated injury to the pancreatic duct is uncommon. Physical signs and laboratory parameters are often inaccurate, and missing this diagnosis can cause serious clinical problems. CASE OUTLINES Two young women (aged 18 and 20 years) are reported who sustained isolated trauma to the pancreatic duct in go-kart accidents. Each patient sustained a fracture of the pancreas.This injury was diagnosed only after a period of clinical observation with repeated laboratory parameters, ultrasound and CT scan. Pancreatic tissue was conserved by performing a pancreaticojejunostomy. DISCUSSION After any episode of blunt abdominal trauma, isolated injury to the pancreatic duct should be considered. Serum analysis, ultrasonography and CT scanning can be helpful in early diagnosis. Preservation of pancreatic tissue can be achieved with a good clinical outcome.

Establishment of Pneumoperitoneum with a Modified Blunt Trocar

Veress needle and trocar-related accidents have caused many surgeons to adopt the Hasson technique for establishment of pneumoperitoneum, but this technique also has drawbacks. A modification of the sharp trocar has been developed that overcomes the disadvantages of the Veress needle and Hasson trocar.