Tharwat Kandil

Shoulder Pain Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: Factors Affecting the Incidence and Severity

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become the standard treatment for gall bladder disease. However, despite its low degree of invasiveness, many patients complain of postoperative pain and postoperative nausea/vomiting. This study was planned to evaluate different factors affecting the incidence and severity of postoperative shoulder-tip pain after LC. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred consecutive patients who were treated for gall bladder stone by LC at the Gastroenterology Surgical Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt, during the period from October 2008 to January 2010, were randomized according to different pnemoperitonum pressures (8, 10, 12, and 14 mm Hg). Each group comprises 25 patients. RESULTS There were 62 patients reported to have postoperative shoulder-tip pain during the first 12 hours after operation, which decreased to 9 patients on the 10th postoperative day. A significant difference was observed in the prevalence of pain at different pressures, 11% with low pressure and increased to 20% with high pressure. The incidence of shoulder-tip pain was significantly more in patients with a longer duration of the operation of >45 minutes at 12 hours (23 [76.7%] versus 39 [55.7%]; P = 0.04), at 24 hours (23 [76.7%] versus 29 [41.4%]; P = 0.009), and at 3 days postoperatively (19 [63.3%] versus 20 [28.6%]; P = 0.01). The volume of used gases during the operation had no effect on the incidence or severity of shoulder-tip pain after LC. Also, the use of intraoperative analgesics had no effect on the incidence or severity of shoulder-tip pain after LC. CONCLUSIONS The origin of pain after LC is multifactorial. We recommend the use of the lower pressure technique during LC, and as patients with and without drains have similar incidence of postoperative shoulder pain, drains should not be used with the intention of preventing shoulder pain.

The potential therapeutic effect of melatonin in gastro-esophageal reflux disease

BackgroundGastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) defined as a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications. Many drugs are used for the treatment of GERD such as omeprazole (a proton pump inhibitor) which is a widely used antiulcer drug demonstrated to protect against esophageal mucosal injury. Melatonin has been found to protect the gastrointestinal mucosa from oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species in different experimental ulcer models. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of exogenous melatonin in the treatment of reflux disease in humans either alone or in combination with omeprazole therapy.Methods36 persons were divided into 4 groups (control subjects, patients with reflux disease treated with melatonin alone, omeprazole alone and a combination of melatonin and omeprazole for 4 and 8 weeks) Each group consisted of 9 persons. Persons were subjected to thorough history taking, clinical examination, and investigations including laboratory, endoscopic, record of esophageal motility, pH-metry, basal acid output and serum gastrin.ResultsMelatonin has a role in the improvement of Gastro-esophageal reflux disease when used alone or in combination with omeprazole. Meanwhile, omeprazole alone is better used in the treatment of GERD than melatonin alone.ConclusionThe present study showed that oral melatonin is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of GERD. It is an effective line of treatment in relieving epigastric pain and heartburn. However, further studies are required to confirm the efficacy and long-term safety of melatonin before being recommended for routine clinical use.Trial RegistrationQA13NCT00915616

Intraoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography: A useful tool in the hands of the hepatobiliary surgeon.

AIM To evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) combined with laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for patients with gall bladder stones (GS) and common bile duct stones (CBDS). METHODS Patients treated for GS with CBDS were included. LC and intraoperative transcystic cholangiogram (TCC) were performed in most of the cases. Intraoperative ERCP was done for cases with proven CBDS. RESULTS Eighty patients who had GS with CBDS were included. LC was successful in all cases. Intraoperative TCC revealed passed CBD stones in 4 cases so intraoperative ERCP was performed only in 76 patients. Intraoperative ERCP showed dilated CBD with stones in 64 cases (84.2%) where removal of stones were successful; passed stones in 6 cases (7.9%); short lower end stricture with small stones present in two cases (2.6%) which were treated by removal of stones with stent insertion; long stricture lower 1/3 CBD in one case (1.3%) which was treated by open hepaticojejunostomy; and one case (1.3%) was proved to be ampullary carcinoma and whipples operation was scheduled. CONCLUSION The hepatobiliary surgeon should be trained on ERCP as the third hand to expand his field of therapeutic options.

Trends and outcomes of pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors: A 25-year single-center study of 1000 consecutive cases

AIM To evaluate the evolution, trends in surgical approaches and reconstruction techniques, and important lessons learned from performing 1000 consecutive pancreaticoduodenectomies (PDs) for periampullary tumors. METHODS This is a retrospective review of the data of all patients who underwent PD for periampullary tumor during the period from January 1993 to April 2017. The data were categorized into three periods, including early period (1993-2002), middle period (2003-2012), and late period (2013-2017). RESULTS The frequency showed PD was increasingly performed after the year 2000. With time, elderly, cirrhotic and obese patients, as well as patients with uncinate process carcinoma and borderline tumor were increasingly selected for PD. The median operative time and postoperative hospital stay decreased significantly over the periods. Hospital mortality declined significantly, from 6.6% to 3.1%. Postoperative complications significantly decreased, from 40% to 27.9%. There was significant decrease in postoperative pancreatic fistula in the second 10 years, from 15% to 12.7%. There was a significant improvement in median survival and overall survival among the periods. CONCLUSION Surgical results of PD significantly improved, with mortality rate nearly reaching 3%. Pancreatic reconstruction following PD is still debatable. The survival rate was also improved but the rate of recurrence is still high, at 36.9%.

Post-splenectomy splenosis presenting as hepatocellular carcinoma in the left lateral section of the liver: A case report

INTRODUCTION Defined as heterotrophic autotransplantation of splenic tissue after splenic trauma or surgery. PRESENTATION OF CASE We present a case of 45 years old female patient with past history of splenectomy for haemolyticanaemia. Complaining of abdominal pain the patient was investigated by abdominal CT scan which revealed a focal lesion in the left lateral section of the liver suspicious to be hepatocellular carcinoma and gall bladder stones. Serum α-fetoprotein was within normal range. Exploration revealed a well encapsulated lesion completely separable from the liver and the diaphragm. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of splenosis. Although it is a rare condition, we recommend that the diagnosis of splenosis should be put in consideration in every patient with past history of splenectomy for proper management. DISCUSSION Although several cases of hepatic splenosis have been reported in the literature, supra-hepatic splenosis as our case has been rarely described. CONCLUSION Considering patients past history of splenectomy or splenic trauma should add splenosis to the list of possible differential diagnosis to avoid unnecessary surgical intervention.

How does epidemiological and clinicopathological features affect survival after gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients-single Egyptian center experience

AIM To investigate the clinicopathological features and the significance of different prognostic factors which predict surgical overall survival in patients with gastric carcinoma. METHODS This retrospective study includes 80 patients diagnosed and treated at gastroenterology surgical center, Mansoura University, Egypt between February 2009 to February 2013. Prognostic factors were assessed by cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS There were 57 male and 23 female. The median age was 57 years (24-83). One, 3 and 5 years survival rates were 71%, 69% and 46% respectively. The median survival was 69.96 mo. During the follow-up period, 13 patients died (16%). Hospital morbidity was reported in 10 patients (12.5%). The median number of lymph nodes removed was 22 (4-41). Lymph node (LN) involvement was found in 91% of cases. After R0 resection, depth of wall invasion, LN involvement and the number (> 15) of retrieved LN, LN ratio and tumor differentiation predict survival. In multivariable analysis, tumor differentiation, curability of resection and a number of resected LN superior to 15 were found to be independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION Surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment. Tumor differentiation, curability of resection and a number of resected LN superior to 15 were found to be independent prognostic factors. Extended LN dissection does not increase the morbidity or mortality rate but markedly improves long term survival.

Post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis: Risk factors and predictors of severity

AIM To detect risk factors for post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis (PEP) and investigate the predictors of its severity. METHODS This is a prospective cohort study of all patients who underwent ERCP. Pre-ERCP data, intraoperative data, and post-ERCP data were collected. RESULTS The study population consisted of 996 patients. Their mean age at presentation was 58.42 (± 14.72) years, and there were 454 male and 442 female patients. Overall, PEP occurred in 102 (10.2%) patients of the study population; eighty (78.4%) cases were of mild to moderate degree, while severe pancreatitis occurred in 22 (21.6%) patients. No hospital mortality was reported for any of PEP patients during the study duration. Age less than 35 years (P = 0.001, OR = 0.035), narrower common bile duct (CBD) diameter (P = 0.0001) and increased number of pancreatic cannulations (P = 0.0001) were independent risk factors for the occurrence of PEP. CONCLUSION PEP is the most frequent and devastating complication after ERCP. Age less than 35 years, narrower median CBD diameter and increased number of pancreatic cannulations are independent risk factors for the occurrence of PEP. Patients with these risk factors are candidates for prophylactic and preventive measures against PEP.