Veronica Grassi

New Trends in Acute Management of Colonic Diverticular Bleeding: A Systematic Review.

AbstractColonic diverticular disease is the most common cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. In the past, this condition was usually managed with urgent colectomy. Recently, the development of endoscopy and interventional radiology has led to a change in the management of colonic diverticular bleeding.The aim of this systematic review is to define the best treatment for colonic diverticular bleeding.A systematic bibliographic research was performed on the online databases for studies (randomized controlled trials [RCTs], observational trials, case series, and case reports) published between 2005 and 2014, concerning patients admitted with a diagnosis of diverticular bleeding according to the PRISMA methodology.The outcomes of interest were: diagnosis of diverticulosis as source of bleeding; incidence of self-limiting diverticular bleeding; management of non self-limiting bleeding (endoscopy, angiography, surgery); and recurrent diverticular bleeding.Fourteen studies were retrieved for analysis. No RCTs were found. Eleven non-randomized clinical controlled trials (NRCCTs) were included in this systematic review. In all studies, the definitive diagnosis of diverticular bleeding was always made by urgent colonoscopy. The colonic diverticular bleeding stopped spontaneously in over 80% of the patients, but a re-bleeding was not rare. Recently, interventional endoscopy and angiography became the first-line approach, thus relegating emergency colectomy to patients presenting with hemodynamic instability or as a second-line treatment after failure or complications of hemostasis with less invasive treatments.Colonoscopy is effective to diagnose diverticular bleeding. Nowadays, interventional endoscopy and angiographic treatment have gained a leading role and colectomy should only be entertained in case of failure of the former.

Robotic distal pancreatectomy with or without preservation of spleen: a technical note

BackgroundDistal pancreatectomy (DP) is a surgical procedure performed to remove the pancreatic tail jointly with a variable part of the pancreatic body and including a spleen resection in the case of conventional distal pancreatectomy or not in the spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy.MethodsIn this article, we describe a standardized operative technique for fully robotic distal pancreatectomy.ResultsIn the last decade, the use of robotic systems has become increasingly common as an approach for benign and malignant pancreatic disease treatment. Robotic Distal Pancreatectomy (RDP) is an emerging technology for which sufficient data to draw definitive conclusions in surgical oncology are still not available because the follow-up period after surgery is too short (less than 2 years).ConclusionsRDP is an emerging technology for which sufficient data to draw definitive conclusions of value in surgical oncology are still not available, however this techniques is safe and reproducible by surgeons that possess adequate skills.

Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy in a case of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

BackgroundLaparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy is rarely performed, and it has not been particularly successful due to its technical complexity. The objective of this study is to highlight how robotic surgery could improve a minimally invasive approach and to expose the usefulness of robotic surgery even in complex surgical procedures.Case presentationThe surgical technique employed in our center to perform a pancreaticoduodenectomy, which was by means of the da Vinci™ robotic system in order to remove a duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor, is reported.ConclusionsRobotic technology has improved significantly over the traditional laparoscopic approach, representing an evolution of minimally invasive techniques, allowing procedures to be safely performed that are still considered to be scarcely feasible or reproducible.

Requirement for a standardised definition of advanced gastric cancer

Each year, ~988,000 new cases of stomach cancer are reported worldwide. Uniformity for the definition of advanced gastric cancer (AGC) is required to ensure the improved management of patients. Various classifications do actually exist for gastric cancer, but the classification determined by lesion depth is extremely important, as it has been shown to correlate with patient prognosis; for example, early gastric cancer (EGC) has a favourable prognosis when compared with AGC. In the literature, the definition of EGC is clear, however, there is heterogeneity in the definition of AGC. In the current study, all parameters of the TNM classification for AGC reported in each previous study were individually analysed. It was necessary to perform a comprehensive systematic literature search of all previous studies that have reported a definition of ACG to guarantee homogeneity in the assessment of surgical outcome. It must be understood that the term ‘advanced gastric cancer’ may implicate a number of stages of disease, and studies must highlight the exact clinical TNM stages used for evaluation of the study.

The measurement of amylase in drain fluid for the detection of pancreatic fistula after gastric cancer surgery: an interim analysis

BackgroundPancreatic fistula is still one of the most serious and potential complications after D2-D3 distal and total gastrectomy (4% to 6%). Despite their importance, pancreatic fistulas still have not been uniformly defined. Amylase concentration of the drainage fluid after surgery for gastric cancer can be considered as a predictive factor of the presence of pancreatic fistula.MethodsFrom January 2009 to April 2013, 53 patients underwent surgery for gastric cancer. Amylase concentration in the drainage fluid was measured on the first postoperative day and if it was ≥1,000 UI, it was measured again on the third postoperative day. Pancreatic fistula occurred in four cases (7.5%). Pancreatic fistulas were classified using the International Study Group on Pancreatic Fistula (ISGPF) criteria into different grades of severity. Two fistulas were Grade A, one was Grade B, and one was Grade C.ResultsManagement of drainage tubes is still crucial after gastrectomy, not only for the likelihood of anastomotic leaks but also the eventual diagnosis and management of pancreatic fistula. High amylase drainage content and then the presence of the pancreatic fistula may be due to several causes: the operation itself when it includes splenectomy or pancreatic tail-splenectomy, the extended lymphadenectomy but even the ‘gently and softly’ pancreatic manipulation, according literature, may be a risk factor.ConclusionsThe authors assessed amylase concentration in the drainage fluid collected from the left subphrenic cavity on POD1 and POD3 in 53 patients who had undergone curative gastrectomy for cancer and concluded that amylase drainage content >3 times the serum amylase was a useful predictive risk factor for pancreatic fistula. Our work is an interim analysis and the aim of this study is to increase the accrual of the number of patients to have a significant number. For this reason, a protocol for a multicenter trial will be designed to verify whether the systematic measurement of amylase in drain fluid is better than abdominal ultrasound for the detection of pancreatic fistula after gastric cancer surgery.

Road Accident due to a Pancreatic Insulinoma: A Case Report

AbstractInsulinoma is a rare pancreatic endocrine tumor, typically sporadic and solitary. Although the Whipple triad, consisting of hypoglycemia, neuroglycopenic symptoms, and symptoms relief with glucose administration, is often present, the diagnosis may be challenging when symptoms are less typical.We report a case of road accident due to an episode of loss of consciousness in a patient with pancreatic insulinoma. In the previous months, the patient had occasionally reported nonspecific symptoms. During hospitalization, endocrine examinations were compatible with an insulin-producing tumor. Abdominal computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging allowed us to identify and localize the tumor. The patient underwent a robotic distal pancreatectomy with partial omentectomy and splenectomy.Insulin-producing tumors may go undetected for a long period due to nonspecific clinical symptoms, and may cause episodes of loss of consciousness with potentially lethal consequences. Robot-assisted procedures can be performed with the same techniques of the traditional surgery, reducing surgical trauma, intraoperative blood loss, and hospital stays.

Robotic Total Gastrectomy With Intracorporeal Robot-Sewn Anastomosis: A Novel Approach Adopting the Double-Loop Reconstruction Method

AbstractGastric cancer constitutes a major health problem. Robotic surgery has been progressively developed in this field. Although the feasibility of robotic procedures has been demonstrated, there are unresolved aspects being debated, including the reproducibility of intracorporeal in place of extracorporeal anastomosis.Difficulties of traditional laparoscopy have been described and there are well-known advantages of robotic systems, but few articles in literature describe a full robotic execution of the reconstructive phase while others do not give a thorough explanation how this phase was run.A new reconstructive approach, not yet described in literature, was recently adopted at our Center.Robotic total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and a so-called “double-loop” reconstruction method with intracorporeal robot-sewn anastomosis (Parisis technique) was performed in all reported cases.Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were collected and a technical note was documented.All tumors were located at the upper third of the stomach, and no conversions or intraoperative complications occurred. Histopathological analysis showed R0 resection obtained in all specimens. Hospital stay was regular in all patients and discharge was recommended starting from the 4th postoperative day. No major postoperative complications or reoperations occurred.Reconstruction of the digestive tract after total gastrectomy is one of the main areas of surgical research in the treatment of gastric cancer and in the field of minimally invasive surgery.The double-loop method is a valid simplification of the traditional technique of construction of the Roux-limb that could increase the feasibility and safety in performing a full hand-sewn intracorporeal reconstruction and it appears to fit the characteristics of the robotic system thus obtaining excellent postoperative clinical outcomes.

Distal pancreatectomy with splenic preservation: A short-term outcome analysis of the Warshaw technique

INTRODUCTION Spleen-preserving left pancreatectomy (SPDP) with splenic vessels preservation (SVP) or without (Warshaw technique, WT) has been described with robotic, laparoscopy and open surgery. Nevertheless, significant data on medium- and long-term follow-up are still not available, since data in literature are scarce and the level of evidence is low. METHODS In this retrospective study, we describe and compare short and medium term results of spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy in eight patients. RESULTS In WT group the duration and the intraoperative bleeding was superior than SVP group. The incidence of perigastric collateral vessels and presence of submucosal varices evidenced at CT scan was 66% in WT group, while only one case occurred in SVP group. DISCUSSION The limit of laparoscopic approach is the fact that it needs advanced laparoscopic skills, which might result in intraoperative bleeding and splenectomy. The most of literature considered salvage WT intraoperatively performed in case of classical SVP and not only elective WT. The consequence is that there is no difference in immediate postoperative results (operative time, intraoperative bleeding, hospital stay) that are in favour of SVP because WT is performed only in case of failure in preserving the splenic vessels. In fact when this intervention is performed electively, the procedure time is reduced as well as the intraoperative bleeding. CONCLUSIONS WT is safe and feasible, even if there are not definitive evidences that demonstrate it is superior to classic SVP. RCTs are needed to determine advantages and disadvantages of WT compared to the classic SVP.

Urgency surgical treatment for duodenal GISTs: analysis of aged patients and review of the literature

IntroductionGastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms (85%) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract; duodenal GISTs constitute 3–5% of all GISTs and represent 10–30% of all malignant tumours of the duodenum. Rarely, patients present severe bowel obstruction, perforation or severe bleeding. The radical resection with complete removal of the tumour remains the main therapeutic approach. We performed a local resection in patients with suspected GIST admitted for emergency treatment for GI bleeding.CasesWe present three cases of patients admitted for GI bleeding. The cause could be a GIST bleeding. In all cases, local resection was performed without a pancreaticoduodenectomy. Histological examination on surgical preparations showed that in two cases it was a GIST and in one case, it was a leiomyoma.DiscussionSurgery remains the treatment of choice in the case of a GIST primitive without evidence of metastases, even for patients who are hospitalized for a bleeding emergency. Wide resections are not needed; it is important to remove completely the disease. In the case of duodenal GIST, it is important to get negative margins near the head of the pancreas, and this could take a PD. According to our experience and to the literature review, we believe that if the duodenal papilla or the periampullary region is not interested, you must perform a local resection. This is also because non-malignant tumours may present as GISTs and in these cases it is not recommended to run a PD.ConclusionThe treatment of choice for duodenal GISTs is complete surgical resection with negative resection margins. When the papilla or the periampullary region is involved we choose to perform pancreaticoduodenectomy; otherwise it is better to perform a local resection. In fact, local resection has lower morbidity and mortality, with a comparable outcome.

Is it safe and useful, laparoscopic peritoneal lavage in the treatment of acute diverticulitis of octogenarian patients? A multicenter retroprospective observational study.

BackgroundDiverticular disease of the colon also affects older people. Generally, older patients with diverticulitis may be regarded as too risky to undergo surgery. This retroprospective multicentric observational study aims to assess the safety and benefits of laparoscopic peritoneal lavage (LPL) in elderly patients with perforated sigmoid diverticulitis.Patients and methodWe hospitalized in urgency 100 patients, aged over 75, for sigmoid diverticulitis. Sixty-nine patients were treated with conservative medical therapy, while 31 were treated surgically, in which the surgery was performed in urgency in 18 cases, while in election in 13 cases. Laparoscopic peritoneal lavage was made in urgency in five cases.ResultsThe mean age of the sample was 81.72. Thirty-one patients underwent surgery, and five patients were treated in urgency with laparoscopic peritoneal lavage. Perioperative mortality was zero. None of the patients who underwent laparoscopic peritoneal lavage showed recurrent disease.ConclusionDiagnostic laparoscopy can be useful in elderly patient, since these patients may benefit from a more conservative surgical strategy. The selection of patients to be subjected to laparoscopic lavage must be very rigorous.