The timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy and nano-ligation clip for acute calculous cholecystitis under guidance of Tokyo guidelines 2018 (multi-center retrospective analysis)

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been recognized as the standard surgical method for cholecystectomy. A nano-absorbable ligation clip. The material used in the ligation clip is composed of basic materials (poly(p-dioxanone), poly trimethylene carbonate or polycaprolactone) and nano-short fibers (Polyglycolide acid or polylactide). The short nano-fibers maintain the crystalline form evenly dispersed in the base material. The diameter of short nano-fibers is 300–500 nm and the length is 20–50 µm. The nano-absorbable ligation clip has strong closing force and will not cause closure failure. However, there are still some controversies about the optimum time for LC treatment of acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC) patients, and the optimum time for performing LC based on evidence-based medicine has not been unanimously recognized. Here, we explore LC timing for ACC treatment under the guidance of the Tokyo Guidelines for Acute Cholecystitis 2018 (TG18). We retrospectively analyzed the data of 3,147 ACC cases undergoing LC in eight hospitals in China. According to the time from the onset of the patient’s symptoms to the operation, they were divided into the following three groups: Group A (onset to operation time of ≤3 days), Group B (onset to operation time of 4–7 days), and Group C (onset to operation time of >7 days). There was no obvious statistical difference in preoperative indicators, such as gender ratio, history of hypertension, diabetes, and abdominal operation; ASA Classification; and TG18 Classification between the three groups. Similarly, the results of preoperative laboratory indices (e.g., white blood cell, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, platelet, serum creatinine, and international normalized ratio) showed no obvious statistical difference between the three groups. The comparison of gallbladder characteristics under B-ultrasound showed no significant statistical difference between the three groups. However, the conversion rate in Group C was significantly higher than that in Groups A and B, the incidence of complications (e.g., bile leakage, bile duct injury, and wound infection) was significantly higher in Group C than that in Groups A and B, and the postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in Group A than that in Groups B and C. A comprehensive analysis of patients’ medical records in multiple medical centers confirms that it is safe and feasible to perform early LC 7 days before the onset of ACC, which can significantly decrease postoperative complications and shorten the postoperative hospital stay for ACC patients. Performing early LC for ACC patients under the TG18 guidelines is safe and feasible. Additionally, since TG18 has obvious practicability and guidance for the clinical practice of hepatobiliary surgery, it is worthy of popularization and application in China.

Validation of Tokyo Guidelines 2007 and Tokyo Guidelines 2013/2018 Criteria for Acute Cholangitis and Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Acute cholangitis (AC) is a common emergency with a significant mortality risk. The Tokyo Guidelines (TG) provide recommendations for diagnosis, severity stratification, and management of AC. However, validation of the TG remains poor. This study aims to validate TG07, TG13, and TG18 criteria and identify predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients with AC. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This is a retrospective audit of patients with a discharge diagnosis of AC in the year 2016. Demographic, clinical, investigation, management and mortality data were documented. We performed a multinomial logistic regression analysis with stepwise variable selection to identify severity predictors for in-hospital mortality. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Two hundred sixty-two patients with a median age of 75.9 years (IQR 64.8–82.8) years were included for analysis. TG13/TG18 diagnostic criteria were more sensitive than TG07 diagnostic criteria (85.1 vs. 75.2%; <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.006). The majority of the patients (<i>n</i> = 178; 67.9%) presented with abdominal pain, pyrexia (<i>n</i> = 156; 59.5%), and vomiting (<i>n</i> = 123; 46.9%). Blood cultures were positive in 95 (36.3%) patients, and 79 (83.2%) patients had monomicrobial growth. The 30-day, 90-day, and in-hospital mortality numbers were 3 (1.1%), 11 (4.2%), and 15 (5.7%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, type 2 diabetes mellitus (OR = 12.531; 95% CI 0.354–116.015; <i>p</i> = 0.026), systolic blood pressure &#x3c;100 mm Hg (OR = 10.108; 95% CI 1.094–93.395; <i>p</i> = 0.041), Glasgow coma score &#x3c;15 (OR = 38.16; 95% CI 1.804–807.191; <i>p</i> = 0.019), and malignancy (OR = 14.135; 95% CI 1.017–196.394; <i>p</i> = 0.049) predicted in-hospital mortality. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> TG13/18 diagnostic criteria are more sensitive than TG07 diagnostic criteria. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, systolic blood pressure &#x3c;100 mm Hg, Glasgow coma score &#x3c;15, and malignant etiology predict in-hospital mortality in patients with AC. These predictors could be considered in acute stratification and treatment of patients with AC.

Mortality risk estimation in acute calculous cholecystitis: beyond the Tokyo Guidelines

Background Acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC) is the second most frequent surgical condition in emergency departments. The recommended treatment is the early laparoscopic cholecystectomy; however, the Tokyo Guidelines (TG) advocate for different initial treatments in some subgroups of patients without a strong evidence that all patients will benefit from them. There is no clear consensus in the literature about who is the unfit patient for surgical treatment. The primary aim of the study is to identify the risk factors for mortality in ACC and compare them with Tokyo Guidelines (TG) classification. Methods Retrospective unicentric cohort study of patients emergently admitted with and ACC during 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2016. The study comprised 963 patients. Primary outcome was the mortality after the diagnosis. A propensity score method was used to avoid confounding factors comparing surgical treatment and non-surgical treatment. Results The overall mortality was 3.6%. Mortality was associated with older age (68 + IQR 27 vs. 83 + IQR 5.5; P = 0.001) and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (3.5 + 5.3 vs. 0+2; P = 0.001). A logistic regression model isolated four mortality risk factors (ACME): chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 4.66 95% CI 1.7–12.8 P = 0.001), dementia (OR 4.12; 95% CI 1.34–12.7, P = 0.001), age > 80 years (OR 1.12: 95% CI 1.02–1.21, P = 0.001) and the need of preoperative vasoactive amines (OR 9.9: 95% CI 3.5–28.3, P = 0.001) which predicted the mortality in a 92% of the patients. The receiver operating characteristic curve yielded an area of 88% significantly higher that 68% (P = 0.003) from the TG classification. When comparing subgroups selected using propensity score matching with the same morbidity and severity of ACC, mortality was higher in the non-surgical treatment group. (26.2% vs. 10.5%). Conclusions Mortality was higher in ACC patients treated with non-surgical treatment. ACME identifies high-risk patients. The validation to ACME with a prospective multicenter study population could allow us to create a new alternative guideline to TG for treating ACC. Trial registration Retrospectively registered and recorded in Clinical Trials. NCT04744441

COVID-19 outbreak and acute cholecystitis in a Hub Hospital in Milan: wider indications for percutaneous cholecystostomy

Background COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Italian National Health Care system at many different levels, causing a complete reorganization of surgical wards. In this context, our study retrospectively analysed the management strategy for patients with acute cholecystitis. Methods We analysed all patients admitted to our Emergency Department for acute cholecystitis between February and April 2020 and we graded each case according to 2018 Tokyo Guidelines. All patients were tested for positivity to SARS-CoV-2 and received an initial conservative treatment. We focused on patients submitted to cholecystostomy during the acute phase of pandemic and their subsequent disease evolution. Results Thirty-seven patients were admitted for acute cholecystitis (13 grade I, 16 grade II, 8 grade III). According to Tokyo Guidelines (2018), patients were successfully treated with antibiotic only, bedside percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PC) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in 29.7%, 21.6% and 48.7% of cases respectively. Therapeutic strategy of three out of 8 cases, otherwise fit for surgery, submitted to bedside percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (37.5%), were directly modified by COVID-19 pandemic: one due to the SARS-CoV-2 positivity, while two others due to unavailability of operating room and intensive care unit for post-operative monitoring respectively. Overall success rate of percutaneous cholecystostomy was of 87.5%. The mean post-procedural hospitalization length was 9 days, and no related adverse events were observed apart from transient parietal bleeding, conservatively treated. Once discharged, two patients required readmission because of acute biliary symptoms. Median time of drainage removal was 43 days and only 50% patients thereafter underwent cholecystectomy. Conclusions Percutaneous cholecystostomy has shown to be an effective and safe treatment thus acquiring an increased relevance in the first phase of the pandemic. Nowadays, considering we are forced to live with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, PC should be considered as a virtuous, alternative tool for potentially all COVID-19 positive patients and selectively for negative cases unresponsive to conservative therapy and unfit for surgery.