Indocyanine Green to Assess Vascularity of Ileal Conduit Anastomosis During Pelvic Exenteration for Recurrent/Persistent Gynecological Cancer: A Pilot Study

IntroductionPelvic exenteration performed for recurrent/persistent gynecological malignancies has been associated with urological short- and long-term morbidity due to altered vascularization of tissues for previous radiotherapy. The aims of the present study were to describe the use of intravenous indocyanine green (ICG) to assess vascularity of urinary diversion (UD) after pelvic exenteration for gynecologic cancers, to evaluate the feasibility and safety of this technique, and to assess the postoperative complications.MethodsProspective, observational, single-center, pilot study including consecutive patients undergoing anterior or total pelvic exenteration due to persistent/recurrent gynecologic cancers between August 2020 and March 2021 at Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy. All patients underwent intravenous injection of 3–6 ml of ICG (1.25 mg/ml) once the UD was completed. A near-infrared camera was used to evaluate ICG perfusion of anastomoses (ileum–ileum, right and left ureter with small bowel, and colostomy or colorectal sides of anastomosis) a few seconds after ICG injection.ResultsFifteen patients were included in the study. No patient reported adverse reactions to ICG injection. Only 3/15 patients (20.0%) had an optimal ICG perfusion in all anastomoses. The remaining 12 (80.0%) patients had at least one ICG deficit; the most common ICG deficit was on the left ureter: 3 (20.0%) vs. 1 (6.7%) patient had no ICG perfusion on the left vs. right ureter, respectively (p = 0.598). 8/15 (53.3%) and 6/15 (40.0%) patients experienced grade ≥3 30-day early and late postoperative complications, respectively. Of these, two patients had early and one had late postoperative complications directly related to poor perfusion of anastomosis (UD leak, ileum–ileum leak, and benign ureteric stricture); all these cases had a suboptimal intraoperative ICG perfusion.ConclusionThe use of ICG to intraoperatively assess the anastomosis perfusion at time of pelvic exenteration for gynecologic malignancy is a feasible and safe technique. The different vascularization of anastomotic stumps may be related to anatomical sites and to previous radiation treatment. This approach could be in support of selecting patients at higher risk of complications who may need personalized follow-up.

Rare anomaly of kidney development – L-shaped fusion

Within the framework of the publication, an L‑shaped fusion of the kidneys (horseshoe‑shaped) is considered, referring to the category of asymmetric fusion. The presented clinical case is an extremely rare form of congenital anomaly of renal fusion, demonstrating the difficulty of verifying the correct diagnosis. The article presents the results of a tomographic study, which, in addition to enlargement of the kidneys, recorded signs of dysplasia of the left ureter (stricture) and signs of an arterial vascular bed (aberrant artery of the upper part of the L‑shaped horseshoe).

Rate of Recurrent Hydronephrosis After Laparoscopic Ureteroneocystostomy for Ureteral Endometriosis

Study Objective: To investigate the short-term outcomes of laparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy in patients with ureteral endometriosis (UE).Design: Retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients who underwent surgery for the ureter endometriosis with hydronephrosis.Setting: A private hospital that provide primary, secondary and tertiary care.Patients: 30 consecutive patients with UE who underwent laparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy at our institution between May 2008 and April 2020. Interventions: Laparoscopic ureteroneocystostomy, if necessary, hysterectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy, cystectomy, partial bladder resection, or partial bowel resection were performed.Measurements and Main Results: The most common chief complaint was pelvic pain (40%). Endometriosis affected only the left ureter in 56.7% of patients, only the right ureter in 33.3%, and both ureters in 6.7%. Involvement of the ipsilateral ovary was confirmed in 64.3%. The most frequent location of UE was 1 to 3 cm above the UVJ (46.7%). A psoas hitch was performed in 7 patients (23.3%), and the Boari flap was used in 9 patients (30%). Hysterectomy was performed in 12 patients (40%), and 6 of them had a concomitant bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (20%). In addition, 3 patients (10%) underwent partial bowel resection, and 2 patients (6.7%) underwent partial bladder resection. After surgery, 24 of 27 patients (80.0%) were free of sever hydronephrosis after surgery. Hydronephrosis recurred in a single patient (3.3%), but the grade of hydronephrosis improved significantly after surgery (P<.001). At 6 months of follow up, 4 patients (13.3%) experienced urinary tract infections and 2 patients (6.7%) reported dysuria. Patients reported a regression of dysmenorrhea symptoms (P<.001). Conclusion: This study shows that ureteroneocystostomy provides good results in terms of relapses and symptoms’ control in patients with ureteral endometriosis.

P146 ROBOTIC REPAIR OF COMPLICATED INGUINAL HERNIAS

Aim In this video, the authors provide an educational demonstration on the use of robotic surgery in management of two patients with complicated and recurrent inguinal hernias. The two patients demonstrated in these videos show the benefits of use of robotics in the approach to a patient with a recurrent hernia after previous open repair with plug and patch method as well as repair in a very obese patient with large hernias causing obstruction of the left ureter. Material and Methods N/a Results N/a Conclusions Robotic surgery is an emerging technology in surgery and can be a useful modality in treating patients with complex and recurrent inguinal hernias. Furthermore, the visualization in these complex cases can be helpful in identifying the important structures during dissection. Regardless of technique, the two videos presented demonstrate a complex dissection which may be needed when repairing recurrent or very large inguinal hernias.

Quantitative evaluation of upper urinary tract pump function in pigs with acute unilateral lower ureteral obstruction by 640-slice dynamic volume CT

Background It is a challenging problem to differentiate obstructive hydronephrosis from noninvasive evaluation of renal pelvis and ureteral motility in patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the value of 640-slice dynamic volume CT (DVCT) in the quantitative measurement of upper urinary tract (UUT) pump function after acute unilateral lower ureteral obstruction in pigs. Methods In this study, a perfusion pig model was constructed by constant pressure perfusion testing of the renal pelvis and left nephrostomy. The perfusion and pressure measuring devices were connected to create a state of no obstruction and acute obstruction of the lower part of the left ureter. After successful modelling, continuous dynamic volume scanning of the bilateral renal excretion phase was performed with 640-slice DVCT, and pump functions of the renal pelvis and part of the upper ureter were calculated and analysed. No obstruction or acute obstruction of the lower part of the left ureter was observed. Pump functions of the renal pelvis and part of the upper ureter were determined. Results The results showed that after LUUT fistulostomy, the time difference between the average UUT volume and positive volume value increased gradually, and the calculated flow velocity decreased, which was significantly different from that of the RUUT. The volume difference of the LUUT increased significantly in mild obstruction. In the bilateral control, the volume change rate of the LUUT increased with mild obstruction and decreased with severe obstruction, and there was a significant difference between the left and right sides. Conclusion The continuous dynamic volume scan and measurement of 640-slice DVCT can obtain five pump function datasets of UUT in pigs with acute lower ureteral obstruction.