Robotic, totally endoscopic excision of mitral valve papillary fibroelastoma

Papillary fibroelastoma is a rare, benign tumor that affects males more frequently than females and that tends to be diagnosed during the fifth or sixth decade of life. It tends to arise on cardiac valves, with the aortic valve being the most frequent location followed by the mitral valve, the tricuspid valve, and the pulmonary valve. We present the case of a robotic-assisted, totally endoscopic excision of a mitral valve papillary fibroelastoma.

Endoscopic mucosal resection and conventional polypectomy in colon adenomas

Aim: to compare the early and long-term results of endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and conventional polypectomy for benign epithelial colon neoplasmsPatients and methods: the retrospective study included 344 patients with histologically verified adenomas of the size of up to 40 mm in the colon, who underwent EMR or conventional polypectomy. Mucosectomy (EMR) was performed in 207 patients, while conventional polypectomy was performed in 137.Results: there were no significant differences in the postoperative morbidity rates between the methods (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 0.7–4.8, p = 0.3). Fragmentation significantly more often occurred in the group of conventional polypectomy (OR = 3.5; 95% CI = 2.3–5.5, p = 0.001, especially when the size of the neoplasm was over 1 cm (OR = 3.1; 95% CI = 1.1–8.9 = 0.037). Recurrence occurred in 19/173 (10.9%) in 12 (8.3%) patients of the EMR group. In the polypectomy group, recurrence developed in 22 (23.1%) patients, in 24/108 (22.2%) cases at the site of the postoperative scar. It was found that the adenoma recurrence in the area of endoscopic excision occurs significantly more often after conventional polypectomy (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.2–4.4; p = 0.016).Conclusion: EMR and conventional polypectomy both are the safe methods with low morbidity rates. However, the EMR is the preferred method of endoscopic excision for adenomas larger than 1 cm due to the fact that it allows for deeper and more complete resection of the tissue than conventional polypectomy.

Endoscope-controlled Access to Thalamic Tumors using Tubular Brain Retractor: An Alternative Approach to Microscopic Excision

Background Surgery for thalamic lesions has been considered challenging due to their deep-seated location. Endoscopic excision of deep-seated brain tumors using tubular retractor has been shown to be safe and effective in prior studies; however, there are limited reports regarding its use for thalamic tumors. We present our experience of endoscope-controlled resection of thalamic tumors using a tubular retractor. Material and Methods This was a prospective observational case series done at a tertiary center specialized for endoscopic neurosurgery during the period from 2010 to 2019. Surgeries were performed under the endoscopic control using a silicon tubular retractor. Lesions were approached transcortically or trans-sulcally. Data were collected for the extent of resection, amount of blood loss, operative time, need for conversion to microscopy, and complications. Results Twenty-one patients of thalamic masses of 14- to 60-year age underwent the surgeries. Pathologies ranged from grade I to IV gliomas. Gross total and near-total resection could be done in 42.85% of cases for each group. The average blood loss and operative time were164.04 ± 83.63 mL and 157.14 ± 28.70 minutes, respectively. Complications included a small brain contusion, two transient hemipareses, and one transient speech deficit. Conclusion Endoscopic excision of thalamic tumors using a tubular retractor was found to be a safe and effective alternative to microscopic resection.