Furlow Versus Straight Line Repair With Intravelar Veloplasty: A 7-Year Single Institution Experience with Fistula Formation

Introduction: We aimed to characterize and identify potential risk factors for fistula formation including demographic variables, palatoplasty technique, Veau cleft classification, and adoption status at a large tertiary pediatric facility. Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed for patients undergoing primary palatoplasty via either Furlow or straight line with intravelar veloplasty (IVVP) technique from November 2011 to September 2018. Variables collected included age at time of surgery, gender, language, payer status, adoption status, syndromic status, presence of moderate and/or bilateral hearing loss, Veau cleft type, and presence of a postoperative fistula. Results: Of the 108 patients included, 34 underwent the Furlow procedure and 74 underwent the straight line repair procedure with IVVP. A significant correlation was found between fistula formation and both adoption status and Veau cleft type. Only patients with Veau cleft types 3 and 4 developed a postoperative fistula. Postoperative fistulae developed in 9 patients: 1/34 (2.9%) in the Furlow group and 8/74 (10.8%) in the straight line with IVVP group. Conclusions: At our institution, rate of fistula formation is not greatly different between Furlow and straight line with IVVP palatoplasty techniques despite their being a trend toward increased risk of postoperative fistulas within the latter group, supporting previous literature that did not find an association between technique and fistula rate. Veau cleft classification and adoption status were more closely associated with the formation of postoperative fistulae.

Management of the injured bowel: preserving bowel continuity as a gold standard

Background Management of bowel traumatic injuries is a challenge. Although anastomotic or suture leak remains a feared complication, preserving bowel continuity is increasingly the preferred strategy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of such a strategy. Methods All included patients underwent surgery for bowel traumatic injuries at a high volume trauma center between 2007 and 2017. Postoperative course was analyzed for abdominal complications, morbidity and mortality. Results Among 133 patients, 78% had small bowel injuries and 47% had colon injuries. 87% of small bowel injuries and 81% of colon injuries were treated with primary repair or anastomosis, with no difference in treatment according to injury site (p = 0.381). Mortality was 8%. Severe overall morbidity was 32%, and abdominal complications occurred in 32% of patients. Risk factors for severe overall morbidity were stoma creation (p = 0.036), heavy vascular expansion (p = 0.005) and a long delay before surgery (p = 0.023). Fistula rate was 2.2%; all leaks occurred after repairing small bowel wounds. Conclusion Primary repair of bowel injuries should be the preferred option in trauma patient, regardless of the site—small bowel or colon—of the injury. Stoma creation is an important factor for postoperative morbidity, which should be weighed against the risk of an intestinal suture or anastomosis.

Robotic Dual-Console Distal Pancreatectomy: Could it be Considered a Safe Approach and Surgical Teaching even in Pancreatic Surgery? A Retrospective Observational Study Cohort

Background The study aims to assess the safety and feasibility of the robotic dual-console during a robotic distal pancreatectomy Methods The data of the consecutive patients submitted to RDP from 2012 to 2019 at the Verona University were retrieved from a prospectively maintained database. The patients submitted to RDP were divided into the dual-console platform group (DG) and compared to the standard robotic procedure group (SG). Results In the study period, 102 robotic distal pancreatectomies were performed, of whom 42 patients (41%) belonged to the DG and 60 patients (59%) to the SG. Higher operation time was recorded in the DG compared to the SG (410 vs. 265 min, p < 0.001). The overall conversion rate of the series was 7% (n 7 patients). All the conversions were observed in the SG (p = 0.021). No differences in morbidity or pancreatic fistula rate were recorded (p > 0.05). No mortality events in the 90th postoperative days were reported in this series. Conclusions The robotic dual-console approach for distal pancreatectomy is safe, feasible, and reproducible. The postoperative surgical outcomes are comparable to the standard RDP with the single-console da Vinci Surgical System®. This surgical technique can widely and safely improve the robotic surgical training program.

Is the Two-Stage Construction Approach Better for Maturation and Long-term Patency of the Transposed Brachiobasilic Arteriovenous Fistulas?

The transposed brachiobasilic arteriovenous fistula is often constructed by employing a two-stage procedure for better maturation and long-term patency, but its validity on overall outcomes remains controversial. A single-center’s experience is presented herein, comparing one- and two-stage approaches on 229 consecutive first-time arteriovenous access constructed in the upper arm with a loop configuration and an obtuse anastomosis angle that provide favorable flow dynamics. The one- and two-year patency rates were equivalent between the two approaches, but the fistula rate was greater and the maturation time was shorter with the one-stage procedure.

A Novel Anastomosis Technique for Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Case Series of Our Center's Experience

Background: Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy has developed rapidly in recent years. Postoperative pancreatic fistula is still the most dangerous complication of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy. Baumgart pancreaticojejunostomy is considered one of the safest anastomosis procedures, with low rates of pancreatic fistula. We modified Blumgart pancreaticojejunostomy and applied the modified procedure during laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy. The modified procedure entailed a longitudinal U-shaped suture through the pancreas for anastomosis of the pancreatic duct and the jejunal mucosa.Methods: We prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed the data of 120 patients who underwent laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy from January 2016. The total operative time, time for complete pancreaticojejunostomy, postoperative pancreatic fistula rate, postoperative delayed gastric emptying, postoperative bleeding, postoperative length of hospital stays, and mortality within 90 days after surgery were analyzed. An analysis of laparoscopic pancreaticojejunostomy compared with open pancreaticojejunostomy is also reported.Results: In the laparoscopic pancreaticojejunostomy group, the average total operative time, the average time for complete pancreaticojejunostomy, and the average intraoperative blood loss were 271 min, 35.3 min, and 184 ml, respectively. The total postoperative clinically relevant pancreatic fistula rate was 9.2% (Grade B and C fistulas). The incidence rates of postoperative delayed gastric emptying and postoperative biliary fistula were ~2.5 and 1.7%, respectively. The postoperative bleeding rate was 0.83%, and the average postoperative indwelling time of the abdominal drainage tube was 7.3 days. The postoperative length of hospital stay was 10.8 days, and the mortality rate within 90 days after surgery was 0.83%. The rates of clinically relevant postoperative clinically relevant pancreatic fistula are comparable between laparoscopic and open surgery, there were no other severe postoperative complications in either group. The mean postoperative length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic pancreaticojejunostomy group.Conclusion: The modified laparoscopic-adapted Blumgart anastomosis simplifies and facilitates the creation of the pancreaticojejunostomy in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy. The rates of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula are comparable with those obtained by open surgery, and length of stay are shoter.

Predictive factors of mortality in open abdomen for abdominal sepsis: a retrospective cohort study on 113 patients

Over the past few years, the open abdomen (OA) as a part of Damage Control Surgery (DCS) has been introduced as a surgical strategy with the intent to reduce the mortality of patients with severe abdominal sepsis. Aims of our study were to analyze the OA effects on patients with abdominal sepsis and identify predictive factors of mortality. Patients admitted to our institution with abdominal sepsis requiring OA from 2010 to 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Primary outcomes were mortality, morbidity and definitive fascial closure (DFC). Comparison between groups was made via univariate and multivariate analyses. On 1474 patients operated for abdominal sepsis, 113 (7.6%) underwent OA. Male gender accounted for 52.2% of cases. Mean age was 68.1 ± 14.3 years. ASA score was > 2 in 87.9%. Mean BMI, APACHE II score and Mannheim Peritonitis Index were 26.4 ± 4.9, 15.3 ± 6.3, and 22.6 ± 7.3, respectively. A negative pressure wound system technique was used in 47% of the cases. Overall, mortality was 43.4%, morbidity 76.6%, and DFC rate was 97.8%. Entero-atmospheric fistula rate was 2.2%. At multivariate analysis, APACHE II score (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.05–1.32; p = 0.005), Frailty Clinical Scale (OR 4.66; 95% CI 3.19–6.12; p < 0.0001) and ASA grade IV (OR 7.86; 95% CI 2.18–28.27; p = 0.002) were significantly associated with mortality. OA seems to be a safe and reliable treatment for critically ill patients with severe abdominal sepsis. Nonetheless, in these patients, co-morbidity and organ failure remain the major obstacles to a better prognosis.