Non-closure of the Free Peritoneal Flap During Laparoscopic Hernia Repair of Lower Abdominal Marginal Hernia: A Retrospective Analysis

Background: During lower abdominal marginal hernia repair, the peritoneal flap is routinely freed to facilitate mesh placement and closed to conclude the procedure. This procedure is generally called trans-abdominal partial extra-peritoneal (TAPE). However, the necessity of closing the free peritoneal flap is still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the safety and feasibility of leaving the free peritoneal flap in-situ.Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on 68 patients (16 male, 52 female) who underwent laparoscopic hernia repair between June 2014 and March 2021. Patients were diagnosed as the lower abdominal hernia and all required freeing the peritoneal flap during the operation. Patients were divided into 2 groups: one group was TAPE group with the closed free peritoneal flap, another group left the free peritoneal flap unclosed. Analyses were performed to compare both intraoperative parameters and postoperative complications.Results: There were no significant differences in demographic, comorbidity, hernia characteristics and ASA classification. The intra-operative bleeding volume, visceral injury, hospital stay, urinary retention, visual analog scale (VAS) score, dysuria, intestinal obstruction, surgical site infection, mesh infection, recurrence rate and hospital stay were similar among the two groups. Mean operative time of the flap closing procedure was higher than for patients with the free peritoneal flap left in-situ (p = 0.002). Comparisons of postoperative complications showed flap closure resulted in a higher incidence of seroma formation (p = 0.005).Conclusion: Providing a barrier-coated mesh is used during laparoscopic lower abdominal marginal hernia repair, it is safe to leave the free peritoneal flap in-situ and this approach may prevent the occurrence of seromas.

Pilonidal disease

Pilonidal disease presents with a range of signs and symptoms: asymptomatic pits in the natal cleft, acute abscesses, chronic disease with persistent, discharging sinuses, or recurrent disease following previous attempts at treatment. It primarily affects the sacrococcygeal region and is a disease of young adults, generally male, and leads to pain, disability, and time lost from work. The treatment for an acute pilonidal abscess is widely accepted to be incision and drainage with the incision placed out of the natal cleft. The treatment of chronic and recurrent disease is contentious with excision and then either healing by secondary intention, primary closure, or flap closure all being suggested alongside other less aggressive approaches aimed at conserving tissue. Currently none of these treatments is ideal, although primary closure in the midline has been shown to be inferior and should not be performed.

A comparative multicentre study evaluating gluteal turnover flap for wound closure after abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer

Background The aim of this study was to compare perineal wound healing between gluteal turnover flap and primary closure in patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection (APR) for rectal cancer. Methods Patients who underwent APR for primary or recurrent rectal cancer with gluteal turnover flap in two university hospitals (2016–2021) were compared to a multicentre cohort of primary closure (2000–2017). The primary endpoint was uncomplicated perineal wound healing within 30 days. Secondary endpoints were long-term wound healing, related re-interventions, and perineal herniation. The perineal hernia rate was assessed using Kaplan Meier analysis. Results Twenty–five patients had a gluteal turnover flap and 194 had primary closure. The uncomplicated perineal wound-healing rate within 30 days was 68% (17/25) after gluteal turnover flap versus 64% (124/194) after primary closure, OR 2.246; 95% CI 0.734–6.876; p = 0.156 in multivariable analysis. No major wound complications requiring surgical re-intervention occurred after flap closure. Eighteen patients with gluteal turnover flap completed 12-month follow-up, and none of them had chronic perineal sinus, compared to 6% (11/173) after primary closure (p = 0.604). The symptomatic 18-month perineal hernia rate after flap closure was 0%, compared to 9% after primary closure (p = 0.184). Conclusions The uncomplicated perineal wound-healing rate after the gluteal turnover flap and primary closure after APR is similar, and no chronic perineal sinus or perineal hernia occurred after flap closure. Future studies have to confirm potential benefits of the gluteal turnover flap.

A Prospective Study of the Clinical Profile of Pilonidal Sinus Disease at a Tertiary Care Centre in North India - Comparison of Limberg Flap Closure and Z-Plasty in Treatment

BACKGROUND Sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus disease is defined as a hair-filled cavity in the subcutaneous fat of the natal cleft (postsacral intergluteal region). This study was done to investigate the prevalence, clinical presentation, body mass index (BMI) as a risk factor; and complications of Limberg flap and Z-plasty, for the reconstruction of defects after excision of sacrococcygeal pilonidal sinus in terms of the incidence of seroma, wound infection, wound dehiscence, flap necrosis, recurrence, duration of hospital stay and time taken for complete wound healing after the procedure. METHODS This was a prospective study done on 50 patients from January 2018 to October 2020 at a tertiary care hospital in 15 to 50 years of age group presenting with pilonidal sinus disease. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 15.0 statistical analysis software. Significance was assessed at 5 %. RESULTS The mean age of presentation was 25 years with chief complains of swelling, discharge and pain, the mean BMI was 24.39 kg/m2 . Anaerobic infection is more common in the sinus (40 %), and among aerobic organisms, Staphylococcus was the most common organism (19 %). In Limberg flap closure, only one 1 developed wound infection and this same patient had partial wound dehiscence, while in Zplasty group, 3 developed seroma, 2 wound infections and 2 partial flap ischemia. CONCLUSIONS The goals of management of pilonidal sinus diseases include conservative management along with definitive surgical treatment of the disease. Pilonidal abscess is managed by incision and drainage and is followed by definitive treatment, later on. Flap procedures are effective ways to treat the disease, of which Limberg flap is the most reliable flap with minimum complications, lesser hospital stay and faster wound healing. KEYWORDS Pilonidal Sinus, Limberg Flap, Z-Plasty

Emergency hip disarticulations for severe necrotising fasciitis of the lower limb: a series of rare cases from a rural district general hospital

Hip disarticulation is the removal of the entire lower limb through the hip joint by detaching the femur from the acetabulum. This major ablative procedure is rarely performed for infection but may be required in severe necrotising fasciitis. We present a single centre retrospective review of all cases of emergency hip disarticulations in patients with necrotising fasciitis between 2010 and 2020. All five patients included in the review presented with acute lower limb pain and sepsis. Three patients had comorbidities predisposing them to necrotising fasciitis. Three were deemed to be high risk and two were at intermediate risk of developing necrotising fasciitis. There were two deaths in the postoperative period. Of the three survivors, two required revision surgery for a completion hindquarter amputation and one for flap closure. All three survivors had good functional outcomes after discharge from hospital. Despite its associated morbidity, emergency amputation of the entire lower limb is a life-saving treatment in cases of rapidly progressing necrotising fasciitis and should be considered as a first-line option in managing this condition.

Left congenital diaphragmatic hernia and gastroschisis in a term male infant

A term male infant was born to a healthy 24-year-old mother with antenatally diagnosed liver-up, left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and gastroschisis. The infant was stabilised in the neonatal intensive care unit and then underwent primary repair of the CDH via left subcostal incision and silo placement for the gastroschisis. Serial silo reductions were started postoperatively and umbilical flap closure for the gastroschisis was performed on day of life 6. The patient was weaned from respiratory support, started on enteral feeds, and discharged home at 1 month of age. He was weaned from supplemental nasogastric feeds by 6 weeks of age and is currently well and thriving at 11 months of age.

Negative pressure wound therapy—two novel approaches to healing dehisced vascular bypass wounds

The use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in surgical wound healing by secondary intention is well known. Its use in healing dehisced vascular bypass wounds is contraindicated by manufacturers due to exposed vasculature and risk of bleeding. There is an increasing body of knowledge to support the use of NPWT in vascular wounds in order to prevent graft excision and the need for flap closure. This paper reports the use of two different approaches using NPWT to heal dehisced, infected vascular groin bypass wounds in two patients. Both patients had lower limb bypass using Dacron (Vascutek Ltd., UK) grafts and subsequently became infected, dehisced and required debridement. Following debridement, graft was visible in the wound bed and NPWT was applied to facilitate healing. Case one had polyurethane (black) foam and a layer of petroleum-impregnated cellulose acetate mesh to prevent adherence to the graft. Case two had polyvinyl alcohol (white) (PVA) foam applied to the wound. The PVA foam was used in Case two due to pain at dressing changes. Negative pressure was initially –25mmHg but increased gradually to –125mmHg and –150mmHg, respectively, the therapeutic pressure for the respective foams. Dressings were changed every 48–72 hours and infection treated with antibiotics as appropriate. After eight days and 28 days of NPWT, respectively, graft was no longer visible. No significant bleeding was noted. These two case studies would suggest that, with precautions taken to protect the vasculature, the use of NPWT in healing dehisced vascular groin wounds is an appropriate treatment.