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C Esposito

Publications and source records attributed to C Esposito.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Long-term outcome of laparoscopic Nissen, Toupet, and Thal antireflux procedures for neurologically normal children with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND: Nissen fundoplication is the most popular laparoscopic operation for the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Partial fundoplications seem to be associated with a lower incidence of postoperative dysphagia, and thus a better quality of life for patients. The aim of this study was to compare the long-term outcome in neurologically normal children who underwent laparoscopic Nissen, Toupet, or Thal procedures in three European centers with a large experience in laparoscopic antireflux procedures. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed the data of 300 consecutive patients with GERD who underwent laparoscopic surgery. The first 100 cases were recorded for each team, with the first team using the Toupet, the second team using the Thal, and the third team using the Nissen procedure. The only exclusion criteria for this study was neurologic impairment. For this reason, 66 neurologically impaired children (52 Thal, 10 Nissen, 4 Toupet) were excluded from the study. This evaluation focuses on the data for the remaining 238 neurologically normal children. The patients varied in age from 5 months to 16 years (median, 58 months). The median weight was 20 kg. All the children underwent a complete preoperative workup, and all had well-documented GERD. The position of the trocars and the dissection phase were similar in all the procedures, as was the posterior approximation of the crura. The short gastric vessels were divided in only six patients (2.5%). The only difference in the surgical procedures was the type of antireflux valve created. RESULTS: The median duration of surgery was 70 min. There was no mortality and no conversion in this series. A total of 12 (5%) intraoperative complications (5 Nissen, 5 Toupet, 2 Thal) and 13 (5.4%) postoperative complications (3 Toupet, 4 Nissen, 6 Thal) were recorded. Only six (2.5%) redo procedures (2 Thal, 2 Toupet, 2 Nissen) were performed. After a minimum follow-up period of 5 years, all the children were free of symptoms except nine (3.7%), who sometimes still require medication. The incidence of complications and redo surgery for the three procedures analyzed with the Mann-Whitney U test are not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: For pediatric patients with GERD, laparoscopic Nissen, Toupet, and Thal antireflux procedures yielded satisfactory results, and none of the approaches led to increased dysphagia. The 5% rate for intraoperative complications seems linked to the learning curve period. The authors consider the three procedures as extremely effective for the treatment of children with GERD, and they believe that the choice of one procedure over the other depends only on the surgeon's experience. Parental satisfaction with laparoscopic treatment was very high in all the three series.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

European multicenter survey on the laparoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux in patients aged less than 12 months with supraesophageal symptoms.

BACKGROUND: This multicenter survey includes neonates and infants who underwent surgery for primary gastroesophageal reflux (GER) who presented with supraesophageal symptoms of unknown origin with a minimum of 12 months postoperative follow-up. METHODS: A total of 726 patients underwent GER surgery in 10 European Centers in the period 1998-2002. Respiratory symptoms were present in 204 patients (28%); 135 patients (17%) had surgery under 1 year of age, and 46 of them (6.3%) because of respiratory symptoms. Surgery was performed without any previous medical treatment in 10 cases (21%). The type of procedure included 37 complete 360 degrees wraps (80%) (Nissen, 12, and Rossetti, 25) and nine partial wraps (20%) (Thal five, Lortat Jacob one, Toupet one, others two). Gastrostomy was associated in 17 cases (37%) (6 PEG and 11 modified Stamm). No gastric emptying procedures were recorded. RESULTS: No major intraoperative complications were reported. Six patients developed complications (13%) and a redo operation was performed in three (6.5%). Respiratory outcome after antireflux surgery was good in 35 patients (76%) and fair with significantly improved respiratory symptoms in 11 (24%). CONCLUSIONS: This multicenter survey underlines that GER has to be suspected and aggressively treated in infants with difficult-to-treat supraesophageal symptoms, and also in high-risk cases, in order to prevent major complications.

Europe↗
PubMed2005

Enlarged wandering spleen treated with hemisplenectomy and fixation of the residual spleen.

A case of enlarged wandering spleen presenting as an abdominal mass in a 7-year-old girl is reported. The diagnosis was performed by ultrasonography and confirmed by aortography. Treatment consisted of an elective partial splenectomy and fixation of the residual spleen to the left hemidiaphragm. The patient's symptoms regressed, and now, after more than 2 years, she is doing well. Two years postoperatively scintigraphy demonstrated a good captation of radionuclide by a normal-sized spleen at the left hypochondrium. The results obtained with the procedure that was adopted for treating this case of wandering spleen allow the authors to state that hemispleen fixation is a valid option for treating symptomatic enlarged wandering spleen.

Child↗
PubMed2005

Laparoscopic-assisted jejunostomy: an effective procedure for the treatment of neurologically impaired children with feeding problems and gastroesophageal reflux.

BACKGROUND: Feeding difficulties and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) are major problems in severely neurologically impaired children. Many patients are managed with a simple gastrostomy, with or without fundoplication. Unfortunately, fundoplication and gastrostomy are not devoid of complications, indicating the need for other options in the management of these patients. METHODS: Since January 2002, seven patients (age range, 5-14 years) have been treated by creating a jejunostomy with the laparoscopic-assisted procedure. The procedure was performed using two 10-mm trocars. The technique consists of identifying the first jejunal loop, grasping it 20-30 cm away from the Treitz ligament with fenestrated atraumatic forceps, and exteriorizing it to the trocar orifice under visual guide. The jejunostomy was created outside the abdominal cavity during open surgery. At the end of the jejunostomy, the correct positions of the intestinal loop and feeding tube were evaluated via laparoscopy. RESULTS: Surgery lasted 40 min on average, the laparoscopic portion only 5 min. There were no perioperative complications; hospital stay was 3 or 4 days for all patients. At the longest follow-up (18 months), all patients had experienced a significant weight gain, with a high level of parental satisfaction. One patient died 1 year after the procedure of unknown causes. All the others are well, without complications or problems, and their parents are extremely satisfied with the improved quality of life of their children. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic-assisted jejunostomy is a safe and effective procedure to adopt in neurologically impaired children with feeding problems and GER. This procedure solves these patients' feeding problems even if the reflux is not completely eliminated. We advocate the use of this procedure in neurologically impaired patients with feeding problems and reflux due to its overall practicability and because there is minimal surgical trauma. This technique is extremely safe because the surgeon is able to verify, at the end of procedure, the status of the jejunostomy from outside and inside the abdominal cavity. The improvement in the quality of life of these children after the jejunostomy seems to be the major advantage of this procedure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Advantages and limits of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery: preliminary experience.

BACKGROUND: In the last few years, robotics has been applied in clinical practice for a variety of laparoscopic procedures. This study reports our preliminary experience using robotics in the field of general surgery to evaluate the advantages and limitations of robot-assisted laparoscopy. METHODS: Thirty-two consecutive patients were scheduled to undergo robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery in our units from March 2002 to July 2003. The indications were cholecystectomy, 20 patients; right adrenalectomy, two points; bilateral varicocelectomy, two points; Heller's cardiomyotomy, two points; Nissen's fundoplication, two points; total splenectomy, one point; right colectomy, one point; left colectomy, 1 point; and bilateral inguinal hernia repair, one point. In all cases, we used the da Vinci surgical system, with the surgeon at the robotic work station and an assistant by the operating table. RESULTS: Twenty-nine of 32 procedures (90.6%) were completed robotically, whereas three were converted to laparoscopic surgery. Conversion to laparoscopy was due in two patients to minor bleeding that could not be managed robotically and to robot malfunction in the third patient. There were no deaths. Median hospital stay was 2.2 days (range, 2-8). CONCLUSIONS: The main advantages of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery are the availability of three-dimensional vision and easier instrument manipulation than can be obtain with standard laparoscopy. The learning curve to master the robot was >or= 10 robotic procedures. The main limitations are the large diameter of the instruments (8 mm) and the limited number of robotic arms (maximum, three). We consider these technical shortcomings to be the cause for our conversions, because it is difficult to manage bleeding episodes with only two operating instruments. The benefit to the patient must be evaluated carefully and proven before this technology can become widely accepted in general surgery.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Current indications for laparoscopy and retroperitoneoscopy in pediatric urology.

Laparoscopy has raised great interest in the past few years in the field of pediatric urology. It has evolved from a simple diagnostic maneuver to complex operative procedures. The aim of this study was to review urologic laparoscopy literature and provide a critical review of this field to establish current indications for videosurgery in pediatric urology. In general, from an anatomic point of view, retroperitoneoscopy seems to be more suitable than the transperitoneal laparoscopic approach for reaching the upper urinary tract. It also is less invasive and complies with the criteria for open renal surgery. With respect to current indications for videosurgery in pediatric urology, the authors have identified several well-established clinical procedures, although no large series have been published for any of the procedures, except for the treatment of varicocele, nonpalpable testis, and nephrectomy. In conclusion, the data reviewed suggest that videosurgery is a safe and feasible technique in pediatric urology if performed by expert surgeons, and that it certainly will develop further in the next few years.

Child↗
PubMed2004

Transglutaminase 2 in celiac disease: minireview article.

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune pathology of the small intestine triggered, in genetically predisposed patients, by the exposition to gliadin, a flour protein, thus evoking local immune reactions and mucosal atrophy. The discovery that type 2 transglutaminase (TG2) is the main, if not the sole, target of the endomysium CD-specific autoantibodies assigned to this enzyme a master regulator role of CD. Two separated events, both based on the finding that gliadin is able to act as a TG2 substrate, have been described to indicate that TG2 is involved in both the humoral and cellular immune responses. In this paper we review the novel insights on the localization and enzymatic activity of TG2 in the small intestinal mucosa. Moreover, we report on the capability of gliadin and its peptides to act as TG2 substrates.

Celiac Disease↗
PubMed2004

Endoscopic fibrin sealing of congenital pyriform sinus fistula.

Pyriform sinus fistula is a very rare branchial apparatus malformation, often appearing in the form of a cervical inflammatory process (abscess or suppurative thyroiditis), especially in infants. Failure to diagnose this lesion may result in unexpected recurrence. A case of recurrent suppurative thyroiditis caused by pyriform sinus fistula in a 9-year-old girl is reported. In the latency period of infection, the fistula tract was identified by a barium meal contrast study. Direct endoscopy showed the fistula internal orifice at the apex of the left pyriform fossa. The fistula was completely obliterated by injection of fibrin glue. Suppurative thyroiditis is reported mainly in the pediatric literature, and the reported case is the first to be managed endoscopically by injection of fibrin adhesive.

Barium Sulfate↗
PubMed2004

Effect of calcineurin inhibitors on extracellular matrix turnover in isolated human glomeruli.

INTRODUCTION: Although chronic cyclosporine toxicity is mainly characterized by tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis, glomerular injury with expansion of mesangial matrix and sclerosis is not uncommon. Tacrolimus is a newer calcineurin inhibitor that has been used in renal transplant recipients as primary or rescue therapy. Clinical trials suggest an improved long-term graft survival among patients treated with tacrolimus. Recently we have shown that tacrolimus and cyclosporine have similar effects on extracellular matrix turnover in cultured cells. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of the calcineurin inhibitors on whole glomeruli extracellular matrix turnover. METHODS: Human glomeruli isolated from kidney biopsies just before transplantation were incubated with culture media containing either cyclosporine (200 ng/mL) or tacrolimus (10 ng/mL) for 24 hours. Glomeruli incubated only with culture medium were used as control. RESULTS: The expressions of (alpha2)IV collagen, metalloprotease 9 (MMP9), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteases 2 (TIMP-2), and TGFbeta were evaluated by in situ reverse transcription and polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR). beta-actin was used as a control gene. Cyclosporine (but not tacrolimus) increased the expression of (alpha2)IV collagen and TIMP2 in isolated glomeruli. TGF-beta was markedly increased by cyclosporine. MMP9 expression was not affected by the calcineurin inhibitors. By light microscopy kidney biopsies did not show pathologic changes. CONCLUSION: Cyclosporine treatment modulates extracellular matrix turnover in isolated human glomeruli, inducing an imbalance between synthesis and degradation. This effect, not observed in tacrolimus-treated human glomeruli, may induce the extracellular matrix deposition and sclerosis characteristic of chronic cyclosporine toxicity.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2004

Hyperkalemia-induced ECG abnormalities in patients with reduced renal function.

Hyperkalemia is a potentially lethal condition to be aware of in the presence of ECG abnormalities especially in patients with reduced renal function. However, ECG abnormalities are not always dependent on the degree ofhyperkalemia but may be aggravated by the rapidity of the development of hyperkalemia and by associated electrolyte disorders. We describe 3 patients with renal failure and different ECG changes induced by hyperkalemia. More severe changes were observed when hyperkalemia developed rapidly, but not in presence of electrolyte disorders. Even minor ECG abnormalities must alarm physicians in patients with renal failure since severe hyperkalemia is not always associated with critical ECG changes.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Experience with the use of tissue adhesives in pediatric endoscopic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Due to technological improvements, the use of tissue adhesives and glues for tissue approximation and hemostasis in surgery has increased. We report our preliminary experience with this technology in pediatric endosurgery. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2000, we employed tissue adhesives in 48 pediatric patients during laparoscopic procedures. In 25 patients, the glue was adopted for the hemostasis of parenchimal organs (liver in 24 cases and spleen in one). In three cases, the glue was used to repair organ perforation, in 19 it was used to close the distal part of a patent processus vaginalis in case of congenital inguinal hernia. In the final case, the glue was adopted to achieve optimal airtightness in case of pulmonary biopsy. The glue was injected with the aid of a needle positioned transparietally. RESULTS: The procedure was easy and rapid in all cases, and there were no problems or complications related to glue positioning at a mean follow up of 51 months. CONCLUSION: Tissue adhesives are a very versatile product for use in pediatric laparoscopic surgery. It is likely that their usage will increase as the technology improves and more effective products are developed.

Biopsy↗
PubMed2003

Results of the laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure for pediatric esophageal achalasia.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal achalasia is not a frequent disorder in children and different treatments have been proposed during past decades. This study reviews the results of the laparoscopic Heller-Dor procedure performed in pediatric patients in two different surgical units. METHODS: We included the patients aged <14 years with a minimum follow-up of 6 months operated on in the period 1994-2001. A single longitudinal anterior esophageal myotomy (Heller) and a 180 degrees anterior gastropexy (Dor) were laparoscopically performed. The patients were checked to detect intra- or postoperative complications and recurrence. RESULTS: Twenty children were operated on. Mean follow-up was 45 months (range 6-102). Postoperative clinical score was Visick 1 in 15 cases and Visick 2 in five. CONCLUSIONS: As complication and recurrence rates are very low we consider modified Heller myotomy and Dor gastropexy through a laparoscopic approach our first choice to treat esophageal achalasia in the pediatric population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Impact of laparoscopy on the management of an unusual case of nonpalpable testis in an adult patient.

BACKGROUND: In the past decade, cryptorchidism has generally been treated in the first 36 months of life using an inguinal approach, in the case of palpable testis, or using laparoscopy, in the case of nonpalpable testis. Nevertheless, before this period some children were managed incorrectly. This case report shows how laparoscopy and the collaboration between pediatric surgeons and urologists may lead to optimal results. CASE REPORT: A 19-year-old male was referred to our unit following routine medical examination for enrollment in the military service with a diagnosis of right cryptorchidism. The clinical history showed the anamnesis of right cryptorchidism diagnosed at birth as a right nonpalpable testis, confirmed at 2 years of age with clinical examination and computer tomography. The patient came to our attention to again undergo a clinical examination, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. We found a left, well-positioned testis of 20 ml in volume and an empty right scrotum; all the instrumental examinations were negative. The patient was thus scheduled for a diagnostic laparoscopy. A pediatric surgeon with extensive experience in this pathology performed the procedure. The 10-mm 30 degrees optics introduced through the umbilicus showed a closed right inguinal ring, with no evidence of either vas deferens or inner spermatic vessels at the level of the inguinal region or pelvis. Two more trocars were introduced and a testis of 15 ml in volume was found under the ascending colon 10 cm away from the cecum. An orchiectomy was performed via laparoscopy. CONCLUSION: This case clearly shows that some males with nonpalpable testis may have been treated incorrectly in the prelaparoscopic era and may now have an intraabdominal testis. In addition, our experience shows that intraabdominal testis may sometime be in an unusual location, and a laparoscopic surgeon with experience in this pathology is fundamental to finding the testis. In the case of adults with nonpalpable testis, when echography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are not useful, the only effective diagnostic procedure is laparoscopy.

Abdominal Cavity↗
PubMed2003

Risks and benefits of surgical management of gastroesophageal reflux in neurologically impaired children.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and results of laparoscopic antireflux procedure in neurologically impaired children. METHODS: Over a 5-yr period, 259 children affected by gastroesophageal reflux disease underwent laparoscopic antireflux procedure. Eighty of them (30.8%) were neurologically impaired. In 58 children we performed an anterior fundoplication according to Thal and in 22 patients a 360 degrees fundoplication according to Nissen. Forty-eight children underwent an associated gastrostomy placement at the same time as the laparoscopic antireflux procedure. RESULTS: We recorded 4/80 intraoperative complications; in all cases the complication was managed laparoscopically and no conversion was needed. Follow-up ranged from 6 months to 6 yrs (median 3 yrs). We recorded 24/80 postoperative complications, 5 of which required a redo procedure. We have a mortality rate of 17.5% but in only one case was the event related to the antireflux procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic fundoplication can be performed safely and with acceptable results in neurologically impaired children. The indication to add a gastrostomy should be tailored to the needs of the individual patient. Mortality rate in neurologically impaired children patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease is high but in most cases unrelated to the antireflux procedure.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

One-trocar laparoscopy: a valid procedure to treat abdominal complications in children with peritoneal shunt for hydrocephalus.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to show the efficacy of laparoscopy using only one umbilical trocar to treat abdominal complications of hydrocephalic children with ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a 15-year period, 14 laparoscopies were performed on as many children with VPS complications: in the last 4 patients only one trocar was used to solve the complications, and this subgroup will be the object of the present study. Concerning the indication for surgery, the patients presented one catheter lost in the abdominal cavity; one cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts; one bowel obstruction; and one malfunctioning peritoneal limbs of the catheter. We used the one-trocar laparoscopic approach in all the 4 patients, and the 10-mm trocar was always introduced through the umbilical orifice in open laparoscopy. RESULTS: The laparoscopic technique was curative in all four cases and permitted the solution of the complication. CONCLUSIONS: One-trocar laparoscopic surgery can be considered as the ideal procedure in case of abdominal complications of VPS in children with hydrocephalus.

Abdominal Cavity↗
PubMed2003

Are extended biopsies really necessary to improve prostate cancer detection?

The aim of this study is to understand the value of specific sites in extended peripheral and transition zone biopsy schemes in order to define the optimal systematic biopsy regimen correlated with the percentage of positivity of each single bioptic site. A total of 165 consecutive patients underwent transrectal ultrasonography examination to detect prostate cancer followed by a lesion-directed and systematic 14-step biopsy scheme. The detection rate was examined for the lesion-directed and for each zone region biopsy. The frequency of positive biopsies in the various prostate regions was determined to evaluate the diagnostic yield of each biopsy site. Analysis was stratified for prostate-specific antigen (PSA), free-to-total PSA ratio, age, prostate size and digital rectal examination. The biopsy protocol detected 40% of patients (66/165) as positive and 55.1% (91/165) as negative for cancer. Standard sextant biopsy was expected to detect only 51 cancer on 66, lateral peripheral (PZ), transition (TZ) and central zone (CZ) biopsies only 56 cancer on 66, while the combination of sextant, PZ, TZ and CZ biopsies, for a total of 14 zone biopsies, detected 64 on 66 patients with cancer (97%) at recruitment. Sampling only the eight prostate regions with higher frequency of positive cancer biopsy was expected to detect 61 cancer patients against the 64 found with the 14-step scheme. This eight-biopsy regimen outperforms the conventional sextant regimen in cancer detection rate (93 vs 77%) and has an overall detection rate lower by only 3.1% (36.9 vs 40%) compared to the 14-biopsy regimen. This difference in detection rate is even smaller in patients with PSA values <10 ng/ml, age <70 y and prostate size <50 ml. This eight-biopsy scheme, including sampling in PZ and TZ toward the base, should be considered in an initial biopsy scheme to maintain a similar detection rate of an extensive biopsy scheme reducing the number of biopsies.

Biopsy↗
PubMed2002

Italian multicenter survey on laparoscopic treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux disease in children.

BACKGROUND: Skepticism is still present today about the laparoscopic treatment of gastro-esophageal reflux (GER) in children. We present the prospective experience and short-term results of eight Italian pediatric surgical units. METHODS: We included all the children with complicated GER, operated after January 1998 by single surgeons from eight different centers. Diagnostic aspects, type of fundoplication, and complications were considered. All the patients were followed for a minimum period of 6 months in order to detect complications or recurrences. RESULTS: 288 children were prospectively included. Mean age was 4.8 years (3 m-14 y). Nissen fundoplication was done in 25%, floppy Nissen in 63%, Toupet in 1.7%, and anterior procedures (Lortat Jacob, Thal) in 10%. Gastrostomy was associated, if neurological impairment or feeding disorders were present. Mean follow-up was 15 months and reoperation was necessary in 3.8% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: This experience underlines that minimal invasive access surgery in children is safe and that the laparoscopic approach is considered in eight centers the golden standard for surgical repair of gastro-esophageal reflux disease maintaining the same indications and techniques of the open approach.

Adolescent↗