Skin staple removal by artery forceps: a hazardous practice?
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OBJECTIVE: Applicability of harmonic scalpel in lung surgery was investigated using an animal model. METHODS: Air tightness, control of bleeding and features of tissue regeneration were compared in a 4-week time frame of investigation in animals in which either surgical stapler or harmonic scalpel were used for pulmonary resection. RESULTS: No significant differences between the two methods were found on a clinical and histopathological basis. CONCLUSIONS: Complete lack of granuloma formation at the resection line and in its vicinity consequently restitutio ad integrum demonstrate the advantage of the harmonic scalpel over the stapler in the circumstances investigated. Overall the vibration transmission method was shown not to be inferior to the standard methods in peripheral lung tissue resection.
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OBJECTIVES: To describe a new, simple surgical technique for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and to evaluate its feasibility. METHODS: We have developed a novel surgical treatment of SUI, the transobturator inside-out tension-free urethral suspension, which uses specifically designed surgical tools, and in which a synthetic tape is passed from underneath the urethra, through the obturator foramens, towards the thigh folds, without entering the pelvic region at any time during the procedure. The tape is positioned without tension under the junction between mid and distal urethra. RESULTS: The procedure was carried out in 107 consecutive patients (mean age: 62 years) using the same operative protocol in all case subjects, independently of the patient's size and weight. Mean operative time was 14 min (range: 7-20) in case of isolated SUI treatment. No bladder or urethral injuries and no vascular (hematoma or bleeding) or neurological complications were encountered. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that our novel transobturator inside-out surgical technique for treating SUI is feasible, accurate, and quick. This technique avoids damage to the urethra and bladder and, therefore, makes cystoscopy not necessary. Further prospective studies are currently ongoing to determine the efficacy of our new surgical approach for treating SUI.
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OBJECTIVE: Adequate haemostasis is essential for advanced laparoscopic procedures since uncontrolled bleeding may cause significant complications and even required converting to laparotomy to obtain sufficient haemostasis. The aim of this review is to give insight into the most important tools and strategies to achieve sufficient haemostasis during advanced urologic laparoscopy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lowering the risk of haemorrhage may be achieved primarily by proper case selection, resulting in adequate laparoscopic preparation and dissection technique or the use of local compression by sponge stick to control local bleeding. For early bleeding control, laparoscopic clip appliers, staplers and suturing techniques may be utilised. Various energy sources such as monopolar and bipolar electrocautery, argon beam coagulators, laser or ultrasonic dissectors and topical sealing agents can be used to augment natural haemostasis. CONCLUSIONS: A wide armamentarium for achieving haemostasis during laparoscopy is available. Consequently, laparoscopic surgeons must have detailed knowledge of the physical concepts of each surgical instrument or energy source and of proper use of tissue sealants for obtaining sufficient haemostasis. This knowledge will improve postoperative outcome, increase patient safety and guide laparoscopic techniques to further perspectives.
A prophylactic abdominal drainage catheter is routinely inserted by many surgeons in patients after hepatic resection. Between January 2002 and September 2004, 462 consecutive patients who had undergone hepatic resection using a clamp crushing method by the same surgical team were retrospectively divided into the drainage group (n = 357) and the nondrainage group (n = 105). There was no difference in hospital mortality between the two groups of patients (drainage group, 0.6% vs. nondrainage group, 0%; P = 1.0). However, there was a greater incidence of surgical complications in the drainage group (31.4% vs. 8.6%, P < 0.001), and greater incidence of wound complications and subphrenic complications in the drainage group compared to the nondrainage group (24.4% vs. 4.8%, P < 0.001). In addition, the mean (+/- SEM) postoperative hospital stay of the drainage group was 13 +/- 6.5 days, which was significantly longer than that of the nondrainage group (9.7 +/- 3.3 days, P = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, abdominal drainage and intraoperative bleeding were the independent risk factors that were significantly associated with the incidence of drainage-related complications. The results suggested that routine abdominal drainage is unnecessary after hepatic resection when the conventional clamp crushing method is used during parenchyma transection.
Open reduction and rigid fixation are commonly used to treat displaced fractures of the facial skeleton. Manual reduction can be performed by means of forceps or transosseus wires to close the bone fragments. In order to reduce facial fractures, we used a technique, called Elastic Internal Traction (EIT), based on the elastic action of rubber bands stretched between screws placed on both sides of the fracture line. We have used EIT in 104 patients suffering from mandibular fractures, and 40 cases of patients with orbito-maxillary complex fractures out of the 707 patients treated for trauma between July 2000 and August 2002 at our hospital. In our opinion, this technique provides an effective reduction and a stable primary fixation of the bone before the final fixation. It also has the advantage that the surgical field is clear of the assistant's hands and surgical instruments that are usually used to lock the reduction. The resulting operative time is shortened, and the plating of the bone is simplified.
The introduced new developed navigation system is a High Intensity Approach Light System for augmented reality in image-guided surgery. The surgeon follows the projected approach lights with his ordinary surgical instruments. Thus, tracked instruments are not necessary with this system.
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PURPOSE: To evaluate prospectively the safety and effectiveness of a mini-open blind technique for carpal tunnel release (group A) when compared with a limited open technique (group B). METHODS: From November 1999 to May 2001 (mean follow-up period, 30 mo) we performed 222 carpal tunnel release procedures on 185 consecutive patients. All patients were affected by mild to moderate median nerve compression. Patients in group A (82 patients, 99 procedures) had a short transverse incision at the wrist (length, 2 cm). We used a manual surgical instrument that helps in blindly dividing the flexor retinaculum because it has an integrated light source. The light makes it possible to locate precisely the tool blade by transillumination. Patients in group B (103 patients, 123 procedures) had a limited longitudinal incision (length, 3-4 cm). The preoperative and postoperative patient statuses were evaluated with an Italian modified version of the Boston Carpal Tunnel questionnaire with a mean of 30 months' follow-up after surgery (range, 24-39 mo). RESULTS: Group A patients showed better results than group B patients in all of the sections of the Italian modified version of the Boston Carpal Tunnel questionnaire at a mean follow-up period of 19 months, whereas after a mean of 30 months of follow-up evaluation the differences between groups A and B tended to decrease. Disease recurred in 7 group B patients, whereas only 1 patient in group A experienced symptom recurrence at the latest office evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The blind mini-invasive technique has been shown to be as safe as traditional techniques but the recovery period is significantly shortened. With the technique we described a low recurrence rate was observed. All patients in group A reported great reduction in preoperative pain and numbness.
Like other countries, the physicians accusation that might be right or wrong, have increased nowadays in Turkey. Even all precautions are taken in the operation theatre, there are still some cases in which foreign bodies are retained in the abdominal cavity. It is not likely for the cases of retained foreign bodies in the abdominal cavity to be considered as an acceptable complication. Therefore, the surgeon must keep in mind that in such situations they are going to be judged as faulty both in the civil courts and in the courts of first instance. In this study incidences, causes and legal outcomes of the foreign bodies that are left behind in the abdominal cavity in Turkey are discussed.
Scaphoid fractures are sometimes difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to fix. Recent progress such as miniaturization of osteosynthesis material, adoption of the percutaneous route, and widening of the indications to include undisplaced fractures has still not abolished complications. In this context, computer assisted surgery (CAS) may be useful and deserves further study. To apply it to the scaphoid, it is initially necessary to immobilize the "wrist hand fingers" unit in a device adapted to make it a rigid unit. It is then necessary to choose the correct configuration of CAS system. The pedicular fluoroscopic navigation system, which is apparently similar to scaphoid screw insertion, was chosen for this study. The goal of this study is to define the osteosynthesis bases of the scaphoid with CAS. A fresh anatomical subject divided at the elbow joint was prepared at the DETERCA laboratory of the university Bordeaux 2. The solid "wrist hand fingers" unit was immobilized in extension and ulnar deviation of the wrist by a malleable, stable and radio transparent device. The first stage consisted of a calibration of the surgical instruments and the "wrist hand fingers" unit, with a three-dimensional optical localization system. The guide wire was simulated by a gauged stylet. When the axis and the length of the screw had been determined virtually, insertion of the guide wire was carried out under guidance of the virtual images of the computer's screen, without the assistance of the fluoroscopy. Finally the canulated screw was inserted over the guide wire. Insertion was stopped when the screw reached the intra osseous virtually predetermined length. A check using conventional fluoroscopy made it possible to ensure the correct positioning of the screw. Our results show that it is possible to insert a screw into a scaphoid without conventional fluoroscopy, by using the fluoroscopic navigation system. The procedure was performed without difficulty, apart from the need for calibration of the navigation tools one by one. The solid immobilization device, although having the potential for micromovement, did not lead to any misdirection of the guide wire or screw. Our technique cannot be employed at the moment in live human surgery. Its limits are of a geometrical nature "two images available in two planes", data processing "non-specific software dedicated", instrumental "instrument calibration, micromobility of the immobilisation device" and live surgery "no current validation on a fractured scaphoid". Meantime, the development of a percutaneous scaphoid osteosynthesis procedure by CAS can only bring advantages: reduction in the learning curve, widening of the indications, comfort in the technique, reduction in the errors of ostesynthesis and, reduction in the exposure to x-rays. In the current state of knowledge, the method would only be applicable to undisplaced fractures.
A method is presented for the rigid registration of tracked B-mode ultrasound images to a CT volume of a femur and pelvis. This registration can allow tracked surgical instruments to be aligned with the CT image or an associated preoperative plan. Our method is fully automatic and requires no manual segmentation of either the ultrasound images or the CT volume. The parameter which is directly related to the speed of sound through tissue has also been included in the registration optimisation process. Experiments have been carried out on six cadaveric femurs and three cadaveric pelves. Registration results were compared with a "gold standard" registration acquired using bone implanted fiducial markers. Results show the registration method to be accurate, on average, to 1.6 mm root-mean-square target registration error.
iMRI is a reliable and safe tool to monitor the extent of resection and to avoid complications in the transsphenoidal surgical approach for pituitary tumors. The best indication for its application in transsphenoidal surgery is for patients with pituitary macroadenomas with suprasellar extension. The low-field 0.3-T magnet has a diagnostic imaging quality that provides surgeons with good intraoperative detail of the anatomic relations in the sellar region. In our experience, iMRI provided a distinct benefit in planned STR for invasive macroadenomas that compress the optic chiasm and in planned GTR for noninvasive tumors. The iMRI design adopted at our center includes important features, such as the use of ferromagnetic surgical instruments, elimination of patient transportation, and capability as a shared resource, that allow multipurpose diagnostic use and increased cost-effectiveness.
OBJECTIVE: To compare postoperative tonsillectomy pain between 3 commonly used surgical devices: the Harmonic Ultrasonic Scalpel (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH), the Coblator (ArthroCare Corp, Sunnyvale, CA), and electrocautery. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective, randomized trial. One hundred thirty-four patients were randomly assigned to receive a tonsillectomy with 1 of 3 surgical devices. All patients were asked to fill out a postoperative diary. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in pain scores were revealed between the Coblator and electrocautery (P = 0.02) and between the Coblator and the Ultrasonic Scalpel (P = 0.003), with the Coblator having lower pain scores. Electrocautery and the Ultrasonic Scalpel did not differ significantly from each other. The Coblation method showed a strong trend toward quicker return to normal diet. CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing tonsillectomy with the Coblator device reported less pain over a 10-day period than patients undergoing tonsillectomy with electrocautery or the Ultrasonic Scalpel. Pain after tonsillectomy remains a major issue for our patients. The choice of surgical instrument appears to be one way to reduce this pain. EBM RATING: A-1b.
Surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most effective means of curing this arrhythmia, with the classic Maze procedure eliminating AF in more than 90% of patients. A complex but safe operation, the Maze procedure has been applied by relatively few surgeons. However, recent advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of AF and development of new ablation technologies enable surgeons to perform pulmonary vein ablation, create linear left atrial lesions, and remove the left atrial appendage rapidly and safely. Lesions are created under direct vision, minimizing the risk of damage to the pulmonary veins and adjacent mediastinal structures. Most surgical ablation procedures have been performed in conjunction with mitral valve surgery, the combination of mitral valve repair and cure of AF enabling patients to avoid lifelong anticoagulation. Recently developed surgical instrumentation now enables thoracoscopic and keyhole approaches, facilitating extension of epicardial AF ablation and excision of the left atrial appendage to patients with isolated AF and no other indication for cardiac surgery.