“Early Elective” rather than “Emergency” Laparoscopic Transcystic Exploration can prevent bile duct exploration/ERCP in half of patients

Sclerosing Angiomatoid Nodular Transformation of the Spleen (SANT) with IgG4 Plasma Cells Infiltration

Correction to: The Association of Body Mass Index with Postoperative Outcomes After Elective Paraesophageal Hernia Repair In this paper, the first author’s name was incorrectly tagged.

Pure Laparoscopic Living Donor Right Hepatectomy Using Real-Time Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging Abstract Introduction In recent decades, the quantitative and technological development of laparoscopic liver resection has resulted in an extension into the transplantation area.1,2 However, laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy is still in its infancy due to technical difficulties and extreme caution regarding donor safety.3 Several experienced major centers have demonstrated the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy, and recent advances in laparoscopic imaging technology support this move.4 In particular, indocyanine green near-infrared fluorescence imaging helps determine the correct liver parenchyma anatomical resection and the exact point of bile duct division.4–6 This video demonstrates the technique of pure laparoscopic living donor right hepatectomy and the usefulness of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging. Methods The donor was a 32-year-old gentleman who decided to donate part of his liver to his wife who was suffering from viral liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. His BMI was 20.3 kg/m2 and the preoperatively estimated donor’s right liver volume was 836 ml, representing 63.6% of his entire liver. With the recipient’s weight of 57 kg, the graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) was 1.6%. The liver had classic hilar anatomy except that the right posterior intrahepatic duct was joined separately to the left main hepatic duct. The patient setting and the placement of the trocars were the same as for our conventional laparoscopic right hepatectomy technique.7 After right hepatic artery and portal vein isolation and clamping, 2.5 mg of indocyanine green was injected intravenously. Results Total operation time was 370 min and estimated blood loss was 150 ml without transfusion. Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging clearly demonstrated the anatomical demarcation between the lobes and visualized the running of the biliary tree. His postoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged on postoperative day 7. Conclusion Real-time indocyanine green fluorescence imaging may be particularly helpful for delineating the anatomical surgical plane and determining the appropriate division point of the hepatic duct during laparoscopic living donor hepatectomy.

Use of Transthoracic Transdiaphragmatic Approach Assisted with Radiofrequency Ablation for Thoracoscopic Hepatectomy of Hepatic Tumor Located in Segment VIII Abstract Background Resection of segment VIII remains challenging despite the widespread laparoscopic hepatectomies in past decades,1,2 especially for patients with cirrhosis. In this case, we combined radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with transthoracic approach, which was a novel approach for laparoscopic-guided hepatectomy of segment VIII in a cirrhotic patient. Patient A 42-year-old male patient with a body mass index of 22.0 kg/m2 suffered from HBV-related cirrhosis was admitted to our institution. The preoperative MRI showed a 1.3 cm liver mass located in segment VIII. The preoperative AFP is 192 ng/ml. The patient was considered to have hepatectomy using transthoracic transdiaphragmatic approach with the assist of RFA. Technique The patient was placed in a left lateral position with artificial pneumothorax in the right lung and left side ventilation. Three trocars were placed into the right thoracic space. Transdiaphragmatic intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) was performed to confirm the size and location of the lesion. In order to decrease the blood loss during parenchymal dissection and to reach tumor-free margins, the RFA was performed around the tumor before hepatectomy. After that the resection was carried out along the ablative margin. After the specimen was removed, the diaphragm was sutured and a closed thoracic drainage tube was placed. The operative time was 210 min with an estimated blood loss of 50 mL. The postoperative course was uneventful. Antibiotics was used in the first 24 h post-operation to prevent thoracic infection. Drainage tube was pulled out on the fourth day post-operation when we observed the daily fluid volume was less than 100 ml for 2 days and X-ray showed no gases and effusion in chest cavity. The pathology confirmed the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and the surgical margin was negative. The patient was discharged on the 8th day after surgery. Discussion Lesions in the postero-superior segments still be challenging as we know.3 Previous studies showed that the procedure’s results, such as the blood loss and operative time, were similar between thoracoscopic hepatectomy and laparoscopic hepatectomy, even the former was better.2,4 Thus, for the superficial lesions in the postero-superior segments, and not more than 3 cm in diameter, thoracoscopic hepatectomy is recommended. Furthermore, a patient with a hostile abdomen who has a lesion in S7 or S8, transthoracic approach may be particularly helpful. However, functional lung is required due to the unilateral ventilation. Besides, anatomic resections are difficult to perform from the top.5 In this case, we used RFA before liver resection, and the tumor cells were destroyed to ensure the negative margin of the cut, and the bleeding blood vessels were also closed. This method can make a significant reduction of blood loss in the patients with cirrhosis compared with conventional hepatectomy (whether through thoracoscopic6 or laparoscopic7 approach). Conclusion The novel approach for transthoracic hepatectomy was safe and feasible for lesions of segment VIII in selected patients with cirrhosis,8 which was associated with reduced blood loss and a safe surgical margin.

Ochsner’s Sphincter Dyskinesia Is the Cause of Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome

Granular Cell Tumor of the Bile Duct

Biliary Disease in Immunocompromised Patients: a Single-Center Retrospective Analysis Abstract Background Acute cholecystitis is a life-threatening disease process in immunocompromised patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence, clinical course, and management of calculous and acalculous acute cholecystitis in immunocompromised patients. Methods A single center’s database was queried for all patients with a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis from January 1, 2003 to September 30, 2016 with concomitant diagnosis of neutropenia, leukopenia, leukemia, or lymphoma. These cases subsequently underwent chart review. Data on demographics, diagnostic studies, and management were collected and analyzed. Results There were 4525 patients diagnosed with acute cholecystitis during the study window. One hundred twenty patients were identified to be immunocompromised at time of diagnosis. Seventy-nine patients (65.8%) had acute calculous cholecystitis while 41 patients (34.2%) had acalculous cholecystitis. There were no significant demographic differences between calculous and acalculous groups. There was similar use of percutaneous cholecystostomy tube (7.6%, 9.8%, p = 0.69), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (70.9%, 61.0%, p = 0.27), and open cholecystectomy (10.3%, 2.4%, p = 0.13) in both calculous and acalculous groups. Discussion While immunosuppression is commonly thought to be associated with acalculous cholecystitis, our data suggest the majority of acute cholecystitis in immunocompromised patients are calculous. Most patients in our studies were managed successfully with laparoscopic cholecystectomy with acceptably low complication rates. Conclusion Calculous cholecystitis is more common than acalculous cholecystitis in immunocompromised patients. Both are often managed successfully with laparoscopic cholecystectomy with very low rates of conversion to open cholecystectomy.

Letter to the Editor: Intrapancreatic Accessory Spleen Masquerading as a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor

Long-Term Endocrine and Exocrine Insufficiency After Pancreatectomy Abstract Purpose To identify peri-operative risk factors and time to onset of pancreatic endocrine/exocrine insufficiency. Methods We retrospectively analyzed a single institutional series of patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or distal pancreatectomy (DP) between 2000 and 2015. Endocrine/exocrine insufficiencies were defined as need for new pharmacologic intervention. Cox proportional modeling was used to identify peri-operative variables to determine their impact on post-operative pancreatic insufficiency. Results A total of 1717 patient records were analyzed (75.47% PD, 24.53% DP) at median follow-up 17.88 months. Average age was 62.62 years, 51.78% were male, and surgery was for malignancy in 74.35% of patients. Post-operative endocrine insufficiency was present in 20.15% (n = 346). Male gender (p = 0.015), increased body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001), tobacco use (p = 0.011), family history of diabetes (DM) (p < 0.001), personal history of DM (p ≤ 0.001), and DP (p ≤ 0.001) were correlated with increased risk. Mean time to onset was 20.80 ± 33.60 (IQR: 0.49–28.37) months. Post-operative exocrine insufficiency was present in 36.23% (n = 622). Race (p = 0.014), lower BMI (p < 0.001), family history of DM (p = 0.007), steatorrhea (p < 0.001), elevated pre-operative bilirubin (p = 0.019), and PD (p ≤ 0.001) were correlated with increased risk. Mean time to onset was 14.20 ± 26.90 (IQR: 0.89–12.69) months. Conclusions In this large series of pancreatectomy patients, 20.15% and 36.23% of patients developed post-operative endocrine and exocrine insufficiency at a mean time to onset of 20.80 and 14.20 months, respectively. Patients should be educated regarding post-resection insufficiencies and providers should have heightened awareness long-term.