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Natural Orifice Endoscopic Transgastric Distal Pancreatectomy, A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial. Natural orifice surgery may represent a paradigm shift in the area of minimally invasive surgery and therapeutic endoscopy. However, studies to date have been limited primarily to small ca...se series with small sample sizes. There has been no large rigorous randomized controlled trial of natural orifice surgery to date. Early work on procedures such as peritoneoscopy, oophorectomy and tubal ligation, while pioneering, have reproduced laparoscopic procedures with minimal morbidity and mortality. In contrast, distal pancreatectomy has a post-operative morbidity of more than 50% even in high volume tertiary care centers. As a highly morbid surgery, the post-operative event rate would allow for a significant difference to be seen in a trial of conventional versus NOTES distal pancreatectomy. We have recently completed a prospective randomized controlled trial of NOTES versus laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy in a swine model which builds on our earlier non-survival work. This video focuses on the endoscopic technique.
Surgical technique: A 3cm skin incision under spinal or general anesthesia, depending on the patients’ preference, starts half way the line between the superior anterior iliac spine towards the midline in a 30° angle to the pubic tubercle. Scarpa’s fascia is opened as well as the external obliq...ue aponeurosis. By using this skin line incision the internal ring will be immediately visualized. Although it is important to look for both direct and indirect hernias evaluating the groin, we do not taper the cord and directly evaluate the ring for indirect hernias. In case of an indirect hernia the sac is reduced or resected according to the preference of the surgeon and the preperitoneal space is entered bluntly through the dilated internal ring. In case of a direct hernia the approach slightly differs. One could prefer to open the transversalis fascia through the internal ring over a few centimeters or you can open the fascia more medially, at the site of the direct hernia. As primary point of concern the epigastric vessels should be identified and retracted softly upwards. Then a gauze can be introduced into the preperitoneal space and by doing so most of the space needed medially will be created. Then one can already palpate Cooper’s ligament and the pubic bone. Laterally to the internal ring more digital dissection is needed to create just the appropriate space for the mesh. By placing the mesh it is important not to introduce the mesh too medially. Laterally of the internal ring an adequate overlap of the mesh is necessary, especially in indirect hernias. No splitting of the mesh seems necessary. The patient will be asked to strain and push on the ring to control its place and to check adequate spreading of the mesh to cover the whole myopectineum of Fruchaud. One single stitch of vicryl 3/0 is placed taking both the fascia transversalis and the mesh.
After the diagnosis of primary melanoma of pectoral region had been established, the patient was referred to lymphoscintigraphy with gamma camera (techencium; nanno colloid). Two hours after the administration of the contrast medium, the operation commenced. During the operation the primary tumor wa...s excised, and the sentinel node was detected with the use of gamma probe and also excised.
A 49-year old female patient complainig of cough. X-ray and chest CTscan showed a 2.5cm nodule in the left upper lobe. Transthoracic biopsy was consistent with adenocarcinoma. PET-Scan and CT Scan showed no mediastinal disease. The procedure was performed through three incisions.
Laparoscopy in acute bowel obstruction following previous surgery is a difficult procedure and avoided by most of the surgeons due to the difficulty in obtaining pneumoperitoneum, port placement, lack of working space, adhesions and risk of bowel injury.
Here is a patient who had a previous laparotomy for trauma with a midline incision from xyphysternum to pubis; after unsuccessful conservative management he underwent a laparoscopy; a prior CT scan showed adhesions in the left side and a distal-mid small bowel obstruction. The pneumoperitoneum was obtained with the Visiport placed in the right lower quadrant; although the abdomen was grossly distended, under significant tension and distended loops of small bowel were occupying most the peritoneal cavity, with muscle relaxation there is usually enough space to perform a thorough inspection of the abdominal cavity. Port placement has to be done with special care as there is no room to push and usually a blunt trocar directed away from the bowel is employed in my practice. The collapsed loops of small bowel point quickly to the site of obstruction -- it is better to avoid manipulating the distended bowel as it is heavy, oedematous and prone to be lacerated with the instruments; once the pathology is identified, in this case the obstructive band, light packing is performed in order to expose the working space and protect the bowel from instruments like scissors or diathermy. In this case the band adhesion was slightly more difficult to separate from the bowel and required a combination of sharp and gentle blunt dissection.
Once the obstruction is release and the transit of contents is confirmed in the collapsed bowel the procedure is terminated. No abdominal drainage is usually necessary.