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Prophylactic closure of mucosal defects lowers adverse event risks

Prophylactic closure of mucosal defects significantly reduces delayed bleeding and perforation risks following endoscopic resection, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 28 studies involving 11,383 patients. The closure group exhibited a 60% lower risk for delayed bleeding compared to non-closure (risk ratio: 0.40), although no significant reduction in postpolypectomy coagulation syndrome (PPCS) was observed. These findings underscore the potential benefits of closure in improving patient outcomes in gastrointestinal procedures.

Meta-Analysis by Yi S, Cai Q (…) Yang D et 7 al. in BMJ Open

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

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Powered staplers improve surgical outcomes and reduce costs

A systematic review involving 43,104 patients demonstrates that powered staplers significantly reduce anastomotic leaks in gastrointestinal surgeries and postoperative air leakage in thoracic surgeries. The use of powered staplers also led to fewer hemostasis-related complications and decreased overall hospitalization costs, showing a mean savings of $1,725.82. While powered staplers are more expensive upfront than manual ones, their potential to lower complication rates positions them as the more efficient choice for future surgical procedures.

Comparative Study by Ho SYA, Muthiah VK and Tay KV in Langenbecks Arch Surg

© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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Postoperative survival in cholangiocarcinoma has significantly improved.

Surgical strategies implemented after the launch of the cholangiocarcinoma screening and care program led to a significant increase in postoperative survival rates. Median survival time more than doubled from 14 months (2002-2013) to 40 months (2014-2021). Enhanced early-stage detection rose to 29.1%, with surgical margins improving notably (40% vs. 53.7%). These findings underscore the effectiveness of targeted screening in enhancing patient outcomes in the cholangiocarcinoma epidemic region.

Journal Article by Thanasukarn V, Srisuk T (…) Titapun A et 19 al. in World J Surg Oncol

© 2024. The Author(s).

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Discontinuing Surveillance for Stable IPMNs Can Save Costs

In a study analyzing intraductal pancreatic mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), findings suggest that patients with stable IPMNs have a comparable risk of pancreatic cancer to the general population. Of 746 patients studied, only 3 (0.4%) developed pancreatic cancer after a median surveillance period of 48 months. The researchers advocate for possibly discontinuing surveillance after 5 years to save the NHS over £106,000 annually, emphasizing the need for clearer guidelines on monitoring.

Journal Article by McGuigan MC, Hadjicosti R (…) Jamieson NB et 6 al. in Ann Surg

Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.

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Reinforced tension-line suture reduces incisional hernia rates.

The addition of a reinforced tension-line (rtl) suture during fascial closure significantly decreased the incidence of incisional hernia after elective colorectal cancer surgery. In a trial involving 134 participants, 6% of patients in the rtl group developed hernias compared to 21% in the standard suture group, marking a substantial reduction (p = 0.014). No unintended side effects were reported in either group, highlighting the safety of this surgical modification.

Multicenter Study by Wenzelberg CL, Rogmark P, Ekberg O and Petersson U in Br J Surg

© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of BJS Foundation Ltd.

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New tool predicts liver metastasis risks in neuroendocrine tumors

A novel Liver Metastasis Score (LMS) effectively predicts liver metastasis risk for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) post-surgery. Among 724 patients studied, 9.1% developed liver metastasis, significantly impacting survival rates (63.6% vs. 95.8% for no metastasis). Key risk factors identified include Ki-67 index, vascular invasion, lymph node metastases, and absence of adjuvant therapy. The LMS, validated with strong discrimination, segments patients into low, intermediate, and high-risk categories to guide targeted management.

Journal Article by Zheng QX, Xu JH (…) Yang T et 14 al. in Ann Surg Oncol

© 2024. Society of Surgical Oncology.

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Splenomegaly identified as key risk factor for liver failure

Among 107 patients with initially unresectable colorectal liver metastases undergoing conversion surgery, posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) occurred in 14% of cases. Multivariate analysis indicated that preoperative splenomegaly (greater than 135%) was an independent risk factor for PHLF, with an odds ratio of 14.30. Other contributing factors included lower platelet counts, increased blood loss, and extensive liver resections. These insights are crucial for optimizing surgical planning and reducing the risks associated with complex hepatectomies.

Journal Article by Hayashi K, Ono Y (…) Takahashi Y et 5 al. in J Gastrointest Cancer

© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

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Most patients achieve critical view of safety in surgery

In a review of 309 laparoscopic cholecystectomies, researchers found that an adequate critical view of safety (CVS) was achieved in 79.9% of cases, significantly reducing surgical complications. Notably, factors such as acute cholecystitis, male sex, and previous surgeries correlated with challenges in attaining CVS. Despite these factors, no surgical complications were reported in the successful CVS group, underscoring its effectiveness as a preventive strategy against iatrogenic lesions in gallbladder surgeries.

Journal Article by Blitzkow ACB, Freitas ACT (…) Matias JEF et 4 al. in Arq Bras Cir Dig

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Multiple methodologies exist for eliciting patient preferences in surgery

A scoping review involving 394 studies highlighted diverse methodologies to elicit patient preferences for invasive procedures, encompassing 76,921 patients across surgical specialties. Predominantly, quantitative methods accounted for 81.2% of studies, with simple choice selection being the most utilized. In addition, qualitative methods, particularly one-on-one interviews, emerged as significant for understanding patient views. The findings stress that aligning the choice of elicitation method with research objectives is crucial for capturing relevant patient preferences.

Systematic Review by Muaddi H, Lovrics O (…) Karanicolas PJ et 4 al. in Langenbecks Arch Surg

© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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Laparoscopic resection proves effective for non-elite colorectal cancer cases

Laparoscopic resection demonstrates significant efficacy and safety for non-elite colorectal cancer patients. A comparison of 450 stage II/III patients revealed that those undergoing laparoscopic procedures experienced longer operative times, lower postoperative complications, faster bowel recovery, and shorter hospital stays than their open surgery counterparts. Additionally, after employing propensity score matching, the laparoscopic group displayed considerably reduced complication rates. Overall, 5-year survival rates remained comparable across all groups, indicating a promising approach for non-elite cases.

Journal Article by Aoki R, Maruyama S, Takii Y and Nogami H in Surg Today

© 2024. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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