Surg. Tech. Dev., Volume 1, Issue 1 (April 2011) – 19 articles

Ankylosis is defined as loss of joint movement resulting from fusion of bones within the joint or calcification of the ligaments around it. Satisfactory surgical correction of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis is limited by a high recurrence rate. This study aims to show that interposition arthroplasty with temporalis muscle flap improves mouth opening in 6 patients with TMJ ankylosis. Six patients with TMJ ankylosis were treated by interposition arthroplasty. The patients were evaluated between ten and 18 months after surgery. Preand postoperative assessment included a thorough analysis of case history and a physical examination to determine the cause of ankylosis, the maximal incisal opening and type of the ankylosis, recurrence rate and presence of facial nerve paralysis. All 6 patients had unilateral involvement. The mean age was 12.5 years ±6.5 (range 6–19 years). The mouth incisal opening in the preoperative period ranged from 5 mm to 11 mm and in the postoperative period it ranged from 30 mm to 35 mm. No recurrence and no facial palsy were observed in our series. No recurrence was noted, and in all the cases there was type IV ankylosis. Trauma was the major cause of temporomandibular joint ankylosis in our sample. Interpositional arthroplasty is a highly effective and safe surgical management option for TMJ ankylosis with acceptable immediate and long-term outcome, particularly when temporalis fascia and muscle are used. Full article

Virtual reality simulators have shown to be valid and useful tools for training psychomotor skills for endoscopic surgery. Discussion arises how to integrate these simulators into the surgical training curriculum. Distributed training is referred to as short training periods, with rest periods in between. Massed training is training in continuous and longer training blocks. This study investigates the difference between distributed and massed training on the initial development and retention of psychomotor skills on a virtual reality simulator. Four groups of eight medical students lacking any experience in endoscopic training were created. Two groups trained in a distributed fashion, one group trained in a massed fashion and the last group not at all (control group). All performed a post-test immediately after finishing their training schedule. Two months after this test a second post- test was performed. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Post-Hoc test Tukey-Bonferoni was used to determine differences in mean scores between the four groups, whereas a p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Distributed training resulted in higher scores and a better retention of relevant psychomotor skills. Distributed as well as massed training resulted in better scores and retention of skills than no training at all. Our study clearly shows that distributed training yields better results in psychomotor endoscopic skills. Therefore, in order to train as efficient as possible, training programs should be (re)-programmed accordingly. Full article

Nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are histologically benign but locally aggressive vascular tumors that can result in major morbidity and mortality. They exclusively affect adolescent male and are rare in patients older than 25 years. The management of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is primarily surgical. Most small and medium sized tumors are resected endoscopically with a microdebrider. Our presentation demonstrates the role of radio-frequency coblation in the endoscopic management of angiofibroma that is confined to the nasal cavity, nasopharynx and paranasal sinuses. Through a brief video presentation, viewers will be able to appreciate the role of this instrument. We reviewed the case of an adult male patient who presented to our institute with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. He underwent pre-operative embolization followed by endoscopic coblation of the tumor. A video demonstration is presented of a patient with nasopharyngeal angiofibroma who underwent successful transnasal endoscopic coblation. The coblator was used to resect the tumour attachment at the posterior end of the middle turbinate and the nasopharynx. The tumor was resected en-bloc and pushed into the oropharynx and eventually removed trans-orally. The natural ostium of the sphenoid sinus was enlarged and the residual tumor was removed. Absorbable nasal packing was inserted for haemostasis. Intra-operative bleeding was negligible. Radio-frequency coblation has a definite role in the endoscopic resection of small and medium sized nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. This technique is easy to learn and is extremely efficient. Tumors can be removed with minimal or no damage to surrounding tissues and intra-operative bleeding is negligible. Full article

We present a 4-year-old girl who underwent a single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) heminephrouretectomy. The procedure was completed without intra-operative complications or conversion. The operative time was 162 min. At 3 month follow up there is no evident scar and the patient is asymptomatic. SILS upper moiety heminephrouretectomy for duplex kidney is safe and technically feasible in children. Full article

Ankaferd Blood Stopper® (ABS) offered as a hemostatic agent is a standardized herbal extract obtained from five different plants. The effects of ABS on colonic anastomosis are unknown. This study was designed to assess potential effects on the anastomosis of left colon in an experimental animal model. Thirtytwo male Wistar albino rats were randomized into two groups and subjected to colon anastomosis. The study group subjected to colon anastomosis with topical application of ABS to control of mucosal bleeding at the cut ends of the colon, and the control group subjected to colon anastomosis only. The rats were killed 3 and 7 days postoperatively. Four types of assessment were performed: bursting pressure, bursting wall tension, histopathology, and biochemical analysis. Compared to the control group, ABS used rats displayed a higher bursting pressure (p < 0.05) and anastomotic hydroxyproline content (p < 0.05). The use of ABS leads to a significant decrease in malondealdehyde levels (p < 0.05) and increase in paraoxonase activity (p < 0.05) at both time points. Histopathological analysis revealed that the use of ABS improves anastomotic healing in terms of reepithelialization, increased neovascularization, diminished ischemic necrosis, and inflammatory infiltration to muscle layer. Topical application of ABS to control of mucosal bleeding at the cut ends of the colon significantly improve the anastomotic wound healing by means of increasing mechanical strength and amount of tissue HPL level. Full article

This study aimed to assess the mid-term renal function of abdominal aortic aneurysm patients following suprarenal endovascular repair. From March 2005 to December 2009, 290 abdominal aortic aneurysm patients were included in the study and grouped according to whether they had received infrarenal or suprarenal endovascular aneurysm repair. Suprarenal endovascular aneurysm repair was performed in 173 patients, with a mean age of 72(±8) years (85.0% male). Infrarenal endovascular aneurysm repair was performed in 117 patients, with a mean age of 71(±9) years (90.6% male). Preoperative and one week, 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month postoperative serum creatinine and cystatin C values were recorded. Estimated glomerular filtration rate was calculated by cystatin-based formula and Cr-based Cockcroft formula. The t-test was used to determine statistical differences between or within groups. All patients received Talent or Zenith endograft. Patients’ characteristics and operative files in the two groups were well matched. Preoperative serum creatinine and cystatin C were 82 (±8) mmol/L and 0.89 (±0.11) mg/L for suprarenal endovascular aneurysm repair, respectively, and 81 (±11) mmol/L and 0.87 (±0.15) mg/L, respectively, for infrarenal endovascular aneurysm repair; no differences were observed between the two groups. Compared to preoperative renal markers within each group, a deterioration in serum creatinine, cystatin C and estimated glomerular filtration rate values was found at one week and 12 months after surgery（p < 0.05). A deterioration in cystatin C [SR:(0.93 ± 0.17) mg/L, IR: (0.92 ± 0.31) mg/L] and estimated glomerular filtration rate by cystatin C was also found at six months after surgery（p < 0.05). However, no differences in patient serum creatinine, cystatin C and estimated glomerular filtration rate values were observed between groups at each follow-up time interval. There was no greater significant difference in the association of the use of suprarenal fixation with midterm postoperative renal injury than with infrarenal fixation. Full article

Management of bleeding multiple haemangiomata within the gastrointestinal tract is a surgical challenge in this case of Blue Rubber Bleb Naevus Syndrome (BRBNS). Described is a novel use of the laparoscope as a rigid enteroscope in order to provide intraluminal imaging for successful lesional resection from small bowel. Full article

Chemoports are subcutaneously placed long term central venous access devices usually inserted under local anaesthesia. Rare complications include port inversion or flip over. These can be prevented by anchoring the port to the tissues at its base. We describe an in-situ technique of port anchoring. Here, the port is first ‘fixed’ temporarily to the overlying skin by Huber needle, thus facilitating placement of fixing sutures without port manipulation. The described technique is safe and we have not encountered complications. In addition, explanting the port was easier due to the use of delayed absorbable sutures. It is safer to anchor the port even if the port pocket ensures that the port fits in snugly. This described technique results in minimal manipulation of portcatheter system thereby ensuring that the catheter tip which is properly placed remains unaltered. Full article

A retrospective study of aneurysmal bone cyst (ABCs) of the rib was conducted to review their clinical, radiological and pathological features, as well as the early and long-term results of surgical management. From 2000 through 2010, 5 patients (3 male, 2 female, aged 17–40 years) with ABCs of the rib were treated in our department. All patients with aneurysmal bone cyst (ABCs) of the rib diagnosed radiologically and confirmed histologically. Surgical treatment consisted of wide resection in all patients with the use of synthetic mesh in two cases. There was no perioperative mortality. Follow-up at 1–10 years revealed no local recurrence. All aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) of the rib should be treated by wide resection with tumor-free margins in order to provide the best chance for cure. Full article

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding due to vascular abnormalities is commonly found in the elderly and on the right side of the colon. Such lesions are still difficult to diagnose and manage. We report a case with recurrent and massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding due to angiodysplasia at an unusual age and localization, which was diagnosed and treated endoscopically. Full article

Thoracoscopic repair of congenital diaphra­gmatic hernia (CDH) has been described by a number of authors and is increasingly widely practiced. We present a technical learning point. CDH is associated with the presence of a hernia sac in around 20% of all cases. In this case the presence of a ruptured hernia sac complicated the thoracoscopic repair of a left sided CDH, as it was initially difficult to recognise. Once the anatomy was clarified the repair was satisfactorily completed and the child made a rapid postoperative recovery. This technical note is to warn other surgeons that a tunnel like appearance of the diaphragmatic defect may in fact be due to the presence of a torn hernia sac, which requires excision before closure of the defect. Full article

The authors would present the mid-term outcomes with the use of stent-supported angioplasty in the treatment of symptomatic chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI). The present study is a retrospective analysis of 36 patients undergoing endovascular treatment of symptomatic CMI, between November 2000 and September 2009. Primary study endpoints were defined as primary patency, periprocedural and midterm mortality and complications, and symptom improvement after intervention. Forty-one mesenteric arteries (77.3% stenotic and 22.7% occluded vessels) were treated in 36 patients with 42 stents. In 30 patients (83.3%) one visceral artery and in 6 cases (16.7%) two visceral arteries were treated. Overall mortality was 16.7% (n = 6) after a 60-month follow-up (mean follow-up period 30.1 months). Two early (<30-day) deaths were caused by visceral ischemia (n = 2: 5.5%). Late death was procedure-related in one patient with re-occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery after 12 months. The other 3 patients died from non procedure-related causes; e.g., twice myocardial infarction. Initial symptom relief was observed in 29 patients (80.5%); 7 patients reported no change. Primary patency was 83.3% after 5 years and secondary patency was 90.5% (38 out of 42 stents) among all patients. Two conversions to open surgery were documented. First-line endovascular approach of CMI is a reasonable strategy. Close follow-up is mandatory due to symptom recurrence and restenosis. Full article

The objective of this review is to analyze the bladder and sexual dysfunction after laparoscopic (LTME) and open total mesorectal excision (OTME) for rectal cancer. Electronic databases were searched to find relevant randomized controlled trials and their data were analyzed to generate a summative outcome. Three studies on LTME and OTME encompassing 258 patients were retrieved from the electronic databases. Two studies on 108 patients qualified for this review. There were 53 and 55 patients in LTME and OTME groups respectively. In the both fixed and random effects models, statistically there was no difference in bladder dysfunction, overall sexual dysfunction, overall male sexual dysfunction, overall female sexual dysfunction, male erectile dysfunction and male ejaculatory dysfunction between LTME and OTME. Both LTME and OTME are associated with equal risk of bladder and sexual dysfunction in both genders following resections for rectal cancer. Full article

Working and balancing sides are subject to torsional and the tensile stresses, respectively. Tension banding principle denotes the principle of plating along the tension line for stable internal fixation on the balancing side of the mandibular fracture, which is the theoretical basis for the miniplate osteosynthesis. On the contrary, Arbeitsgemeinschaft fϋr Osteo - synthesefragen/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation (AO/ASIF) introduced the idea of stable fixation which confirms the stability of the fracture segment across the fracture line of the working side. Merging the principles of the miniplate osteosynthesis and compression osteosynthesis, the author suggests a new technique of angled eccentric osteosynthesis in case of simple mandibular fractures. The drilling holes are eccentrically positioned away from the fracture gap and intentionally angled to each other. The advancement of the miniscrews through these eccentrically angled drill holes will exert an axial load toward the fracture gap providing an interfragmental compressive force. Full article