COVID-free surgical pathways for treating patients with acute calculous cholecystitis: a retrospective comparative study.

Introduction: During the Sars-Cov-2 crisis, some of the resources committed to emergency surgery services were transiently reallocated to the care of patients with severe COVID-19, preserving immediate treatment of mostly non-deferrable conditions. Moreover, the fear of contracting infections or hindering the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients has caused many individuals to defer seeking emergency care. This situation has then possibly modified the standard of care of some common surgical conditions and the relative outcomes.

Concomitant training in robotic and laparoscopic liver resections of low-to-intermediate difficulty score: a retrospective analysis of the learning curve.

In the setting of minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS), training in robotic liver resections (RLR) usually follows previous experience in laparoscopic liver resections (LLR). The aim of our study was to assess the learning curve of RLR in case of concomitant training with LLR. We analyzed consecutive RLRs and LLRs by a surgeon trained simultaneously in both techniques (Surg1); while a second surgeon trained only in LLRs was used as control (Surg2).

Preoperative chemotherapy in upfront resectable colorectal liver metastases: New elements for an old dilemma?

The use of preoperative or "neoadjuvant" chemotherapy (NAC) has long been controversial for resectable colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). The European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2023 guidelines on metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) indicate a combination of surgical/technical and oncologic/prognostic criteria as the two determinants for allocating patients to NAC or upfront hepatectomy. However, surgical and technical criteria have evolved, and oncologic prognostic criteria date from the pre-modern chemotherapy era and lack prospective validation.

Neo-Adjuvant Treatment in Primary Resectable Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and PRISMA-Compliant Updated Metanalysis of Oncological Outcomes.

Background: Despite advances in treatment, the prognosis of resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains poor. Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) has gained great interest in hopes of improving survival. However, the results of available studies based on different treatment approaches, such as chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy, showed contrasting results.

Robotic versus laparoscopic liver resections: propensity-matched comparison of two-center experience.

Background: The advantages of the robotic approach in minimally invasive liver surgery (MILS) are still debated. This study compares the short-term outcomes between laparoscopic (LLR) and robotic (RLR) liver resections in propensity score matched cohorts.

Methods: Data regarding minimally invasive liver resections in two liver surgery units were retrospectively reviewed.

Minimally-invasive versus open pancreatic enucleation: systematic review and metanalysis of short-term outcomes.

Background: Minimally Invasive Pancreatic Enucleation, either laparoscopic or robot-assisted, is rarely performed. The aim of this study was to offer the current available evidence about the outcomes of minimally invasive pancreatic enucleations and explore the possible advantage of this approach over traditional surgery.

Methods: PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Library and Embase (ELSEVIER) medical databases were searched for articles published from January 1990 to March 2022.

Imaging based body composition profiling and outcomes after oncologic liver surgery.

Body composition profiling is gaining attention as a pre-operative factor that can play a role in predicting the short- and long- term outcomes of patients undergoing oncologic liver surgery. Existing evidence is mostly limited to retrospective and single-institution series and in many of these studies, the evaluation of body composition is based on parameters which are derived from CT-scan imaging. Among body composition phenotypes, sarcopenia is the most well studied but this is only one of the possible profiles which can impact the outcomes of oncologic hepatic surgery.

Early enteral vs. oral nutrition after Whipple procedure: Study protocol for a multicentric randomized controlled trial (NUTRIWHI trial).

Background: Malnutrition has been shown to be a risk factor for postoperative complications after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). In addition, patients needing a PD, such as patients with pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis, often are malnourished. The best route of postoperative nutrition after PD remains unknown.

A Pilot, Prospective, Observational Study to Investigate the Value of NGS in Liquid Biopsies to Predict Tumor Response After Neoadjuvant Chemo-Radiotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: The LiBReCa Study.

Introduction: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) correlates with the response to therapy in different types of cancer. However, in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), little is known about how ctDNA levels change with neoadjuvant chemoradiation (Na-ChRT) and how they correlate with treatment response. This work aimed to explore the value of serial liquid biopsies in monitoring response after Na-ChRT with the hypothesis that this could become a reliable biomarker to identify patients with a complete response, candidates for non-operative management.

Is laparoscopic major hepatectomy feasible and safe in Swiss cantonal hospitals?

Background: The number of laparoscopic liver resections is increasing worldwide, including in Switzerland. However, laparoscopy is mostly used for minor resections. Little is known about indications for and outcomes of major liver resections performed laparoscopically.

Triple cancer of gallbladder, common bile duct and papilla of Vater: Report of a case and review of literature.

Introduction And Importance: Synchronous malignancies of gallbladder and biliary tree are together rare entity whose pathogenesis is yet unknown. We report the case of a triple synchronous cancer of 3 distinct location: gallbladder, common bile duct (CBD) and papilla of Vater.

Case Presentation: An 84-years-old woman, was admitted to our Hospital with clinics features of obstructive jaundice.

Liver Blood Tests in the Management of Suspected Choledocholithiasis.

Objective: The likelihood of common bile duct (CBD) stones considers liver blood tests (LBTs) if they are markedly altered only. The aim of our study was to find a reliable tool based on LBTs to predict the presence of CBD stones.

Methods: We retrospectively considered all patients who underwent magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) because of suspected CBD stones from January 2014 to June 2019.

Correlation Between Portal Pressure and Indocyanine Green Retention Rate is Unaffected by the Cause of Cirrhosis: A Prospective Study.

Background: Accurate estimation of the hepatic functional reserve before liver resection is important to avoid post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association of indocyanine green retention test with portal pressure by the cause of cirrhosis (non-viral vs. viral) and assessed postoperative outcomes including incidence of PHLF in patients with viral and non-viral cirrhosis.

An aberrant right hepatic artery arising from the gastroduodenal artery: a pitfall encountered during pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Purpose: Among the variations of the right hepatic artery (RHA), the identification of an aberrant RHA arising from the gastroduodenal artery (GDA) is vital for avoiding damage to the RHA during surgery, since ligation of the GDA is necessary during pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). However, this variation is not frequently reported. The purpose of this study was to focus on an aberrant RHA arising from the GDA, which was not noted in the classifications reported by Michels and Hiatt.

Surgical treatment for monolobular Caroli's disease ‒ Report of a 30-year single center case series.

Congenital intrahepatic bile duct dilatation (Caroli's disease) is a rare biliary disease. Although multiple reports exist describing its surgical treatment, relatively few have provided long-term follow-up. Prospective data about 25 cases of monolobular Caroli's disease, with liver resection between 1974 and 2016, were retrospectively analyzed.

Medullary-like hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent primary hepatic cancer. Pathological features can define the biological behavior and prognosis. Medullary-like HCC is a very rare variant that has been described only twice in literature.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Abdominal Complications After Lung Transplantation.

Background: Due to the underlying diseases and the need for immunosuppression, patients after lung transplantation are particularly at risk for gastrointestinal (GI) complications that may negatively influence long-term outcome. The present study assessed the incidences and impact of GI complications after lung transplantation and aimed to identify risk factors.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of all 227 consecutively performed single- and double-lung transplantations at the University hospitals of Lausanne and Geneva was performed between January 1993 and December 2010.

Prospective assessment of trocar-specific morbidity in laparoscopy.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to challenge the hypothetical advantage of single port laparoscopy (SPL) over conventional laparoscopy by measuring prospectively the morbidity specifically related to conventional trocar sites (TS).

Methods: From November 2010 to December 2011, 300 patients undergoing various laparoscopic procedures were enrolled. Patient, surgery, and trocar characteristics were recorded.