Comparative evaluation of adhesion formation, strength of ingrowth, and textile properties of prosthetic meshes after long-term intra-abdominal implantation in a rabbit.

Background: Effective laparoscopic ventral herniorrhaphy usually mandates the use of an intraperitoneal prosthetic. Visceral adhesions and changes in textile characteristics of prosthetics may complicate repairs, especially long-term. The aim of this study was to compare the adhesion formation, tissue ingrowth, and textile characteristics one year after intra-abdominal placement of the commonly used prosthetic meshes.

Meshes in hernia repair.

The search for safe and effective means of herniorrhaphies has been ongoing for more than a century. Evidence strongly supports tension-free hernia repairs in most patients, which result in a 50% reduction in a ten-year cumulative rate of hernia recurrence compared with tissue repairs. Polypropylene mesh revolutionized the field approximately 50 years ago; however, limitations of traditional polypropylene mesh have fueled the research and development of other prosthetic and biologic mesh products.

Prospective histologic evaluation of intra-abdominal prosthetics four months after implantation in a rabbit model.

Background: Placement of an intraperitoneal prosthetic is required for laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. The biocompatibility of these prosthetics determines the host's inflammatory response, scar plate formation, tissue ingrowth, and subsequent mesh performance, including prosthetic compliance and prevention of hernia recurrence. We evaluated the host response to intraperitoneal placement of several prosthetics currently used in clinical practice.

Outcomes of adrenal cortical carcinoma in the United States.

Background: Improvements in the sensitivity of radiographic imaging have lead to an increase in the number of adrenal masses diagnosed. The purpose of this study is to determine if technologic advancements have resulted in the diagnosis of earlier-staged adrenal cortical cancer (ACC) and to determine if the survival of patients with ACC has improved over the past 15 years.

Methods: Patients with ACC were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 1988 and 2002.

Laparoscopic expertise increases hospital volume of adrenal surgery.

The laparoscopic approach is preferred for most adrenal tumors but technical challenges limit its use. We evaluated the effects of the availability of laparoscopic expertise on the volume of the adrenal surgery at a tertiary care hospital. Patients undergoing adrenalectomy 5 years before and 5 years after an advanced laparoscopic program was established were retrospectively reviewed.

Prospective evaluation of adhesion formation and shrinkage of intra-abdominal prosthetics in a rabbit model.

Laparoscopic ventral hernia repair requires an intraperitoneal prosthetic; however, these materials are not without consequences. We evaluated host reaction to intraperitoneal placement of various prosthetics and the functional outcomes in an animal model. Mesh (n = 15 per mesh type) was implanted on intact peritoneum in New Zealand white rabbits.

Advantages of laparoscopic appendectomy in the elderly.

Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has gained in popularity in recent years. The number of elderly patients undergoing appendectomy has increased as that segment of the population has increased in number; however, the utility and benefits of LA in the elderly population are not well established. We hypothesized that LA in the elderly has distinctive advantages in perioperative outcomes over open appendectomy (OA).

Evaluation of the efficacy of the electrosurgical bipolar vessel sealer (LigaSure) devices in sealing lymphatic vessels.

Various sources of ultrasonic and thermal energy have been developed to facilitate blood vessel ligation. However, their efficacy in sealing lymphatics has not been clearly established to date. We hypothesized that the electrosurgical bipolar vessel sealer (EBVS) produces reliable and durable sealing of large lymphatic vessels in a porcine model.

Minimally invasive abdominal surgery: lux et veritas past, present, and future.

Background: Laparoscopic surgery has developed out of multiple technology innovations and the desire to see beyond the confines of the human body. As the instrumentation became more advanced, the application of this technique followed. By revisiting the historical developments that now define laparoscopic surgery, we can possibly foresee its future.

Energy sources in laparoscopy.

Traditional monopolar and bipolar electrosurgery remain very useful in laparoscopic surgery. The need for meticulous hemostasis and the tedium of vessel ligation in advanced cases has propelled the development of new energy source devices that have proved to be remarkably helpful in both laparoscopic and open surgery. Energy sources in the form of argon beam coagulation, ultrasonic coagulation, and bipolar vessel sealing systems have revolutionized laparoscopic surgery.