Publications by authors named "Barabino M"

Article Synopsis
  • * A study involving nearly 2,000 non-resectable HCC patients showed that LMWA had comparable safety and overall survival rates to PRFA and significantly better survival rates than TACE after 1, 3, and 5 years.
  • * The results suggest that LMWA is a viable treatment option for early HCC, outperforming TACE while demonstrating similar efficacy to PRFA, which supports its potential inclusion in standardized treatment
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  • An inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver is a rare lesion that resembles cancer but is caused by inflammation, with no known cause and vague symptoms making diagnosis difficult.
  • Research involving 69 cases indicates that imaging is often non-specific and biopsies are not commonly performed, despite their importance for diagnosis.
  • Current treatment trends lean towards conservative management, but surgical intervention is still the preferred option for uncertain diagnoses, highlighting the need for a collaborative approach in treatment planning.
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Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Simple cholecystectomy may be an adequate treatment only for very early disease (Tis, T1a), whereas reoperation is recommended for more advanced disease (T1b and T2). Radical cholecystectomy should have two fundamental objectives: To radically resect the liver parenchyma and to achieve adequate clearance of the lymph nodes.

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Background: The European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) recommends, with strong evidence, the use of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging combined with intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) to improve identification of superficial liver tumors. This study reports the use of ICG for the detection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) during minimally invasive liver resection.

Methods: A single-center consecutive series of minimally invasive (laparoscopic and robotic) hepatic resections for CRLMs was prospectively evaluated (April 2019 and October 2023).

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  • The Hugo RAS and Versius are new types of robots used in surgery that have special features for moving around the patient.
  • These robots offer great flexibility and can work in different areas of the body, but need careful organization to keep everything running smoothly.
  • The article gives advice and tips on how assistants can help with these robots during surgery and shares what they think about using them.
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Background: Surgeons can minimize the risk of bile duct injury (BDI) during challenging mini-invasive cholecystectomy through technical standardization by means of a precise anatomical landmark identification (Critical View of Safety) and advanced technology for biliary visualization. Among these systems, the adoption of magnified stereoscopic 3-dimensional view provided by robotic platforms and near infrared fluorescent cholangiography (NIRF-C) is the most promising.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated all consecutive minimally invasive cholecystectomies (laparoscopic and robotic) performed with NIRF-C between May 2022 and January 2023 at General Surgery Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, San Paolo Hospital (Milan, Italy).

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Background: Robot-assisted surgery ensures minimal invasiveness; since the expiry of the Da Vinci patent, new robotic systems have entered the market. Recently, the Hugo RAS received CE approval for several surgical procedures. However, more is needed to know about skill acquisition at the new simulator.

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Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare cancer characterized by a global increasing incidence. Extracellular vesicles (EV) contribute to many of the hallmarks of cancer through transfer of their cargo molecules. The sphingolipid (SPL) profile of intrahepatic CCA (iCCA)-derived EVs was characterized by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis.

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Liver resection is the best treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) when resectable. Unfortunately, many patients with HCC cannot undergo liver resection. Percutaneous thermoablation represents a valid alternative for inoperable neoplasms and for small HCCs, but it is not always possible to accomplish it.

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Most of the available evidence on the use of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence in clinical practice consists of articles published by surgeons of the Asian-Pacific area. We performed a prospective cohort study to assess the patterns of ICG fluorescence in Western hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) counterparts. From April 2019 to January 2022, a total of 31 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for superficial HCC were enrolled in this prospective study.

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Article Synopsis
  • Natural killer (NK) cells, crucial for tumor immunity, interact with tumor cells via receptors like DNAM-1, which recognizes the CD155 molecule found in certain cancers, notably hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  • Analysis showed elevated soluble CD155 in the blood of HCC patients, linked to advanced disease, while CD155 expression in HCC cells correlated with improved overall survival, indicating a complex relationship.
  • Further, CD155 interaction led to reduced DNAM-1 expression in NK cells, which resulted in impaired cytotoxic activity, pointing to mechanisms that allow HCC to escape immune detection.
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Background: Indocyanine green fluorescence (ICG) is one of the first fluorophore that found a clinical application in medicine. In the liver, ICG fluorescence is due to the preserved uptake but impaired washout of the dye from hepatocellular cells into the bile ducts. Therefore, some hepatobiliary surgeons proposed the technique of intravenous ICG injection before surgery for the detection of superficial hepatocarcinomas (HCCs) and colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs).

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  • The study investigates the role of MICA/B proteins in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), a type of liver cancer that presents late and has a poor prognosis.
  • Elevated levels of MICA/B were found in iCCA patients, linked to cellular stress, promoting cancer escape from immune recognition.
  • Using a specific antibody (7C6), researchers demonstrated that it enhances the ability of natural killer (NK) cells to attack cancer cells, suggesting its potential as an immunotherapy for iCCA.
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Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging is an easy and reproducible method to detect hepatic lesions, both primary and metastatic. This review reports the potential benefits of this technique as a tactile mimicking visual tool and a navigator guide in minimally invasive liver resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). PubMed and MEDLINE databases were searched for studies reporting the use of intravenous injection of ICG before minimally invasive surgery for CLRM.

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In patients with cirrhosis with severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count [PC] <50 × 10 /L) and undergoing invasive procedures, it is common clinical practice to increase the PC with platelet transfusions or thrombopoietin receptor agonists to reduce the risk of major periprocedural bleeding. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between native PC and perioperative bleeding in patients with cirrhosis undergoing surgical procedures for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We retrospectively evaluated 996 patients with cirrhosis between 1996 and 2018 who underwent surgical treatments of HCC by liver resection (LR) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) without prophylactic platelet transfusions.

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  • The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the Italian National Health Care system, leading to changes in how patients with acute cholecystitis were managed during that time.
  • A study reviewed 37 patients treated for acute cholecystitis from February to April 2020, majority receiving treatments like antibiotics, percutaneous drainage, and surgery, with an overall success rate of 87.5% for percutaneous cholecystostomy.
  • Despite some patients facing delays in surgical treatment due to COVID-19 restrictions, percutaneous cholecystostomy proved to be a safe and effective option, although many patients did not proceed to definitive surgery post-treatment.
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Background: Microinvasion (MI), defined as infiltration of the portal or hepatic vein or bile duct and intrahepatic metastasis are accurate indicators of a poor prognosis for mall hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). A previous study showed that intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) definition of MI-HCC had a high concordance with histological findings. Aim of this study is to evaluate overall survival and recurrence patterns of patients with MI-HCC submitted to hepatic resection (HR) or laparoscopic ablation therapies (LAT).

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Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging has been extensively used in a variety of applications in visceral surgery. In minimally invasive liver resections, the detection of small superficial hepatic lesions using an intravenous injection of ICG before surgery represents a promising application. We analyzed 18 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection for superficial malignant tumors, namely 11 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 5 patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), 1 patient with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and 1 patient with thyroid cancer metastasis, using ICG fluorescence as an adjuvant tool to intraoperative laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS).

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  • Leaks are a common issue after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, prompting a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of large covered metal stents for managing these leaks.
  • In a review of data from three Italian Endoscopy Units, 21 patients underwent stent placement, achieving a 100% technical success rate and an 85.5% rate of complete clinical recovery.
  • Although the stents were effective, 43% of patients experienced adverse events, mostly stent migration, which was more prevalent in those with prior bariatric surgery.
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  • NK cells are crucial for monitoring and controlling the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through interactions with the NKG2D receptor and its ligand MICA/B.
  • Research compared NK cell function in patients with cirrhosis and HCC, those with cirrhosis alone, and healthy donors, showing that IL-15 stimulation could enhance NK cell activity that is otherwise reduced in HCC patients.
  • The study suggests that combining anti-MICA/B monoclonal antibodies with IL-15 stimulation could enhance NK cell responses, offering a potential new approach for HCC immunotherapy.
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The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. All the authors first name and second name has been inadvertently interchanged. Now the authors name are corrected.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates the effectiveness of the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its influence on treatment strategies in liver resection patients.
  • The analysis involved preoperative imaging of 40 out of 350 patients, where two radiologists assessed the images using LI-RADS, achieving a 62.5% agreement on findings, particularly better with MRIs.
  • Results showed high sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for LI-RADS categories LR4 and LR5, yet misdiagnoses occurred, highlighting the challenging nature of distinguishing HCC from similar conditions like primary hepatic lymphoma and regenerative liver nodules.
  • Employing LI-RADS could have altered treatment plans for 10% of the
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The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly, forcing some drastic changes not only in our daily lives, but also in our clinical and surgical activities. Given our extensive Italian experience, we hereby describe how our surgical unit activity has changed and how, in some cases, it was necessary to modify surgical strategies. We hope our experience can be shared with our global colleagues who are suffering under similar condition.

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Percutaneous thermo-ablation (TA) may be unfeasible for the tumor location: laparoscopic ablation therapies (LATs) are an alternative option. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of LATs in the treatment of HCC not eligible for percutaneous TA or surgical resection. LAT was offered to 503 patients fulfilling at least one of the following criteria: (a) patients with a single nodule or up to three nodules smaller than 3 cm not suitable for surgery; (b) patients not suitable for percutaneous TA; (c) short-term recurrence of HCC (< 3 months).

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