The Italian Registry of Laparoscopic Surgery of the Spleen (IRLSS) A retrospective review of 379 patients undergoing laparoscopic splenectomy.

In December 2000, the Italian Registry of Laparoscopic Surgery of the Spleen (IRLSS) was formally launched under the auspices of the Italian Society for Endoscopic Surgery and New Technologies (SICE). The aim of this multicentre study was to analyse various aspects of the treatment that are still under discussion, such as the extension of the laparoscopic indications in cases of malignancy, independently of the associated splenomegaly, patient selection and operative techniques. A retrospective review of 379 patients undergoing laparoscopic splenectomy for haematological diseases from February 1, 1993, to September 15, 2005, was conducted.

Composite mesh repair of a large paraesophageal hiatal hernia.

We describe the first experience in Italy with a new pre-cut composite polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/expanded PTFE (ePTFE) prosthesis designed for the hiatal region. A 78-year-old female patient with a large paraesophageal hiatal hernia with migration of the left transverse colon inside the hiatal defect (type IV hernia) received laparoscopic repair by means of the composite V-shaped mesh. The procedure was completed laparoscopically and a partial fundoplication was performed.

Laparoscopic tension-free repair of large paraesophageal hiatal hernias with a composite A-shaped mesh: two-year follow-up.

Background: Surgical repair of large hiatal hernias is associated with a high recurrence rate when the repair is made by simple cruroplasty. The use of a mesh goes from a reinforcement of a simple cruroplasty to a tension-free repair. We discuss the evolution of this approach and evaluate the outcomes of 27 patients with type II (n = 9), type III (n = 16), and type IV (n = 2) hiatal hernias treated laparoscopically.