Minimally invasive adrenalectomy: a multicenter comparison of transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches.

Minimally invasive adrenalectomy (MIA) is both feasible and safe with either transperitoneal or retroperitoneal entry. However, only a few studies have rigorously compared these two techniques. The aim of the current study is to compare transperitoneal and retroperitoneal adrenalectomy to detect significant differences in patient selection and perioperative outcomes.

[Minimally invasive adrenalectomy: transperitoneal vs. retroperitoneal approach].

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is now regarded as the procedure of choice for most adrenal glands presenting surgical pathology. The primary adrenal-specific contraindication to laparoscopic adrenalectomy today is the presence of a large adrenal mass with evidence of local infiltration or venous invasion. We used our multicentre experience to compare the transperitoneal (TLA) and retroperitoneal (RLA) minimally invasive approaches.

[Adenocarcinoma of pancreas with situs viscerum inversus totalis].

A case of adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas in a patient with situs viscerum inversus totalis, an association described for the third time in literature, is reported. The possible coexistence of malformations of transposed organs and the specular anatomosurgical situation requires particular attention in the diagnosis and preoperative evaluation as well as a careful reorientation of the surgical perspective and a correct surgical conduct.

Improved device for sutureless aortic anastomosis applied in a case of cancer.

To reduce the time needed for clamping or circulatory arrest (or both) during substitution of a prosthesis for the thoracic aorta, we developed an expandable device that can be used with any commercially available prosthetic graft to enable sutureless aortic anastomosis. Improvements upon a previous version of the device include the use of nickel-titanium alloy (Nitinol) instead of stainless steel. This, together with an improved wire-looping design, now enables continuous control of diameter, even when the device is in contact with blood.

Bilateral open treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax: a new access.

A new technique for bilateral apical bullectomy and pleurectomy via axillary minithoracotomy and transmediastinal access to the contralateral side, was used in 13 patients with bilateral apical blebs and/or pneumothorax. The contralateral space is reached at the posterior superior mediastinum, passing between the first thoracic vertebral bodies (T1-T4) and the oesophagus. The contralateral lung apex is then pulled into the thoracotomy side and apical bullectomy carried out by linear stapler.

Patterns of systolic stress distribution on mitral valve anterior leaflet chordal apparatus. A structural mechanical theoretical analysis.

Increasing diffusion and complexity of mitral valve repair procedures may prompt an interest in the evaluation of the patterns of stress distribution on the chords, which are, from the structural mechanical point of view, the weakest element of valve apparatus. This theoretical analysis concentrates in particular on the mitral valve anterior leaflet. As is known, the vast majority of the chordae are attached to the anterior leaflet within the coaptation area; during systole they are then necessarily parallel, aligned along the same plane as that of the leaflets' coaptation surface, to which they are attached; moreover the thickness of the chordae increases significantly from the marginal chordae to the more central ones.

[Partial resection of the tracheal wall and introverting tracheoplasty].

A tracheal tumor involving roughly the half circumference of the tracheal wall and 3.5 cm length, was resected preserving the part of the tracheal cylinder not invaded by the tumor; reconstruction was carried out by an introverting tracheoplasty. This reconstruction technique, already successfully carried out in main bronchus resections, allowed iuxtapositioning of the tracheal rims very firmly without tension, the maneuvers for laryngeal or carenal release being not necessary.

[Longitudinal bronchotomy on the pars membranacea for endoscopic foreign body extraction].

Purpose of this paper is to report a case of foreign body obstructing the middle lobe bronchial origin, surgically removed through a longitudinal bronchotomy on the pars membranacea, reached by passing posteriorly to the lung. Anatomical considerations suggest that longitudinal bronchotomy on the pars membranacea of the main bronchial axis (stem bronchi, intermedius br (right), and lower lobar bronchus) gives direct visualization from inside also of foreign bodies sited into the lobar bronchi (sup, middle and lingula), allowing an easy bronchotomy repair, without lumen distortion or stenosis. Since the pulmonary artery is not in contact with this pars membranacea, broncho-arterial fistula in case of suture line dehiscence is quite improbable.

Descending aorta substitution with expandable ends prosthesis. Case report.

A case of esophageal cancer infiltrating the left bronchus pars membranacea and the aneurysmal aortic wall was resected en bloc with the bronchial and aortic wall. Descending aorta was substituted by means of a Dacron prosthesis fitted with expandable devices at both ends, allowing a very significant reduction of the clamping time and simplification of this part of the procedure.

Prosthesis for aortic arch substitution.

Background: The risk of neurologic complications in aortic arch prosthetic substitution is directly related to the duration of the circulatory arrest. The purpose of this article is to report the experiments on animals of a device for simplifying and quickening the vascular anastomosis in aortic arch substitution.

Methods: The device consists of expandable loops of stainless steel wire, sewn to the proximal end of a Dacron prosthesis.