More Anastomotic Ulcers, Less Dumping, and Equal Weight Loss in Long vs. Short Gastric Pouch in Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Background: Anastomotic ulcers (AU) at the gastroenterostomy are a common postoperative complication after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB). Possible risk factors for ulcer formation include active smoking, the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, increased tension or ischemia at the anastomosis, or factors that increase the acid secretion of the gastric pouch. Therefore, a longer gastric pouch may increase risk of AU formation after LRYGB.

Definition and Predictors of Early Recurrence in Neoadjuvantly Treated Esophageal and Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma: a Dual-Center Retrospective Cohort Study.

Abstarct: BACKGROUND: Early recurrence after esophagectomy is often used as a surrogate for aggressive tumor biology and treatment failure. However, there is no standardized definition of early recurrence, and predictors for early recurrence are unknown. Therefore, we aimed to define an evidence-based cutoff to discriminate early and late recurrence and assess the influence of neoadjuvant treatment modalities for patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal-junction adenocarcinoma (EAC).

How preoperative upper gastrointestinal investigations affect the management of bariatric patients: results of a cohort study of 897 patients.

Introduction: Preoperative diagnostic protocols vary worldwide, some prioritizing safety while others question routine procedures. Building on prior research, this study explores the impact of diverse preoperative findings on bariatric management and procedure selection.

Methods: In a retrospective analysis of prospective data of over 1000 bariatric surgery patients from January 2017 to December 2022 undergoing primary laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) were analyzed.

Inflammation and thrombotic risk in late-stage cervical cancer: An exploratory study of coagulation and cytokine profiles in a South African cohort.

Purpose: This exploratory study investigates the possible relationship between inflammation and thrombosis in cervical cancer patients in South Africa, highlighting the need for improved thrombotic risk profiling.

Methods: Thromboelastography (TEG) was used to assess coagulation parameters in platelet-poor plasma (PPP) from a small cohort of late-stage (III and IV) cervical cancer patients (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 15). Parameters assessed included clotting time, clot formation speed, and clot strength.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early infant diagnosis of HIV in Cape Town, South Africa.

Background: In South Africa, infants who are HIV-exposed are tested for HIV at birth and 10 weeks of age. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions resulted in reduced access to healthcare services and uncertain impact on early infant HIV testing.

Objectives: To describe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions on early infant HIV testing and diagnosis in Cape Town, South Africa.

Case study: Boomslang envenomation in North-Eastern South Africa.

Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) bites are rare in South Africa. This snake's venom is known to be potently haemotoxic, producing a consumptive coagulopathy through the activation of clotting factors II, X, and possibly IX. Monovalent Boomslang antivenom, produced by the South African Vaccine Producers, is highly effective in treating patients who present with haemotoxic envenomation.

EAES Multidisciplinary Rapid Guideline: systematic review, meta-analysis, GRADE assessment and evidence-informed recommendations on the surgical management of paraesophageal hernias.

Background: New evidence has emerged since latest guidelines on the management of paraesophageal hernia, and guideline development methodology has evolved. Members of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery have prioritized the management of paraesophageal hernia to be addressed by pertinent recommendations.

Objective: To develop evidence-informed clinical practice recommendations on paraesophageal hernias, through evidence synthesis and a structured evidence-to-decision framework by an interdisciplinary panel of stakeholders.

Age-dependent benefit of neoadjuvant treatment in adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction: a multicenter retrospective observational study of young versus old patients.

Objectives: The objective was to provide evidence for age-dependent use of neoadjuvant treatment by clinical comparisons of young (lower quartile, <56.6 years) versus old (upper quartile, >71.3 years) patients with esophageal and esophagogastric-junction adenocarcinoma.

The association between depression and addictive social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating role of sense of control.

Background: COVID-19 precipitated a plethora of mental health difficulties, particularly for those with pre-existing mental health concerns such as depression or addictive tendencies. For some, the distress that emanated from the experience of the pandemic prompted excessive engagement in the safety of online interactions on social media. The present study examined whether variation in individuals' sense of control explained the association between depression and addictive social media use.

Challenges During Esophagectomy in Presence of Thoracic Anatomical Anomalies: A Report of Three Cases.

Background/aim: Esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is a complex surgical procedure with predefined surgical steps. Anatomical anomalies can offer additional challenges in case of surgical treatment. We present three cases of esophageal carcinoma with thoracic anatomical anomalies affecting the treatment strategy.

Point-of-care ultrasound: The new district focus.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) improves patient outcomes. The current POCUS curriculum of the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa is based on guidelines from the United Kingdom with a different burden of disease (BoD) and available resources than encountered locally.

Aim: To determine which modules of the POCUS curriculum should be implemented to better equip doctors working at a district hospital in the West Coast District (WCD), South Africa.

Reconstruction of Noma Sequelae: A Surgical Treatment Algorithm Developed from Lessons from 210 Cases in Ethiopia.

Unlabelled: Noma is an infectious disease affecting mostly children aged 0-10. Although it has almost completely disappeared from the Western world, it is still prevalent in many developing regions, mainly Africa's Sahel region. The infection behaves like a necrotizing fasciitis of the face, originating from the gums and progressively expanding into the cheek, nose, or eye regions.

Indocyanine green fluorescence in robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy with intrathoracic anastomosis: a prospective study.

Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICG-FA) allows for real-time intraoperative assessment of the perfusion of the gastric conduit during esophagectomy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the implementation of ICG-FA during robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) with an intrathoracic anastomosis. In this prospective cohort study, a standardized protocol for ICG-FA was implemented in a high-volume center in December 2018.

Differential diagnoses of right lower quadrant pain in late pregnancy.

We present two patients with right lower quadrant pain during the 36th week of pregnancy. In both cases, the challenges in diagnosing acute appendicitis in late pregnancy is underlined by misleading imaging results, revealing fluid in the lower abdomen, suggesting an appendicitis. Surgery was performed.

Continuously sutured versus linear-stapled anastomosis in robot-assisted hybrid Ivor Lewis esophageal surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a single-center cohort study.

Background: Esophageal cancer surgery is technically highly demanding. During the past decade robot-assisted surgery has successfully been introduced in esophageal cancer treatment. Various techniques are being evaluated in different centers.

Patient expectations of cosmetic appearance after complex facial surgery in a low-income country.

Managing aesthetic expectations for patients post facial operations can be challenging in the high-income countries, yet alone in low-income countries. This cohort study involved patients undergoing facial operations during the October 2018 Facing Africa charitable surgical trip at the Nordic Medical Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Twenty-one patients were shown pre and postoperative photographs of patients who had operations for similar facial pathologies on a prior surgical mission.

Spinal surgery for gallstones disease - Case report of a rare differential diagnosis.

Introduction And Importance: Abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant is very common for patients to present in the emergency department. Finding the correct diagnosis seems straightforward in most cases but can be challenging.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a 75-year-old male with a rare differential diagnosis for right upper quadrant and back pain, initially diagnosed as symptomatic cholelithiasis.

From open Ivor Lewis esophagectomy to a hybrid robotic-assisted thoracoscopic approach: a single-center experience over two decades.

Purpose: Robotic-assisted procedures are increasingly used in esophageal cancer surgery. We compared postoperative complications and early oncological outcomes following hybrid robotic-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy (Rob-E) and open Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (Open-E), performed in a single mid-volume center, in the context of evolving preoperative patient and tumor characteristics over two decades.

Methods: We evaluated prospectively collected data from a single center from 1999 to 2020 including 321 patients that underwent Ivor Lewis esophagectomy, 76 underwent Rob-E, and 245 Open-E.