Waterjet pulse lavage as a safe adjunct to video assisted retroperitoneal debridement in necrotising pancreatitis.

Background: Minimally invasive surgical necrosectomy plays an important role in the management of infected pancreatic necrosis, with a goal of removing debris and debriding necrotic tissue. Pulse lavage is designed to simultaneously hydrostatically debride and remove the infected necrotic tissue with suction. It is also able to remove significant amounts of debris without traumatic manipulation of the necrotic tissue which may be adherent to surrounding tissue and can result in injury.

Heme: A link between hemorrhage and retinopathy of prematurity progression.

Neovascularization is implicated in the pathology of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which are the leading causes of blindness worldwide. In our work, we analyzed how heme released during hemorrhage affects hypoxic response and neovascularization. Our retrospective clinical analysis demonstrated, that hemorrhage was associated with more severe retinal neovascularization in ROP patients.

Management and patient outcomes following admission with acute cholecystitis in Ireland: A national registry-based study.

Introduction: Acute cholecystitis is a common general surgical emergency, accounting for 3-10 % of all patients attending with acute abdominal pain. International guidelines suggest that emergency cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for uncomplicated acute cholecystitis where feasible. There is a paucity of published data on the uptake of emergency cholecystectomy in Ireland.

Defective mitochondrial COX1 translation due to loss of COX14 function triggers ROS-induced inflammation in mouse liver.

Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) fuels cellular ATP demands. OXPHOS defects lead to severe human disorders with unexplained tissue specific pathologies. Mitochondrial gene expression is essential for OXPHOS biogenesis since core subunits of the complexes are mitochondrial-encoded.

New Computerized Planning Algorithm and Clinical Testing of Optimized Nuss Bar Design for Patients with Pectus Excavatum.

BACKGROUND Computer-aided design (CAD) has been used in the Nuss procedure to determine the bar length and shape. Despite computer aid, the shape and design remain quite intuitive. We tested a new algorithm to determine the optimal bar shape.

Upper gastrointestinal training in the UK and Ireland: a Roux Group Study.

Introduction: Surgical training programmes in the United Kingdom and Ireland (UK&I) are in a state of flux. This study aims to report the contemporary opinions of trainee and consultant surgeons on the current upper gastrointestinal (UGI) training model in the UK&I.

Methods: A questionnaire was developed and distributed via national UGI societies.

Metaverse and Telementoring: From Surgery to Workshop.

Background: The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has favored the growth of telemedicine systems and in this context the idea of Metaverse was born and developed. A 3D reality in which people can interact with each other through digital reproductions of themselves. Metaverse has already been tested in numerous medical fields due to its ability to combine visual and auditory information with tactile sensations.

Robotic Distal Pancreatectomy Yields Superior Outcomes Compared to Laparoscopic Technique: A Single Surgeon Experience of 123 Consecutive Cases.

Technical limitations of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP), in comparison to robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP), may translate to high conversion rates and morbidity. LDP and RDP procedures performed between December 2008 and January 2023 in our tertiary referral hepatobiliary and pancreatic centres were analysed and compared with regard to short-term outcomes. A total of 62 consecutive LDP cases and 61 RDP cases were performed.

Laparoscopic versus robotic abdominal and pelvic surgery: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

Background: The current evidence is inconclusive on whether robotic or laparoscopic surgery is the optimal platform for minimally invasive surgery. Existing comparisons techniques focus on short-term outcomes only, while potentially being confounded by a lack of standardisation in robotic procedures. There is a pertinent need for an up-to-date comparison between minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Impact of mucus and biofilm on antimicrobial photodynamic therapy: Evaluation using Ruthenium(II) complexes.

The biofilm lifestyle of bacterial pathogens is a hallmark of chronic lung infections such as in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Bacterial adaptation to the complex conditions in CF-affected lungs and repeated antibiotherapies lead to increasingly tolerant and hard-to-treat biofilms. In the context of growing antimicrobial resistance and restricted therapeutic options, antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) shows great promise as an alternative to conventional antimicrobial modalities.

Prevention of Chronic Morbidities in Extremely Premature Newborns with LISA-nCPAP Respiratory Therapy and Adjuvant Perinatal Strategies.

Less invasive surfactant administration techniques, together with nasal continuous airway pressure (LISA-nCPAP) ventilation, an emerging noninvasive ventilation (NIV) technique in neonatology, are gaining more significance, even in extremely premature newborns (ELBW), under 27 weeks of gestational age. In this review, studies on LISA-nCPAP are compiled with an emphasis on short- and long-term morbidities associated with prematurity. Several perinatal preventative and therapeutic investigations are also discussed in order to start integrated therapies as numerous organ-saving techniques in addition to lung-protective ventilations.

Surgical management of high-grade pancreatic injuries: Insights from a high-volume pancreaticobiliary specialty unit.

Background: The management of high-grade pancreatic trauma is controversial.

Aim: To review our single-institution experience on the surgical management of blunt and penetrating pancreatic injuries.

Methods: A retrospective review of records was performed on all patients undergoing surgical intervention for high-grade pancreatic injuries [American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Grade III or greater] at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney between January 2001 and December 2022.

The influence of procedural volume on short-term outcomes for robotic pancreatoduodenectomy-a cohort study and a learning curve analysis.

Background: An increasing number of robotic pancreatoduodenectomies (RPD) are reported, however, questions remain on the number of procedures needed for gaining technical proficiency in RPD. Therefore, we aimed to assess the influence of procedure volume on short-term RPD outcomes and assess the learning curve effect.

Methods: A retrospective review of consecutive RPD cases was undertaken.

Gene transfection using branched cationic amphiphilic compounds for an aerosol administration in cystic fibrosis context.

For cystic fibrosis gene therapy, the aerosolization of genetic materials is the most relevant delivery strategy to reach the airway epithelium. However, aerosolized formulations have to resist shear forces while maintaining the integrity of plasmid DNA (pDNA) during its journey from the nebulization to the epithelial cells. Herein, we compared the efficiency of gene delivery by aerosolization of two types of formulations: (i) BSV163, a branched cationic amphiphilic compound, co-formulated with different DOPE ratios (mol/mol) and DMPE-PEG5000 and (ii) 25 KDa branched polyethylenimine (b-PEI)-based formulation used as control.

Transition from open to robotic distal pancreatectomy in a low volume pancreatic surgery country: a single Australian centre experience.

Background: Advances in technology and techniques have allowed for robotic distal pancreatectomies to be readily performed in patients at high volume centres. This study describes the experience of a single surgeon during the learning curve and transition from open to robotic distal pancreatectomy in Australia, a traditionally low volume pancreatic surgery country.

Methods: All patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy at an Australian-based tertiary referral centre between 2010 and 2021 were reviewed retrospectively.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE)-rare vascular malignancy mimicking cholangiocarcinoma: a case report.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is a rare, often misdiagnosed malignancy of vascular origin. We describe a case of a 36-year-old, who presented with a burning sensation in his chest on exercise and was believed to have bilobar intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. After receiving chemotherapy with partial response, the patient underwent staged resection with modified associating liver partition with portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) procedure-laparoscopic radiofrequency-assisted ALPPS (RALPPS).

Artificial intelligence in the detection, characterisation and prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma: a narrative review.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite significant advancements in detection and treatment of HCC, its management remains a challenge. Artificial intelligence (AI) has played a role in medicine for several decades, however, clinically applicable AI-driven solutions have only started to emerge, due to gradual improvement in sensitivity and specificity of AI, and implementation of convoluted neural networks.

Overview on hydrogen sulfide-mediated suppression of vascular calcification and hemoglobin/heme-mediated vascular damage in atherosclerosis.

Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques with hemorrhage considerably contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Calcification is the main characteristic of advanced atherosclerotic lesions and calcified aortic valve disease (CAVD). Lyses of red blood cells and hemoglobin (Hb) release occur in human hemorrhagic complicated lesions.

Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Complexes for Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy: Prospects for Application in Cystic Fibrosis Lung Airways.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) depends on a variety of parameters notably related to the photosensitizers used, the pathogens to target and the environment to operate. In a previous study using a series of Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl ([Ru(II)]) complexes, we reported the importance of the chemical structure on both their photo-physical/physico-chemical properties and their efficacy for aPDT. By employing standard in vitro conditions, effective [Ru(II)]-mediated aPDT was demonstrated against planktonic cultures of and strains notably isolated from the airways of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients.

Effects of the Sex Steroid Hormone Estradiol on Biofilm Growth of Cystic Fibrosis Isolates.

Women with cystic fibrosis (CF) have a significantly lower life expectancy compared to men, which is indicated by an earlier impairment of lung function due to chronic colonization with biofilm formed by . There is growing evidence that blood serum concentrations of the steroid sex hormone estradiol (E) correlate with the occurrence of pulmonary exacerbations in CF but also play a role in the mucoid switch of . This study aims to shed light on possible microbiological reasons for sexual dimorphism in CF by investigating the influence of E on biofilm formation of .

Pancreatic Incidentalomas on CT Colonography: Ignore, Follow up or Investigate?

Increasing use of cross-sectional abdominal imaging such as CT colonography (CTC), has resulted in increased identification of incidental pancreatic cystic lesions. Such incidental findings are a cause for anxiety amongst patients and clinicians and can result in increased cost to healthcare delivery resultant from referral to subsequent investigations. Our study explored the prevalence of incidental cystic pancreatic lesions on CTC at a tertiary pancreatic centre, and their management.