Predictors of Choledocholithiasis in Cholecystectomy Patients and Their Cutoff Values and Prediction Model in Korea in Comparison with the 2019 ASGE Guidelines.

Background/aims: : In 2019, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) established clinical predictors for choledocholithiasis. Our study was designed to evaluate these predictors within the Korean clinical context, establish cutoff values, and develop a predictive model.

Methods: : This retrospective study analyzed patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Single-incision versus conventional multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy in acute cholecystitis according to disease severity: single center retrospective study in Korea.

Purpose: The safety of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) for acute cholecystitis (AC) has not yet been confirmed.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) for AC between April 2010 and December 2020. Propensity scores were used to match patients who underwent SILC with those who underwent conventional multiport LC (CMLC) in the entire cohort and in the two subgroups.

Acute cholecystitis in old adults: the impact of advanced age on the clinical characteristics of the disease and on the surgical outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: Impact of advanced age on disease characteristics of acute cholecystitis (AC), and surgical outcomes after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has not been established.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included patients who underwent LC for AC between April 2010 and December 2020. We analyzed the disease characteristics and surgical outcomes according to age: Group 1 (age < 60 years), Group 2 (60 ≤ age < 80 years), and Group 3 (age ≥ 80 years).

Robotic single-site cholecystectomy is better in reducing postoperative pain than single-incision and conventional multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: To compare the short-term outcomes of robotic single-site cholecystectomy (RSSC) with single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) and conventional multiport laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CMLC), focusing on postoperative pain outcomes.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included consecutive patients with benign gallbladder disease who underwent cholecystectomy by a single surgeon between June 2019 and December 2021. Exclusion criteria were acute cholecystitis (AC) and other combined surgeries.

Conversion to pancreaticogastrostomy for salvage of disrupted pancreaticojejunostomy following pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Purpose: This study aimed to report on a pancreas-preserving strategy consisting of the conversion to pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) for the salvage of disrupted pancreaticojejunostomy (PJ) following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 188 patients who underwent PD between March 2000 and June 2021. Conversion to PG was performed by placing the pancreatic stump with an internal stent in the stomach through the posterior gastrostomy and suturing the wound in 2 layers through the anterior gastrostomy.

Optimal indication of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy using Konyang Standard Method in benign gallbladder diseases.

Purpose: The optimal indications for single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) have not yet been established.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included consecutive patients who underwent SILC between April 2010 and June 2020. Difficult surgery (DS) (conversion to multiport or open cholecystectomy, adjacent organ injury, operation time of ≥90 minutes, or estimated blood loss of ≥100 mL) and poor postoperative outcome (PPO) (postoperative hospital stay ≥ 7 days or Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ II postoperative complications) were defined to comprehensively evaluate surgical difficulty and postoperative outcomes, respectively.

The role of postoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of postoperative major complications following total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the role of the perioperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an early predictor of major postoperative complications after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study reviewed consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent total gastrectomy at a single institution from March 2009 to March 2021. The postoperative complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification.

Optimal drain management following complicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis: a propensity-matched comparative study.

Purpose: This study was performed to investigate the effect of drain placement on complicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy (cLC) for acute cholecystitis (AC).

Methods: This single-center retrospective study reviewed patients with AC who underwent cLC between January 2010 and December 2020. cLC was defined as open conversion, subtotal cholecystectomy, adjacent organ injury during surgery, operation time of ≥90 minutes, or estimated blood loss of ≥100 mL.

Comparison of one-stage laparoscopic common bile duct exploration plus cholecystectomy and two-stage endoscopic sphincterotomy plus laparoscopic cholecystectomy for concomitant gallbladder and common bile duct stones in patients over 80 years old.

Purpose: This study was performed to compare the safety and efficacy of one-stage laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) plus laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with those of endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) plus LC for concomitant gallbladder (GB) and common bile duct (CBD) stones in elderly patients.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study reviewed the medical records of patients aged >80 years who were diagnosed with concomitant GB and CBD stones between January 2010 and December 2020.

Results: Of the 137 patients included in this study, 46 underwent one-stage LCBDE + LC and 91 underwent two-stage EST + LC.

Is Laparoscopic Common Bile Duct Exploration Safe for the Oldest Old Patients?

Background: This study aimed to identify the risk factors for postoperative complications of laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) in the oldest old patients aged 80 years or older.

Methods: From March 2001 to October 2020, 363 patients underwent LCBDE with stone removal. Based on their ages, they were divided into two groups, those younger than 80 years (n=240) and those 80 years old or older (n=123).

Optimal timing of percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage and subsequent laparoscopic cholecystectomy according to the severity of acute cholecystitis.

Backgrounds/aims: The optimal timing of percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) and subsequent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) according to the severity of acute cholecystitis (AC) has not been established yet.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included 695 patients with grade I or II AC without common bile duct stones who underwent PTGBD and subsequent LC between January 2010 and December 2019. Difficult surgery (DS) (open conversion, subtotal cholecystectomy, adjacent organ injury, transfusion, operation time ≥ 90 minutes, or estimated blood loss ≥ 100 mL) and poor postoperative outcome (PPO) (postoperative hospital stay ≥ 7 days or Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ II postoperative complication) were defined to comprehensively evaluate intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, respectively.

Completion of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy using the modified Konyang standard method.

Background: To date, a surgical method for single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) has not been standardized. Therefore, this study aimed to introduce a standardized surgical method for SILC, in addition to reporting our experience over 10 years.

Methods: Patients who underwent SILC at a single institution between April 2010 and December 2019 were included in this study.

Optimal treatment for concomitant gallbladder stones with common bile duct stones and predictors for recurrence of common bile duct stones.

Background: The optimal treatment for concomitant gallbladder (GB) stones with common bile duct (CBD) stones and predictors for recurrence of CBD stones are not established.

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study reviewed 466 patients diagnosed with a first event of concomitant GB stones with CBD stones from January 2010 to December 2018.

Results: 92 patients underwent single-stage laparoscopic CBD exploration (LCBDE) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) (group1), 108 underwent LCBDE + LC after endoscopic stone extraction (ESE) failure (group2), and 266 underwent ESE + LC (group3).

Elective Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Is Better than Conservative Treatment in Elderly Patients with Acute Cholecystitis After Percutaneous Transhepatic Gallbladder Drainage.

Background: It is unclear whether cholecystectomy is beneficial after percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) in elderly patients with acute cholecystitis (AC).

Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included 202 patients aged >80 years with AC without common bile duct (CBD) stones who underwent PTGBD between January 2010 and December 2019.

Results: One hundred and forty-two patients underwent elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (ELC), and 60 underwent conservative treatment, specifically PTGBD removal (PTGBD-R) in 36 patients and PTGBD maintained (PTGBD-M) in 24 patients.

Efficacy of sentinel lymph node biopsy with radioisotope alone and the prediction of sentinel node status using PET-CT in breast cancer.

Purpose: Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) using both a radioactive isotope (RI) and blue dye is considered highly effective; however, there were limitations with the use of both agents in some hospitals, and blue dye has been shown to have some adverse effects. Additionally, preoperative prediction of sentinel lymph node (SLN) status using the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) can help avoid unnecessary axillary dissection or SLNB. Thus, we evaluated the efficacy and oncologic safety of SLNB using an RI alone in terms of long-term outcomes and determined the association between SLN metastasis and SUVmax of the primary tumor.

A comparative study of postoperative outcomes between minimally invasive living donor hepatectomy and open living donor hepatectomy: The Korean organ transplantation registry.

Background: This study evaluated the safety and effectiveness of minimally invasive living donor hepatectomy in comparison with the open procedure, using Korean Organ Transplantation Registry data.

Methods: We reviewed the prospectively collected data of all 1,694 living liver donors (1,071 men, 623 women) who underwent donor hepatectomy between April 2014 and December 2017. The donors were grouped on the basis of procedure type to the minimally invasive procedure group (n = 304) or to the open procedure group (n = 1,390) and analyzed the relationships between clinical data and complications.

The Usefulness of Preoperative Colonoscopic Tattooing with Autologous Blood for Localization in Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery.

Purpose: In colorectal cancer surgery, it is important to have accurate resection margins. However, it is challenging to localize lesions during laparoscopy. Therefore, to reduce surgical errors, many preoperative localizing methods have been introduced.

New-onset diabetes after adult liver transplantation in the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY) study.

Background: New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a serious complication following liver transplantation (LT). The present study aimed to investigate the incidence of and risk factors for NODAT using the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY) database.

Methods: Patients with history of pediatric transplantation (age ≤18 years), re-transplantation, multi-organ transplantation, or pre-existing diabetes mellitus were excluded.

The chronological change of indications and outcomes for single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a Korean multicenter study.

Background: Although single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) is a common procedure, the change in its surgical indications and perioperative outcomes has not been analyzed.

Methods: We collected the clinical data of patients who underwent pure SILC in 9 centers between 2009 and 2018 and compared the perioperative outcomes.

Results: In this period, 6497 patients underwent SILC.

Which Patients Are a Better Candidate of Laparoscopic Repair in Obturator Hernia Patients?

Purpose: Obturator hernia is a difficult disease to diagnose. If a surgical treatment is delayed in obturator hernia, a bowel resection may be required due to strangulation. The surgical treatment of this disease is to use a classical laparotomy.

Effects of remifentanil preconditioning on factors related to uterine contraction in WISH cells.

Background: Preterm labor and miscarriage may occur in stressful situations, such as a surgical operation or infection during pregnancy. Pharyngeal and buccal abscess and facial bone fractures are inevitable dental surgeries in pregnant patients. Remifentanil is an opioid analgesic that is commonly used for general anesthesia and sedation.

A large-cohort comparison between single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy from a single center; 2080 cases.

Backgrounds/aims: This study was conducted to verify and compare the safety and feasibility of single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC) and conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC).

Methods: A total of 2,080 patients underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a single center, Konyang University Hospital, between 2010 and 2016. We retrospectively compared the demographics, perioperative outcome, and postoperative complication results between the CLC and SILC groups.

Fabrication of 4 × 1 signal combiner for high-power lasers using hydrofluoric acid.

We report a new method to fabricate a 4 × 1 signal combiner that comprises an output fiber port and a tapered fused bundle (TFB) with four input fiber ports. The TFB is etched in a solution of hydrofluoric acid and spliced with an output fiber of core diameter 105 μm and cladding diameter 125 μm. Each cladding of the four input optical fiber is etched to approximately 72.