Publications by authors named "Ronan A Cahill"

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effectiveness of 3D virtual modeling (3DVM) and indocyanine green perfusion angiography (ICGPA) in improving surgical planning and outcomes during laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for colon cancer.
  • Advanced imaging techniques allowed for precise preoperative planning, showing a high correlation with intraoperative findings, which enabled better decisions regarding vessel management and anastomotic site selection.
  • The results indicate that using 3DVM and ICGPA not only enhances the surgical team’s ability to visualize vascular structures but also leads to successful surgeries without postoperative complications.
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Introduction: The importance of patient perspectives is increasingly appreciated in clinical practice and academia with formal engagement processes developing worldwide. Digital surgery encompasses intraoperative patient data (including surgical video) analysis and so requires public-patient involvement (PPI).

Methods: Engagement events were conducted based on NIHR and GRIPP2 LF guidelines.

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Background: Near-infrared indocyanine green angiography allows experienced surgeons to reliably evaluate parathyroid gland vitality during thyroid and parathyroid operations in order to predict postoperative function. To facilitate equal performance between surgeons, we developed an automatic computational quantification method using computer vision that portrays expert interpretation of visualized parathyroid gland near-infrared indocyanine green angiographic fluorescence signals.

Methods: Near-infrared indocyanine green-parathyroid gland angiography video recordings (Fluobeam® LX, Fluoptics, Grenoble-part of Getinge-Göteborg) from patients undergoing endocrine cervical surgery in a high-volume unit were used for model development.

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Background: Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICGFA) is gaining popularity for the assessment of reconstructive flap perfusion intraoperatively. This study analyses the literature with a focus on its clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness across various plastic and reconstructive surgery procedures.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines on published studies in English comparing ICGFA with standard clinical assessment for flap perfusion.

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Background: Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICGFA) is gaining popularity as an intraoperative tool to assess flap perfusion. However, it needs interpretation and there is concern regarding a potential for over-debridement with its use. Here we describe an artificial intelligence (AI) method that indicates the extent of flap trimming required.

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Introduction: Laparoscopic Complete Mesocolic Excision (CME) with Central Vascular Ligation (CVL) in colon cancer surgery has not been broadly adopted in part because of safety concerns. Pre-operative 3-D virtual modelling (3DVM) may help but needs validation.

Methods: 3DVM were routinely constructed from CT mesenteric angiograms (CTMA) using a commercial service (Visible Patient, Strasbourg, France) for consecutive patients during our CMECVL learning curve over three years.

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Introduction: Simulation based medical training (SBMT) is gaining traction for undergraduate learning and development. We designed, implemented, and independently assessed the impact of an SBMT programme on competency in surgical history taking and clinical examination for senior clinical students.

Methods: With institutional ethical approval and initial pilot study of student volunteers that ensured format appropriateness, we implemented an SBMT programme weekly for ten weeks during the core surgery module of our Medicine degree programme.

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Purpose: Perioperative decision making for large (> 2 cm) rectal polyps with ambiguous features is complex. The most common intraprocedural assessment is clinician judgement alone while radiological and endoscopic biopsy can provide periprocedural detail. Fluorescence-augmented machine learning (FA-ML) methods may optimise local treatment strategy.

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Introduction: Intraoperative indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICGFA) aims to reduce colorectal anastomotic complications. However, signal interpretation is inconsistent and confounded by patient physiology and system behaviours. Here, we demonstrate a proof of concept of a novel clinical and computational method for patient calibrated quantitative ICGFA (QICGFA) bowel transection recommendation.

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Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is an effective procedure that plays an important role in the care of patients with significant rectal neoplasia and polyps including early-stage cancers. However, it is perhaps underutilised and under threat from both advanced flexible endoscopic procedures and proceduralists (who often act as gatekeepers for referral to colorectal surgeons), as well as from robotic surgery proponents. TAMIS advocates can learn and adopt practice insights from both these fields and incorporate available technological innovations building on the huge accomplishments already delivered in this area.

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Article Synopsis
  • Fluorescence-guided oncology using indocyanine green (ICG) may improve the detection and treatment of colorectal cancer by studying its distribution in human tumors.
  • The research involved 50 patients, analyzing near-infrared video and imagery from both early and late post-administration of ICG, revealing notable fluorescence patterns in malignant versus benign tissue.
  • Results showed that early fluorescence primarily appeared in tissue stroma and not in malignant or healthy glands, while later stages displayed uneven fluorescence in malignant cells, suggesting potential uses for ICG in diagnosing and targeting cancerous tissues.
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Aim/background: Intra-operative colonic perfusion assessment via indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICGFA) aims to address malperfusion-related anastomotic complications; however, its interpretation suffers interuser variability (IUV), especially early in ICGFA experience. This work assesses the impact of a protocol developed for both operator-based judgement and computational development on interpretation consistency, focusing on senior surgeons yet to start using ICGFA.

Methods: Experienced and junior gastrointestinal surgeons were invited to complete an ICGFA-experience questionnaire.

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Introduction: Gas leaks polluting the operating room are common in laparoscopy. Studies defining methods for sensitive leak characterisation and mechanical mitigation in real world settings are, however, lacking.

Methods: Mobile optical gas imagers (both a miniaturised Schlieren system and sensitive tripod-mounted near-infrared carbon dioxide camera (GF343, FLIR)) prospectively defined trocar-related gas leaks occurring either spontaneously or with instrumentation during planned laparoscopic surgery at three hospitals.

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In laparoscopic surgery, one of the main byproducts is the gaseous particles, called surgical smoke, which is found hazardous for both the patient and the operating room staff due to their chemical composition, and this implies a need for its effective elimination. The dynamics of surgical smoke are monitored by the underlying flow inside the abdomen and the hidden Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) present therein. In this article, for an insufflated abdomen domain, we analyse the velocity field, obtained from a computational fluid dynamics model, first, by calculating the flow rates for the outlets and then by identifying the patterns which are responsible for the transportation, mixing and accumulation of the material particles in the flow.

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Background: The constrained access associated with transanal minimally invasive surgery has led surgeons to deploy robotic-assisted platforms to offset inherent maneuverability limitations and, perhaps, skills deficits.

Impact Of Innovation: A handheld, powered 5-mm lightweighted laparoendoscopic electromechanical digital device (HandX, HumanXtensions, Israel) with hardware and software components that convert surgical hand movements precisely to the instrument's articulating tip and enable robotic transanal minimally invasive surgery with full tip roticulation for hook diathermy and suturing.

Technology, Materials, And Methods: After bench and biomedical model training, HandX was used in 3 transanal minimally invasive surgery procedures (2 male patients and 1 female patient, mean age 66.

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Background: Operating-room audiovisual recording is increasingly proposed, although its ethical implications need elucidation. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the published literature on ethical aspects regarding operating-room recording.

Methods: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched for articles describing ethical aspects regarding surgical (both intracorporeal and operating room) recording from database inception to the present (the last search was undertaken in July 2022).

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Background: Despite significant improvements in preoperative workup and surgical planning, surgeons often rely on their eyes and hands during surgery. Although this can be sufficient in some patients, intraoperative guidance is highly desirable. Near-infrared fluorescence has been advocated as a potential technique to guide surgeons during surgery.

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