Comparing Thoracic Epidural Anaesthesia to Rectus Sheath Catheter Analgesia for Postoperative Pain After Major Abdominal Surgeries: A Systematic Review.

Controlling postoperative pain is essential for the greatest recovery following major abdominal surgery. Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) has traditionally been considered the preferred method of providing pain relief after major abdominal surgeries. Thoracic epidural analgesia has a wide range of complications, including residual motor blockade, hypotension, urine retention with the need for urinary catheterisation, tethering to infusion pumps, and occasional failure rates.

Alcohol-Containing Versus Aqueous-Based Solutions for Skin Preparation in Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: The use of optimal skin antiseptic agents for the prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) is of critical importance, especially during abdominal surgical procedures. Alcohol-based chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and aqueous-based povidone-iodine (PVI) are the two most common skin antiseptics used nowadays. The objective of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of alcohol-based CHG versus aqueous-based PVI used for skin preparation before abdominal surgery to reduce SSIs.

Systematic review with meta-analysis of transverse vertical midline extraction incisional hernia risk following laparoscopic colorectal resections.

Background: The aim of this article is to explore the risk of incisional hernia (IH) occurrence at the site of specimen extraction following laparoscopic colorectal resection (LCR), highlighting the comparison between transverse incision versus midline vertical abdominal incision.

Methods: Analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Systematic search of medical databases, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and Cochrane Library were performed to find all types of comparative studies reporting the incidence of IH at the specimen extraction site of transverse or vertical midline incision following LCR.