Single-Incision and Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery in Switzerland.

Background: Single-incision laparoscopy (SIL) and natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) aim at reducing surgical access trauma. To monitor the introduction of emerging technologies, the Swiss Association for Laparo- and Thoracoscopic Surgeons launched a database in 2010. The current status of SIL and NOTES in Switzerland is reported, and the techniques are compared.

[The colocutaneous fistula - a rare complication of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy].

History And Admission Findings: A 43-year-old woman with spastic tetraparesis, mental retardation and long-term tube feeding was admitted for a replacement of the PEG tube, 15 months after placement and regular use of her first feeding tube. New problems had occurred with local infection and a suspected leakage. The gastrostoma showed a local erythema and increased secretion of putrid fluids, furthermore a tendency to diarrhea had developed.

The "winged" circular anal dilator in stapled hemorrhoidectomy.

Stapled hemorrhoidectomy is gaining popularity worldwide. One problem that is often encountered is difficulty with insertion of the circular anal dilator because of very protuberant and fatty buttocks and a narrow interischial tuberosity distance. We describe a modification of this device for easier introduction in such patients.

[The "buried bumper syndrome"--a rare complication of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy].

The buried bumper syndrome is a rare complication of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG). Hereby the PEG bumper is overgrown by hypertrophic gastric mucosa and embedded into the gastric wall. This is probably a consequence of enforced tightening of the PEG tube causing an ulcer in the gastric mucosa.

[Transanal endoscopic microsurgery--experiences at the Zurich University Hospital].

The advantages of TEM (transanal endoscoic microsurgery) are minimally invasive, exact and full thickness excision of tumors in the rectum and a very low morbidity with excellent comfort for the patient. In a retrospective study all transanal endoscopic operations at Zurich University hospital in the last 5 years have been analyzed (n = 18). 11 adenomas and 5 carcinomas of the rectum have been resected with TEM (one mucosectomy, 16 full wall resections and one segmental resection of the rectum).

[Socioeconomic advantages of laparoscopic cholecystectomy].

A cohort of 100 consecutive patients cholecystectomized by laparoscopy was compared retrospectively under diverse socio-economic viewpoints to a cohort of 100 patients that underwent conventional cholecystectomy by means of the matched pair procedure. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy does not only combine enhanced comfort and less postoperative pain without loss of safety for the patient, but also offers objectively attainable socio-economic advantages in comparison to conventional, open cholecystectomy. Operation time was not prolonged in laparoscopic cholecystectomies.

[The need for blood transfusions in elective colon surgery--is preoperative autotransfusion useful?].

All elective surgical procedures of the colon from 1992-1994 at Kreisspital Männedorf were analyzed retrospectively. The goal of this study was to find out if a preoperative autologous blood donation before elective colon surgery is useful and if so to determine the amount of blood to be donated. In 87 surgical procedures of the colon, the use of homologous blood transfusions was studied.