TIPS, a Trick for Transcaval TEVAR Access.

Purpose: We described an alternative access for thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) deployment using a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) needle for gaining transcaval access to the abdominal aorta.

Case Report: A 63-year-old man presented with a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer in the descending aorta. Traditional transfemoral and transaxillary access were not possible.

Implementation of minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy: learning curve of a single high-volume center.

Open esophagectomy is considered to be the main surgical procedure in the world for esophageal cancer treatment. Implementing a new surgical technique is associated with learning curve morbidity. The objective of this study is to determine the learning curve based on anastomotic leakage (AL) after implementing minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (MI-ILE) in January 2015.

C-reactive protein and drain amylase: their utility in ruling out anastomotic leakage after minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy.

Introduction: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most feared complications after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. We investigated the role of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and drain amylase levels in the early detection of AL.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 193 patients who underwent a minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis procedure between January 2017 and October 2021.

Patients with Isolated Brain Metastases from Esophageal Carcinoma After Minimally Invasive Esophagectomy May Not Have a Dismal Prognosis.

Background: After esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma, 2-13% of patients develop brain metastases (BM) which are associated with a poor prognosis. Further investigation into treatment and prognosis is beneficial given the limited available literature and varying outcomes.

Methods: Case files of all 339 patients who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) in a single high-volume center between January 2015 and December 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on incidence and severity of acute appendicitis: a comparison between 2019 and 2020.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a decrease in the number of patients presenting with acute appendicitis was observed. It is unclear whether this caused a shift towards more complicated cases of acute appendicitis. We compared a cohort of patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic with a 2019 control cohort.