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Background: As a common disease in orthopedic clinics, popliteal cysts often coexist with intra-articular lesions. Compared with traditional open surgery, arthroscopic treatment of popliteal cysts is less traumatic, and intra-articular lesions can be treated. The 'one-way valve' mechanism of the popliteal cyst can be removed by expanding the communication between the articular cavity and the cyst to avoid cyst recurrence. In terms of arthroscopic techniques, the comparison of clinical effects between the double posteromedial portal (DPP) and single posteromedial portal (SPP) has rarely been studied. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical effects of DPP and SPP., Methods: A total of 46 consecutive patients with symptomatic popliteal cysts who underwent arthroscopic treatment were included in this study and followed for approximately 1 year. All patients were divided into two groups according to the arthroscopic portals (DPP group and SPP group). The cyst size, Lysholm score and Rauschening-Lindgren (R-L) grade were evaluated before the operation for all patients, and the intra-articular lesions, operative time and complications were recorded after operation. At the last follow-up, the Lysholm score and R-L grade were recorded, and magnetic resonance imaging was used to evaluate the outcome of the cyst. The clinical data of the two groups was statistically compared and analyzed., Results: There were no significant differences in preoperative cyst size, Lysholm score or R-L grade between the two groups (P > 0.05). The operation time of the DPP group (67.52 ± 18.23 min) was longer than that of the SPP group (55.95 ± 16.40 min) (P = 0.030), but the recurrence rate of cysts in the DPP group (0%) was obviously lower than that in the SPP group (19.0%) (P = 0.046). There were no significant differences in the Lysholm score, R-L grade or complication rate between the two groups at the last follow-up (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: Arthroscopic treatment of popliteal cysts using double posteromedial portals was a safe and effective surgical method., Trial Registration: ChiCTR, ChiCTR2200060115. Registered 19 May 2022, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=133199., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The purpose of this study was to introduce the arthroscopic internal drainage with anterior-anteromedial approach for the treatment of popliteal cysts in children. To compare its clinical efficacy with open surgery., Methods: This was a retrospective case-control study of 102 patients diagnosed with popliteal cysts from January 2018 to February 2020 who received surgery. The study included 27 cases with minimally invasive group (MI group) and 75 cases with open surgery group (OS group). The MI group included 21 males and 6 females, age 6.71 ± 2.16 years who received arthroscopic internal drainage of the cysts to adequately widen the valve opening between the cyst and the articular cavity, excised the fibrous diaphragm without complete excision of the cyst wall. The OS group included 57 males and 18 females, age 6.21 ± 1.67 years who received open excision. The clinical parameters regarding the preoperative characteristics and surgical results were compared. Ultrasound or MRI was used to identify the recurrence of the popliteal cysts. Rauschning-Lindgren grade was recorded to evaluate the clinical outcome., Results: All patients were followed up for at least 24 months. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, gender, left and right sides, disease time, cyst size, length of hospitalization, preoperative Rauschning-Lindgren grade (p > 0.05). At the last follow-up, the preoperative and postoperative Rauschning-Lindgren grade was improved in both groups. Compared with the OS group, operation time was significantly shortened in the MI group (28.89 ± 4.51 min vs 52.96 ± 29.72 min, p < 0.05). The MI group was superior to the OS group in terms of blood loss and plaster fixation, with statistical significance (p < 0.05). There was obvious difference in recurrence rate between the two groups (0% vs 17.33%, p = 0.018). No postoperative complications occurred during the follow-up period., Conclusions: Compared with open excision, the treatment of popliteal cyst in children by arthroscopic internal drainage to expand the articular cavity and eliminate the "one-way valve" mechanism between the cyst and the articular cavity exhibits better clinical outcomes and significantly reduces the recurrence rate, which is worthy of further clinical promotion., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Most anastomotic leaks after surgical resection for esophageal or esophagogastric junction malignancies are treated endoscopically with esophageal stents. Internal drainage by double pigtail stents has been used for the endoscopic management of leaks following bariatric surgery, and recently introduced for anastomotic leaks after resections for malignancies. Our aim was to assess the overall efficacy of the endoscopic treatment for anastomotic leaks after esophageal or gastric resection for malignancies., Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study in four digestive endoscopy tertiary referral centers in France. We included consecutive patients managed endoscopically for anastomotic leak following esophagectomy or gastrectomy for malignancies between January 2016 and December 2018. The primary outcome was the efficacy of the endoscopic management on leak closure., Results: Sixty-eight patients were included, among which 46 men and 22 women, with a mean ± SD age of 61 ± 11 years. Forty-four percent had an Ivor Lewis procedure, 16% a tri-incisional esophagectomy, and 40% a total gastrectomy. The median time between surgery and the diagnosis of leak was 9 (6-13) days. Endoscopic treatment was successful in 90% of the patients. The efficacy of internal drainage and esophageal stents was 95% and 77%, respectively ( p  = 0.06). The mortality rate was 3%. The only predictive factor of successful endoscopic treatment was the initial use of internal drainage ( p  = 0.002)., Conclusion: Endoscopic management of early postoperative leak is successful in 90% of patients, preventing highly morbid surgical revisions. Internal endoscopic drainage should be considered as the first-line endoscopic treatment of anastomotic fistulas whenever technically feasible., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (© The Author(s), 2021.)

Background: Persistent pancreatic leakage (PL) due to disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome (DPDS) is associated with severe morbidity and mortality and it usually treated with internal drainage. However, in cases without localized fistula formation, internal drainage is challenging to perform. We report an original one-stage surgical approach for nonlocalized persistent PL, namely, the "intentional internal drainage tube method"., Case Presentation: A 49-year-old woman whose main pancreatic duct was penetrated during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography experienced severe PL. Peritoneal lavage and a second operation involving central pancreatectomy failed to relieve the symptoms, and nonlocalized PL persisted due to DPDS. Although we attempted a radical resection of the pancreatic remnants as a third strategy, the highly inflamed tissue and massive bleeding prevented the completion of the procedure. We sutured the pancreatic head margin and performed a pancreaticojejunostomy to the distal margin. Because these two cut margins could possibly be the source of the persistent PL, we created a hole at the Roux-en-Y jejunal limb, and a silicone drainage tube was inserted into the peritoneal space via this hole. Postoperatively, we continuously suctioned the intentional internal drainage tube, and the residual PL cavity gradually diminished. Even after removal of the tube, the residual PL drained internally into the jejunum through this hole., Conclusions: We present this intentional internal drainage tube method as a novel alternative approach for the management of nonlocalized PL consequential of DPDS. Due to the simplicity and minimally invasive nature of this method, we propose this technique may also be used to treat various types of nonlocalized persistent PL or be used prophylactically for central pancreatectomy.

Introduction: Preoperative biliary drainage has been widely used to treat patients with malignant biliary obstruction. However, it is still unclear which method is more effective: internal drainage or external drainage. Thus, we carried out a meta-analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of the two drainage methods in treatment of malignant biliary obstruction in terms of preoperative and postoperative complications., Material and Methods: We conducted a literature search of Medline, EMBASE, PubMed, Ovid journals and the Cochrane Library, and compared internal drainage and external drainage in malignant biliary obstruction patients. The pre- and postoperative complications, stent dysfunction rate and mortality were analyzed., Results: Ten published studies ( n = 1464 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. We found that patients with malignant biliary obstruction who received external drainage showed reductions in the preoperative cholangitis rate (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.24-0.44, p < 0.00001), the incidence of stent dysfunction (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.30-0.57, p < 0.00001), and total morbidity (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.23-0.50, p < 0.00001) compared with patients who received internal drainage., Conclusions: The current meta-analysis indicates that external drainage is better than internal drainage for malignant biliary obstruction in terms of the preoperative cholangitis rate, the incidence of stent dysfunction and total morbidity, etc. However, the findings need to be confirmed by randomized controlled trials., (Copyright © 2020 Termedia & Banach.)

Gastric leak remains the main complication after sleeve gastrectomy, but there are no standardized guidelines for its treatment. Good results have been reported using endoscopic double-pigtail stent. To estimate its effectiveness, we carried out this systematic review. Eleven eligible articles were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. A total of 385 patients met the inclusion criteria. The pooled proportion of successful leak closures by using double pigtail drainage was 83.41%. The proportion of successful leak closures by using double pigtail drainage by experienced operators as first-line treatment was 84.71%. Our review suggested that double-pigtail stent could be a valid approach to manage the postbariatric gastric leak, with low rate of complications and a good tolerance by patients. More high-quality studies with large samples sizes should be undertaken to better evaluate and compare the variety of techniques available., (Copyright © 2019 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: Gastrointestinal transmural defects are defined as total rupture of the gastrointestinal wall and can be divided into three main categories: perforations, leaks, and fistulas. Due to an increase in the number of therapeutic endoscopic procedures including full-thickness resections and the increase incidence of complications related to bariatric surgeries, there has been an increase in the number of transmural defects seen in clinical practice and the number of non-invasive endoscopic treatment procedures used to treat these defects., Recent Findings: The variety of endoscopic approaches and devices, including closure techniques using clips, endoloop, and endoscopic sutures; covering techniques such as the cardiac septal occluder device, luminal stents, and tissue sealants; and drainage techniques including endoscopic vacuum therapy, pigtail, and septotomy with balloon dilation are transforming endoscopy as the first-line approach for therapy of these conditions. In this review, we describe the various transmural defects and the endoscopic techniques and devices used in their closure.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether internal or external drainage with a pancreatic duct stent is the optimal pancreaticojejunostomy method to prevent pancreatic fistula (PF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for subgroups of patients at high risk for PF., Materials and Methods: A total of 495 patients who underwent PD were reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for PF after PD. We further compared the incidence of PF and outcomes between the internal and external drainage groups for subgroups of patients at high risk for PF., Results: There was no difference in the incidence of complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification or the rate of PF after PD in both groups (P = 0.961 and P = 0.505, respectively). The incidence of mortality was 3.8% in the internal drainage group and 3.9% in the external drainage group (P = 0.980). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified male gender (odds ratio [OR] = 2.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.78-4.83; P = 0.000), pancreatic duct diameter (<3 mm) (OR = 2.58; 95% CI, 1.57-4.23; P = 0.000), and soft pancreatic texture (OR = 2.92; 95% CI, 1.71-4.98; P = 0.000) as independent risk factors for PF after PD. No differences in the incidence of PF for the subgroups of patients with one, two, or three risk factors were observed between the internal and external drainage groups (P = 0.334, P = 1.000, and P = 0.936, respectively). No differences in total complications, delayed gastric emptying, postpancreatectomy hemorrhage, biliary fistula, infection complications, reoperation, perioperative mortality, or postoperative hospital stay were noted. In addition, liquid loss and tube-related complications occurred in the external drainage group., Conclusions: Internal drainage is the optimal method to prevent PF after PD for subgroups of patients at high risk for PF because the surgical procedure is simple and prevents liquid loss and tube-related complications associated with external drainage. However, no differences in the incidence of PF and other complications after PD were observed between the two approaches., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the short-term effectiveness between arthroscopic cystectomy and internal drainage combined with cystectomy in popliteal cyst., Methods: Between March 2014 and March 2017, 56 patients with symptomatic popliteal cyst were enrolled in the study, randomized block design was used to divided the patients into trial group (arthroscopic cystectomy combined with internal drainage group, n =28) and control group (arthroscopic internal drainage group, n =28). Excluding those who had incomplete follow-up and received surgery for other diseases postoperatively, 26 patients in the experimental group and 27 patients in the control group were finally enrolled in the study. There was no significant difference in gender, age, side, course of disease, maximum diameter and grade of popliteal cyst, and associated diseases between two groups ( P >0.05). The operation time, duration of popliteal ecchymosis and the middle back of calf tenderness were observed postoperatively. The circumference of calf at 1 day, 1 week, and 2 weeks after operation were measured and the differences were calculated with the measurement before operation. Lower extremity venous thrombosis was observed by color doppler ultrasonography at 1 week after operation. The effectiveness was evaluated by Rauschning and Lindgren grading criteria. And MRI was used to observe whether the popliteal cyst disappeared or decreased and measured its maximum diameter at 1 year after operation., Results: Patients in both groups were followed up 12-14 months, with an average of 12.5 months. The operation time, duration of popliteal ecchymosis, and the middle back of calf tenderness of the trial group were all longer than those in the control group ( P <0.05), the differences of circumference of calf at 1 day, 1 week, and 2 weeks after operation of the trial group were greater than those in the control group ( P <0.05). Color doppler ultrasonography of the lower extremity at 1 week after operation found that the intermuscular venous thrombosis occurred in 2 cases of the trial group, while no lower extremity thrombosis was found in the control group; and the difference between two groups was not significant ( P =0.236). According to the Rauschning and Lindgren grading criteria, there were 16 cases of grade 0, 6 cases of grade 1, and 4 cases of grade 2 in the trial group, and 17 cases of grade 0, 4 cases of grade 1, and 6 cases of grade 2 in the control group at 1 year after operation. There was no significant difference between 2 groups ( Z =-1.872, P =0.078). Nine cases (34.62%) of the trial group and 13 cases (48.15%) of the control group still have residual cysts by MRI, the maximum diameter of which was less than 2 cm. The cysts disappeared in the remaining patients in both groups, and there was no recurrence during the follow-up. There was no significant difference in cyst residual rate between 2 groups ( χ 2 =2.293, P =0.852)., Conclusion: Compared with arthroscopic internal drainage, the short-term effectiveness of the arthroscopic internal drainage combined with cystectomy had no significant improvement, and the operation time was prolonged, the postoperative complications were obviously increased.

Background: Post-operative collections are a recognized source of morbidity after abdominal surgery. Percutaneous drainage is currently considered the standard treatment but not all collections are accessible using this method. Since the adoption of EUS, endoscopic transmural drainage has become an attractive option in the management of such complications. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy, safety and modalities of endoscopic transmural drainage in the treatment of post-operative collections., Methods: Data of all patients referred to our dedicated multidisciplinary facility from 2014 to 2017 for endoscopic drainage of symptomatic post-operative collections after failure of percutaneous drainage or when it was deemed impossible, were retrospectively analyzed., Results: Thirty-two patients (17 males and 15 females) with a median age of 53 years old (range 31-74) were included. Collections resulted from pancreatic (n = 10), colorectal (n = 6), bariatric (n  = 5), and other type of surgery (n  = 11). Collection size was less than 5 cm in diameter in 10 (31%), between 5 and 10 cm in 17 (53%) ,and more than 10 cm in 5 (16%) patients. The median time from surgery to endoscopic drainage was 38 days (range 6-360). Eight (25%) patients underwent endoscopic guided drainage whereas 24 (75%) patients underwent EUS-guided drainage. Technical success was 100% and clinical success was achieved in 30 (93.4%) after a mean follow-up of 13.5 months (1.2-24.8). Overall complication was 12.5% including four patients who bled following trans-gastric drainage treated with conservative therapy., Conclusions: The present series suggests that endoscopic transmural drainage represents an interesting alternative in the treatment of post-operative collection when percutaneous drainage is not possible or fails.

Background: The treatment of pancreatic pseudocysts has evolved during the past two decades. Endoscopic treatment (ET) has gradually become used as a first-line management even though it showed no significant superiority to surgical internal drainages (SIDs) in a recent randomized trial. The objective of the present work was to analyze the effect of ET failure on the results of SID in the global management of pancreatic pseudocysts., Methods: A multicenter retrospective study (Clichy, Bordeaux, Nantes, and Rennes) was conducted between January 2000 and December 2012. The main criteria were as follows: (i) major postoperative complications (MPCs) (Clavien ≥ 3) and (ii) treatment failure in the first 12 mo. All factors that may affect these two parameters were tested in univariate and multivariate analyses, when necessary., Results: One hundred nineteen patients, with a median age of 52 y (22-83) underwent SID, including 45 procedures (37.8%) performed after ET failure. Mortality and overall morbidity rates were 1.7% and 30.2%, respectively. Eighteen patients (15.1%) presented an MPC. Multivariate analysis revealed that failure of ET (odds ratio 3.04, confidence interval [1.04 to 9.5], P = 0.046) and BMI ≤20 (odds ratio 4.5, confidence interval [1.50; 15.5], P = 0.010) were independent risk factors of MPCs. The success of SID was 92.5% in the first year. In univariate analysis, the occurrence of an MPC was the only factor linked to the failure of SID (P = 0.029)., Conclusions: Performing an SID after ET failure is associated with an increased risk of MPC. Close postoperative monitoring is recommended for these patients., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The most frequent and severe complication after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is gastric leak. Nowadays, there is no specific standard recommendation for its management, but the endoscopic placement of a double-pigtail drain across the leak has been proven to be effective and minimally invasive. Stent displacement into the abdominal cavity is not common and intrasplenic migration is even more rare., Case Presentation: We report a case of a 49-year-old woman with intrasplenic displacement of an endoscopic double-pigtail stent as a treatment for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy leak., Discussion: Pigtail drain migration involving the spleen is rare but may potentially expose the patient to the risk of parenchymal abscess or haemorrhage. Often the clinic does not indicate early this complication., Conclusion: We underline the need for a close radiologic follow-up, regardless of clinical conditions, in all patients treated with double-pigtail drain and its early removal in case of migration., (Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: A popliteal cyst is a benign swelling with synovial fluid located behind the knee joint. Popliteal cysts are often asymptomatic; however, symptomatic cysts may cause pain and may need surgery interventions. Here, we performed a perspective study to compare the clinical efficacy of different surgical approaches, including traditional open excision and advanced arthroscopic treatment., Methods: A total of 76 patients with popliteal cysts were assigned into three groups by a randomized complete block design. Group A included 32 patients (15 males and 17 females, age 55.3 ± 9.8 years) who received arthroscopic internal drainage of the cysts. Group B included 19 patients (9 males and 10 females, age 55.4 ± 7.6 years) who received open excision after arthroscopic treatment. Group C included 25 patients (11 males and 14 females, age 54.2 ± 8.5 years) who received open excision. All patients were followed up for an average of 13.7 ± 2.4 months. The following parameters were compared: the time of surgery, during surgery, the length of incision, the incision healing rate, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the hospitalization time, the rate of recovery to level 0-1 cysts, the recurrence rate, and the Lysholm score., Results: Group A exhibited significant better outcomes compared to groups B and C in the length of incision (1.6 ± 0.1 cm), the incision healing rate (100%), the postoperative VAS score (2.7 ± 1.2), the hospitalization time (7.8 ± 2.8 days), and the Lysholm score at the last follow-up (85.8 ± 5.2). The recurrence rate is significantly lower in groups A (3.1%) and B (5.2%) than group C (40%) (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Arthroscopic treatment for popliteal cysts exhibited better clinical outcomes with minimal invasion and can be recommended for future clinical interventions.

Background: Pancreatic pseudocysts (PPC) are collections of fluid encapsulated within a well-defined inflammatory wall that develop during pancreatic inflammation. Internal drainage represents the standard of care in lesions that persist and lead to symptoms and complications. Only limited data are available on long-term results and recurrence of PPC after drainage procedures. Thus, the aim of the present study was to analyse the long-term outcome after endoscopic drainage of PPC., Material and Methods: Patient data were retrospectively collected by review of clinical records of the University Medical Center Mannheim. We assessed the clinical short-term outcome (results in the first 30 days after initial drainage procedure), medium-term outcome (results 6 months after initial drainage procedure) and long-term outcome (results after stent removal). We performed statistical analysis to identify possible risk factors for recurrence of PPC., Results: We identified 51 patients with initially successful endoscopic drainage of the PPC (n = 51/53, 96%). Among this cohort, 43 patients were available for assessment of medium-term results. In 82.9% of these 43 patients the drainage could be removed after successful treatment of the PPC. Thirty patients were available for long term follow-up with a mean observation period of 42.2 months (SD 32.8 months). Among these patients, seven (n = 7/30, 23.3%) had recurrent PPC. Approximately half of the recurrent cysts arose in different anatomical regions and most patients with recurrence had chronic pancreatitis., Conclusion: Endoscopic drainage represents an effective treatment for PPC. Approximately one quarter of the patients developed recurrent PPC. Half of recurrent PPC developed in different pancreatic regions than the initial PPC., (Copyright © 2017 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The so-called stent-related symptoms caused mainly by detrusor overactivity due to distal ("cystic") curl of the internal stent are common among patients with this type of drainage. The need for long-term stenting makes the quality of life of cancer patients one of the challenging problems of modern urology. The aim of this study was to optimize treatment of stent-related symptoms in cancer patients with internal long-term stents by complementing the treatment regimen with m-anticholinergic solifenacin., Materials and Methods: From November 2013 to November 2015 68 cancer patients (26 males, 42 females, age 36-79 years) underwent elective internal ureteral stenting for drainage of the upper urinary tract (UUT) with special long-term stents coated with the hydrogel. The urinary tract obstruction was caused by urological (24), gynecological (26) and colorectal (18) cancers. Before deciding on urinary tract drainage, all patients were treated with radiation or chemotherapy, 28 (41.2%) patients underwent surgery, but on admission all of them had contraindications to radical surgery for different reasons. In 52 (76.5%) patients UUT stenting was performed using transurethral access, in 12 (17.6%) by percutaneous access and in another 4 (5.9%) by the combined access with patients in the supine position. Percutaneous and combined access was used in cases of impracticability (failure) of transurethral stenting. Patients in group 1 (n=32) after stent placement received standard therapy co-administered with solifenacin 5 mg daily, group 2 (n=36) - only standard therapy. The data analyzed were the technical features of the internal drainage, optimal access and registered solifenacin-related adverse events. Control examinations were scheduled once in 3 months after stent placement according to the following algorithm: ultrasound scanning, laboratory test monitoring and, if indicated, plain urography. To objectify the severity of stent-related symptoms, a survey of patients using a special questionnaire was conducted. Visual analog scale was used to measure subjectively the patients condition., Results: After 12 months only 48 patients (26 from group 1 and 22 from group 2) completed the study. Follow-up examinations revealed that the patients in group 1 had significantly lower score of stent-related symptom severity and better ratings in visual analog scale. The greatest difference (1-2 points) was found in urgency and urinary frequency scores. The safety profile of solifenacin 5 mg corresponded to the findings of previous studies, there was no serious adverse events requiring discontinuation of the drug., Conclusions: Installing internal stents in UUT in cancer patients requires relevant experience in Roentgen-endoscopic operations using transurethral and percutaneous approaches and special equipment. In most cases, for preventing and eliminating supravesical obstruction in cancer patients, special internal stents for the long term placement are required. The add-on solifenacin therapy 5 mg/day resulted in almost 20% reduction in the severity of stent-related irritative symptoms and improved the quality of life in this extremely challenging category of patients.

Background: Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) is a cholestatic liver disease of childhood. Pruritus resulting from increased bile salts in serum might not respond to medical treatment, and internal or external biliary drainage methods have been described. In this study, we aimed to evaluate different internal drainage techniques in patients with PFIC., Patients and Methods: Between 2009 and 2014, seven children (4 male, 3 female, 3months-5years old), (median 2years of age) with PFIC were evaluated. The patients were reviewed according to age, gender, complaints, surgical technique, laboratory findings and outcome. In each two patients, cholecystoileocolonic anastomosis, cholecystojejunocolonic anastomosis and cholecystocolostomy were performed. Cholecysto-appendico-colonic anastomosis was the technique used in one patient., Results: Jaundice and excessive pruritus were the main complaints. One of the patients with cholecystoileocolonic anastomosis died of comorbid pathologies (cirrhosis, adhesive obstruction and severe sepsis). Temporary rectal bleeding was observed in all the patients postoperatively. Regardless of the surgical technique, pruritus was dramatically decreased in all the patients in the postoperative period., Conclusion: Regardless of the technique, internal biliary diversion methods are beneficial for the relief of pruritus in PFIC patients. Selection of the surgical method might vary depending on the surgeon's preference and the surgical anatomy of the gastrointestinal system of the patient., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The effective remediation of chlorinated solvent source zones using in situ thermal treatment requires successful capture of gas that is produced. Replicate electrical resistance heating experiments were performed in a thin bench-scale apparatus, where water was boiled and pooled dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) trichloroethene (TCE) and water were co-boiled in unconsolidated silica sand. Quantitative light transmission visualization was used to assess gas production and transport mechanisms. In the water boiling experiments, nucleation, growth and coalescence of the gas phase into connected channels were observed at critical gas saturations of Sgc=0.233±0.017, which allowed for continuous gas transport out of the sand. In experiments containing a colder region above a target heated zone, condensation prevented the formation of steam channels and discrete gas clusters that mobilized into colder regions were trapped soon after discontinuous transport began. In the TCE-water experiments, co-boiling at immiscible fluid interfaces resulted in discontinuous gas transport above the DNAPL pool. Redistribution of DNAPL was also observed above the pool and at the edge of the vapor front that propagated upwards through colder regions. These results suggest that the subsurface should be heated to water boiling temperatures to facilitate gas transport from specific locations of DNAPL to extraction points and reduce the potential for DNAPL redistribution. Decreases in electric current were observed at the onset of gas phase production, which suggests that coupled electrical current and temperature measurements may provide a reliable metric to assess gas phase development., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Craniopharyngioma are the most common non-glial tumors in childhood. The results of different studies indicate that radical excision surgery is not an appropriate treatment strategy for childhood craniopharyngioma with hypothalamic involvement. Stereotactic neurosurgery provides save, minimal invasive and cost-efficient options in the treatment of childhood craniopharyngioma. In this review a summary of the contribution of the stereotactic neurosurgery in the interdisciplinary treatment regime of childhood craniopharyngioma will be given and discussed in detail.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the role and benefits of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the management of postoperative intra-abdominal fluid collections after attempted curative surgery for abdominal cancer., Methods: The authors retrospectively analysed the Endobase from 1 July 2007 to 30 January 2011 for patients with a postoperative intra-abdominal fluid collection who had undergone EUS-guided drainage and the placement of a stent. The data analysed included the demographics, type of surgery and clinical indications of each patient as well as their clinical and radiological findings., Results: Six patients (three men and three women; mean age, 61.8 years [range, 38-78 years]) with intra-abdominal and pelvic fluid collections after abdominal surgery for cancer had undergone EUS-guided internal drainage. All procedures had been performed using linear EUS guidance and 8-Fr stent drainage catheters ('one step device', Giovannini, NWOA system Needle-Wire, Cook). The collection types included perigastric abscess (n = 3), perigastric hematoma and rectal hematoma (n = 1), perirectal biloma (n = 1), and perirectal abscess (n = 1). Patients had undergone the following types of surgery: lower-anterior rectal resection (n = 2), Whipple's duodenopancreatectomy type (n = 1), total gastrectomy (n = 1), splenectomy (n = 1), and distal pancreatectomy (n = 1). The number of stents inserted for each collection was one (five patients) and two (one patient)., Conclusions: EUS-guided drainage and stenting provide another option for the management of postoperative collections. It allows access to areas that are difficult to reach with the CT-guided approach and it can be performed accurately, efficiently and safely. In addition to this, the internal nature of the drainage offers patients more comfort.