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Background: Advances in instrumentation and surgical technique have made it possible to perform minimally invasive surgery on parenchymal organs including the spleen. In splenic surgery, organ preservation has high priority due to the organ's important immunological functions. This must also be taken into consideration when doing laparoscopic procedures. Material and Methods: Laparoscopic splenectomy and hemisplenectomy are performed using 3-4 trocars, with the patient in a right semilateral position. Blood vessels are dissected and the spleen mobilized using the ultrasound scalpel or LigaSure instrument. The vessels are carefully exposed and, in the case of hemisplenectomy, selectively dissected. For splenectomy, an endostapler with a vascular cartridge is usually used to sever the hilar vessels. For partial resections, the parenchyma is also severed with an endostapler. In a 5-year period, 109 patients underwent this procedure. 15 of them had a resection of the lower pole and 29 of the upper pole. Four patients had a subtotal resection, and 61 were splenectomized. Results: Laparoscopic splenectomy or hemisplenectomy was successfully completed in 105 of 109 patients. Four patients had to be converted due to intraoperative bleeding. Hospital mortality was 0. In all cases in which a partial splenectomy was performed for diagnostic purposes a firm diagnosis could be established. Conclusion: Laparoscopic operations have proved to be feasible and advisable for spleens with a long axis up to 24 cm. Laparoscopic technique can be seen as standard for normal-sized or slightly enlarged spleens. Patients with hematological diseases in whom the surgical risk is higher due to their comorbidity have the greatest benefit from these operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Even the most modern technology has failed to induce satisfactory functional regeneration of traumatically severed peripheral nerves. Delayed neural regeneration and in consequence, slower neural conduction seriously limit muscle function in the area supplied by the injured nerve. This study aimed to compare a new nerve coaptation system involving an innovative prosthesis with the classical clinical method of sutured nerve coaptation. Besides the time and degree of nerve regeneration, the influence of electrostimulation was also tested., Methods: The sciatic nerve was severed in 14 female Göttingen minipigs with an average weight of 40.4 kg. The animals were randomized into 2 groups: One group received the new prosthesis and the other underwent microsurgical coaptation. In each group, according to the randomization a part of the animals received postoperative electrostimulation. Postoperative monitoring and the stimulation schedule covered a period of 9 months, during which axonal budding was evaluated monthly., Results: The data from the pilot study indicate that results with the nerve prosthesis were comparable with those of conventional coaptation., Conclusion: The results indicate that implantation of the nerve prosthesis allows for good and effective neural regeneration. This new and simple treatment option for peripheral nerve injuries can be performed in any hospital with surgical facilities as it does not involve the demanding microsurgical suture technique that can only be performed in specialized centers.

Background: In January 2010, the SICE (Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery), under the auspices of the EAES, decided to revisit the clinical recommendations for the role of laparoscopy in abdominal emergencies in adults, with the primary intent being to update the 2006 EAES indications and supplement the existing guidelines on specific diseases., Methods: Other Italian surgical societies were invited into the Consensus to form a panel of 12 expert surgeons. In order to get a multidisciplinary panel, other stakeholders involved in abdominal emergencies were invited along with a patient's association. In November 2010, the panel met in Rome to discuss each chapter according to the Delphi method, producing key statements with a grade of recommendations followed by commentary to explain the rationale and the level of evidence behind the statements. Thereafter, the statements were presented to the Annual Congress of the EAES in June 2011., Results: A thorough literature review was necessary to assess whether the recommendations issued in 2006 are still current. In many cases new studies allowed us to better clarify some issues (such as for diverticulitis, small bowel obstruction, pancreatitis, hernias, trauma), to confirm the key role of laparoscopy (such as for cholecystitis, gynecological disorders, nonspecific abdominal pain, appendicitis), but occasionally previous strong recommendations have to be challenged after review of recent research (such as for perforated peptic ulcer)., Conclusions: Every surgeon has to develop his or her own approach, taking into account the clinical situation, her/his proficiency (and the experience of the team) with the various techniques, and the specific organizational setting in which she/he is working. This guideline has been developed bearing in mind that every surgeon could use the data reported to support her/his judgment.

Background: The decision in favor of surgery or nonoperative conservative treatment in blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma requires a precise diagnosis that is not always possible with imaging techniques, whereby there is great danger that an injury to the diaphragm or intestines may be overlooked. To avoid such oversights, indications for exploratory laparotomy have traditionally been generous, to the extent that up to 41% of exploratory laparotomies turn out to be nontherapeutic and could be, or could have been, avoided with laparoscopy., Materials and Methods: A diagnostic laparoscopy with therapeutic option should only be attempted in stable patients. Three trocars are usually used and the abdomen is explored systematically, beginning with the right upper quadrant and continuing clockwise. Hollow viscus injuries and injuries to the diaphragm and mesentery can be detected and sutured laparoscopically. Injuries to parenchymal organs are not a primary focus of laparoscopy, but with a laparoscopic approach, they usually no longer bleed in stable patients and can be sealed with tissue adhesive and collagen tamponade to prevent re-bleeding., Results: The routine use of laparoscopy can achieve a sensitivity of 90-100% in abdominal trauma. This can reduce the number of unnecessary laparotomies and the related morbidity., Conclusion: Laparoscopy can be performed safely and effectively in stable patients with abdominal trauma. The most important advantages are reduction of the nontherapeutic laparotomy rate, morbidity, shortening of hospitalization, and cost-effectiveness. In the future, new developments in and the miniaturization of equipment can be expected to increase the use of minimally invasive techniques in abdominal trauma cases.

Although the many advantages of laparoscopic surgery have made it an established technique, training in laparoscopic surgery posed problems not encountered in conventional surgical training. Virtual reality simulators open up new perspectives for training in laparoscopic surgery. Under realistic conditions in real time, trainees can tailor their sessions with the VR simulator to suit their needs and goals, and can repeat exercises as often as they wish. VR simulators reduce the number of experimental animals needed for training purposes and are suited to the pursuit of research in laparoscopic surgery.

In an experimental animal study (Sus scrofa domesticus) we investigated the effects of the new technique of laser needle stimulation (wavelength: 685 nm; energy density: 4.6 kJ/cm2 per point; application duration: 20 min). The results revealed changes in microcirculatory parameters of the skin resulting in an increase in blood flow. However, the quality and intensity of the laser light did not induce micromorphological alterations in the skin.

At the Department of Surgery of the Karl-Franzens University Hospital, a number of programs are available that use new technologies for training of students, interns and residents. The first project, the Virtual Medical Campus Graz (vmc.unigraz.at) is one of the "New Media in Teaching at Austrian Universities" projects. The general objectives of this initiative are innovation in teaching, intensification of contacts and easier access to education: The second project is virtual laparoscopy and surgical training. Unlike the traditional training modalities, computer-based training provides efficient and effective learning through an objective training tool that can assess learners' performance. It is to be expected that new media and technologies will continue to provide innovative approaches to learning and that the competition between new and traditional systems will continue to enliven the educational scene.

The rich and diverse heritage of the management of vascular injuries in the 45 independent European countries prevents the authors from revealing a uniform picture of the European experience, but some trends are clearly emerging. In countries with a low incidence of penetrating trauma and increasing use of interventional vascular procedures, the proportion of iatrogenic vascular trauma exceeds 40% of all vascular injuries, whereas on other parts of the continent, armed conflicts are still a major cause of vascular trauma. National vascular registries, mostly in the Scandinavian countries, produce useful, nationwide data about vascular trauma and its management but suffer still from inadequate data collection. Despite a relatively low incidence of vascular trauma in most European countries, the results are satisfactory, probably in most cases because of active and early management by surgeons on call, whether with vascular training or not, treating all kinds of vascular surgical emergencies. In some countries, attempts at developing a trauma and emergency surgical specialty, including expertise in the management of vascular injuries, are on their way.

Objective: To record the current standards of management and education in trauma surgery in 12 geographically and socioeconomically diverse countries in Europe., Design: Questionnaire study., Setting: Teaching hospital, Austria., Intervention: Questionnaire sent to experts on trauma in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom., Main Outcome Measure: Comparison of management of patients before, during, and after admission to hospital, and opportunities for initial and in-service training., Results: Management of patients and opportunities for training varied considerably from country to country, ranging from an organised trauma service throughout with specialised training to a haphazard and variable service that depended more on individual hospitals, doctors and patients., Conclusions: Standardisation of management and training would be desirable, and should be possible at least in countries that are members of the European Union.

A spleen-preserving program was implemented at the author's institution during the mid-1980s using a five-part injury-grading scale that is similar and comparable to the AAST classification. Since that time, all patients with splenic injuries admitted to the Department of Surgery at the Karl-Franzens University Hospital in Graz, a level I trauma center, have been prospectively evaluated with respect to splenic preservation. Analysis of the relation of the severity of organ injury to the use of nonoperative management showed that degree I or II injuries were treated nonoperatively, whereas degree III and IV injuries were usually treated with adhesives, partial resection, or mesh splenorrhaphy; only degree V injuries almost always required splenectomy. With increasing experience in nonoperative management of splenic injuries the initial criteria have become less rigid, and there is now a tendency to attempt it in patients who formerly would have undergone surgery.

Congenital or acquired absence of the spleen and functional hyposplenism are associated with abnormalities of host defence such as an increased susceptibility to infection with encapsulated bacteria. The effects of the lack of the spleen on cell-mediated immunity are largely unknown. In the present study we have investigated peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations in healthy adults who had undergone splenectomy because of severe abdominal trauma > 4 years before the study. The results show a significant reduction in the percentage of CD4+ T cells due to a selective and long-term decrease in the percentage of CD4+CD45RA+ lymphocytes, the CD4+ T-cell subset mainly involved in primary immune responses to newly encountered antigens. Levels of the reciprocal CD45RO+CD4+ T-cell subset were comparable between splenectomized and control individuals, as were lymphoproliferative responses and IFN-gamma production to recall antigens. Decreased levels of CD4+CD45RA+ cells were accompanied by an impairment in primary immune responsiveness, as assessed by investigating T-cell proliferation to stimulation with keyhole limpet haemocyanin and by measuring antibody responses following primary immunization with a clinically relevant T-dependent antigen, hepatitis A vaccine, in vivo. These findings suggest a possible role of the spleen in the generation, maintenance and/or differentiation of naive, unprimed T cells or their precursors, which might have a possible functional relevance for primary immune responses following splenectomy.

Today, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the method of choice for treatment of symptomatic gallbladder disorders. It minimizes effects of the operation that are independent of the gallbladder, such as trauma to the abdominal wall and other soft tissue. The surgical wounds were even smaller when 2-mm trocars were used. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy using 2-mm instruments was performed in a consecutive series of 14 patients with symptomatic gallstones. The procedure was completed in 12 cases, with conversion to open surgery in two cases. Intraoperative cholangiography was always performed. The postoperative course was always uneventful. The cosmetic effect was highly satisfactory. The procedure using 2-mm instruments could be indicated in selected patients with uncomplicated gallstone disease.

The spleen and liver are the most frequently injured organs during blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. Emergency laparotomy is crucial for early control of bleeding and to prevent "secondary" injury as a result of physiologic splanchnic vasoconstriction and free oxygen radicals. Altogether 98 patients with spleen and liver injuries were treated over an 8-year period. Primary orthotopic spleen preservation could be achieved in 46 of 63 patients. In 58 patients with hepatic trauma, hemostatic treatment was chosen based on the severity of the injury. Nonoperative management was used for four splenic and seven hepatic trauma patients. The most commonly used techniques were fibrin sealing, suturing, and débridement for hepatic injury and mesh splenorrhaphy, fibrin glue, and partial resection with a TA stapler for splenic injury. The death of patients with complex injuries was mainly due to preclinical massive blood loss and multiple organ failure.

Overlapping sphincteroplasty is the method of choice for isolated anterior sphincter defects. Patients over 60 years of age can undergo this operation with similar good results as in younger patients. However, preoperative physiologic assessment of the pelvic floor is necessary for a good postoperative outcome.

Twenty domestic pigs with an average weight of 30 kg were subjected to laparoscopic partial splenic resection with the aim of determining the feasibility, reliability, and safety of this procedure. Unlike the human spleen, the pig spleen is perpendicular to the body's long axis, and it is long and slender. The parenchyma was severed through the middle third, where the organ is thickest. An 18-mm trocar with a 60-mm Endopath linear cutter was used for the resection. The tissue was removed with a 33-mm trocar. The operation was successfully concluded in all animals. No capsule tears occurred as a result of applying the stapler. Optimal hemostasis was achieved on the resected edges in all animals. Although these findings cannot be extended to human surgery without reservations, we suggest that diagnostic partial resection and minor cyst resections are ideal initial indications for this minimally invasive approach.