Motor learning induced neuroplasticity in minimally invasive surgery

Technical skills in surgery have become more complex and challenging to acquire since the introduction of technological aids, particularly in the arena of Minimally Invasive Surgery. Additional challenges posed by reforms to surgical careers and increased public scrutiny, have propelled identification of methods to assess and acquire MIS technical skills. Although validated objective assessments have been developed to assess motor skills requisite for MIS, they poorly understand the development of expertise. Motor skills learning, is indirectly observable, an internal process leading to relative permanent changes in the central nervous system. Advances in functional neuroimaging permit direct interrogation of evolving patterns of brain function associated with motor learning due to the property of neuroplasticity and has been used on surgeons to identify the neural correlates for technical skills acquisition and the impact of new technology. However significant gaps exist in understanding neuroplasticity underlying learning complex bimanual MIS skills. In this thesis the available evidence on applying functional neuroimaging towards assessment and enhancing operative performance in the field of surgery has been synthesized. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate frontal lobe neuroplasticity associated with learning a complex bimanual MIS skill using functional near-infrared spectroscopy an indirect neuroimaging technique. Laparoscopic suturing and knot-tying a technically challenging bimanual skill is selected to demonstrate learning related reorganisation of cortical behaviour within the frontal lobe by shifts in activation from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) subserving attention to primary and secondary motor centres (premotor cortex, supplementary motor area and primary motor cortex) in which motor sequences are encoded and executed. In the cross-sectional study, participants of varying expertise demonstrate frontal lobe neuroplasticity commensurate with motor learning. The longitudinal study involves tracking evolution in cortical behaviour of novices in response to receipt of eight hours distributed training over a fortnight. Despite novices achieving expert like performance and stabilisation on the technical task, this study demonstrates that novices displayed persistent PFC activity. This study establishes for complex bimanual tasks, that improvements in technical performance do not accompany a reduced reliance in attention to support performance. Finally, least-squares support vector machine is used to classify expertise based on frontal lobe functional connectivity. Findings of this thesis demonstrate the value of interrogating cortical behaviour towards assessing MIS skills development and credentialing.Open Acces

3D Curve Evolution Algorithm with Tangential Redistribution for a Fully Automatic Finding of an Ideal Camera Path in Virtual Colonoscopy

Abstract. In this paper we develop new method, based on 3D evolving curves, for finding the optimal trajectory of the camera in the virtual colonoscopy -the medical technology dealing with colon diagnoses by computer. The proposed method consists of three steps: 3D segmentation of the colon from CT images, finding an initial trajectory guess inside the segmented 3D subvolumes, and driving the initial 3D curve to its optimal position. To that goal, the new fast and stable 3D curve evolution algorithm is developed in which the initial curve is driven by the velocity field in the plane normal to the evolving curve, the evolution is regularized by curvature and accompanied by the suitable choice of tangential velocity. Thanks to the asymtotically uniform tangential redistribution of grid points, originally introduced in this paper for 3D evolving curves, and to the fast and stable semi-implicit scheme for solving our proposed intrinsic advection-diffusion PDE, we end up in fast and robust way with the smooth uniformly discretized 3D curve representing the ideal path of the camera in virtual colonoscopy

Proceedings of the 2018 Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) International Congress

Published proceedings of the 2018 Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) International Congress, hosted by York University, 27-30 May 2018

Mastering Endo-Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery

This is an open access book. The book focuses mainly on the surgical technique, OR setup, equipments and devices necessary in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). It serves as a compendium of endolaparoscopic surgical procedures. It is an official publication of the Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA). The book includes various sections covering basic skills set, devices, equipments, OR setup, procedures by area. Each chapter cover introduction, indications and contraindications, pre-operative patient’s assessment and preparation, OT setup (instrumentation required, patient’s position, etc.), step by step description of surgical procedures, management of complications, post-operative care. It includes original illustrations for better understanding and visualization of specific procedures. The book serves as a practical guide for surgical residents, surgical trainees, surgical fellows, junior surgeons, surgical consultants and anyone interested in MIS. It covers most of the basic and advanced laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery procedures meeting the curriculum and examination requirements of the residents

Mastering Endo-Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery

This is an open access book. The book focuses mainly on the surgical technique, OR setup, equipments and devices necessary in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). It serves as a compendium of endolaparoscopic surgical procedures. It is an official publication of the Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA). The book includes various sections covering basic skills set, devices, equipments, OR setup, procedures by area. Each chapter cover introduction, indications and contraindications, pre-operative patient’s assessment and preparation, OT setup (instrumentation required, patient’s position, etc.), step by step description of surgical procedures, management of complications, post-operative care. It includes original illustrations for better understanding and visualization of specific procedures. The book serves as a practical guide for surgical residents, surgical trainees, surgical fellows, junior surgeons, surgical consultants and anyone interested in MIS. It covers most of the basic and advanced laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery procedures meeting the curriculum and examination requirements of the residents

[¹⁸F]fluorination of biorelevant arylboronic acid pinacol ester scaffolds synthesized by convergence techniques

Aim: The development of small molecules through convergent multicomponent reactions (MCR) has been boosted during the last decade due to the ability to synthesize, virtually without any side-products, numerous small drug-like molecules with several degrees of structural diversity.(1) The association of positron emission tomography (PET) labeling techniques in line with the “one-pot” development of biologically active compounds has the potential to become relevant not only for the evaluation and characterization of those MCR products through molecular imaging, but also to increase the library of radiotracers available. Therefore, since the [18F]fluorination of arylboronic acid pinacol ester derivatives tolerates electron-poor and electro-rich arenes and various functional groups,(2) the main goal of this research work was to achieve the 18F-radiolabeling of several different molecules synthesized through MCR. Materials and Methods: [18F]Fluorination of boronic acid pinacol esters was first extensively optimized using a benzaldehyde derivative in relation to the ideal amount of Cu(II) catalyst and precursor to be used, as well as the reaction solvent. Radiochemical conversion (RCC) yields were assessed by TLC-SG. The optimized radiolabeling conditions were subsequently applied to several structurally different MCR scaffolds comprising biologically relevant pharmacophores (e.g. β-lactam, morpholine, tetrazole, oxazole) that were synthesized to specifically contain a boronic acid pinacol ester group. Results: Radiolabeling with fluorine-18 was achieved with volumes (800 μl) and activities (≤ 2 GBq) compatible with most radiochemistry techniques and modules. In summary, an increase in the quantities of precursor or Cu(II) catalyst lead to higher conversion yields. An optimal amount of precursor (0.06 mmol) and Cu(OTf)2(py)4 (0.04 mmol) was defined for further reactions, with DMA being a preferential solvent over DMF. RCC yields from 15% to 76%, depending on the scaffold, were reproducibly achieved. Interestingly, it was noticed that the structure of the scaffolds, beyond the arylboronic acid, exerts some influence in the final RCC, with electron-withdrawing groups in the para position apparently enhancing the radiolabeling yield. Conclusion: The developed method with high RCC and reproducibility has the potential to be applied in line with MCR and also has a possibility to be incorporated in a later stage of this convergent “one-pot” synthesis strategy. Further studies are currently ongoing to apply this radiolabeling concept to fluorine-containing approved drugs whose boronic acid pinacol ester precursors can be synthesized through MCR (e.g. atorvastatin)