Ninety-day morbidity of robot-assisted redo surgery for recurrent rectal prolapse, mesh erosion and pelvic pain:lessons learned from 9 years' experience in a tertiary referral centre

Aim With increasing follow-up of patients treated with minimally invasive ventral mesh rectopexy (VMR) more redo surgery can be expected for recurrent rectal prolapse, mesh erosion and pelvic pain. The aim of this study is to evaluate the 90-day morbidity of robot-assisted redo interventions. Method All robot-assisted redo interventions after primary transabdominal repair of rectal prolapse between 2011 and 2019 were retrospectively analysed and compared with the results for patients after primary robot-assisted VMR during the same period. The redo interventions were divided into groups based on the indication for surgery (recurrent prolapse, mesh erosion, pelvic pain). Intraoperative complications and 90-day postoperative morbidity were evaluated. Results Three hundred and fifty nine patients were treated with primary VMR, with 73 for recurrent rectal prolapse, 12 for mesh erosion and 14 for pelvic pain. Complications of recurrent prolapse surgeries were comparable to those of primary VMR (p > 0.05). More intraoperative complications, minor and major complications were seen in redo surgery for erosion compared with primary VMR (23% vs. 3%, p = 0.01; 31% vs. 11%, p = 0.055; and 38% vs. 1%, p 0.05). Half of the patients with pelvic pain experienced relief of their symptoms. Conclusion Redo surgery for management of recurrent rectal prolapse is safe. Redo surgery for mesh erosion is associated with high morbidity rates. Redo surgery for pelvic pain can have major complications and is only effective in half of the cases

From Da Vinci Si to Da Vinci Xi:realistic times in draping and docking the robot

Robot-assisted surgery is assumed to be time consuming partially due to extra time needed in preparing the robot. The objective of this study was to give realistic times in Da Vinci Xi draping and docking and to analyse the learning curve in the transition from the Si to the Xi in an experienced team. This prospective study was held in a hospital with a high volume of robot-assisted surgery in general surgery, urology and gynaecology. Times from the moment patients entered the operating room until the surgeon took place behind console were precisely recorded during the first 6 weeks after the implementation of the Xi. In total, 65 procedures were performed and documented. The learning curve for the process of draping and docking the robot was reached after 21 and 18 cases, respectively. Mean times after completion of the learning curve were 5 min for draping and 7 min for docking and were statistically different from mean times before completion of the learning curve (p values <0.01). In dedicated teams netto extra time needed for preparing the Xi can even be reduced to just the time needed for docking. Thus, setting up the robot should have limited impact on overall time spent in the operation room

Intestinal motility distal of a deviating ileostomy after rectal resection with the construction of a primary anastomosis:results of the prospective COLO-MOVE study

Purpose No consensus exists regarding the use of preoperative bowel preparation for patients undergoing a low anterior resection (LAR). Several comparative studies show similar outcomes when a single time enema (STE) is compared with mechanical bowel preparation (MBP). It is hypothesized that STE is comparable with MBP due to a decrease in intestinal motility distal of a newly constructed diverting ileostomy (DI). Methods In this prospective single-centre cohort study, patients undergoing a LAR with primary anastomosis and DI construction were given a STE 2 h pre-operatively. Radio-opaque markers were inserted in the efferent loop of the DI during surgery, and plain abdominal X-rays were made during the first, third, fifth and seventh postoperative day to visualize intestinal motility. Results Thirty-nine patients were included. Radio-opaque markers were situated in the ileum or right colon in 100%, 100% and 97.1% of the patients during respectively the first, third and fifth postoperative day. One patient had its most distal marker situated in the left colon during day five. In none of the patients, the markers were seen distal of the anastomosis. Conclusion Intestinal motility distally of the DI is decreased in patients who undergo a LAR resection with the construction of an anastomosis and DI, while preoperatively receiving a STE

Disability in multiple sclerosis is related to thalamic connectivity and cortical network atrophy.

BACKGROUND: Thalamic atrophy is proposed to be a major predictor of disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), while thalamic function remains understudied. OBJECTIVES: To study how thalamic functional connectivity (FC) is related to disability and thalamic or cortical network atrophy in two large MS cohorts. METHODS: Structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was obtained in 673 subjects from Amsterdam (MS: N = 332, healthy controls (HC): N = 96) and Graz (MS: N = 180, HC: N = 65) with comparable protocols, including disability measurements in MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale, EDSS). Atrophy was measured for the thalamus and seven well-recognized resting-state networks. Static and dynamic thalamic FC with these networks was correlated with disability. Significant correlates were included in a backward multivariate regression model. RESULTS: Disability was most strongly related (adjusted R2 = 0.57, p < 0.001) to higher age, a progressive phenotype, thalamic atrophy and increased static thalamic FC with the sensorimotor network (SMN). Static thalamus-SMN FC was significantly higher in patients with high disability (EDSS ⩾ 4) and related to network atrophy but not thalamic atrophy or lesion volumes. CONCLUSION: The severity of disability in MS was related to increased static thalamic FC with the SMN. Thalamic FC changes were only related to cortical network atrophy, but not to thalamic atrophy

Long-term mesh erosion rate following abdominal robotic reconstructive pelvic floor surgery:a prospective study and overview of the literature

Introduction and hypothesis: The use of synthetic mesh in transvaginal pelvic floor surgery has been subject to debate internationally. Although mesh erosion appears to be less associated with an abdominal approach, the long-term outcome has not been studied intensively. This study was set up to determine the long-term mesh erosion rate following abdominal pelvic reconstructive surgery. Methods: A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted in a tertiary care setting. All consecutive female patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy and sacrocolporectopexy in 2011 and 2012 were included. Primary outcome was mesh erosion. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation (6 weeks, 1 year, 5 years) with a clinical examination and questionnaire regarding pelvic floor symptoms was performed. Mesh-related complications were assessed using a transparent vaginal speculum, proctoscopy, and digital vaginal and rectal examination. Kaplan–Meier estimates were calculated for mesh erosion. A review of the literature on mesh exposure after minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy was performed (≥12 months’ follow-up). Results: Ninety-six of the 130 patients included (73.8%) were clinically examined. Median follow-up time was 48.1 months (range 36.0–62.1). Three mesh erosions were diagnosed (3.1%; Kaplan–Meier 4.9%, 95% confidence interval 0–11.0): one bladder erosion for which mesh resection and an omental patch interposition were performed, and two asymptomatic vaginal erosions (at 42.7 and 42.3 months) treated with estrogen cream in one. Additionally, 22 patients responded solely by questionnaire and/or telephone; none reported mesh-related complaints. The literature, mostly based on retrospective studies, described a median mesh erosion rate of 1.9% (range 0–13.3%). Conclusions: The long-term rate of mesh erosion following an abdominally placed synthetic graft is low