The application of pringle manoeuvre, type three liver mobilisation, full thickness diaphragmatic resection with primary closure technique and peritonectomy in the management of advanced ovarian malignancy

Objective We present an educational technique for the safe completion of complete cytoreduction of diaphragmatic disease for the management of advanced ovarian malignancy. Methods We demonstrated these steps with attention to anatomical landmarks and surgical approaches, considering intraoperative and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Results We present the case of a 49-year-old female patient diagnosed with suspected stage 3C ovarian malignancy following diagnostic laparoscopy. We demonstrate the surgical application of the Pringle manoeuvre, type 3 liver mobilisation, and full-thickness diaphragmatic resection. This was completed with a primary closure technique, with integrity ensured through the performance of an air test and Valsalva manoeuvre. Final histology confirmed a serous borderline tumour with invasive implants within a port site nodule (stage 4A). Conclusion This technique affirms the essential skills in gynaecological oncology training and details a challenging case requiring advanced surgical skills and knowledge, with specific consideration for intraoperative multidisciplinary decision-making

Misleading menorrhagia in a peri-menopausal woman with underlying bowel cancer: a case report

A peri-menopausal woman presented with symptoms and signs suggestive of fibroids. She was fit and healthy with no significant past medical history. She consented to having a hysterectomy but her surgery was performed prior to any diagnostic imaging being done

Elective surgery system strengthening: development, measurement, and validation of the surgical preparedness index across 1632 hospitals in 119 countries

Background The 2015 Lancet Commission on global surgery identified surgery and anaesthesia as indispensable parts of holistic health-care systems. However, COVID-19 exposed the fragility of planned surgical services around the world, which have also been neglected in pandemic recovery planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel index to support local elective surgical system strengthening and address growing backlogs. Methods First, we performed an international consultation through a four-stage consensus process to develop a multidomain index for hospital-level assessment (surgical preparedness index; SPI). Second, we measured surgical preparedness across a global network of hospitals in high-income countries (HICs), middle-income countries (MICs), and low-income countries (LICs) to explore the distribution of the SPI at national, subnational, and hospital levels. Finally, using COVID-19 as an example of an external system shock, we compared hospitals' SPI to their planned surgical volume ratio (SVR; ie, operations for which the decision for surgery was made before hospital admission), calculated as the ratio of the observed surgical volume over a 1-month assessment period between June 6 and Aug 5, 2021, against the expected surgical volume based on hospital administrative data from the same period in 2019 (ie, a pre-pandemic baseline). A linear mixed-effects regression model was used to determine the effect of increasing SPI score. Findings In the first phase, from a longlist of 103 candidate indicators, 23 were prioritised as core indicators of elective surgical system preparedness by 69 clinicians (23 [33%] women; 46 [67%] men; 41 from HICs, 22 from MICs, and six from LICs) from 32 countries. The multidomain SPI included 11 indicators on facilities and consumables, two on staffing, two on prioritisation, and eight on systems. Hospitals were scored from 23 (least prepared) to 115 points (most prepared). In the second phase, surgical preparedness was measured in 1632 hospitals by 4714 clinicians from 119 countries. 745 (45·6%) of 1632 hospitals were in MICs or LICs. The mean SPI score was 84·5 (95% CI 84·1–84·9), which varied between HIC (88·5 [89·0–88·0]), MIC (81·8 [82·5–81·1]), and LIC (66·8 [64·9–68·7]) settings. In the third phase, 1217 (74·6%) hospitals did not maintain their expected SVR during the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 625 (51·4%) were from HIC, 538 (44·2%) from MIC, and 54 (4·4%) from LIC settings. In the mixed-effects model, a 10-point increase in SPI corresponded to a 3·6% (95% CI 3·0–4·1; p<0·0001) increase in SVR. This was consistent in HIC (4·8% [4·1–5·5]; p<0·0001), MIC (2·8 [2·0–3·7]; p<0·0001), and LIC (3·8 [1·3–6·7%]; p<0·0001) settings. Interpretation The SPI contains 23 indicators that are globally applicable, relevant across different system stressors, vary at a subnational level, and are collectable by front-line teams. In the case study of COVID-19, a higher SPI was associated with an increased planned surgical volume ratio independent of country income status, COVID-19 burden, and hospital type. Hospitals should perform annual self-assessment of their surgical preparedness to identify areas that can be improved, create resilience in local surgical systems, and upscale capacity to address elective surgery backlogs

Pyometra presenting in conjunction with bowel cancer in a post-menopausal women: a case report

This case describes a 71 year old, post-menopausal woman who developed vaginal discharge. This complaint ultimately led to the discovery of bowel cancer in conjunction with a large sterile pyometra

Diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of mesonephric adenocarcinoma of the vagina: a literature review and a case report

Background: Mesonephric adenocarcinoma (MA) of the vagina is a rare tumor that arises from mesonephric remnants (Wolffian) in the female genital tract. It is a neoplasm with no significant evidence about its diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and prognosis. Methods: Systematic research of the literature was conducted in Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect and the Cochrane Library, including observational prospective and retrospective studies, case series and case reports. We collected data regarding studies related to diagnosis and treatment options evaluating the following aspects: study design, population, treatment type, rate of surgical complications and fertility outcome. We further included a case report of laparoscopic management of MA with pictorial assays. Results: Thirteen cases of MA of the vagina are available in the literature, including our case report. The median age at diagnosis was 52 years old; the majority of patients reported vaginal bleeding as a symptom (38%); and ultrasound, followed by a magnetic resonance and CT scan were the diagnostic tools most used. In 54% of the cases, a surgical biopsy was performed, and 92% of the patients underwent upfront surgery with an open access or vaginal resection except one case fully managed by minimally invasive surgery. Most of the patients (68%) received adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy or radiotherapy or a combination of them. The mean follow-up period was 6 years. Conclusions: Despite the rarity of this cancer and bizarre location, a minimally invasive approach seems feasible after multidisciplinary evaluation. According to the rarity of this tumor, any future case and follow-up data must be reported in the literature in order to enlarge the knowledge about it

Mixed Endometrial Epithelial Carcinoma: Epidemiology, Treatment and Survival Rates-A 10-Year Retrospective Cohort Study from a Single Institution

Mixed endometrial carcinoma (MEEC) refers to rare endometrial tumours that are composed of two or more distinct histotypes, at least one of which is serous or clear cell. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology, treatment outcomes and survival rates of patients with mixed endometrial carcinoma. The medical records of 34 patients diagnosed with MEEC between March 2010 and January 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. Clinicopathological variables and treatment strategies were assessed, and overall survival and disease-free survival rates were evaluated. The histology of endometrioid and serous component was found in 26 (76.5%) patients, followed by serous and clear-cell components (5/34, 14.5%) and mixed endometrioid serous and clear-cell components (3/34, 8.8%). The median age at diagnosis was 70 years (range 52-84), and the median follow-up time was 55 months. The 5-year disease-free survival and the 5-year overall survival were 50.4% and 52.4%, respectively. Advanced disease stage was identified as an independent predictor of inferior disease-free (&lt;0.003) and overall survival (p &lt; 0.001). Except for stage, none of the traditional prognostic factors was associated with disease recurrence or death from disease. MEECs represent rare high-risk endometrial carcinomas with significant diagnostic and treatment challenges. Undoubtedly, the implementation of a molecular analysis can offer further diagnostic and management insights

The Prognostic Characteristics and Recurrence Patterns of High Grade Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer: A Large Retrospective Analysis of a Tertiary Center

High grade endometrioid endometrial cancer (HGEEC) is a heterogeneous group of tumors with unclear prognostic features. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the independent risk factors for recurrence and mortality and to describe the recurrence patterns of HGEEC. Ninety-six consecutive cases of HGEEC treated with primary surgery in a single Tertiary Center were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathological and treatment details were recorded, and all patients were closely followed up. Disease-free, overall and cancer-specific survival rates were 83.8%, 77.8% and 83.6%, respectively. Cervical stromal involvement was independently related to recurrence (HR = 25.67; 95%CI 2.95-223.30; p = 0.003) and cancer-related death (HR = 15.39; 95%CI 1.29-183.43; p = 0.031) after adjusting for other pathological and treatment variables. Recurrence rate was 16%, with 60% of these cases having lung metastases and only one case with single vaginal vault recurrence. 81.81% of the recurrences presented with symptoms and not a single recurrence was diagnosed in routine follow-up clinical examination. In conclusion, the recurrence pattern may suggest that patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) could be considered a potential alternative to clinical-based follow-up for HGEEC survivors, especially for patients without cervical involvement and after two years from treatment. Additional caution is needed in patients with cervical stromal involvement

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries