Ruptured abdominal aorto-iliac aneurysms: Diagnosis, treatment, abdominal compartment syndrome, and role of simulation-based training

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAA), with or without iliac involvement, are a lifethreatening scenario with high mortality even after surgical therapy. Several factors have contributed to improving perioperative outcomes in recent years, including the progressive use of endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) and intraoperative balloon occlusion of the aorta, a dedicated treatment algorithm with centralization of care to high-volume centres, and optimized perioperative management protocols. Nowadays, EVAR is applicable in the majority of scenarios even in the emergency setting. Among the factors that influence the postoperative course of rAAA patients, abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is a rare but life-threatening complication. As its early clinical diagnosis is often missed but crucial to initiate an emergent surgical decompression therapy, dedicated surveillance protocols and transvesical measurement of the intraabdominal pressure are key for prompt diagnosis and immediate treatment of ACS. Further improvement of rAAA patients’ outcome may be achieved by the implementation of simulation-based training (of both technical and nontechnical skills for surgeons as well as all involved healthcare personnel in multidisciplinary teams) and by transfer of all rAAA patients to specialized vascular centres with advanced experience and high caseload

Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) Is Not Able to Identify Vulnerable Plaques in Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerotic Disease

OBJECTIVES: Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has been suggested as an imaging tool for detection of asymptomatic carotid atherosclerotic disease (ACAD) at high risk of cerebral embolisation. The objective of this study was to evaluate CEUS and immunohistochemical (IHC) patterns in ACAD (i.e., without any neurologic symptoms in the last 6 months) and their correlations with histology. METHODS: CEUS analysis was classified on a semiquantitative basis using a three-point classification scale. Plaque morphology was assessed using the American Heart Association (AHA) classification of atherosclerotic plaques, then accordingly assigned as non-vulnerable (AHA Type IV/V) or vulnerable (AHA Type VI). IHC analysis for intra-plaque neo-angiogenesis (IPN) was identified by CD34/VEGF immunostaining and classified on a semiquantitative basis using a four-point classification scale. Both CEUS and IHC analyses were performed and scored by single observers. RESULTS: Fifty-eight consecutive asymptomatic patients (mean age 73 years, 33 males) undergoing carotid endarterectomy were included in the final analysis. Nineteen had AHA Class IV/V plaques, and the remaining 39 had AHA Class VI plaques. There were two main findings of the study: (a) histologically proven vulnerable plaques compared with histologically proven non-vulnerable plaques had denser IPN (p = .004), but did not show more pronounced contrast enhancement; (b) the correlation between IHC analysis and CEUS analysis was significant for both vulnerable and non-vulnerable plaques (p = .04 and p = .01, respectively), but it was direct for AHA Type IV/V plaques and inverse for AHA Type VI plaques. CONCLUSIONS: The main findings of the study were that histologically proven vulnerable plaques (i.e., AHA Class VI) as compared with histologically proven non-vulnerable plaques (i.e., AHA Class IV/V) had denser neo-vascularisation, but not more pronounced contrast enhancement

Groin surgical site infection incidence in vascular surgery with intradermal suture versus metallic stapling skin closure. A study protocol for a pragmatic open-label parallel-group randomized clinical trial (VASC-INF trial)

Background: Surgical site infection is 1 of the most frightening complications in vascular surgery due to its high morbimortality. The use of intradermal sutures for skin closure might be associated with a reduction in infections incidence. However, the data available in the literature is scarce and primarily built on low-evidence studies. To our knowledge, no multicenter clinical trial has been published to assess if the intradermal suture is associated with a lower surgical site infection incidence than metallic staples in patients who will undergo revascularization surgery requiring a femoral approach. Methods: VASC-INF is a pragmatic, multicenter, multistate (Spain, Italy, and Greece), randomized, open-label, clinical trial assessing the surgical site infection incidence in patients undergoing revascularization surgery requiring a femoral approach. Patients will be randomized on a 1:1 ratio to intradermal suture closure (experimental group) or to metallic staples closure (control group).The primary outcome is the number (percentage) of patients with surgical site infection (superficial and/or deep) associated with a femoral approach up to 28 (±2) days after surgery. Among the secondary outcomes are the number (percentage) of patients with other surgical wound complications; the number (percentage) of patients with surgical site infections who develop sepsis; type of antibiotic therapy used; type of microorganisms' species isolated and to describe the surgical site infection risk factors. Discussion: Intradermal suture closure may be beneficial in patients undergoing revascularization surgery requiring a femoral approach. Our working hypothesis is that intradermal suture closure reduces the incidence of surgical site infection respect to metallic staples closure

Pediatric trauma and emergency surgery: an international cross-sectional survey among WSES members

Background: In contrast to adults, the situation for pediatric trauma care from an international point of view and the global management of severely injured children remain rather unclear. The current study investigates structural management of pediatric trauma in centers of different trauma levels as well as experiences with pediatric trauma management around the world. Methods: A web-survey had been distributed to the global mailing list of the World Society of Emergency Surgery from 10/2021-03/2022, investigating characteristics of respondents and affiliated hospitals, case-load of pediatric trauma patients, capacities and infrastructure for critical care in children, trauma team composition, clinical work-up and individual experiences with pediatric trauma management in response to patients´ age. The collaboration group was subdivided regarding sizes of affiliated hospitals to allow comparisons concerning hospital volumes. Comparable results were conducted to statistical analysis. Results: A total of 133 participants from 34 countries, i.e. 5 continents responded to the survey. They were most commonly affiliated with larger hospitals (> 500 beds in 72.9%) and with level I or II trauma centers (82.0%), respectively. 74.4% of hospitals offer unrestricted pediatric medical care, but only 63.2% and 42.9% of the participants had sufficient experiences with trauma care in children ≤ 10 and ≤ 5 years of age (p = 0.0014). This situation is aggravated in participants from smaller hospitals (p < 0.01). With regard to hospital size (≤ 500 versus > 500 in-hospital beds), larger hospitals were more likely affiliated with advanced trauma centers, more elaborated pediatric intensive care infrastructure (p < 0.0001), treated children at all ages more frequently (p = 0.0938) and have higher case-loads of severely injured children < 12 years of age (p = 0.0009). Therefore, the majority of larger hospitals reserve either pediatric surgery departments or board-certified pediatric surgeons (p < 0.0001) and in-hospital trauma management is conducted more multi-disciplinarily. However, the majority of respondents does not feel prepared for treatment of severe pediatric trauma and call for special educational and practical training courses (overall: 80.2% and 64.3%, respectively). Conclusions: Multi-professional management of pediatric trauma and individual experiences with severely injured children depend on volumes, level of trauma centers and infrastructure of the hospital. However, respondents from hospitals at all levels of trauma care complain about an alarming lack of knowledge on pediatric trauma management

It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway : a worldwide cross-sectional survey

Background The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The survey was open from May 22, 2021, and June 22, 2021. Three reminders were sent, after 7, 14, and 21 days. Results Three hundred four respondents from 72 countries returned a questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 21.2%. Respectively, 90.4% and 68.8% of participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary IPC team or a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team. Local protocols for antimicrobial therapy of surgical infections and protocols for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis were present in 76.6% and 90.8% of hospitals, respectively. In 23.4% and 24.0% of hospitals no surveillance systems for surgical site infections and no monitoring systems of used antimicrobials were implemented. Patient and family involvement in IPC management was considered to be slightly or not important in their hospital by the majority of respondents (65.1%). Awareness of the global burden of AMR among HCWs was considered very important or important by 54.6% of participants. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered by 80.3% of respondents as a very important or important factor in raising HCWs awareness of the IPC programs in their hospital. Based on the survey results, the authors developed 15 statements for several questions regarding the prevention and management of infections in surgery. The statements may be the starting point for designing future evidence-based recommendations. Conclusion Adequacy of prevention and management of infections in acute care facilities depends on HCWs behaviours and on the organizational characteristics of acute health care facilities to support best practices and promote behavioural change. Patient involvement in the implementation of IPC is still little considered. A debate on how operationalising a fundamental change to IPC, from being solely the HCWs responsibility to one that involves a collaborative relationship between HCWs and patients, should be opened.Peer reviewe

It is time to define an organizational model for the prevention and management of infections along the surgical pathway: a worldwide cross-sectional survey

Background The objectives of the study were to investigate the organizational characteristics of acute care facilities worldwide in preventing and managing infections in surgery; assess participants' perception regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, antibiotic prescribing practices, and source control; describe awareness about the global burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and IPC measures; and determine the role of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic on said awareness. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted contacting 1432 health care workers (HCWs) belonging to a mailing list provided by the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery. The self-administered questionnaire was developed by a multidisciplinary team. The survey was open from May 22, 2021, and June 22, 2021. Three reminders were sent, after 7, 14, and 21 days. Results Three hundred four respondents from 72 countries returned a questionnaire, with an overall response rate of 21.2%. Respectively, 90.4% and 68.8% of participants stated their hospital had a multidisciplinary IPC team or a multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship team. Local protocols for antimicrobial therapy of surgical infections and protocols for surgical antibiotic prophylaxis were present in 76.6% and 90.8% of hospitals, respectively. In 23.4% and 24.0% of hospitals no surveillance systems for surgical site infections and no monitoring systems of used antimicrobials were implemented. Patient and family involvement in IPC management was considered to be slightly or not important in their hospital by the majority of respondents (65.1%). Awareness of the global burden of AMR among HCWs was considered very important or important by 54.6% of participants. The COVID-19 pandemic was considered by 80.3% of respondents as a very important or important factor in raising HCWs awareness of the IPC programs in their hospital. Based on the survey results, the authors developed 15 statements for several questions regarding the prevention and management of infections in surgery. The statements may be the starting point for designing future evidence-based recommendations. Conclusion Adequacy of prevention and management of infections in acute care facilities depends on HCWs behaviours and on the organizational characteristics of acute health care facilities to support best practices and promote behavioural change. Patient involvement in the implementation of IPC is still little considered. A debate on how operationalising a fundamental change to IPC, from being solely the HCWs responsibility to one that involves a collaborative relationship between HCWs and patients, should be opened

Practice patterns and 90-day treatment-related morbidity in early-stage cervical cancer

To evaluate the impact of the Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) Trial on patterns of care and surgery-related morbidity in early-stage cervical cancer

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

Use of Fenestrated Stent-Grafts for Preservation of Spinal Artery Flow During Endovascular Repair of Thoracoabdominal Aortic Disease

We illustrate the safety and feasibility of the application of fenestrated stent-grafts for the preservation of spinal artery flow during endovascular repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAA) in 2 patients deemed high-risk for spinal cord ischemia (SCI). In one case, an unstented fenestration was used in a 78-year-old male treated for distal stent-graft induced new entry tear. In the other case, a fenestration with a bridging stent-graft was used to revascularize a spinal artery in a 66-year-old female with Marfan disease and island patch aneurysm following open TAAA reconstruction. Both procedures were successful without any postoperative neurologic complication. The unstented fenestration led to a type III endoleak that required the relining of the aortic stent-graft 2 years later. The stented spinal fenestration was patent at a 5-year imaging follow-up

Microsurgical Salvage of Acute Lower Limb Ischemia after Iatrogenic Femoral Injury during Orthopedic Surgery in a Pediatric Patient

Acute lower limb ischemia (ALLI) in the pediatric population is rare but may lead to limb loss and life-long complications. We report the technique and outcomes of microsurgical salvage of ALLI in a preterm newborn after open reduction of congenital hip dysplasia. A 2-month-old girl was born premature at week 36 with congenital bilateral hip dysplasia. The initial management attempted was conservative and entailed placement of bilateral Von Rosen splints. The treatment was successful on the left side, but the patient had recurrent unstable hip dislocation on the right side. Subsequently, 2 attempts at close reduction under general anesthesia were done and both were unsuccessful in maintaining the right hip in the acetabulum. Therefore, an open reduction of the right hip was planned through a medial/obturator approach. During the surgical procedure, the neurovascular femoral bundle (including the superficial femoral artery [SFA], femoral vein [FV], and femoral nerve) was accidently transected with subsequent development of ALLI. Therefore, the FV was harvested distally to the injury site and a 4-cm long healthy segment was obtained. It was reversed, flushed with heparin, spatulated at both extremities, and interposed to the SFA in end-to-end fashion using two 9/0 polypropylene interrupted sutures under microscope. Reperfusion of the limb was noted immediately after releasing the vascular clamps. The final ischemia time at completion of the surgical procedure was 6 hr. Thereby, prophylactic 4-compartment fasciotomies were performed in the right leg. The patient tolerated the procedure well and the postoperative clinical course was free from adverse events. Duplex ultrasound examination at 6 weeks after the intervention confirmed sustained clinical success and showed no signs of venous thromboembolism. At the same time, X-ray examination of the right hip confirmed adequate and stable reduction of the joint in the acetabulum. ALLI due to accidental arterial injury during orthopedic surgical procedures for congenital defects in newborns is a rare but potentially devastating complication. Microsurgical salvage is a safe, feasible, and effective option to restore limb flow. Multidisciplinary expertise and meticulous technique are mandatory in order to achieve satisfactory and durable outcomes