Biomedical subjects

Sorinel Lunca

Publications and source records attributed to Sorinel Lunca.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Late gastric prolapse with pouch necrosis after laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.

One of the most significant complications of the gastric banding procedure is gastric prolapse. However, pouch necrosis after gastric prolapse is an extremely rare complication. We present the case of a morbidly obese 41-year-old woman who had had a laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedure 3 years before. She developed a pouch necrosis after a late gastric prolapse. After failure of conservative treatment, a diagnostic laparoscopy was performed. This resulted in removal of the band and the diagnosis of pouch necrosis. A laparotomy was indicated and a sleeve gastrectomy was performed. A delay in the diagnosis of gastric prolapse can lead to major complications. Initial referral to a specialized center is necessary for proper care of this complication. Failure of conservative treatment mandates early operative intervention.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Morbid obesity: a surgical perspective.

Morbid obesity is a chronic illness of multifactorial aetiology which is defined as Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 40 kg/sq.m. Non-surgical treatments for this condition have been shown to be ineffective. Surgery is the only effective treatment and obtains the best long-term outcomes. Surgery is indicated when BMI is greater than 40, or BMI is greater than 35 with significant associated co-morbidities. Four types of operations are currently performed: restrictive, malabsorptive, combined procedures (malabsorptive-restrictive) and motility-reducing pro-cedures. With restrictive procedures (adjustable gastric banding and vertical banded gastroplasty), patients can expect a long-term excess weight loss of 44-68%; for combined procedures (Roux-en-Y gastric by-pass) this is 60-70%, whereas for malabsorptive procedures (bilio-pancreatic diversion with or without duodenal switch), this is 75-80%. Intra-gastric stimulation is the least invasive treatment, but induces the lowest excess weight loss (32%) in the first two years after the operation. Gastric banding offers the best results when balancing risks and benefits. All procedures are now performed laparoscopically with comparable results to open surgery. The overall mortality rate in specialized centers is less than 0.3%. Different techniques are indicated according to BMI and the patient's eating habits. Surgery for morbid obesity has proved to improve quality of life and significantly reduce associated co-morbidities.

Decision Making↗

PubMed2005

Gastrointestinal robot-assisted surgery. A current perspective.

Minimally invasive techniques have revolutionized operative surgery. Computer aided surgery and robotic surgical systems strive to improve further on currently available minimally invasive surgery and open new horizons. Only several centers are currently using surgical robots and publishing data. In gastrointestinal surgery, robotic surgery is applied to a wide range of procedures, but is still in its infancy. Cholecystectomy, Nissen fundoplication and Heller myotomy are among the most frequently performed operations. The ZEUS (Computer Motion, Goleta, CA) and the da Vinci (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA) surgical systems are today the most advanced robotic systems used in gastrointestinal surgery. Most studies reported that robotic gastrointestinal surgery is feasible and safe, provides improved dexterity, better visualization, reduced fatigue and high levels of precision when compared to conventional laparoscopic surgery. Its main drawbacks are the absence of force feedback and extremely high costs. At this moment there are no reports to clearly demonstrate the superiority of robotics over conventional laparoscopic surgery. Further research and more prospective randomized trials are needed to better define the optimal application of this new technology in gastrointestinal surgery.

Digestive System Surgical Procedures↗

PubMed2004

Acute appendicitis in the elderly patient: diagnostic problems, prognostic factors and outcomes.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Acute appendicitis (AA) in the elderly (over 60 year-old) continues to pose diagnostic problems and carries a high morbidity and mortality rate. The aim of this article is to present our experience and outcomes and to evaluate influencing factors. METHODS: During a period of 5 years 63 patients with a definitive pathological diagnosis of AA were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The primary admission diagnosis was established correctly in 44 patients (69.8%). Nineteen patients (30.1%) required further diagnostic investigations and the mean time to final diagnosis was 26 hours. For 3 patients (4.8%), the final diagnosis was established intra-operatively. The perforation rate was 31.8% (20 patients). Thirty-eight patients (63.3%) had associated co-morbidities. The overall mean duration of pre-hospitalization symptoms was 2.7 days, 2.3 days for non-perforated cases and 3.8 days for perforated AA (p=0.0025). The complication rate was 34.9% (22 patients), complications occurred in 75% of perforated appendicitis and in 16.2% of non-perforated cases (p=0.00001). Overall mortality rate was 6.3%, 15% in the perforated case group and 2.3% in the group with non-perforated appendicitis (p=0.0003). The mean hospital stay was significantly longer for cases with perforated AA (7.2 days) than non-perforated AA (5.1 days) (p=0.0056), and for patients developing complications (9.6 days) than those without complications (5.6 days) (p=0.0031). CONCLUSIONS: Advanced age adversely affects clinical diagnosis, the stage of the disease and the outcomes. Late presentation, delayed diagnosis, presence of perforation and co-morbidities are associated with a poor outcome from surgery.

Acute Disease↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A case of emphysematous cholecystitis managed by laparoscopic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Emphysematous cholecystitis is a rare condition caused by ischemia of the gallbladder wall with secondary gas-producing bacterial proliferation. The pathophysiology and epidemiology of this condition differ from that in gallstone-related acute cholecystitis. This report illustrates a case of emphysematous cholecystitis successfully treated by laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: An 83-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital with acute abdominal syndrome. Clinical examination and blood tests suggested acute cholecystitis. Plain radiography revealed a circular gas pattern in the right upper quadrant suggestive of emphysematous cholecystitis. Subsequent computed tomography confirmed the presence of gas in the gallbladder wall and a gas-fluid level within the organ. RESULTS: Emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy was successfully performed during which bubbling of the gallbladder wall was observed. Intraoperative cholangiography revealed no bile duct stones or biliary obstruction. The patient made an unremarkable recovery from surgery with no postoperative complications or admission to the intensive care unit. Pathological analysis revealed full-thickness infarctive necrosis of the gallbladder. Bacterial cultures grew Clostridium perfringens. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates a typical case of emphysematous cholecystitis successfully treated by laparoscopic surgery. It contributes to suggestions from other reports that this condition can be safely treated by the laparoscopic approach.

Aged, 80 and over↗