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Background: Internal herniation (IH) is a potentially serious complication after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The aim of the study is to evaluate the incidence of IH after robot-assisted RYGB (RA-RYGB) performed with the “Double Loop” technique at our Institution. Methods: Prospective cohort study of patients submitted to RA-RYGB with the “Double Loop” technique, with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Patients with complaints of abdominal pain at clinical visits or entering the emergency department were evaluated. Primary outcome was the incidence of IH, defined as the presence of herniated bowel through a mesenteric defect, diagnosed at imaging or at surgical exploration. Results: A total of 129 patients were included: 65 (50.4%) were primary procedures, while 64 (49.6%) were revisional operations after primary restrictive bariatric surgery. Mean age was 47.9 ± 10.2 years, mean weight, and body mass index were, respectively, 105.3 ± 22.6 kg and 39.7 ± 9.6 kg/m2. Postoperative morbidity rate was 7.0%. Mean follow-up was 53.2 ± 22.6 (range 24–94) months. During the follow-up period, a total of 14 (10.8%) patients entered the emergency department: 1 patient had melena, 4 renal colic, 1 acute cholecystitis, 2 gynecologic pathologies, 2 anastomotic ulcers, 1 perforated gastric ulcer, 1 diverticulitis and 2 gastroenteritis. There were no diagnoses of IH. During the follow-up period, no patient experienced recurrence of symptoms. Conclusions: In the present study, the robotic approach confirms the low complication rate and absence of IH after “Double Loop” RA-RYGB in a large case-series at a medium-term follow-up.

Background: The evidence regarding the impact of anastomotic leak (AL) after anterior resection (AR) for rectal cancer on oncologic outcomes is controversial, and there are no data about the prognostic relevance of the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer (ISREC) AL classification. The aim was to evaluate the oncologic outcomes in patients with AL after AR for rectal cancer. The prognostic value of the ISREC AL grading system was also investigated. Methods: It is a retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database including all patients undergoing curative elective AR for rectal cancer (April 1998–September 2013). AL severity was defined according to the ISREC criteria. A multivariable analysis was performed to identify predictors of poor survival. Results: A total of 532 patients underwent curative AR (69% laparoscopic) for rectal cancer. The overall AL rate was 7.9%: 15 grade B and 27 grade C ALs. With a median follow-up of 80 (range 12–266) months, 5-year overall survival (OS) was 67.2% in patients with AL and 86.5% in those without AL (P= 0.001). Five-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 50.5% and 80.3%, respectively (P< 0.001). Local recurrence and distant metastases developed more frequently in AL patients (P< 0.05). Grade B AL and no administration or delay of adjuvant chemotherapy were independent predictors for poorer OS and DFS. Grade B AL independently affected also the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy. Circulating C-reactive protein levels at 2 weeks after AL treatment were higher in grade B than grade C patients (P= 0.006) and in patients with tumor relapse (P= 0.011). Conclusion: AL after curative AR for rectal cancer and impaired use of adjuvant chemotherapy are associated with poor survival. Postoperative systemic inflammation seems to be more sustained in grade B than that in grade C AL patients, with possible adverse impact on long-term survival.

Trocar Site Hernia (TSH) seems to represent a rare surgical complication, but available data are based only on symptomatic patients and clinically diagnosed cases; moreover, no data are available concerning TSH incidence after robotic-assisted procedures. Aims of the study were to asses TSH incidence in obese patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and to compare it between robotic-assisted and standard laparoscopy. Patients who underwent RYGB between November 2007 and June 2012 underwent a clinical examination and an ultrasonography study of the abdominal wall by a single operator. 150 patients entered the study, 102 in the laparoscopic and 48 in the robotic group. Mean pre-operative weight and BMI were 129.3 kg and 47.4 kg/m2, respectively; both were higher in the laparoscopic group (134.7 vs 117.6 kg, p< 0.001; 49.2 vs 43.8 kg/m2, p< 0.001), while pre-operative comorbidities were not significantly different between groups. Operative time was lower in the laparoscopic group (182.7 vs 284.0 min, p< 0.001), while post-operative complications were not different between groups. The overall incidence of TSH was 39.3 % (59/150); incidence was 35.3 % (36/102) in the laparoscopic and 47.9 % (23/48) in the robotic group (p= 0.195). There were no significant differences between patients with and without TSH, except for higher post-operative wound complication in patients without TSH (22 vs 6.8 %, p= 0.024; OR 0.26). TSH revealed a high incidence in a bariatric surgery population, suggesting that it represents a strongly underestimated complication; furthermore, the present study showed a trend towards a higher incidence of TSH in patients who underwent robotic-assisted bariatric surgery.

Abstract: Background: Laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding (LASGB) and laparoscopic vertical banded gastroplasty (LVBG) are the most frequently performed restrictive operations for morbid obesity. The question of whether bariatric restrictive procedures increase or reduce gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains open. This study aimed to compare the long-term results of LASGB with those of LVBG in terms of postoperative GERD and esophageal motility function. Methods: From February 1999 to December 2000, 175 patients underwent bariatric surgery. After 75 of these patients were excluded from the study, the remaining 100 patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: LASGB or LVBG. The end points of the study were evaluation of clinical and instrumental GERD and esophageal function. The follow-up protocol included clinical assessment using the Gastroesophageal Reflux Health-Related Quality-of-Life (GERD-HRQOL) scale at 3, 12, and 96 months. Esophageal manometry, 24-h pH monitoring, and endoscopy were performed at 12 and 96 months. Results: At 12 months, GERD had developed in 13 (26%) LASGB and 11 (21.6%) LVBG patients. In the majority of cases, GERD resulted from pouch dilation or poor compliance and required either reoperation (ten after LASGB and three after LVBG) or endoscopic dilation of the neopylorus (four after LVBG). In all, 71 patients completed the 96-month follow-up protocol. The findings showed that three (11.5%) of 26 LASGB patients and four (9%) of 45 LVBG patients were receiving proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy for GERD. Postoperative lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and esophageal motility did not differ from preoperative data except for the presence of aperistaltic waves in one LASGB and two LVBG symptomatic GERD patients. Conclusions: No significant association between gastric restrictive procedures and GERD or esophageal function was found during long-term follow-up assessment. The increased occurrence of GERD in the early follow-up period often is due to a technical defect or poor patient compliance.

Abstract: Background: Traditional laparoscopic surgery presents some difficulties for morbidly obese patients due to limited motion of instruments related to a thick abdominal wall, intraabdominal fat, and a large hepatic left lobe, with consequent loss of dexterity and greater musculoskeletal discomfort. Robotic technique could potentially overcome these limitations. This study aimed to evaluate robot-assisted laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in morbidly obese patients and to compare the results of robotic assistance with those of traditional laparoscopic technique. Methods: Between September 2006 and June 2009, 110 morbidly obese patients underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with robot-assisted hand-sewn gastrojejunal anastomosis using the da Vinci Surgical System. The data for these patients was compared with the data for 423 consecutive patients treated in a standard laparoscopic manner during the same period. Results: The patients had a mean preoperative age of 42.6 years, a mean weight of 127.5 kg, and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 46.7 kg/m2. The total mean operative time was 247.5 min. The robotic setup time was 10.1 min, and the robotic operative time was 54.5 min. The conversion rate was nil. The intraoperative complication rate was 4.5%. The early and late major postoperative complication rates were 3.6 and 6.4% respectively. The cost per patient was 5777.76 €. For the standard laparoscopy, the operative time was significantly shorter (187 min; p < 0.001), and the costs per patient were significantly lower (4658.28 €; p < 0.001), whereas no differences were found in terms of the intra- or postoperative complication rates, revisional surgery, or hospital length of stay. Conclusions: Although safe and intuitive, the robotic approach was burdened by a longer operative time and higher equipment costs. Moreover, it did not seem to provide a real advantage over standard laparoscopy in terms of hospital length of stay and complications rates.

The laparoscopic management of large hiatal hernias still is controversial. Recent studies have presented a high recurrence rate.In this study, 65 patients underwent elective laparoscopic repair of large hiatal hernia. A short esophagus was diagnosed in 13 cases. A primary closure of the hiatal defect was performed in 14 cases. “Tension-free” repair using a mesh was performed in 37 cases, and 14 patients underwent a Collis–Nissen gastroplasty. For the last 38 patients in the series, an intraoperative endoscopy was performed to identify the esophagogastric junction.There was no mortality, no conversions to open surgery, and no intraoperative complications. A recurrent hernia was present in 23 of the 77 patients (30%). The recurrence rate was 77% when a direct suture was used and 35% when a mesh was used (p< 0.05). No recurrences were observed in the patients treated with the Collis–Nissen technique, but in one case, perforation of the distal esophagus developed 3 weeks after surgery. The multivariate analysis showed that recurrences are statistically correlated with the type of hiatal hernia and surgical technique.To reduce recurrences after laparoscopic management of large hiatal hernias, it is essential to identify all cases of short esophagus using intraoperative endoscopy and to perform a Collis–Nissen procedure in such cases.

The aim of this study was to assess the benefits and disadvantages of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery for disorders of the adrenal gland in terms of feasibility, safety, and length of hospitalization. Twenty consecutive patients with benign lesions of adrenal gland were randomized into two groups: Patients in the laparoscopic group underwent traditional laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LAP), whereas those in the robotic group underwent robot-assisted adrenalectomy (ROBOT) using the da Vinci robotic system. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of age, sex, body mass index, and size or locations of lesions. Operative times were significant longer in the ROBOT group (total operative time, 169.2 min [range, 136–215] vs 115.3 min (range, 95–155) p< 0.001. Skin-to-skin time was 107 m (range, 77–154) vs 82.1 min (range, 55–120) (p< 0.001). There were no conversions to open surgery. However, conversion to standard laparoscopic surgery was necessary in four of 10 ROBOT patients (40%; left, one right). Perioperative morbidity was higher in the ROBOT group (20% vs 0%). There was no difference in length of hospital stay. In the following ROBOT group, hospital stay was 5.7 days (range, 4–9) vs 5.4 days (range, 4–8) in the LAP group (p= NS). The total cost of the ROBOT procedure ($3,467) was significantly higher than that for LAP ($2,737) (p< 0.01). Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is superior to robot-assisted adrenalectomy in terms of feasibility, morbidity, and cost.

Background: Barrett's esopagus (BE) is considered a risk factor for the development of esophageal carcinoma. Recently, partial restoration of squamous mucosa after ablation of BE with endoscopic techniques has been described. Methods: From November 1996 to November 1999, 23 patients with histologically proven BE have been treated by endoscopic argon plasma coagulation (APC) following suppression of gastro-esophageal reflux by laparoscopic fundoplication. Histological follow-up after completed ablation ranged from 16 to 45 months (mean, 31.9 months). Results: Histologically, complete squamous reepithelialization was observed in 20/23 patients, whereas a regrowth of a mixed squamous and gastric type mucosa was observed in 1 patient. Small islands of intestinal metaplasia were observed under the neosquamous epithelium in two patients (9%) during follow-up. Conclusion: The success rate of APC ablation following laparoscopic antireflux surgery in our series may be as high as 91%. Nevertheless, small islands of intestinal metaplasia under the new squamous epithelium may persist in some patients. In these circumstances, the authors recommend that endoscopic ablation of BE should be confined to controlled clinical trials.