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Since the first successful use of mesh in hernia surgery, the development and progress in materials, techniques, and procedures have increased exponentially; consequently, surgeons started to use meshes for hiatal hernia repair to prevent postoperative hernia recurrences and complications. Nonetheless, there are alarming reports in literature concerning cardiac tamponade as an apparently rare complication of hiatal mesh placement, especially when fixation is performed with tacks. A 50-year-old female diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease undergoes an elective laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication and hiatal hernia repair with tack fixation of the mesh; on the fourth postoperative day she was readmitted with cardiac tamponade diagnosed via echocardiography, and CT scan showed proximity of the tacks to the pericardium. She underwent a failed attempt of ultrasound guided pericardiocentesis (PC), therefore, a pericardial window was performed. The ideal method for diaphragmatic mesh fixation is still controversial. Some recent articles alert of this potential risk; although the manufacturers contraindicate the use of tacks in the diaphragm, one-third of surgeons prefer this method., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Vidrio Duarte et al.)

Cecal volvulus is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction, with multifactorial etiologies. This is a case report describing a 52-year-old female with a cecal volvulus diagnosis made during the laparotomy procedure, which was treated with a right hemicolectomy with a side-to-side ileotransverse anastomosis. The aim of this report is to emphasize the importance of a diagnosis and appropriate treatment in this rare pathology in abdominal procedures. In this particular case, the patient benefited from an early surgical intervention without further complications, as well as an adequate postoperative evolution; it is important to acknowledge and consider this pathology during differential diagnosis, and not delay the treatment in patients with cecal volvulus. A critical review of the literature is included and discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Electrospinning is a micrometric or nanometric scale fiber manufacturing technique with structural factors such as greater contact surface and pore size that allows the incorporation of biological agents in its structure, increasing their potential for medical applications. Due to the conditions required for the electrospinning process, such as high voltage, in the present work, the evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of schizophyllan-based membranes elaborated by electrospinning at 20 kV incorporated with Hamamelis virginiana was carried out against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The schizophyllan production was 1.97 gL -1 from strain Schizophyllum commune ScIBL1. The conditions for the process were standardized for voltage, feed flow, and the distance from the injector to the collector. Membranes with smooth-edged fibers, diameter of 819 nm without the presence of beads were obtained. However, it was found that the membranes lost antimicrobial activity against all the microorganisms evaluated, whereas, bioassays showed that null toxicity was presented.