After more than 10 years of development, transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) has played an important role in anus-preserving surgery for low rectal cancer. Existing studies have shown that taTME is not significantly different from traditional laparoscopy in the short-term and long-term efficacy of the treatment of low rectal cancer, and that taTME has potential advantages in postoperative functional recovery. With the maturity of taTME technology, transanal endoscopic approach has gradually been clinically applied to other rectal tumors, anastomotic stenosis, lateral lymph node dissection and other scenarios. Clinical practice shows that the transanal endoscopic approach can dissect pelvic tissues more accurately, greatly reduce the difficulty of surgery for complex pelvic diseases, improve the safety of surgery, and provide new ideas for clinical practice.
Objective To discuss the effectiveness of breast reconstruction with dual plane prosthesis implantation or anterior pectoralis prosthesis implantation under endoscopy by using prospective comparative study, in order to provide a reference for clinical surgical selection. Methods A total of 54 female patients with breast cancer admitted between January 2023 and December 2023 and met the selection criteria were selected as research subjects. According to the random number table, 54 patients were divided into trial group and control group with 27 cases in each. The patients in the trial group and control group were treated with dual plane prosthesis implantation and anterior pectoralis prosthesis implantation for breast reconstruction after glandular resection under endoscopy, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05) in the terms of age, body mass index, affected side, breast clinical stages, molecular typing, disease duration, breast volume of healthy side, breast ptosis of affected side, and preoperative Breast-Q score (social mental health, sexual health, breast satisfaction, chest somatic health). The operation-related indicators (operation time, total volume of drainage within 7 days after operation, extubation time, and hospital stay), occurrence of complications, breast reconstruction efficacy related indicators (transverse and longitudinal distance difference), and the pre- and post-operative differences (change values) of Breast-Q scores for each item were compared between the two groups. Results There was no significant difference in operation time, total volume of drainage within 7 days after operation, extubation time, and hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). All patients of the two groups were followed up 3-12 months (mean, 6.3 months). Three patients (11.11%) in trial group and 5 patients (18.52%) in control group experienced complications, and there was no significant difference in the occurrence of complications (P>0.05). At 7 days after operation, the transverse and longitudinal distance differences were significantly less in trial group than in control group (P<0.05). The Breast-Q scores of the two groups at 7 days after operation were significantly higher in all items than those before operation (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in all change values between the two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionFor patients with breast cancer, comparison of breast reconstruction with anterior pectoralis prosthesis implantation, breast reconstruction with dual plane prosthesis implantation has better breast reconstruction effectiveness and higher safety.
In conventional open breast surgery, the surgical trauma is significant and the postoperative scar is often noticeable. Endoscopic and robot-assisted breast surgery is increasingly attracting attention due to the advantages such as smaller incisions, lower complication rate, and improved aesthetic outcomes. However, the lack of natural cavities in the breast has become a primary challenge in establishing and maintaining the necessary surgical space for endoscopic breast surgery. We reviewed the research progress of endoscopic and robot-assisted breast surgery, summarized the the innovations and challenges of existing techniques, and focused on introducing the application value of physical and biological properties of gas and liquid in endoscopic breast surgery.
ObjectiveTo summarize the prevention and treatment strategies and their effects on lymphatic leakage following transoral endoscopic thyroid cancer lateral neck lymph node dissection. MethodsA retrospective review was conducted, we collected clinical data from 47 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy and lateral neck lymph node dissection at our hospital from January 2021 to May 2023. A stepwise sequential treatment plan was adopted for patients with postoperative lymphatic leakage: low-fat, low-protein diet, continuous strong negative pressure suction, subcutaneous injection of Group A streptococcus in the surgical cavity, and ligation of the thoracic duct or lymphatic vessels through a small incision. The effectiveness of the sequential treatment plan was summarized. ResultsOut of the 47 patients, lymphatic leakage occurred in 5 cases postoperatively. Patient No.1 was cured of lymphatic leakage after sequential treatments including pectoralis major muscle flap occlusion of the jugular venous angle, low-fat, low-protein diet, continuous strong negative pressure suction postoperatively, subcutaneous injection of Group A streptococcus in the surgical cavity, and finally ligation of the thoracic duct or lymphatic vessels through a small incision. Patient No.20 was conservatively cured of lymphatic leakage with an initial surgical procedure involving pectoralis major muscle flap occlusion of the jugular venous angle, low-fat, low-protein diet, continuous strong negative pressure suction postoperatively, and subcutaneous injection of Group A streptococcus in the surgical cavity. Patient No.28 recovered after only pectoralis major muscle flap occlusion of the jugular venous angle, low-fat, low-protein diet and continuous strong negative pressure suction postoperatively. Treatment process of patient No.30 was the same as Patient No.1, Patient No.36 was the same as Patient No.20. Through the stepwise sequential treatment measures, all 5 patients successfully recovered from lymphatic leakage; the postoperative hospital stay ranged from 3 to 17 days, with an average of 8.6 days. ConclusionsThe stepwise sequential treatment plan used in this study can effectively prevent and treat lymphatic leakage after transoral endoscopic thyroid cancer lateral neck lymph node dissection. Given the small sample size of this study, we believe that it is necessary to conduct long-term studies to confirm the durability and stability of these measures.
Objective To summarize the current research progress of endoscopic/robotic surgery for breast cancer, so as to provide theoretical basis for surgeons and patients to choose surgical methods. Method The relevant literatures on breast cancer endoscopic/robotic surgery at home and abroad in recent years were summarized and reviewed. Results Endoscopic/robotic surgery for breast cancer had the advantages of low intraoperative bleeding, fewer postoperative complications, fast postoperative recovery, good cosmetic results and high patient satisfaction. Conclusions Endoscopic/robotic surgery is a safe and feasible surgical modality and a complement to traditional open breast surgery.
ObjectiveTo compare the perioperative safety and oncologic efficacy of transanal endoscopic intersphincteric resection (TaE-ISR) and the completely transabdominal approach intersphincteric resection (CTA-ISR) for the treatment of ultra-low rectal cancer. MethodsClinical data of patients who underwent TaE-ISR or CTA-ISR at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, from June 2022 to June 2023, were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 38 cases of TaE-ISR and 16 cases of CTA-ISR were included. Comparison of surgery-related indexes (including operation time, injury of adjacent organs, protective stoma, and placement of anal tube), postoperative recovery and complications, and oncological results (including positive rate of circumferential resection margin, positive rate of distal resection margin, and number of lymph nodes) were compared between the 2 groups. ResultsThe distance of the lower edge of the tumor from the anal verge was lower in the TaE-ISR group than that in the CTA-ISR group [4.0 (3.4, 4.5) cm vs. 4.9 (4.1, 5.9) cm, P<0.001]. A longer duration of the surgery [(177.18±37.24) min vs (146.25±38.86) min], a higher rate of the anal tube [97.4% (37/38) vs 56.3% (7/16)], a higher rate of protective stoma [94.7% (36/38) vs 12.5% (2/16)], and a higher rate of transanal specimen extraction [92.1% (35/38) vs 0% (0/16)], faster time to first postoperative semi-liquid diet [4 (3, 5) d vs 6 (5, 6) d] were observed in the TaE-ISR group (P<0.05). No adjacent organ injuries occurred in the TaE-ISR group, whereas 2 patients in the CTA-ISR group had intraoperative adjacent organ injuries (0% vs 12.5%), the difference was statistically significant (P=0.026). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of postoperative hospitalization, postoperative time to first flatus, Clavien-Dindo grading of postoperative complications, the incidence of anastomotic leakage and anastomotic stenosis, distal margin distance, the total number of lymph nodes cleared, and the number of positive lymph nodes (P>0.05). Postoperative specimens in all cases were adequate for distal margins and negative for circumferential margins.ConclusionTaE-ISR and CTA-ISR can both be applied to anus-preserving surgery for ultra-low rectal cancer, but TaE-ISR may be a more reasonable approach than CTA-ISR when the lower edge of the tumor is closer to the anal verge.
Objective To compare the effectiveness of percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (PE-TLIF) and Wiltse-approach TLIF (W-TLIF) in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis. MethodsThe clinical data of 47 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis who met the selection criteria between July 2018 and June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, in which 21 patients were treated with PE-TLIF (PE-TLIF group) and 26 patients were treated with W-TLIF (W-TLIF group). There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, gender, disease duration, level of spondylolisthesis vertebrae, spondylolisthesis degree, spondylolisthesis type, and preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score of low back pain and leg pain, lumbar Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, and the disc height (DH), segmental lordosis (SL), and Taillard index (TI) of the operated vertebrae (P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, postoperative bedridden time, and complications were compared between the two groups. The VAS score and JOA score were used to evaluate the improvement of pain and function. At last follow-up, DH, SL, and TI of operated vertebrae were measured by X-ray films, and lumbar CT was performed to evaluate the interbody fusion. Results Compared with W-TLIF group, the operation time in PE-TLIF group was significantly longer, but the intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage were significantly less, and the postoperative bedridden time was significantly shorter (P<0.05). There were 2 cases of transient lower limb radiating pain in PE-TLIF group and 1 case of superficial incision infection in W-TLIF group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications (9.5% vs. 3.8%) between the two groups (χ2=0.037, P=0.848). The patients in both groups were followed up 12-24 months, with an average of 17.3 months in PE-TLIF group and 17.7 months in W-TLIF group. The VAS scores of low back pain and leg pain, and the JOA scores of the two groups significantly improved at each time point after operation when compared with those before operation (P<0.05). Compared with W-TLIF group, the VAS scores of low back pain in PE-TLIF group significantly lower at 3 days and 3 months after operation (P<0.05), and the JOA score of PE-TLIF group was significantly higher at 3 months after operation (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in each score at any other time point between the two groups (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the DH, SL, and TI of operated vertebrae of the two groups significantly improved when compared with those before operation (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the differences of each parameter between the two groups (P>0.05). According to Suk’s standard, the fusion rates of PE-TLIF group and W-TLIF group were 90.5% (19/21) and 92.3% (24/26), respectively, with no significant difference (χ2=0.000, P=1.000). At last follow-up, there was no case of Cage sunk into the adjacent vertebral body, or dislodgement of Cage anteriorly or posteriorly in both groups. Conclusion PE-TLIF and W-TLIF are both effective in the treatment of grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ lumbar spondylolisthesis. Although the operation time is prolonged, PE-TLIF has less intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage, shorter postoperative bedridden time, and can get more obvious short-term improvement of low back pain and function.
Endoscopic and robotic surgeries feature small incision and reducing surgical trauma, and minimized incision scars. However, the oncological safety of their application in breast-conserving surgery and breast reconstruction for breast cancer has always been a focal clinical concern. The breast-conserving surgery and breast reconstruction using the suspension, insufflation, and lipolysis methods could achieve precise tumor resection in the selected patients and under the specific surgical conditions, with the support of appropriate instruments. Meanwhile, the innovative application of the reverse-sequence method and auxiliary port technique has further enhanced surgical efficiency and the precision of tumor resection. Current studies suggest that endoscopic and robotic-assited breast-conserving surgery and breast reconstruction yield in terms of oncological outcomes comparable to those of conventional open breast-conserving surgery, including positive margins, local recurrence, regional recurrence, distant metastasis, and overall survival. These approaches offered advantages in minimally invasive techniques and aesthetic outcomes. However, existing research was limited by short follow-up period and small sample sizes. Future large-scale, long-term prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to further validate their oncological safety and long-term efficacy. These studies could help establish novel techniques as standard surgical approaches for breast cancer, particularly the efficient and streamlined reverse-sequence endoscopic and auxiliary port-assisted techniques.
In recent years, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been widely used in spine surgery and achieved satisfactory results. In order to standardize the ERAS implementation process and application in percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar lumbar decompression/discectomy (PEID), we reviewed the literatures and cited evidence-based medicine data, and had a national comprehensive discussion among experts of the Group of Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery and Enhanced Recovery, Professional Committee of Orthopedic Surgery and Enhanced Recovery, Association of China Rehabilitation Technology Transformation and Promotion. Altogether, the up-to-date expert consensus have been achieved. The consensus may provide the reference for clinical treatment in aspect of the standardization of surgical operations, the reduction of surgical trauma and complications, the optimization of perioperative pain and sleep management, the prevention of venous thrombosis, and the guidance of patients’ functional training and perioperative education.
ObjectiveTo analyze the efficacy and safety of Toumai® endoscopic surgery robot in right upper lobe resection. MethodsThe clinical data of 2 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received right upper lobe resection with Toumai® endoscopic surgery robot in Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University in November 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Both patients were male, aged 66 years and 44 years, respectively. ResultsThe operation was successful in both patients with no conversion to thoracotomy, surgical complication or death. The operation time was 65 min and 48 min, and the amount of intraoperative bleeding was 80 mL and 50 mL, respectively. The postoperative hospital stay was 3 days. There was no blood transfusion during the perioperative period. ConclusionThe application of Toumai® endoscopic surgery robot in lobectomy is preliminarily proved to be safe and effective. Compared with Da Vinci robotic surgery system, it has similar clear 3D vision and flexible and stable operation, which can become one of the important choices for the new generation of minimally invasive chest surgery.