The argon beam coagulator: a more effective and expeditious way to address presacral bleeding

Treatment of giant neurofibromas in extremities and trunk wall of neurofibromatosis type 1 patients: a Chinese 12-year single-institution experience

BACKGROUNDS

Giant neurofibromas occurring in individuals diagnosed with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) often result in considerable disfigurement, functional impairment, and diminished quality of life. Although debulking surgery poses inherent risks of complications, it remains the most efficacious approach to address these issues. The primary objective of this study was to share our surgical experience with giant neurofibromas in the extremities and trunk wall of NF1 patients which may help surgeons to minimize intraoperative bleeding and facilitate tumor excision.

METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted at a single center, encompassing 36 NF1 patients with giant neurofibromas in the extremities and trunk wall who underwent debulking surgery from July 2010 to July 2022.

RESULTS

Twenty-one male and fifteen female NF1 patients who received one to four surgical interventions were evaluated. The average age at the time of surgery was 17.8 years. The median follow-up time was 52 months. Our findings revealed relatively low rates of complications and recurrence. Notably, patients expressed satisfaction with both the aesthetic and functional results.

CONCLUSIONS

Debulking surgery of giant neurofibromas in the extremities and trunk wall of NF1 patients can effectively reduce the tumor burden, leading to improvements in both the appearance and function.

Skin ligation and argon beam coagulation for giant pachydermatocele resection

Resection of giant neurofibroma in neurofibromatosis type 1 has a high risk of perioperative bleeding because the tumors are enriched in blood vessels, which are weakened due to the loss and thinning of vascular smooth muscle. Therefore, we combined skin ligation around the tumor and use of an argon beam coagulator (ABC) for hemostasis during resecting the giant neurofibroma. The ABC is a non-contact-type hemostasis device employing argon gas as a medium. We examined the usefulness of our method by retrospectively comparing the outcomes of the ABC-use group with those of the non-use group (7 patients, 9 tumors). Although there was no difference in resected tumor weight between the two groups, the operation time was slightly shorter and the volume of blood loss was smaller in ABC-use group than in the non-use group. Our method for hemostasis is easy and safe and is considered to be a useful method.

Can Aortic Balloon Occlusion Reduce Blood Loss During Resection of Sacral Tumors That Extend Into the Lower Lumber Spine?

BACKGROUND

Although aortic balloon occlusion has been shown to reduce blood loss during sacral tumor resections, it has not been validated in larger sacral tumors involving the lower lumbar spine. If such an approach were shown to be associated with less blood loss, it might aid the tumor surgeon in resecting these difficult tumors.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

(1) Is the use of aortic balloon occlusion associated with reduced blood loss in sacral tumor resections when the lower lumbar spine is also involved? (2) Does the use of the aortic balloon prolong total operating time? (3) What complications are associated with the use of a balloon?

METHODS

We retrospectively studied all 56 patients diagnosed with sacral tumors involving the lower lumbar spine (L4, L5) who were treated surgically between 2004 and 2015 at our institute. During that time, 30 of the patients received aortic balloon occlusion therapy, whereas 26 of the patients did not. We generally used aortic balloon occlusion during procedures for hypervascular lesions (for example, giant cell tumors or metastatic renal cancers), primary malignant lesions, and recurrent lesions. We generally avoided use of aortic balloon occlusion in patients with anatomic defects of the aorta (aortic dissection or aneurysm was strictly contraindicated), renal artery bifurcation caudal to the L2 to L3 disc, age older than 70 years or younger than 12 years, history of Stage 2 hypertension [], history of balloon use in previous surgeries, and presence of unstable plaque on abdominal CT. The demographic data, intraoperative blood loss, transfusion volume, operating time, and postoperative wound drainage between the two groups were collected and analyzed. Balloon-related complications were identified. Followup in terms of balloon-related complications was conducted in all 56 patients for at least 6 months after surgery.

RESULTS

Intraoperative blood loss was determined to be less in patients treated with the balloon compared with those treated without the balloon (median volume, 2000 mL, range, 400-6000 mL versus 2650 mL, range, 550-6800 mL, respectively; median difference, 605 mL; 95% confidence interval [CI], 100-1500 mL; p = 0.035). Total operative time was not prolonged in the balloon group (including balloon insertion time) compared with those treated without it (median time, 215 minutes, range, 110-430 minutes versus 225 minutes, range, 115-340 minutes, respectively; median difference, 10 minutes; 95% CI, -40 to 30 minutes; p = 0.902). Balloon-related vascular complications included local hematoma at the puncture site in five patients, femoral artery spasm in three patients, lower limb ischemia in one patient, and femoral artery pseudoaneurysm in one patient. Acute kidney injury was found in two patients in the balloon group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that placement of the aortic balloon at a level just caudal to the renal artery bifurcation was associated with lower intraoperative blood loss and transfusion in lumbosacral tumor resections. However, procedure-specific complications were common and there was no benefit to total operative time. We suggest that the surgical procedures still need to be further refined to minimize complications. We also recommend that prospective studies be undertaken to confirm the efficacy of aortic balloon occlusion in surgery for lumbosacral tumors.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

Methods of hemostasis in abdominal surgery

Hemorrhage is one of the common concomitant conditions during abdominal surgeries, and it is also the main cause of non-planed secondary surgery. There are various methods for abdominal surgical hemostasis. How to adopt reasonable methods to manage intraoperative bleeding promptly and effectively has bothered surgeons for a long time. With the development of minimally invasive technology and surgical instruments, laparoscopy and more hemostasis techniques have been widely used during abdominal surgery. This article summarizes the methods of hemostasis during abdominal surgery.

Presacral venous bleeding during mobilization in rectal cancer

AIM

To analyze the anatomy of sacral venous plexus flow, the causes of injuries and the methods for controlling presacral hemorrhage during surgery for rectal cancer.

METHODS

A review of the databases MEDLINE^® and Embase™ was conducted, and relevant scientific articles published between January 1960 and June 2016 were examined. The anatomy of the sacrum and its venous plexus, as well as the factors that influence bleeding, the causes of this complication, and its surgical management were defined.

RESULTS

This is a review of 58 published articles on presacral venous plexus injury during the mobilization of the rectum and on techniques used to treat presacral venous bleeding. Due to the lack of cases published in the literature, there is no consensus on which is the best technique to use if there is presacral bleeding during mobilization in surgery for rectal cancer. This review may provide a tool to help surgeons make decisions regarding how to resolve this serious complication.

CONCLUSION

A series of alternative treatments are described; however, a conventional systematic review in which optimal treatment is identified could not be performed because few cases were analyzed in most publications.