Giant Inguinoscrotal Hernia

The following article devoted to the case of surgical treatment of giant inguinoscrotal hernia of a patient which signed the informed consent to the processing of personal data with dimensions of hernial sac 400x330x306 mm, size of hernial gates 9x8x7cm, loops of the small intestine, mesentery, a large number of heterogeneous liquid up to 14.7 L were determined in the hernial sac. Left herniotomy was performed. Back wall plastic of the inguinal canal was performed according to Liechtenstein. Mesh implant was used for the plastic.

Microsurgical reconstruction of maxillary defects after limited resections for malignant tumors

Introduction. Partial maxillectomy involves resection of 1 or 2 walls of the upper jaw, usually medial and anterior ones. The main purposes of reconstruction include the formation of an adequate support for the eyeball; isolation of the orbit from the nasal cavity, nasopharynx, and anterior skull base; normal symmetry; good aesthetic result.Materials and methods. Between 2014 and 2020, we followed up 13 patients. Nine of them (69 %) had combined defects involving the inferior orbital, anterior, and medial walls of the maxilla (class V according to according to the Brown–Shaw classification, 2010), as well as skin on the buccal and zygomatic areas; 1 patient also had lower eyelid affected. Four individuals (31 %) had isolated defects involving the inferior orbital, anterior, and medial walls of the maxilla (class V according to according to the Brown–Shaw classification, 2010). Twelve patients have undergone preoperative 3D-computer simulation. We divided patients into 2 groups according to the size of their defects and resection areas in the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus. Group 1 included 5 patients with partial maxillary defects (involving 25–40 % of the total area), whereas Group 2 comprised 7 patients with limited maxillary defects (involving 25–40 % of the total area).Five patients have undergone reconstructive surgeries with fasciocutaneous flaps, including anterolateral thigh flaps used in 4 individuals (31 %) and thoracodorsal flap used in 1 individual (8 %). Eight patients had their defects repaired using radial fasciocutaneous flaps. The inferior orbital wall was reconstructed using an individual titanium mesh implant.Results. All patients from Group 1 after defect repair with anterolateral thigh flaps and thoracodorsal flaps (4 individuals) had satisfactory aesthetic result. One patient had an unsatisfactory aesthetic result after reconstruction with a radial fasciocutaneous flap due to mesh implant protrusion and formation of an opening in the nasal cavity. The assessment of the eyeball position demonstrated that symmetry was achieved in 4 patients (80 %) after reconstruction using anterolateral thigh flaps (3 patients) and thoracodorsal flap (1 patient). Five patients from Group 2 (72 %) had excellent results, while 2 patients (28 %) had satisfactory results. The assessment of the eyeball position demonstrated that symmetry was achieved in 5 patients (70 %); two participants (28 %) had lower eyelid ectropion.Conclusion. Patients with large maxillary defects (involving 41–60 % of the total area of the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus and the alveolar process of the maxilla) should undergo reconstructive surgeries with fasciocutaneous anterolateral thigh flaps. In case of relatively small defects (involving 25–40 % of the total area of the anterior wall of the maxillary sinus and the alveolar process of the maxilla) the best option is defect repair with radial fasciocutaneous flaps. Such strategy ensures excellent aesthetic and functional results in 75 % of patients.

INGUINAL HERNIAS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS. A NEW METHOD OF TENSION-FREE HERNIOPLASTY

Aim of the study. To develop a new method of tension-free inguinal hernioplasty in elderly patients, which will expand the arsenal of effective open methods of surgical treatment of inguinal hernias and improve the results of their treatment. Material and methods. A total of 172 elderly patients with inguinal hernias were treated. Hernioplasty according to the Lichtenstein method was performed in 83 patients, and according to the developed method – in 89 patients. The testicular volume and blood flow in a.testicularis were determined by ultrasound before surgery, in the early postoperative period, and 1 year after surgery. Results. The developed method of hernioplasty has the following advantages: 1) it permits to reduce significantly the contact area of the elements of the spermatic cord with a mesh implant; 2) the back wall of the inguinal canal is strengthened not only by the mesh implant, but the aponeurosis of the oblique abdominal muscle; 3) a window in a mesh implant corresponds to the diameter of the elements of the spermatic cord, 4) no decrease in testicular volume at the site of the operative intervention is observed in the late postoperative period. Conclusion. The proposed method of hernioplasty is simple to use and surpasses the well-known Lichtenstein method in a number of parameters.

Morphological Features of Foreign Body Giant Cells in Experimental Conditions

Background: The purpose of our work was determined by the accumulation of a significant amount of experimental material under the conditions of implantation of a foreign body, a mesh implant, into the region of the anterior abdominal wall in order to obtain experimental inflammation, in which foreign body giant cells (FBGCs) were constantly visualized as reactive formations. This research aimed to study the dynamics of morphological changes in FBGCs under conditions of experimental implantation of a foreign body, a mesh implant, and the possible mechanism of their formation Methods and Results: This study was carried out on male Wistar rats, in which a foreign body was implanted—a mesh endoprosthesis made of polypropylene—in the region of the anterior abdominal wall under the aponeurosis of the rectus abdominis muscles. A section of the anterior abdominal wall with the implanted endoprosthesis was excised on Days 10, 21, 30, and 60 after surgery, fixed in 10% buffered formalin solution. The obtained samples were embedded in paraffin according to standard prescriptions; histological sections with a thickness of 5-7µm were made and stained with H&E, according to the methods of Van Gieson and Mallory, and an immunohistochemical study was performed using the marker of cell proliferation (Ki-67). The revealed structural features of multinucleated cells were recorded by microphotography using a photo attachment and a Levenhuk video camera (USA). During the study, it was revealed that the amount, functional activity and morphological diversity of FBGCs gradually increased, reaching a maximum by Day 30 of the experiment. At a later date, some of them died, while the remaining part was differentiated, splitting into small multinucleated cells and mononuclear elements, morphologically identical to macrophages and fibroblasts. The formation of FBGCs continued as long as the mesh implant was in the body. Conclusion: FBGCs are reactive formations that arise in response to various endo- and exogenous irritation.

Efficiency assessment of laparoscopic vs open alloplasty for incisional ventral hernias

Materials and methods. During the period from 2009 to 2020 in the clinic of the Department of Surgery and Proctology of the Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, the surgical treatment of 217 patients with IVH was analysed.The choice of laparoscopic hernioplasty or open allohernioplasty was made taking into account the size of the abdominal wall defect and the width of the rectus diastasis. By intraoperatively conducting a study during a surgery for IVH with an abdominal rectus diastasis involving approximation of the rectus muscles and measurement of IAP, it was found that with an abdominal rectus diastasis measuring up to 5 cm IAP increases to 5.6 ± 1.3 mm Hg and the abdominal wall defect is closed without an undue tension of the supporting tissues.Depending on the method of surgical treatment, patients were divided into 2 groups.In group I, 109 (21.5%) patients with small and medium-sized IVH with a diastasis of up to 5 cm underwent laparoscopic allohernioplasty, in particular, 63 patients underwent laparoscopic preperitoneal alloplasty and 46 underwent laparoscopic retromuscular alloplasty.Conclusions. For small and medium-sized IVH with an abdominal rectus diastasis of up to 5 cm, laparoscopic allohernioplasty with preperitoneal and retromuscular placement of the mesh implant and elimination of the diastasis is optimal. In comparison with open retromuscular allohernioplasty, it contributes to a significant reduction in the incidence of seroma (from 35.2% to 3.7%), postoperative wound suppuration (from 6.5% to 0%), inflammatory infiltrate (from 4.6% to 0%), chronic postoperative pain (from 6.4% to 2.6%), and recurrence of hernia (from 6.4% to 0%).

Comparison of Mesh and Barbed Suture for Laparoscopic Nephrosplenic Space Ablation in Horses

Nephrosplenic space (NSS) ablation has been demonstrated to be an effective technique for prevention of left dorsal displacement of the large colon and multiple laparoscopic techniques, among which ablation with mesh or with a barbed suture, have been proposed. Our objective was to compare two laparoscopic techniques for closure of the NSS in twenty-eight horses diagnosed with nephrosplenic entrapment. Medical records of horses that had laparoscopic NSS ablation in two referral centers between 2017–2019 were retrieved. Duration of surgery, complications, and short- and long-term follow-up information were collected and compared. Costs were also calculated and compared. All horses met the inclusion criteria: 9 had NSS ablation with a mesh implant (group M), 19 with barbed suture material (group B). One horse in group B had recurrent colic after discharge. At control laparoscopy after 5 months, the NSS resulted in still not being ablated because of a failure of the suture. In group M, three horses had recurrent colic. One was successfully treated medically, one died of unknown causes and the third required a second laparoscopic suturing at 3–6 months because of failure of the mesh implant. The mean time of surgery and costs were lower in group B compared to group M. The barbed suture technique was faster, more cost-effective and had a lower complication rate than the mesh implant.

Incidence, Diagnosis and Repair of a Diaphragmatic Hernia Following Hepatic Surgery: A Single Center Analysis of 3107 Consecutive Liver Resections

Diaphragmatic hernia (DH) after a liver resection (LR) is an uncommon but potentially severe complication. In this retrospective study, we aim to share our experience with DH in our hepatic surgery center. We retrospectively analyzed 3107 patients who underwent a liver resection between January 2012 and September 2019. The diagnosis of DH was based on clinical examination and radiological imaging and confirmed by intraoperative findings during surgical repair. Five out of 3107 (0.16%) patients after LR developed DH. Especially, all five DH patients had a major right-sided LR before (n = 716, 0.7%). The mean time interval between initial LR and occurrence of DH was 30 months (range 15 to 44 months). DH exclusively occurred after a right or extended right hepatectomy. Two patients underwent emergency surgery, three were asymptomatic, and DH was diagnosed in follow-up imaging. Three of these five treated patients (60%) developed DH recurrence: two of three (67%) patients after suture repair alone and the only patient after suture repair in combination with an absorbable mesh. The patient who was treated with a composite mesh implant did not show any signs of DH recurrence after 52 months of follow-up. In patients who develop DH after liver surgery, a mesh augmentation with nonresorbable material is generally recommended. In order to diagnose these patients in an early state, we recommend that special attention be paid and a prompt and targeted diagnostic examination of patients with abdominal complaints after right-sided liver resections take place.

The Role of Mesh Implants in Surgical Treatment of Parastomal Hernia

A parastomal hernia is a common complication following stoma surgery. Due to the large number of hernial relapses and other complications, such as infections, adhesion to the intestines, or the formation of adhesions, the treatment of hernias is still a surgical challenge. The current standard for the preventive and causal treatment of parastomal hernias is to perform a procedure with the use of a mesh implant. Researchers are currently focusing on the analysis of many relevant options, including the type of mesh (synthetic, composite, or biological), the available surgical techniques (Sugarbaker’s, “keyhole”, or “sandwich”), the surgical approach used (open or laparoscopic), and the implant position (onlay, sublay, or intraperitoneal onlay mesh). Current surface modification methods and combinations of different materials are actively explored areas for the creation of biocompatible mesh implants with different properties on the visceral and parietal peritoneal side. It has been shown that placing the implant in the sublay and intraperitoneal onlay mesh positions and the use of a specially developed implant with a 3D structure are associated with a lower frequency of recurrences. It has been shown that the prophylactic use of a mesh during stoma formation significantly reduces the incidence of parastomal hernias and is becoming a standard method in medical practice.

Pharmacological stimulation of mesh implant engraftment after ventral hernia repair

Aim. To study the effect of pyrimidine medication hydroxyethyldimethyldihydropyrimidine on the systemic inflammation after prosthetic repair of the anterior abdominal wall hernia. Methods. We prospectively analyzed two groups of patients aged between 18 and 80 years, who underwent prosthetic repair of the aponeurosis defect in the anterior abdominal wall hernia with a standard polypropylene mesh implant. The main group (n=16) was given 0.5 g hydroxyethyldimethyldihydropyrimidine per os 3 times a day before meals for 57 days from the first day after the operation. In the control group (n=16), patients received basic therapy without hydroxyethyldimethyldihydropyrimidine. Results. The postoperative period in patients after elective prosthetic hernioplasty of anterior abdominal wall was associated with an imbalance of the immune system with a tendency to lymphocytopenia (count in blood changed by 27.0%; p=0.20, Wilcoxon criterion) without significant leukocytopenia (count in blood changed by 4.9%; p=1.00, Wilcoxon criterion) and an 82.8% increase in C-reactive protein content (p=0.2, Wilcoxon criterion) compared to baseline values before the surgery. The proposed pharmacological support of prosthetic hernioplasty of the anterior abdominal wall with hydroxyethyldimethyldihydropyrimidine allowed to correct the postoperative lymphocytopenia (p=0.04, U-criterion) and reduce the concentration of C-reactive protein by 223.6% (p=0.03, U-criterion) compared with the control, which was also associated with a decrease in the number of local complications of prosthetic hernioplasty. Conclusion. The use of hydroxyethyldimethyldihydropyrimidine in patients after prosthetic hernioplasty is associated with a significant decrease in the C-reactive protein level, prevention of postoperative lymphocytopenia and a decrease in the number of local wound complications; C-reactive protein level can serve as one of the early and significant indicators of postoperative complications in this category of patients.