Category Archives: Print Release

General Surgery, Otolaryngology, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Trans-Oral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach (TOETVA)

Trans-Oral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach (TOETVA)
Yale School of Medicine

Courtney Gibson, MD, MS, FACS
Assistant Professor of Endocrine Surgery
Yale School of Medicine

Tobias Carling, MD, PhD, FACS
Chief of Endocrine Surgery
Yale School of Medicine

In this case, Dr. Tobias Carling and Dr. Courtney Gibson at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven perform a TOETVA on a 45-year-old patient who presented with a growing thyroid nodule that was shown to be a Hurthle cell neoplasm on fine-needle aspiration.

Numerous minimally-invasive approaches to thyroidectomy have been developed over the years to minimize the neck surgical scar, many of which are performed using endoscopic or robotic assistance. However, a more diminutive anterior cervical scar still remains a problem for some patients, as well as more extensive dissections for remote access operations. Therefore, natural orifice surgery was adopted at select institutions in an effort to perform a truly scarless thyroidectomy. Trans-oral endoscopic thyroidectomy has been the latest approach developed, known as the natural orifice transluminal endoscopic thyroidectomy, which is categorized as a natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedure. There are several ways to perform the natural orifice transluminal endoscopic thyroidectomy. Here, the authors present the TOETVA under general anesthesia.

General Surgery, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Robotic eTEP Retrorectus Rives-Stoppa Repair for Ventral Hernia

Robotic eTEP Retrorectus Rives-Stoppa Repair for Ventral Hernia
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center

Rockson C. Liu, MD, FACS

In this case, Dr. Rockson Liu with Epic Care at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center performs a robotic eTEP retrorectus Rives-Stoppa repair of an upper midline primary ventral hernia that was partially reducible but mostly incarcerated, and greater than 6 cm in a 63-year-old female. Robotic ports were placed directly into the retrorectus space. Using the crossover technique, the retrorectus spaces were combined with a preperitoneal bridge of the peritoneum. The defects were closed robotically, and a medium-weight, macroporous polypropylene mesh was placed within the retrorectus space.

Hand Surgery, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Thumb Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tear Repair

Thumb Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tear Repair
Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University

Asif M. Ilyas, MD, MBA, FACS
Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University

Alexander D. Selsky, BS
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

The patient in this case was a 35-year-old male who presented to the clinic with pain of the right thumb but no numbness after a fall onto an outstretched hand that resulted in a forced hyperabduction of the thumb. There was mild weakness with thumb adduction due to significant pain, but there was no evidence of median or radial nerve injury, and the radial pulses were intact. A palpable mass was identified along the medial side of the MCP, suggestive of a Stener’s lesion, and he was ultimately found to have a complete UCL tear of the right thumb.

Here, Dr. Asif Ilyas at the Rothman Institute performs a repair of the UCL with the use of a 3-0 suture anchor placed in the anatomical footprint and a temporary 0.045 K-wire placed across the MCP joint for reinforcement.

Preview of the case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxdoYtjgZBE&ab_channel=JOMI-JournalofMedicalInsight

Hand Surgery, Orthopedics, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Subcutaneous Ulnar Nerve Transposition

Subcutaneous Ulnar Nerve Transposition
Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University

Jasmine Phun
Sidney Kimmel Medical College

Asif M. Ilyas, MD, MBA, FACS
Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University

In this case, Dr. Ilyas at the Rothman Institute performs a subcutaneous anterior transposition on a patient with cubital tunnel syndrome. The patient’s ulnar nerve subluxed upon elbow flexion and extension upon physical examination, which was a primary indication for choosing this surgical approach over other techniques.

This procedure not only decompresses the affected nerve but also transposes the nerve anterior to the medial epicondyle so as to relieve strain on the nerve upon the full range of motion of the elbow.

Hand Surgery, Orthopedics, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Jersey Finger Repair

Jersey Finger Repair
Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University

Rachel M. Drummey, MSc
University of Central Florida College of Medicine

Asif M. Ilyas, MD, MBA, FACS
Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University

Jersey finger refers to an avulsion of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) at its insertion on the distal phalanx, the weakest point of the tendon. The injury frequently occurs during contact sports while grabbing the jersey of an opposing player as the player pulls or runs away. Surgical repair is the definitive treatment for all cases of complete rupture of the FDP tendon.

In this video article, Dr. Ilyas at the Rothman Institute demonstrates the suture anchor technique to repair a jersey finger. This approach was selected in place of the more traditional pull-out button technique for potentially stronger repair, no presence of external fixation devices, avoidance of button-related complications, and ease of rehabilitation.

General Surgery, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Bilateral Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy with Cortical Sparing on Right Side

Bilateral Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy with Cortical Sparing on Right Side
Yale School of Medicine

Taylor C Brown, MD, MHS
Yale School of Medicine

Tobias Carling, MD, PhD, FACS
Yale School of Medicine

Cortical-sparing adrenalectomy allows for the resection of adrenal tumors while preserving unaffected adrenal tissue to prevent adrenal insufficiency. This is especially important in patients with bilateral adrenal tumors, typically pheochromocytomas.

Posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (PRA) allows for a minimally invasive approach to adrenal gland resection compared with the more traditional laparoscopic transabdominal adrenalectomy and open approaches. This approach is ideal to address patients with bilateral disease and was used in this case of a 31-year-old female patient presenting with bilateral pheochromocytomas in the setting of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A syndrome and coexisting medullary thyroid carcinoma of the right thyroid lobe. A close review of her imaging demonstrated normal-appearing adrenal cortex tissue on the right side that allowed for cortical-sparing adrenalectomy on that side.

Print Release

PUBLISHED: Left Lumpectomy with Wireless Seed Localization for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ

Left Lumpectomy with Wireless Seed Localization for Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
Massachusetts General Hospital

Bridget N. Kelly
MGH

Carson L. Brown
MGH

Michelle C. Specht, MD
Operating Surgeon, MGH

The patient in this case is a 58-year-old postmenopausal woman who was seen for consultation regarding the management of newly-diagnosed ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the left breast detected on routine screening mammogram with no clinical or radiological evidence of lymph node involvement.

Breast-conserving surgery with radiation for early-stage breast cancers provides equivalent survival rates to mastectomy when all surgical margins are clear of residual cancer. For patients whose tumors are not palpable upon physical examination, preoperative localization of the malignant tissue to be removed is necessary.

In this video, Dr. Specht at MGH performs and narrates a lumpectomy using wireless seed localization to target the lesion and taking shave margins to reduce the risk of recurrence.


General Surgery, Print Release, Trauma

PUBLISHED: Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (EFAST) Exam

Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (EFAST) Exam
UChicago Medicine

Daven Patel, MD, MPH
Resident Physician
Emergency Medicine

Kristin Lewis, MD, MA
Resident Physician
Emergency Medicine

Allyson Peterson, MD
Resident Physician
Emergency Medicine

Nadim Michael Hafez, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Emergency Medicine

This video covers information related to the FAST exam, which evaluates the pericardial, hepatorenal, splenorenal, and suprapubic regions for free fluid in a trauma patient as well as the extended version, which includes an additional evaluation of the pleural spaces for a pneumothorax. It goes through probe selection, probe placement and image acquisition, image optimization, and pitfalls and pearls for the subxiphoid/subcostal, right upper quadrant, left upper quadrant, suprapubic, and pleural views.

Orthopedics, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Subtalar Arthrodesis for Post-Traumatic Subtalar Arthritis

Subtalar Arthrodesis for Post-Traumatic Subtalar Arthritis
Massachusetts General Hospital

Christopher W. DiGiovanni, MD
Chief of the Foot & Ankle Service
Vice Chair for Academic Affairs
Massachusetts General Hospital

Subtalar arthrodesis is currently the mainstay treatment option for the management of recalcitrant subtalar arthrosis.

The patient in this case is a 45-year-old male who developed post-traumatic arthritis of the subtalar joint 14 years following a work-related injury in which he sustained a comminuted, joint-depression type calcaneal fracture after a 10-foot fall from a ladder. Seven years after the initial injury, imaging prompted by progressive hindfoot pain during weight-bearing or following activity revealed progressive degeneration of the subtalar joint, for which he was treated with orthoses, corticosteroid injections, and arthroscopic debridement. After exhausting both conservative and minimally invasive treatment measures at 14 years post-injury, he finally elected to undergo subtalar arthrodesis.

This video article details the methods and techniques involved in subtalar arthrodesis. After an Ollier approach was used to expose the subtalar joint, the arthritic cartilage was removed and the subchondral plate was perforated. Finally, an autogenous bone graft was harvested from the proximal tibia and inserted into the joint space, and compression was achieved by two lag screws.

Fundamentals, Hand Surgery, Orthopedics, Print Release

PUBLISHED: Cubital Tunnel Release (Cadaver)

Cubital Tunnel Release

Asif M. Ilyas, MD
Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Program Director of Hand Surgery
Rothman Institute, Thomas Jefferson University

Cubital tunnel syndrome is a condition that affects the ulnar nerve as it crosses the medial elbow through the retrocondylar groove. It is the second most common compressive neuropathy, causing tingling and numbness in the ring and small fingers. In advanced cases of symptomatic cubital tunnel syndrome, weakness, altered dexterity, and atrophy of the intrinsic muscles of the hand may develop. Cubital tunnel syndrome can be treated with either a cubital tunnel release or an ulnar transposition. In this case, the former is demonstrated on a cadaveric arm using the mini-open technique.