The following case describes a 91-year-old woman with no significant past medical history who presented to her primary care physician with several months of cough and progressive dyspnea. After appropriate workup she was found to have a stage IVa lung adenocarcinoma with an associated malignant pleural effusion that contributed to her symptoms. There are several therapeutic options for treating a malignant pleural effusion. An indwelling tunneled pleural catheter (PleurX catheter) is a reliable way to manage a chronic pleural effusion. The device is most commonly used to manage malignant pleural effusions, but the same technique may be applied for a range of benign, non-infectious indications as well.
PleurX catheters may be inserted in an outpatient clinic, interventional radiology suite, inpatient setting, or operating room under local or general anesthesia. Once in place, they are designed to be managed in an outpatient setting either by the patient’s caregivers or by the patient themselves and serve to palliate the respiratory symptoms of a large effusion without the need for repeated thoracenteses. They can remain in place for several months, and removal in an outpatient setting with local anesthetic is trivial. Following placement of the PleurX catheter, the patient reported symptomatic improvement in her dyspnea, and she was started on dose-reduced Mobocertinib under the guidance of thoracic oncology.
Coronal Approach (Cadaver) Felix L. Hong, DDS; Mark R. Rowan, MD, DDS; R. John Tannyhill, III, MD, DDS, FACS Harvard Medical School
For treatment of facial trauma such as a frontal sinus fracture, orbital fractures, or zygoma fractures, the coronal or bi-temporal approach is used. The approach can also be used for superficial temporal artery biopsy. This approach exposes the anterior cranial vault, forehead, and upper and middle regions of the facial skeleton including the zygomatic arch. It provides access to these areas with minimal complications and cosmetically acceptable hidden scars. The subperiosteal or subgaleal planes are commonly used for coronal flap dissection. This article presents a demonstration of the coronal approach to exposing the upper or middle facial skeleton in a cadaver.
Open Distal Gastrectomy Andrea L. Merrill, MD; John T. Mullen, MD Massachusetts General Hospital
A complete margin-negative (R0) resection remains the only potentially curative treatment for gastric adenocarcinoma. The choice of operation depends on the location of the tumor as well as the stage of disease. This patient presented with symptomatic anemia, and workup demonstrated gastritis and a small tumor in the distal stomach. Biopsies confirmed adenocarcinoma, and an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) staged this tumor as T2 N0. Staging scans showed no evidence of distant metastatic disease. Given that this patient had a relatively early stage tumor, they elected to proceed with upfront surgery, which in this case entailed a distal gastrectomy. This video shows an experienced gastric surgeon’s technique for performing an open distal gastrectomy with an “extended” D1 lymph node dissection.
Proper wound closure techniques are essential for promoting healing, minimizing scarring, and reducing postoperative complications. By providing a detailed, step-by-step guide to various suturing methods, this video serves as an invaluable tool for surgical training programs and continuing medical education. The detailed explanation of each technique, coupled with practical demonstrations, provides a valuable resource for both beginner and experienced practitioners. By emphasizing proper technique, instrument handling, and tissue management, this demonstration contributes significantly to the development of essential surgical skills.
Knot tying is a fundamental skill in the surgical field, essential for securing sutures, ligating vessels, and creating secure anastomoses. The art of knot tying requires precision, dexterity, and a thorough understanding of suture materials and techniques. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview and demonstration of surgical knot tying.
Pediatric burns are one of the most common forms of injury affecting children worldwide. Of these, hand involvement occurs in 80–90% of such incidents. With the skin in children already diffusely thinner throughout the body than adults, this provides a particular challenge for areas naturally possessing thinner skin, such as the dorsal hand. There, the cutaneous tissue is the only protection for vital structures in the hand that allow full function, such as extensor tendons, nerves, and vessels. Injury to this area early in life can have a detrimental impact on how the survivor interacts with the physical world, affecting their functional capacity and quality of life.
Here presents a case of burn contractures on the right hand of an 8-year-old boy that will be released using a split-thickness graft, along with a pigment transfer graft for his left knee and fractional CO2 laser therapy over areas of hypertrophic scar tissue on his bilateral upper extremities. The split-thickness graft will greatly decrease the tension built up from the burn contracture, while the fractional CO2 laser procedure can soften the surrounding scar, allowing mild remodeling and increased range of motion.
Surgical instrument tables are considered as basic furniture for the operating room (OR). The largest table, typically rectangular or “L”-shaped, serves as a central hub for arranging and storing sterile supplies until needed during surgical procedures. The Mayo stand is an extension of the large table. It is small, height-adjustable, and intended to hang over the operating table and hold instruments and other sterile items for immediate use and within easy reach for the scrub nurse. Both the large table and the smaller Mayo stand are often referred to as back tables.
The specific equipment and arrangement of the back table may vary depending on the type of surgery and the surgeon’s preferences. This video provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to the back table setup for an open umbilical hernia repair surgery. It covers the preparation of the surgical field, the handling of sterile supplies, and the organization of the surgical tray. Additionally, it discusses the importance of adhering to sterile technique and the surgeon’s preferences during the procedure.
Laparoscopic lysis of adhesions is a minimally-invasive approach to the resolution of a closed loop small bowel obstruction (SBO) due to adhesions. A patient with an SBO can present with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and obstipation. History of prior abdominal surgeries serves as a significant risk factor for development of intra-abdominal adhesions. Imaging using either plain abdominal radiography or computed tomography (CT) can be diagnostic for closed loop SBOs. Conservative management with gastrografin can be considered in some SBOs, but closed loop SBOs are considered surgical emergencies. Utilization of specific signs (two transition points, pneumoperitoneum, signs of bowel ischemia) on imaging and patient presentation can facilitate earlier intervention.
Laparoscopic lysis of adhesions can resolve symptoms through releasing the bowel from the adhesion to improve flow. Lysis of adhesions can be performed open, laparoscopically, or with robotic techniques. This case presents a laparoscopic lysis of adhesions in a patient with a closed loop small bowel obstruction.
Surgical Staplers Brandon Buckner, CST, CRCST Lamar State College Port Arthur (TX)
For nearly two centuries, surgeons have been using mechanical devices to approximate tissues and facilitate their healing process. Currently, surgical staplers are widely used and have become essential tools in surgery. Staples facilitate rapid wound closure, hence shortening the duration of the surgical procedure. In comparison to intradermal sutures, stapling is associated with better cosmetic outcomes.
Staplers are classified into five categories: circular, linear, linear cutting, ligating, and skin staplers. With distinct names, color-coded features, and variations in length and tissue thickness, each stapler serves a specific purpose in the surgical setting. The distinct characteristics of various tissue types in the human body significantly influence the selection of staples. This video aims to provide a comprehensive overview of stapling instruments and their associated use.
This video demonstrates the surgical technique for a laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) left inguinal hernia repair with mesh. This is a technically challenging operation with a steep learning curve; however, it is one useful option for patients with bilateral hernias, recurrent hernias, or when a minimally-invasive approach is desired. It provides tension-free repair and allows exposure to the entire groin area to evaluate and repair indirect, direct, and femoral hernias. The only absolute contraindication to laparoscopic TEP repairs is the inability to undergo general anesthesia due to significant cardiopulmonary disease or other factors.
