No abstract

Minimally invasive techniques are increasingly being used for oesophagectomy. Diaphragmatic hernia is a rare complication of gastroplasty in open surgery. One of the advantages of the laparoscopic technique, the lack of peritoneal adhesions, may lead to an increased rate of this complication. We report two cases of diaphragmatic acute massive herniation after laparoscopic gastroplasty for esophagectomy out of a series of 44 laparoscopic gastroplasties performed over 33 months. We discuss some technical aspects related to its occurrence. Prevention should include a limited crural division and fixation of the gastric tube to the diaphragmatic crura at primary surgery.

Prosthetic repair is frequently advocated after repair of large hiatal hernias, and biomeshes have been proposed to help reduce the high recurrence rate. All patients undergoing laparoscopic repair of primary or recurrent large hiatal hernia, and with intraoperative finding of weak diaphragmatic pillars, as judged by the surgeon, were included, from June 2004 to July 2005, in a prospective observational study. In these patients, Surgisis biomeshes were employed to assist the repair. Six patients (4 for primary and 2 for recurrent hernia) received biomesh hiatoplasty. Four had mild dysphagia at 1 month that disappeared at the next follow-up. Three had slow radiologic transit through the esophagogastric junction, still present in 1 patient at 1 year. One patient had hernia recurrence 6 months after surgery and 2 other patients had radiologic recurrence of a small hernia at 1-year follow-up; in all 3, the recurrence was small and asymptomatic and none were reoperated. The short-term recurrence rate using biomesh for the laparoscopic repair of large hiatal hernias in patients with weak diaphragmatic pillars was high at 50%. Postoperative morbidity and mesh-related complications were almost absent. Biomeshes can be safely used as on lay reinforcement in hiatoplasty, but do not reduce the hiatal recurrence rate.

Highlights• Proximity between services and groups may influence the self-help methodology.• By means of a qualitative study we tried to highlight the deep meaning of self-help for members.• Through analyzing qualitative data and organizational characteristics of the groups, two sub-cultures emerged.• Suggestions emerged for services and professionals on how to support groups eliciting no distortion.

The patient underwent open bladder resection with total excision of the neoplasm and was administered adjuvant chemotherapy consisting of irinotecan and cetuximab. Subsequent recurrences at the same site were treated with transurethral resection, while chemotherapy was still in progress. At 7 months' follow-up, the patient remained alive, with no evidence of further recurrence.