Correction to: Acute acalculous cholecystitis determining Mirizzi syndrome: case report and literature review.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported that one of the authors' names is spelled incorrectly.

Results following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in elderly obese patients: a single center experience with follow-up at three years.

Background: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) represents the most performed bariatric surgical procedure worldwide. Morbid Overweight in elderly patients is becoming a significant health problem even in Italy. As well as in younger age groups, bariatric surgery could be indicated even in this subset of patients.

Efficacy of Postoperative Upper Gastrointestinal Series (UGI) and Computed Tomography (CT) Scan in Bariatric Surgery: a Meta-analysis on 7516 Patients.

Background: To demonstrate the lack of utility and efficacy of routine early postoperative upper gastrointestinal study (UGI) in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and to show the higher efficacy of CT scan in cases of clinical suspicion of a leakage, a meta-analysis was performed.

Materials And Methods: A literature search including articles published in last 18 years was performed. For both UGI and CT scan, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated.

Acute Leaks Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Early Surgical Repair According to a Management Algorithm.

Introduction: Despite leakages remaining a worrisome complication, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has become the preferred choice for most bariatric surgeons in Italy. In light of the emerging trend to discharge patients on postoperative day (POD) 1 or to consider LSG as an outpatient procedure, we felt it useful in selected cases to define a treatment protocol aimed to manage patients presenting with an acute postoperative leakage.

Patients And Methods: Starting from 2007, 295 LSGs have been performed at our institution.

Role of colonoscopy in the diagnostic work-up of bowel endometriosis.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of colonoscopy for the prediction of intestinal involvement in deep pelvic endometriosis.

Methods: This prospective observational study was performed between September 2011 and July 2014. Only women with both a clinical and imaging diagnosis of deep pelvic endometriosis were included.

Lipid profile changes in patients undergoing bariatric surgery: a comparative study between sleeve gastrectomy and mini-gastric bypass.

Objective: To prospectively evaluate the effect of different types of bariatric surgery on lipid profile.

Methods: Total cholesterol (TC), High-Density-Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), Low-Density-Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) and triglycerides (TG) levels were evaluated before surgery and at 3 different post-operative time-points (3, 6 and 12 months) in consecutive obese subjects undergoing mini-gastric bypass (MGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG).

Results: At baseline, 74 MGB and 86 SG subjects were comparable for lipid profile and prevalence of hypercholesterolemia/hypertriglyceridemia.

Haemostatic and fibrinolytic changes in obese subjects undergoing bariatric surgery: the effect of different surgical procedures.

Background: Little is known about effects of different bariatric surgery procedures on haemostatic and fibrinolytic parameters.

Material And Methods: Consecutive obese subjects undergoing gastric bypass (GBP) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG) were enrolled. In all patients, levels of haemostatic factors (FII, FVII, FVIII, FIX, FX, vWF, fibrinogen), fibrinolytic variables (PAI-1, t-PA and D-dimer) and natural anticoagulants (AT, protein C and protein S) were evaluated before and 2 months after surgery.

Acute acalculous cholecystitis determining Mirizzi syndrome: case report and literature review.

Background: Although Mirizzi syndrome is widely reported in literature, little is known about acute acalcholous cholecystitis determinig the findings of a Mirizzi syndrome.

Case Presentation: We report a case of MRCP-confirmed Mirizzi syndrome in acute acalculous cholecystitis resolved by surgery.

Conclusion: Acute acalcholosus cholecystitis determinig a Mirizzi Syndrome should be included in the Mirizzi classification as a type 1.

Bariatric surgery is not contraindicated in obese patients suffering from glycogen storage disease type IXa. A case report with follow-up at three years.

Introduction: Glucose storage disease type IXa (GSD IXa) is an uncommon condition presenting with childhood onset hepatomegaly, growth retardation, and often, fasting ketosis and hypoglycemia. Despite its benign course, the lack of dietary counseling may favor uncontrolled weight gain. We investigated the efficacy of bariatric surgery in one 17 years old female suffering from GSD IXa and morbid obesity.

Bariatric surgery in elderly patients. A comparison between gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy with five years of follow up.

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity is rising progressively, even among elderly patients. Many studies investigated about safety and efficacy of bariatric surgery among aged obese patients. The objective of this review is to assess the benefits relative to risks of weight loss that may be obtained by performing two common bariatric procedures in obese elderly patient.

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: efficacy of fibrin sealant in reducing postoperative bleeding. A randomized controlled trial.

Staple line leakage and bleeding are worrisome complications of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). Solutions such as buttressing, oversewing or roofing the staple line with gelatin matrix have been proposed with controversial results. Because the use of fibrin sealant has shown a possible benefit in reducing the reoperation rate due to early complication in patients (pts) undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGBP), this solution has been tested in 100 consecutive pts undergoing LSG.

Wernicke encephalopathy in subjects undergoing restrictive weight loss surgery: a systematic review of literature data.

The use of weight loss surgery is progressively increasing, and in recent years, restrictive bariatric surgery procedures have been more often used. Although thought to be associated with a lower incidence of post-operative side effects than malabsorpitive surgery, some cases of micronutrients deficiency have been reported because of an acquired thiamine deficiency; in this clinical setting, some cases of Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) have been described. Major determinants and predictors of this major neurological complication are currently unknown.

Varicocele repair in severe oligozoospermia: A case report of post-operative azoospermia.

Varicocele has been implicated as a cause in 35%-50% of patients with primary infertility and up to 81% of men with secondary infertility. Although a large number of reports have shown improvement in the semen parameters after correction of varicocele, other studies have suggested no benefit. We report the first case of azoospermia after surgery in a young infertile male patient with left-sided varicocele and severe oligozoospermia undergoing laparoscopic varicocelectomy.

A vaginal drain of a pelvic abscess due to colonic diverticulitis.

Although well recognized for tubo-ovarian abscesses, we report, in our best knowledge, the first case of a vaginal drain of a pelvic abscess due to colonic diverticulitis. A 78-year-old patient presented with abdominal and pelvic pain, fever (39.3 °C) and an elevated white blood cell count (18500/mL).

Bariatric surgery and diabetes remission: sleeve gastrectomy or mini-gastric bypass?

Aim: To investigate the weight loss and glycemic control status [blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and hypoglycaemic treatment].

Methods: The primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes is obesity, and 90% of all patients with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Although a remarkable effect of bariatric surgery is the profound and durable resolution of type 2 diabetes clinical manifestations, little is known about the difference among various weight loss surgical procedures on diabetes remission.

Computed tomography findings of pneumatosis and portomesenteric venous gas in acute bowel ischemia.

Aim: To use more representative sample size to evaluate whether computed tomography (CT) scan evidence of the concomitant presence of pneumatosis and portomesenteric venous gas is a predictor of transmural bowel necrosis.

Methods: Data from 208 patients who were referred for a diagnosis of bowel ischemia were retrospectively reviewed. Only patients who underwent a surgical intervention following a diagnosis of bowel ischemia who also had a post-operative histological confirmation of such a diagnosis were included.

Intradermal absorbable sutures to close pilonidal sinus wounds: a safe closure method?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the safety of using intradermal absorbable sutures for pilonidal sinus skin closure.

Methods: The study was prospectively carried out in 203 patients randomized into two groups of patients. In the first group (103 patients), interrupted sutures were used; in the second group (100 patients), a continuous intradermal suture was used.

The mini-gastric bypass in the management of morbid obesity in Prader-Willi syndrome: a viable option?

Aims: To test the efficacy of the mini-gastric bypass (MGB) in the treatment of morbid obesity related to the Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).

Patients And Methods: Three young male patients (mean age 15.6 years) complaining with PWS were treated by MGB with the aim to improve morbid obesity associated with the syndrome.

Diagnostic value of abdominal free air detection on a plain chest radiograph in the early postoperative period: a prospective study in 648 consecutive patients who have undergone abdominal surgery.

Background: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the predictive value of free air (on a plain radiograph) for bowel perforation in a large prospective cohort of surgical patients.

Methods: All consecutive patients undergoing abdominal surgery between January 2011 and June 2012 were screened for this study. We performed an upright chest radiograph on the second and third postoperative day.

Safety and efficacy of barbed suture for gastrointestinal suture: a prospective and randomized study on obese patients undergoing gastric bypass.

Background: Laparoscopic intracorporeal suturing and knot tying for anastomosis are considered the most difficult laparoscopic skills to master. The aim of this study was to establish the safety and efficacy of barbed suture for intestinal sutures to close the gastrojejunal anastomosis in obese patients undergoing gastric bypass.

Study Design: All consecutive patients undergoing gastric bypass were screened for enrollment in our study.

Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block for retroperitoneal varicocele repair. Could it be an anesthesia method?

To assess the efficacy of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block as anesthesia method for retroperitoneal varicocele repair and to evaluate its postoperative analgesic effectiveness. Thirty-three consecutive male patients undergoing retroperitoneal varicocele repair (Palomo technique) were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly allocated to undergo ultrasound-guided TAP block anesthesia (case group), or conventional spinal anesthesia (control group).

Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy: is still the gold standard treatment?

Hemorrhoidectomy remains the most definitive procedure to treat symptomatic grades III and IV hemorrhoids. However, over the years, several modifications have been made to the original operation to improve the outcomes. A total of 693 consecutive patients with grade III and IV hemorrhoids underwent Ferguson hemorrhoidectomy.

Pro-atherothrombotic effects of leptin in human coronary endothelial cells.

Adipocytes are nowadays recognised as cells able to produce and secrete a large variety of active substances termed adipokines, which exert direct effects on vascular cells. Among these adipokines, leptin has been proposed to play a role in the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes, as well as in increasing cardiovascular risk. At the moment, however, the mechanisms linking leptin to cardiovascular disease are not completely understood.