INTRODUCTION The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is an objective preoperative measure of functional capacity and response to intervention in patients with heart or lung disease. In bariatric surgery, there has been no reliable preoperative measure predictive of postoperative success. Here we investigated the impact of bariatric surgery on changes in distance traveled in the 6MWT (the 6MWD) and whethe...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that patients who have previously had bariatric surgery and are undergoing revision to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass would have abnormal findings detected by upper endoscopy that could potentially influence patient management. The procedures that are being revised include vertical banded gastroplasty, laparoscopic adjustable gastric bands, nonad...

BACKGROUND Liver resection remains the mainstay of curative treatment for liver malignancies. A variety of preoperative assessments and surgical techniques have improved the short- and long-term outcomes of liver resection in patients with liver tumors. Recently, laparoscopic hepatectomies have been increasingly performed. The aim of the present study is to survey the current practice of liver ...

Postoperative pain is the most common complaint after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This study was carried out to evaluate whether preoperative administration of intramuscular dezocine can provide postoperative analgesia and reduce postoperative opioid consumption in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients (ASA I or II) scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly...

Background: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the standard procedure for the removal of adrenal masses. Transperitoneal laparoscopic resection of adrenal tumor is the preferred surgical technique. In the present case report authors described a case with a 20 cm right pheochromocytoma successfully treated by using transperitoneal laparoscopic approach. Methods: A 26-year old man had a 20 cm retroper...

INTRODUCTION A single gallbladder with a double cystic duct is a very rare finding. In addition, few cases with this rare condition are preoperatively diagnosed. However, the preoperative confirmation or suspicion of this rare condition could facilitate safe laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is a minimally invasive therapeutic modality for gallbladder disease. We herein present a case of gall...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be safely performed in patients with acute cholecystitis. However, the rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy remains higher when compared with patients with chronic cholecystitis. Preoperative clinical or laboratory parameters that could predict the need for conversion may assist the surgeon in preoperative or intraoperative decisi...

Solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) is a rare tumor of the pancreas. Laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (DP) is a feasible and safe procedure, and successful spleen preservation rates are higher using a laparoscopic approach. We hypothesized that certain patients with SPN would be good candidates for laparoscopic surgery; however, few surgeons have reported laparoscopic DP for SPN. We discuss ...

BACKGROUND We analyzed preoperative weight loss as a predictor of postoperative success in patients after bariatric surgery. METHODS Data were obtained from a retrospective chart review of 562 patients in a multidisciplinary obesity clinic. RESULTS One hundred forty-six patients met the inclusion criteria (23 men and 123 women). The mean age was 39.5 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI...