BACKGROUND: Specific guidelines of expected weight loss after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) in relation to preoperative body mass index (BMI) do not exist. Published weight loss outcomes after LRYGB are usually reported as a mean or median of the population examined as a whole. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether preoperative BMI influences percent of excess […]
Introduction: Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) leads to a reduced sense of touch and diminished haptics (force feedback) in comparison to open surgery. This increases the potential for excessive force application during tissue manipulation. There are little data regarding tissue damage resulting from forces routinely applied in MIS. The purpose of this study is to systematically […]
Background: The causes of obesity are multifactorial and may include dysregulation of certain genes, such as peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma). When activated, the PPAR gamma pathway promotes lipid metabolism. This study uses microarray technology to evaluate differential gene expression profiles in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery versus non-obese controls. Methods: Blood samples […]
Introduction: Efficient instrument movement is a vital part of a well-coordinated operating environment, and is a reflection of optimized ergonomic and human factor issues. In order to make assessments of these movements, objective, reproducible metrics are needed. In this study, instrument flow analysis is utilized to characterize anticipatory movements of the operative team.Methods: Five laparoscopic […]
Background: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) after open abdominal exploration for trauma is associated with significant long-term morbidity. Open exploration may be required if conservative treatment is unsuccessful. Laparoscopy in these patients may decrease LOS and decrease the rate of complications associated with repeat open surgery. Most inner city trauma centers are not geared for advanced […]