Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis carries an increased risk of biliovascular injuries. Fluorescence cholangiography (FC) is a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBD). The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of FC in delineating EHBD anatomy, both before and after dissection, based on the critical view of safety (CVS) principles. Methods: Urgently admitted patients were prospectively stratified into two groups, depending on whether they had mild or moderate acute cholecystitis, in accordance with the 2018 Tokyo guidelines. All patients were scheduled for an early laparoscopic cholecystectomy using FC and were administered a fixed dose of indocyanine green (ICG) intravenously 12 h prior to the surgical procedure. Results: A total of 108 patients—75 patients with mild acute cholecystitis and 33 patients with moderate acute cholecystitis—were included. More than four CVS steps were performed in 101 patients (93.5%). Less than four CVS steps were performed only in seven patients—three (2.5%) patients with mild acute cholecystitis and four (4%) patients with moderate acute cholecystitis. The achievement of the CVS principles and the visualization rate using FC significantly increased in both patient groups, ranging from 3% before CVS to 100% after CVS (p < 0.001). In both groups, the cystic duct was visualized in most patients after CVS and FC, followed by the common bile duct and the common hepatic duct. Conversely, even after using CVS and FC, the visualization of the confluence of the cystic and common hepatic ducts remained less likely and challenging in both groups (57.3% in mild patients vs. 33.3% in moderate patients; p = 0.022). Background liver fluorescence disturbance was observed equally in both patient groups (6–11%), but it did not reach statistical significance. The median operative time was 60 ± 25 min in patients with mild acute cholecystitis compared to 85 ± 37 min in patients suffering from moderate acute cholecystitis (p < 0.001). No postoperative complications or biliovascular injuries were observed. Conclusions: FC is a convenient, safe, and efficacious procedure for attaining CVS principles and identifying the EHBD anatomy in most patients. The procedure showed superior results in mild acute cholecystitis patients in comparison to moderate acute cholecystitis patients.

Background and Objectives: Multimodal analgesia has been shown to be effective in facilitating early postoperative gastrointestinal function and rehabilitation in patients undergoing open gastrectomy. We conducted a clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of bilateral rectus sheath block (RSB) with continuous bupivacaine infusion in comparison with placebo following elective open gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: Patients indicated for elective open gastrectomy were screened, enrolled, and randomised between October 2021 and September 2023. The patients were randomised to either Group A (intervention—continuous bupivacaine) or Group B (control—NaCl saline). The primary outcome measures were the quantity of an opioid analgesic administered during the initial 72 h post-surgery and the level of postoperative pain as indicated by the visual analogue scale (VAS). Mann–Whitney U test was used for quantitative analysis while Pearson Chi-square was used for categorical variables. Results: A total of 60 patients completed the trial, with 30 patients in each of the two groups. Patients in Group A reported lower median VAS pain scores at all observed time points following surgery (p < 0.001). No patient in Group A required rescue opioid analgesia, although non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were necessary during the initial 12 h postoperatively. Clinically, Group A patients had a significantly shorter time to first gas (p = 0.001), a shorter time to first bowel movement (p < 0.001), a shorter time to first out-of-bed activity (p < 0.001), and a shorter overall hospitalisation duration (p < 0.001) compared to Group B patients. Conclusions: Bilateral RSB with continuous bupivacaine infusion is effective in managing pain and can reduce the use of opioid analgesics in the postoperative period. Furthermore, it promotes early recovery, and a shorter hospital stay.

Background and Objectives: Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) is considered the gold standard for postoperative pain control following major abdominal surgery. Bilateral rectus sheath block (RSB) is a promising alternative regional technique. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of RSB and TEA in managing early postoperative pain and enhancing recovery after open gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: Between October 2021 and December 2024, 70 patients scheduled for elective open gastrectomy were randomized into two groups: Group A (RSB with continuous bupivacaine infusion) and Group B (TEA with 10 mg bupivacaine plus 1 µg/mL fentanyl). Primary outcomes included opioid consumption within 72 h postoperatively and pain intensity measured using the visual analog scale (VAS). Statistical analysis was conducted using the Mann–Whitney U test, Friedman’s ANOVA with Bonferroni correction, and Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables. Results: A total of 64 patients were finally included (30 in RSB, 34 in TEA). VAS scores in the RSB group were significantly lower at 24 and 48 h postoperatively compared to baseline (p < 0.001). Between-group comparisons showed consistently lower pain scores in the RSB group at all measured time points. At 48 h, 94% of patients in the TEA group required rescue analgesia, compared to only 17% in the RSB group. Additionally, the RSB group had a significantly shorter postoperative hospital stay (mean 6 vs. 9 days) and demonstrated earlier return of bowel function. Conclusions: RSB is a safe and effective alternative to TEA for analgesia after open gastrectomy. It significantly lowers pain scores, reduces opioid and rescue medication use, shortens hospital stay, and enhances early recovery. Bilateral rectus sheath block with continuous bupivacaine infusion significantly lowers pain scores, reduces opioid and rescue medication use, shortens hospital stay, and facilitates early recovery.

Insulinoma is a type of neuroendocrine tumour with an incidence of 1—4 cases per million. Multiple insulinomas constitute less than 10% of all insulinomas. Surgery is the treatment of choice for insulinoma. The operation can be done with an open or laparoscopic approach, with cure rates ranging from 77% to 100%. Pancreatic resection is recommended for tumours larger than 2 cm in size, while enucleation is advised for lesions smaller than 2cm if the tumour is at least 2—3 mm away from the main pancreatic duct to prevent the formation of a fistula. For better intraoperative localization of lesions, bimanual palpation together with intraoperative ultrasonography (IOUS) is advised. Palpation alone has 70% sensitivity, but together with IOUS, it reaches 85—95% A young female patient in her late 20s with non‑specific complaints and a medical history of epilepsy dating back to the age of 17 underwent a physical examination. Blood test results indicated severe hypoglycemia, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an 11‑mm neoplasia in the body of the pancreas. A 72‑hour fasting test confirmed the diagnosis of insulinoma, and the patient underwent laparoscopic surgery. IOUS was done for the precise localization of the lesion, and another tumour in the pancreatic tail was found. A spleen‑preserving laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy was performed. Histologic reports confirmed multifocal Grade 1 insulinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. After 4 months of follow‑up, computed tomography (CT) was done, and there were no signs of recurrence of insulinoma, pancreatic pseudocysts, or other signs of postoperative complications. Since the operation, the patient has not had any episodes of hypoglycemia or seizures. The wide spectrum of symptoms, which are not specific to insulinomas, in particular seizures, can make it difficult to establish a correct diagnosis and can be mistaken for other psychiatric or neurologic disorders. This case clearly shows the advantages of IOUS‑guided surgery in achieving better visualization and outcomes. After enucleation of the smaller lesion without the use of IOUS, other insulinomas would be missed and left in place because they were located deeply in the parenchyma. Simple visualization and palpation would not be enough.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis carries an increased risk of biliovascular injuries. Fluorescence cholangiography (FC) is a valuable diagnostic tool for identification extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBD). The objective of this Thesis was to evaluate the efficacy of FC in delineating EHBD anatomy, both before and after dissection, based on the Critical View of Safety (CVS) principles. Urgently admitted patients were prospectively stratified into two groups, mild or moderate acute cholecystitis, in accordance with the Tokyo Guidelines 2018. All patients were scheduled for early laparoscopic cholecystectomy using FC and were administered a fixed dose of indocyanine green (ICG) intravenously 12 hours prior to the surgical procedure. A total of 108 patients – 75 patients with mild acute cholecystitis and 33 patients with moderate acute cholecystitis were included. More than 4 steps of CVS were performed in 101 patients (93.5 %). Less than 4 CVS steps were performed only in seven patients – three (2.5 %) patients with mild acute cholecystitis and four (4 %) patients with moderate acute cholecystitis. The achievement of CVS principle and visualisation rate using FC significantly increased in both patient groups, ranging from 3 % before CVS to 100 % after CVS (p < 0,001). In both groups, cystic duct was visualised in most patients after CVS and FC, followed by common bile duct, and common hepatic duct. Conversely, even after using CVS and FC, visualisation of the confluence of cystic and common hepatic ducts remained less likely and challenging in both groups (57.3 % in mild patients vs 33.3 % in moderate patients; p = 0,022). Liver background fluorescence disturbance was observed equally in both patient groups (6–11 %) and it did not reach statistical significance. Median operative time was 60 ± 25 minutes in patients with mild compared to 85 ± 37 minutes in patients suffering moderate acute cholecystitis (p < 0,001). No postoperative complications or biliovascular injuries were observed. FC is a convenient, safe, and efficacious procedure for attaining CVS principles and identifying EHBD anatomy in most patients. The procedure showed superior results in mild acute cholecystitis patients in comparison to moderate acute cholecystitis patients. Using both FC and Critical View of Safety principles in all patients, ductus cysticus was identified. The Doctoral Thesis was developed at Riga East Clinical University Hospital. Defence of the Doctoral Thesis will take place at the public session of the Promotion Council of Clinical Medicine on 7 May 2026 at 13.00 in the 1st Auditorium, 16 Dzirciema Street, Rīga Stradiņš University. 3.2. Clinical Medicine; Sub-Sector – Surgery. Keywords: gallstone disease; laparoscopic cholecystectomy; fluorescence cholangiography; critical view of safety; acute cholecystitis; bile duct visualisation.