Background: Multiple scores have been created in order to predict difficult cholecystectomy, nonetheless there is not a consensuated standard on which to use. The importance of a predictive score to be able to establish a difficult cholecystectomy would be a relevant instrument in order to better inform the patient, properly call for help when needed, choose the correct staff, and schedule and plan the surgical procedure accordingly. Methods: A diagnostic trial study was performed. All different predictive scores for difficult cholecystectomy were calculated for each patient. The correlation between the preoperative score and cholecystectomies considered as “difficult” were measured estimating the preoperative score’s predictive value using a ROC curve in order to predict findings for difficult cholecystectomy. Results: A total of 635 patients between 2014-2021 were selected. Selected patients had a mean age of 55.0 (IQR: 28.00) and were mostly female (64.25%). Surgical outcomes of patients with difficult cholecystectomy had statistically significant higher rates of subtotal cholecystectomies, drain usage, complications and reinterventions, prolonged surgical times, and longer hospital stay. When analyzing the predictive value on each of the different scores applied, score 4 had the highest performance for predicting difficult cholecystectomy with an AUC=0.783 (CI 95% 0.745-0.822). Conclusions: Difficult cholecystectomies are associated with worse surgical outcomes. The standardization and use of predictive scores for difficult cholecystectomy must be implemented in order to improve surgical outcomes as a result of more meticulous planning when scheduling the procedure.

Introduction Bile fluid is aseptic under normal conditions; however, in the presence of cholecystitis, its susceptibility to bacterial colonisation varies, with reported rates of 20%–70% of cases. This process is referred to as bactibilia and/or bacteriobilia and can be considered a secondary complication of biliary stasis and cholecystitis in general. In the management of acute cholecystitis, the antibiotic regimen should be prescribed based on the presumed pathogens involved, taking into consideration the risk factors for resistance patterns according to demographics and local exposure. The aim of this study is to determine the predictive factors for bile culture positivity and antibiotic resistance in patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the Méderi Hospital Network. We hope to develop a predictive model that allows us to better guide antibiotic therapy. Methods and analysis This is a prospective observational cohort study with prognostic prediction model. Patients who will undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy and have bile cultures taken in the Méderi Hospital Network during the study period will be included. The dependent variables will be positive bile culture and antibiotic resistance, and the predictive variables will be age, presence of diabetes, diagnosis of choledocholithiasis, diagnosis of cholecystitis and severity of cholecystitis according to the Tokyo criteria. The minimum sample size has been calculated at 703 patients. Follow-up will continue until a control appointment 15 days after the procedure. The primary outcomes are bile culture positivity and phenotypical antibiogram resistance. For each outcome, a multivariate logistic regression will be performed using frequentist and Bayesian prediction techniques. Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Méderi network research department committee (CIMED) and by Universidad del Rosario’s Research Ethics Committee (CEI-UR; DVO005 2555-CV1837). Written informed consent is required for participation. The results will be disseminated through the submission of an academic article to a high-impact scientific journal, presentations at academic conferences, and sharing with our institution's faculty to inform antimicrobial therapy management based on local epidemiological data. Trial registration number NCT06314399.

Background: Although the current literature has shown an increasing interest in surgical treatment of gastric cancer (GC) in older adults in recent years, there is still no consensus on proper management in this subgroup of patients. This study was designed with the objective of evaluating the current evidence that compares limited lymph node dissection with extended lymph node dissection in older adult patients (≥65 years) coursing with resectable GC. Methods: A systematic review of PubMed, Cochrane library, and ScienceDirect was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. All studies before 2018 were selected using a systematic review by Mogal et al. Studies were eligible for this meta-analysis if they were randomized controlled trials or non-randomized comparative studies comparing limited lymph node dissection versus extended lymph node dissection in patients with resectable GC taken to gastrectomy. Results: Seventeen studies and a total of 5056 patients were included. There were not any statistically significant differences in OS (HR = 1.04, CI95% = 0.72–1.51), RFS (HR = 0.92, CI95% = 0.62–1.38), or CSS (HR = 1.24, CI95% = 0.74–2.10) between older adult patients taken to limited and extended lymphadenectomy in addition to gastrectomy as the current surgical treatment for GC. Although a higher rate of major complications was observed in the extended lymphadenectomy group, this difference was not statistically significant in incidence between both groups of patients (OR = 1.92, CI95% = 0.75–4.91). Conclusions: Limited lymphadenectomy must be considered as the better recommendation for surgical treatment for GC in older adult patients, considering the oncological outcomes and lower rates of complications compared with more radical lymph node dissections.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) incidence in older adults is usually higher than in the general population. Whereas surgical resection accompanied by an extended lymphadenectomy is the current standard treatment for GC, the impact of the extent of lymphadenectomy on survival in older adult patients has not been sufficiently studied and may be associated with a higher rate of complications in this group of patients. Materials and methods: An observational retrospective cohort study was performed in patients aged ≥ 75 years with a diagnosis of GC who underwent gastrectomy with curative intent to evaluate the influence of the number of retrieved lymph nodes (< 25 vs. ≥25) on postoperative morbidity and mortality and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 122 patients were included in this study; 64 were included in the group with ≥ 25 retrieved lymph nodes and 58 in the group with < 25 retrieved nodes. Patients were predominantly male (61.5%) with a median age of 79.00 (IQR: 77.00–81.00) years. The lymph node ratio was an independent risk factor for OS (HR, 8.79; 95% CI, 2.35–32.85; p = 0.001), whereas the number of retrieved lymph nodes was not associated with differences in OS and was not identified as an independent risk factor for major postoperative complications. Conclusion: We did not identify that a higher number of retrieved lymph nodes was associated with an improvement in overall survival in patients aged ≥ 75 years; however, we observed a high rate of major postoperative complications in this population. Surgical decision-making in older patients with GC should be individualized, and the risk–benefit ratio must be carefully considered.

Eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE) is a rare disease which mainly consists of an abnormal eosinophile infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract. It’s classified according to its location: eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic enteritis (including duodenum, jejunum and/or ileum) and eosinophilic colitis and degree of infiltration (mucosal, muscular, serosal). Depending on eosinophile concentration, type of EGE and the patient’s condition it may manifest with different clinical presentations such as functional dyspepsia, abdominal pain, irritability, hypoproteinemia, diarrhea, anemia, among others. Few research has been done on such an uncommon pathology to the extent that treatment evidence is mostly limited to small case series. This case study reports an infrequent presentation of EGE in the small and large intestine as an undifferentiated gastrointestinal disease and successful corticoid management given to the patient in order to further broaden knowledge on this subject and facilitate an established clinical conduct for the treating physician.

We present the case of a 68-year-old patient with a previous history of stage IV malignant ulcerated nodular melanoma of the left pinna with pulmonary metastasis, who was admitted to the emergency department with an initial clinical suspicion of intestinal obstruction, which was confirmed by computed tomography. He underwent an exploratory laparotomy that revealed multiple small lesions in the small intestine suggestive of malignancy, causing a distal jejunal intussusception responsible for the obstruction. The patient underwent resection of the affected bowel segment and subsequent intestinal anastomosis, with histopathological samples confirming metastatic melanoma. The patient progressed with an adequate postoperative course and is now on a systemic oncology management plan. This case study reports an infrequent presentation of left pinna melanoma intestinal metastases presenting with small bowel obstruction and successful surgical management given to the patient to further broaden knowledge on this subject.