European Surgery : ACA : Acta Chirurgica Austriaca

BACKGROUND: The experience of general and trauma surgeons in vascular trauma management has decreased with sub-specialization of surgery and working hours restrictions. We introduce a vascular trauma surgery skills course established to train German military surgeons prior to their deployment to conflict areas. METHODS: The intention and implementation of the vascular trauma course for non-vascular surgeons is described in detail. RESULTS: In hands-on courses, participants learn and train basic vascular surgical techniques on more realistic extremity, neck, and abdominal models with pulsatile vessels...

BACKGROUND: Intimate knowledge of the materials used in endovascular aortic interventions is essential for trainees and supporting staff taking part in an endovascular intervention. Training courses can help to familiarize trainees with the equipment. However, the pandemic has changed the landscape of hands-on training courses significantly. Therefore, we developed a training course including an educational recording of the procedure to transfer knowledge about the materials used during endovascular interventions and radiation exposure reduction...

Background: Diaphragmatic hernias with strangulated contents are a surgical challenge. Thoracoabdominal incisions are commonly used for a variety of thoracic and vascular cases, although rarely used for diaphragmatic hernias, which are typically repaired with laparotomy, thoracotomy, or minimally invasive approaches. Case report: We present the unique case of a 60-year-old, critically ill unstable patient with severe heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (15-25%) and severe valve disease presenting with a left-sided diaphragmatic hernia containing strangulated small intestine and requiring urgent surgical exploration...

Due to immunosuppressive therapy, transplant patients are more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. A potentially deadly new virus haunted us in 2020: SARS-CoV‑2, causing coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). We analyzed the consequences of this previously unknown risk for our living-donor transplant program in the first year of the pandemic. After the complete lockdown in spring 2020, our transplant center in Linz resumed the living-donor kidney transplantation program from June to September 2020, between the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Austria...

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis caused by the severe respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly led to a pandemic. While the majority of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients present with fever and respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur. In addition, serious hepatic manifestations like cholangiopathy and liver failure have been described. Patients and methods: We identified two critically ill patients suffering from SARS-CoV‑2 infection in our intensive care unit (ICU)...

Background: The educational process of young doctors should be a topic of high interest, since it is central to preparing the new generations of healthcare providers. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the medical system on multiple levels, including medical education. Methods: We conducted a descriptive survey study, designed to reflect the impact of the pandemic on the training of general surgery residents. Two questionnaires were delivered to general surgery residents at two different periods: one in the pre-COVID-19 era (December 2019) and one in the COVID-19 era (December 2020)...

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Introduction: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused significant delays in oncological care worldwide due to restriction of elective surgery and intensive care unit capacity. It has been hypothesized that COVID-free oncological hubs can provide safer elective cancer surgery compared to COVID hospitals. The primary aim of the present study was to analyze the outcomes of minimally invasive esophagectomy for cancer performed in both hospital settings by the same surgical staff...

BACKGROUND: Acute strangulated ventral hernia is associated with operative morbidity and mortality. General anesthesia may increase the operative risk, especially in morbidly obese and COVID-19-positive individuals. METHODS: A 67-year-old woman with body mass index (BMI) 51 kg/m2 , hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2-related interstitial pneumonia and renal failure, presented with acute abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal tenderness secondary to giant ventral hernia strangulation...

BACKGROUND: Changes in demographics and dynamics of our society are affecting the healthcare system, leading to an intensified "war for talents," especially for surgical departments. Also with regard to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the present work analyzes the potential of digitalization for human resource management of surgical departments in hospitals. METHODS: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify articles referring to the specific subject of human resource management and its digital support in hospitals and surgical departments in particular...

BACKGROUND: Dysphagia aortica is an umbrella term to describe swallowing obstruction from external aortic compression secondary to a dilated, tortuous, or aneurysmal aorta. We performed a systematic literature review to clarify clinical features and outcomes of patients with dysphagia aortica. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. The terms "aortic dysphagia," "dysphagia aortica," "dysphagia AND aortic aneurysm" were matched...

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Background: Breast cancer may present with distinct cutaneous manifestations that may be paraneoplastic or secondary to direct skin infiltration, distant skin metastases, or dermal lymphatic tumor embolization (inflammatory breast carcinoma). Case report: A 51-year-old Asian woman visited the emergency care department during the outbreak of COVID-19 in Northern Italy. About 6 months before, she had noted the onset of right breast swelling accompanied by skin redness and itching...

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most frequently performed operations in the United Kingdom, commonly due to symptomatic gallstones. Delay between diagnosis and definitive surgical intervention often leads to a significant readmission rate, growing financial burden and increased complexity of the ultimate surgical intervention. Resource reallocation and reduced operational capacity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an impending waiting list crisis...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Background: Soon after its appearance, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) became a pandemic, with over 111 million cases reported and 2.4 million deaths worldwide. Although the focus of public health systems must lie on patients' care and treatment, SARS-COV‑2 infection has also affected surgical trainees in their academic and professional development, causing significant disruption in all forms of their training...