Knowledge of the cystic artery and its variations is essential to perform safe cholecystectomies. The cystic artery originates from the right hepatic artery, passing posterior to the common hepatic duct, anterior to the cystic duct, and branching into two branches at the neck of the gallbladder. However, variations in position, size, and relationship with adjacent structures are common.
This article presents a literature review regarding cystic artery variations and their frequency during cholecystectomies.
The articles selected for this review were chosen from the PubMed and SciELO databases. The standardized descriptors used were anatomic variation and cholecystectomy. These were chosen using the “Medical Subject Headings” and combined with the Boolean operator AND and the non-standard descriptor cystic artery.
It was found in 54.5% of the studies that the anatomical pattern of the cystic artery was the most frequent type. A different origin from the standard was cited in 63.6% of the articles. Double irrigation of the gallbladder was found in 59.1%. In 36.4%, the cystic artery was anterior to the common hepatic duct or the cystic duct. Cystic arteries outside Calot’s triangle were found in 36.4%. Short cystic arteries were found in 13.6%. The absence or non-identification of the artery was reported in 9.1%.
Variations of the cystic artery are common and are frequently reported. One aspect of a safe cholecystectomy is anatomical knowledge and its possible variations. Thus, surgeons must be familiar with this point in order to reduce vascular and biliary injuries.
Knowledge of the portal system and its anatomical variations aids to prevent surgical adverse events. The portal vein is usually made by the confluence of the superior mesenteric and splenic veins, together with their main tributaries, the inferior mesenteric, left gastric, and pancreaticoduodenal veins; however, anatomical variations are frequent.
This article presents a literature review regarding previously described anatomical variations of the portal venous system and their frequency.
A systematic review of primary studies was performed in the databases PubMed, SciELO, BIREME, LILACS, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Databases were searched for the following key terms: Anatomy, Portal vein, Mesenteric vein, Formation, Variation, Variant anatomic, Splenomesenteric vein, Splenic vein tributaries, and Confluence.
We identified 12 variants of the portal venous bed, representing different unions of the splenic vein, superior mesenteric vein, and inferior mesenteric vein. Thomson classification of the end of 19th century refers to the three most frequent variants, with type I as predominant (M=47%), followed by type III (M=27.8%) and type II (M=18.6%).
Thomson classification of variants is the most well-known, accounting for over 90% of portal venous variant found in clinical practice, inasmuch as the sum of the three junctions are found in over 93% of the patients. Even though rarer and accounting for less than 7% of variants, the other nine reported variations will occasionally be found during many abdominal operations.
Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LGB) is the recommended procedure for morbidly obese patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, there have been reported gastroesophageal reflux symptoms or esophagitis after LGB. Few functional esophageal studies have been reported to date.
To evaluate the anatomic and physiologic factors contributing to the appearance of these problems in patients who underwent LGB.
This prospective study included 38 patients with postoperative gastroesophageal reflux symptoms submitted to LGB. They were subjected to clinical, endoscopic, radiologic, manometric, and 24-h pH-monitoring evaluations.
Eighteen (47.4%) of 38 patients presented with heartburn or regurgitation, 7 presented with pain, and 4 presented with dysphagia. Erosive esophagitis was observed in 11 (28.9%) patients, and Barrett’s esophagus (5.7%) and jejunitis (10.5%) were also observed. Hiatal hernia was the most frequent finding observed in 15 (39.5%) patients, and most (10.5%) of these patients appeared with concomitant anastomotic strictures. A long blind jejunal loop was detected in one (2.6%) patient. Nearly 75% of the patients had hypotensive lower esophageal sphincter (9.61±4.05 mmHg), 17.4% had hypomotility of the esophageal body, and 64.7% had pathologic acid reflux (% time pH <4=6.98±5.5; DeMeester’s score=32.4±21.15).
Although rare, it is possible to observe gastroesophageal reflux and other important postoperative symptoms after LGB, which are associated with anatomic and physiologic abnormalities at the esophagogastric junction and proximal gastric pouch.
Anatomical liver resections are based on some basic technical principles such as vascular control, ischemic area delineation to be resected and maximum parenchymal preservation. These aspects are achieved by the intrahepatic glissonian approach, which consists in accessing the pedicles of hepatic segments within the hepatic parenchyma. Small incisions on well-defined anatomical landmarks are performed to approach the pedicles, making dissection of the hilar plate unnecessary.
Analyze parameters in liver anatomy related to intrahepatic surgical technique to glissonians pedicles, to set the normal anatomy related to the procedure and thereby facilitate the attainment of this technique.
Anatomical parameters related to the intrahepatic glissonian approach were studied in 37 cadavers. Measurements were performed with precision instruments. Data were expressed as mean±standard deviation. The subjects were divided into groups according to gender and liver weight and groups were compared statistically.
Twenty-five cadavers were male and 12 female. No statistically significant difference was observed in virtually all parameters when groups were compared. This demonstrates the consistency of the anatomical parameters related to the intrahepatic glissonian approach.
The results obtained in this study made possible major technical advances in the realization of open and laparoscopic hepatectomies with intrahepatic glissonian approach, and can help surgeons to perform liver resections by this method.
Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) usually arises from the abdominal aorta, just below the celiac trunk and it supplies the midgut-derived embryonic structures. Anatomical variations in this vessel contribute to problems in the formation and/or absorption of this part of the intestine and its absence has been recognized as the cause of congenital duodenojejunal atresia.
To analyze SMA anatomical variations in humans and the possible associated clinical and surgical implications.
This is a systematic review of papers indexed in PubMed, SciELO, Springerlink, Science Direct, Lilacs, and Latindex databases. The search was performed by two independent reviewers between September and December 2018. Original studies involving SMA variations in humans were included. SMA presence/absence, level, place of origin and its terminal branches were considered.
At the end of the search, 18 studies were selected, characterized as for the sample, method to evaluate the anatomical structure and main results. The most common type of variation was when SMA originated from the right hepatic artery (6.13%). Two studies (11.11%) evidenced the inferior mesenteric artery originating from the SMA, whereas other two (11.11%) found the SMA sharing the same origin of the celiac trunk.
SMA variations are not uncommon findings and their reports evidenced through the scientific literature demonstrate a great role for the development of important clinical conditions, making knowledge about this subject relevant to surgeons and professionals working in this area.
Desenvolvido por Surya MKT