Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38627259›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2024

A prospective case series to evaluate subcostal nerve injury with high-resolution ultrasound in posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy.

Allon van Uitert, Hossein A Chaman-Baz, Selina E I van der Wal, Xiaoye Zhu, Juerd Wijntjes, Henri J L M Timmers, J Alfred Witjes, Nens van Alfen, Johan F Langenhuijsen

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Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 0 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.

Allon van UitertDepartment of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. allon.vanuitert@radboudumc.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-0923-2401
Hossein A Chaman-BazDepartment of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Selina E I van der WalDepartment of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Xiaoye ZhuDepartment of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Juerd WijntjesDepartment of Neurology, Clinical Neuromuscular Imaging Group, Donders Center for Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Henri J L M TimmersDepartment of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
J Alfred WitjesDepartment of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Nens van AlfenDepartment of Neurology, Clinical Neuromuscular Imaging Group, Donders Center for Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Johan F LangenhuijsenDepartment of Urology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Radboud University Nijmegen · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPosterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy has several advantages over transabdominal laparoscopic adrenalectomy regarding operating time, blood loss, postoperative pain, and recovery. However, postoperatively several patients report chronic pain or hypoesthesia. We hypothesized that these symptoms may be the result of damage to the subcostal nerve, because it passes the surgical area.

methodsA prospective single-center case series was performed in adult patients without preoperative pain or numbness of the abdominal wall who underwent unilateral posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. Patients received pre- and postoperative questionnaires and a high-resolution ultrasound scan of the subcostal nerve and abdominal wall muscles was performed before and directly after surgery. Clinical evaluation at 6 weeks was performed with repeat questionnaires, physical examination, and high-resolution ultrasound. Long-term recovery was evaluated with questionnaires, and photographs from the patients were examined for abdominal wall asymmetry.

resultsA total of 25 patients were included in the study. There were no surgical complications. Preoperative visualization of the subcostal nerve was possible in all patients. At 6 weeks, ultrasound showed nerve damage in 15 patients, with no significant association between nerve damage and postsurgical pain. However, there was a significant association between nerve damage and hypoesthesia (p = 0.01), sensory (p < 0.001), and motor (p < 0.001) dysfunction on physical examination. After a median follow-up of 18 months, 5 patients still experienced either numbness or muscle weakness, and one patient experienced chronic postsurgical pain.

conclusionIn this exporatory case series the incidence of postoperative damage to the subcostal nerve, both clinically and radiologically, was 60% after posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy. There was no association with pain, and the spontaneous recovery rate was high.

Indexed as

AdrenalectomyLaparoscopyUltrasonographyAdultAgedFemaleHumansIntercostal NervesMaleMiddle AgedPeripheral Nerve InjuriesPostoperative PainProspective StudiesRetroperitoneal SpaceAdrenalectomyCase seriesHigh-resolution ultrasoundNerve damageRetroperitoneoscopicSubcostal nerve

Identifiers

PMID38627259
PMCPMC11133209
OpenAlexW4394842330

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.