Browsing by Author "Karaca, Ahmet Serdar"

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Current status of laparoscopic surgery usage in Turkiye: A middle-income country
(2022) Esmer, Ahmet Cem; Colak, Tahsin; Edizsoy, Akay; Tazeoglu, Deniz; Karaca, Ahmet Serdar; 36875273
Objective: This study aimed to determine the usage status of laparoscopic procedures in general surgical practice in Turkiye, which is a sample of middle-income countries. Material and Methods: The questionnaire was sent to general surgeons, gastrointestinal surgeons, and surgical oncologists who have completed their residency training and are actively working in university, public or private hospitals. Demographic data, laparoscopy training and the period of education, the rate of laparoscopy use, the type and volume of laparoscopic surgical procedures, their views on the advantages and disadvantages of laparoscopic surgery, and the reasons for preferring laparoscopy were determined with a 30-item questionnaire. Results: Two hundred and forty-four questionnaires from 55 different cities of Turkiye were evaluated. The responders were mainly males, younger surgeons (F/M=11.1/88.9 % and 30-39 y/o), and graduated from the university hospital residence program (56.6%). Laparoscopic training was frequently taken during residency (77.5%) in the younger age group, while the elderly participants mostly received additional training after specialization (91.7%). Laparoscopic surgery was mostly not available in public hospitals for advanced procedures (p< 0.0001) but was available for cholecystectomy and appendectomy operations (p=NS). However, participants working in university hospitals mostly stated that the laparoscopic approach was the first choice for advanced procedures. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the surgeons working in MICs spent strong effort to use laparoscopy in daily practice, especially in university and high-volume hospitals. However, inappropriate education, cost of laparoscopic equipment, healthcare policies, and some cultural and social barriers might have negatively impacted the widespread use of laparoscopic surgery and its usage in daily practice in MICs such as Turkiye.
Incidental Gallbladder Cancer Diagnosed During Or After Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, What Did We Do?
(2020) Sapmaz, Ali; Guldogan, Can Emir; Yagiz, Betül Keskinkilic; Karaca, Ahmet Serdar
Objective: Gallbladder cancer is a rare neoplasm. We report our experience with gallbladder cancer that was incidentally diagnosed during or after laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed for gallstone disease. Methods: This study included all laparoscopic cholecystectomies due to gallstone disease undertaken from January 2010 to April 2015. Exclusion criteria were suspicion of malignancy and/or existence of gallbladder polyps detected with ultrasonography preoperatively. Patients with incidentally diagnosed gallbladder cancer were recorded, and the clinical and demographic characteristics of these patients were reviewed. Results: Of 6,114 patients in whom laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted, 5.948 were included in this study. Incidental gallbladder cancer was found in thirty-six patients, with a mean age of 64.08 years. The histological tumor stages were adenocarcinoma in situ in seven patient, pT1b in nine patient, pT2 in eleven patient, and pT3 in nine patients. Sixteen patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy alone underwent no additional surgery because of the low stage of the tumors. The twenty remaining patients, whose laparoscopic cholecystectomies were converted to open surgeries, underwent cholecystectomy, excision of the liver bed and lymph node dissection. The overall median survival time was 28 months. Conclusions: The incidence of incidental gallbladder cancer has been reported to vary, up to 2.85%. In this single-center study, the rate of incidental gallbladder cancer was found to be 0.60%. Female gender and advanced age are demographic risk factors for gallbladder carcinoma. Although gallbladder cancer is well known for its poor prognosis, tumors that are incidentally diagnosed are often found at an early stage and have a better prognosis.
Pay for performance system in Turkey and the world; a global overview
(2022) Sahiner, Ibrahim Tayfun; Esen, Ebru; Ucar, Ahmet Deniz; Karaca, Ahmet Serdar; Yast, Ahmet Cinar; 35873746
Objective: This study aimed to compare the pay for performance system applied nationally in Turkey and in other countries around the world and to reveal the effects of the system applied in our country on the general surgery. Material and Methods: Current literature and countries' programs on the implementation of the pay for performance system were recorded. The results of the Turkish Surgical Association's performance and Healthcare Implementation Communique (HIC) commission studies were evaluated in light of the literature. Results: Many countries have implemented performance systems on a limited scale to improve quality, speed up the diagnosis, treatment, and control of certain diseases, and they have generally applied it as a financial promotion by receiving the support of health insurance companies and non-governmental organizations. It turns out that surgeons in our country feel that they are being wronged because of the injustice in the current system because the property of their works is not appreciated and they cannot get the reward for the work they do. This is also the reason for the reluctance of medical school graduates to choose general surgery. Conclusion: Authorities should pay attention to the opinions of associations and experts in the related field when creating lists of interventional procedures related to surgery. Equal pay should be given to equal work nationally, and surgeons should be encouraged by incentives to perform detailed, qualified surgeries. There is a possibility that the staff positions opened for general surgery, as well as, all surgical branches will remain empty in the near future.
Risk factors for conversion to open surgery in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a single center experience
(2021) Sapmaz, Ali; Karaca, Ahmet Serdar; 34585091
Objective: This study aimed to demonstrate the demographic characteristics for laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgeries performed in the general surgery clinics of our hospital and to identify the rate of conversion to open surgery and the main reasons for convert to open surgery. Material and Methods: Medical records of a total of 1.294 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy in our hospital between October 2013 and May 2017 were retrospectively reviewed, and the rates of conversion to open surgery based on age groups were recorded. Results: Of these patients, 1191 were females (92.0%) and 103 (7.9%) were males. Mean age was 48.6 +/- 13.2 (range: 18 to 89) years. Indications for surgery were cholelithiasis in 1195 patients (92.4%), acute cholecystitis in 56 patients (4.4%), and gallbladder polyps in 43 patients (3.3%). The procedure was conversion to open surgery in 41 patients (3.16%), while 12 (0.9%) developed intraoperative complications. There was no mortality. Mean length of hospital stay was 1.2 (range: 1 to 6) days. The main reasons for conversation to open surgery were as follows: adhesions in the Calot's triangle (n = 3), acute cholecystitis (n = 29), choledocholithiasis (n = 2), adhesions due to previous surgery (n = 1), dissection difficulty (n = 2), organ damage (n = 2), anatomic variation (n = 1), and stone expulsion (n = 1). Conclusion: Acute cholecystitis appears to be the significant factor increasing the rate of conversation to open surgery during LC procedures. Male sex and older age are the other factors increasing the risk of con-vert to open surgery. However, LC should be still the first choice of intervention.