Impact of Postoperative Complications on Survival and Recurrence After Resection of Colorectal Liver Metastases

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of postoperative complications (POC) on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) after surgical resection of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA Morbidity rates after liver resection can reach 45%. The negative impact of POC on oncologic outcomes has been reported in various types of cancer, especially colorectal. However, data on the consequences of POC after CRLM resection on long-term survival are scarce. METHODS Eligible studies examining the association between POC after CRLM resection and OS/DFS were sought using the PubMed and Web of Science databases. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled effect estimat…

Vertical Banded Gastroplasty Converted to Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: Little Impact on Nutritional Status after 5-Year Follow-up

Background: Conversion to a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) has been advocated after the failure of vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG). The aim of this study was to analyze the differences in anthropometric and nutritional parameters between patients with VBG and those converted to RYGBP. Methods: 45 patients initially underwent VBG. 22 of these patients have maintained this operation for more than 5 years (Group A) and 23 have been converted to RYGBP (Group B), after 2 years of follow-up. We analyzed anthropometric and nutritional parameters (macronutrients,micronutrients and lipid profile), and postoperative morbidity after both procedures. Data were recorded before the first operation a…

Esophageal abnormalities in morbidly obese adult patients.

Abstract Background An increase in body mass index has been found to be associated with an increase in the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, esophageal mucosal injury, and GERD complications. Few systematic studies with objective tests have evaluated esophageal disorders in the morbidly obese population. Objectives To define more precisely in morbidly obese people the incidence of esophageal symptoms and characterize the esophageal disorders using objective data. Setting University Hospital, Spain. Methods Two hundred twenty-four presurgical morbidly obese patients were submitted to a protocol including a clinical history and objective tests (endoscopy, stationa…

Outcome Quality Standards in Pancreatic Oncologic Surgery in Spain

Introduction: To establish quality standards in oncologic surgery is a complex but necessary challenge to improve surgical outcomes. Unlike other tumors, there are no well-defined quality standards in pancreatic cancer. The aim of this study is to identify quality indicators in pancreatic oncologic surgery in Spain as well as their acceptable limits of variability. Methods: Quality indicators were selected based on clinical practice guidelines, consensus conferences, reviews and national publications on oncologic pancreatic surgery between the years 2000 and 2016. Variability margins for each indicator have been determined by statistical process control techniques and graphically represente…

Plasma concentration of asymmetric dimethylarginine, an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, is elevated in hyperthyroid patients.

Cardiovascular manifestations are frequent findings in patients with thyroid hormone disorders. Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in vascular, endothelial-mediated relaxation. NO is synthesized from L-arginine by NO synthase, an enzyme inhibited by endogenous compounds, mainly asymmetric dimethylarginine [asymmetric N(G),N(G)-dimethyl-L-arginine (ADMA)]. The aim of our work was to investigate whether plasma L-arginine and dimethylarginine concentrations and NO production are altered in hypo- and hyperthyroid patients, compared with control subjects. L-arginine, ADMA and symmetric dimethylarginine were analyzed by HPLC. NO was measured as plasma nitrite plus nitrate (NO(x)) concentration by…

Implicaciones pronósticas del estudio estandarizado de los márgenes de resección en el cáncer de páncreas

Resumen Introduccion La afectacion microscopica de los margenes de reseccion es un factor pronostico fundamental en la cirugia del cancer de pancreas. Sin embargo, su definicion anatomopatologica no esta estandarizada. Este estudio pretende identificar el porcentaje real de pacientes con resecciones R1 al analizar las piezas quirurgicas con un protocolo estandarizado y evaluar sus implicaciones sobre la supervivencia. Pacientes y metodos Serie de 100 pacientes consecutivos intervenidos por adenocarcinoma ductal de pancreas y resecciones macroscopicamente completas, divididos en 2 grupos: pre- y posprotocolo, segun se intervinieran antes o despues de la aplicacion de un protocolo estandariza…

Outcome of esophageal function and 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring after vertical banded gastroplasty and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Background: One of the co-morbidities frequently associated with morbid obesity is gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), present in >50 % of morbidly obese individuals. We compared the anti-reflux effect of vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP), and their effect on esophageal function. Methods: 10 patients underwent VBG and 40 patients underwent RYGBP. Anthropometric parameters, symptomatology of GERD, esophageal manometry (EM), isotopic esophageal emptying (IEE) and 24hr esophageal pH monitoring were recorded in all patients preoperatively, and at 3 months and 1 year postoperatively. Results: Preoperatively, there was a high prevalence of GERD, symptoma…

Predictors of psychological symptoms in morbidly obese patients after gastric bypass surgery

Abstract Background Morbid obesity is associated with debilitating psychosocial consequences, such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. One of the main goals of bariatric surgery should not only be reducing weight and counteracting co-morbid conditions, but also improving postoperative psychosocial functioning. The objective of our study was to determine the preoperative variables that could predict the psychological symptoms 6 and 12 months after surgery to improve the clinical outcome of morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The setting was a university hospital in Spain. Methods The study group consisted of 60 morbidly obese patients (46 women and 14 men) who had …

Sentinel lymph node BIOPSY after neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer patients with lymph node involvement at diagnosis. Could wire localization of clipped node improve our results?

Abstract Introduction Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in node-positive (N+) breast cancer patients at diagnosis remains a controversial issue, with no consensus on implementation or safety. Objectives We sought to assess the accuracy of SLNB after NAT in biopsy-proven N+ cases at diagnosis and the efficacy and accuracy of wire localization of the clipped node to improve results. Material and methods A cross-sectional diagnostic technique validation study in N+ patients following NAT was performed. The biopsy-proven affected lymph node was clipped at diagnosis. SLNB and axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) were performed in cases of clinical-radiological ly…

Modified appleby procedure for resection of advanced pancreatic body-tail tumors with hepatic artery or celiac axis involvement

Deciphering function of the pulmonary arterial sphincters in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta)

To provide new insight to the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying gas emboli (GE) in bycaught loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), the present study investigated the vasoactive characteristics of the pulmonary and systemic arteries, and the lung parenchyma (LP). Tissues were opportunistically excised from recently dead animals for in vitro studies of vasoactive responses to four different neurotransmitters: acetylcholine (ACh, parasympathetic), serotonin (5HT), epinephrine (Epi, sympathetic) and histamine. The significant amount of smooth muscle in the LP contracted in response to ACh, Epi and histamine. The intrapulmonary and systemic arteries contracted under both parasympatheti…

Modified Devine Exclusion for Unresectable Distal Gastric Cancer in Symptomatic Patients

<b><i>Background:</i></b> In patients with outlet obstruction syndrome and/or severe anemia secondary to unresectable gastric cancer (GC), partial stomach-partitioning gastrojejunostomy, or modified Devine exclusion, is a surgical alternative. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A retrospective study was conducted on patients with unresectable distal GC treated with modified Devine exclusion as palliative surgery between February 2005 and December 2015. It consisted of a series of 10 patients with outlet obstruction syndrome and/or severe anemia. The outcomes of this technique were based on oral tolerance, blood transfusions, postoperative complications, a…

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the UltraCision harmonic scalpel in thyroid surgery: an analysis of 200 cases in a randomized trial.

Thyroid surgery technique has undergone very few changes in the last century. The UltraCision harmonic scalpel (UHS) (Smithfield, RI) has been widely used in laparoscopic surgery and is documented to be safe and fast for cutting and coagulating tissue. We studied whether the use of the UHS could have advantages in thyroid surgery in terms of operative time, length of hospitalization, morbidity, and general costs.Our study was a prospective randomized trial of thyroidectomies and lobectomies performed for benign thyroid diseases in an endocrine surgery unit between February 2001 and July 2002. Patients were randomized in two groups: group A (n=100) underwent thyroidectomy using UHS and group…

Adrenalectomy for solid tumor metastases: Results of a multicenter European study

Background. We assessed the results of adrenalectomy for solid tumor metastases in 317 patients recruited from 30 European centers. Methods. Patients with histologically proven adrenal metastatic disease and undergoing complete removal(s) of the affected gland(s) were eligible. Results. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was the most frequent tumor type followed by colorectal and renal cell carcinoma. Adrenal metastases were synchronous (#6 months) in 73 (23%) patients and isolated in 213 (67%). The median disease-free interval was 18.5 months. Laparoscopic resection was used in 46% of patients. Surgery was limited to the adrenal gland in 73% of patients and R0 resection was achieved in 86%…

Estándares de calidad en la cirugía oncológica pancreática en España

Resumen Introduccion Identificar los estandares de calidad en la cirugia oncologica es un reto complejo necesario para poder mejorar los resultados quirurgicos. A diferencia de lo que ocurre en otros tumores, no existen unos estandares de calidad bien definidos en el cancer de pancreas. El objetivo es identificar los indicadores de calidad en la cirugia pancreatica oncologica en Espana, asi como sus limites de variabilidad. Metodos Los indicadores de calidad se han seleccionado a partir de las guias de practica clinica, conferencias de consenso, revisiones y publicaciones de ambito nacional sobre cirugia pancreatica oncologica entre los anos 2000-2016. Los margenes de variabilidad para cada…

Rectal advancement flaps for the treatment of transphincteric perianal fistulas: a three-dimensional endoanal ultrasound and quality of life assessment.

This study quantifies the damage to the internal anal sphincter (IAS) after a rectal mucosal advancement flap for a high transphincteric fistula in 16 patients using 3D-endoanal ultrasound. This was correlated with postoperative incontinence and quality of life scores. The median length of involved IAS preoperatively was 50 % (20-100) and 93.72 % for EAS (47.4-100 %). IAS division did not influence continence (p > 0.05). Continence deteriorated between the pre-, postoperative (p = 0.014) and six-month follow-up (p = 0.005), with no significant differences after one year (p > 0.05). The FIQOL score and SF-36 deteriorated initially, with recovery in all domains except for mental health after …

The role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the management of iatrogenic bile duct injury after cholecystectomy

espanolIntroduccion: la lesion yatrogenica de la via biliar (LYVB) es una complicacion con elevada morbilidad tras la colecistectomia. En los ultimos anos la endoscopia ha adquirido un papel fundamental en el manejo de esta patologia. Metodos: estudio retrospectivo de LYVB tras colecistectomia abierta (CA) o colecistectomia laparoscopica (CL) tratadas en nuestro centro entre 1993 y 2017. Se analizaron los datos referentes a las caracteristicas clinicas, tipo de lesion segun la clasificacion de Strasberg-Bismuth, diagnostico, tecnica de reparacion y seguimiento. Resultados: se estudian 46 pacientes. La incidencia LYVB fue de 0,48%, 0,61% para las CL y 0,24% para las CA. El diagnostico se rea…

Prognostic Implications of the Standardized Study of Resection Margins in Pancreatic Cancers

Abstract Introduction Involvement of surgical resection margins is a fundamental prognostic factor in pancreatic oncological surgery. However, there is a lack of standardized histopathology definition. The aims of this study are to investigate the real rate of R1 resections when surgical specimens are evaluated according to a standardized protocol and to study its survival implications. Patients and methods One hundred consecutive surgically resected patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were included in the study. They were further divided into 2 groups: pre-protocol, evaluated before the introduction of the standardized protocol and post-protocol, analyzed with the standardized p…

Computerized acoustic voice analysis and subjective scaled evaluation of the voice can avoid the need for laryngoscopy after thyroid surgery.

Because of frequent postoperative alterations in voice, many surgeons include laryngoscopy as a routine examination before/after thyroid surgery. The aim of this work was to determine whether more comfortable and easier subjective or objective postoperative voice assessments could complement or replace laryngoscopy.Sixty-four consecutive patients scheduled to undergo thyroid surgery underwent preoperative objective computerized acoustic voice analysis (CAVA), subjective scaled evaluation of the voice (SSEV) with the GIRBAS scale, and fiberoptic laryngoscopy. All patients had 7- and 30-day postoperative follow-up assessments using the same tests.CAVA measurements of jitter and noise-to-harmo…

Requirement and postoperative outcomes of abdominal panniculectomy alone or in combination with other procedures in a bariatric surgery unit.

Abstract Background A high percentage of patients present with redundant skin folds after bariatric surgery. This study aims to quantify the need for panniculectomy after open bariatric surgery and to analyze the postoperative outcomes. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group DLP, patients who underwent an abdominal panniculectomy alone and group DLP+, those who underwent panniculectomy in association with another surgical procedure. Results Four hundred forty-six patients underwent open bariatric surgery and 130 patients (29%) subsequently required an abdominal dermolipectomy. Seventy-six percent presented also incisional hernia an…

Nitric oxide mediates abnormal responsiveness of thyroid arteries in methimazole-treated patients.

Objective: We studied the intervention of nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in mediating responses to acetylcholine in thyroid arteries from euthyroid and methimazole-treated (MT) patients. Design and methods: Branches of the superior thyroid artery were obtained from 19 euthyroid patients and 17 MT patients (euthyroid at the time of surgery) undergoing total thyroidectomy or hemithyroidectomy. Artery rings were suspended in organ baths for isometric recording of tension. Results and conclusions: Acetylcholine caused endothelium-dependent relaxation of greater magnitude in arteries from MT patients (pD2 (−log EC50) values were 7.68±0.19 in…

Parasitic outbreak of the copepod Balaenophilus manatorum in neonate loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from a head-starting program

Abstract Background Diseases associated to external parasitosis are scarcely reported in sea turtles. During the last decades several organism have been documented as a part of normal epibiont community connected to sea turtles. The copepod Balaenophilus manatorum has been cited as a part of epibiont fauna with some concern about its parasitic capacity. This study serves three purposes, i.e. (i) it sheds light on the type of life style that B. manatorum has developed with its hosts, particularly turtles; (ii) it makes a cautionary note of the potential health risks associated with B. manatorum in sea turtles under captivity conditions and in the wild, and (iii) it provides data on effective…

Endothelial dysfunction in morbid obesity.

Morbid obesity is a chronic multifunctional disease characterized by an accumulation of fat. Epidemiological studies have shown that obesity is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Endothelial dysfunction, as defined by an imbalance between relaxing and contractile endothelial factors, plays a central role in the pathogenesis of these cardiometabolic diseases. Diminished bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO) contributes to endothelial dysfunction and impairs endothelium- dependent vasodilatation. But this is not the only mechanism that drives to endothelial dysfunction. Obesity has been associated with a chronic inflammatory process, atherosclerosis, and oxidative stress. …

Intraperitoneal Onlay Mesh Technique for Spigelian Hernia in an Outpatient and Short-Stay Surgery Unit: What's New in Intraperitoneal Meshes?

Spigelian hernia (SH) is a rare entity, but its surgical treatment is essential because of its high complication risk. Laparoscopic approaches have become the option in elective surgery because it has less morbidity and requires a shorter stay. Several laparoscopic techniques have been employed, but there is no gold standard technique for this kind of hernia. We report, in this study, our experience with intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) repair.Fifteen patients underwent elective surgery for SH between 2008 and 2015 in a Short-Stay Surgical Unit. Laparoscopic IPOM technique was performed in all patients. The technique, epidemiological data, operative findings, hospital stay, morbidity, and …

Impact of type and severity of postoperative complications on long‐term outcomes after colorectal liver metastases resection

Background and objectives Postoperative complications (POCs) after hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) adversely affect long-term survival. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of POC etiology and severity on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Methods A retrospective study of 254 consecutive hepatectomies for CRLM was performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the effects of demographic, tumor-related and perioperative variables on OS and DFS. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was then used to compare patients with different POC etiology: infective (Inf-POC), noninfective (Non-inf POC), and no-complicat…

Dificultad en el tratamiento del hipertiroidismo por amiodarona: Presentación de un caso

La amiodarona puede alterar la función tiroidea en un 15-20% de los pacientes que la toman, dando lugar a hipotiroidismo o hipertiroidismo. La sobrecarga de yodo y la toxicidad directa sobre el tiroides inducida por amiodarona pueden provocar hipertiroidismo. Describimos un caso de tirotoxicosis grave por amiodarona que se diagnosticó buscando la causa que descompensó la cardiopatía de base del paciente, condicionando ésta el pronóstico y el manejo terapéutico. El tratamiento precisó un estrecho seguimiento y se basó en dosis elevadas de propiltiouracilo y dexametasona que no controlaron las consecuencias del hipertiroidismo a nivel cardiaco necesitando la tiroidectomia total. Creemos, con …

Endothelium-dependent responses in human isolated thyroid arteries from donors

The functional properties of the endothelium of human thyroid arteries remain unexplored. We investigated the intervention of nitric oxide (NO), prostacyclin (PGI(2)) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in the responses to acetylcholine and noradrenaline in isolated thyroid arteries obtained from multi-organ donors. Artery rings were suspended in organ baths for isometric recording of tension. The contribution of NO, PGI(2) and EDHF to endothelium-dependent relaxation was determined by the inhibitory effects of N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA), indomethacin, and K(+) channel inhibitors respectively. Acetylcholine induced concentration-dependent relaxation; this effect w…