Circular stapler introducer: a novel device to facilitate stapled colorectal anastomosis.

Objectives: A circular stapler introducer was developed to protect the head of the circular stapler and enable atraumatic introduction and advancement of the circular stapler without interfering with the application and safety of an anastomosis.

Methods: In a Phase I prospective study, we tested the feasibility and safety of the novel circular stapler introducer device in 60 consecutive patients undergoing left-sided colorectal resections.

Results: The median distance of the anastomoses from the anal verge was 12 cm (7-20, n = 60).

Advances in circular stapling techniques for gastric bypass: the circular stapler introducer.

Background: Modern laparoscopic bariatric surgery relies strongly on stapling devices and the perfection of the anastomotic technique is at the core of the patient's safety.

Methods: Circular stapler anastomosis is a common technique for performing gastro-jejunostomy in gastric bypass surgery. In obese patients, transabdominal circular stapler introduction can be challenging and associated with morbidity.

Severe recurrent hypoglycemia after gastric bypass surgery.

Background: Bariatric surgery is, at present, the most effective method to achieve major, long-term weight loss in severely obese patients. Recently, severe recurrent symptomatic hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia was described as a consequence of gastric bypass surgery (GBS) in a small series of patients with severe obesity. Pancreatic nesidioblastosis, a hyperplasia of islet cells, was postulated to be the cause, and subtotal or total pancreatectomy was the suggested treatment.

Osteonectin influences growth and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells.

Objective: We sought to examine the expression and functional role of osteonectin in primary and metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Background: The glycoprotein osteonectin plays a vital role in cell-matrix interactions and is involved in various biologic processes. Overexpression of osteonectin is present in malignant tumors and correlates with disease progression and poor prognosis.

Melanoma Inhibitory Activity (MIA) increases the invasiveness of pancreatic cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) is a small secreted protein that interacts with extracellular matrix proteins. Its over-expression promotes the metastatic behavior of malignant melanoma, thus making it a potential prognostic marker in this disease. In the present study, the expression and functional role of MIA was analyzed in pancreatic cancer by quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, immunoblot analysis and ELISA.

Desmoplastic reaction influences pancreatic cancer growth behavior.

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), which is regulated by transforming growth factor-ss (TGFss), has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases and tumor stroma. Inasmuch as generation of desmoplastic tissue is characteristic for pancreatic cancer, it is not known whether it gives pancreatic cancer cells a growth advantage or is a reaction of the body to inhibit cancer cell progression. In the present study we analyzed the expression and localization of CTGF and evaluated whether it influences the prognosis of pancreas cancer.

Enhanced expression of 14-3-3sigma in pancreatic cancer and its role in cell cycle regulation and apoptosis.

14-3-3sigma belongs to the 14-3-3 family of proteins, which are involved in the modulation of diverse signal transduction pathways. Loss of 14-3-3sigma expression has been observed in a number of human cancers, suggesting that it may have a role as a tumor suppressor gene. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression and the functional role of 14-3-3sigma in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).