Publications by authors named "Alexandra Eleftheria Menni"
Article Synopsis
- There has been a surge in review articles on "postbiotics" since ISAPP defined the term, indicating a growing interest in the topic that surpasses original research contributions.
- A bibliometric analysis of 92 review articles published between November 2021 and June 2024 showed that countries like China, Poland, and Italy were leading in publications, primarily in high-impact journals.
- The study suggests that while review articles are increasing, there's a need for more original research and clinical trials to bolster the understanding and effectiveness of postbiotics.
Lateral lymph node dissection and its inclusion in the treatment of rectal cancer is a controversial issue, with great differences, especially between Eastern and Western countries. Studies try to highlight the superiority of resection of these lymph nodes compared to simple mesorectal resection in terms of local recurrence of the disease, the overall survival of patients, and additional postoperative complications. In this study, the modern literature was reviewed, with the ultimate goal of clarifying the exact importance of lateral lymph node dissection, in terms of oncological outcome in patients with cancer of the middle and lower rectum, by studying the involvement of this lymph node dispersion in terms of local recurrence and overall survival of patients with rectal cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Colorectal surgery for cancer carries a significant risk of complications like anastomotic leakage, making it important to predict this risk early for personalized treatment plans and reduced hospitalization times.* -
- The study evaluated the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in 245 colorectal surgery patients, finding that an NLR of ≥ 7.4 on postoperative day 1 can reliably identify low-risk patients for leakage, while an NLR of ≥ 6.5 on postoperative day 4 is useful for identifying high-risk patients.* -
- The results suggest that using NLR measurements from day 1 can help doctors focus on patients who may need closer monitoring for leakage, improving patient management and outcomes
The skin serves as a critical barrier against external threats-dehydration, ultraviolet exposure, and infections-playing a significant role in internal homeostasis and moisture retention. Additionally, and equally importantly, it interacts dynamically with the complex microbiome resident in it, which is essential for maintaining skin health. Recent interest has focused on the use of probiotics and postbiotics, besides their ability to modulate the skin microbiome, to enhance barrier function, and exhibit anti-inflammatory properties, to be involved in skincare, by having the potential to improve skin hydration, elasticity, and overall appearance, as well as in reducing signs of aging, such as wrinkles and fine lines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * A case study discusses a 76-year-old man who had a sigmoid tumor causing bowel obstruction and a suspected liver metastasis, leading to simultaneous surgical procedures: Hartmann's sigmoidectomy and left lateral hepatic resection.
- * Despite significant blood loss during surgery and a postoperative pulmonary embolism, the patient was discharged 21 days later and showed no active disease after adjuvant chemotherapy, highlighting the need for more research on simultaneous CRCa and metastasis surgeries in emergency situations.
Backgrounds: In recent years, numerous studies have tried to decode the way bariatric surgery works toward weight reduction by the use of food preference questionnaires. The intragastric balloon has gained popularity, mainly due to its limited invasiveness, in patients with obesity not fulfilling criteria for bariatric surgery. However, there is no study assessing the changes in food preferences [FP].
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates the relationship between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the use of probiotics in multi-trauma patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), suggesting probiotics may improve lymphocyte levels.
- Results showed that patients receiving probiotics had a lower NLR in comparison to those on a placebo, indicating a potential for probiotics to enhance immune response.
- The findings support NLR as a valuable prognostic marker for VAP in this patient group, but caution is advised as more research is needed to confirm these results and understand any specific effects related to different probiotic species or strains.
Article Synopsis
- - Postoperative pain arises from inflammation due to surgical trauma and visceral pain from overly sensitive nerve receptors affected by conditions like distension and ischemia.
- - Research shows a significant connection between the gut microbiome and how we perceive pain, with surgical procedures and anesthesia disrupting this microbiome.
- - Restoring the microbiome with specific probiotic strains has shown promise in alleviating pain post-surgery, although each strain may have different effects on pain relief.
Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most frequent mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. They have variable clinical presentation, prognosis, and molecular characteristics. Here, we present the results of our retrospective study including patients operated on for GIST during the last decade.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- This study investigates whether the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) can predict mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS) after cardiac surgery.
- Findings from 179 patients indicate that NLR measured 7 days post-surgery (NLR7) is a strong predictor of 90-day mortality and LOS, outperforming PLR and other time points.
- The research concludes that monitoring NLR and PLR post-surgery can serve as simple yet effective tools for predicting patient outcomes related to mortality and hospital stay duration.
Article Synopsis
- This study analyzed how anesthesia, surgical trauma, and the use of an extracorporeal circuit impact endothelial integrity, microvascular permeability, fluid balance, and muscle breakdown in cardiac surgery patients.
- 127 patients scheduled for "on-pump" elective cardiac surgery were evaluated before surgery and a week after to assess changes in body composition and strength.
- Results showed that those in the late recovery group had significantly worse outcomes regarding tissue dysfunction and muscle loss compared to the early recovery group, suggesting that early recovery may mask ongoing health issues that need further investigation.