Transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap for postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula: A case report.

Rationale: Numerous types of flap coverage have been reported to prevent or to repair bronchopleural fistulas. Most of the flaps were harvested from chest area. However, these pedicled flaps might not be optimal for the patient who has undergone previous radiotherapy on pulmonary parenchyma because the pedicle artery of the flap might have been injured by irradiation.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical decortication in the elderly with thoracic empyema: Five years' experience.

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) with decortication is a major treatment for thoracic empyema in the fibropurulent stage. Compared to open thoracotomy, VATS decortication has similar efficacy but fewer postoperative complications in the treatment of thoracic empyema. The role of VATS decortication in the elderly had rarely been investigated.

Bacteriology of acute appendicitis and its implication for the use of prophylactic antibiotics.

Background: To prevent surgical site infection (SSI) after appendectomy, antibiotic prophylaxis has been recommended for all patients, but this approach is based largely on bacteriologic findings that are decades old. The objective of this study was to reevaluate the bacteriology of acute appendicitis in order to assess the usefulness of current antibiotic prophylaxis.

Methods: Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, 117 patients with pathology-proved acute appendicitis were recruited.

Gastric schwannoma.

Gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors are a group of tumors originated from the mesenchymal stem cells of the gastrointestinal tract, consisting of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), leiomyomas or leiomyosarcomas or schwannomas. Gastric schwannoma is a very rare gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumor, which represents only 0.2% of all gastric tumors and 4% of all benign gastric neoplasms.

Surgical results of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus in young patients.

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (ESCC) is one of the ten most common cancers in Taiwan. Surgical resection is the mainstay of the treatment. Young patients with ESCC are reported to have poor surgical outcome.