Epiploic Appendagitis: Systematic Review of a Distinctive Pathology.

Epiploic appendagitis (EA) is an essential cause of abdominal pain that can be confused with more typical causes such as acute diverticulitis and appendicitis. Epiploic appendagitis accounts for 1% of all cases of abdominal pain in adults. The scarcity of information has limited its recognition as an essential nonsurgical cause of acute abdominal pain.

The association of hospital volume with rectal cancer surgery outcomes.

Purpose: An association between hospital volume and postoperative mortality has been identified for several oncologic surgical procedures. Our objective was to analyze differences in surgical outcomes for patients with rectal cancer according to hospital volume in the state of California.

Methods: A cross-sectional study from 2000 to 2005 was performed using the state of California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development database.

Increased incidence of pancreatic fistulas after the introduction of a bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement in distal pancreatic resections.

Pancreatic fistula is a major cause of morbidity after distal pancreatic resection. When resections are performed with linear stapling devices, the use of bioabsorbable staple line reinforcement has been suggested to decrease the rate of pancreatic fistula. Our objective was to investigate the incidence of pancreatic fistula when using the Gore Seamguard staple line reinforcement in stapled distal pancreatic resections.

Totally laparoscopic gastric resection with extended lymphadenectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma.

Background: Laparoscopic gastric resection with extended lymphadenectomy is being evaluated in North America for the surgical treatment of gastric cancer. The aim of this study is to compare short-term postoperative and oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic and open resection for gastric cancer at a single cancer center.

Methods: The study population consisted of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who underwent a completely abdominal intervention with curative intent.

Laparoscopic gastrojejunostomy in patients with obstruction of the gastric outlet secondary to advanced malignancies.

Surgical palliation is an important therapeutic goal in patients with gastric outlet obstruction from cancer. The use of laparoscopic approaches for this condition has not been well studied. Our objective is to compare surgical outcomes of laparoscopic and open gastrojejunostomies in patients with gastric outlet obstruction secondary to advanced malignancies.

Arterioportal fistulas: introduction of a novel classification with therapeutic implications.

Arterioportal fistulas (APFs) are arteriovenous communications between the splanchnic arteries and the portal vein that represent an infrequent cause of presinusoidal portal hypertension. They can be acquired or congenital. Penetrating hepatic trauma, including liver biopsies, represent the most common etiology.

Stimulation of rat pancreatic exocrine secretion by urocortin and corticotropin releasing factor.

Neural and hormonal mechanisms control pancreatic secretion. The effects of the corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) related neuropeptide urocortin (UCN) on pancreatic exocrine secretion were examined. In anesthetized male rats, pancreatic secretion volume and total protein were assayed.