Drain fluid's pH predicts anastomotic leak in colorectal surgery: results of a prospective analysis of 173 patients.

Background: The early risk assessment of anastomotic leak (AL) after colorectal surgery is crucial. Several markers have been proposed, including peritoneal fluid's pH. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the role of drain fluid pH as predictor of AL.

Significance of super-extended (D3) lymphadenectomy in gastric cancer surgery.

Background: The extension of lymphadenectomy is a matter of debate in gastric cancer surgery. The purpose of the present study was to analyse our experience on D3 lymphadenectomy in the treatment of gastric cancer with special reference to post-operative morbidity and mortality, incidence of para-aortic nodal metastases and long-term prognosis.

Methods: The results of 201 patients who underwent potentially curative gastrectomy with D3 lymphadenectomy for non-metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma at the First Department of General Surgery, University of Verona, from January 1988 to December 2004, were analysed statistically.

[Actual indications for day-surgery in the treatment of lung neoplasms].

Aim Of The Study: To point out the actual possibilities to apply surgical treatments (diagnostic and therapeutics) for the cure of neoplastic disease of the lungs into an outpatient procedure. After a review of the recent literature, the authors show problems and limits of such a program. The analysis of the invasive diagnostic procedures (video-mediastinoscopy, anterior mediastinotomy, and thoracoscopy) shows that in most cases, a part from the kind of anesthesia, could be done in a short-term hospitalization.

Induction chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus: impact of increased dosage on long-term results.

Background: This study analyzed the impact on long-term results of an increase in the dosage of an induction chemoradiotherapy protocol for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the thoracic esophagus.

Methods: Two groups were considered among 177 patients who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy for SCC of the thoracic esophagus. Group A includes 111 patients (from 1987 to 1995) who were submitted to cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (two cycles) and radiotherapy (3,000 cGy).

Perigastric lymph node metastases in gastric cancer: comparison of different staging systems.

BACKGROUND: Perigastric lymph node metastases in gastric cancer are classified differently by different staging systems: the distance of positive nodes from the primary tumor is considered by the 1987 International Union Against Cancer (UICC)-TNM system, but not by the Japanese staging system (of the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer [JRSGC]); the new UICC-TNM system of 1997 is based on the number of involved nodes without differentiating perigastric from regional nodes. The aim of the present study was to assess which classification was more useful to predict prognosis in gastric cancer patients with metastases to the perigastric nodes.METHODS: The results for 107 patients with lymph node metastases to the first and second tiers who underwent curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer from March 1988 to October 1997 were analyzed.