Evaluation of extensive cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Objective: Although standard treatment for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) consists of surgical debulking and intravenous platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy, favorable oncological outcomes have been recently reported with the use of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). The aim of the study was to analyze feasibility and results of CRS and HIPEC in patients with advanced EOC.

Materials/methods: This is an open, prospective phase 2 study including patients with primary or recurrent peritoneal carcinomatosis due to EOC.

An innovative abdominal wall repair technique for infected prosthesis: the Eskimo technique.

The use of meshes to repair incisional hernias has been shown to reduce the recurrence rate, though it may increase the risk of surgical site infection. This is one of the most feared and devastating complications of surgical abdominal wall repair. The aim of this work is to describe a new surgical technique that was used to treat two patients suffering from chronic prosthesis infection.

Surgery versus conservative antibiotic treatment in acute appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background/aims: Although standard treatment typically consists of an early appendectomy, there has recently been an increase in the use of antibiotic therapy as primary treatment for acute appendicitis (AA). The aim of this analysis is to systematically evaluate the evidence available in relevant literature in order to compare the relative effectiveness of antibiotic therapy as a viable alternative to appendectomies in the treatment of AA.

Methods: Literature was searched for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of surgery versus antibiotic therapy.

A prospective, multi centre, randomized clinical study to compare the efficacy and safety of Ertapenem 3 days versus Ampicillin-Sulbactam 3 days in the treatment of localized community acquired intra-abdominal infection. (T.E.A. Study: Three days Ertapenem vs three days Ampicillin-sulbactam).

Background: The recommendations outlined in the latest guidelines published by the Surgical Infection Society (SIS) and the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) regarding the proper duration of antibiotic therapy in patients with intra-abdominal infections are limited and non-specific. This ambiguity is due mainly to the lack of clinical trials on the topic of optimal duration of therapy. It is well known that the overuse of antibiotics has several important consequences such as increased treatment costs, reduced clinical efficacy, and above all, the increased emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Pulsatile perfusion of kidney allografts with Celsior solution.

Background: Use of pulsatile perfusion (PP) to optimize outcomes in deceased donor renal transplantation remains controversial. This prospective analysis describes all cadaveric renal allografts transplanted at our center that were preserved with PP using Celsior solution.

Methods: We used the LifePort Kidney Transporter (Organ Recovery Systems) perfusion machine.