The prognostic role of apoptosis mediators in rectal adenocarcinoma.

Background/aims: Genes included in apoptosis may be involved in tumor biology and identify specific groups of patients with individual therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of some apoptosis markers in conjunction with pathological factors in operable rectal cancer patients.

Methodology: Tumor samples from 87 patients with rectal adenocarcinoma were analyzed retrospectively.

[Results and prognostic factors in rectal cancer surgically treated with curative intent--experience of a single tertiary center].

Background: Rectal cancer has a paradoxal prognosis in about 25% of patients, although intraoperative parameters and tumor stage are known as major determinants of prognosis.

Aim: This study assessed the prognostic factors in patients with rectal cancer treated without total mesorectal excision in long-term follow-up.

Material And Methods: A single center tertiary population included retrospectively 87 patients with rectal cancer operated between 1992 and 2002 using conventional resection.

Feasibility of a high intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis without thoracic access after laparoscopic-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy: a pilot experimental study.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of a technique that uses solely the transhiatal approach to create a high intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis after laparoscopic transhiatal resection of the distal esophagus.

Method: Using a laparoscopic approach, the esophagi of 10 midsized pigs were dissected and transected as high as possible in the thorax, and the anvil of a circular stapler was introduced perorally into the esophageal stump. Through a midline short laparotomy, the circular stapler was inserted into the gastric tube and advanced through the hiatus to be connected with the anvil and create the anastomosis.

Evaluation of the combined laparoscopic and mediastinoscopic esophagectomy technique.

Background: Laparoscopic esophagectomy is technically difficult especially during dissection in the upper mediastinum. This limitation may be surpassed with the help of mediastinoscopy or of the recently introduced robotic surgical systems. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in an experimental porcine model the feasibility of the combined laparoscopic and mediastinoscopic transhiatal esophagectomy technique and to compare it with the robotic-assisted transhiatal and conventional approaches.

Gas-chamber mediastinoscopy for dissection of the upper esophagus.

Aim: Mediastinoscopy has the potential to bring under view the upper mediastinum, the area most difficult to dissect during transhiatal esophagectomy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in an animal model the feasibility of the gas-chamber mediastinoscopy technique for dissection of the upper esophagus.

Methods: Operations were performed in nine Landrace pigs using a 30 degrees laparoscope and conventional 35-cm laparoscopic instruments.

Surgical treatment of severe acute pancreatitis.

Surgical treatment of severe necrotizing pancreatitis (SNP) is still controversial, inadequate indications and timing of operations being associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. The aim of the present study is to analyze the indications and results of surgery in patients with SNP. Between 1989 and 2005, necrosectomy followed by open packing drainage (OPD) was performed in 80 patients with SNP.

[Conservative management in blunt splenic trauma].

We reviewed for analysis the charts of two groups of adults patients with blunt splenic injuries issued from two University Hospital Centers; the group 1 (G1) of 22 patients and the group 2 (G2) of 20 patients. The results of actually therapeutic procedures concerning blunt splenic injuries and subsequently the effectiveness of non operative treatment were evaluated. Splenectomy was performed in G1 for 11 patients, instead of 19 patients in G2 (p = 0.

Urgent surgery for complicated colonic diverticula.

Unlabelled: The AIM of this retrospective study was to evaluate the emergency surgical treatment of life-threatening complications of colonic diverticula.

Material And Method: In the last 11 years, 22 of 101 patients with colonic diverticula (22.1%) underwent urgent surgery for acute complications: perforated gangrenous diverticulitis with generalized peritonitis (n=8) or pericolic abscess (n=8), acute bowel obstruction (n=4) and severe diverticular bleeding (n=2).

Quality of life in patients with esophagojejunal anastomosis after total gastrectomy for cancer.

Objective: To analyze the influence of the esophagojejunostomy type (Roux-en-Y end-to-end or end-to-side, omega, manual or mechanic), of the associated resections and postoperative complications, on patients' Quality of Life (QoL) after total gastrectomy for cancer.

Methods: From 1997 to 2004 63 patients underwent a total gastrectomy for cancer. Patients were invited to fill a questionnaire with 14 treatment-specific related symptoms at 3 and respectively 12 months postoperatively.

Molecular prognostic factors in rectal cancer.

The prognosis of patients with rectal cancer can be assessed mainly on the basis of clinical and pathological factors among which the pTNM stage is the most valuable indicator. Recently, different combinations of molecular markers, which have prognostic significance, have been identified in an attempt to establish a "molecular staging" that would permit - along with the histopathological staging - taking optimum therapeutic decisions in colorectal cancer. An example in this respect is the attempt to classify patients with rectal cancer stage II (N-) with a view to administering adjuvant treatment to the risk subgroup.

[Stapled anastomoses in colorectal surgery].

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the advantages, indications and results of stapled circular anastomoses in colorectal surgery. In the last four years (1995-1998), fifteen patients underwent stapled anastomoses after Dixon's anterior rectal resection for cancers of upper and midrectum (11 patients), total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis for malignant familial polyposis (1 patient), segmental colectomy of transverse and descending colon (1 patient with synchronous colic and rectal cancers, having concomitant rectal resection for cancer), previous Hartmann's resection for perforated upper rectal cancer (1 patient) or distal sigmoid diverticulitis (1 patient). The anastomoses have been performed in end-to-end fashion (11 patients), according to the Knight's technique (2 cases) or in side-to-end fashion (2 patients).

[The indications for celiostomy in acute necrotizing pancreatitis].

The aim of this study was to analyze the indication and results of open pancreatic drainage by celiostomy in severe necrotizing pancreatitis (SNP). 44 patients with SNP were treated surgically by open lesser-omental sac drainage (celiostomy) in the last nine years (1989-1997). They were classified into three groups according to date (timing) of celiostomy: a group of 23 patients with early celiostomy (in the first week after the onset of pancreatitis); second group of 11 patients with celiostomy in the second and third week after SNP; the third group of 10 patients with late celiostomy (4-12 weeks after pancreatitis).

[Total gastrectomy with mechanical sutures].

Between 1994-1996, nine consecutive patients underwent total gastrectomy with stapled sutures for II, III or IV TNM stage carcinoma (8 patients) or lymphoma (1 patient) of the middle or upper stomach. Digestive continuity was established by stapled end-to-side "ended", end-to-side and end-to-end Roux-en-Y (7 patients) and omega loop (2 patients) esophagojejunal anastomoses using circular staplers (EEA or ILS). The duodenal stump and the end of the Roux loop were closed with TA 55 or TA 30 linear stapler.

[Sclerosing cholangitis in the evolution of a surgical hepatic hydatid cyst].

The retrospective analysis of 3 clinical observations points out the etiopathogenetic, clinical and therapeutical aspects of the diffuse stenotic cholangitis, which can occur after the surgical treatment of the hepatic hydatid cyst. Although rare (2.9% of hydatid cysts, 13% of those which communicate with the bile ducts), the diffuse stenotic posthydatid cholangitis represents a severe postoperative complication in cases of median cysts, exerting a compression upon the convergence of hepatic ducts and communicating with the biliary tract.

[Late reinterventions after the surgical treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcer].

A number of 87 reinterventions performed during a 5-year-period for late complications of the gastric and duodenal ulcer surgery are analysed. In most of them (64 cases), the cause of the reintervention was a postoperative ulcer. A long afferent loop (6 cases), the dumping syndrome (4 cases), the stenosis of the anastomosis opening (6 cases) and the primitive neoplasm of the gastric stump (7 cases) represented other causes of reintervention.

[The reinsertion of the duodenum into the digestive circuit. The indications and surgical technics in operated stomach syndromes].

The authors analyse, retrospectively, the experience of the Clinic of Surgery III. Cluj-Napoca, in the indications and surgical methods for reintroducing the duodenum in the digestive circuit in the syndromes of the stomach operated for benign affections. Between 1974 and 1987, the duodenum was reinstated in the digestive circuit in 37 patients, operated previously for duodenal ulcer (32 cases), gastric ulcer (3 cases), syndrome of mesenteric clip (2 cases).

[The malignant degeneration of colorectal polyps].

The authors make a retrospective analysis of problems related to diagnosis and therapy raised by malignization of adenomatous rectocolic polyps representing 38.7% of the total number of adenomatous polyps (98 cases), and 5% of cancers of the large bowel (759 cases in all). It is stressed that the rate of malignization increases in direct proportion with the number of polyps, and it is higher in segmentary or diffuse polyposis, predominantly in the sigmoidorectal segment.

[Emergency operations in colorectal cancer].

In a group of 161 patients subjected to emergency surgery of rectocolonic cancers with occlusive (111 cases), hemorrhagic (39 cases) or perforating (11 cases) complications, the authors analyze the immediate therapeutic results, as a function of the complication form and the surgical method used in emergency (primary colectomy, serial surgeries, palliative surgeries). Emergency colectomy (55 cases) performed deliberately in strictly selected cases or as the unique possible choice, was followed by immediate good results (the lowest rate of surgical morbidity and mortality) in comparison with the serial surgeries (cumulative morbidity and mortality). The paper discusses the indications of the proximal colectomy and of Hartman's surgery in primary emergency colectomies.

[Hemorrhagic juxtapapillary duodenal ulcer with choledochal and Wirsung's duct stenosis and duodenojejunal fistula following biliojejunal en-Y diversion. The surgical solution].

The paper reports on the clinical observation of a patient with bulbar duodenal ulcer placed in a juxtapapillary position due to a short bile duct, complicated with choledochal and Wirsung's stenosis and, finally haemorrhage and duodenojejunal fistula favoured by a gallbladder-jejunum diversion assembly. Three major surgeries, during 17 years, were required: cholecystectomy and choledochoduodenostomy for the choledochal stenosis induced by penetrating posterior bulbar ulcer; after 8 years, choledocholithotomy and gallbladder-jejunum derivation the loop in Y, (Roux) for the choledochoduodenostomy stenosis with the local lithiasis of the CBP; after 9 years, the resection of the proximal segment of the anastomosed jejunal loop with CBP and gastric resection with ulcer exeresis, followed by restoration of the gallbladder-jejunum anastomosis, gastrojejunal anastomosis and reimplantation of Wirsung's duct in the duodenal stump for juxtapapillary duodenal ulcer complicated with haemorrhage, penetration into pancreas, perforation in the jejunal loop anastomosed preduodenally and stenosis of Wirsung's duct. The final therapeutic result is good and lasts in time.