Laparoscopic Gastrojejunostomy Versus Endoscopic Stenting as a Palliative Treatment for Gastric Outlet Obstruction.

Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is a common complication in advanced stage upper gastrointestinal malignancies. The symptoms of severe nausea and protracted vomiting can lead to a decline in quality of life and cachexia. Symptoms of GOO can be effectively managed with either operative or nonoperative palliative interventions.

The effect of tranexamic acid on blood transfusion in lower gastrointestinal bleeding-A double blind prospective randomised controlled trial.

Purpose: Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a common emergency. Tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces clot breakdown by inhibiting the action of plasmin and has been shown to reduce the need for blood transfusion in trauma, surgical procedures, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding. This study examined the efficiency of intravenous TXA in patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Should Advanced Age Preclude Surgical Treatment of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor?

Surgical resection is a gold standard treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). It can be performed by minimally invasive surgery approach in most of the patients. It has been shown that advanced age is not a clear poor prognostic factor in patients who underwent surgery for GIST.

Laparoscopic Completion Total Gastrectomy for Remnant Gastric Cancer Compared to Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy in Short- and Medium-Term Results.

The incidence of remnant gastric cancer is increasing in recent years. The advantages of minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer are well established. However, laparoscopic completion total gastrectomy for remnant gastric cancer harbors difficulties due to adhesions, changed configuration of the anatomical organs, and changes on the lymphatic flow.

Re-Examining Distal Resection in Colon Cancer.

Background: In colon cancer, data regarding proximal and distal metastasis to lymph nodes remains scarce.

Objectives: To evaluate lymph node distribution along the longitudinal axis of the colon as related to a tumor to re-examine the common practice of 5 cm proximal and 2 cm distal resection margins.

Methods: We studied 106 patients (53 males and 53 females, mean age 67.

Incidence and Trends of Gastrointestinal Malignancies in Jewish and Arab Populations in Israel over 32 Years.

Background: Gastrointestinal malignancies comprise a broad spectrum of neoplasms and have a high overall incidence. The incidence rates in Israel vary among ethnic groups due to different risk factors.

Objectives: To investigate incidence trends of these cancers in Israel in both Jewish and Arab ethnic groups in order to better understand the risks in those groups.

When Should Abdominal Computed Tomography Be Considered in Patients with Lower Rib Fractures?

Background: Lower rib fractures are considered as a marker of intra-abdominal organ injury. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) is the "gold standard" examination for patients with lower rib fractures. However, the reported incidence of concomitant intra-abdominal injuries (IAI) is 20%-40%.

Interval Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: What is the Best Timing for Surgery?

Background: The timing of interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy continues to be a matter of debate.

Objectives: To evaluate the best timing for performing this procedure after an episode of acute cholecystitis.

Methods: In this retrospective analysis, we divided 213 patients into three groups based on the time that elapsed from an episode of acute cholecystitis to surgery: Group 1: 1-6 weeks, Group II: 6-12 weeks, Group III: > 12 weeks.

D1 versus D2 Gastrectomy for Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Despite the ongoing decrease in the incidence of gastric cancer, this disease is still a major cause of death. It is still debatable whether D2 lymphadenectomy improves survival and whether this procedure should be performed routinely or selectively.

Objectives: To compare the pathological and short-term results following radical D2-type gastric resection and lymphadenectomy versus the more limited D1 type resection and lymphadenectomy.

Influence of colectomy type and resected specimen length on number of harvested lymph nodes.

Background: The optimal (minimal) number of harvested nodes is still a matter of debate. We prospectivly evaluated the relation between specimen length and tumor location to the number of harvested nodes and rate of node positivity.

Methods: Specimens of right hemicolectomy, left hemicolectomy, and subtotal colectomy were assessed for specimen length, overall number of harvested lymph nodes, and lymph node ratio.

Is there an association between invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast and a family history of gastric cancer?

CDH1 gene mutations have been found to be associated with diffuse type gastric cancer and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) of the breast. To the best of our knowledge, this is the only study relating a family history of gastric cancer to ILC of the breast. We conducted a retrospective study comparing the family history of malignancies in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast and ILC treated in our Medical Center.

Lymphocytic Infiltration as a Prognostic Factor in Patients With Colon Cancer.

Host-defense mechanisms may have an important role in predicting the outcome of colorectal cancer patients. We designed our study to evaluate the possible prognostic significance of the presence of lymphocytic infiltration (LI) and subgroups of lymphocytes (CD3 and CD20) in the primary tumors. We randomly selected 195 patients operated for colorectal carcinoma from a larger cohort of 1527 patients with colorectal cancer.

The Effect of Afternoon Operative Sessions of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Performed by Senior Surgeons on the General Surgery Residency Program: A Comparative Study.

Objective: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been the gold standard for surgical treatment of gallbladder disease since 1980. This laparoscopic surgical procedure is one of the first to be performed by general surgery residents. There is a learning curve required to excel at performing LC.

A comparative study on two different pathological methods to retrieve lymph nodes following gastrectomy.

Background: The number of lymph nodes harvested during gastrectomy depends on the extension of lymphadenectomy and the method of lymph node retrieval.

Aim: The objective of this study was to evaluate two methods of lymph node retrieval in specimens of gastric cancer.

Methods: The number of lymph nodes was compared using two different techniques.

COX2 expression in high-grade breast cancer: evidence for prognostic significance in the subset of triple-negative breast cancer patients.

COX2 expression correlates with high-grade breast cancer, but the clinical significance and possible prognostic influence in these patients have not been studied in depth. Our goal was to evaluate the significance of COX2 expression in a group of patients with high-grade breast cancer. Three hundred and three patients (median age 55; age range 25-95 years) with high-grade breast cancer entered this retrospective study.

Tumor differentiation as related to sentinel lymph node status in gastric cancer.

Aim: To investigate the influence of tumor grade on sentinel lymph node (SLN) status in patients with gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: We retrospectively studied 71 patients with GC who underwent SLN mapping during gastric surgery to evaluate the relationship between SLN status and tumor grade.

Results: Poorly differentiated tumors were detected in 50/71 patients, while the other 21 patients had moderately differentiated tumors.

Reduced postoperative chronic pain after tension-free inguinal hernia repair using absorbable sutures: a single-blind randomized clinical trial.

Background: Chronic pain after inguinal hernia repair occurs in 16% to 62% of patients. The underlying mechanism probably involves sensory nerve damage and abnormal healing that might be influenced by the materials chosen for the procedure. We hypothesize that nonabsorbable sutures used for mesh fixation to the surrounding tissues are associated with higher rates of chronic groin pain after surgery.

The role of diagnostic laparoscopy in detecting minimal peritoneal metastatic deposits in patients with pancreatic cancer scheduled for curative resection.

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an aggressive disease usually diagnosed at an advanced stage. Modern computed tomography can define the subgroup of operable patients. However, minimal peritoneal deposits can be undetected even by modern computed tomography protocols.

Redirected T cells that target pancreatic adenocarcinoma antigens eliminate tumors and metastases in mice.

Background & Aims: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) is often diagnosed at an advanced and inoperable stage, and standard systemic treatments are generally ineffective. We investigated the effects of adoptive transfer of tumor-specific T cells that express chimeric antibody-based receptors (CAR) to mice with primary and metastatic PAC xenografts.

Methods: Human effector T cells were genetically modified to express CAR against Her2/neu or CD24, a putative PAC stem cell antigen.

Incidence trends and mortality rates of gastric cancer in Israel.

Background: Gastric cancer is the fourth most common malignancy worldwide. The incidence trends and mortality rates of gastric cancer in Israel have not been studied in depth. The aim of our study was to try and investigate the aforementioned issues in Israel in different ethnic groups.

Indication for relumpectomy--a useful scoring system in cases of invasive breast cancer.

Background And Objectives: In two-thirds of breast cancer patients undergoing reoperation no residual tumor will be found. A scoring system for selection of patients who might benefit from relumpectomy is proposed.

Methods: This study is based on 293 patients with invasive breast cancer undergoing reoperation due to margins of <2 mm.

The role of diagnostic laparoscopy in the management of patients with gastric cancer.

Background: Gastric cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer death. The treatment approach varies, and preoperative staging is therefore crucial since an exploratory laparotomy for unresectable gastric cancer will be followed by an unacceptably high morbidity and mortality rate.

Objectives: To assess the added value of diagnostic laparoscopy to conventional methods of diagnosis such as computed tomography in avoiding unnecessary laparotomies.