Nonoperative management of complicated hiatal hernia after transhiatal esophagectomy- case report.

Introduction: Hiatal hernia is rare after transhiatal esophagectomy occurring in less than 2% of patients [5]. Due to the rare incidence of hiatal hernias after transhiatal esophagectomy overlooking this differential in a symptomatic patient can be problematic. Patients can presents with recurrent pneumonia, complaints of reflux, and in the case presented small bowel obstructions.

Current use and surgical efficacy of laparoscopic colectomy in colon cancer.

Background: The Clinical Outcomes in Surgical Therapy trial demonstrated that laparoscopic colectomy (LC) was equivalent to open colectomy (OC) for 30-day mortality, time to recurrence, and overall survival in colon cancer (CC) patients. Current use of LC for CC is not well known.

Study Design: Surgical data were reviewed for all patients randomized into a national phase III clinical trial for adjuvant therapy in stage III CC (North Central Cancer Treatment Group trial N0147).

Phase II study of preoperative pemetrexed, carboplatin, and radiation followed by surgery for locally advanced esophageal cancer and gastroesophageal junction tumors.

Introduction: Based on favorable preliminary clinical data and the need to identify effective, well-tolerated neoadjuvant regimens for patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, this clinical trial was undertaken.

Methods: This phase II study tested 500 mg/m neoadjuvant pemetrexed intravenously and carboplatin with an area under the curve of 6 intravenously on days 1 and 22 in conjunction with concomitant radiation of 5040 centigray, which was given in 28 daily fractions of 180 centigray. The primary endpoint was the rate of pathologic complete response.

Meta-analysis of trials evaluating parenteral antimicrobial therapy for skin and soft tissue infections.

Background: Many trials have been carried out to determine the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents in treating skin and soft tissue infections. The results of these studies are often utilized to make determinations about the use of these antimicrobials against other types of infections. Despite the importance of these trials in determining clinical care, we hypothesized that many of these studies failed to include a variety of infections of significant enough severity to effectively draw objective conclusions about antimicrobial efficacy.

The role of cytokines in pharmacological modulation of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury is a complication of liver resection surgery, transplantation and hypovolemic shock, leading to local and remote cellular damage and organ dysfunction. This injury is largely a result of an acute inflammatory response characterized by the induction of a cascade of proinflammatory mediators that culminates in the recruitment of leukocytes to the post-ischemic tissue leading to parenchymal cell injury. Endogenous regulatory mechanisms exist to attempt to control this inflammatory response.