A single blinded randomized controlled trial comparing semi-mechanical with hand-sewn cervical anastomosis after esophagectomy for cancer (SHARE-study).

Objective: The aim was to compare leak rate between hand-sewn end-to-end anastomosis (ETE) and semi-mechanical anastomosis (SMA) after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction.

Background Data: The optimal surgical technique for creation of an anastomosis in the neck after esophagectomy is unclear.

Methods: Patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction and cervical anastomosis were eligible for participation after written informed consent.

Does Routine Endoscopy or Contrast Swallow Study After Esophagectomy and Gastric Tube Reconstruction Change Patient Management?

Background: Anastomotic leakage is a severe complication after esophagectomy. The objective was to investigate the diagnostic and predictive value of routine contrast swallow study and endoscopy for the detection of anastomotic dehiscence in patients after esophagectomy.

Methods: All patients who underwent contrast swallow and/or endoscopy within 7 days after oesophagectomy for cancer between January 2005 and December 2009 were selected from an institutional database.

1H NMR spectroscopy as a tool for determining the composition of poly(hydroxyethyl-L-asparagine)-coated liposomes.

Liposomes coated with the poly(amino acid) poly(hydroxyethyl-L-asparagine) (PHEA) show long-circulation properties comparable to the frequently used PEG-liposomes. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of long-circulating liposomes are dependent on the density of the shielding polymer on the liposome surface. Therefore, it is necessary to know the exact composition of the liposomes including the amount of coating polymer present on the liposome surface.

A novel family of L-amino acid-based biodegradable polymer-lipid conjugates for the development of long-circulating liposomes with effective drug-targeting capacity.

The objective of this study was to develop biodegradable polypeptide-lipid conjugates for the design of polymer-coated long-circulating liposomes (LCL). Lipid conjugates of poly(hydroxyalkyl L-asparagine/L-glutamine) were synthesized and incorporated into 0.15 microm dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC)-cholesterol liposomes.

The influence of the incorporation of cholesterol and water on the particle size, bilayer thickness, melting behavior, and relative sucrose ester composition of reversed vesicles.

The influence of the incorporation of cholesterol and water on the particle size, bilayer thickness, melting behavior, and relative sucrose ester composition of reversed vesicles was studied. Reversed vesicles (RVs) were prepared of sucrose ester in silicon oil by sonication. The RVs were characterized by polarized light microscopy, laser diffraction, high-performance liquid chromatography, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and differential scanning calorimetry.