Long-term survival after report resection of pulmonary metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma: report of two cases.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is often treated most effectively by resection. Although improved surgical procedures and perioperative care have made hepatic resection safe, the prognosis of patients with HCC is still poor because of the high incidence of postoperative recurrence. The most common site of extrahepatic recurrence is the lung.

Features and management of bile leaks after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background/purpose: Leakage of bile is one of the troublesome complications after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods: The present study reviewed our experience with this complication, in order to analyze its characteristics and proper management.

Results: Postoperative bile leaks occurred in 23 of 1365 patients (1.

Periodic measurement of serum carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 15-3 levels as postoperative surveillance after breast cancer surgery.

Purpose: Breast cancer surveillance guidelines do not recommend routine tumor marker testing after surgery, despite which it is still widely performed in Japan. We investigated the clinical utility of postoperative tumor marker testing in a series of Japanese patients, in view of the fact that all the studies to date have been non-Japanese.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the lead time by periodic measurements of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) in 233 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery.

Elective laparoscopy for small bowel obstruction.

We performed elective laparoscopic adhesiolysis in 21 patients with small bowel obstruction. The procedure was completely laparoscopic or laparoscopy assisted in 17 patients, but 4 patients required full laparotomy due to internal hernia in 2, perforation of the small bowel associated with dense adhesions in 1, and carcinoma of the cecum in 1. In patients with a laparoscopic or laparoscopy-assisted procedure, the mean operating time, mean time until the return of bowel function, and mean postoperative stay were 94 minutes, 3.

Gastric carcinoma resembling submucosal tumor.

Acase of stomach carcinoma showing features of submucosal tumor is reported. The patient was a 50-year-old man presenting with hematemesis. Endoscopic examination was performed and revealed a submucosal tumor-like lesion with central ulceration in the fornix of the stomach.