The Efficacy of Medical Expulsive Therapy (MET) in Improving Stone-free Rate and Stone Expulsion Time, After Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (SWL) for Upper Urinary Stones: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

In this meta-analysis, we included randomized studies on medical expulsive therapy implemented following shock wave lithotripsy for renal and ureteral stones. Pooled results demonstrated the efficacy of α-blockers, nifedipine, Rowatinex, and Uriston in increasing stone clearance. In addition, the time to stone elimination, the intensity of pain, the formation of steinstrasse, and the need for auxiliary procedures were reduced mainly with α-blockers.

Oxidative stress in multi-port and single-port cholecystectomy.

Background: This study was designed to analyze and compare plasma levels of 8-isoprostane (8-epiPGF2α), a biomarker of lipid peroxidation, and uric acid (UA), a marker of the antioxidant status, in standard laparoscopic (LC) and laparoendoscopic single-site cholecystectomy (LSSC).

Materials And Methods: Forty patients with noncomplicated cholelithiasis were randomized to undergo either LSSC (n = 20) or LC (n = 20). The patients had body mass index <30, American Society of Anesthesiologists score I or II, and no previous upper gastrointestinal surgery.

Clinico-pathological prognostic factors of renal cell carcinoma: A 15-year review from a single center in Greece.

Aim: To investigate the prognostic significance of certain clinical and pathological factors of renal cell cancer.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and fourteen patients who underwent radical nephrectomy between 1996 and 2011 in our hospital were examined. Parameters including age, gender, mode of presentation, hematological and pathological parameters were evaluated for their role as predictors of disease-free and overall survival.

The effectiveness of otis urethrotomy combined with six weeks urethral dilations until 40 Fr in the treatment of bladder outlet obstruction in women: a prospective study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of Otis urethrotomy combined with six weekly urethral dilations until 40 French (Fr) in the treatment of women with urodynamic diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO).

Materials And Methods: Women diagnosed with lower urinary tract symptoms underwent urodynamic evaluation. Severity of symptoms and quality of life were assessed with international prostate symptom score (IPSS) and quality of life (QoL) questionnaires.

Oxidative stress markers in laparoscopic versus open colectomy for cancer: a double-blind randomized study.

Background: Colorectal cancer as well as colorectal surgery is associated with increased oxidative stress through different mechanisms. In this study the levels of different oxidative stress markers were comparatively assessed in patients who underwent laparoscopic or conventional resection for colorectal cancer.

Methods: Sixty patients with colorectal cancer were randomly assigned to undergo laparoscopic (LS) or open surgery (OS).

Follicular thyroid cancer metastasis to the urinary bladder: report of a case and review of the literature.

Thyroid cancer metastasis to the urinary bladder is a very rear condition. To the authors' knowledge there have been only 2 cases reported in the literature. Herein a case is reported of a metastatic bladder tumor in a 73-year-old woman with history of thyroid and breast cancer.

α-Defensins and hsCRP levels in inflammatory response of standard and laparoendoscopic single-site cholecystectomy.

Background: Laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery is an evolution of laparoscopic surgery aiming at decreasing the patient's parietal trauma associated with abdominal operations. LESS has been found so far to be efficient and have the same good results as the standard four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy. α-Defensins are antimicrobial peptides of the organism.

Toll-like receptors in the inflammatory response during open and laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal cancer.

Background: Surgical interventions activate a cascade of reactions that result in an aseptic inflammatory reaction. This inflammatory response initiates the organism's innate immunity. Laparoscopic surgery reduces the trauma, and patients benefit from diminished surgical trauma and maintained immune function.

Α-defensin expression of inflammatory response in open and laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal cancer.

Background: Surgical procedures are related to the activation of the inflammatory reaction. This is called surgical stress. It is believed that diminished surgical trauma reduces surgical stress.

Evaluations of laparoscopic proctocolectomy versus traditional technique in patients with rectal cancer.

Background: This was a retrospective study that evaluated the surgical outcomes of laparoscopic surgery (LS) for rectal cancer, in comparison with a case control series of open surgery (OS), during an 8-year period.

Methodology: Between October 1998 and December 2006, 203 patients with rectal malignancies underwent colectomy; 146 of them had colectomy with the traditional technique (OS), while 57 underwent resection of rectal cancer laparoscopically (LS). The LS group was compared with 60 patients from the OS group (selected from the 146 OS group patients), matched by size, sex, age, anatomical location of the tumor, type, extent of resection, and pathological stage.

Different pain scores in single transumbilical incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus classic laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The attempt to further reduce operative trauma in laparoscopic cholecystectomy has led to new techniques such as natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) and single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS). These new techniques are considered to be painless procedures, but no published studies investigate the possibility of different pain scores in these new techniques versus classic laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In this randomized control study, we investigated pain scores in SILS cholecystectomy versus classic laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Video-thoracoscopic management of a postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula.

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) after pneumonectomy is a well-known, dreaded complication associated with a high mortality rate. We present a case of video-assisted thoracoscopic management of a silent, small BPF. After thoracoscopic removal of all debris and inflammatory tissues, the identified BPF was successfully sealed by thoracoscopic instillation of tissue glue.

Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication combined with posterior gastropexy in surgical treatment of GERD.

Background: Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) has become established as the procedure of choice in the surgical management of the majority of patients suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Postoperative paraesophageal herniation has an incidence range up to 7% in the immediate postoperative period.

Aim: A prospective randomized trial was scheduled to study the role of posterior gastropexy, in combination with LNF, in prevention of paraesophageal herniation and improvement of postoperative results in surgical treatment of GERD.

Surgical management of nonparasitic splenic cysts.

Nonparasitic splenic cysts require a totally different type of surgical management than that of parasitic cysts. Three cases of nonparasitic splenic cysts and their surgical management by the open and laparoscopic approaches are presented. The surgical technique and review of the recent literature are discussed to demonstrate the current trends in the operative management of nonparasitic splenic cysts.

Five-year survival in comparable HD and PD patients: one center's experience.

Several studies have yielded conflicting results regarding morbidity and mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. We performed a retrospective analysis in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in our department, who were equally distributed between HD and PD, in order to compare 5-year survival probabilities and hospitalization rates in the two modalities. Of the total 94 new ESRD patients who initiated dialysis in our department from January 1995 to December 2000, 48 were allocated to PD and 46 to HD.

Video-assisted cervical mediastinoscopy: our seven-year experience.

Mediastinal exploration is a common procedure used for the diagnosis of the thoracic diseases and the staging of lung cancer. A retrospective review was performed to assess sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and morbidity of video-assisted cervical mediastinoscopy (VACM). From 1999 to 2006 a total of 139 VACMs were performed in 138 patients.

Seroma and recurrence in laparoscopic ventral hernioplasty.

Background: Recurrence after laparoscopic ventral hernioplasty is a severe problem despite surgeons' increased experience in recent years. It is well known that the main reasons for recurrences are lack of experience, bad technique, infection, and seroma. The aim of this study was to investigate the events, what caused recurrences, and the technique to prevent recurrence in laparoscopic ventral hernioplasty.

Preincisional and intraperitoneal ropivacaine plus normal saline infusion for postoperative pain relief after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized double-blind controlled trial.

Background: A clinical trial was designed to assess the use of preincisional and intraperitoneal ropivacaine, combined or not with normal saline, to reduce pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).

Methods: For this trial, 120 patients were randomly assigned to six groups. For all the patients, preincisional local infiltration of ropivacaine around the trocar wounds was performed.

Two-stage surgical treatment of unresectable obstructive rectal cancer with synchronous hepatic metastases.

Unresectable obstructing rectal cancer with synchronous hepatic metastases is usually a fatal disease. This prospective study was scheduled to treat this difficult condition using a multimodal curative strategy combined with a two-stage surgical treatment. Patients with T4N2 or N3M1 rectal cancer and hepatic metastases underwent a two-stage surgical treatment; in the first stage, a decompressing colostomy plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in liver metastases.