Randomised comparison of morbidity after D1 and D2 dissection for gastric cancer in 996 Dutch patients.

For patients with gastric cancer deemed curable the only treatment option is surgery, but there is disagreement about whether accompanying lymph-node dissection should be limited to the perigastric nodes (D1) or should extend to regional lymph nodes outside the perigastric area (D2). We carried out a multicentre randomised comparison of D1 and D2 dissection. 1078 patients were randomised (539 to each group).

Comparison of a computer-assisted infusion versus intermittent bolus administration of alfentanil as a supplement to nitrous oxide for lower abdominal surgery.

The anesthesiologist attempts to balance the dose or concentration of an anesthetic against the intensity of noxious stimulation so as to: 1) maintain a satisfactory anesthetic state, 2) minimize side effects and toxicity of the anesthetic, and 3) allow for a rapid recovery from anesthesia. The development of infusion pumps controlled by computers programmed according to pharmacokinetic principles should facilitate the achievement of these objectives for intravenous drugs. To test this hypothesis, the authors compared anesthetic conditions achieved with a computer-controlled infusion to those produced by the traditional method of intermittent intravenous injections.