Histopathology report on colon cancer specimens; measuring surgical quality, an increasing stress for surgeons

Introduction. Improving the quality of surgical resections by evaluating surgical specimens is probably the most important feedback a surgeon can receive. Moreover, prognosis of patients with colon cancer is based on achieving appropriate resection margins and assessment of lymph node status. For these reasons we aim to provide a retrospective analysis on colon cancer specimens operated by a single surgical team. Materials and Methods. 88 patients operated between 2013 and 2016 were included in the study. Data were gathered prospectively and assessed by multivariate analysis for the main variables (age, gender, tumor staging, specimen length, distance to closest resection margin, number of lymph nodes, and number of positive lymph nodes). Results. The mean number of lymph nodes excised was 31,9, with more after right colectomies (39.6) than after left colonic resections (29.1). The average specimen length was 29.2cm after right colectomies, 35.6cm after left hemicolectomies and 18cm after segmental colectomies. There was a significant correlation between the number of lymph nodes, specimen length, and age of patients. Conclusion. Lymph node status is correlated with specimen length and age. The standard of 12 lymph nodes was achieved and surpassed, being comparable to the benchmark literature. Standards on colon resections need to be reevaluated as many surgeons are pressured by quality measurements which do not always reflect sound oncologic principles

Histopathology report on colon cancer specimens; measuring surgical quality, an increasing stress for surgeons

Introduction. Improving the quality of surgical resections by evaluating surgical specimens is probably the most important feedback a surgeon can receive. Moreover, prognosis of patients with colon cancer is based on achieving appropriate resection margins and assessment of lymph node status. For these reasons we aim to provide a retrospective analysis on colon cancer specimens operated by a single surgical team. Materials and Methods. 88 patients operated between 2013 and 2016 were included in the study. Data were gathered prospectively and assessed by multivariate analysis for the main variables (age, gender, tumor staging, specimen length, distance to closest resection margin, number of lymph nodes, and number of positive lymph nodes). Results. The mean number of lymph nodes excised was 31,9, with more after right colectomies (39.6) than after left colonic resections (29.1). The average specimen length was 29.2cm after right colectomies, 35.6cm after left hemicolectomies and 18cm after segmental colectomies. There was a significant correlation between the number of lymph nodes, specimen length, and age of patients. Conclusion. Lymph node status is correlated with specimen length and age. The standard of 12 lymph nodes was achieved and surpassed, being comparable to the benchmark literature. Standards on colon resections need to be reevaluated as many surgeons are pressured by quality measurements which do not always reflect sound oncologic principles

Correction to: Two years later: Is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still having an impact on emergency surgery? An international cross-sectional survey among WSES members

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is still ongoing and a major challenge for health care services worldwide. In the first WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey, a strong negative impact on emergency surgery (ES) had been described already early in the pandemic situation. However, the knowledge is limited about current effects of the pandemic on patient flow through emergency rooms, daily routine and decision making in ES as well as their changes over time during the last two pandemic years. This second WSES COVID-19 emergency surgery survey investigates the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on ES during the course of the pandemic. Methods: A web survey had been distributed to medical specialists in ES during a four-week period from January 2022, investigating the impact of the pandemic on patients and septic diseases both requiring ES, structural problems due to the pandemic and time-to-intervention in ES routine. Results: 367 collaborators from 59 countries responded to the survey. The majority indicated that the pandemic still significantly impacts on treatment and outcome of surgical emergency patients (83.1% and 78.5%, respectively). As reasons, the collaborators reported decreased case load in ES (44.7%), but patients presenting with more prolonged and severe diseases, especially concerning perforated appendicitis (62.1%) and diverticulitis (57.5%). Otherwise, approximately 50% of the participants still observe a delay in time-to-intervention in ES compared with the situation before the pandemic. Relevant causes leading to enlarged time-to-intervention in ES during the pandemic are persistent problems with in-hospital logistics, lacks in medical staff as well as operating room and intensive care capacities during the pandemic. This leads not only to the need for triage or transferring of ES patients to other hospitals, reported by 64.0% and 48.8% of the collaborators, respectively, but also to paradigm shifts in treatment modalities to non-operative approaches reported by 67.3% of the participants, especially in uncomplicated appendicitis, cholecystitis and multiple-recurrent diverticulitis. Conclusions: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic still significantly impacts on care and outcome of patients in ES. Well-known problems with in-hospital logistics are not sufficiently resolved by now; however, medical staff shortages and reduced capacities have been dramatically aggravated over last two pandemic years

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

alex_martie_2016.rar

Data represent a compressed version of the whole dataset used in the simulation of microwave effect in a modified microwave oven used for in vivo hyperthermia. Do open documents one neeed to run CST 201

New experimental model for single liver lobe hyperthermia in small animals using non-directional microwaves

Single liver lobe hyperthermia using non-directional microwave. Prototype demonstratio

Carbon/polymer hybrid bio-sensors for neurotransmitters analysis

Peer Reviewe

Long-term survival differences in gastric cancer after D2 lymphadenectomy and an improved assessment of resectability

Objective. The purpose of this work is to compare the long-term survival between a control group with mostly D1 lymphadenectomy and a study group with mostly D2 lymphadenectomy. Materials and Methods. We analyzed consecutive cases operated by a single surgeon performing mostly D2 lymphadenectomy and a control group of consecutive gastric cancer patients operated by a group of surgeons, performing mostly D1 lymphadenectomy, in a period when D2 lymphadenectomy was not the standard and was introduced as a new technique in our center. Results. We found 30,56% D2 lymphadenectomy in the control groups and 85,1% in the study group. At a five years interval from surgery the control group had no survivors, while the study group had 8 (20%) survivors. Conclusions. The spleen and pancreas preserving D2 lymphadenectomy done by experienced surgeons, according to the current guidelines in order to select operable patients improves the overall survival of such gastric cancer patients

Histopathology report on colon cancer specimens; measuring surgical quality, an increasing stress for surgeons

Introduction. Improving the quality of surgical resections by evaluating surgical specimens is probably the most important feedback a surgeon can receive. Moreover, prognosis of patients with colon cancer is based on achieving appropriate resection margins and assessment of lymph node status. For these reasons we aim to provide a retrospective analysis on colon cancer specimens operated by a single surgical team. Materials and Methods. 88 patients operated between 2013 and 2016 were included in the study. Data were gathered prospectively and assessed by multivariate analysis for the main variables (age, gender, tumor staging, specimen length, distance to closest resection margin, number of lymph nodes, and number of positive lymph nodes). Results. The mean number of lymph nodes excised was 31,9, with more after right colectomies (39.6) than after left colonic resections (29.1). The average specimen length was 29.2cm after right colectomies, 35.6cm after left hemicolectomies and 18cm after segmental colectomies. There was a significant correlation between the number of lymph nodes, specimen length, and age of patients. Conclusion. Lymph node status is correlated with specimen length and age. The standard of 12 lymph nodes was achieved and surpassed, being comparable to the benchmark literature. Standards on colon resections need to be reevaluated as many surgeons are pressured by quality measurements which do not always reflect sound oncologic principles