Laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: A single cancer center experience.

Objectives: Laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) was challenging to most surgeons due to the two-dimensional view, difficult manipulations of the instruments, ergonomic discomfort, and the associated muscular spasm and effort. Technological advances with improved surgical experience, have made LG a more feasible and favorable approach for gastric cancer (GC) patients. Material and Methods: LG was performed in 44 patients with GC between July 2015 to June 2022, in the Department of Surgical Oncology, Oncology Center, Mansoura University, Egypt, and we assessed the surgical outcomes of this approach as an initial experience of a single cancer center. Results: Twenty-seven patients underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, and seventeen underwent laparoscopic total gastrectomy. Two cases had combined resection. Operative time was 339.2 ± 76.73 min, while blood loss was 153.86 ± 57.51 mL. The patients were ambulant on postoperative day 0, oral intake was started within three days (range 1-5 days) and the hospital stay was six days (range 3-9 days). Conclusion: LG for GC is a feasible approach for both early and advanced GC patients as it allows for adequate diagnosis of the peritoneal disease, meticulous dissection, and identification of the lymph nodes with minimal blood loss and decrease surgery-related problems and encourage the early patients' discharge from hospital and return to daily life activities.

Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Using Omental Flap with Mesh Repair following Resection of Aggressive Abdominal Wall Neoplasms.

BACKGROUND: Resection of large anterior abdominal wall tumors causes large full-thickness abdominal wall defects, and the repair of these defects remains a challenging point. METHODS: Between July 2016 and February 2021, we retrospectively reviewed the internal database registry of the Oncology Center, Mansoura University (OCMU), Egypt, for patients with large abdominal wall defects after abdominal wall tumors resection and repair with omental flaps and synthetic polypropylene (PP) mesh. Thirty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. They were analyzed for demographics and operative data including defect size, mesh size, intra-abdominal tumor extension, and postoperative outcomes and complications. RESULTS: Thirty-Two patients with abdominal wall neoplasm underwent local resection in our center and the defect was closed with an omental flap and PP mesh. The mean operative time was 143.75 ± 30.77 min. The mean size of the abdominal wall defect was 50.8 cm2 (range: 25-90 cm2). The meshes used in reconstruction had a mean size of 89.5 cm2 (range: 55-130 cm2). The median follow-up period of the patients was 13.5 months (range: 5-54 months). Postoperative complications included infection (n = 4 cases), seroma (n = 2 cases), hematoma (n = 1 case), and abnormal sensation (n = 5 cases). Tumor recurrence was reported in 2 cases, and no cases developed incisional hernia during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Immediate use of omental flap with synthetic PP mesh for reconstruction of abdominal wall defects is a feasible technique and has avoided the complications associated with the use of synthetic mesh alone.

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Markers in HCVAssociated Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multivariate Follow Up Study.

OBJECTIVE: Validated markers to predict recurrence after surgical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are needed. Little data is available regarding epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in HCC. The objective of this study was to investigate the expression of EMT markers and their correlation with clinicopathological variables and survival in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-associated HCC. METHODS: This longitudinal study included 109 cases of HCV-associated HCC treated with surgical resection. Nine different EMT markers (vimentin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Stat3, Snail1, Slug, Twist1, Zeb1 and integrin α5) were evaluated on liver tissue from HCC cases. Twenty fresh HCC samples from the studied cases were used for gene expression of EMT markers by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: EMT markers expression was 71%, 25%, 26%, 27%, 9%, 4%, 72%, 47%, 87% for vimentin, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Stat3 snail1, slug, twist1, Zeb1 and integrin α5 respectively.  EMT mRNA in HCC tissues correlated with protein expression by 50-70%.  Vimentin was independent predictor of large tumor size (P=0.001), high risk of recurrence (HRR) (P=0.006) and shorter disease free survival (P=0.03) in multivariate analysis.  Reduced E-cadherin was a predictor of HRR (P=0.002). CONCLUSION: Vimentin and E-cadherin were the most powerful prognostic EMT markers in HCV-associated HCC in prediction of recurrence.