Analysis of Treatment Strategies and Outcomes in Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Insights From a Multi-Center Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the demographic," clinicopathologic, and prognostic characteristics of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPeM), as well as the treatment options for the rare and heterogeneous MPeM population. METHODS: A retrospective multi-center observational cohort study was conducted to evaluate patients with MPeM. Due to the heterogeneity of the study population, the study divided them into two main groups in terms of treatments, follow-up periods, and prognostic features. The first group comprised the patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), and the second group included the patients with metastatic disease for whom curative intent surgery was not possible. The patients' diagnostic procedures and treatments were identified from medical records. Patients older than 18 years old were included in the study regardless of asbestos exposure. Well-differentiated papillary and multicystic mesothelioma histologic types were not included in the study. RESULTS: The study evaluated 118 patients from five centers. Survival times, prognosis, and treatment responses were analyzed in both groups. The study showed that CRS-HIPEC was associated with longer overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Perioperative therapy was evaluated in subgroup analyses of this population and shown to provide survival benefits. The patients treated with chemotherapy (metastatic and medically inoperable patients and those for whom complete cytoreduction was not achievable) had a poorer prognosis than the surgery group. The study showed that life expectancy decreased significantly for the patients not suitable to undergo surgery for any reason. CONCLUSIONS: According to data from experienced centers, CRS-HIPEC is a treatment option recognized as effective, cost-effective, and safe, with better OS and PFS , as well as low morbidity and mortality rates similar to those in the literature. In addition, the platinum-pemetrexed combination continues to be an effective and acceptable treatment option for metastatic patients, those who are medically inoperable, and those for whom complete or near-complete cytoreduction is not achievable.

Determination of risk factors for conversion from laparoscopic to open appendectomy in patients with acute appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of surgical emergencies. It can be difficult to distinguish cases of acute appendicitis that should be managed by laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) from those that should be managed by open surgery. This study aimed to prevent the inappropriate choice of technique and associated complications by identifying potential risk factors for conversion from laparoscopic to open appendectomy (OA) at the time of initial surgical assessment. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent laparoscopic exploration for acute appendicitis. The study included patients over 18 years of age between January 2016 and July 2021. Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical approach: those who underwent a LA and those who initially underwent laparoscopic exploration first and then converted to OA. Demographics, perioperative factors, and outcomes were compared between groups. RESULTS: The study included 634 adults undergoing laparoscopic exploration for an appendectomy. About 80.8% had LA, and 19.2% (n=122) required COA. COA patients' average age was significantly higher than LA patients' (48.5 years vs. 37.8 years, P<0.001). The conversion rate for patients over 65 was 63.8%, compared to 15.6% for those under 65 (P<0.001). COA patients had higher bilirubin levels (36.1% vs. 13.5%, P<0.001), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores (ASA >2, COA 52.5% vs. LA 7.8%, P<0.001), and a higher need for CT imaging (84.4% vs. 67.6%, P<0.001) than LA patients. An Alvarado score >6 significantly differenti-ated LA from COA (62.6% vs. 39.4%, P< p<0.001). COA patients experienced significantly increased periods until starting oral intake (31.6 vs. 9.9 h, P<0.001) and higher rates of complicated appendicitis (40.9% vs. 0.6%, P<0.001). After surgery, COA had higher rates of complications compared to LA: surgical site infections (8.2% vs. 2.7%, P=0.004), reoperation (13.1% vs. 0%, P<0.001), hospital re-admission (14.7% vs. 2.3%, P<0.001), and mortality (1.6% vs. 0%, P<0.004). CONCLUSION: Advanced age, especially over 65 years, elevated bilirubin levels, an ASA >2 score, and an increased need for pre-operative diagnostics using CT scans were found to be significant predictors of conversion to OA. In the conversion group, operative time, time to oral intake, and the incidence of complicated appendicitis were significantly higher. The conversion group had significantly higher rates of postoperative complications, surgical site infections, hospital readmissions, and mortality. To avoid the increased rate of complications associated with conversion to open surgery, the initial evaluation of a patient with prospective risk factors may be beneficial.

Preoperative ALBI grade predicts mortality in patients undergoing curative surgery for pancreatic head cancer.

The clinical significance of the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade in patients with pancreatic head cancer (PHC) undergoing surgery is unknown. Preoperative ALBI grade is believed to be influenced by tumor burden. This study aimed to develop and validate the ALBI grade as a preoperative prognostic model for predicting the survival of patients with PHC. This is a retrospective study of Whipple procedures performed on PHC patients between January 2013 and December 2022. ALBI grade was compared to age, gender, type of operation, presence of complications, type of complications, Clavien-Dindo classification, total bilirubin levels, and albumin levels. Of the series, 46 (41.1%) of the 112 patients were female, while 66 (58.9%) were male. The rate of complications following Whipple procedures was 36.6% (n = 41). The overall mortality hazard ratio increased significantly with increasing ALBI grades (HR: 1538, hazard ratio mean: -1602). Hospital mortality increased 2.84 times as the ALBI grade increased. The model's accuracy of 88.4% showed that the ALBI grade directly affected both the overall mortality rate and the hospital rate. But there was no statistically significant difference between the ALBI grade and other variables. Multivariate regression analysis identified the preoperative ALBI grade as an independent predictor of mortality (P = .006). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to identify preoperative ALBI grade as an independent predictor of survival in PHC. It was found that the ALBI grade of -1602 was a new grading system that would be more predictive of mortality in PHC.

Prediction of short-term results after laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. Is sarcopenia superior to other methods?

Background: Complication treatment in colorectal cancer can be carried out quickly with the prediction and early diagnosis. However, there is no apparent predictive factor for this. Objective: We aimed to determine the factors that predict early mortality and morbidity in patients who underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy and their superiority over each other. Method: Demographic data, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index, American Society of Anesthesiologists Score, body mass index, modified-Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), stage of disease, and sarcopenia were evaluated in patients who underwent right hemicolectomy between 2010-2022. Their superiority in predicting short-term outcomes was compared. Results: 78 patients were included in the study. The complication rate was higher in sarcopenic patients (p = 0.002). A high mGPS score was associated with increased mortality risk (p = 0.012). Other methods were not found to be related to short-term results. Conclusion: Sarcopenia is useful for the prediction of complications, and the mortality rate can be estimated by the mGPS score. These are superior to the other short-term results prediction methods. However, randomized controlled studies are needed.

Antecedentes: El tratamiento de complicaciones en el cáncer colorrectal puede llevarse a cabo rápidamente mediante la predicción y el diagnóstico temprano. Sin embargo, no existe un factor predictivo claro para esto. Objetivo: Determinar los factores que predicen la mortalidad y la morbilidad precoces en pacientes sometidos a hemicolectomía derecha laparoscópica y su superioridad entre ellos. Método: Se evaluaron datos demográficos, el índice de comorbilidad de Charlson ajustado por edad, el puntaje de la American Society of Anesthesiologists, el índice de masa corporal, el puntaje de pronóstico de Glasgow modificado (mGPS), el estadio de la enfermedad y la sarcopenia en pacientes que se sometieron a hemicolectomía derecha entre 2010 y 2022. Se comparó su superioridad en la predicción de resultados a corto plazo. Resultados: Se incluyeron en el estudio 78 pacientes. La tasa de complicaciones fue mayor en los pacientes sarcopénicos (p = 0.002). Una puntuación mGPS alta se asoció con un mayor riesgo de mortalidad (p = 0.012). No se encontró que otros métodos estuvieran relacionados con los resultados a corto plazo. Conclusiones: La sarcopenia es útil para la predicción de complicaciones y la tasa de mortalidad puede estimarse mediante la puntuación mGPS. Estos son superiores a los otros métodos de predicción de resultados a corto plazo. Sin embargo, se necesitan estudios controlados aleatorizados.

Liver Dysfunction After Use of Nathanson Retractor During Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer.

Background: Cardiopulmonary complications and liver dysfunction are also specific complications and problems associated with laparoscopic surgery. The main causes of postoperative liver dysfunction, which may often occur after laparoscopic surgery, include carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum and ligation of the aberrant left hepatic artery. Hepatic steatosis may develop as a natural consequence of neoadjuvant therapy, although rarely, owing to chemotherapy. Nathanson retractor may cause a prolonged elevation in liver enzymes of these patients compared with those who do not receive neoadjuvant therapy. Materials and Methods: The data of 151 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy between January 2017 and January 2022 for histologically proven primary gastric cancer in our clinic were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The mean length of hospital stay was 6.21 days. The mean time normalization of the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) value was 2.45 ± 1.83 (range, 0-12) days postoperatively. The analysis of the correlation between the preoperative and postoperative 1-day values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and AST revealed a significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative 1-day median values of both parameters (P < .001). Each one unit increase in ALT led to an increase of 0.338 days in the length of intensive care stay and an increase of 0.345 days in the overall length of hospital stay. As the time to normalization of the AST value increased, the length of both intensive care stay and hospital stay increased. Each one unit increase in AST resulted in an increase of 0.316 days in the length of intensive care stay and an increase of 0.376 days in the overall length of hospital stay. Conclusion: Alternative retraction methods can be used safely in laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy. We are of the opinion that the Nathanson retractor should be used only during dissection of the relevant regions to shorten the intraoperative intermittent release or the time of use.

The contribution of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy videos on YouTube to the learning curve in the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is no standardization in videos uploaded to Youtube. Were the videos capable of contributing to adequate technical quality and surgical training? We are aiming to answer these questions in this paper. It is a cross-sectional study. In January 2022, we searched the Youtube platform using the keyword "distal pancreatectomy." The substantiality, transparency, reliability, quality, popularity and educational values of the video content were evaluated after exclusion criteria. These parameters were evaluated using we the modified Journal of American Medical Association benchmark criteria, Global Quality Score (GQS), Video Power Index, modified laparoscopic pancreatectomy scoring system. The videos uploaded after the pandemic had a statistically significant higher GQS score (P < .001). Video Power Index, like GQS, had a statistically significant difference before and after the pandemic. (P = .046). There was no significant difference in the evaluation of the reliability and substantiality. Until the development of Youtube videos is completed, peer-reviewed, more reliable and content-rich online education platforms should be preferred in the first place. Care should be taken to watch selected videos on Youtube videos.

Correlation of pelvic fractures and associated injuries: An analysis of 471 pelvic trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: In most respects, the vast majority of pelvic injuries is not of a life-threatening status, but co-presence of other injuries needs to be diagnosed. This study aims to evaluate associated pelvic and extra-pelvic visceral organ injuries of the patients with closed pelvic fractures. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted with 471 adult patients who had been admitted to our Emergency Service with the diagnosis of pelvic fractures. Type of fractures, accompanying visceral organ injuries, the demographic data, type of operation, mortality rates were recorded and analysed statistically. RESULTS: The rate of operations carried out by the general surgery clinic or other surgical clinics in each type of fracture according to AO classification did not differ (p=0.118). In patients with A2, A3 and B1 types of fractures, the operation rate of general surgery clinic did not show a significant difference. However, most of the patients who had extrapelvic surgery were in the mild severity pelvic trauma, such as AO A2 and A3. A total of 31 patients were ex-patients, 17 of whom had AO-A2 type of fractures. The findings showed that there was a significant difference between abdominal ultrasonography outcome that was normal and non-orthopedic surgery types (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the types of surgery performed and Abdominal CT outcome, which was normal (p=0.215). CONCLUSION: In the management of patients with pelvic fractures irrespective of its type or grade, the findings suggests that greater attention should be paid to not to overlook the associated injuries. Early blood and imaging tests are encouraged after the patient's hemodynamic status is stabilized.

CT-guided tractography is a safe and complementary diagnostic tool in the management of penetrating abdominal trauma.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Despite extensive published research, the surgical approach to penetrating abdominal trauma patients is still under debate. Computed tomography-guided tractography (CTT) is an imaging modality in which water soluble iodinated contrast medium is administered into the site of the injury in the CT unit. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the CTT. METHODS: A retrospective evaluation was made of patients admitted to the Emergency Department with penetrating abdominal trauma and who underwent CTT. Contrast enhanced abdominal CT and CTT reports, surgical findings and clinical results were examined. RESULTS: Evaluation was made of a total of 101 patients comprising 89 males (88.1%) and 12 females (11.9%). CTT was determined to have 92.8% sensitivity, 93.6% specificity, 97% positive predictive value, and 85.5% negative predictive value. In 27 patients (26.7%) where the CTT indicated passage through the peritoneum, no parenchymal organ injury was present. Only one patient (2.9%) without peritoneal penetration on CTT had organ injury at exploration. No procedure-related morbidities developed. CONCLUSION: CTT is a safe imaging modality for the evaluation of hemodynamically stable patients. Compared to other imaging modalities, there is clearer demonstration of whether or not the peritoneum is intact. However penetration on CTT does not exactly correlate with organ injury.