The bothersomeness of patient self-rated "complications" reported 1 year after spine surgery.

PURPOSE: The last few decades have witnessed a paradigm shift in the assessment of outcome in spine surgery, with patient-centred questionnaires superseding traditional surgeon-based assessments. The assessment of complications after surgery and their impact on the patient has not enjoyed this same enlightened approach. This study sought to quantify the incidence and bothersomeness of patient-rated complications 1 year after surgery. METHODS: Patients with lumbar degenerative disorders, operated with the goal of pain relief between October 2006 and September 2010, completed a questionnaire 1 year postoperatively enquiring about complications arising as a consequence of their operation. They rated the bothersomeness of any such complications on a 5-point scale. Global outcome of surgery and satisfaction at the 12-month follow-up were also rated on 5-point Likert scales. The multidimensional Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI) was completed preoperatively and at the 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: Of 2,282 patients completing the questionnaire (92% completion rate), 687 (30.1%) reported complications, most commonly sensory disturbances (36% of those with complications) or ongoing/new pain (26%), followed by motor problems (8%), pain plus neurological disturbances (11%), and problems with wound healing (6%). The corresponding "bothersomeness" ratings for these were: 1% not at all, 23% slightly, 27% moderately, 31% very, and 18% extremely bothersome. The greater the bothersomeness, the worse the global outcome (Rho = 0.51, p < 0.0001), patient satisfaction (Rho = 0.44, p < 0.0001) and change in COMI score (Rho = 0.52, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Most complications reported by the patient are perceived to be at least moderately bothersome and hence are not inconsequential. Complications and their severity should be assessed from both the patient's and the surgeon's perspectives--not least to better understand the reasons for poor outcome and dissatisfaction with treatment.

Impact on survival of surgery after concomitant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cancers of the esophagus.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the results of chemoradiotherapy with or without surgery in locally-advanced esophageal carcinomas (T3 and/or nodal involvement). METHODS: One hundred twelve patients with locally-advanced carcinoma of the esophagus without histologically proven invasion of the tracheobronchial tree or distant visceral metastases were treated with concomitant chemoradiotherapy followed by re-evaluation; surgery was performed or chemoradiotherapy continued, based on tumor regression and the patient's general status. Chemoradiotherapy consisted of concomitant 5-fluorouracil (5FU)(1 g/m(2) day 1-3), cisplatinum (50 mg/m(2) day 1 and 2), and external beam irradiation up to a dose of 40 or 43.2 Gy. After a 4-week rest period, radical esophagectomy or a new cycle of chemoradiotherapy (up to a total dose of 65 Gy) was performed. RESULTS: A complete clinical response was obtained in 25.7% of the patients and a partial response in 45.9%. Fifty patients underwent surgery, but only 38 patients had an esophagectomy. Post-esophagectomy mortality was 5.3%. A complete histologic response rate of 23.7% was obtained. Two- and 5-year survival rates were, respectively, 41.5% and 28.6% for the whole population. According to multivariate analysis, prognostic factors for survival were Karnofsky index, esophagectomy, and response to chemoradiotherapy. Five-year survival for patients who experienced a partial response to radiation and chemotherapy was 49.1% for those who had surgery and 23.5% for those treated without surgery (p = 0.003). There was no obvious benefit for the small number of patients treated surgically after complete response to radiation and chemotherapy. Toxicity, essentially hematologic, was moderate. CONCLUSION: For locally-advanced esophageal carcinomas, esophagectomy, after concomitant chemoradiotherapy, could improve the survival rate, especially for patients who responded partially to the latter.

Surgical pathology of adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus. Analysis of 67 cases.

Numerous reviews of adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus have been reported, but detailed pathologic findings or survival analysis have rarely been provided. This retrospective study analyzed 67 patients (mean age, 64 years; male-to-female ratio, 10:1) with an adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus treated by surgical resection. Prevalence of smokers was 63%, alcohol users, 45%, and patients with hiatal hernia, 73%. Five patients had another synchronous cancer, and seven patients, previous esophageal surgery. Forty percent of the tumors were well differentiated, 31% moderately differentiated, 15% poorly differentiated, 7% mucinous, and 6% composed of signet-ring cells. Depth of invasion in the esophageal wall was limited to mucosa in 13% of cases and submucosa in 18%. Invasive adenocarcinomas extended to the muscular layer in 12% of cases, to adventitia in 33%, and to periesophageal tissue in 24%. Vascular and perineural neoplastic invasion was present in 67 and 38% of cases. Regional lymph node involvement and distant metastases were found in 51 and 9% of cases. Overall, 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates were 63, 41, and 32%, respectively. Five-year survival rate was significantly better for patients with superficial cancer limited to mucosa or submucosa (82 vs. 12%) or without regional lymph node involvement (59 vs. 10%). Tumor differentiation, vascular and perineural invasion, extranodal spread, distant metastases, and resection margins status also had a significant prognostic value on univariate analysis. In a multivariate Cox regression analysis for overall survival, depth of invasion in the esophageal wall and regional lymph node involvement were independent prognostic factors. Careful pathologic staging is of value in determining the prognosis of patients with adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus.

Overexpression of p53 protein in Barrett's syndrome with malignant transformation.

AIMS: To study the overexpression of p53 protein in Barrett's oesophagus with adenocarcinoma, and to correlate this expression with the pathological features of Barrett's syndrome. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on frozen sections with a monoclonal antibody directed against wild type and mutated p53 protein (Pab 1801). Eleven cases of Barrett's adenocarcinoma were studied, seven of which had extensive sampling of benign Barrett's mucosa. RESULTS: Eight of 11 adenocarcinomas overexpressed the p53 protein. Both early and advanced tumours were positive. In Barrett's mucosa around the p53 positive tumours, high grade dysplasia was positive; low grade dysplasia and non-dysplastic mucosa were negative. CONCLUSIONS: P53 gene mutation with ensuing p53 protein overexpression is a common feature of Barrett's adenocarcinoma, both at early and advanced stages. This mutation appears as a relatively late event during the neoplastic transformation of Barrett's oesophagus.

Expression of c-erbB-2 oncogene product in Barrett's adenocarcinoma: pathological and prognostic correlations.

AIMS: To establish the prevalence of c-erbB-2 protein expression in a surgical series of Barrett's adenocarcinomas; and to correlate this expression with clinicopathological data and prognosis. METHODS: Sixty six surgical specimens of Barrett's adenocarcinomas were included in this retrospective study. Blocks of the tumour and of non-dysplastic Barrett's mucosa were stained with a polyclonal antibody specific for the intracytoplasmic domain of the c-erbB-2 protein. RESULTS: Seven of 66 tumours showed membrane staining for the c-erbB-2 protein. The non-dysplastic Barrett's mucosa was negative in all cases. There was no difference between c-erbB-2 positive and negative tumours with regard to mean age, sex ratio, percentage of alcohol misusers, percentage of smokers, tumour differentiation, depth of invasion, lymph node response, and proliferative activity, assessed by the percentage of tumour cells positive with the MIB-1 antibody directed against the Ki-67 antigen. All c-erb B2 positive tumours were of Lauren's intestinal type compared with negative c-erbB-2 tumours. Patients with c-erbB-2 positive tumours had a significantly poorer prognosis than patients with negative tumours. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Barrett's adenocarcinomas expressing c-erbB-2 found in this study (11%) was similar to that observed in published series of gastric adenocarcinomas. c-erbB-2 protein expression could be an important prognostic indicator in Barrett's adenocarcinoma.

Portosystemic shunt in Budd-Chiari syndrome: long-term survival and factors affecting shunt patency in 25 patients in Western countries.

BACKGROUND: In Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) treated by portosystemic shunt, postoperative shunt thrombosis is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with shunt thrombosis. METHODS: From 1985 to 1991, 25 patients underwent portosystemic shunt for BCS. According to the patency of the shunt during the postoperative period and follow-up, patients were divided into two groups including 17 patients with patent shunt and 8 (32%) with shunt thrombosis. RESULTS: In patients with patent shunt, actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 87% versus 38% in patients with shunt thrombosis (p < 0.05). Duration of symptoms before operation was higher in patients with shunt thrombosis than in patients with patent shunt (315 +/- 483 vs 109 +/- 168 days, p < 0.05). In patients with patent shunt, extensive fibrosis or cirrhosis was observed in 3 of 17 (18%) versus in 5 of 8 (63%) of patients with shunt thrombosis (p < 0.05). Shunt thrombosis was observed in 3 of 3 patients (100%) with the combination of myeloproliferative disorder, duration of symptoms more than 100 days, and cirrhosis versus 0 of 6 (0%) patients without this combination (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In acute form of BCS (with short history of the disease and absence of extensive fibrosis or cirrhosis), early portal decompression is mandatory, with low risk of shunt thrombosis and good long-term results. In chronic form of BCS, the risk of shunt thrombosis is high and long-term results are bad; in these patients, orthotopic liver transplantation must be considered.

Long-term loss of Warren's shunt selectivity. Angiographic demonstration.

Fifteen patients with a patent shunt after distal splenorenal shunt with gastrosplenic disconnection were prospectively studied by angiography three to 36 months after operation. In all patients a collateral circulation from the portomesenteric to the gastrosplenic system was developed through enlarged venous channels. In all patients the portal flow decreased, as suggested by the angiographically assessed degradation of the portal perfusion of the liver and/or the diminution of the diameter of the portal vein. In two patients the portal vein was thrombotic. We conclude that three months after operation distal splenorenal shunt with gastrosplenic disconnection is not hemodynamically different than portacaval laterolateral shunt.

Cholangitis associated with cholecystitis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Four patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome developed severe abdominal pain and fever due to acute acalculous cholecystitis. In all patients, preoperative laboratory data showed elevation of alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltransferase levels. Endoscopic or intraoperative cholangiography showed signs of intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangitis. Cholecystectomy was performed and prompt relief of symptoms was achieved in all patients; no postoperative complication was observed. One patient did not develop any recurrence during an 18-month period of follow-up; two patients died 2 and 3 months after the operation. One patient developed recurrent abdominal pain and cholestasis 4 months after the operation, with dilatation of the common bile duct and papillary stenosis due to progression of cholangitis. These observations suggest that cholangitis is frequently associated with cholecystitis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Its pathogenesis is not known.

Caustic sclerosing cholangitis. A complication of the surgical treatment of hydatid disease of the liver.

In five patients, sclerosing cholangitis developed after the surgical treatment of hydatid cyst of the liver. The cyst communicated with the biliary tree, and a scolicidal solution (2% formaldehyde in two patients and 20% sodium chloride in three) was injected into the cyst. Cholangiography showed strictures affecting the intrahepatic biliary tree in two and both the intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary tree in three. Sclerosing cholangitis in these patients was likely to result from the caustic effect of the scolicidal solution having diffused from the cyst into the biliary tree. We propose to designate this entity "caustic sclerosing cholangitis". Because of the risk of this complication, and the unproved efficacy of intracystic injection of a scolicidal solution in preventing the dissemination of the parasite, we recommend that this maneuver be abandoned in the surgical treatment of hydatid disease of the liver.

Associated primary esophageal and lung carcinoma: a study of 39 patients.

From 1979 to 1992, of 1,294 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, 39 patients (3.2%) (38 male patients, 1 female patient; mean age, 58 years) had associated primary lung carcinoma. Criteria for the diagnosis of primary lung carcinoma were: (1) non-squamous cell carcinoma tumors, (2) tumors existing before the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and (3) solitary squamous cell carcinoma presenting with endobronchial involvement. The two tumors were observed synchronously in 22 patients (56%) and metachronously in 17, with a mean tumor-free interval of 46 months (range, 18 to 77 months). In patients with synchronous disease, 10 underwent nonoperative treatment or a palliative surgical procedure, and 12 (55%) underwent a curative operation. In patients with metachronous disease, a curative operation was performed in all for the first tumor and in 9 (53%) for the second tumor. The overall postoperative mortality rate was 15%. Two patients (10%) died after the curative operation. None of the patients died who underwent curative esophagectomy combined with lobectomy. For the patients with synchronous disease, the 5-year survival rate was 11% in those who underwent a curative operation, and the longest survival in those who received palliative treatment was 18 months. For the patients with metachronous disease, the 5-year survival rates from the date of the diagnosis of the second tumor were 17% for those who had a curative operation and 11% for those who received palliative treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Symptomatic duodenal stenosis in chronic pancreatitis: a study of 17 cases in a medical-surgical series of 306 patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, presentation, cause, and location of symptomatic duodenal stenosis, and its relation to the natural course of chronic pancreatitis in a medical-surgical series of 306 patients (86% alcoholics). Mean follow-up of the series was 7.9 years. Symptomatic duodenal stenosis occurred in 17 patients (5.6%). Diagnosis was confirmed by a barium series. The cause of stenosis was compression by the pancreatic head in all patients, associated with a pancreatic abscess in two. No pseudocysts were found at the time of diagnosis. The location was the 1st and 2nd part of the duodenum or the entire duodenal loop in 4, 6, and 7 patients, respectively. Cholestasis due to common bile duct stenosis occurred in association with duodenal stenosis in 9 patients. Fifteen patients were treated surgically; 11 for gastroenterostomy, and 4 for duodenopancreatectomy. Two patients were not treated surgically. We conclude that during the course of chronic pancreatitis, symptomatic duodenal stenosis occurred in 5.6% of patients, mainly during the first years of the clinical course of chronic pancreatitis, was due to pancreatic head compression and not pseudocysts, usually involved the 2nd part of the duodenum and, was associated with biliary stenosis in half of the cases. Since these two complications require surgery, common bile duct stenosis should be investigated when symptomatic duodenal stenosis is diagnosed.

Nosocomial Streptococcus pneumoniae infection causing children's acute otitis media.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent pathogen in young children's acute otitis media. It also plays a significant role in nosocomial ear infection in children, while it causes pneumonia with or without bacteremia in hospitalized elderly people. Multiple antibiotic resistant strains are prevalent among S. pneumoniae isolates from the respiratory tract of hospitalized patients in Hungary. This fact makes therapeutic reconsiderations concerning the use of oral beta-lactams mandatory. In this retrospective study two nosocomial outbreaks caused by multiresistant S. pneumoniae in two pediatric hospitals are described. The patients admitted with a chronic underlying disease (milk intolerance and gastro-oesophageal reflux were predominant) or respiratory tract infection acquired acute otitis media. Therapy with oral beta-lactams (first and second generation cephalosporins and amoxicillin), macrolides and co-trimoxazole was ineffective in most of the cases or resulted in transient improvement. In some cases acute otitis media resolved with the improvement of the underlying condition, in two cases administration of cefotaxime resulted in recovery and in one case mastoidectomy became necessary.

Anorexia in oesophageal carcinoma.

The influence of anorexia on nutritional status and tumour resectability was prospectively assessed in 50 patients with oesophageal carcinoma and severe dysphagia. Among the 21 patients in whom anorexia was present, objective measurement of clinical status demonstrated that malnutrition was present in 13 (62%) and resection of the tumour was possible only in five (24%). On the contrary, among the 29 patients without anorexia, malnutrition was only present in five (17%) and resection of the tumour was possible in 24 (82%). We conclude that anorexia is a main determinant of malnutrition and that it is related to the tumour development independently of dysphagia. In patients with oesophageal carcinoma, the clinical assessment of anorexia must be used for evaluating nutritional status before surgery. The presence of anorexia suggests a widespread tumour or a disseminated cancer and it might explain the poor nutritional effects of palliative intubation in non resectable tumour.

Adenomas arising in Barrett's esophagus with adenocarcinoma. Report of three cases.

Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus is a well known complication of Barrett's esophagus, and results from a dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. This report describes 3 patients with adenomatous polyps arising in Barrett's esophagus. One patient presented with multiple sessile or pedunculated polyps giving a polyposis appearance; the other two patients had single polyps associated with distinct adenocarcinoma arising in Barrett's esophagus. Polyps consisted of adenomatous proliferation with adenocarcinoma in the 3 patients. Review of the literature identified twelve previously reported cases. These cases show that although rare, adenomas may arise in Barrett's esophagus, and are most likely premalignant lesions such as other adenomas of the gastrointestinal tract.

Overexpression of the p53 tumor suppressor gene product in esophageal and gastric carcinomas.

PURPOSE: p53 protein has been reported as frequently overexpressed in esophageal and gastric carcinomas. However, the correlation between p53 protein expression and clinico-pathological features of the tumors is debated in this heterogeneous group of cancers. The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of p53 protein overexpression in a series of resected esophageal squamous carcinomas (n = 78), adenocarcinomas developed on Barrett's esophagus (n = 20), adenocarcinomas of the cardia (n = 36), and adenocarcinomas of the antrum (n = 30), and to correlate this expression with the clinico-pathological and flow-cytometric characteristics of the tumors. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was performed on frozen sections with a monoclonal antibody directed against wild type and mutated p53 protein (Pab 1801). An adjacent frozen specimen was used for flow cytometric determination of the DNA-ploidy and S phase fraction. RESULTS: p53 protein nuclear expression was detected in 76% of esophageal squamous carcinomas, in 75% of adenocarcinomas developed in Barretts esophagus, in 56% of adenocarcinomas of the cardia, and in 27% of adenocarcinomas of the antrum. Only the number of positive adenocarcinomas of the antrum was significantly lower when compared to the other three types of tumors (p = 0.001). No significant correlation was observed between p53 protein expression and most of the clinico-pathological and flow-cytometric parameters (sex, age, tobacco smoking, chronic alcohol consumption, size of the tumor, grade of differentiation, depth of infiltration, presence of lymph node metastases, UICC stage, DNA-ploidy, S phase fraction). p53 protein expression was more frequent in Lauren's intestinal adenocarcinomas (67%) when compared to the diffuse type tumors (24%) (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm that overexpression of p53 protein is a common feature of esophageal and gastric carcinomas. The high prevalence of p53 protein overexpression found in cardiac adenocarcinoma when compared to antral adenocarcinoma reinforces the hypothesis of distinct carcinogenetic mechanisms in these two cancers. In particular the lack of correlation between p53 expression and tumor stage suggests that p53 protein overexpression is an early event in these tumors.

Surgical management of failed esophagomyotomy (Heller's operation).

An analysis of the causes of failure of Heller's operation is necessary in order to arrive at appropriate treatment. We retrospectively studied 100 reoperations for failed esophagomyotomy. Usually, a repeat myotomy was performed via an abdominal approach if the initial Heller's operation proved a failure, or via a thoracic approach if extensive motor disorders were discovered at manometry. Until 1978, esophagogastric resections were performed for severe esophageal injuries due to reflux after Heller's operation, but since then, duodenal diversion has obviated the need for resection. Antrectomy with Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy and vagotomy might be performed via an abdominal approach because the latter, always mandatory, is feasible through a transdiaphragmatic approach. Esophageal resection was reserved for major esophageal asystole, some cases of sclerosis, and carcinomas occurring or discovered after Heller's operation.

Surgical management of esophageal thoracic diverticula.

Between 1969 and 1989, thirty-three patients were admitted for the treatment of a mid- or lower thoracic diverticulum and were investigated. Their mean age was 63 years. The predominant symptoms were dysphagia and regurgitations of, on average, 5.8 years' duration. Three patients had associated carcinoma and were excluded from the study. Three patients with mild complaints were managed medically and 27 surgically. Surgical treatment included, prior to 1979, simple diverticulectomy in 10 patients since 1970 diverticulectomy and myotomy through a right thoracic approach in one patient diverticulectomy, esophageal myotomy and fundoplication through a left thoracic approach in 10 patients and simple abdominal esophageal myotomy with fundoplication in 4 patients. In 2 patients, an esophagobronchial fistula was successfully treated. There were 3 postoperative deaths (2 suture line leakages and one massive aspiration pneumonia). Two patients had persistent dysphagia: one was reoperated on for a subsequent abdominal esophageal myotomy and the other one for severe reflux esophagitis following esophageal dilatations. Four patients had reflux esophagitis and two were reoperated on for a total duodenal diversion. The importance of the long esophageal myotomy extended on to the cardia through a left thoracotomy, and of a good antireflux procedure after the myotomy, in the treatment of thoracic esophageal diverticula is emphasized.

Esophagogastrectomy for carcinoma in cirrhotic patients.

Esophagogastrectomy for carcinoma of the esophagus or cardia has been performed in 32 patients with histologically proven hepatic cirrhosis. Thirty-one esophagogastrectomies were performed through a separate abdominal and right thoracic approach in 25 patients, a left thoracoabdominal approach in five patients, and without thoracotomy in two patients. One patient had a colon interposition. Seven patients died after operation (21%) as a result of anastomotic leakage in two patients, hepatorenal in four patients and portal thrombosis in one patient. The type of procedure did not influence mortality. The most common postoperative complication was the development of ascites (68%), and when associated with hepatorenal syndrome (in four patients) there was significant mortality (p less than 0.05). Sepsis was present in the terminal stages of all nonsurvivors. A prothrombin time less than or equal to 60% of normal values was the only significant preoperative predictive factor of mortality, with none of the three patients surviving below this level (p less than 0.05). It is concluded that the presence of cirrhosis is not a contraindication to esophagogastrectomy for carcinoma when curative resection can be undertaken. Hepatic reserve is the determinant factor of operative prognosis. Operative risk is acceptable if patients are classified as Child's class A, and prothrombin time is over 60% of normal values. Operation should be delayed when acute alcoholic hepatitis is present. Intraoperative discovery of cirrhosis is not a contraindication to resection when the above criteria are met.

Total duodenal diversion in patients with previous gastric surgery.

Total duodenal diversion (TDD) was performed in 19 patients with severe post-gastric surgery symptoms. Previous operations were truncal vagotomy associated with pyloroplasty or antrectomy (n = 6), proximal esophagogastrectomy (n = 8) or total gastrectomy (n = 5). Technical adjustments to the standard procedure (truncal vagotomy, antrectomy and gastrojejunal anastomosis using a 70 cm Roux-en-Y loop) were required. There were no postoperative deaths, no anastomotic leakage or anastomotic ulceration. The main symptoms were eliminated, and endoscopic gastritis and esophagitis healed in all patients. Heartburn and bilious vomiting ceased in all patients, but in five out of 14 patients with a residual stomach some symptoms persisted. TDD proved a safe and effective treatment of disabling symptoms following gastric surgery.

Polymorphonuclear count in ascitic fluid after laparotomy in cirrhotic patients.

In order to establish whether an ascitic polymorphonuclear count greater than 250/mm3 remains a diagnostic criterion for postoperative bacterial peritonitis, a prospective study of 16 patients with cirrhosis and ascites undergoing hepatectomy (n = 4), portocaval shunt (n = 5) and biliary and digestive surgery (n = 7) was carried out. Sixty-four consecutive specimens of ascitic fluid were obtained through abdominal one-way suction tubes left in situ. In 17 (26%) specimens, ascitic fluid was blood stained and the polymorphonuclear count was unreliable; none of these specimens demonstrated positive ascitic fluid culture. In the remaining 47 specimens the polymorphonuclear count ranged from 5 to 5,920/mm3. Positive ascitic fluid culture was significantly higher in polymorphonuclear > or = 250/mm3 group (5/13: 38%) than in polymorphonuclear < 250/mm3 group (2/34: 6%) (p < 0.02). These results suggest that, as in non-operated cirrhotic patients: (a) polymorphonuclear count should be taken in account in the diagnosis of postoperative bacterial peritonitis; (b) polymorphonuclear count greater than 250/mm3 is a good criterion for the diagnosis of bacterial postoperative peritonitis.