Outcomes of emergency surgery for acute abdomen in dialysis patients: experience of a single community hospital.

PURPOSE: Long-term dialysis often causes physiological and metabolic problems that may affect the outcomes of surgery. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether emergency surgery for acute abdomen yields similar outcomes in dialysis patients versus non-dialysis patients. METHODS: The subjects were 126 patients who underwent emergency surgery for acute abdomen between January, 2007 and November, 2011 in our hospital. They were divided into a dialysis group (HD group; n = 9) and a non-dialysis group (non-HD group; n = 117) and their postoperative morbidity and mortality were compared. RESULTS: Postoperative morbidity and mortality were significantly worse in the HD group. All 9 of these patients succumbed to postoperative complications versus only 5 of the 117 patients in the non-HD group. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of emergency surgery for acute abdomen were significantly worse for dialysis patients than for non-dialysis patients. Prompt diagnosis, initiation of the most suitable surgical procedure, and meticulous postoperative cares are imperative to improving the surgical outcomes of dialysis patients.

Nasal MRSA screening for surgical patients: predictive value for postoperative infections caused by MRSA.

PURPOSE: Postoperative methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are occasionally fatal. We hypothesized that nasal MRSA screening might predict the risk of postoperative MRSA infections. The aim of the current study was to elucidate the relationship between the positivity of nasal MRSA screening and postoperative MRSA infections. METHODS: Six hundred and fourteen surgical patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit and underwent nasal MRSA screening between April 2006 and March 2011 were divided into MRSA-positive and -negative groups. The incidence of postoperative MRSA infections in the MRSA-positive and MRSA-negative groups were compared, and various risk factors for MRSA infections were evaluated. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative MRSA infections, such as pneumonia and enteritis, in the MRSA-positive group was significantly higher than that in the MRSA-negative group (41.9 vs. 3.1 %). The significant independent risk factors for postoperative MRSA infections were a positive MRSA screening, an operation lasting more than 300 min and an emergency operation. A positive MRSA screening was the most statistically significant risk factor for postoperative MRSA pneumonia and enteritis, but was not a risk factor for MRSA surgical site infections. CONCLUSION: Nasal MRSA screening can help to identify patients who have an increased risk of developing postoperative MRSA infections, and would enable physicians to take a prompt action if these complications occur.

Results of laparoscopic gastrectomy for early gastric cancer in high-risk patients - estimation of surgical risk of gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Surgical risk of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer in high risk patients was evaluated with E-PASS scoring system. METHODOLOGY: This study was based on 63 patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy; 14 patients belonging to high risk group (ASA≥3) and 49 classified as low risk group (ASA≤2). Fifty six patients who underwent conventional gastrectomy were used for comparison. RESULTS: Intra- and postoperative complications were found in 4 and 3 of 14 high risk patients, respectively. We found a significant correlation between E-PASS score and complications. E-PASS score in high risk group was significantly higher than the value in low risk group. The estimated in-hospital mortality rate was significantly different between the two groups. When conventional gastrectomy group for high risk patients was compared, postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were similar in two surgical procedures; however E-PASS score and the estimated in-hospital mortality rate with conventional gastrectomy were significantly higher than the value with laparoscopic gastrectomy. CONCLUSIONS: There were no fatal complications in high risk patients with laparoscopic gastrectomy and E-PASS score was within safety margin. Extension of laparoscopic surgery in high risk patients was feasible when careful procedure was performed by a surgical team.

Significant prognostic factors in patients with Stage IV gastric cancer with special reference to the curability of surgery.

PURPOSES: The purpose of this study was to determine an effective treatment strategy for patients with Stage IV gastric cancer. METHODS: We analyzed the significant prognostic factors in 74 patients who underwent surgery between 1989 and 2005, and were finally determined to have Stage IV gastric cancer. These patients were classified as curability A (n = 0), B (n = 29) and C (n = 45) according to the criteria outlined by Japanese Gastric cancer society. Anti-tumor drugs were used after surgery in some cases. There were 32 patients who received either no treatment or an oral anti-tumor drug, and 42 patients who received new chemotherapeutic regimens. RESULTS: According to a univariate analysis, the postoperative mean survival times were significantly different; tumor size ≤ 12 cm, a tumor without lymphatic involvement, more than D2 lymphadenectomy, and classification as curability B were favorable prognostic factors. The multivariate analysis revealed that tumor size, lymphadenectomy and curability were independent prognostic factors. In curability B patients, venous involvement was an independent prognostic factor. In curability C patients, both the tumor size and postoperative chemotherapy affected their prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with curable Stage IV gastric cancer, at least a D2 gastrectomy to reduce the absolute volume of tumor cells, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, may be essential to improve their prognosis. In incurable cases, aggressive new chemotherapeutic regimens should be the treatment of choice for the prolongation of survival.

Ten-year survival of curability B gastric cancer patients treated by tegafur-uracil as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in a common public hospital: univariate and multivariate analyses.

PURPOSE: The prognosis of gastric cancer patients undergoing curability B surgery was retrospectively examined to determine the effectiveness of the administration of oral anti-cancer drugs as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: This study was based on the outcomes of 86 potentially curative patients who had undergone curability B resection of gastric cancer with or without the subsequent administration of oral 5-fluorouracil analogue. There were 21 patients who underwent surgery alone with no oral anti-cancer agents (group A) and 65 patients who were treated postoperatively, mainly with UFT (Tegafur and uracil; group B). This study compared the ten-year survival times of these two groups using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The amount of UFT in group B was 354.2 +/- 122.0 mg and the administration period was 11.7 +/- 7.2 months. The backgrounds showed significantly more older patients in group A compared than group B (P = 0.0002). A univariate analysis showed the ten-year survival rate in group B to be higher than group A (P = 0.0079). A multivariate analysis showed that the postoperative administration of UFT was an independent factor associated with prolongation of survival times as well as the extent of lymph nodes metastasis and pathological stage (P = 0.0096). CONCLUSION: This study provided conventional evidence that postoperative administration of oral 5-fluorouracil analogue is associated with better long-term prognoses in patients undergoing curability B resection for gastric carcinoma.

Prognostic effects of oral anti-cancer drugs as adjuvant chemotherapy for 2 years after gastric cancer surgery.

PURPOSE: We conducted this retrospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of giving oral anti-cancer drugs for 2 years as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy to gastric cancer patients. METHODS: The subjects were 76 patients with stage II and III gastric cancer, who underwent curative surgery between 1989 and 2008. We divided the 20 years chronologically into the UFT term (1989-2003) and the S-1 term (2004-2008). The patients from each term were then divided into three groups according to the length of drug administration; namely, the surgery alone group, the 1-year group, and the 2-year group. RESULTS: The survival time of the 2-year group was better than that of the surgery alone group, not only in the UFT term, but also in the S-1 term (P = 0.0224). Longer relapse-free survival was evident in the S-1 term, especially for the 2-year group (P = 0.0110). A multivariate analysis showed both the stage of the cancer and 2 years of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy to be independent factors predictive of prolonged survival (P = 0.0040 and P = 0.0022, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The 2-year administration of oral anti-cancer drugs as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy might improve the outcome of stage II, III gastric cancer patients. Randomized control trials are warranted to prove the effectiveness of this 2-year regimen.

[The operated case of 89 year-old patient with pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung].

A-89-year-old male patient who complained dry cough was detected lung mass of 3 cm size in diameter at the right upper lobe by CT. FDG-PET seemed to show hilar and mediastinum lymph nodes metastasis. After three weeks, the mass showed rapid growth with 5 cm diameter in size at CT. Therefore the original tumor was supposed to be undifferentiated carcinoma, above all, pleomorphic carcinoma. He had been done pulmonary resection after short period. The right upper lobectomy with combined resection of the partial middle lobe was performed. Hilar and mediastinum lymph nodes dissection was added. In pathological examination, the tumor was proved pleomorphic carcinoma, however, no lymph node metastasis was recognized. He did not refer any complications and discharged back home at the post-operative 11th day. Pleomorphic carcinoma of the lung is known to be difficult to obtain definite diagnosis in early stage because of rapid growth. Therefore many cases are detected in advanced stage. In addition, chemotherapy is generally not effective, so only operative resection seems to be useful. Our patient was 89-year-old, he tolerated the operation and was alive with no trouble during 6 months after resection. When complete resection seems to be possible, operation should be regarded as an initial treatment.