Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on upper gastrointestinal cancer services: Experience from an oncosurgical unit.

Background The Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect the delivery of cancer care across the world. We evaluated the impact of the pandemic on the delivery of cancer care, to patients diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract malignancies, during the first 4 months of the pandemic in India. Methods We retrospectively analysed a database of patients with UGI malignancies discussed in the Multidisciplinary Tumour Board (MDTB) between 24 March and 24 July 2020. The results in the study group were compared to that of a similar group of patients from the corresponding period in 2019. Results A total of 117 and 61 patients were discussed in the MDTB in 2019 and 2020, respectively, thereby showing a 48% reduction in the number of new cases seen in 2020. The reduction in the number of new cases was huge for oesophageal cancer (53-13; 75.5% reduction), compared to gastric cancer (53-43; 18.9%). The proportion of patients with metastatic disease at presentation was significantly higher in 2020, compared to 2019 (39.3% v. 23.1%; p=0.023). In 8 (13.1%) patients, the pre-existing treatment protocol had to be modified to suit the prevailing pandemic situation. Two patients with gastric cancer acquired asymptomatic Covid-19 infection during the treatment, which delayed the delivery of further therapy. Oncosurgeries were less in 2020 compared to 2019 (25 v. 63). The rate of 30-day major postoperative complications in 2020 was comparable with that in 2019 (12% v. 6.3%; p=0.4). Conclusions The number of new patients with UGI cancer, seeking elective cancer care and the number of oncosurgical procedures reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Continuous delivery of UGI cancer services was ensured during the pandemic through clinical prioritization, the adaptation of specific care pathways and selective modification of protocols, to suit the prevailing local conditions.

Feasibility, safety and oncological outcomes of minimally invasive oesophagectomy following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma - Experience from a tertiary care centre.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) has improved the resectability and survival of operable oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We aimed to study if nCRT for OSCC makes minimally invasive oesophagectomy (MIO) technically more challenging and if the peri-operative and oncological outcomes are acceptable for MIO following nCRT. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of patients with OSCC (cT1-2N1-2, cT3-4aN0-2) treated with nCRT and MIO between 2013 and 2019 was performed. The operative details including the technical difficulty in tumour dissection and lymphadenectomy, the post-operative complications and oncological outcomes were studied. Results: Seventy-five patients (male:female - 50:25; mean [range] age - 55.49 ± 8.43 [22-72] years; stage II - 34.7%; stage III - 37.3%; stage IVA - 28.0%) were enrolled. The concurrent chemotherapy course was completed by 25.3% of patients and the most common reason limiting the completion of chemotherapy was neutropaenia (66.0%). A thoraco-laparoscopic (n = 60) or hybrid (n = 15) McKeown's oesophagectomy with a two-field lymphadenectomy was performed. The increased surgical difficulty was reported in 41 (54.7%) patients, particularly for mid-thoracic tumours and tumours exhibiting incomplete response. The 30-day overall and major complication rate was 48.0% and 20.0%, respectively, and there was no mortality. The rate of R0 resection, pathological complete response and median lymph nodal yield were 93.3%, 48% and 8 (range: 1-25), respectively. The mean overall survival (OS) was 62.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.6-71.8) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 53.5 months (95% CI: 43.5-63.5). The 1-, 2- and 3-year OS and RFS were 89.5%, 78.8% and 64.4% and 71.1%, 61.3% and 56.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Minimally invasive McKeown's oesophagectomy is feasible and safe in patients with OSCC receiving nCRT. The radiation component of nCRT increases the degree of operative difficulty, especially in relation to the supracarinal dissection and lymphadenectomy. However, this drawback did not adversely affect the short-term surgical or the long-term oncological outcomes.

Clinical profile and treatment outcomes of Boerhaave's syndrome: A 13-year experience from an upper gastrointestinal surgical unit.

Objectives: IBoerhaave's syndrome (BS) is a rare, but potentially fatal condition, characterized by barogenic esophageal rupture and carries a high mortality. We aimed to study our institutional experience of managing patients with BS. Material and Methods: A retrospective review of patients with BS presenting to a tertiary care centre from 2005 to 2018 was carried out in this study. Clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluations, treatments received, and treatment outcomes were studied. Perforations were classified as early (<24 hours) and delayed (>24 hours), based on the time elapsed. Surgical complications were graded using Clavien-Dindo grade. The Pittsburgh perforation severity score was correlated with short-term treatment outcomes. Results: Of the 12 patients [male, 75%; mean (range) age, 53 (28-80) years] included, 10 patients had a delayed (>24 hours) presentation. Chest pain was the dominant symptom (58.3%); six patients presented either in shock (n= 1) or with organ failure (n= 3) or both (n= 2). All the perforations were sited in the lower thoracic esophagus, of which three were contained and nine were uncontained. The seal of the perforation was achieved by surgical repair in four patients (primary repair, 2; repair over a T-tube, 2) and endoscopic techniques in four patients (clipping, 1; stenting, 3). Sepsis drainage [surgical, 7 (open-5, minimally-invasive-2); non-surgical, 5] and feeding jejunostomy were performed in all patients. Five (41.7%) patients received a re-intervention. Median (range) hospital stay was 25.5 (12-101) days, 30-day operative morbidity was 50%, and there was one in-hospital death. The Pittsburgh perforation severity score was as follows: 2-5 in two patients and >5 in 10 patients; there were more delayed presentations, increased surgical interventions, post-procedure morbidity, and in-hospital mortality in the latter group, but the differences were statistically not significant. In 11 patients followed-up [median (range):1507 (17-5929) days], there was no disease recurrence, symptomatic reflux or dysphagia. Conclusion: Favourable treatment outcomes, including reduced mortality and organ preservation can be achieved for Boerhaave's perforations, through a multimodality approach. Minimally invasive, endoluminal or open surgical techniques may be safely utilized in its management. The Pittsburgh severity score can be a useful clinical tool that can be used to select the initial intervention and to predict treatment outcomes.

Occult Omental Metastasis in Gastric Adenocarcinoma: An Analysis of Incidence, Predictors, and Outcomes.

Negine PaulIntroduction Traditionally, the concept of complete omentectomy during gastric resection for cancer was based on lymphatic drainage and the occurrence of occult omental metastasis (OM). However, recent emerging evidence has challenged this concept of complete omentectomy. We, therefore, aim to find the incidence and risk factors of occult OM and also evaluate the outcome of patients with and without such metastasis. Methods This is a single institutional, retrospective study of patients with gastric cancer who underwent curative radical gastrectomy for a period of 3 years (April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2019). A complete omentectomy was performed in all patients and the omentum and nodal stations were dissected in the resected specimen and sent for pathological analysis. Clinical and epidemiological data were collected from the hospital patient database and analysis was done. Results A total of 185 patients have been included in the study, with a mean age of 53.84 years. Twenty of the 185 patients had OM (10.8%). Age, sex, location of the tumor, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were not statistically significant in predicting OM. However, tumor size and tumor depth were found to have a significant association with OM. The occurrence of OM was more likely to be associated with disease recurrence, especially in the peritoneum. The mean overall survival was 38.15 months (±3.33 SD), whereas patients with OM had lower survival, 23.31 months (±7.79 SD), with a p -value of 0.012. Conclusion OM was not encountered in T1 and T2 gastric cancers and the incidence of OM in T3 and T4 tumors was approximately 12.7%. Therefore, complete omentectomy may be omitted in early T1/T2 tumors. OM was associated with poor prognosis, increased peritoneal recurrence, and decreased overall survival, in spite of a complete omentectomy, and may serve as a prognostic indicator for disease recurrence and overall survival.

Double-barrel adult congenital broncho-esophageal fistulae-images.

Congenital broncho-oesophageal fistulae (CBEF) are foregut developmental anomalies. They are formed due to the persistent attachment between the developing tracheal bud and the foregut in the embryo. They commonly present in young age and patients present with symptoms of recurrent respiratory tract infections and low body weight. Only one case of a double CBEF has been reported in literature so far. Here we present a congenital double barrel broncho-oesophageal fistula in a middle aged lady, which is a rare presentation. Definitive treatment involves division and repair of the fistula along with resection of the damaged portion of lung in select cases. We publish these images due to the rarity of a double fistula.

Masquerade: an unusual presentation of gall bladder perforation as umbilical fistula.

A 75-year-old woman presented with intermittent abdominal pain and distention for 2 months, followed by purulent discharge from the umbilicus for ten days. She was evaluated and diagnosed to have perforation of the gall bladder leading to formation of an anterior abdominal wall abscess which presented as an umbilical fistula. She underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy along with lay open of abscess in the falciform ligament and curettage of the umbilical fistula tract. She had an uneventful postoperative recovery.