[THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY GERIATRIC SURGERY UNIT AT THE CHAIM SHEBA MEDICAL CENTER - FIRST YEAR OF ACTIVITY].

INTRODUCTION: Recently, a Geriatric Surgery Unit (GSU) was established in the Sheba Medical Center. The Unit's aims include: professional assessment of surgical candidates, approval of the surgical plan by a multidisciplinary team discussion (MTD), and meeting the specific needs of the geriatric patient undergoing surgery. METHODS: We describe the establishment of the GSU and preliminary results from the first year of its activity (January-December 2022). The GSU team consisted of a geriatric nurse practitioner (NP), a geriatric physician, surgeons, anesthesiologists and a physiotherapist. Inclusion criteria for GSU assessment/treatment were age>80 years or substantial baseline geriatric morbidity. RESULTS: In 2022, 276 patients were treated by the GSU: 110 underwent elective comprehensive preoperative assessment in the NP clinic and the rest were assessed urgently/semi-electively during their hospitalization. One hundred and fifteen cases (median age 86 (65-98) years) were brought to MTD and considered for elective cholecystectomy (46.1%), colorectal procedures (16.5%), hernia repair (13.9%), hepatobiliary procedures (9.6%) or other surgeries (13.9%); of those, 49 patients (median age 86 (72-98) years) eventually proceeded to surgery, following which the median length of hospital stay (LOS) was 3.5 (1-60) days and the rate of postoperative complications was 46.7%. After discharge, the median duration of follow-up was 2.5 (0-18) months during which 4 patients died. Compared with geriatric patients who underwent cholecystectomy during 2021-2023 without MTD (n=39), in the cases discussed by the MTD, patients (n=17) had a shorter LOS (2.0±0.9 vs. 2.4±2.1 days), less 30-day Emergency Department referrals (12.5% vs. 28.2%) and less 30-day re-admissions (6.2% vs. 15.4%; all p≥0.3). CONCLUSIONS: Geriatric surgical patients require a designated professional approach to meet their unique perioperative needs. The effect of GSUs on perioperative outcomes merits further prospective studies.

The value of CA125 in predicting acute complicated colonic diverticulitis.

BACKGROUND: CA125 is a widely used serum marker for epithelial ovarian cancer which levels may also rise in benign conditions involving peritoneal irritation. We aimed to determine if serum CA125 levels can predict disease severity in patients presenting with acute diverticulitis. METHODS: We conducted a single-center prospective observational study, analyzing CA125 serum levels in patients who presented to the emergency department with computerized tomography-proven acute left-sided colonic diverticulitis. Univariate, multivariate, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to correlate CA125 serum levels at time of initial presentation with the primary outcome (complicated diverticulitis) and secondary clinical outcomes (need for urgent intervention, length of hospital stay (LOS) and readmission rates). RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-one patients were enrolled between January 2018 and July 2020 (66.9% females, median age 61 years). Twenty-five patients (16.5%) presented with complicated diverticulitis. CA125 levels were significantly higher among patients with complicated (median: 16 (7-159) u/ml) vs. uncomplicated (8 (3-39) u/ml) diverticulitis (p < 0.001) and also correlated with the Hinchey severity class (p < 0.001). Higher CA125 levels upon admission were associated with a longer LOS and a greater chance to undergo invasive procedure during the hospitalization. In patients with a measurable intra-abdominal abscess (n = 24), CA125 levels were correlated with the size of the abscess (Spearman's r = 0.46, p = 0.02). On ROC analysis to predict complicated diverticulitis, the area under the curve (AUC) for CA125 (AUC = 0.82) was bigger than for the leukocyte count (AUC = 0.53), body temperature (AUC = 0.59), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (AUC = 0.70) - all p values < 0.05. On multivariate analysis of factors available at presentation, CA125 was found to be the only independent predictor of complicated diverticulitis (OR 1.12 (95% CI 1.06-1.19), p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results from this feasibility study suggest that CA125 may accurately discriminate between simple and complicated diverticulitis, meriting further prospective investigation.

Risk Factors for Readmission and Mortality Following Colonic Surgery: A Consecutive Retrospective Series of More Than 2500 Cases.

Introduction: The optimal strategy to reduce short-term readmission rates following colectomy remains unclear. Identifying possible risk factors can minimize the burden associated with surgical complications leading to readmissions. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of all adult patients who underwent colectomies between January 2008 and December 2020 in a large tertiary medical center was conducted. Data were collected from patient's medical charts and analyzed. Results: Overall, 2547 patients were included in the study (53% females; mean age 68.3 years). The majority of patients (83%, n = 2112) were operated in an elective setting, whereas 435 patients (17%) underwent emergency colonic resection. Overall, the 30-day readmission rate was 8.3% (n = 218) with an overall 30-day mortality rate of 1.65% (n = 42). Multivariable analysis of possible risk factors for 30-day readmission demonstrated that patient age (odds ratio [OR] 0.98; P = .002), length of stay before surgery (OR 1.01; P = .003), and blood transfusion rate during hospitalization (OR 2.09; P < .001) were all independently associated with an increased risk. Laparoscopic colectomy (OR 0.53; P = .001) was associated with a reduced risk for readmission. Multivariable analysis of risk factors for mortality showed that age (OR 1.10; P < .001), cognitive decline (OR 12.35; P < .001), diabetes (OR 1.00; P = .004), and primary ostomy formation (OR 2.80; P = .006) were all associated with higher mortality. Conclusion: Patient age, history of cognitive decline, and blood transfusion along with a longer hospital stay were all correlated with an increased risk for 30-day patient readmission following colectomy.

Seniority of the assistant surgeon and perioperative outcomes in robotic-assisted proctectomy for rectal cancer.

The background of this study is to evaluate the impact of the assistant surgeon's in robotic-assisted proctectomy (RAP) on perioperative outcomes. A retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent RAP for rectal adenocarcinoma between 2011 and 2020 was conducted. Patient cohort was divided into three groups based on the assistant surgeon's training level: post-graduate years (PGY) 1-3 surgical residents (Group 1), PGY 4-5 surgical residents (Group 2), and board-certified general surgeons (Group 3). Overall, 175 patients were included in the study: 29 patients (17%) in Group 1, 84 (48%) in Group 2, and 62 (35%) in Group 3. The median tumor distance from the anal verge was 8 cm in all groups (p = 0.73). The median operative time was similar across all groups: 290, 291, and 281 min in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p = 0.69). In a multivariable analysis, the lack of association between assistant training level and procedure time maintained when adjusting for the year of operation (p = 0.84). Patients operated with junior residents as assistant surgeons (Group 1) had a more postoperative complications (p = 0.01) and a slightly longer hospital length of stay [7 days, interquartile range (IQR) 3], compared to those operated by assistant surgeons that were senior residents or attendings (6 IQR 2.5, and 6 IQR 2 in Groups 2 and 3, respectively; p = 0.02). Conversion rates (p = 0.12), intraoperative complications (p = 0.39), major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3; p = 0.32), 30-day readmission (p = 0.45), and mortality (p = 0.99) were similar between the groups. Robotic-assisted proctectomy performed with the assistance of a junior resident was found to be correlated with worse postoperative outcomes compared to more experienced assistants. No difference was seen in intraoperative outcomes.

Naples Prognostic Score to Predict Postoperative Complications After Colectomy for Diverticulitis.

BACKGROUND: The Naples Prognostic Score (NPS) has proven efficacy as a prognostic tool for postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing surgery for neoplastic diseases. However, the role of the NPS score in inflammatory surgical diseases has not yet been studied. We aimed to evaluate NPS predictive value in patients undergoing colectomy due to diverticulitis. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study including all patients who underwent colectomy for diverticulitis between July 2008 and March 2020 was established. Patients' demographics, clinical and surgical data were recorded and analyzed. Patients were scored on a scale of 0-4 and received one point for preoperation albumin <4 g/dL, cholesterol ≤180 mg/dL, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio >2.96, and Lymphocyte to Monocyte ≤4.44. RESULTS: Out of 3292 patients admitted because of diverticulitis during the study period, 159 patients (4.83%) underwent colectomy. Of those patients, fifty patients were eligible for NPS analysis. 35 patients (70%) were females with a mean age of 62.81 ± 14.51. Thirty-two (64%) patients underwent an elective operation. The postoperative complications rate was 36% (N = 18). The mortality rate was 6% (N = 3). ROC showed a strong association between the NPS and mortality (area = .88, P = .03) and wound infection (area = .78, P = .01). In patients who underwent urgent surgery, there was an association between NPS and re-operation (P = .04). There was a correlation between NPS and Clavien-Dindo score (Spearman's coefficient = .284, P = .045). CONCLUSIONS/DISCUSSION: The Naples prognostic score is an effective tool for predicting postoperative complications in patients undergoing colectomy for diverticulitis. It may assist the surgeon in deciding on extent of the operation for diverticulitis and in elective cases also on timing.

Long-term outcomes of elderly patients with peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) were reportedly safe for the elderly. However, long-term survival data in this subgroup of patients are scarce. Our aim was to evaluate the peri-operative and long-term outcomes of CRS + HIPEC in colorectal peritoneal metastases (CRC-PM) in patients ≥70 years of age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed our combined institutional databases for patients who underwent CRS + HIPEC for CRC-PM. Clinical and pathological characteristics, as well as overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the groups. Tumor extent was measured by the peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) and completeness of cytoreduction by the CCR score. Major morbidity was defined according to Clavien-Dindo classification. RESULTS: The dataset of 159 patients included 33 elderly and 126 non-elderly patients. Clinical characteristics between the groups differed only in medical comorbidities (Charlson comorbidity index 10 vs. 7, P < 0.001) and delivery of post-HIPEC adjuvant treatment (12.5% vs. 43.8%, P = 0.004). Overall PCI and CCR0 rates were similar between the groups, as were length of stay and major morbidity and mortality rates. Long-term outcomes in the elderly group were lower than those of the non-elderly (median OS: 21.8 vs. 40.5 months, P < 0.001; median PFS: 6 vs. 8 months, P = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: CRS + HIPEC in selected elderly patients can be safe in terms of postoperative morbidity and mortality. However, despite the same surgical extents and radicality, their long-term outcomes are inferior, possibly due to under-usage of systemic chemotherapy.

Activity Tracking After Surgery: Does It Correlate With Postoperative Complications?

BACKGROUND: Postoperative ambulation is an important tenet in enhanced recovery programs. We quantitatively assessed the correlation of decreased postoperative ambulation with postoperative complications and delays in gastrointestinal function. METHODS: Patients undergoing major abdominal surgery were fitted with digital ankle pedometers yielding continuous measurements of their ambulation. Primary endpoints were the overall and system-specific complication rates, with secondary endpoints being the time to first passage of flatus and stool, the length of hospital stay, and the rate of readmission. RESULTS: 100 patients were enrolled. We found a significant, independent inverse correlation between the number of steps on the first and second postoperative days (POD1/2) and the incidence of complications as well as the recovery of GI function and the likelihood of readmission (P < .05). POD2 step count was an independent risk factor for severe complications (P = .026). DISCUSSION: Digitally quantified ambulation data may be a prognostic biomarker for the likelihood of severe postoperative complications.

Surgical Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Trephine Surgery for Pilonidal Sinus Disease and Risk Factors for Recurrence.

Background: Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques for pilonidal sinus disease (PNS) have gained popularity in recent years, due to faster recovery and lower complication rate compared with conventional methods. Our aim was to assess recurrence rate following MIS Trephine procedure for PNS and to identify possible risk factors for recurrence. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort, including patients who underwent PNS Excision by Trephine MIS Procedure over 5 years in a large tertiary medical center was established. Patient data were collected from medical charts and patient telephone survey to asses recurrence rate. Results: Two hundred three patients underwent MIS Trephine procedure for PNS, with data available on 130 patients (64.2%). Overall recurrence and nonhealing wound rate was 33.07% (43 patients), with disease recurrence occurring in mean time of 13.3 months (range 2-47 months). Thirty-six patients underwent repeat MIS Trephine surgery with recurrence occurring in 6 patients (4.6%). Overall healing rate following repeat surgery was 91.5% (119 patients). Univariate analysis of preoperative and clinical factors, including body mass index (P = .77), smoking status (P = .53), number of sinus tracts (P = .78), previous abscess drainage (P = .45), and diameter size of the trephine blade (P = .72) demonstrated no correlation to disease recurrence following surgery. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed similar results, with only young age (<30 years) associated with disease recurrence (P = .01). Conclusion: Recurrence following minimally invasive trephine excision for PNS is fairly high, but repeat surgery in recurring patients has a high rate of a successful outcome.

Lymph Node Metastases from Visceral Peritoneal Colorectal Metastases are Associated with Systemic Recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Visceral peritoneal colorectal metastases (VPCMs) may further metastasize to lymph nodes that drain those organs. The rate of lymph node metastases (LNMs) from VPCMs and their clinical and prognostic significance are unknown. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed the authors' institutional databases of 160 patients with peritoneal colorectal metastases who underwent cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Patients with LNM-VPCM (n = 12) were identified by pathologic reports, and both their short- and long-term outcomes were compared with those of patients without LNM-VPCM. RESULTS: The clinical presentation and primary tumor pathologic characteristics did not differ between the two groups. The patients with LNM-VPCM had a higher tumor burden (measured by the peritoneal carcinomatosis index [PCI]) and visible remnant disease compared with those who had no LNM-VPI (10 vs 5.5 [p = 0.03] vs 33.3% vs 6.8% [p = 0.007], respectively). The postoperative outcomes also were comparable. The patients with LNM-VPCM had a shorter overall survival (OS) than those without LNM-VPCM (median OS, 22.5 months; 95% confidence interval [CI], 15.1-29.9 months vs 40.1 months; 95% CI, 38.1-42 months; p = 0.02). However, only tumor grade and PCI were predictors of OS in the multivariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR], 2.33 [p = 0.001]; 1.77 [p = 0.03], respectively). The study showed that LNM-VPCM was associated with systemic but not peritoneal recurrence compared with non-LNM-VPCM (81.8% vs 51.6% for systemic recurrence, respectively; p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: The small distinct group of patients defined by LNM-VPCM were prone to systemic recurrence. Given its correlation with systemic recurrence, LNM-VPCM may indicate the need for adjuvant treatment.

Management of Acute Appendicitis during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single Tertiary Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak had an effect on healthcare. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the presentation and management of patients with acute appendicitis. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of all patients presenting with acute appendicitis to the emergency department of a large tertiary center during March and April 2020. Clinical features, diagnostic workup, and management were compared. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients presented with acute appendicitis during the pandemic compared to 60 patients during the same time the year before. There were no significant differences in patient demographics: age (P = 0.65), gender (P = 0.73), smoking status (P = 0.48). During COVID-19 patients were more likely to complain of right lower quadrant pain (100% vs. 78.3%, P < 0.01). Rates of surgical treatment was similar (83.8% vs. 81.7%, P = 1); mean operative time was longer during COVID-19 (63 ± 23 vs. 52 ± 26 minutes, P = 0.03). There were no significant differences in intra-operative findings including the presence of appendiceal perforation (16.3% vs. 14.5%, P = 0.8), abscess (6.1% vs. 9.7%, P = 0.73), or involvement of cecum or terminal ileum (14.28% vs. 19.63%, P = 1). Postoperative treatment with antibiotics was more prevalent during COVID-19 (37.1% vs. 18%, P = 0.04). Length of stay (1.82 ± 2.04 vs. 2.74 ± 4.68, P = 0.2) and readmission rates (6% vs. 11.3%, P =0.51) were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly affect the presentation, clinical course, management, and outcomes of patients presenting with acute appendicitis.

The Effect of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Trauma-Related Visits to a Tertiary Hospital Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic changed medical environments worldwide. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trauma-related visits to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: A single tertiary center retrospective study was conducted that compared ED attendance of patients with injury-related morbidity between March 2020 (COVID-19 outbreak) and pre-COVID-19 periods: February 2020 and the same 2 months in 2018 and 2019. RESULTS: Overall, 6513 patients were included in the study. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the daily number of patients visiting the ED for acute trauma declined by 40% compared to the average in previous months (P < 0.01). A strong negative correlation was found between the number of trauma-related ED visits and the log number of confirmed cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Israel (Pearson's r = -0.63, P < 0.01). In the COVID-19 period there was a significant change in the proportion of elderly patients (7% increase, P = 0.002), admissions ratio (12% increase, P < 0.001), and patients brought by emergency medical services (10% increase, P < 0.001). The number of motor vehicle accident related injury declined by 45% (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A significant reduction in the number of trauma patients presenting to the ED occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet trauma-related admissions were on the rise.

Deep learning visual analysis in laparoscopic surgery: a systematic review and diagnostic test accuracy meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In the past decade, deep learning has revolutionized medical image processing. This technique may advance laparoscopic surgery. Study objective was to evaluate whether deep learning networks accurately analyze videos of laparoscopic procedures. METHODS: Medline, Embase, IEEE Xplore, and the Web of science databases were searched from January 2012 to May 5, 2020. Selected studies tested a deep learning model, specifically convolutional neural networks, for video analysis of laparoscopic surgery. Study characteristics including the dataset source, type of operation, number of videos, and prediction application were compared. A random effects model was used for estimating pooled sensitivity and specificity of the computer algorithms. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated by the bivariate model of Reitsma. RESULTS: Thirty-two out of 508 studies identified met inclusion criteria. Applications included instrument recognition and detection (45%), phase recognition (20%), anatomy recognition and detection (15%), action recognition (13%), surgery time prediction (5%), and gauze recognition (3%). The most common tested procedures were cholecystectomy (51%) and gynecological-mainly hysterectomy and myomectomy (26%). A total of 3004 videos were analyzed. Publications in clinical journals increased in 2020 compared to bio-computational ones. Four studies provided enough data to construct 8 contingency tables, enabling calculation of test accuracy with a pooled sensitivity of 0.93 (95% CI 0.85-0.97) and specificity of 0.96 (95% CI 0.84-0.99). Yet, the majority of papers had a high risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: Deep learning research holds potential in laparoscopic surgery, but is limited in methodologies. Clinicians may advance AI in surgery, specifically by offering standardized visual databases and reporting.

Low psoas muscle area is associated with postoperative complications in Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with increased postoperative morbidity. Sarcopenia correlates with increased morbidity and mortality in various medical conditions. We assessed correlations of the lean body mass marker and psoas muscle area (PMA), with postoperative outcomes in CD patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery. METHODS: We included patients with CD who underwent gastrointestinal surgery between June 2009 and October 2018 and had CT/MRI scans within 8 weeks preoperatively. PMA was measured bilaterally on perioperative imaging. RESULTS: Of 121 patients, the mean age was 35.98 ± 15.07 years; 51.2% were male. The mean BMI was 21.56 ± 4 kg/m2. The mean PMA was 95.12 ± 263.2cm2. Patients with postoperative complications (N = 31, 26%) had significantly lower PMA compared with patients with a normal postoperative recovery (8.5 ± 2.26 cm2 vs. 9.85 ± 2.68 cm2, P = 0.02). A similar finding was noted comparing patients with anastomotic leaks to those without anastomotic leaks (7.48 ± 0.1 cm2 vs. 9.6 ± 2.51 cm2, P = 0.04). PMA correlated with the maximum degree of complications per patient, according to the Clavien-Dindo classification (Spearman's coefficient = -0.26, P = 0.004). Patients with major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3) had lower mean PMA (8.12 ± 2.75 cm2 vs. 9.71 ± 2.57 cm2, P = 0.03). Associations were similar when stratifying by gender and operation urgency. On multivariate analysis, PMA (HR = 0.72/cm2, P = 0.02), operation urgency (HR = 3.84, P < 0.01), and higher white blood cell count (HR = 1.14, P = 0.02) were independent predictive factors for postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: PMA is an easily measured radiographic parameter associated with postoperative complications in patients with CD undergoing bowel resection.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on General Surgery Acute Admissions and Urgent Operations: A Comparative Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: As part of the effort to control the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) outbreak, strict emergency measures, including prolonged national curfews, have been imposed. Even in countries where healthcare systems still functioned, patients avoided visiting emergency departments (EDs) because of fears of exposure to COVID-19. OBJECTIVES: To describe the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on admissions of surgical patients from the ED and characteristics of urgent operations performed. METHODS: A prospective registry study comparing all patients admitted for acute surgical and trauma care between 15 March and 14 April 2020 (COVID-19) with patients admitted in the parallel time a year previously (control) was conducted. RESULTS: The combined cohort included 606 patients. There were 25% fewer admissions during the COVID-19 period (P < 0.0001). The COVID-19 cohort had a longer time interval from onset of symptoms (P < 0.001) and presented in a worse clinical condition as expressed by accelerated heart rate (P = 0.023), leukocyte count disturbances (P = 0.005), higher creatinine, and CRP levels (P < 0.001) compared with the control cohort. More COVID-19 patients required urgent surgery (P = 0.03) and length of ED stay was longer (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 epidemic, fewer patients presented to the ED requiring acute surgical care. Those who did, often did so in a delayed fashion and in worse clinical condition. More patients required urgent surgical interventions compared to the control period. Governments and healthcare systems should emphasize to the public not to delay seeking medical attention, even in times of crises.

Laparoscopic Subtotal Cholecystectomy for the Difficult Gallbladder: A Safe Alternative.

BACKGROUND: The safe completion of cholecystectomy is dependent on proper identification and secure closure of the cystic duct. Effecting this closure poses a great challenge when inflammatory changes obscure the anatomy. Subtotal cholecystectomy allows for near complete removal of the gallbladder and complete evacuation of the stones while avoiding dissection in the hazardous area. OBJECTIVES: To describe experience with laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy. METHODS: Subtotal cholecystectomy was performed when the critical view of safety could not be achieved. Surgical technique was similar in all cases and included opening the Hartmann's pouch, removing stones obstructing the gallbladder outlet, and identifying the opening of the cystic duct, as well as circumferential transection of the gallbladder neck, closure of the gallbladder stump, and excision of the gallbladder fundus. Data retrieved from patient charts included demographics, pre-operative history, operative and postoperative course, and late complications. No bile duct injuries were observed in this series. RESULTS: A total of 53 patients underwent laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy (2010-2018). Ten patients were operated during the acute course of the disease and 43 electively. Acute cholecystitis was the leading cause for gallbladder removal. Cholecystostomy tube was placed in 18 patients during acute hospitalization. The gallbladder remnant was closed and a drain was placed in most patients. Of the 53 patients, 42 had an uneventful postoperative course. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic subtotal cholecystectomy is an effective surgical technique to avoid bile duct injury when the cystic duct cannot safely be identified. Subtotal cholecystectomy has acceptable morbidity and obviates the need for conversion in these difficult cases.

Proteomic analysis of circulating extracellular vesicles identifies potential markers of breast cancer progression, recurrence, and response.

Proteomic profiling of circulating small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) represents a promising, noninvasive approach for early detection and therapeutic monitoring of breast cancer (BC). We describe a relatively low-cost, fast, and reliable method to isolate sEVs from plasma of BC patients and analyze their protein content by semiquantitative proteomics. sEV-enriched fractions were isolated from plasma of healthy controls and BC patients at different disease stages before and after surgery. Proteomic analysis of sEV-enriched fractions using reverse phase protein array revealed a signature of seven proteins that differentiated BC patients from healthy individuals, of which FAK and fibronectin displayed high diagnostic accuracy. The size of sEVs was significantly reduced in advanced disease stage, concomitant with a stage-specific protein signature. Furthermore, we observed protein-based distinct clusters of healthy controls, chemotherapy-treated and untreated postsurgery samples, as well as a predictor of high risk of cancer relapse, suggesting that the applied methods warrant development for advanced diagnostics.

Cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from colorectal cancer: The prognostic impact of baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte, platelet-lymphocyte and lymphocyte-monocyte ratios.

PURPOSE: In this retrospective analysis we sought to determine if the preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) were predictive of both operability and survival in those patients presenting with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from colorectal cancer (CRC) who underwent cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC). METHODS: Analysis included all patients admitted between 2009 and 2017 with PC from CRC who were treated with curative intent by CRS-Mitomycin C-HIPEC. Patients were assessed pre- and intra-operatively by the PC index (PCI) and by a completeness of cytoreduction (CC) score with calculation of Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors. Discrimination was made for NLR >3.5, PLR >168.8 and LMR >4.4. RESULTS: We identified 98 CRC patients undergoing 105 CRS-HIPEC procedures. There were no associations detected between NLR/PLR/LMR and the rates of incomplete or abandoned CRS cases. Overall survival (OS) after CRS-HIPEC was worse with high versus low NLR (19.9 mths vs. 45.7 mths, respectively; P = 0.009) and also with low versus high LMR (27.1 mths vs. 53.2 mths, respectively; P = 0.01). On multivariate analysis, a low LMR (P = 0.008), the preoperative CT PCI value (P = 0.004), poor tumor differentiation (P = 0.023) and the preoperative CEA level (P < 0.001) were all independent variables associated with a worse OS after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The baseline LMR value may have potential value as a selection tool for CRS-HIPEC in patients with CRC-related PC.