Regenerative abilities of a nanofiber wound dressing based on polylactide.

INTRODUCTION: The development of an ideal dressing for wound healing remains an unresolved issue. Thanks to the development of electrospinning technology, polymers in the form of nanofibers have come to the forefront of research interest. A modern and very promising dressing material is a “nonwoven” based on nanofibers of the synthetic polymer polylactide (PLA). The aim of this work was to assess the regenerative abilities of PLA in a standardized wound in a porcine model and compare our results to the literature data. METHODS: We applied PLA-based nanofiber dressings to the standardized wounds created in the porcine model. On the third, tenth, seventeenth and twenty-fourth days after the formation of the defect, we changed the wound dressing while taking a tissue sample for histopathological examination. We continuously monitored serum levels of acute phase proteins. RESULTS: PLA stimulated an inflammatory response. From the third day, the thickness of the fibrin layer with granulocytes increased. It reached its maximum values on the tenth day (mean 340 μm); at the same time the level of serum amyloid A, as a marker of inflammation, culminated. The individual phases of healing intertwined. The highest thickness values of the granulation tissue with cellular connective tissue (diameter 8463 μm) were reached on the seventeenth day. On the twenty-fourth day, the defects were healed macroscopically with a mean reepithelialization layer of 9913 μm. CONCLUSION: PLA-based nanofiber dressing potentiates the inflammatory, proliferative and reepithelialization phases of healing. Its structure perfectly mimics the extracellular matrix and serves as a 3D network for the growth and interaction of cellular elements. In addition to biocompatibility, PLA has a unique ability of two-phase biodegradation. It is a promising material for industrial production of dressing materials. Most of the available studies were performed in vitro. In vivo comparative studies approximating the use of PLA to daily practice are still missing.

Negative pressure wound therapy updates for 2021.

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been used in clinical practice for 25 years. Worldwide, it has been used to treat more than 10 million wounds. The repertoire of NPWT procedures is still growing. This originally simple procedure entails a number of pitfalls and limits, and full utilisation of the micro-deformation potential of NPWT depends on many key details. We present the pathophysiology, effects and forms of NPWT use including our own experience, tips and a proposal for the use of NPWT during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Circulating tumor DNA as a biomarker in metastatic colorectal carcinoma case report.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant disease worldwide. The stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis and the capture of an early recurrence have a direct impact on long-term survival. Existing control screening methods often do not reflect real-time metastatic disease. In patients with detectable circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), liquid biopsy can be an effective monitoring tool. CASE REPORT: In 2012, we performed sigmoid resection in a 57 years old patient for advanced CRC. The follow-up assessments included: blood samples for CA 19-9 and CEA, endoscopy and imaging methods. We also sampled peripheral blood to determine the level of ctDNA. Its value corresponded to the development of the disease throughout the period. Twice it outperformed imaging methods. CEA showed some degree of unreliability, especially after prolonged illness. CA 19-9 was in the normal range at all times. CONCLUSION: Circulating tumor DNA is an effective tool in the diagnosis of recurrent metastatic CRC. In patients with detectable ctDNA, its level correlates with the tumoral mass in real time. It has a predictive value in monitoring the treatment response. Its implementation in the follow-up of patients with CRC may have an impact on the choice of treatment strategy and consequently on patient survival.

Portal vein ligation with alcohol injection - our first experiences.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical resection of colorectal liver metastases is a gold standard treatment. The indication criteria still continue expanding. The future liver remnant volume (FLRV) remains the only limiting factor of the resection. Many methods have been discussed to increase the FLRV. Injection of absolute alcohol into the portal vein seems to be one of the most effective. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 2018 we perioperatively injected 25 ml of absolute alcohol into the ligated right portal branch in 3 patients with colorectal liver metastases at our department. All patients were indicated for second-stage right hemihepatectomy. RESULTS: The mean FLRV increase was 206.6 cm3 46 weeks after absolute alcohol injection. A transient elevation of transaminases was observed with spontaneous regression within 10 days from alcohol injection. There was no complication clearly associated with alcohol application. No liver failure was observed. No patient died. All three patients underwent second-stage right hemihepatectomy. CONCLUSION: Portal vein ligation with alcohol injection can be an uncomplicated and highly effective method to achieve FLRV hypertrophy.

[Treatment of acute appendicitis: Retrospective analysis]. / Lécba akutní apendicitidy: retrospektivní analýza vlastního souboru.

INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of intra-abdominal emergency surgery worldwide. The approach to its treatment keeps changing. The number of acute appendectomies has been decreasing. Many patients are treated conservatively with success. Our study compares conservative and surgical treatment of acute appendicitis, including its complications in our department. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the group of 117 patients hospitalized with the clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis. We distinguished patients with complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis, and patients operated and treated conservatively. We evaluated complication rates and recurrences of the disease, respectively, in 1-year follow-up. The Student t test and Fishers exact test were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: In 2012 we hospitalized 117 patients with acute appendicitis: 83 patients (71%) for uncomplicated and 34 (29%) for complicated appendicitis. 41% of patients with complicated and 13% with uncomplicated appendicitis (p=0.02) were treated conservatively. Conservative treatment or laparoscopic surgery, respectively, were used more often in women ( p0.001). There was no failure of conservative treatment. Perioperative morbidity was 13%. No patient died. 6 patients (24%) of the conservatively treated group were hospitalized in the subsequent year for recurrent problems. 4 (16%) were reoperated. The rate of negative appendectomy (negative pathological findings) was 11%. The hospitalization time was shorter in patients treated conservatively or using laparoscopy, respectively, compared to the group of patients undergoing appendectomy. CONCLUSION: In the modern era of available complementary examinations and a broad spectrum of antibiotics the conservative approach is favoured as a treatment of complicated appendicitis. Conservative treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis is an option, but not the method of choice. Routine elective appendectomy after successful conservative treatment is groundless. Laparoscopic appendectomy is associated with lower morbidity than open appendectomy. Despite the available tests and scoring systems the negative appendectomy rate remains high. KEY WORDS: appendicitis - appendectomy - laparoscopy - antibiotic treatment.

[Bile leakage after liver resection: A retrospective cohort study]. / Biliární leak po jaterních resekcích: retrospektivní analýza vlastního souboru.

INTRODUCTION: Many previous reports have focused on bile leakage after liver resection. Despite the improvements in surgical techniques and perioperative care the incidence of this complication rather keeps increasing. A number of predictive factors have been analyzed. There is still no consensus regarding their influence on the formation of bile leakage. The objective of our analysis was to evaluate the incidence of bile leakage, its impact on mortality and duration of hospitalization at our department. At the same time, we conducted an analysis of known predictive factors. METHOD: The authors present a retrospective review of the set of 146 patients who underwent liver resection at the Department of Surgery of the 2nd Faculty of Medicine of the Charles University and Central Military Hospital Prague, performed between 20102013. We used the current ISGLS (International Study Group of Liver Surgery) classification to evaluate the bile leakage. The severity of this complication was determined according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system. Statistical significance of the predictive factors was determined using Fishers exact test and Students t-test. RESULTS: The incidence of bile leakage was 21%. According to ISGLS classification the A, B, and C rates were 6.5%, 61.2%, and 32.3%, respectively. The severity of bile leakage according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system - I-II, IIIa, IIIb, IV and V rates were 19.3%, 42%, 9.7%, 9.7%, and 19.3%, respectively. We determined the following predictive factors as statistically significant: surgery for malignancy (p<0.001), major hepatic resection (p=0.001), operative time (p<0.001), high intraoperative blood loss (p=0.02), construction of HJA (p=0.005), portal venous embolization/two-stage surgery (p=0.009) and ASA score (p=0.02). Bile leakage significantly prolonged hospitalization time (p<0.001). In the group of patients with bile leakage the perioperative mortality was 23 times higher (p<0.001) than in the group with no leakage. CONCLUSION: Bile leakage is one of the most serious complications of liver surgery. Most of the risk factors are not easily controllable and there is no clear consensus on their influence. Intraoperative leak tests could probably reduce the incidence of bile leakage. In the future, further studies will be required to improve the perioperative management and techniques to prevent such serious complications. Multidisciplinary approach is essential in the treatment.

["Liver fist approach" in the management of synchronous liver metastases from colorectal cancer: Preliminary non-randomized study results]. / "Liver first approach" u synchronních metastáz kolorektálního karcinomu: Predbezné výsledky nerandomizované studie.

INTRODUCTION: Liver metastases are diagnosed in 60% of patients with colorectal cancer, both at the time of diagnosis or later in the course of their management. Surgical treatment is the sole potentially curable method with 5-year overall survival of approximately 50%. However, only less than 20% of patients underwent liver resection. A joint effort of medical oncologists and surgeons is to increase the numbers of resected patients. The "liver first approach" (LFA) is one of approaches aimed at increasing resecability. The authors present their preliminary results using this method. METHODS: 102 patients were included in the multicentre study supported by the grant IGA NT 13660 Evaluation of quality of multimodal treatment for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases - conducted at the Central Military Hospital between September 2012 and January 2015. We used LFA in 12 patients (12%). Patients were indicated for liver resection based on good response to neoadjuvant systemic therapy. Multiple bilobar liver involvement (>4 metastases) was present in 11 cases and one large solitary metastasis in the right liver lobe in one case. The primary tumor was located in the rectum in 9 patients, in the rectosigmoid in 3 patients; 3 patients had a colostomy. Others showed no signs of bowel obstruction. RESULTS: We have performed R0 resections in 11 cases, and two-stage hepatectomy with portal vein embolisation was indicated 3 times (in one case we did not finish the second stage due to quick progression after PVE). We performed major resections 7 times, along with sever extraanatomic resections, incl. 11 RFA (6 times in combination with major resections). Perioperative mortality was 0%, morbidity 33% (Dindo-Clavien >2). Ten patients underwent adjuvant chemotherapy, in 7 cases including radiotherapy of the small pelvis due to a local advanced primary tumor. Resection of the primary tumor was done in 7 patients (58%). Two patients died recently because of disease progression (17%); progression was observed in 6 patients (50%). CONCLUSION: We deem the LFA suitable especially for patients with metastatic rectal tumors where adjuvant systemic therapy can be combined with radiotherapy. The timing of the resection of the primary tumor still remains a question: it is necessary to rule out potential recurrence of liver metastases, which affected more than 50% of the patients. The benefit of LFA must be confimed by randomised studies.

[Da Vinci assisted surgery for rectal cancer - preliminary results of nonrandomized trial]. / Da Vinci asistovaná lécba karcinomu rekta - prubezné výsledky nerandomizované studie.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the Czech Republic is reported to be one of the highest on the global scale. Radical tumor removal has been observed to be the most effective part in the context of current multimodal therapy. The authors present their preliminary results of robotic assisted treatment of rectal carcinoma (RC). METHOD: The observed group includes 61 patients who underwent robotic assisted treatment for rectal cancer. The data were collected prospectively in the last 31 patients. Analyses were conducted on epidemiological data, perioperative outcomes, complications and oncological results. RESULTS: Robotic assisted treatment of RC was performed in 61 patients: 34 men and 27 women, mean age of 62 years (33-80). Neoadjuvant oncological treatment was indicated in 46% of the patients. Average blood loss was 187 ml, transfusions were administered in three cases. Conversion to open procedure was performed 6 times, and 16 patients had postoperative complications. Anastomotic leak was observed in 10% of the patients, and 4 patients undewent surgical treatment. No patient died. Local recurrence of the cancer was diagnosed in 3 (5%) patients. The quality of mesorectal excision (ME) and the circumferential resection margin [(y)pCRM] have been determined in 27 patients since 2013. Positive (y)pCRM was recorded in two cases and incomplete ME was observed in 25.8% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment for RC is pivotal in multimodal therapy. Our preliminary results are similar to the conclusions in other published studies. The da Vinci robotic system is a safe manipulator in the treatment of RC and provides indisputable benefits to the surgeon when operating in the narrow pelvic space. However, the benefits of robotic treatment in abdominal surgery are yet to be evaluated in patients (with respect to long-term results, sufficient number of patients or a high EBM level of evidence). The high purchase price of the robotic device, individual instruments with equipment and non-systemic compensation constitute a significant hindrance that prevents wider use of the robotic system in the treatment of RC and other abdominal malignancies in the Czech Republic.

Pylephlebitis in patient with covered perforated rectosigmoid cancer.

Acute portal vein thrombosis and septic thrombophlebitis of the portal vein represent serious, although rare cases in the non-cirrhotic population. The authors present a case report, in which nonspecific clinical and CT scan findings led to the difficult diagnosis of pylephlebitis due to perforated rectosigmoid cancer.

[Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome with special emphasis on pancreatoduodenal tumours--a case report analysis]. / Syndrom mnohocetné endokrinní neoplázie typu 1 se zvlástním durazem na tumory pankreatoduodenální oblasti - rozbor vlastní kazuistiky.

INTRODUCTION: The syndrome of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1) is a relatively rare hereditary disease predisposing to a variety of tumours, some of which may be hormonally active. The main organs affected are the parathyroid, the pituitary and the pancreatoduodenal area. Despite the rarity of MEN 1, its occurrence is not negligible in clinical practice and the clinicians ignorance often leads to delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The aim of this review is to present contemporary literature on this issue, including the most controversial topic, i.e. recent modalities of treatment of pancreatoduodenal tumours, and to present a case report. The literature review was based on computer searches in PubMed and DynaMed. DISCUSSION: Pancreatoduodenal tumours associated with MEN 1 are relatively slow-growing neoplasias. The development of liver metastases is the main factor of long-term survival. The aim of surgical treatment is the stabilisation of the disease and the prevention of liver metastases. Radical surgical methods may lead to better biochemical curability. The extent of surgical intervention should be selected individually. We discuss our case report in the context of these findings. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the MEN 1 syndrome has its importance in the clinical practice. Further prospective studies will be needed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment, especially for pancreatoduodenal tumours.