Treatment of Gastric Cancer Means Surgery, but Not Surgery Alone.

Despite numerous studies, gastric cancer (GC) still presents a high mortality rate in Eastern and Western countries, increasing attention for new therapeutic strategies [...].

Sarcopenia and Patient's Body Composition: New Morphometric Tools to Predict Clinical Outcome After Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy: a Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of preoperative body composition as independent predictor of prognosis for esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy is still unclear. The aim of the study was to explore such a relationship. METHODS: This is a multicenter retrospective study from a prospectively maintained database. We enrolled consecutive patients who underwent Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy in four Italian high-volume centers from May 2014. Body composition parameters including total abdominal muscle area (TAMA), visceral fat area (VFA), and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) were determined based on CT images. Perioperative variables were systematically collected. RESULTS: After exclusions, 223 patients were enrolled and 24.2% had anastomotic leak (AL). Sixty-eight percent of patients were sarcopenic and were found to be more vulnerable in terms of postoperative 90-day mortality (p = 0.028). VFA/TAMA and VFA/SFA ratios demonstrated a linear correlation with the Clavien-Dindo classification (R = 0.311 and 0.239, respectively); patients with anastomotic leak (AL) had significantly higher VFA/TAMA (3.56 ± 1.86 vs. 2.75 ± 1.83, p = 0.003) and VFA/SFA (1.18 ± 0.68 vs. 0.87 ± 0.54, p = 0.002) ratios. No significant correlation was found between preoperative BMI and subsequent AL development (p = 0.159). Charlson comorbidity index correlated significantly with AL (p = 0.008): these patients had a significantly higher index (≥ 5). CONCLUSION: Analytical morphometric assessment represents a useful non-invasive tool for preoperative risk stratification. The concurrent association of sarcopenia and visceral obesity seems to be the best predictor of AL, far better than simple BMI evaluation, and potentially modifiable if targeted with prehabilitation programs.

End-to-side circular stapled versus side-to-side linear stapled intrathoracic esophagogastric anastomosis following minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy: comparison of short-term outcomes.

PURPOSE: The search for the optimal procedure for creation of a safe gastroesophageal intrathoracic anastomosis with a lower risk of leakage in totally minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy (TMIIL) is ongoing. In the present study, we compared the outcomes of end-to-side (with circular stapler [CS]) and side-to-side (with linear stapler [LS]) techniques for intrathoracic anastomosis during TMIIL performed in 2 European high-volume centers for upper gastrointestinal surgery. A propensity score method was used to compare the CS and LS groups. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated patients with lower esophageal cancer or Siewert type 1 or 2 esophagogastric junction carcinoma who underwent a planned TMIIL esophagectomy, performed from January 2017 to September 2020. The anastomosis was created by a semi-mechanical technique using a LS in one center and by a mechanical technique using a CS in the other center. General features, operative techniques, pathology data, and short-term outcomes were analyzed. Statistical evaluations were performed on the whole cohort, stratifying the analyses by risk strata factors identified with the propensity scores, and on a subgroup of patients matched by propensity score. The primary endpoint of the study was the rate of anastomotic leakage in the two groups. Secondary endpoints included rates of anastomotic stricture and overall postoperative complications. RESULTS: Considering the whole population, 256 patients were included; of those, 220 received the anastomosis with a circular stapler (CS group), and 36 received the anastomosis with a linear stapler (LS group). No significant differences by group in terms of sex, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification, and type of neoplasm were showed. The rate of anastomotic leakage did not differ in the two groups (9.6% CS vs. 5.6% LS, p = 0.438), as well as the rate of anastomotic stricture in the 3-month follow-up (0.9% CS vs. 2.8% LS, p = 0.367). The rate of chyle leakage and of pulmonary, cardiac, and infective complications was not significantly different in the groups. After propensity score matching, 72 patients were included in the analysis. The 2 obtained propensity score matched groups did not differ for any of the clinical and pathologic variables considered for the analysis, resulting in well-balanced cohorts. The results obtained on the whole population were confirmed in the matched groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study suggest that both techniques for esophagogastric anastomosis during TMIIL are feasible, safe, and effective, with comparable rates of postoperative anastomotic leakage and stricture.

Duodenal Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor: A Rare Disease in a Young Adult Female Patient Presenting with Life-Threatening Hemorrhage.

Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (dGISTs) may be a source of life-threatening hemorrhage that leads to emergency surgical care, precluding tumor staging and the planning of an elective treatment. In this study, we report a case of potentially lethal bleeding dGIST in a young woman successfully treated by an organ-preserving elective surgery after endoscopic and angiographic hemostasis. A 26-year-old female patient was admitted to the Emergency Unit of our hospital with the complaints of hematemesis and melena in the previous 12 h. An upper endoscopy showed a 4-cm submucosal lesion, between the 2nd and 3rd part of the duodenum, in the lateral wall, with massive bleeding arising from central ulceration. Hemostasis was initially achieved endoscopically and then optimized by transarterial embolization. After a contrast-enhanced CT, the patient underwent planning elective surgery. Intraoperatively, a 3-cm lesion was confirmed and resected by excision of the full-thickness duodenum with adequate free margins. Immunohistochemical analysis of the specimen revealed to be a dGIST, with a low mitotic count (<5 mitosis/50 high power field), and tumor necrosis present in <50% of the lesion. The patient had an uneventful course.

Side-to-side esophagogastric anastomosis for minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy: operative technique and short-term outcomes.

Totally minimally invasive Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy (TMIIL) is associated to lower rate of post-operative complication, decreases length of hospital stay and improves quality of life compared to open approach. Nevertheless, adaptation of TMIIL still proceeds at slow pace, mainly due to the difficulty to perform the intra-thoracic anastomosis and heterogeneity of surgical techniques. We present our experience with TMIIL utilizing a stapled side-to-side anastomosis. We retrospectively evaluated 36 patients who underwent a planned TMIIL from January 2017 to September 2020. Esophagogastric anastomoses were performed using a 3-cm linear-stapled side-to-side technique. General features, operative techniques, pathology data and short-term outcomes were analyzed. The median operative time was 365 min (ranging from 240 to 480 min) with a median blood loss of 100 ml (50-1000 ml). The median overall length of stay was 13 (7-64) days and in-hospital mortality rate was 2.8%. Two patients (5.6%) had an anastomotic leak, without need for operative intervention and another patient developed an anastomotic stricture, resolved with a single endoscopic dilation. Chylothorax occurred in three patients; two of these required a surgical intervention. Pulmonary complications occurred in six patients (16.7%). Based on Comprehensive Complications Index (CCI), median values of complications were 27.9 (ranging from 20.9 to 100). The results of our study suggest that TMIIL with a 3-cm linear-stapled anastomosis seems to be safe and effective, with low rates of post-operative anastomotic leak and stricture.

Biliary Stones After Brain Dead Liver Transplantation Today: Rates, Risk Factors, Treatments, and Outcomes.

AIMS: Our aim was to review the rate of biliary duct stones (BDS) after liver transplantation (LT), risk factors, and treatments, and to identify predictive factors for their onset. METHODS: LTs performed in our center from 2004 to 2014 were studied. Risk factors for the onset of BDS were identified using univariable Cox's proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-four grafts with 317 duct-to-duct end-to-end biliary anastomosis on a T-tube and 47 hepaticojejunal anastomosis (HJ) were analyzed. BDS were identified in 13 of 364 (3.5%) grafts, including 10 duct-to-duct end-to-end biliary anastomosis on a T-tube grafts (3.2%) and 3 HJ grafts (6.4%). Predictive factors for BDS were biliary strictures (hazard ratio [HR] 9.94; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.25-30.4), bilirubin (HR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.06, for 1 unit increase), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (HR 1.07; 95% CI 1.01-1.14, for 1 unit increase), surgery time (HR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01-1.08, for 10-minute increase), hepatocellular disease (HR 8.3; 95% CI 1.09-64.0), hepatic artery thrombosis (HR 6.71; 95% CI 1.47-30.6), and retransplantation (HR 3.69; 95% CI 1.02-13.43). Among 51 grafts (14%) with biliary strictures, female sex was identified as a risk factor for BDS (HR 5.19; 95% CI 1.29-20.98). Multimodality treatment of BDS was often successful but open surgery was still needed in 23% of them. One-, 5-, and 10-year graft survival was not influenced by the onset of BDS. CONCLUSION: Main predictive factor for BDS in liver grafts is biliary stricture. Recipient's age and body mass index failed to show any statistical importance. In grafts with biliary strictures, female sex is the main risk factor for BDS. In the absence of biliary strictures, hepatic artery thrombosis lead to an increase in the risk of BDS. Multimodality treatment of BDS is often successful. BDS do not influence outcome.