The effect of biliary stents implanted before pancreaticoduodenectomy in periampullary tumors on postoperative results: a retrospective analysis of 106 consecutive cases at a single medical center.

PURPOSE: The present study evaluated the potential effects of biliary drainage before pancreaticoduodenectomy on postoperative outcomes and presented the details of a surgeon's 6 years of experience. METHODS: All consecutive pancreatoduodenectomies performed from 2015 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The study population was divided into two groups: the stented group (Group I) and the nonstented group (Group II). Patient demographic data and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: This study comprised 106 individuals who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for periampullary tumors. The median age of the patients was 64.41 ± 11.67 years, and 65 (61.3%) were males. Sixty-seven patients (63.2%) received biliary drains (stented group), and 39 (36.8%) patients did not (nonstented group). Total bilirubin values (6.39 mg/dl) were higher in the nonstented patient group than in the stented group. The rate of total complications was significantly higher in the stented group than in the nonstented group [please check this carefully] (p < 0.05). The length of stay, operation time and pancreatic fistula were found to be higher in the stented group than in the nonstented group. CONCLUSIONS: Although the total bilirubin value was higher in the nonstented patient group than in the stented group, preoperative biliary drainage increased postoperative complication rates, operation time, and hospital stay. An advanced age and the presence of stents were independent risk factors influencing morbidity development according to the multivariate analysis.

Surgical treatment of gastrointestinal tumors in a COVID-19 pandemic hospital: Can open versus minimally invasive surgery be safely performed?

PURPOSE: In order for patients with gastrointestinal cancer not to suffer the consequences of delayed treatment, they should be operated on in pandemic hospitals under adequate conditions. We aimed to discuss the outcomes of our gastrointestinal cancer surgery patients and to present our patient management recommendations to resume operative treatment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic while taking into account hospital facilities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 129 gastrointestinal cancer patients who underwent surgery between March 2020 and May 2021 in the gastrointestinal surgery clinic of our hospital, which was assigned as a pandemic hospital in March 2020. Patients' demographic characteristics and preoperative and postoperative findings were recorded. RESULTS: Among the patients, 42.6% (n = 55) were female and 57.3% (n = 74) were male. The mean age was 61.89 ± 3.4 years. The primary tumor organs were the stomach 37.2% (n = 48), pancreas 36.4% (n = 47), rectum 11.6% (n = 15), colon 8.5% (n = 11), and esophagus 6.2% (n = 8). The patients were treated with open (75.2%, n = 97) or minimally invasive surgery (24.8%, n = 32; laparoscopic 11.6%, n = 15; robotic 13.2%, n = 17). Eight patients tested positive for COVID-19 before surgery. No patients developed COVID-19 during postoperative intensive care or after being moved to the floor unit. There was no COVID-19-related morbidity or mortality. CONCLUSION: Failure to treat gastrointestinal cancer patients during the pandemic may result in undesirable consequences, such as stage shift and mortality. Cancer patients can be treated safely with conventional and minimally invasive surgery guided by current recommendations and experience.

Malignancy risk for thyroid nodules larger than 4 cm and diagnostic reliability of ultrasound-guided FNAB results.

OBJECTIVES: Our aim in the present study was to investigate the relation between thyroid nodule diameter and malignancy, and the diagnostic accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for thyroid nodules larger than 4 cm. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Preoperative patient demographics such as age and gender, thyroid nodule diameter, FNAB results and postoperative pathology results were recorded. The relation between age, gender, thyroid nodule size of the patients and malignancy was examined. Also, the sensitivity, specificity, false negativity, false positivity and accuracy rates of FNBA of the patients whose thyroid nodule size was lower than 4 cm and the ones whose thyroid nodule size was higher than 4 cm were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between males and females in terms of malignancy rate (p= 0.15). There was no significant relation between malignancy and patient age (p= 0.92). No significant difference was found between the group with thyroid nodule diameter of > 4 cm and the group thyroid with nodule diameter of <4 cm in terms of malignancy (p= 0.91). In the group with thyroid nodule diameter of > 4 cm, sensitivity, specificity, false negativity, false positivity, and accuracy rates of FNAB were 15%, 100%, 84%, 0%, and 70%, respectively. In the group with thyroid nodule diameter of <4 cm, sensitivity, specificity, false negativity, false positivity, and accuracy rates of FNAB were 53%, 100%, 46%, 0% and 80%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our study put forward that thyroid nodule diameter is not the only predictor parameter whilst predicting malignancy. However, it was observed that FNAB sensitivity and false negativity were higher when the thyroid nodules with > 4 cm diameter were compared to the thyroid nodules with <4 cm diameter.

A retrospective analysis of 2713 hospitalized burn patients in a burns center in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Burn trauma is a significant health problem that has physical, psychological, and economic repercussions on affected patients. The aim of this study was to present epidemiological and demographic characteristics of patients treated over an 8-year period at a reference burn treatment center located in the northeast of Turkey and serving a population of approximately four million people. METHODS: Each patient's medical record was reviewed, and demographic features, source of burns, place of residence, total body surface area (TBSA), surgical treatment, duration of hospital stay, and mortality rates were analyzed. RESULTS: The most frequent cause of burn was scalding from hot liquids (2013 cases, 74.2%). Freeze burn was observed in 16 (0.6%) cases due to climatic conditions of the region where our burn center is located. Grouping based on TBSA revealed that 88.7% patients had TBSA of 0%-15%, 8% patients had TBSA of 15%-30%, and 3.3% patients had TBSA ≥ %30.The most common microorganism was Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A total of 24 patients (0.9%; 8 males, 16 females) died, including 7 children and 17 adults. CONCLUSION: Removal of tandirs and replacement with high ovens, restriction of cheese and butter production under primitive circumstances, encouraging cheese and butter production via dairy farm systems, and raising people's awareness through training programs could greatly reduce the number of the burn accidents occurring in this region.

Breast Recurrent Hydatid Cyst Disease.

Introduction: Hydatid cyst is a zoonotic disease seen in endemic areas. It is an important health problem in our country and especially in our Eastern and South-eastern Anatolia Region. Involvement of isolated breast tissue is very rare in hydatid cystdisease. As far as we know, isolated recurrent breast cyst hydatidosis has not been found in the literature. CASE REPORT: We aimed to present the case of a patient who was diagnosed with recurrent isolated cyst hydatid in the same breast, operated on because of hydatid cyst in the right breast 9 years ago. CONCLUSION: A hydatid cyst should be considered, particularly in endemic regions, in the differential diagnosis of cystic masses of the breast. If the patient has previously undergone surgery for breast cyst hydatid disease, recurrent cyst hydatid disease should be considered at the differential diagnosis.

Effects of single-dose preemptive intravenous ibuprofen on postoperative opioid consumption and acute pain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Although studies involving intravenous (IV) ibuprofen are still limited, it has been shown to have a potential role in the treatment of postoperative pain. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of preemptive IV ibuprofen on postoperative 24 hour opioid consumption and postoperative pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: Following ethical committee approval, 60 patients aged 18 to 65, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) I-II, and scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were included in this prospective, randomized, double-blinded study. Patients were randomly divided into 1 of 2 groups. The control group (n = 30) received 100 mL saline solution 30 minutes before surgery, while the ibuprofen group (n = 30) received 400 mg IV ibuprofen in 100 mL saline. The same general anesthesia protocol was applied in both groups, and all operations were performed by the same surgeon using the same technique. Postoperative analgesia was assessed using a visual analogue pain scale (VAS) with active and passive movements. Twenty-four hour postoperative fentanyl consumption with patient-controlled analgesia and additional analgesia requirements were recorded. Postoperative analgesia was established with 1000 mg paracetamol once every 6 hours and patient-controlled IV fentanyl. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, VAS scores in the IV ibuprofen group were statistically lower at postoperative 30 minutes and 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours (P < 0.001). Twenty-four hour opioid consumption was statistically significantly higher in the control group compared to the ibuprofen group (553.00 ±â€Š257.04 and 303.33 ±â€Š132.08 µcq, respectively, P < 0.001). Additional analgesia use was statistically significantly higher in the control group than in the ibuprofen group (14/30 vs 5/30, respectively, P < 0.001). The rates of nausea and vomiting were higher in group control than in group ibuprofen (13/30 vs 5/30, respectively, P = 0.024). Other side-effects were similar between the groups. CONCLUSION: A preemptive single dose of IV ibuprofen in laparoscopic cholecystectomy reduced postoperative opioid consumption in the 1st 24 hours by 45%. It generated lower pain scores in the postoperative period compared with placebo.

Diagnostic utility of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) remains fatal in 50-70% of cases. AMI is recognized as a vascular emergency, requiring rapid and efficient clinical evaluation and treatment. In the present retrospective study, the possible utility of the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the early diagnosis of AMI was explored. The potential use of this ratio to distinguish AMI from non-vascular bowel necrosis (NVBN) was investigated. METHODS: A total of 58 AMI, 62 NVBN, and 62 control patients were enrolled between May 1, 2010 and April 30, 2015. Patients who underwent laparotomies and/or bowel resections to treat AMI were included, as were NVBN patients who underwent segmental bowel resection to treat incarcerated and strangulated hernias. Controls were patients who presented to the emergency room with non-specific abdominal pain. RESULTS: Mortality rate was 51.7% in the AMI and 4.8% in the NVBN groups. White blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and red cell distribution width (RDW) were highest in the AMI group. NLR was higher in the AMI and NVBN groups than in the control group (p<0.001), though no difference in NLR was found between the AMI and NVBN groups. In addition, WBC count, CRP level, and NLR were higher in the NVBN group than in the controls (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: We suggest that preoperative NLR aids in the diagnosis of AMI, and can be used to distinguish this condition from NVBN. NLR should be calculated, in addition to clinical examination.