Gastric intramural metastasis caused by needle tract seeding after preoperative fine needle aspiration for pancreatic body cancer subsequently resected by total pancreatectomy: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Recently, there has been an increase in the number of reports of needle tract seeding (NTS) of tumor cells after a biopsy as one of the adverse events related to endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). In most of the previously reported cases of NTS in pancreatic cancer, distal pancreatectomy was performed as the initial surgery, following which metachronous metastasis was discovered in the gastric wall, whose localization matched the puncture route of the EUS-FNA. We report a case of early metastasis from pancreatic cancer in the gastric wall, which was postulated to be caused by NTS. Our patient underwent a total pancreatectomy (TP), and the NTS was resected synchronously. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old woman with a diagnosis of pancreatic head-body-tail cancer presented to our department for surgery. Transgastric EUS-FNA and biopsy established the histological diagnosis in her case. We administered neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) to the patient and performed a TP. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examination subsequently confirmed the diagnosis of pT3N1aM1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma and its gastric metastasis, which was caused by NTS. It is postulated that the tumor cells of NTS had progressed to develop the metastatic lesion in the gastric wall during the NAC period. This was also resected during the initial surgery. The patient developed an early postoperative recurrence in the peritoneum 8 months after the surgery. CONCLUSION: In pancreatic head cancer cases, the puncture route is often included in the resection area of radical surgery, and NTS is seldom considered as a potential clinical problem. However, NTS can progress rapidly and may be associated with early recurrence of malignancy. Therefore, when transgastrointestinal puncture is performed for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, the treatment strategy should be established considering the potential development of NTS.

Treatment strategy for pancreatic head cancer with celiac axis stenosis in pancreaticoduodenectomy: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: During pancreaticoduodenectomy in patients with celiac axis (CA) stenosis due to compression by the median arcuate ligament (MAL), the MAL has to be divided to maintain hepatic blood flow in many cases. However, MAL division often fails, and success can only be determined intraoperatively. To overcome this problem, we performed endovascular CA stenting preoperatively, and thereafter safely performed pancreaticoduodenectomy. We present this case as a new preoperative treatment strategy that was successful. CASE SUMMARY: A 77-year-old man with a diagnosis of pancreatic head cancer presented to our department for surgery. Preoperative assessment revealed CA stenosis caused by MAL. We performed endovascular stenting in the CA preoperatively because we knew that going into the operation without a strategy could lead to ischemic complications. Double-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) - which is needed when a stent is inserted - was then administered in parallel with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This allowed us to administer DAPT for a sufficient period before the main pancreaticoduodenectomy procedure while obtaining therapeutic effects from NAC. Subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was then performed. The operation did not require any unusual techniques and was performed safely. Postoperatively, the patient progressed well, without any ischemic complications. Histopathologically, curative resection was confirmed, and the patient had no recurrence or complications due to ischemia up to six months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Preoperative endovascular stenting, with NAC and DAPT, is effective and safe prior to pancreaticoduodenectomy in potentially resectable pancreatic cancer.

Time limit to rescue intestine with viability at risk caused by blood flow disruption in patients presenting with acute abdomen.

PURPOSE: Early management is crucial for acute intestinal blood flow disorders; however, no published study has identified criteria for the time limit for blood flow resumption. This study specifically examines the time factors for avoiding intestinal resection. METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective cohort study were 125 consecutive patients who underwent emergency surgery for a confirmed diagnosis of intestinal strangulation (n = 86), incarceration (n = 27), or volvulus (n = 12), between January 2015 and March 2021. Intestinal resection was performed when intestinal irreversible changes had occurred even after ischemia was relieved surgically. We analyzed the relationship between the time from computed tomography (CT) imaging to the start of surgery (C-S time) and intestinal resection using the Kaplan-Meier method and calculated the estimated intestinal rescue rate. Patient background factors affecting intestinal resection were also examined. RESULTS: The time limit for achieving 80% intestinal rescue rate was 200 min in C-S time, and when this exceeded 300 min, the intestinal rescue rate dropped to less than 50%. Multivariate analysis identified the APACHE II score as a significant influencing factor. CONCLUSION: A rapid transition from early diagnosis to early surgery is critical for patients with acute abdomen originating from intestinal blood flow disorders. The times from presentation at the hospital to surgery should be reduced further, especially for severe cases.

Survey Regarding Gastrointestinal Stoma Construction and Closure in Japan.

Background and Aim: In Japan, the actual number of stoma constructions and stoma closures is not known. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey to determine the number of gastrointestinal stoma constructions and closures in Japan. Methods: Enrolled participants comprised patients undergoing selected gastrointestinal surgeries who were recorded in the National Clinical Database. This database uses the "Common Items for Gastrointestinal Surgeons." These procedures were formulated by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterological Surgery during 2013-2018. Results: According to the National Clinical Database, a total of 154,323 gastrointestinal stomas were constructed between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2018. By procedure, there were 78,723 cases of stoma construction, 39,653 of abdominoperineal resection, 2470 total pelvic exenteration procedures, and 33,572 Hartmann's procedures. The ratio of stoma closures to stoma constructions increased annually in patients under 70 y of age but not in older patients. Approximately 35% of total colectomies, 60% of proctocolectomies, and 20% of low anterior resections were accompanied by stoma construction. The number of patients with rectal cancer who underwent colostomy increased gradually during the study period and the number who underwent stoma construction increased among older patients. Conclusion: The number of cases of gastrointestinal stoma construction has increased gradually in Japan, and the proportion of older patients is increasing each year. The purposes and surgical techniques for stoma construction are diverse and are expected to increase in Japan, a super-aged society.

Analysis of risk factors for skin disorders caused by anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody drugs and examination of methods for their avoidance.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Cancer drug treatment is often discontinued because of skin disorder aggravation. However, information on risk factors for skin disorders caused by anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody drugs is limited. The aim of this study was to analyse the factors associated with skin disorders caused by anti-EGFR antibody drugs and establish a method to minimize such aggravations. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 67 colorectal cancer patients treated with anti-EGFR antibody drugs for the first time. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: A higher proportion of males than females experienced drug withdrawal, dose reduction or treatment discontinuation. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed body weight as a risk factor affecting drug withdrawal, dose reduction or treatment discontinuation because of an acneiform rash. An examination of methods to avoid the aggravation of skin disorders revealed the acneiform rash grade in patients who received prophylactic minocycline was significantly lower than that in patients who did not receive prophylactic minocycline. Furthermore, among patients with grade 1 acneiform rash at the initiation of minocycline, the proportion of those who withdrew, required dose reduction or discontinued treatment was lower than that among patients with grade 2 acneiform rash. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: High body weight was identified as a novel factor for skin disorder aggravation caused by anti-EGFR antibody drugs. The aggravation of skin disorders during cancer treatment with anti-EGFR antibody drugs can potentially be avoided by carefully observing the onset of acneiform rash in affected patients with high body weight and using minocycline prophylactically or as an early-stage intervention.

Antithrombotic drugs have a minimal effect on intraoperative blood loss during emergency surgery for generalized peritonitis: a nationwide retrospective cohort study in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The effect of antithrombotic drugs on intraoperative operative blood loss volume in patients undergoing emergency surgery for generalized peritonitis is not well defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of antithrombotic drugs on intraoperative blood loss in patients with generalized peritonitis using a nationwide surgical registry in Japan. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study used a nationwide surgical registry data from 2011 to 2017 in Japan. Propensity score matching for the use of antithrombotic drugs was used for the adjustment of age, gender, comorbidities, frailty, preoperative state, types of surgery, surgical approach, laboratory data, and others. The main outcome was intraoperative blood loss: comparison of intraoperative blood loss, ratio of intraoperative blood loss after adjusted for confounding factors, and variable importance of all covariates. RESULTS: A total of 70,105 of the eligible 75,666 patients were included in this study, and 2947 patients were taking antithrombotic drugs. Propensity score matching yielded 2864 well-balanced pairs. The blood loss volume was slightly higher in the antithrombotic drug group (100 [10-349] vs 70 [10-299] ml). After adjustment for confounding factors, the use of antithrombotic drugs was related to a 1.30-fold increase in intraoperative blood loss compared to non-use of antithrombotic drugs (95% CI, 1.16-1.45). The variable importance revealed that the effect of the use of antithrombotic drugs was minimal compared with surgical approach or type of surgery. CONCLUSION: This study shows that while taking antithrombotic drugs is associated with a slight increase in intraoperative blood loss in patients undergoing emergency surgery for generalized peritonitis, the effect is likely of minimal clinical significance.

Risk of emergency surgery for complicated appendicitis: Japanese nationwide study.

AIM: Appendicitis is divided into two categories: complicated appendicitis (CA) and uncomplicated appendicitis (UA). In pediatric patients with CA, the use of interval appendectomy (IA), which is non-operative management followed by elective surgery, has decreased the number of postoperative complications. Before discussing the merit of IA for adult patients, we need to clarify whether the frequency and seriousness of the complication rate after emergency surgery is higher for CA than for UA. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients who underwent appendectomy and who were registered in the National Clinical Database (NCD) from 2014 to 2016. Patients with CA who underwent emergency appendectomy comprised the CA group. Patients with UA comprised the UA group. Patients with chronic or recurrent appendicitis who underwent elective appendectomy comprised the elective appendectomy (EA) group. Primary outcomes were all morbidity, serious morbidity, and mortality within 30 days after appendectomy. RESULTS: We included 109 256 patients in the study: 14 798 CA, 86 876 UA, and 7582 EA patients. Compared with the UA group, the rates of all morbidity, serious morbidity, and mortality were significantly higher in the CA group. All morbidity, serious morbidity, and mortality rates were significantly lower in the EA group than in the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that emergency surgery for CA places the patient at relatively higher risk. We also showed that the risk associated with EA is significantly lower than that for the other methods.

Frequent post-operative monitoring of colorectal cancer using individualised ctDNA validated by multiregional molecular profiling.

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is known as a tumour-specific personalised biomarker, but the mutation-selection criteria from heterogeneous tumours remain a challenge. METHODS: We conducted multiregional sequencing of 42 specimens from 14 colorectal tumours of 12 patients, including two double-cancer cases, to identify mutational heterogeneity to develop personalised ctDNA assays using 175 plasma samples. RESULTS: "Founder" mutations, defined as a mutation that is present in all regions of the tumour in a binary manner (i.e., present or absent), were identified in 12/14 tumours. In contrast, "truncal" mutations, which are the first mutation that occurs prior to the divergence of branches in the phylogenetic tree using variant allele frequency (VAF) as continuous variables, were identified in 12/14 tumours. Two tumours without founder and truncal mutations were hypermutators. Most founder and truncal mutations exhibited higher VAFs than "non-founder" and "branch" mutations, resulting in a high chance to be detected in ctDNA. In post-operative long-term observation for 10/12 patients, early relapse prediction, treatment efficacy and non-relapse corroboration were achievable from frequent ctDNA monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: A single biopsy is sufficient to develop custom dPCR probes for monitoring tumour burden in most CRC patients. However, it may not be effective for those with hypermutated tumours.

Efficacy of enhanced prehabilitation for patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have demonstrated that prehabilitation helps reduce the incidence of postoperative complications. In this study, we investigated the safety and efficacy of enhanced prehabilitation (EP) in the hospital for patients with esophageal cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of 48 consecutive patients who underwent radical esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction between September 2015 and June 2019. EP program had been introduced in August 2017. In the EP group, patients received the EP program during hospitalization 7 days before surgery in addition to conventional perioperative rehabilitation. The EP program consisted of aerobic exercise and muscle strength training in the morning and afternoon. Operative outcomes were compared between patients who received EP (EP group; 23 patients) and patients who did not receive EP (control group; 25 patients). RESULTS: The preoperative (EP group vs. control group, 492.9 ± 79.7 vs. 418.9 ± 71.8 m, p < 0.001) and postoperative (EP group vs. control group, 431.5 ± 80 vs. 378 ± 68.7 m, p < 0.001) 6-min walk distance was significantly higher in the EP group than in the control group. The respiratory complications rate was significantly lower in the EP group (4.3%) than in the control group (36%) (p = 0.007). The incidence of atelectasis was particularly significantly lower in the EP group (0%) than in the control group (24%) (p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: EP was performed safely for patients before esophagectomy. EP improved the exercise tolerance of the patients before esophagectomy and might be useful in preventing respiratory complications.

Laparoscopic colectomy for persistent descending mesocolon in sigmoid colon cancer: A case report.

A 55-year-old-man underwent laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer. Preoperative barium enema showed a slightly medial displacement of the descending colon, and the sigmoid colon was quite long. The operative findings showed that the descending colon was not fused with the retroperitoneum and shifted to the midline and the left colon adhered to the small mesentery and right pelvic wall. Thus, a diagnosis of persistent descending mesocolon (PDM) was made. The left colon, sigmoid colon, and superior rectal arteries often branch radially from the inferior mesenteric artery. The sigmoid mesentery shortens, and the inferior mesenteric vein is often close to the marginal vessels. By understanding the anatomical feature of PDM and devising surgical techniques, laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for sigmoid colon cancer with PDM could be performed without compromising its curative effect and safety.

Emergency surgery for gastrointestinal cancer: A nationwide study in Japan based on the National Clinical Database.

BACKGROUND: Emergency gastrointestinal surgery, although rare, is known for its high mortality and morbidity. However, the risks of emergency surgery for gastrointestinal cancer have not been investigated in depth. This study aimed to investigate the impact of emergency surgery on mortality and morbidity in patients with gastrointestinal cancers and to identify associated risk factors. METHODS: We extracted data from the National Clinical Database, a nationwide surgery registration system in Japan, for patients with gastrointestinal cancer who underwent esophageal resection, total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, right hemicolectomy, or low anterior resection between 2012 and 2017. The impacts of emergency surgery on 30-day mortality and incidence of overall postoperative complications were compared with those of non-emergency surgery. Risk factors for mortality and overall postoperative complications were then sought in patients who underwent emergency surgery. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality and incidence of overall postoperative complications were significantly higher in emergency surgeries for gastric, colon, and rectal cancers than in non-emergency surgeries (odds ratios 4.86-6.98 and 1.68-2.18, respectively; all P < .001). Various risk factors were identified in the group that underwent emergency surgery, including preoperative sepsis and lower body mass index. Some of the risk factors were common to all types of surgery and others were specific to a certain type of surgery. CONCLUSION: The actual risk of emergency surgery and the risk factors for overall postoperative complications in emergency cases are shown to serve as a reference for postoperative management. Emergency surgery had an additional burden on patients depending on the type of surgery.

Primary esophageal malignant melanoma successfully treated with anti-PD-1 antibody for retroperitoneal recurrence after esophagectomy: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus (PMME) is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. Here, we report a case of retroperitoneal recurrence of PMME successfully treated with the anti-programmed cell death 1 antibody, nivolumab. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 70-year-old male with dysphagia was referred to our hospital. Esophagogastroscopy showed an elevated tumor in the lower thoracic esophagus. A histopathological examination of the biopsy revealed poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The patient was diagnosed with clinical T3N1M0 stage III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and was treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical esophagectomy. A postoperative histopathological examination revealed that atypical cells with a brown pigment were scattered in the tumor. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated positive expression of human melanoma black 45, melan A, and S100. A pathological diagnosis of PMME was confirmed. Sixteen months after surgery, abdominal computed tomography revealed solitary retroperitoneal recurrence in the lateral portion of the ascending colon. Fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) showed hypermetabolic accumulation with a maximum standardized uptake value of 5.8. The patient was treated with nivolumab (240 mg) every two weeks. After eight courses of nivolumab, abnormal accumulation of the retroperitoneal mass disappeared on PET, and this therapeutic effect continued for 20 months. CONCLUSIONS: Nivolumab was effective for recurrence of PMME in our case. There are few reports of treatment with nivolumab for PMME. Further studies are necessary to establish the usefulness of nivolumab for PMME in the future.

Esophageal carcinosarcoma in which the sarcomatous element has sloughed off: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Most esophageal carcinosarcoma (ECS) tumors present as a polypoid tumor that is continuous with the superficial lesion and suspended by a pedicle. Here, we report a case of ECS in which a polypoid lesion sloughed off before surgery. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 76-year-old man with dysphagia was admitted to our hospital. Esophagogastroscopy revealed a 20-mm polypoid tumor continuous with a superficial lesion and attached to the lesion by a thin pedicle in the mid-thoracic esophagus. Histopathological examination of the endoscopic biopsy showed that the superficial lesion was a moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and that the polypoid tumor contained a sarcomatous element. He was diagnosed with ECS and underwent radical esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection. In the resected specimen, no polypoid tumor was found, and only a superficial lesion was observed. The histopathological findings revealed only squamous cell carcinoma, and the pathological diagnosis was esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, pT1bN0M0, pathological stage I. The patient was discharged from the hospital 22 days after surgery and did not experience any complications. He is currently alive and remained cancer-free for three years since surgery was performed. DISCUSSION: Due to the distinctive configuration in which the polypoid lesion was connected to the superficial cancerous lesion by a very thin pedicle, researchers suggested that the polypoid tumor, which consisted of a sarcomatous element, was sloughed off before surgery. CONCLUSION: We encountered a rare case of ECS in which the sarcomatous element sloughed off prior to surgical resection.

Feasibility of totally laparoscopic pylorus-preserving gastrectomy with intracorporeal gastro-gastrostomy for early gastric cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG) has been accepted as a function-preserving surgery for the treatment of early gastric cancer in East Asian countries. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of totally laparoscopic PPG (TLPPG) with intracorporeal anastomosis. METHODS: A total of 43 patients with early gastric cancer underwent laparoscopy-assisted PPG (LAPPG) with extracorporeal anastomosis between May 2006 and November 2012. The operative outcomes of 22 patients who underwent TLPPG between November 2012 and February 2019 were evaluated, and data were compared with that of the LAPPG group. RESULTS: No significant difference in the operative time was observed between the two groups. Blood loss was lower in the TLPPG group (18.5 mL) than in the LAPPG group (30.7 mL, p = 0.008), and the length of abdominal incision was shorter in the TLPPG group (3.8 cm) than in the LAPPG group (4.7 cm, p < 0.001). No significant difference in the complication rate was observed between the two groups (13.6% in the TLPPG vs. 9.3% in the LAPPG group, p = 0.594). No anastomosis-related complications occurred in either group. No significant between-group difference was observed in the delayed gastric emptying (TLPPG, 9.1 vs. LAPPG, 7%, p = 0.762). The initiation of postoperative fluid (TLPPG, 1.0 day vs. LAPPG, 3.0 days, p < 0.001) and meal (TLPPG, 3.0 days vs. LAPPG, 4.0 days, p < 0.001) intake was earlier in the TLPPG group than in the LAPPG group. No significant between-group difference was observed in the postoperative hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that TLPPG with intracorporeal reconstruction not only is as feasible and safe as LAPPG for the treatment of patients with early gastric cancer but also provides certain advantages such as reduced blood loss and wound size.

Super-late pulmonary recurrence after radical esophagectomy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary metastases from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are often detected bilateral and multiple lesions and are often accompanied by metastases to other sites. The concept of oligometastasis has been developed, and limited distant metastases have been considered as indications for surgical resection for the purpose of extending overall survival. We herein present a long-surviving case of super-late pulmonary recurrence of ESCC, seven years after radical esophagectomy. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 71-year-old woman who underwent radical subtotal esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection with a diagnosis of an advanced poorly differentiated ESCC with cT3N1M0 seven years ago visited our hospital. Chest X-ray and computed tomography at the 7-year follow-up revealed a solitary pulmonary tumor, 1.5 cm in diameter, at the right middle lobe without any extrapulmonary metastases; however, we could not diagnose whether primary lung cancer or pulmonary metastasis of ESCC was present. Therefore, we performed thoracoscopic partial resection of the right middle lobe. A histopathological examination including immunohistochemical staining revealed that the tumor was not derived from both alveolar epithelium and neuroendocrine cells and was diagnosed as pulmonary oligometastasis of ESCC. She has been followed for four years without re-recurrence. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary oligometastases of ESCC should be considered as surgical indications if the tumor is detected after a long disease-free interval without any extrapulmonary recurrences.

Safety of thoracoscopic esophagectomy after induction chemotherapy for locally advanced unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have reported that induction chemotherapy with docetaxel plus cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (DCF) is an effective treatment for unresectable, locally advanced esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and feasibility of thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) after DCF for initially unresectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: Twenty-three patients with initially unresectable T4 thoracic ESCC underwent TE after induction DCF. RESULTS: The neighboring organs with tumors were the tracheobronchus in nine patients, thoracic aorta in 13, and pericardium and diaphragm in three each (concurrent overlapping invasion occurred in five patients). The mean total operation time was 556.3 ± 107.2 minutes, and the mean time of the thoracic procedure was 258.9 ± 83.9 minutes. The mean total blood loss was 166.2 ± 117.8 mL, and the loss during the thoracic procedure was 33.5 ± 24.6 mL. All patients achieved complete R0 resection under TE. No conversions to open thoracotomy were performed. The postoperative morbidity rate was 34.8%. The postoperative hospital stay was 24.3 (range, 13-38) days. Five patients had recurrence: four had distant metastasis (lung, two; liver, three; and one with overlap), and one had mediastinal lymph node recurrence. No local recurrence was noted at the site of the primary T4 tumor. CONCLUSIONS: TE was safely performed in 23 patients after DCF therapy for locally advanced unresectable ESCC. Induction DCF, followed by TE, could be an alternative treatment for unresectable T4 ESCC.

Early renal dysfunction after temporary ileostomy construction.

PURPOSE: Loop ileostomy is often used to prevent complications after colorectal surgery, but it has been reported to cause renal impairment. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the renal function after ileostomy and to compare these with the renal function after low anterior resection without ileostomy (low-ANT). METHODS: The subjects included 58 patients who underwent ileostomy construction and closure for rectal cancer. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated at specific time points after the index surgery. In addition, we conducted a case-matched study on 147 patients who underwent low-ANT. RESULTS: The eGFR was significantly lower at 1 month after ileostomy than at the time of ileostomy construction (78.8 vs. 84.0, p < 0.0001) and did not improve after ileostomy closure. The only risk factor for a reduced eGFR was preoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. In the case-matched study, 36 patients were allocated for each of the two groups. The number of ileostomy patients with a reduced eGFR was significantly increased 1 month after the index surgery (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The eGFR began to decrease at one month after ileostomy construction and did not improve after ileostomy closure.

Laparoscopic Low Anterior Resection with Two Planned Stapler Fires.

BACKGROUND: Anastomotic leakage during laparoscopic low anterior resection (Lap-LAR) for rectal cancer remains challenging for colorectal surgeons. Firing linear staplers multiple times has been reported as a risk factor for iatrogenic anastomotic leakage. Our institute usually performs rectal transection using 2 planned stapler fires followed by anastomosis with the double-stapling technique. METHODS: Between November 2009 and September 2016, a total of 272 consecutive patients underwent Lap-LAR with double-stapling anastomosis for rectal cancer. We inserted a linear 45-mm stapler cartridge from a port in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. The first transection was made up to three-quarters of the rectal wall, and the remaining rectum was completely resected using a second stapler. During this procedure, the intersection of the 2 staple lines, which might otherwise cause anastomotic leakage, was located in the center of the stump of the distal rectum, so the intersection at the rectal stump was able to be easily removed using a circular stapler. RESULTS: None of our patients were converted to open surgery. Among the 272 Lap-LAR procedures for which use of 2 stapler fires was planned, 3 fires occurred in error only once (0.4%). Rectovaginal fistula and anastomotic leakage occurred in 1 patient (0.4%) and 9 patients (3.3%), respectively, and 49 (18.0%) patients required protective diverting stoma. CONCLUSION: Rectal transection with 2 planned stapler fires appears safe, practical, and straightforward to standardize, and reduces the need for multiple linear fires and the incidence of anastomotic leakage.

Giant gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the mediastinum associated with an esophageal hiatal hernia and chest discomfort: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) grow relatively slowly and without specific symptoms; therefore, they are typically incidental findings. We report a rare gastric GIST in the mediastinum associated with chest discomfort and an esophageal hiatal hernia. CASE PRESENTATION: An 81-year-old woman with chest discomfort was admitted to the hospital, where barium esophagography showed a sliding esophageal hiatal hernia and a tumor of the lower esophagus and gastric wall. Esophagogastroscopy confirmed the presence of a huge submucosal tumor that extended from the lower esophagus to the gastric fundus. According to computed tomography, the mediastinal mass measured 12.7 cm and had heterogeneous low-density areas. A submucosal gastric tumor, which we suspected to be a GIST, was diagnosed in association with an esophageal hiatal hernia. Using thoracolaparotomy, we performed a total gastrectomy, a lower esophagectomy, and a Roux-en-Y reconstruction with the jejunum. The presumptive diagnosis was confirmed through immunohistochemical examination; immunostaining yielded results positive for CD34 and c-kit. The patient was discharged from the hospital 13 days after surgery with no complications and remained disease-free at follow-up 24 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: GIST should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors growing in the mediastinum.

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy with total meso-esophageal excision reduces regional lymph node recurrence.

PURPOSE: We investigated the operative outcomes of thoracoscopic esophagectomy (TE) in the prone position, using the concept of total meso-esophageal excision for esophageal cancer. METHODS: The medical records of 140 consecutive patients with esophageal cancer who underwent radical esophagectomy by TE were reviewed retrospectively, and operative outcomes were compared between patients treated before (non-meso-esophagus; non-ME group) and after (ME group) the introduction of total meso-esophageal excision (ME). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the groups in postoperative morbidity (non-ME group vs. ME group, 28.3% vs. 41.4%, p = 0.119), 30-day mortality (non-ME group vs. ME group, 0% vs. 1.1%; p = 0.433), and in-hospital mortality (non-ME group vs. ME group, 1.9% vs. 0%, p = 0.199). Although overall survival and relapse-free survival did not differ significantly between the groups, the overall recurrence rate was significantly lower in the ME group than the non-ME group (non-ME group vs. ME group, 43.4% vs. 23%, p = 0.011). In particular, the rate of regional lymph node recurrence in the mediastinum was lower in the ME group (non-ME group vs. ME group, 11.3% vs. 2.3%; p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the ME procedure might be one of the procedures that reduce regional lymph node recurrence in the mediastinum without any deterioration in short-term outcomes.