[A Case of Long-Term Survival Following Two-Stage Surgery for Perforated Advanced Gastric Cancer Caused by Chemotherapy].

A 74-year-old man with bloody vomit was diagnosed as having clinical Stage Ⅳ advanced gastric cancer with lymph node metastasis around the abdominal aorta. Initially, for curative surgery, he was administered neoadjuvant chemotherapy. On day 32, in the second course of chemotherapy containing S-1 after 12 courses of chemotherapy containing S-1 and cisplatin, he developed pan-peritonitis owing to the perforation of gastric cancer caused by chemotherapy, and thus, we performed emergency omental implantation and peritoneal drainage. He was discharged from the hospital after 14 days with no trouble. His gastric cancer was judged to be resectable without retaining metastatic lymph nodes based on intraoperative findings and abdominal computed tomography. Therefore, 3 months after the emergency surgery, he underwent total gastrectomy with D1+(+No. 11d)lymphadenectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful. He rejected adjuvant chemotherapy despite our recommendation. Regrettably, intraabdominal dissemination was observed 15 months after total gastrectomy, and he then received chemotherapy again. He has remained alive for 57 months after the first visit to our hospital.

Cystic Adventitial Disease of Popliteal Artery with Venous Aneurysm of Popliteal Vein: Two-Year Follow-Up after Surgery.

We report a rare case of cystic adventitial disease of popliteal artery with venous aneurysm of popliteal vein. A 46-year-old woman had sudden-onset intermittent claudication and coldness in her right leg. The right-sided ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) was 1.01, but peripheral arterial pulsation was decreased at knee venting position. Computed tomography revealed simple cystic lesion of the popliteal artery and stenosis of the arterial lumen in this lesion. The patient was treated by complete resection of the cystic adventitial layer of popliteal artery. A venous aneurysm of popliteal vein was revealed by intraoperative echo and was simply ligated. The patient had uneventful postoperative course and no symptoms of relevance during the two years of follow-up.

Is the size of an abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with coagulopathy?

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) volume and intraluminal thrombi were analyzed with respect to the number and function of platelets, blood cells, and coagulation factors. A group of 43 patients who underwent repair of an AAA were enrolled in this study. The maximum diameter and volume of the AAA, and the volume of intraluminal thrombi and lumen were measured by computed tomography with planimetry. The platelet count and platelet function, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, plasminogen, antithrombin 3, fibrin degradation products (FDP), D-dimer, and blood cell counts were measured. Spontaneous platelet aggregation and the FDP, and D-dimer levels were elevated; all other factors remained within the normal range. Intraluminal thrombus volume was strongly correlated with the volume and diameter of the AAA. However, no correlation was observed between the size of the AAA and coagulating factors, including the number and aggregation value of platelets. AAAs are frequently associated with a coagulating disorder. However, its size and thrombus volume are not correlated with coagulation changes. Although an intraluminal thrombus increases along with fee enlargement of the AAA, the clinical manifestation of bleeding is rarely associated with an AAA. Therefore coagulopathy in patients with an AAA is not fully explained by its morphology.

Temporary bacteremia due to intraoperative blood salvage during cardiovascular surgery.

BACKGROUND: The significance of positive blood cultures obtained after intraoperative blood salvage is unclear. METHODS: Sixty-four patients who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass and 52 patients with use of a blood salvage device underwent blood culture and examination of inflammatory responses. RESULTS: Positive blood cultures of transfused blood were identified in 16% of patients who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass and 67% with blood salvage. Thoracic operations utilizing either device demonstrated positive cultures in 21% of cases, whereas 70% of abdominal operations demonstrated positive cultures. However, on postoperative day 1, all blood cultures were negative. In addition, there was no significant difference in the inflammatory responses between culture-positive and culture-negative groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is a high incidence of positive blood culture present during blood salvage and abdominal surgery, postoperative host responses are similar in both groups. These data support the safe use of intraoperative blood salvage in elective cardiovascular surgery with attention to routine sterile technique.

Arterial reconstruction in the upper extremities.

Arterial reconstruction in the upper extremities is rare relative to the incidence of reconstruction in the lower extremities. Twenty-three patients who underwent vascular reconstruction in the upper extremities from 1985 to 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Atherosclerosis was observed in only two subclavian arteries. The most common cause of occlusion was thromboembolism from the heart, which occurred often in the brachial artery and could be treated successfully with thrombectomy. Seven of eight bypass grafts, including three procedures below the elbow, remained patent during follow-up periods ranging from 2 to 9 years. Arterial reconstruction of the upper extremities differs from that in the lower extremities. Atherosclerosis is a rare cause of ischemia, and the etiology varies with the site of obstruction. Bypass surgery below the elbow is feasible and successful in selected patients. Ischemia of the upper extremity causes significant morbidity and should be treated aggressively whenever possible.

Preliminary results of intermittent retrograde cerebral perfusion during proximal aortic arch surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Continuous retrograde cerebral perfusion during aortic arch surgery is associated with cerebral edema. In this report, we describe the clinical use of a new type of intermittent retrograde cerebral perfusion. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fourteen patients with a Stanford type A dissection were included in this study. With the usual method of retrograde cerebral perfusion, about 2,500 mL venous blood is drained from bicaval cannulae into a hard-shell reservoir, and oxygenated blood is perfused through the superior vena caval cannula. The flow rate is 300 mL/min. After about 15 min, retrograde perfusion is discontinued, and drainage from the bicaval cannulae is restarted. When a bloodless field is necessary, perfusion also is discontinued. RESULTS: Two to seven cycles of intermittent retrograde cerebral perfusion were administered (average, 3.1+/-0.4, mean+/-SD). The total retrograde perfusion time was 36.0+/-1.9 min which was equivalent to 74.8% of the circulatory arrest time. No patient developed edema of the upper body. The time to wake-up was 3 to 14 h (average, 6.5+/-1.0 h). No patient suffered any neurologic complications even though the time of circulatory arrest was greater than 60 min in four cases. Head magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography was performed in 12 cases, and no evidence of hypoxic brain injury was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Our clinical experience using a moderate amount of intermittent retrograde cerebral perfusion is superior to continuous retrograde cerebral perfusion for protecting the brain during aortic arch surgery.

Vascular prosthetic implantation is associated with prolonged inflammation following aortic aneurysm surgery.

The purpose of this study was to semiquantify the magnitude of surgical stress in patients undergoing aortic surgery by measuring inflammatory responses perioperatively, focusing on cytokine secretion. Serum concentrations of interleukin (IL) 1alpha, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrotizing factor (TNF) Alpha were measured in patients undergoing abdominal or thoracic aortic aneurysmectomy preoperatively and periodically thereafter for 2 weeks. Urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI/Cr) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score also were determined. Indices of inflammation and cytokine concentrations peaked at 1-3 days after surgery and decreased thereafter; however, IL-8 increased again after day 7. Concentrations of IL-8, UTI/Cr, and CRP and the SIRS score were still higher 14 days after surgery than preoperatively. The maximum concentrations of IL-6 and IL-8 were higher after thoracic than abdominal aortic repair; however, the maximum values of cytokines were not correlated with operative factors in all patients. A patient suffering from graft infection showed an increase in cytokine concentrations on day 7. The inflammatory response does not return to preoperative values within 2 weeks of surgery in patients undergoing thoracic or abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. The prolonged secretion of IL-8 suggests a host reaction to the synthetic prosthesis. A large increase in inflammatory cytokines on day 7 may indicate infection of the vascular graft.

Peroneal artery reconstruction via medial approach using tourniquet occlusion.

As peroneal artery bypass surgery is technically demanding, a simplified medial approach was used in 23 peroneal artery reconstructions in 21 patients between January 1993 and December 2001. The outcomes were reviewed retrospectively. Peroneal artery reconstruction was undertaken through a medial skin incision using tourniquet occlusion and saphenous vein grafts. Graft patency was confirmed by angiography or duplex color imaging. Peroneal bypass was possible through the medial approach in 20 cases; in 1 limb, the target was occluded. During a mean follow-up of 43.9 months, there were 4 graft occlusions. None of the failures was due to a technical error related to the procedure. All of the other patients had relief of their symptoms, including those who presented with disabling claudication. Technical improvements have made peroneal bypass a reasonable choice in below-knee arterial reconstruction. This technique should not be restricted to limb salvage.

Surgical treatment of retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma invading the inferior vena cava: report of three cases.

Retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma is a rare neoplasm for which complete surgical removal provides the only effective treatment, as local recurrence adversely affects prognosis. However, invasion of major vessels may occur, making complete resection difficult. This report describes the cases of three patients who required concomitant resection of parts of the inferior vena cava because of direct tumor invasion. The major vessels should be isolated in preference to the tumor capsule during surgery to prevent sudden exsanguination or incomplete tumor resection. Resection of a recurrent sarcoma or a solitary metastasis can be effective in selected patients.

Successful surgical treatment of a patient with multiple visceral artery aneurysms due to fibromuscular dysplasia.

Multiple visceral artery aneurysms due to fibromuscular dysplasia are rare. A 43-yr-old man with a pulsatile abdominal mass detected by ultrasonography had multiple visceral artery aneurysms diagnosed by angiography. This included a huge superior mesenteric artery aneurysm. Aneurysm resection and arterial reconstruction was performed successfully. Pathologic examination revealed fibromuscular dysplasia of the medial fibroplasia type.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm associated with pseudocoarctation of the aorta.

Pseudocoarctation is a rare anomaly in the descending thoracic aorta. A 44-year-old man experienced sudden onset of back pain for 5 days prior to admission. Computed tomography showed kinking and stenosis in the distal aortic arch with a distal aneurysm. The patient underwent emergency surgery, with a diagnosis of impending rupture. The aneurysm was lobular with a very thin wall. Pseudocoarctation is rare and most often is asymptomatic. However, the aneurysm should be treated surgically, and the area of stenosis resected.