A randomized pilot study on single-port versus conventional laparoscopic rectal surgery: effects on postoperative pain and the stress response to surgery.

BACKGROUND: Potential benefits of single-port laparoscopic surgery may include improved cosmetic results, less postoperative pain, surgical trauma and faster recovery. Results of randomized prospective studies with a focus on single-port rectal surgery have not yet been presented. The aim of the present study was to compare single-port and conventional laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer in terms of short-term outcomes including postoperative pain and trauma-induced changes in certain bioactive substances. METHODS: Patients with non-metastasized rectal cancer were prospectively randomized to single-port (n = 20) or conventional laparoscopic rectal surgery (n = 20). Postoperative pain was assessed at rest, at coughing and during mobilization, with a numeric pain ranking score and was recorded at 6 h after the operation and subsequently every morning daily for 4 days. Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) were determined. Blood samples were collected preoperatively (baseline), and 6, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after skin incision. RESULTS: Pain scores were significantly reduced in the single-port group on postoperative days 2, 3 and 4 during coughing and mobilization. In addition, the patients in the single-port group suffered significantly less pain at rest at 6 h after surgery and on postoperative days 1, 3 and 4. The levels of the three markers increased significantly after surgery. The increase was similar between groups for plasma IL-6 and TIMP-1 at all time points, while the CRP levels were significantly lower in the single-port group at 6 (p < 0.001) and 24 h (p < 0.05) after skin incision. Abdominal incisions lengths were significantly shorter in the single-port group (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between groups in operating time and blood loss, morbidity or mortality rate. The short-term oncological outcome in the two groups was similar. CONCLUSIONS: Single-port rectal surgery may reduce postoperative pain. Although CRP levels were lower at some time points, results of the present randomized, pilot study suggest that the trauma-induced inflammatory response of single-port operations may be similar to the trauma-induced inflammatory response of conventional laparoscopic surgery.

Does minimally invasive surgery for bladder cancer result in unusual sites of metastasis?

BACKGROUND: To compare sites of metastasis for the laparoscopic (LRC) and open (ORC) approaches in a cohort of patients at a district general hospital. Morbidity and mortality for the two approaches are assessed using secondary outcomes of length of stay and complication rate. Metastasis rate and site are compared. METHODS: A retrospective case note review was carried out for all patients who underwent cystectomy for bladder malignancy at Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield between 2010 and 2016 (n = 219). There were 150 males and 69 females in 107 minimally invasive cases and 87 open (missing data on 25 cases). Data were analysed using Microsoft Excel XLSTAT. RESULTS: Recurrence rate was 25.1% and did not differ significantly with approach (p = 0.89). Sites of recurrence did not differ with operative approach, the most frequent being pelvis, chest and bone. Unusual sites of recurrence included abdominal wall and sigmoid colon which both occurred in LRC. Length of stay was greater for the open approach (median LRC = 10, ORC = 13, p < 0.01). Five-year survival was 74.9%. Survival distribution did not significantly differ with operative approach (p = 0.43), and there was no significant association between operative approach and patient death within the follow-up period (p = 0.09). Stricture rate was 4.1% and was not significantly different between the 2 groups (p = 0.29). Median time to stricture was 130 days. Clavien-Dindo scores for complications did not differ with approach (p = 0.93), and there was no significant association between operative approach and whether complications developed (p = 0.19). CONCLUSIONS: The adverse oncological outcomes in minimally invasive approaches suggested by some studies are not confirmed here. Those in the LRC group were discharged sooner, though this did not translate into differences in morbidity or survival. Analysis of the association between individual complications and length of stay may clarify this further. Shorter hospital stay is also likely to have significant financial implications. Despite no significant difference in outcomes, the findings demonstrate potential benefits of LRC. Extensions of this study could include: cost-benefit analysis, examination of individual complications' effect on length of stay; and analysis of approach-specific factors contributing to perioperative deaths.

Second allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as treatment for leukemia relapsing following a first transplant.

We report 27 patients with relapsed acute or chronic leukemia who underwent a second hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) from a related or unrelated donor. Seventeen patients were diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), six with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and four with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Ages ranged from 22 to 49 years (median 37); 13 patients were female and 14 male. Relapse was diagnosed between 1 and 45 months after the first HSCT. Sixteen patients who relapsed had received an autologous transplant initially and 11 an allogeneic transplant. Ten patients relapsed within 6 months and 17 patients later than 6 months. Chemotherapy was used as reinduction for relapse after HSCT in 16 patients who had received an autologous transplant and in three who had received an allogeneic transplant, since the latter did not respond to reduction of immunosuppression to induce a graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) reaction. Five of these 19 patients (26%) achieved complete remission (CR), seven patients did not respond to chemotherapy and seven achieved a partial remission (PR). The stem cell source for the second HSCT included bone marrow (n = 12) and PBSC (n = 4) from genotypically identical unrelated donors, PBSC (n = 7) and bone marrow (n = 3) from related donors. Currently eight of the 27 patients are alive and disease-free after the second HSCT. One patient is alive and disease-free after two allogeneic transplants (day +1538), eight patients, who relapsed after an autologous transplant followed by an allogeneic transplant (days +248 to +1140), acute myeloid leukaemia (n = 6) and chronic myeloid leukemia (n = 2) are alive and disease-free. The overall disease-free survival is 30% (8/27). The overall disease-free survival of autologous transplant patients subsequently undergoing an allogeneic transplant is 43% (P = 0.049). It is suggested that a second HSCT is possible for patients with leukemia relapse following the first autologous transplant. A second transplant might also be offered to patients relapsing after the first allogeneic HSCT. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 25, 41-45.

A second unrelated bone marrow transplant with an unrelated donor marrow: treatment of a patient with relapsed leukemia.

A second bone marrow transplant might be considered as an option in patients with leukemia relapsing after bone marrow transplantation. We report the successful treatment of a patient with relapsed ALL with a second BMT from the same unrelated donor. We evaluated the usefulness of an unrelated donor as the source of the second BMT in this clinical setting. The conditioning regimen for the first transplantation consisted of BU and CY while fractionated TBI and CY were used for the second BMT. Acute skin GVHD, grade III which developed after second BMT, was successfully treated with the use of a new immunosuppressive drug, mycophenolate mofetil. Hemorrhagic cystitis and a CMV infection developed as complications during the second BMT and were successfully treated. The patient was alive and well after the second BMT with limited chronic skin GVHD up to day +170.

Mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of acute and chronic GVHD in bone marrow transplant patients.

The efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in combination with CsA and prednisolone for the treatment of acute and chronic GVHD (aGVHD and cGVHD, respectively) after BMT and PBSCT from HLA-mismatched and -matched donors was evaluated in an open single center trial. Twenty-four patients, 17-48 years of age, with acute (n = 17) and chronic GVHD (n = 7) were treated with 2 g MMF daily in addition to CsA and prednisolone. Overall grade improvement of aGVHD was found in 11 of 17 (65%) patients treated with MMF. MMF therapy in the treatment of cGVHD led to moderate improvement in three of six patients with limited cGVHD. The most common adverse hematologic events of MMF were leukopenia (n = 6), anemia (n = 4) and thrombocytopenia (n = 3). Hematological adverse events were not severe and did not require the discontinuation of MMF. In this preliminary study, we have shown that MMF can be used safely for the treatment of aGVHD. In addition, the MMF therapy resulted in significant dose reduction of prednisolone for the treatment of GVHD.

[Paraplacental feeding of the fetus]. / Paraplazentare Ernährung des fetus

Amino acids, intraamnially administered, disappear unexpectedly rapidly and relatively uniformly from the amniotic fluid. During a placental insufficiency and thus a simultaneously present intrauterine protein deficiency, the amino acid level in the amniotic fluid decreases especially rapidly whereas it remains practically unchanged for hours following death in utero. This observation suggests that the infused amino acids are utilized by the living fetus. This is supported by a decrease in the glucose concentration and an increase in the pyruvate of the amniotic fluid. According to the experiences obtained until now it seems reasonable to supply the fetus with vital substrates via the paraplacental route.