Surgery in complicated colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer continues to have a serious social impact. A large proportion of patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. Approximately one-third of patients with colorectal cancer will undergo emergency surgery for a complicated tumor, with a high risk of mortality and poorer long-term prognosis. The most frequent complications are obstruction and perforation, while massive hemorrhage is rare. The curative potential of surgery, whether urgent or elective, depends on how radical the resection is, among other factors. In the literature on the management of urgent colorectal disease, there are few references to the oncological criteria for resection. Uncertainly about the optimal treatment has led to wide variability in the treatment of this entity. The present article aims to provide a critical appraisal of the controversies surrounding the role of surgery and its impact on complicated colorectal cancer.     

Surgery and transfusion in Jehovah's witness patient. Medical legal review

The religious convictions of the witnesses of Jehovah leads them to refuse transfusion of blood, of its major components and of blood sparing procedures breaking the physical contact between the patient and his blood. We recall the rules of good practice in case of elective surgery concerning exhaustive information of the patient within multidisciplinary team associating anesthetist and surgeon advised by the forensic pathologist. This consultation must, to our point of view, be concluded by a report which summarizes what is accepted or not by the patient. This report will be initialed by the patient. This consultation can never lead the physician to swear to never use a transfusion whatever the circumstances. In case of emergency if and only some conditions are met (everything was made to convince the patient, vital emergency, no therapeutic choice, therapeutic care adapted to the patient heath status), the physician can be brought to overpass the patient's will to not receive blood transfusion. Current jurisprudence has, to date, never recognized as faulty the physicians having practiced such transfusions whenever they took place within a precise framework.     

Neoplasias de páncreas y periampulares: morbimortalidad, resultados funcionales y supervivencia a largo plazo

Aims

To evaluate postoperative morbidity and mortality, pancreatic function and long-term survival in patients with surgically treated pancreatic or periampullar tumours.

Patients and methods

Cohort study including 160 patients consecutively operated on: 80 pancreaticoduodenectomies (PD), 30 distal pancreatectomies (DP), 7 total pancreatectomies, 4 central pancreatic resections and 3 ampullectomies. The tumour was not resected in 36 patients. Pancreatic function was evaluated by oral glucose tolerance test, faecal fat excretion and elastase.

Results

Resectability rate was 77.5%. In resected patients (n=124), 38.7% had complications with a pancreatic fistula rate of 6.4% and a mortality rate of 4%. In PD, endocrine function worsened in 41% and 58.6% had steatorrhoea; these figures in DP were 53.6% and 21.7% respectively. In the 36 non-resected patients, postoperative morbidity was 27.7% and mortality 8.3%. Two and five-year survival rates in resected patients with pancreatic cancer were 42% and 9% respectively; in malignant ampulloma 71% and 53%; in mucinous adenocarcinomas 83% and 33%; in duodenal adenocarcinoma 100% and 75%; and in distal cholangiocarcinoma 50% and 50%.

Conclusions

Morbidity associated with resective pancreatic surgery is still high, but perioperative mortality is low. Endocrine and exocrine disturbances are very common depending on the type of resection. Despite the associated morbidity and functional disorders, surgery provides long-term survival in selected cases.     

Therapeutic mammoplasty is an appropriate option in a patient with breast cancer and macromastia

Bilateral reduction mammaplasty in women with breast cancer and macromastia allows appropriate oncological surgical treatment with functional and cosmetic benefits and facilitates postoperative radiation therapy. The surgical approach carried out in three patients with breast cancer and macromastia is discussed.     

Mamoplastia de reducción en la cirugía del cáncer de mama

Reduction mammaplasty techniques enable the breast cancer surgeon to provide an integral surgical treatment, thus significantly increasing and improving surgical options. These techniques are used to correct problems after the conservative treatment of type 1 breast cancer and to achieve symmetry between the breasts after mastectomy. They are also the basis of cosmetic reconstruction techniques in conservative oncoplastic surgery.