Predicting Breast Tumor Size for Pre‐operative Planning: Which Imaging Modality is Best?

We sought to compare breast tumor size predicted by imaging modality to the actual pathologic size in order to determine which imaging modality is best at estimating tumor size. We identified 261 patients with biopsy‐proven invasive ductal (IDC) and/or invasive lobular (ILC) carcinomas with documented tumor dimensions predicted by imaging and maximum dimensions determined by final pathology. Results of imaging‐predicted dimension were correlated with final pathological size. Spearman correlations were calculated and compared by Zou's method and agreement was assessed by McNemar's test. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between correlations of pathologic size by ultrasound (r = 0.71) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (0.76). The correlations between MRI or ultrasound and pathologic size are significantly stronger than the correlations between mammography or clinical breast exam and pathologic size (p < 0.05). MRI and ultrasound are both strongly correlated with pathologic size overall and within grades in both IDC and ILC. The correlations between MRI or ultrasound and pathologic size are significantly better than the correlations between mammography or clinical breast exam and pathologic size (p < 0.05).     

Outpatient laparoscopic sterilization: is local anaesthesia better?

A prospective, randomized study comprised 125 outpatient laparoscopic sterilization patients who had received either general anaesthesia or local anaesthesia together with intravenous sedation. The patients who had received local anaesthesia suffered significantly less postoperative pain and sore throat. Recovery and discharge were similar in the two groups, but those given a general anaesthetic were more drowsy in the evening on the day of operation. The time spent in the operating theatre was significantly shorter for the group given local anaesthesia, and the costs were lower. The majority of patients from both groups would prefer local anaesthesia for a similar procedure in the future. We conclude that local anaesthesia together with intravenous sedation is the method of choice for laparoscopic sterilization.     

Pre‐operative coronary revascularization: an optimal therapy for high‐risk vascular surgery patients?

Cardiac complications are the leading cause of peri-operative morbidity and mortality of patients undergoing vascular surgery. This high incidence of cardiac complications is related to the presence of underlying coronary artery disease. The optimal treatment strategy for these high-risk patients, including the use of pre-operative coronary revascularization for the purpose of improving peri-operative and long-term cardiac outcomes, has been controversial for several decades. Recently, the results of the Coronary Artery Revascularization Prophylaxis (CARP) trial showed that in the short term there is no reduction in the number of post-operative myocardial infarctions, deaths or length of stay in the hospital, or in long-term outcomes in patients who underwent pre-operative coronary revascularization compared with patients who received optimized medical therapy. In this review, we summarize the role of pre-operative revascularization before elective vascular surgery using current evidence from the CARP trial and of those from published studies.