Tertiary cytoreductive surgery in recurrent ovarian cancer: selection criteria and survival outcome

OBJECTIVES: Studies of tertiary cytoreductive surgery (TCS) in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer are limited, and appropriate patient selection remains a clinical challenge. We sought to evaluate the impact of TCS on survival and to determine predictors of optimal tertiary resection. METHODS: Between January 1997 and July 2004, 47 women with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer underwent TCS at two institutions. All patients received initial platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy following primary cytoreductive surgery. Clinico-pathologic factors and survival were retrospectively abstracted from medical records. Optimal TCS was defined as microscopic residual disease. RESULTS: Thirty of 47 (64%) patients underwent optimal TCS. Size of tumor implants<5 cm on preoperative imaging was the only significant predictor of achieving optimal TCS. Overall survival after TCS was statistically longer in patients with microscopic versus macroscopic residual disease (24 versus 16 months, p=0.03). After controlling for age, time to progression and optimal TCS, only the presence of diffuse disease at tertiary exploration remained a significant poor predictor of survival. However, in a cohort of patients with limited disease implants, multivariate analysis indicated that optimal TCS retained prognostic significance as a positive predictor of survival. Twelve patients (26%) experienced severe postoperative complications, including six with pulmonary embolism, four with fistulae and two with postoperative myocardial infarctions. CONCLUSIONS: Size of disease implants on preoperative imaging may guide the selection of candidates for TCS. In those patients with limited disease implants at laparotomy, optimal TCS is associated with improved survival.     

Determinants of outcome in elderly patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes

Background

Older women are less likely to receive standard of care treatment for breast cancer.

Methods

We examined variables that affected the outcome of elderly patients ≥70 years old among 1,470 patients with invasive cancer with positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs).

Results

Elderly patients were less likely to undergo mastectomy, completion axillary node dissection (ALND), adjuvant chemotherapy, and radiotherapy (RT) following breast-conserving therapy (BCT) compared with patients <70 years old. The 5-year risk of disease progression and cumulative incidence of breast cancer–specific deaths were not significantly different for both groups. On multivariate analysis, hormone receptor–negative status, number of metastatic lymph nodes, high nuclear grade, and tumor size were the factors independently associated with increased risk of disease progression.

Conclusions

Tumor factors were the primary determinants of breast cancer outcomes in our cohort. Elderly patients are less likely to receive aggressive surgical interventions and adjuvant therapy because of perceived life expectancy.     

Postoperative trunk shift in Lenke 1 and 2 curves: how common is it? and analysis of risk factors

The goal of surgical treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is to achieve a solid fusion in a balanced spine. While many previous studies analyzed coronal balance, there is a paucity of studies that comment on postoperative trunk shift, which has shown to have impact on clinical outcome. The purpose of this retrospective, multicenter data analysis was to analyze the incidence of postoperative trunk shift in patients with surgical treatment for AIS. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter data analysis of 1,555 patients with AIS. Patients with a Lenke type 1 or 2 curve pattern and a minimum follow-up of 24 months after surgery were included. A >2 cm deviation of the trunk in relation to the pelvis was considered positive trunk shift. A subanalysis was performed to identify potential risk factors for trunk shift. 273 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed. While the preoperative prevalence of trunk shift was surgically reduced from 29.3 to 13.6%, 24 patients (8.8%) with postoperative trunk shift had not had preoperative trunk shift, and the trunk shift was considered iatrogenic. Undercorrection of the lumbar curve was identified as potential risk factor, whereas thoracic correction, coronal balance, angulation and translation of the lowest instrumented vertebra did not seem to influence postoperative trunk shift. Iatrogenic postoperative trunk shift has an incidence of 8.8% in the surgical treatment of AIS.     

Description of sensory preservation in children and adolescents with incomplete spinal cord injury

Background/objective

This cross-sectional, multicenter cohort study describes patterns of preserved sensation in persons with American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) B (sensory incomplete, or SI) and AIS C/D (motor incomplete, or MI).

Methods

A total of 93 subjects with incomplete spinal injuries (58 with tetraplegia and 35 with paraplegia) were included for analysis. Sensation was based on the International Standards for Neurological Classification of SCI (ISNCSCI).

Results

In the 44 subjects with AIS B (SI), some light touch (LT) was present in 35% of dermatomes below the neurological level and pin prick (PP) in 8%. In contrast, in the 49 subjects with AIS C/D (MI), LT was present in 77% of dermatomes and PP in 27%. AIS C/D (MI) subjects with tetraplegia had more dermatomes with preserved sensation than those with paraplegia. When reviewing areas at highest risk for pressure sores, only 4 of 22 (19%) of subjects with AIS B (SI)/tetraplegia had any preserved LT or PP sensation in the periscapular region (dermatomes T1–T6). In the buttocks region (S3 and S4–S5), sensation was preserved in fewer than 50% of patients with either tetraplegia or paraplegia.

Conclusions

(1) Sensory sparing below the neurologic injury was found to be surprisingly sparse in patients classified as AIS B (SI) (35% LT and 8% PP). Sparing was considerably better in patients who were AIS C/D (MI) (77% LT and 27% PP). (2) Preserved sensation in the periscapular region was very low in subjects with tetraplegia (19%) and was also low in the buttocks, with fewer than half of those classified as AIS B (SI) with either tetraplegia or paraplegia reporting sensation.     

Management of aortic valve disease during pregnancy: A review

Cardiovascular disease represents a significant portion of pregnancy‐related complications and is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality in this cohort. Cardiac valvulopathy, and aortic valve pathologies, in particular, pose a significant challenge to women who are pregnant and to the health care professionals who look after them. Depending on the type and severity of aortic valve pathology, pregnancy may exacerbate or accelerate the progression of valvulopathy sequelae because of the hemodynamic changes that occur from conception, throughout gestation, up to Labor and postpartum. Management of such patients ranges from basic conservative measures such as bed‐rest, extending to high‐risk emergency open heart surgery. This nonstructured review aims to highlight the current evidence available relating to the management of aortic valve disease in pregnancy, with a key focus on cases which requires intervention beyond that of medical therapy. In conclusion, the management of aortic valvulopathy in pregnancy is a challenging field with only a small amount of clinical experience and retrospective study supporting evidence‐based decisions in this field. A greater understanding of the most recent advances is recommended to support decision making in this specialist field of clinical medicine.     

Autologous blood donation in total knee arthroplasties is not necessary

BACKGROUND: This study intends to prove the hypothesis that preoperative autologous blood donation in total knee arthroplasties (TKA) is dispensable. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprises a prospective analysis of 81 consecutive TKA without preoperative autologous blood donation (AB-donation). Guidelines for blood retransfusion were used. Surgery, as well as the pre- and postoperative procedures were identical for each patient. In the analysis of the data, the consecutive TKAs were divided into patients who were eligible for preoperative autologous blood donation (group 1, n = 46) and those with relevant risk factors not permitting preoperative autologous blood donation (group 2, n = 35). RESULTS: None of the patients in group 1 needed a blood transfusion. 14 of 35 patients in group 2 needed an allogenic blood transfusion. INTERPRETATION: Total knee arthroplasty can be managed without preoperative AB-donation if it is performed using a tourniquet, if a postoperative collection and direct retransfusion system is used for the wound blood, and if the transfusion algorithm is defined according to compulsory and practical guidelines.     

Distal Pancreatectomy with En Bloc Celiac Axis Resection for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Following Neoadjuvant Therapy

Background

Celiac trunk encasement by adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic body is generally regarded as a contraindication for surgical resection. Recent studies have suggested that a subset of stage III patients will succumb to their disease in the absence of distant metastases. We hypothesized that patients with stage III tumors invading the celiac trunk, who are free of distant disease following neoadjuvant therapy, may derive prolonged survival benefit from aggressive surgical resection.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of distal pancreatectomies with en bloc celiac axis resection for pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Results

Eleven patients underwent a distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection after completing neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Median operative time was 8?h, 14?min, and median estimated blood loss was 700?ml. Median length of stay was 9?days. Five patients (45%) had postoperative complications; three were Clavien grade I. Four patients (35%) had pancreatic leaks; two were ISGPF grade B, and two were grade A. There were two 90-day perioperative deaths. Ten patients had R0 resections (91%). After a median follow-up of 41?weeks, six patients recurred. Four of the five patients with SMAD4 loss recurred, and two of the five patients with intact SMAD4 recurred. Median disease-free and overall survival were 21?weeks and 26?months, respectively.

Conclusions

Resection of pancreatic body adenocarcinoma with celiac axis resection is technically feasible with acceptable perioperative morbidity and mortality.     

Thromboprophylaxis in laparoscopic abdominal surgery

Background: Since the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there has been a great concern regarding the increased risk of thromboembolism following laparoscopic surgery. However, in the absence of clear guidelines, the use of thromboprophylaxis in laparoscopic abdominal surgery is controversial. Methods: The evidence for and against routine and selective thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal procedures was reviewed based mainly on published British and Danish surveys, together with the author's own survey. An attempt was made to come up with a generally‐accepted protocol for thromboprophylaxis in laparoscopic surgery. Results: Less thromboembolic events were encountered by laparoscopic surgeons who adopt routine thromboprophylaxis. More thromboembolic events following laparoscopic abdominal surgery were encountered by surgeons adopting selective thromboprophylaxis policy. Conclusion: Routine thromboprophylaxis seems to be more effective in protection against thromboembolism. However, this warrants further confirmation by prospective randomized trials.      

Predictors of Completion Axillary Lymph Node Dissection in Patients with Positive Sentinel Lymph Nodes

Background  Completion axillary lymph node dissection (CALND) is routinely performed in breast cancer patients with positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLN). We sought to determine the sociodemographic, pathologic, and therapeutic variables that were associated with CALND. Methods  From 7/1997 to 7/2003, 1,470 patients with invasive breast cancer were SLN positive by intraoperative frozen section or final pathologic exam by hematoxylin–eosin and/or immunohistochemistry (IHC). A comorbidity score was assigned using Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 system. Fisher’s exact, Wilcoxon tests, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used. Results  CALND was performed less often in patients with age ≥ 70 years compared with age < 70 years, moderate or severe comorbidities compared with no or mild, IHC-only positive SLN and breast conservation therapy (BCT compared with mastectomy. Patients who did not undergo CALND were less likely than CALND patients to have grade III disease, lymphovascular invasion multifocal disease, tumor size > 2 cm or to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. However, they were more likely to undergo axillary radiotherapy (RT). On multivariate analysis, age ≥ 70 years [odds ratio (OR) 0.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26–0.63], IHC-only positive SLN (OR 0.13, 95%CI 0.09–0.19), presence of moderate to severe comorbidities (OR 0.64, 95%CI 0.41–0.99), tumor size ≤ 2 cm (OR 0.44, 95%CI 0.29–0.66), axillary RT (OR 0.39, 95%CI 0.20–0.78), and BCT (OR 0.54, 95%CI 0.37–0.79) were all independently associated with lower odds of CALND. Conclusions  The decision to perform CALND following positive SLN biopsy was multifactorial. Patient factors were a primary determinant for the use of CALND in our study. The decreased use of CALND in the BCT patients probably reflects reliance on the radiotherapy tangents to maintain local control in the axilla.