Author: STITCHES Newsletter

High Fat Content Linked to Poor Outcomes in Liver Surgery Patients

Patients with high intramuscular fat content (IMFC) or high visceral-to-subcutaneous fat tissue ratio (VSR) undergoing hepatectomy or liver transplantation had significantly worse overall survival, recurrence-free survival, and higher major complication rates. A meta-analysis of 29 articles including 6,435 patients revealed that IMFC was associated with inferior outcomes and a higher risk of complications, while VSR […]

Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Shows Improved Outcomes in Pancreatic Cancer

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery demonstrates enhanced overall survival (OS) rates compared to upfront surgery and neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with resectable and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. This approach also increases margin-negative resection rates and pathological negative lymph node rates. However, it carries a higher risk of grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events, particularly […]

Histological Predictors of Aggressive HCC Recurrence

Histological features such as microvascular invasion and/or satellitosis were strong predictors of aggressive recurrence and mortality in hepatocellular carcinoma patients post-liver resection. A retrospective study of 218 patients revealed that the presence of these features was the only independent risk factor for aggressive recurrence, exceeding Milan criteria and poorer survival outcomes. Patients with these histological […]

Enhanced Recovery Program Reduces Hospital Stay in Trauma Patients

Implementing enhanced recovery principles in emergency laparotomy for penetrating abdominal trauma led to a 39% decrease in length of hospital stay (LOS) with no increase in postoperative complications. Opioid consumption was significantly lower, and patients on the program had earlier resumption of oral intake and removal of tubes and drains. These results indicate that enhanced […]