Researchers conducted a retrospective study on colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) patients to compare different models of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting hepatic lymph node metastases (LNM). They found that a nomogram incorporating pre-treatment distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC) and the short axis of the largest lymph node after treatment had excellent performance in distinguishing between benign […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
Pilot Study Identifies Top Priorities for Assessing Low Anterior Resection Syndrome
Researchers conducted a pilot study to assess the severity of Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) following intersphincteric resection for ultralow rectal cancer. They used an exploratory instrument based on the Delphi consensus, which identified eight symptoms and eight consequences as the highest priorities for defining LARS. The study found that “emptying difficulties” and “dissatisfaction with […]
Robot-assisted KangDuo surgical robot found comparable to da Vinci Xi system for colorectal cancer surgery
Results from a multicenter randomized controlled trial in China showed that the KangDuo surgical robot (KD-SR-01) is a viable option for colorectal cancer surgery. The study found that the short-term outcomes of surgery using the KD-SR-01 system were comparable to those achieved with the da Vinci Xi robotic system. No significant differences were observed in […]
Laparoscopy’s Underutilization in Abdominal Stab Wound Management
Despite conflicting guidelines, this study found that laparoscopy is infrequently used in stable patients with abdominal stab wounds. Among the included patients, only 7% received therapeutic laparoscopy and 8% underwent laparoscopy converted to open surgery. However, patients who underwent therapeutic laparoscopy had better outcomes, including shorter ICU and hospital stays and fewer infection complications. This […]
Home-based laparoscopic training program proves effective in improving surgical skills
A national home-based laparoscopic and core surgical skills course, Monash Online Surgical Training (MOST), was evaluated for its educational impact. The 6-week remote course, designed to address limitations to surgical education access during the COVID-19 pandemic, showed statistically significant improvement in all 11 learning-outcome domains, including core laparoscopic skills and instrument handling. Participants completed 3460 […]
The Effect of Staple Line Reinforcement on Short-term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
A comparative study analyzed data from patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in Egypt over 11 years to evaluate the efficacy and safety of staple line reinforcement (SLR). The SLR group had longer surgery times but a lower rate of postoperative bleeding compared to the non-SLR group. All leakage cases occurred in the non-SLR group, […]
Patterns of Trauma Deaths in Western Cape of South Africa
Death patterns and factors associated with trauma deaths in the Western Cape of South Africa were examined through a retrospective cross-sectional analysis. The study found that the majority of trauma deaths (94.0%) occurred on-scene, predominantly among young men. Firearms were the leading cause of injury (32.6%), followed by road traffic collisions (17.8%). On-scene deaths were […]
Predictive Risk Score Identifies Recurrence of Acute Diverticulitis
Researchers conducted a prospective observational study to develop a predictive risk model for the recurrence of acute diverticulitis (AD) after the first episode. They analyzed data from 368 patients with AD who had a good response to treatment and found that colonic perforation in the antimesenteric location and a CRP level greater than 100 mg/dL […]
ctDNA Assessment in Characterizing Recurrence Sites after Resection for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Among 31 patients who underwent optimal resection for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was detected in 83.4% of those who experienced postoperative recurrence, while remaining undetectable in those without recurrence. ctDNA was detected earlier than clinical diagnosis by a median of nine weeks, and its levels were significantly lower in peritoneal-only recurrence […]
The Feasibility and Promising Results of Conversion Surgery for Esophageal Cancer with Distant Metastasis
A multi-institutional retrospective study investigated the clinical impact of conversion surgery for esophageal cancer with synchronous distant metastasis after induction therapy. Out of the 66 enrolled patients, distant lymph node metastasis occurred in 77%, while distant organ metastasis occurred in 23%. The study found that conversion surgery after chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is feasible and may […]