Gastrointestinal tuberculosis is a rare manifestation that often imitates various gastrointestinal diseases. In this case study of an 85-year-old male patient, a cecal mass initially suspected to be malignant was removed through colonic resection. Acid-fast staining of the surgical specimen later revealed acid-fast bacilli and necrotizing granulomas in multiple lymph nodes. The study highlights the […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
Modified pancreaticoduodenectomy: A viable alternative to hepatopancreaticoduodenectomy for middle-third cholangiocarcinoma
The study compared the outcomes of patients with middle-third cholangiocarcinoma who underwent modified pancreaticoduodenectomy (MPD) or hepatopancreaticoduodenectomy (HPD). The MPD group exhibited advantages such as shorter operation time, less blood loss, and fewer complications compared to the HPD group. Overall survival rates did not significantly differ between the groups. The study identified positive surgical margins […]
aMAP Score Predicts Long-term Outcomes in HCC Resection
A proposed model called the aMAP score was evaluated for its ability to predict long-term outcomes in patients undergoing resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The results showed that a high aMAP score was associated with poorer 5-year overall survival (OS) rates compared to a low aMAP score. The aMAP score was also found to be […]
High Resection to Exploration Ratios and Variable Survival Outcomes in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients
Researchers conducted a study to investigate resection to exploration ratios (RER) and outcomes in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The overall RER was found to be 89.7%, with higher ratios observed in upfront explorations compared to post-neoadjuvant explorations. The primary reasons for uncompleted resection were occult metastases in presumed resectable/borderline resectable disease and local […]
Long-term Oncological Outcomes of Robotic and Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer
The multicentre cohort study aimed to compare the long-term oncological outcomes between robotic gastrectomy (RG) and laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for patients with gastric cancer. The study included a total of 2,055 patients who underwent RG and 4,309 patients who underwent LG. After matching the patients using propensity scores, the study found that RG and LG […]
Combining Oncolytic Virus and CD19-CAR-T Cells Shows Promise in Treating Pancreatic Cancer
A study found that combining an oncolytic virus with CD19-Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T (CAR-T) cells was effective in treating pancreatic cancer. The engineered virus successfully infected and expressed CD19 on tumor cells, leading to an increased immune response and cell killing when co-cultured with CD19-CAR-T cells. In combination therapy, the virus and CAR-T cells significantly reduced […]
The Impact of Socioeconomic Deprivation on Access to Guideline-Concordant Treatment in Foregut Cancer
High socioeconomic deprivation, as measured by the area deprivation index (ADI), significantly reduces the likelihood of receiving guideline-concordant treatment (GCT) for foregut cancers. In a retrospective study of 498 patients, 66% received GCT, with lower rates observed in pancreatic, gastric, and hepatobiliary cancers. Factors independently associated with non-receipt of GCT included age ≥75 years, black […]
Active Gas Aspiration Reduces Postoperative Pain in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Active gas aspiration was found to be more effective than passive gas aspiration in reducing postoperative pain and analgesic requirements in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This systematic review and meta-analysis included 5 randomized clinical trials with 367 participants and found that active gas aspiration resulted in significantly lower residual gas volume and total analgesia requirements. […]
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Surge on Surgical Outcomes: No Increase in Mortality or Morbidity
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a retrospective study of 7436 patients undergoing surgery found no evidence of increased 30-day mortality or morbidity during the pandemic surges compared to non-surge periods. Surgical care was successfully maintained, suggesting that healthcare systems effectively adapted to the challenges. The study analyzed data from the American College […]
Extended Chemoprophylaxis Reduces Portomesenteric Vein Thrombosis Rates but Increases Postoperative Bleeding in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Patients
Routine extended (30 days) chemoprophylaxis for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) may decrease portomesenteric vein thrombosis (PMVT) rates. A study of 8,864 SG patients revealed that implementing routine extended chemoprophylaxis significantly reduced PMVT occurrences, but at the cost of a higher postoperative bleeding rate. The majority of increased bleeds were delayed and managed non-operatively. Journal Article […]