Minimally invasive gastrectomy (MIG) shows comparable postoperative recovery, oncological outcomes, and quality of life to open gastrectomy (OG) in patients with advanced gastric cancer in Western countries. A pooled analysis of two European randomized controlled trials found MIG to be a safe alternative to OG, with MIG showing lower blood loss but longer surgery duration […]
Author: STITCHES Newsletter
A Proposed Clinical Synoptic Operative Report Improves Documentation of Ileocolic Resection for Crohn’s Disease
Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 66 ileocolic resections (ICR) in 63 Crohn’s disease patients to evaluate the completeness of operative reports. They found that crucial information, such as the examination of bowel for macroscopic disease and the extent of mesenteric resection, was often poorly documented in standard operative reports. However, the proposed clinical synoptic […]
Impact of Tumor Size on Outcomes of Hepatic Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
The study evaluated the impact of tumor size on perioperative and long-term outcomes of liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Three groups were categorized based on tumor size. Group III had larger tumors and exhibited higher incidence of unfavorable factors such as multiple tumors, organ invasion, and lymph node presence. Group III also required more […]
Personalized Circulating Tumor DNA Predicts Recurrence in Resectable Pancreatic Cancer
Researchers evaluated the feasibility of using a personalized, tumor-informed circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay to detect recurrence in patients with resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). They successfully designed ctDNA assays for all patients, and found that ctDNA positivity during the immediate postoperative period was associated with significantly inferior recurrence-free survival and overall survival. This study demonstrates […]
Minimum of Ten Regional Lymph Nodes Needed to Adequately Stage Adenocarcinoma of the Appendix
The study aimed to determine the minimum number of regional lymph nodes (LNs) required to accurately stage adenocarcinoma of the appendix (AC). The researchers analyzed data from 3,602 AC patients and found that harvesting at least ten LNs was necessary to minimize the risk of missing LN-positive disease. Examining fewer than ten LNs was an […]
Optimistic Long-Term Outcomes for Esophageal Cancer Patients with Pathologic Complete Response after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Surgery
Patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who achieved a pathologic complete response (PCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a favorable prognosis in terms of long-term survival. The 5-year overall survival rate for patients with PCR was significantly higher compared to those without PCR. However, a subset of patients still experienced recurrence, particularly locoregional […]
Socioecological Determinants of Health Survey: Highly Acceptable and Feasible in Colorectal Surgery Patients
A comprehensive tool consisting of 88 questions measuring 31 socioecological determinants of health was developed and assessed for acceptability and feasibility in adult patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Results showed high acceptability and feasibility (>65%) for all domains, with the majority of participants reporting no trouble completing the survey, minimal burden, sufficient time, and integration into […]
Inefficiencies in Hub-and-Spoke Systems: Balancing Outcomes and Length of Stay
A multi-state cohort study examined hub and spoke healthcare systems and found that while hub hospitals had lower odds of death or serious morbidity (DSM) for complex operations, they had higher odds of prolonged length of stay (LOS) for common operations. This suggests that there is an opportunity to improve system efficiency within these healthcare […]
Organ Preservation Treatment Strategies for Rectal Cancer
The OPAXX study aims to determine the rate of successful organ preservation in patients with rectal cancer who have a good clinical response after neoadjuvant therapy. The study, conducted in the Netherlands, will include 168 patients who will be randomized into two parallel single-arm phase II studies. Study arm 1 will evaluate the effectiveness of […]
Intra-Abdominal Abscesses After Major Liver Trauma: Unraveling Risk Factors
The study investigated risk factors associated with intra-abdominal abscesses (IAA) following major operative liver trauma. Based on a retrospective multi-center study involving 372 patients, it was found that patients with penetrating trauma, activation of intraoperative massive transfusion protocol, biloma/bile leak, longer hospital length of stay, and additional intra-abdominal injuries had a higher risk of developing […]