Neoadjuvant chemoradiation-immunotherapy offers better pathologic complete response rates compared to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, but it comes with increased postoperative pulmonary complications without improving long-term survival. Pathologic complete response (PCR) for nCRI was 41.1% vs. 19.4% for nCIT (p < 0.001). Postoperative pulmonary complications were significantly higher […]
Category: General Surgery
Neoadjuvant Chemoimmunotherapy Improves Survival in Esophageal Cancer
In patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (ncit) significantly improves three-year overall survival compared to standard chemoradiotherapy (ncrt). Three-year overall survival rate was 79.7% for ncit versus 68.2% for ncrt (HR 0.51, p = 0.023). ncit also showed lower rates of overall recurrence (15.8% vs 28.8%, p = 0.033) and distant […]
Prophylactic Negative Pressure Therapy Cuts Infection Risk in Emergency Laparotomy
In patients undergoing emergency laparotomy, incisional negative pressure wound therapy (INPWT) significantly decreases the risk of surgical site infections (SSI) compared to standard dressings. INPWT is linked to lower odds of overall SSI (OR 0.36), superficial and deep infections, and seroma formation. Hospital length of stay was reduced by about 1.5 days with INPWT (MD […]
Nomogram Identifies Early Recurrence Factors After Gastrectomy
A new study identifies key predictors of early recurrence in gastric cancer patients after curative gastrectomy, developed specifically for a non-East Asian cohort. Among 367 patients, the early recurrence rate was 18.3%, linked to variables including perineural invasion and elevated CA 19-9 levels. A nomogram developed from postoperative data achieved an AUC of 0.826, aiding […]
Sphincter-Sparing Preclosure Technique Cuts Complications in Endoscopic Papillectomy
Sphincter-sparing preclosure technique-assisted endoscopic papillectomy significantly reduces delayed bleeding and shortens hospital stays compared to conventional methods. Delayed bleeding rate dropped to 0% in the preclosure group versus 17.95% in the conventional group (p = .017). Immediate bleeding rates were also lower in the preclosure group (37.93% vs 66.67%; p = .027). Cannulation time and […]
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Outcomes Differ Markedly by Region
A study comparing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients in South Africa and Sweden found stark differences in survival and access to curative treatment, underscoring the need for region-specific guidelines. South African HCC patients were younger (median age 50 vs. 71) and predominantly had hepatitis B-related HCC (60% vs. 3.6%) compared to their Swedish counterparts. Only 9.2% […]
Salvage Surgery After Proton Beam Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal Cancer
Salvage surgery for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after proton beam chemoradiotherapy shows significant morbidity but no operative mortality, indicating careful patient selection is crucial. In a study of 19 patients, major morbidity was reported in 47.3% post-salvage surgery, with a median overall survival of 16.2 months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were […]
Fluorescence-Guided Surgery’s Adoption in Latin America
Fluorescence-guided surgery is recognized in Latin America but remains inconsistently applied across surgical specialties, primarily due to economic and logistical barriers. Adoption is mostly in high-resource, specialized centers, with practical use seen in biliary, breast, urologic, and gastrointestinal surgeries. Barriers include limited operating room access, high costs of equipment and fluorophores, and unclear reimbursement policies, […]
Sexual Distress Common After Pelvic Pouch Surgery in Women
Sexual distress affects 39% of patients following pelvic pouch surgery for ulcerative colitis, significantly more in women (57.8% vs. 26.5% in men). Female gender is the only strong preoperative predictor of sexual distress (OR 4.796; p < 0.001). Poor bowel function, anxiety, and depression significantly correlate with sexual distress (all p < 0.001). Surgeons should […]
Surgeon insights improve risk assessment for complications
Surgeons’ subjective evaluations before surgery can significantly predict postoperative complications. 10.1% of patients had grade III complications in 2023; this increased to 12.3% in 2024. Surgeons’ preoperative assessment of general condition (q4) is the strongest predictor of severe complications (odds ratio 1.35 per 10-point increase). Surgeons should consider their own insights along with traditional metrics […]