Efficacy of a Laparoscopic Appendectomy When Performed by Surgeons Early in Their Laparoscopic Training Courses

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic surgery has many advantages and has been a popular method for the treatment of various diseases. Although a laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is now a common practice, it has not yet become the treatment of choice for appendicitis of inexperienced surgeons in their early days of individual laparoscopic training courses. The purpose of this study was to compare the results obtained by inexperienced surgeons to those obtained by experienced surgeons. METHODS: From May 2007 to January 2008, 130 patients underwent a LA at our department. The surgeries were performed by three surgeons. The patients were divided into 2 groups. In Group I, the LAs were performed by one surgeon who was experienced with laparoscopic procedures, and in Group II, the LAs were performed by two surgeons who were relatively inexperienced with laparoscopic procedures. We retrospectively reviewed patient's medical records for age, sex, previous abdomen operation history, operation method, operation time, surgical complications, length of hospital stay, and the time to resume soft diet. RESULTS: The age was younger in Group I (29.8+/-18.2 vs. 36.0+/-16.0 yr, P=0.041). The operation time was longer in Group II (48.4+/-28.7 vs. 64.1+/-30.0 min, P=0.003). In Group I, wound infections developed in 4 cases. In Group II, wound infections developed in 7 cases, and an intraabdominal abscess developed in 1 case. The differences in conversion rates, times to start of diet, uses of analgesics, and hospital stays were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Even though an inexperienced surgeon performs the LA for acute appendicitis, there are no differences in postoperative complications and returns to daily activities compared to a LA performed for acute appendicitis by an experienced surgeon. LA is a safe method for the treatment of acute appendicitis for surgeons who are new to laparoscopic procedures.

The Use of Absorbable Surgical Mesh after Partial Mastectomy for Improving the Cosmetic Outcome / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: Partial mastectomy without immediate volume replacement can be associated with cosmetic failure. The aim of the present study was to assess cosmesis achieved in patients who underwent partial mastectomy and reconstruction using absorbable surgical mesh. METHODS: We used absorbable surgical mesh (Polyglactin 910, Vicryl(R)) to repair defects after performing partial mastectomy in 25 patients. Endoscopy-assisted partial mastectomy was performed with conservation of the whole skin of the breast and areola. A tailored fan-shape mesh was inserted into the postoperative defect. The cosmetic appearance was evaluated using a simplified five-grade for five-items scoring system at 3 and 6 months after the operation. RESULTS: An excellent or good cosmetic result was obtained in 82.6% of the patients (19/23) after 3 and 6 months, and no major complications were noted. CONCLUSION: This procedure can be easily performed by general surgeons. Insertion of an absorbable surgical mesh into the postoperative defect could be an effective modality for reconstructing a defect after breast surgery.

Analysis of Results after Percutaneous Catheter Drainage for Anastomotic Leakage

PURPOSE: Anastomotic leakage is a serious and life- threatening complication after colorectal surgery. The management of clinical anastomotic leakage remains largely operative. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical characteristics and the natural history of percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) for anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery. METHODS: Twenty patients who were managed by PCD after anastomotic leakage between January 2002 and December 2006 were studied. Charts were reviewed for information on clinical characteristics and biolologic finding prePCD and postPCD. RESULTS: Anastomotic leakage was managed by using only PCD in 16 of 20 patients (80%), and twenty percent of patients (4/20) were managed by using a loop ileostomy after PCD. Nine patients (45%) had peritoneal drains left in place at diagnosis. Before PCD, the mean of the peak white blood cell (WBC) was 12,800/mm3, and the mean period of fever (>38degrees C) was 3.4 (2~5) days. After PCD, the mean time until the body temperature dropped below 37oC was 3.1 (1~5) days, the mean time until the WBC count dropped below 10,000/mm3 was 3.2 (0~6) days, the mean duration of ileus and diarrhea was 3.3 (0~6) days, the mean total amount of drainage during 6 days was 880 cc, and the mean length of stay after PCD was 14.9 days. CONCLUSIONS: PCD is a safe and effective method for treating anastomtic leakage in patients without sepsis or diffuse peritonitis and with CT scans that reveal no diffuse fluid collection.

Clinical Outcomes after Peripheral Balloon Angioplasty or Stent Insertion in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Obstructive or Stenotic Disease

PURPOSE: Percutaneous peripheral balloon angioplasty and stent insertion are used for the treatment of peripheral arterial obstructions and stenosis. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of peripheral balloon angioplasty and stent insertion in patients with peripheral arterial disease. METHOD: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent peripheral balloon angioplasty or stent insertion in obstructive or stenotic peripheral arterial lesions between July 2003 and November 2006. Follow-up study was performed using lower extremity multi-directional computed tomography (MDCT) or lower extremity angiography. Mean follow-up was 22.8 months. RESULT: A total of 30 patients (47 lesions) were treated. The mean age was 66.8 years, and the ratio of male to female patients was 29 to 1. Calf claudication was the most common chief complaint, and 19 patients had hypertension. Obstructive lesions were found in the common iliac artery (CIA) (18), external iliac artery (EIA) (11), superficial femoral artery (SFA) (15), and anterior tibial artery (ATA) (3). Peripheral balloon angioplasty was performed for 8 lesions, and stent insertion was performed for 39 lesions. Re-stenosis occurred in 9 lesions (3 in the CIA, 5 in the SFA, 1 in the ATA) during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Peripheral balloon angioplasty and stent insertion are useful modalities for the treatment of obstruction or stenosis in lower extremity peripheral arteries. Close follow-up is necessary to improve long-term outcomes.

The Immunohistochemical Expression of E2F-1 Protein and DNA Topoisomerase II-alpha E2F-1 Protein in Colorectal Cancer and Their Relationship with Clinicopathologic Factors

PURPOSE: E2F-1 is a transcriptor that converts G1 to S in the cell cycle, and Topoisomerase II-alpha is a key enzyme in the metabolism of DNA, and an indicator of cell replication. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical validity of E2F-1 and Topoisomerase II-alpha as prognostic factors in colorectal cancer. METHODS: The expressions of E2F-1 and Topoisomerase II-alpha were studied immunohistochemically using tumor specimen sections fixed with formalin and paraffin-embedded for 84 cases of colorectal cancer. The correlation between E2F-1 and Topoisomerase II-alpha expressions, and their relationship with the clinicopathological factors, such as tumor differentiation, tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis and tumor stage were investigated. RESULTS: Of the 84 specimens, 43 (51.2%) were immunohistochemically negative for E2F-1, and 41 (48.8%) were positive. The expression of E2F-1 correlated with poor tumor differentiation, increased lymph node metastasis and high tumor stage. The expression of Topoisomerase II-alpha also correlated with poor tumor differentiation, increased lymph node metastasis and high tumor stage. The E2F-1 and Topoisomerase II-alpha expressions indices were significantly correlated. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the expressions of E2F-1 and DNA Topoisomerase II-alpha may play a role as a prognostic factor for colorectal cancer, but further studies will be required for its comfirmation.