ABSTRACT
To compare the effectiveness of different electrosurgical devices used during laparoscopic surgery in Turkey. Retrospective study. Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Experimental laboratory, Turkey. Six large White-Landrace-Pietrain pigs, with a mean weight of 63 +/- 3.61 kg, were used in 2011. Laparoscopic Vessel Sealing Devices. Sealing time, demarcation, destruction, sticking, and burning effects of laparoscopic electrosurgical devices were investigated in blood vessels and ureters. Sealing process was significantly shorter with Liga Sure Atlas [LS-lO mm and LS-5 mm], Plasma Trissector Gyrus [PTG] and Harmonic Scalpel [HS] in gonadal vessels. The shortest superficial demarcation was provided with HS. The sticking effects of the LS-5 mm and PTG were lower in ureters. The superficial demarcation was shorter with PTG than LS-5 mm, LS-10 mm and HS in ureters. HS stands out a bit more among devices with electrosurgical effects and fewer side effects to surrounding tissues than other devices in our study. Electrosurgical device should be selected according to necessity of the kind of dissection
Subject(s)
Animals , Laparoscopy/instrumentation , Swine , Equipment and SuppliesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the most common types of cancer and one of the most frequent causes of cancer-related death. The majority of gastric cancers show distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis. At present, there is no general agreement over one standard chemotherapy regimen for metastatic gastric cancer. AIMS: We evaluated the activity and toxicity of the combination of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), epirubicin and cisplatin (FEP) in previously untreated patients with metastatic gastric cancer. SETTING AND DESIGN: Medical Oncology Department of Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa; retrospective study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-eight patients received 5-FU 300 mg/m2 on Days 1-5, epirubicin 50 mg/m2 on Day 1 and cisplatin 60 mg/m2 on Day 1, every 4 weeks. A median of 3.5 cycles was administered. The response rate, time to disease progression, survival and toxic effects were analyzed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Overall survival and time to progression were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: There were 4 partial responses and 1 complete response (overall response rate 7.3%); 16 patients had stable disease. Median progression-free and overall survival rates were 3.1 months (95% CI 1.9-4) and 6 months (95% CI 4.2-7), respectively. The principal toxicity was myelosupression. Grade 3-4 neutropenia occurred in 27.9%, anemia in 17.6%, and thrombocytopenia in 11.7% of patients. Non-hematological toxicity was mild and manageable. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that FEP combination as used at the doses and schedules in this study has inferior activity against metastatic gastric cancer.