A prospective randomized controlled study comparing patient-reported scar evaluation of single-port versus multiport laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis

Purpose@#This study aimed to compare the postoperative outcomes and patient-surveyed scar assessments of single-port laparoscopic appendectomy (SPLA) with the outcomes of multiport laparoscopic appendectomy (MPLA). @*Methods@#Between August 2014 and November 2017, the prospective randomized study comprised 98 patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis and indicated for surgery. Fifty-one patients had MPLA and 47 patients received SPLA. The primary endpoint was the total score of Patient Scar Assessment Questionnaire (PSAQ) administered to patients 6 weeks after surgery. @*Results@#SPLA involved a shorter median operative time than MPLA (47.5 minutes vs. 60.0 minutes, p = 0.02). There were no apparent differences in the time before diet tolerance, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complication. SPLA patients had shorter total incision length (2.0 cm vs. 2.5 cm, p < 0.01) and required fewer analgesics on the day of surgery than MPLA patients (p = 0.011). The PSAQ favored the SPLA approach, revealing significant differences in total score (48 vs. 55, p = 0.026), appearance (15 vs. 18, p = 0.002), and consciousness (8 vs. 10, p = 0.005), while satisfaction with appearance and symptoms scale did not (p = 0.162 and p = 0.690, respectively). @*Conclusion@#The postoperative scar evaluated by the patient was better with SPLA than with MPLA, and patient satisfaction with the scar was comparable between the two techniques.

Minimally invasive treatments for early colorectal cancer: comparison of endoscopic resection and laparoscopic surgery

Purpose@#Endoscopic treatment and laparoscopic surgery are minimally invasive options for early treatment of colorectal cancer, however, more evidence of the long-term outcomes between the two procedures is needed to guide clinical decisions. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the oncologic outcomes between endoscopic and laparoscopic treatment for early colorectal cancer. @*Methods@#The study group included 60 patients who underwent endoscopic treatment and 38 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for early colorectal adenocarcinoma between January 2010 and December 2013 at a single study site. @*Results@#Histopathological diagnoses showed that 43 (78.3%) carcinomas in the endoscopic submucosal dissection group were mucosal to sm1, 13 (21.7%) were sm2 or deeper, and 17 high-risk cases (28.3%) in the endoscopic group underwent additional surgery. The median operation time, time to sips of water, and length of hospital stay were significantly shorter in the endoscopic group than in the laparoscopic group. The overall survival rates of patients in the endoscopic group and laparoscopic groups were 91.5% and 87.4%, respectively (P=0.391), and the disease-free survival rates were 90.4% and 87.4% (P=0.614), respectively. Systemic recurrences occurred in two patients (1.6%) in the endoscopic group and one patient (2.0%) in the laparoscopic group. Local recurrence combined with systemic recurrence in one patient (0.8%) in the endoscopic group. @*Conclusion@#Endoscopic resection for early colorectal cancer can be performed safely with better short-term outcomes and comparable longterm oncological outcomes compared to laparoscopic surgery.

Impact of Visceral Fat Area Measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis on Clinico-Pathologic Outcomes of Colorectal Surgery

Purpose@#This study investigated the relationship between the visceral fat area (VFA) and clinico-pathological outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). @*Methods@#This retrospective study included 204 patients who underwent anthropometric measurement by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) before surgical treatment for CRC between January 2016 and June 2020. @*Results@#According to the average value of the visceral fat area, 119 (58.3%) patients had a low visceral fat area, and 85 (59.1%) patients had a high visceral fat area. Patients with visceral obesity showed a higher BMI compared to patients without visceral obesity, (21.8±1.9 vs. 25.7±2.5, P＜0.001). There was no significant difference in the overall perioperative outcomes including total operation time, time to gas out, sips of water, soft diet, hospital stay, and morbidity between patients in the low and high VFA groups. We divided patients into two subgroups according to the degree of cancer progression and more advanced cases with low VFA showed significantly more total and positive retrieved lymph nodes (LNs) (20.9±10.3 vs. 16.1±7.1, P=0.021 and 3.3±2.9 vs. 2.2±2.3, P=0.019, respectively) and a higher proportion of more than 12 retrieved LNs compared to patients with a high VFA (95.1% vs. 90.0%, P=0.047). Body composition analysis showed that phase angle, muscle composition, and body fluid composition were not statistically different between the two groups. However, body fat mass was statistically higher in the high VFA group (22.0±4.6 vs. 12.8±3.1, P＜0.001). @*Conclusion@#Visceral obesity measured by BIA showed lower total and positive retrieved LNs and was not associated with adverse peri-operative outcomes, inflammatory and nutritional, and pathologic outcomes for CRC.

Impact of Visceral Fat Area Measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis on Clinico-Pathologic Outcomes of Colorectal Surgery

Purpose@#This study investigated the relationship between the visceral fat area (VFA) and clinico-pathological outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). @*Methods@#This retrospective study included 204 patients who underwent anthropometric measurement by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) before surgical treatment for CRC between January 2016 and June 2020. @*Results@#According to the average value of the visceral fat area, 119 (58.3%) patients had a low visceral fat area, and 85 (59.1%) patients had a high visceral fat area. Patients with visceral obesity showed a higher BMI compared to patients without visceral obesity, (21.8±1.9 vs. 25.7±2.5, P＜0.001). There was no significant difference in the overall perioperative outcomes including total operation time, time to gas out, sips of water, soft diet, hospital stay, and morbidity between patients in the low and high VFA groups. We divided patients into two subgroups according to the degree of cancer progression and more advanced cases with low VFA showed significantly more total and positive retrieved lymph nodes (LNs) (20.9±10.3 vs. 16.1±7.1, P=0.021 and 3.3±2.9 vs. 2.2±2.3, P=0.019, respectively) and a higher proportion of more than 12 retrieved LNs compared to patients with a high VFA (95.1% vs. 90.0%, P=0.047). Body composition analysis showed that phase angle, muscle composition, and body fluid composition were not statistically different between the two groups. However, body fat mass was statistically higher in the high VFA group (22.0±4.6 vs. 12.8±3.1, P＜0.001). @*Conclusion@#Visceral obesity measured by BIA showed lower total and positive retrieved LNs and was not associated with adverse peri-operative outcomes, inflammatory and nutritional, and pathologic outcomes for CRC.

Association between body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in colorectal cancer

PURPOSE: This study investigated the relationship between body composition and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).METHODS: This retrospective study included 110 patients who underwent anthropometric measurement by bioelectrical impedance analysis before surgical treatment for CRC between May 2015 and June 2018.RESULTS: According to PLR, 45 patients (40.9%) had low PLR (PLR<150), and 65 patients (59.1%) had high PLR (PLR≥150). Serum hemoglobin (P<0.001) and albumin levels (P=0.021) were significantly lower in high PLR group. Tumor mass diameter was significantly larger in high PLR group (P=0.048) and the proportion of poorly differentiated or mucinous tumors was significantly higher in high PLR group (P=0.037). All indices related to fat (body fat mass, percent body fat, body fat mass of trunk, visceral fat area, fat mass index, measured fat thickness of abdomen) and two indices related to muscle (arm muscle circumference, measured muscle circumference of abdomen) were significantly lower in high PLR group (P<0.05). According to subgroup analysis based on the sex, all indices significantly differed between PLR groups; however, in females no index was significantly different between PLR groups.CONCLUSION: Body composition indices including fat and muscle indices measured by InBody 770 were related to PLR in CRC, especially in male patients. These results suggest that low muscle and fat indices may be related to poor prognosis of CRC.

The Effect of Positive Psychological Characteristics on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms after Traumatic Experiences in Firefighters / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of positive psychological characteristics on posttraumatic stress symptoms after traumatic experiences. METHODS: The subjects were 97 firefighters (83 males and 14 females), who completed the Life Events Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised Korean version. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients were computed to examine the relationships among the variables, and Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate the mediation process in the relationships among traumatic experiences, positive psychological characteristics, and posttraumatic stress. RESULTS: The results showed that self-esteem had a mediating effect on the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Traumatic experiences affected posttraumatic stress symptoms not only directly, but also through self-esteem to posttraumatic stress symptoms. Therefore the lower firefighters' self-esteem was, the more posttraumatic stress symptoms occurred. Resilience, however, apparently had no function as mediating variable in the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Traumatic experiences and resilience each seemed to affect posttraumatic stress symptoms directly. Hence, the lower firefighters' resilience was, the more posttraumatic stress symptoms occurred. CONCLUSION: This study showed that self-esteem had a mediating effect on the relationship between traumatic experiences and posttraumatic stress symptoms. We also found that resilience affects posttraumatic stress symptoms directly, regardless of the number of traumatic experiences. Likewise, these results showed that we should be concerned in positive psychological characteristics such as self-esteem and resilience in order to prevent posttraumatic stress symptoms.