Palliative surgery in gastrointestinal malignancy: experience from a regional cancer centre

Background: With so much burden of advanced incurable disease, the role of palliative surgery is paramount for gastrointestinal malignancies improving quality of life. Aim of the study was to study the indications, risks and outcome of palliative surgeries in gastrointestinal malignancies, the burden of disease requiring palliative surgery, and to describe strategies to improve end of life care.Methods: All the patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal malignancy and who underwent palliative surgery between January 2017 and December 2017 were analysed.Results: A total of 186 cases underwent palliative surgery. The most common age group affected was between 50-60 years and the mean age was 54.55 years. Stomach was the most common primary consisting of 58.60% followed by colorectal (23.66%), small intestine (9.68%), hepato-pacreatico-billiary (4.30%), and oesophageal (3.76%) primary. Major complications were seen in 4.84% of cases. Average symptomatic relief was observed for 5.5 months in cases of stomach and 7 months in case of colorectal malignancies. 35.48% cases were alive at the end of one year.Conclusions: Present study concludes that palliative surgery improves quality of life of the patient, provides them with time to accept death and live rest of the life in a dignified manner.

Single Family Members with Multiple Impacted teeth: A Rare Case Report.

Multiple impacted teeth of idiopathic origin are a rare dental anomaly. Various local and systemic causative factors have been implicated in the literature; however, it is unknown at present about the localization of the genetic defect in the phenotype of failure of eruption. Retained primary teeth is a well-known process, but multiple permanent and supernumerary teeth that too asymptomatic is surely a rare possibility. This article aims in to consolidate and organize the available information regarding the tooth eruption failure and to collaborate the current evidence with the report of three adult sibling’s cases of failure of eruption of multiple permanent teeth in a family without a known cause.

Stem cells in orthopedics: current concepts and possible future applications.

Stem cells are the cells that have the ability to divide for indefinite periods in culture and to give rise to specialized cells. Sources of these cells include embryo, umbilical cord and certain sites in adults such as the central nervous system [CNS] and bone marrow. Its use hold promise of wide spread applications particularly in areas of spinal cord injury, difficult non-unions, critical bone defects, spinal fusions, augmentation of ligament reconstructions, cartilage repair and degenerative disc disorders. This review article contains current information derived from Medline searches on the use in various orthopedic subspecialties. Some issues remain at the forefront of the controversy involving stem cell research - legislation, ethics and public opinion, cost and concentration methods. As is true with any new technology, the enthusiasm for this technology that has potential to influence virtually every orthopedic case management, must be balanced by subjecting it to stringent clinical and basic research investigations.