Endoscopy-assisted Breast Conserving Surgery for Breast Cancer: A Preliminary Clinical Experience / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: Breast conserving surgery (BCS) has replaced modified radical mastectomy as the standard treatment for early breast cancer. However, even though the original shape of the breast is preserved, the significant scarring after BCS detracts from the natural appearance of the breast. Endoscopy-assisted breast surgery can be performed with small incisions that become inconspicuous after surgery. We report herein on our preliminary clinical experience for the aesthetic and treatment results of endoscopy-assisted BCS (EA-BCS). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 22 consecutive patients who underwent EA-BCS between June 2006 and February 2008. The skin incisions were made at the periareolar and axillary sites. We performed a dye- and/or radioisotope-guided sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), and we dissected the axillary lymph nodes (level I and II), and excised tissue under endoscopic assistance. We carried out frozen section biopsies to rule out tumor invasion on the resection margins. The following information was obtained: the clinical and histopathological characteristics, the operative procedures, the surgical outcomes, the cosmetic evaluation, and the patients' satisfaction. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 52.0 years (range, 32-74 years). The mean tumor size was 2.2 cm (range, 0.7-5.5 cm). All the patients underwent EA-BCS and SLNB. The postoperative complications were as follows: lymphedema in two patients, wound infection in three patients, and a total mastectomy due to positive margins on the final biopsy report in one patient. No locoregional recurrence was observed on the follow-up study (mean, 24.0 months). There were good to excellent aesthetic results for 95% of the evaluated cases. Almost all the patients were satisfied with the outcome of surgery. CONCLUSION: EA-BCS was a feasible and effective procedure for treating patients with breast cancer and it achieved good aesthetic results with reducing the surgical scarring. However, further study with more patients and long-term follow-up is needed.

Volume Replacement with Polyglactin 910 Mesh for Breast Reconstruction after Endoscopy-Assisted Breast Conserving Surgery for Treating Early Breast Cancer: the Early Results / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: We introduce a new technique using a Vicryl(R) mesh made with Polyglactin 910 for breast reconstruction after performing endoscopy-assisted breast conserving surgery. METHODS: From July 2006 to July 2008, we performed endoscopiy-assisted breast surgery in 30 patients with early breast cancer. (Thirty [fourteen] patients [who] underwent endoscopy-assisted breast conserving surgery). Of the total patients, 14 underwent reconstruction procedure (volume replacement with the use of a Vicryl(R) mesh) and 16 underwent reconstuction without Vicryl(R) mesh. We were evaluated for their quality of life (QOL), the surgery-related complications and the cosmetic outcomes. Three patients were excluded from the study; two patients required mesh removal due to infection and the other patient had a total mastectomy performed due to a positive resection margin. RESULTS: The median age of the patient was 49.4 year (range 36-60 year) and all of the patients had a diagnosis of early breast cancer (less than stage IIb). In general, the patients were satisfied with the outcome for their QOL. The patients were especially satisfied with the cosmetic outcome. The patients' satisfaction increased with longer follow-up, as compared to that for the shorter intervals. At 10 months after surgery, there was encapsulated granulation tissue within a collection of tissue fluid, as seen on ultrasonography. At 20 months after surgery, the skin and breast shape both recovered. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that for relatively short follow-up period, breast reconstruction with using Polyglactin 910 mesh, which is made from oxidized regenerated cellulose, resulted in satisfactory cosmetic results and a good quality of life after breast conservative surgery.

Clinical Experiences of Laparoscopic Surgery in Children

PURPOSE: The indications for pediatric laparoscopic surgery are increasing according to the improvement of laparoscopic procedures and instruments and the increased knowledge of its safety and benefits. We summarized the analysis of the outcomes and the feasibility of performing laparoscopic surgery in children. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 183 consecutive children (114 males and 69 females) who underwent laparoscopic surgery between June 2001 and July 2007. The following information was obtained: the surgical indications, operative procedures and surgical outcomes. RESULTS: The laparoscopic procedures for each disease were as follows, appendectomy for acute appendicitis (n=143), reduction for barium reduction-failed intussusceptions (n=15), splenectomy for symptomatic hereditary spherocytosis (n=5), salphingoophorectomy for torsion of a parovarian cyst and ovarian tumor (n=2), diverticulectomy or segmental resection for symptomatic Meckel's diverticulum (n=3), cholecystectomy for symptomatic gall stones & adenomyomatosis (n-4), repair for Morgagni hernia (n=1), Nissen's fundoplication for paraesophageal hernia (n=1), Heller myotomy and Dor fundoplication for achalasia (n=1), diagnostic purpose for peritoneal tuberculosis (n=3) and lymphoma (n=1), excision for retroperitoneal neuroblastoma (n=1), peritoneal drainage for postoperative abscess (n=1) and removal of a foreign body in the peritoneal cavity (n=2). The mean age was 9.9 years (range: 4 months to 15 years). There was one conversion for a perforated appendicitis. There were 3 cases of laparoscopic assisted reductions for intussusception. There were three wound infections in the patients with complicated appendicitis. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic procedures for various pediatric surgical disorders were feasible under the appropriate indications.