Is Marginal Donor an Efficient Solution for Expanding the Donor Pool for Liver Transplant?

Once the techniques of hepatobiliopancreatic surgery improved, liver transplantation widely extended in different hospitals; therefore, the need of grafts and automatically of liver donors reported a significant increase in the last decade. In this respect, attention was focused on increasing the liver donor pool. The aim of this review is to study the benefits of using marginal grafts in liver transplantation. With the advent of multiple methods of liver preservation, the use of grafts previously considered unsuitable has become possible. Thus, extended allocation criteria have emerged. However, the allocation of these grafts must be carefully considered and analyzed in the context of both recipient and donor factors.

Recurrence and Carcinogenetic Rates of Colorectal Polyps.

AIM: to determin the recurrence rate of benign recto-colonic polyps in a 5-year interval, and compare the development rate of intrapolypoid carcinomatous lesions in polypectomized versus nonpolypectomized subjects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: a group of 77 patients diagnosed with recto-colonic polypoid lesions during the period 2014-2019 underwent colonoscopy at the time of study initiation and then annually during a five-year interval. Results: The recurrence rate of polyps increased annually from 5 to 12.5%; the highest rate was noted in the last two years. The five-year cumulative risk of neoplastic lesions was 73% in patients without polypectomy and 20% among those with endoscopic resection (p 0.05). Comparing the recurrence rate of benign lesions (60%) in patients without neoplastic findings with the recurrence rate of adenomas in patients with benign lesions (40%), a higher risk of recurrence was found in the first category, and seemed to be influenced by the personal history of pre-existing adenomatous lesions. CONCLUSION: an increased risk of colorectal polyps recurrence was reported during five year follow up; moreover, during the first three years an increased risk of malignant transformation was observed among cases in which endoscopic resection was not feasible when compared to those in which complete excision was feasible.

Prognostic Factors in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma - A Systematic Review.

Introduction: intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA) are rare, aggressive cancers that develop in second order or smaller bile ducts. The aim of this review is to systematically review the most important prognostic factors affecting the long-term outcomes of these patients. Material and Methods: articles conducted on this issue, written in English, published between from January 2000 to December 2023 in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, MedLine, Web of Science, Elsevier, Google Scholar were systematically researched and reviewed. Results: ICCA are usually late diagnosed cancers because of the asymptomatic character, and curative procedures are often not feasible, only 20 to 30% of patients being fit for surgery. With the prognostic of this aggressive malignancy being baleful, the most important risk factors but also prognosis factors seem to be represented by socioeconomic factors, morphological presentation, dimensions, number and extension of the tumor as well as resection margins. Conclusions: once these factors are widely recognized and identified in each case, the clinician will be able to find the best treatment for these patients in order to improve the long-term outcomes.

Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Inflammation Markers on the Long-Term Outcomes in Peritoneal Carcinomatosis from Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian cancer remains one of the most lethal gynaecological malignancies affecting women worldwide; therefore, attention has been focused on identifying new prognostic factors which might help the clinician to select cases who could benefit most from surgery versus cases in which neoadjuvant systemic therapy followed by interval debulking surgery should be performed. The aim of the current paper is to identify whether preoperative inflammation could serve as a prognostic factor for advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Material and methods: The data of 57 patients who underwent to surgery for advanced-stage ovarian cancer between 2014 and 2020 at the Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the optimal cut-off value of different inflammatory markers for the overall survival analysis. The analysed parameters were the preoperative level of CA125, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and systemic inflammation index (SII). Results: Baseline CA125 > 780 µ/mL, NLR ≥ 2.7, MLR > 0.25, PLR > 200 and a systemic immune inflammation index (SII, defined as platelet × neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio) ≥ 84,1000 were associated with significantly worse disease-free and overall survival in a univariate analysis. In a multivariate analysis, MLR and SII were significantly associated with higher values of overall survival (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0124); meanwhile, preoperative values of CA125, PLR and MLR were not associated with the overall survival values (p = 0.5612, p = 0.6137 and p = 0.1982, respectively). In conclusion, patients presenting higher levels of MLR and SII preoperatively are expected to have a poorer outcome even if complete debulking surgery is performed and should be instead considered candidates for neoadjuvant systemic therapy followed by interval surgery.

Hyponatremia as a Prognostic Factor in Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer Patients.

Background: hyponatremia represents one of the most commonly encountered conditions in hospitalized patients, multiple mechanisms being cited so far, neoplastic syndromes being an important cause. The aim of the current paper is to analyse the presence and influence of the short- and long-term outcomes of hyponatremia on ovarian cancer patients submitted to surgery for advanced stage ovarian cancer. Method: 57 patients diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer were submitted to surgery between 2014-2020. The patients were further classified according to the preoperative value of sodium into two groups. Results: there were 21 cases with preoperative normal values of sodium and respectively 36 cases with hyponatremia. Patients with preoperative hyponatremia associated a significantly higher rate of early postoperative complications and a significantly poorer long-term outcome. Therefore, cases with hyponatremia reported a mean disease-free survival of 10.8 months and respectively a mean overall survival of 18.5 months while cases with normal natrium levels reported a mean disease-free survival of 31.4 months and respectively a mean overall survival of 49.7 months (p=0.0001 and p 0.001). Conclusions: patients with lower preoperative values of sodium have a higher risk of developing postoperative complications and a significantly poorer outcome when compared to cases presenting normal levels of sodium preoperatively.

Fertility-sparing surgery: a hopeful strategy for young women with cancer.

Fertility preservation in cancer patients is currently based on either assisted reproductive technology or fertility-sparing surgery. Loss of fertility may be caused by excisional surgery associated with an adnexal or uterine pathology or secondary to gonadal insufficiency caused by chemotherapy or radiation. The counseling of these patients is very important, being carried out jointly by the oncologist, gynecologist, and reproductive medicine specialist. Reproductive surgery usually requires avoiding laparotomy to significantly reduce the formation of adhesions and trauma or tissue damage. This is done using standard laparoscopic surgery or robotic surgery (computer-assisted laparoscopy), a method increasingly used and accessible to all specialists who want to maintain the fertility of their patients with various oncological diseases.

Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio as a Predictive Tool for the Perioperative and Postoperative Outcomes in Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer.

Background: platelet to lymphocyte ratio remains a significant prognostic factor in different malignancies. The aim of the current paper is to study the correlation between the preoperative values of platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and the postoperative outcomes in ovarian cancer patients. Method: we conducted a retrospective study on 57 patients submitted to cytoreductive surgery between 2014-2020. We determined the optimal cut off value of PLR for predicting survival outcomes by using the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve a value of 350 being obtained. The patients were further classified in two groups according to the PLR value. Results: there were 37 patients with PLR 350 and respectively 20 patients with PLR 350. Patients in the second group were significantly older and presented significantly higher rates of perioperative complications, a significantly higher level of circulating platelets, of CA125 and respectively a significantly lower level of circulating lymphocytes and of preoperative hemoglobin level. Meanwhile, patients in the second group reported a significantly poorer disease free and overall survival. Conclusions: ovarian cancer patients with higher preoperative levels of PLR trend to have a poorer early and long-term postoperative outcome. Therefore, in such cases more aggressive systemic therapies might be needed.

Gossypiboma, the Hidden Enemy of an Emergency Cesarean Hysterectomy-Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Gossypiboma or textiloma is a rare medical situation that can complicate the favorable evolution of a surgical case, with repercussions for the patient's prognosis. The diagnosis can be difficult due to various clinical symptoms, the time elapsed since the surgical intervention, and the imaging often not being precise in detecting textilomas. Due to the medicolegal implications, the reporting of this event is inconsistent. We present a rare case of a 28-year-old woman who presented with vague pain in the left iliac fossa 11 months after an emergency cesarean hysterectomy was performed. The preoperative imaging examination identified the presence of a subhepatic mass with dimensions of 10 × 8 cm2 and another formation in the right iliac fossa with dimensions of 11 × 9 cm2. Exploratory laparotomy found the presence of a large subhepatic gossypiboma, intimately adherent to the hepatic angle of the colon and omentum and a second one adherent to the sigmoid colon, small intestine, and parietal peritoneum. The particularity of this case is given by the simultaneous presence of two textilomas with inconclusive evolution, which can make the differential diagnosis difficult to achieve. For a better assessment of the risk of occurrence of this pathology and the identification of a correct prevention strategy, we performed an extensive search and a review of all the articles published in the PubMed database, identifying 57 articles. In conclusion, emergency surgery increases the risk of this complication, and, as a result, prevention can be achieved by following existing protocols in the operating room.

COVID-19-related Floating Thrombus in the Ascending Aorta - A Case Report.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Multiple aortic mural thrombi at the level of the ascending aorta represent a rare condition, only isolated cases have been reported so far. The aim of the current article was to report the case of a 61-year-old patient diagnosed with this pathology. CASE REPORT: A 61-year-old patient with history of COVID infection six months previously was initially diagnosed with acute upper right limb ischemia and submitted to Fogarty desobstruction. Furthermore, the patient was diagnosed with a free-floating mass in the ascending aorta, for which he was submitted to aortotomy and floating thrombi, measuring 5.6×1.5 cm and 3×1.5 cm, were completely removed. The postoperative outcomes were favorable; at the three month follow up the patient proved to have a perfect circulated aortic lumen and supra-aortic vessels. CONCLUSION: immediate aortic desobstruction followed by reconstruction might be a lifesaving maneuver in ascending aortic thrombosis.

Uterovesical fistulas as obstetric complications: Diagnosis, management and prognosis (Review).

Urogenital fistulas are abnormal communications between the female genital and urinary tract; while such fistulas, which are the most commonly encountered, are located between the vagina and urinary bladder and are caused by the local extension of a tumoral process. Another frequently encountered cause is represented by the obstetric one, leading to the development of uterovesical fistulas. However, many questions regarding the diagnosis and management of uterovesical fistulas remain unanswered. Therefore, the aim of this article was to review the existent data so far, with special attention being focused on the pathogenic mechanisms leading to this complication, on the modalities of diagnosis, and on the possible therapeutic strategies. Therefore, according to the time of diagnosis, uterovesical fistulas can be classified as early fistulas, diagnosed in the first months postoperatively and late fistulas, diagnosed within several years from the initial surgical procedure. For early fistulas, a conservative therapeutic strategy can be taken in consideration, while in cases diagnosed after a longer period of time, a surgical approach should be taken into consideration. Meanwhile, although a surgical approach can cure most of the cases, attention should be given towards preventive strategies such as provision of quality obstetric care with improvements of surgical skills.

Pancreatoduodenectomy En Bloc With Superior Mesenteric Artery Resection for Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer - A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Pancreatic head adenocarcinoma represents the most aggressive digestive malignancy, which affects patients worldwide and is associated with poor outcomes especially due to the fact that most cases are diagnosed when local vascular invasion is already present. CASE REPORT: This is a case report of a 44-year-old patient diagnosed with a borderline resectable pancreatic head adenocarcinoma invading the superior mesenteric artery. The patient was submitted to surgery, and intraoperatively the mesenteric artery invasion was found. A pancreatoduodenectomy en bloc with superior mesenteric artery resection was performed while the continuity of the arterial structure was re-established by placing a cadaveric graft. CONCLUSION: In selected cases, extended arterial resections might be needed in order to achieve negative resection margins and therefore, to improve the chances of long-term survival.

Acquired benign tracheo­oesophageal fistula secondary to oesophageal stenting for post lye ingestion stenosis: A case report.

Acquired benign trachea-oesophageal fistula is a rare benign pathological entity with varying aetiologies that most often occurs post-intubation. This case report presents the case of a female patient, 31 years old, admitted to the emergency room with sepsis syndrome following bilateral aspiration pneumonia caused by a large trachea-oesophageal fistula. The fistula was the result of intra-tracheal migration of an oesophageal stent placed for post lye ingestion stenosis. Esophageal diversion and partial resection with oesophageal patch to repair the tracheal defect, under general anaesthesia with ventilation using rigid bronchoscopy and high frequency jet ventilation (HFJV), followed at a later date by esophageal replacement with colic graft were the procedures performed with a view to curing the patient. In conclusion, complex cases always require a tailored approach. It is important to note that HFJV may be applied for a longer period of time and the oesophagus can be used as patch for the posterior tracheal wall in selected cases. Staged surgery is also an option when the patients' poor health status does not permit major surgery.

Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma - Where Do We Stand Today? Literature Review.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas represent rare and aggressive malignancies developing from the second order bile ducts to the smaller biliary branches. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss about the main diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in order to help medical and surgical oncologists to gain familiarity in regard to this subject. Articles discussing about epidemiology, histology, diagnostic, perioperative management and surgery which were published from January 2000 to September 2023 included in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, MedLine, Web of Science, Elsevier, Google Scholar databases were reviewed. Articles reviewed in the current paper came to demonstrate that the main problem in such cases is related to the fact that most cases remain asymptomatic for a long period of time and therefore are diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease when curative procedures are feasible after performing extended visceral sacrifice or even worse, are no longer possible; however, the most efficient therapeutic strategy in order to improve the long term outcomes remains radical surgery. In this respect, attention was focused on improving the accuracy of the diagnostic tools and on identifying non-surgical therapeutic options which might increase the chances of achieving complete resection. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma represent rare aggressive tumors with poor outcomes especially if radical surgery is not feasible.

Impact of retroperitoneal tumors on the digestive tract (Review).

Primary retroperitoneal tumors are a rare group of neoplasms that often prove to be a real therapeutic challenge. The clinical picture is in most cases nonspecific, being the result of nearby tissue and organ compression, displacement and/or invasion, and it usually includes a variety of deceiving signs and symptoms that may lead to diagnostic errors. During the course of the disease, up to half of the patients diagnosed with retroperitoneal tumors can develop gastrointestinal symptoms, the incidence of such symptoms significantly increasing with tumor size. Therefore, symptoms such as abdominal distension, diffuse abdominal pain or epigastric pain mimicking acute pancreatitis, diarrhea, constipation, jaundice, hematemesis, melena and hematochezia can be found. The mainstream treatment for primary retroperitoneal tumors is surgical excision, chemotherapy and radiotherapy but associated with poor results. Due to their rarity, as well as to the complexity of these tumors, patients should be managed in high volume centers that allow the possibility of a multidisciplinary approach.

Neutrophil­to­lymphocyte, platelet­to­lymphocyte and lymphocyte­to­monocyte ratios are associated with amputation rates in patients with peripheral arterial disease and diabetes mellitus who underwent revascularization: A Romanian regional center study.

Inflammation plays an important role in peripheral artery disease (PAD), contributing to the onset and progression of atherosclerosis, as well as to the rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. Studies have revealed that due to their inflammatory nature, leucocytes play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis. A retrospective study was conducted involving 203 patients with PAD admitted to Targu Mures Emergency County Hospital for revascularization surgery between January 2017 and June 2019 (of which 47 were treated by endovascular intervention, and 156 underwent classical surgical intervention). Among all patients included in the study, 47 patients required amputation following the revascularization intervention. The results indicated that though the mean patient age in the non-amputation group was higher than that in the amputation group, that the difference was not significant. With regard to sex distribution, 72% of the patients from the amputation group were male, while from the non-amputation group, 74% were male. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) cut-off value for the prediction of amputation in PAD was 3.485 (sensitivity, 60.42%; specificity 72.44%), whereas the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) value was 152, (sensitivity, 54.17%; specificity, 71.79%), and was 2.55 for the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ration (LMR; sensitivity, 56.25%; specificity, 66.88%). The study concluded that in patients with PAD, the NLR and PLR were increased, while the LMR was decreased, which was also associated with a higher rate of amputation after revascularization, despite the lack of correlation between these factors, Fontaine classification and the number of damaged vessels. Therefore, pre-operative alterations in NLR, PLR and LMR may predict the need for amputation in patients with PAD, or those who underwent a revascularization intervention.

Doppler Ultrasonography - An Important Tool in Managing Patients With Varicocele and Secondary Infertility.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Doppler ultrasound was successfully implemented as part of the diagnostic plan of medical emergencies in scrotal pathology. This study aimed to investigate whether it could play an important role in managing not only varicocele, but patients with secondary infertility as well. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The current study included 135 patients with varicocele and infertility. Surgery was performed in 18 cases with painful varicocele, 15 cases with testicular hypotrophy, and 48 cases with infertility. RESULTS: Among cases with infertility who underwent surgery, aged between 19 and 36 years old, 80% showed a significant improvement in the spermogram after curing the varicocele. In patients over 36 years of age, only 42% had some improvement in the spermogram after surgery. In addition, after surgery, antispermatic antibodies showed a significant decrease in all patients. CONCLUSION: Varicocele and secondary infertility are a well-known pathology. While the role of Doppler ultrasonography is established in varicocele diagnosis, we found an important pool of patients with secondary infertility and asymptomatic varicocele that would not have been diagnosed in the absence of Doppler ultrasound investigations. Since the best results in fertility were observed in patients younger than 36 years of age, we reiterate the importance of Doppler ultrasonography in addressing infertility.

Synchronous arterial resection in pancreatic cancer: A case report.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies affecting people worldwide. As it is frequently diagnosed in advanced stages of the disease, the 5-year overall survival rate is <10%. Advanced stages are usually characterized by the local invasion of the superior mesenteric axis, celiac axis and portal vein and are considered a sign of unresectable cancer. The association between venous resections and survival outcomes has been widely reported. The effect of arterial invasion remains unclear as only isolated cases have been reported thus far. The present study investigated the preliminary experience in the field of arterial resection for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Between January 2018 and January 2020 arterial resection was successfully associated with pancreatoduodenectomy in four cases. The mean age at the time of surgery was 48 years, and in all cases the indication of resection was represented by pancreatic head adenocarcinoma. Different types of venous resections were required in all cases. Postoperative reoperation was required in one case, while histopathological studies confirmed microscopic negative resection margins in all but one case. In selected cases, combined pancreatoduodenectomy with venous and arterial resection may be required to increase the chances of radical surgery.

Resection of a Large Celiac Trunk Aneurysm Followed by Cadaveric Graft Reconstruction - A Case Report.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Celiac artery aneurysms represent rare eventualities which remain symptomatic for a long period of time; however, once diagnosed, it should be carefully monitored due to the high risk of developing life-threatening complications. When it comes to the types of therapeutic strategies, both endovascular and surgical therapies can be taken in consideration. CASE REPORT: Depending on the patency of the collateral network, simple ligation or graft placement should be performed. The aim of the current paper is to report the case of a patient diagnosed with a celiac trunk aneurysm who was successfully submitted to resection in association with iliac graft placement between the abdominal aorta and the common hepatic artery. CONCLUSION: Whenever celiac artery aneurysm is diagnosed, it should be closely monitored and treated, resection and reconstruction being a feasible method in order to avoid the development of a life-threatening complication.

The Impact of COVID-19 Infection During the Postoperative Period After Surgery for Ovarian Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly influenced the management of oncogynecologic patients in regard to time of diagnosis, to delay of treatment, therapeutic strategy and postoperative complications. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of preoperative SARS-Cov2 infection on the postoperative outcome after debulking surgery for ovarian cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between June 2021 and September 2021, 12 patients with antecedents of COVID-19 infection and ovarian cancer were submitted to surgery at "Dr. I. Cantacuzino" Hospital, Bucharest, Romania. Their outcomes were compared to those reported in a similar group of patients submitted to surgery during the same period in the absence of COVID-19 infection. RESULTS: Although preoperative data showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups, intraoperative length and estimated blood loss were higher in the COVID-19 group and so were the postoperative complications, the most commonly encountered ones being reported by wound infection, postoperative hemoperitoneum and pneumonia. However, the differences did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Preoperative COVID-19 infection seems to slightly increase the risk of postoperative complications after debulking surgery for ovarian cancer.

Vascular Resections in Association With Pancreatic Resections for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Locally advanced pancreatic cancer has been considered for a long period of time as an unresectable lesion and therefore, all patients have been traditionally addressed to the oncological services for palliative purposes. However, due to the wide usage of newer oncological agents in association with improved surgical techniques, radical surgical procedures became feasible. The aim of this study was to present the different surgical procedures that were performed in locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients in order to achieve radical resections. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2019 and 2020, six cases were submitted to pancreatic and vascular resections in Fundeni Clinical Hospital. RESULTS: In all cases, surgery with curative intent was attempted; portal vein resection was performed in five cases, whereas arterial resection was performed in three cases. Reconstruction was performed by direct re-anastomosis, by placing cadaveric or synthetic grafts. The postoperative outcomes were favourable in all cases. CONCLUSION: Vascular resections can be safely associated with pancreatic resections in cases presenting locally advanced pancreatic lesions, with acceptable morbidity rates.