Use of the ultrasound surgical aspirator in ovarian cancer: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to evaluate the use of the ultrasound surgical aspirator in ovarian cancer and to determine if cytoreduction was improved with its use. METHODS: The study is a retrospective case control trial. Twenty-six consecutive ovarian cancer patients who had the ultrasound surgical aspirator used during their surgery were retrospectively compared to 25 consecutive ovarian cancer patients who did not have the ultrasound surgical aspirator used during their surgeries. The latter group had their surgeries immediately before the ultrasound surgical aspirator was introduced into the hospital. Both groups were similar in age, stage, histology type, grade, and median number of chemotherapy cycles. RESULTS: Patients that had the ultrasound surgical aspirator used had a 69% optimal cytoreduction rate compared to 16% in the control group (p = .001). This was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Survival time was equal in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the study showed that use of the ultrasound surgical aspirator may permit more patients to be optimally cytoreduced.

Malignant rhabdoid tumor of the vulva. Case report.

The poor prognosis of malignant rhabdoid tumor is emphasized and histopathological criteria for distinction from epithelial sarcoma of the vulva are discussed. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed by using nine different antigens including vimentin, cytokeratin, epithelial membrane antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, desmin, muscle-specific actin, S-100 protein, AP-15, neuron specific enolase. This is the sixth reported case of a malignant rhabdoid tumor of the vulva. The patient died eight months after the initial diagnosis in spite of a combination of surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and external radiotherapy.

Preliminary technique of laparoscopic extraperitoneal infrarenal paraaortic lymphadenectomy in the porcine model.

We developed an extraperitoneal approach to laparoscopic infrarenal paraaortic lymphadenectomy in the porcine model, with the ultimate aim of shortening the long learning curve of this procedure in humans. Surgery was performed on four females pigs with three 10-mm cannulas placed along the midaxillary line in prone position. The first and second pigs underwent subsequent laparotomy to evaluate the adequacy of lymph node dissection and complications. In all four animals, complete infrarenal paraaortic lymphadenectomy was successful, retrieving between 6 and 11 lymph nodes (average 9). Laparotomy in the first two animals confirmed adequate lymphadenectomy. No complications occurred. Operating time was shortened dramatically with each procedure (180, 120, 50, 40 min). In the porcine model this approach provides excellent exposure to the entire paraaortic lymphatic chain, is safe, and has a remarkably short learning curve. Development of a similar technique in humans may have significant advantages, including short learning curve, feasibility in obese patients and those with peritoneal adhesions, decreased adhesion formation, and reduced bowel complications associated with postoperative adjuvant irradiation. Further studies are indicated.

Cost, quality of life and outcome measures in ovarian cancer.

As research into cancer intensifies and treatments proliferate, life-interval gained is no longer a question of simply measuring time. Ovarian cancer patients, especially, have benefited from efforts to develop feasible screening processes and the new treatment modalities for this type of cancer. Within the last decade, medicine has come to realize that survival intervals and cure rates are useless to patients if they cannot retrieve out of the process at least some aspects of their lives before cancer and for as long a period of time as possible. This article focuses on measuring and assessing the effects of treatment in terms of outcome and quality of life from the patient's perspective. Medicine as a science, and being a science, has not been comfortable in taking into account intangibles when assessing its own performance and success rates. However, the roles of caregivers and health providers have been rapidly evolving from that of treating the disease to treating the patient, and often the patient's family, with all that implies.

Gynecologic oncology patients in the surgical ICU. Impact on outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors and outcome for survival of gynecologic oncology patients in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). STUDY DESIGN: A chart review from January 1987 through May 1992 yielded 73 gynecologic oncology patients with a malignancy who had undergone surgery with a minimum stay of three days in the SICU. Of these 73 patients, 49 patients died of malignancy, 5 were alive with disease, and 19 were alive without evidence of disease. RESULTS: The median survival of the 73 patients was 123 days; that of 48 ovarian cancer patients was 50 days. Twenty patients (27.4%) died in the hospital. CONCLUSION: This study, with multivariate analysis, showed that multiple medical conditions, especially cardiac disease, and a stay of longer than five days in the SICU had a significant impact on survival, with ovarian cancer patients staying longer and having poorer survival. These results will help in triaging patients for postsurgical management.

Prolonged stays of OB/GYN patients in the surgical intensive care unit. A cost-benefit analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To delineate costs between various obstetric and gynecologic (OB/GYN) patients with stays in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). STUDY DESIGN: A chart review identified 86 OB/GYN patients who had a minimum SICU stay of three days between January 1987 and May 1992. RESULTS: Our study showed that the total cost of these cases was $3,344,010, with a median of $29,780 (range, $20,230-180,610) and that the difference between patients with malignancies and those without (median, $20,340) was not statistically significant (P = .11). However, cases of malignant disease that had either a prexisting medical condition or an SICU stay of more than five days cost more than any other cases (P = .038). The SICU share of total hospital cost ranged from 20.7% in patients with malignancy to 40% in patients without malignancy. CONCLUSION: As health care costs come under closer scrutiny, the critically ill patient should not be placed at risk of lessened chances of survival because perceived savings result in decreasing quality of care.