Major Lung Resections Using Manual Suturing Versus Staplers During Fiscal Crisis.

AbstractObjective: During fiscal crisis there was a period of shortage of staplers in our hospital, which drove us to manual suturing of bronchi and pulmonary vessels during major lung resections. We present our experience during that period in comparison to a subsequent period when staplers became available again. METHODS: A total of 256 lobectomies and 78 pneumonectomies were performed using manual suturing (group A), between September 2009 and September 2010, and compared regarding surgical outcome to 248 lobectomies and 60 pneumonectomies using staplers (group B), between September 2011 and September 2012. RESULTS: Although we did not observe statistically significant differences but only a trend towards less operative time, for both lobectomies (p=0.21) and pneumonectomies (p=0.31), we actually noted a 41 and 47 minutes saving of operative time using staplers (group B), in comparison to manual suturing (group A). We also observed a trend towards less morbidity rates in patients of group B, who underwent lobectomy (10.48%), and pneumonectomy (20%), versus patients of group A, who underwent lobectomy (15.62%), and pneumonectomy (30.76%); we did not observe any substantial differences in the other surgical outcome variables, and in patients' demographics comorbidities, and anatomic allocation of surgical procedures performed. CONCLUSIONS: The use of staplers offers safety with secure bronchial or vascular sealing, and saving of operative time. Their unavailability at an interval during fiscal crisis although it did not affect surgical outcome, revealed their usefulness and value.

Smoking and atherosclerosis: mechanisms of disease and new therapeutic approaches.

It has been clear that at least 1 billion adults worldwide are smokers and at least 700 million children are passive smokers at home. Smoking exerts a detrimental effect to many organ systems and is responsible for illnesses such as lung cancer, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer of head and neck, cancer of the urinary and gastrointestinal tract, periodontal disease, cataract and arthritis. Additionally, smoking is an important modifiable risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease, stable angina, acute coronary syndromes, sudden death, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, congestive heart failure, erectile dysfunction and aortic aneurysms via initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. A variety of studies has proved that cigarette smoking induces oxidative stress, vascular inflammation, platelet coagulation, vascular dysfunction and impairs serum lipid pro-file in both current and chronic smokers, active and passive smokers and results in detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. The aim of this review is to depict the physical and biochemical properties of cigarette smoke and, furthermore, elucidate the main pathophysiological mechanisms of cigarette-induced atherosclerosis and overview the new therapeutic approaches for smoking cessation and augmentation of cardiovascular health.