Propensity-Matched Analysis Comparing Survival After Hybrid Thoracoscopic-Laparotomy Esophagectomy and Complete Thoracoscopic-Laparoscopic Esophagectomy.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid thoracoscopic-laparotomy esophagectomy (hTE) and complete thoracoscopic-laparoscopic esophagectomy (cTLE) are the two most frequently used minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) procedures and are broadly utilized for esophageal cancer. We evaluated differences in short- and long-term outcomes between hTE and cTLE in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: Patients who underwent MIE for ESCC between September 2009 and February 2016 were included in this retrospective study. Propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to contrast the postoperative results of hTE and cTLE according to the obtained and analyzed pertinent patient features and postoperative variables. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used on possible predictors of survival. RESULTS: Eighty-six well-balanced pairs of patients were available for outcome comparison after PSM. Compared to Group 1 (hTE), the patients in Group 2 (cTLE) had significantly shorter operative times and less intraoperative blood loss, but a higher number of retrieved nodes (p = 0.000, p = 0.003, and p = 0.000, respectively). The incidence of postoperative complications was 40.7% (70/172) and did not significantly differ between the two groups. The patients in Group 2 exhibited higher disease-free survival and disease-specific survival (DSS) than those in Group 1 (p = 0.048 and p = 0.041, respectively). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses showed that pT stage, pN stage, differentiation grade, and the surgical procedure had significant HRs, which suggested that cTLE is associated with better DSS. CONCLUSIONS: cTLE possibly shows better postoperative and oncologic outcomes than hTE.

The effect of postoperative complications on survival of patients after minimally invasive esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has been shown to be a feasible technique for the treatment of esophageal cancer; however, its postoperative morbidity remains high. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the effect of postoperative complications on long-term outcomes in patients who have undergone MIE for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients who had undergone MIE for ESCC between September 2009 and November 2014; all procedures were performed by a single surgical team. Relevant patient characteristics and postoperative variables were collected and evaluated. The disease-free survival (DFS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were determined by the Kaplan-Meier method, and compared by log-rank tests. Possible predictors of survival were subjected to univariate analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. RESULTS: In all, data on 214 patients with ESCC were analyzed, including 170 men and 44 women. All study subjects had undergone thoracoscopic or thoracoscopic-laparoscopic esophagectomy and cervical esophagogastric anastomosis. One hundred and thirty patients (60.7%) had postoperative complications (Grades 1-4). The overall DFS and DSS rates were 80.0 and 88.9% at 1 year, 48.6 and 54.2% at 3 years, and 43.2 and 43.5% at 5 years, respectively. Univariate analysis and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that T stage, N stage, and tumor grade were independent prognostic factors for long-term survival; however, postoperative complications had no significant effect on the DFS or DSS of this patient cohort (log-rank test, p = 0.354 and 0.160, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative complications have no significant effect on long-term survival in patients who have undergone MIE for ESCC.

[Spectral response measurement of FUV image intensifier].

It is possible to obtain some space weather parameters such as the electron flux and mean energy of the precipitating electrons from the far ultraviolet (FUV) radiance of the aurora observed in a nadir viewing geometry, and the FUV image intensifier is one of the key equipment that used for observation the FUV radiance of the aurora in a nadir viewing geometry. The capability of this equipment will affect the whole purpose of the detection. And the responsibility to the wavelength is the most important parameter of image intensifier. Using the VUV beamline f rom synchrotron radiation as optical source, with PMT and Si-photodiode to detect the optical signal from synchrotron radiation and image intensifier separately, the authors measured the relatively spectral response distribution of our FUV image intensifier from 135 to 250 nm. The measurement result shows that the equipment can work well between 140 and 190 nm and the peak response is near 160 nm, and it can be used for our FUV aurora camera.