The Whitaker test: a predictive tool for evaluating the surgical efficacy of upper urinary tract reconstruction in patients carrying a nephrostomy tube after surgery.

PURPOSE: To explore the role of the Whitaker test in evaluating the postoperative outcome of upper urinary tract reconstruction surgery in patients carrying a nephrostomy tube after surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a prospective observational study performed in 42 patients with nephrostomy tube undergoing the Whitaker test after upper urinary tract reconstruction surgery between January 2020 and December 2021. Data on clinical information, the Whitaker test and surgical procedure were collected prospectively, and the long-term follow-up results were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: The 46 ureters of 42 patients (right 16, left 22, bilateral 4) underwent six common upper urinary tract surgical reconstruction procedures and one combined procedure, including pyeloplasty, ureteroureterostomy, lingual mucosal onlay graft, appendiceal onlay flap, ureteral reimplantation, Boari flap, and ipsilateral lingual mucosal onlay graft combined ureteral reimplantation. All patients underwent the Whitaker test successfully without any discomfort after examination. The postoperative Whitaker test showed 43 kidneys without obstruction and 3 kidneys with obstruction. At a median follow-up of 18 months (range 13-31), the follow-up results showed that the overall success rate of the surgery was 100% (46/46). Concerning the concordance Whitaker test and follow-up results, the observed proportion of agreement was 93.5% (43/46). CONCLUSION: The Whitaker test can achieve similar consistency with the long-term follow-up results after upper urinary tract reconstruction surgery and can be used as a tool to evaluate the surgical efficacy of upper urinary tract reconstruction surgery, which can provide a prognostic efficacy evaluation for patients carrying a nephrostomy tube after surgery.

Application of Medical Image Navigation Technology in Minimally Invasive Puncture Robot.

Microneedle puncture is a standard minimally invasive treatment and surgical method, which is widely used in extracting blood, tissues, and their secretions for pathological examination, needle-puncture-directed drug therapy, local anaesthesia, microwave ablation needle therapy, radiotherapy, and other procedures. The use of robots for microneedle puncture has become a worldwide research hotspot, and medical imaging navigation technology plays an essential role in preoperative robotic puncture path planning, intraoperative assisted puncture, and surgical efficacy detection. This paper introduces medical imaging technology and minimally invasive puncture robots, reviews the current status of research on the application of medical imaging navigation technology in minimally invasive puncture robots, and points out its future development trends and challenges.

Posture-Induced Intraocular Pressure Changes after iStent Inject W Combined with Phacoemulsification in Open Angle Glaucoma Patients.

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the posture-induced intraocular pressure (IOP) changes after iStent inject W combined with phacoemulsification procedure in Japanese patients with open-angle glaucoma. Materials and Methods: We prospectively evaluated the posture-induced IOP changes after surgery. The primary outcome was the posture-induced IOP changes postoperatively. Secondary outcome measures included postoperative complications, visual acuity, visual field, and corneal endothelial cell density. Results: This study completed the prospective observation for 15 eyes (15 patients). The mean preoperative IOP with the Goldmann applanation tonometer was 16.0 ± 2.6 mm Hg with a mean glaucoma medication usage of 2.5 ± 1.2, which decreased to 14.4 ± 2.4 mm Hg (p = 0.14) and 0.5 ± 0.9 medications (p < 0.01), respectively, 12 months postoperatively. The mean baseline IOP with the ICare was 12.0 ± 2.7 mmHg in the sitting position, which significantly increased to 15.2 ± 3.8 mmHg in the lateral decubitus position (p < 0.01). This postural IOP difference was 3.2 ± 2.2 mmHg and 3.2 ± 2.4 mmHg at baseline and 12 months postoperatively, respectively, with no significant changes (p > 0.99). Conclusions: iStent inject W combined with cataract surgery reduced the IOP and the number of glaucoma medications during short-term follow-ups with high safety. However, iStent inject W did not affect the degree of posture-induced IOP changes.

The impact of surgical trainee involvement in total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review of surgical efficacy, patient safety, and outcomes.

PURPOSE: Trainee involvement in patient care has raised concerns about the potential risk of adverse outcomes and harming patients. We sought to analyze the impact and potential consequence of surgical trainee involvement in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures in terms of surgical efficacy, patient safety, and functional outcomes. METHODS: We systematically reviewed Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, and Scopus databases in April 2021. Eligible studies reported on the impact of trainee participation in TKA procedures performed with and without such involvement. RESULTS: Twenty-three publications met our eligibility criteria and were included in our study. These studies reported on 132,624 surgeries completed on 132,416 patients. Specifically, 23,988 and 108,636 TKAs were performed with and without trainee involvement, respectively. The mean operative times for procedures with (n = 19,573) and without (n = 94,581) trainee involvement were 99.77 and 85.05 min, respectively. Both studies that reported data on cost of TKAs indicated a significant increase (p < 0.001) associated with procedures completed by teaching hospitals compared to private practices. Mean overall complication rates were 7.20% and 7.36% for TKAs performed with (n = 9,386) and without (n = 31,406) trainees. Lastly, the mean Knee Society Scale (KSS) knee scores for TKAs with (n = 478) and without (n = 806) trainee involvement were similar; 82.81 and 82.71, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review concurred with previous studies that reported trainee involvement during TKAs increases the mean operative time. However, the overall complication rates and functional outcomes were similar. Larger studies with a better methodology and higher level of evidence are still needed for a resolute conclusion.

The impact of surgical trainee involvement in total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review of surgical efficacy, patient safety, and outcomes.

PURPOSE: Concerns persist that trainee participation in surgical procedures may compromise patient care and potentiate adverse events and costs. We aimed to analyse the potential impact and consequences of surgical trainee involvement in total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures in terms of surgical efficacy, patient safety, and functional outcomes. METHODS: We systematically reviewed Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane library, and Scopus databases in October 2021. Eligible studies reported a direct comparison between THA cases performed with and without trainee involvement. RESULTS: Eighteen publications met our eligibility criteria and were included in our study. The included studies reported on 142,450 THAs completed on 142,417 patients. Specifically, 48,155 and 94,295 surgeries were completed with and without trainee involvement, respectively. The mean operative times for procedures with (n = 5,662) and without (n = 14,763) trainee involvement were 106.20 and 91.41 min, respectively. Mean overall complication rates were 6.43% and 5.93% for THAs performed with (n = 4842) and without (n = 12,731) trainees. Lastly, the mean Harris Hip Scores (HHS) for THAs performed with (n = 442) and without (n = 750) trainee participation were 89.61 and 86.97, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our systematic review confirmed previous studies' reports of increased operative time for THA cases with trainee involvement. However, based on the overall similar complication rates and functional hip scores obtained, patients should be reassured concerning the relative safety of trainee involvement in THA. Future prospective studies with higher levels of evidence are still needed to reinforce the existing evidence.

Effects of preoperative epidemiological factors on the surgical outcomes of benign prostatic hyperplasia / 现代泌尿外科杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the preoperative epidemiological factors affecting the surgical outcomes of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to evaluate the clinical predictive value. 【Methods】 Patients undergoing TURP at our hospital during Dec.2018 and Sep.2021 whose pathological examination suggestive of BPH were involved. Before operation, the clinical data, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) score, overactive bladder (OAB) score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and urological ultrasound results were collected. After operation, all patients were followed up with telephone call or face-to-face interview, and the IPSS, QoL score and OAB score were examined. Patients were divided into effective and ineffective groups according to the efficacy rubrics. The epidemiological factors affecting the efficacy of TURP were identified with univariate analysis, the independent influencing factors were screened with binary logistic regression, and the diagnostic value of each independent influencing factor was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. 【Results】 OAB score (OR=0.749, 95%CI: 0.627-0.895, P=0.001), IPSS-V/S (OR=4.919, 95%CI: 1.617-14.963, P=0.005), history of urinary retention (OR=7.513, 95%CI: 2.289-24.656, P=0.001), and history of urinary incontinence (OR=2.656, 95%CI: 1.015-6.950, P=0.047) were independent influencing factors for poor postoperative outcomes. ROC curve revealed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) showed that AUC of OAB score, IPSS-V/S, history of urinary retention, and history of urinary incontinence were 0.784 (95%CI: 0.718-0.841), 0.686 (95%CI: 0.614-0.751), 0.713 (95%CI: 0.643-0.777), and 0.723 (95%CI: 0.654-0.786), respectively. ROC curve of the regression model showed that the AUC was 0.888 (95%CI: 0.834-0.930), and the sensitivity and specificity were 93.53% and 67.35%, respectively. 【Conclusion】 Preoperative OAB score, IPSS-V/S, history of urinary retention, and history of urinary incontinence were independent epidemiological factors of poor outcomes after TURP in BPH patients. The diagnostic efficacy ranked from the highest to the lowest as regression model >OAB score>history of urinary incontinence >history of urinary retention>IPSS-V/S.

Long-Term Outcomes of a Kahook Dual Blade Procedure Combined with Phacoemulsification in Japanese Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma.

We retrospectively evaluated the long-term surgical outcomes of phacoemulsification combined with a Kahook dual blade (KDB) procedure in Japanese patients with open-angle glaucoma. The primary outcome was surgical success or failure. Surgical failure was indicated by a <20% reduction in preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) or IOP > 18 mmHg (criterion A), IOP > 14 mmHg (criterion B), or requirement for reoperation. Glaucoma medications after surgery and postoperative complications were recorded. Surgical outcomes were compared between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and exfoliation glaucoma (ExG) groups. The probability of success at 36 months postoperation was 52.5% using criterion A and 36.9% using criterion B. Mean IOP decreased significantly from 19.5 ± 6.9 mmHg preoperatively to 11.9 ± 2.7 mmHg at 36 months, and the mean number of glaucoma medications from 2.4 ± 1.4 to 1.6 ± 1.4 (both p < 0.01). IOP spikes were significantly more common in the ExG group (23.7% vs. 9.1%; p = 0.045), as was the need for additional glaucoma surgery (10.5% vs. 1.8%; p = 0.038). A KDB procedure combined with cataract surgery resulted in significant long-term decreases in IOP and the number of glaucoma medications. The complication rate was higher in eyes with ExG. Therefore, these eyes require more careful management after a KDB procedure.

Role of chromogranin A-derived fragments after resection of nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

PURPOSE: No single reliable biomarker is available for nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NF-PanNETs). Vasostatin-1 (VS-1), the N-terminal fragment of chromogranin A (CgA), seems to be a more accurate biomarker compared to its precursor. Primary aim was to investigate the ability of VS-1, compared to total-CgA, to assess the effectiveness of surgical resection performed for NF-PanNETs. Secondary aim was to evaluate two additional CgA-derived fragments, pancreastatin (PST) and vasostatin-2 (VS-2), as possible biomarkers for NF-PanNETs. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent surgery for NF-PanNETs at San Raffaele Scientific Institute were included (n = 35). Plasma levels of CgA and CgA-derived fragments were measured by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA), preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: Preoperative VS-1 was significantly higher compared to VS-1 measured on postoperative day 5 (POD5) (pre: 0.338 nM versus POD5: 0.147 nM, P < 0.001), whereas total-CgA significantly increased after surgery (pre: 1.123 nM versus POD5: 1.949 nM, P = 0.006). Overall, 24 patients showed ≥ 1 feature of tumor aggressiveness (T3-T4, nodal/distant metastases, Ki67 > 5%, microvascular/perineural invasion, necrosis). The median percentage decrease in VS-1 plasma levels was 63% (IQR 28-88%) among patients with aggressive tumors, compared to 13% (IQR 0-57%) in the remaining population (P = 0.033). No significant differences in terms of PST (P = 0.870) and VS-2 (P = 0.909) were observed between preoperative and postoperative time. CONCLUSION: VS-1 provides an early assessment of surgical efficacy in patients who undergo resection for NF-PanNETs, especially in those with aggressive neoplasms. Total-CgA, PST and VS-2 have no clinical utility in this setting.

Comparison of Different Procedures in a Combination of Ab Interno Microhook Trabeculotomy and Cataract Surgery.

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of ab interno microhook trabeculotomy (µLOT) before and after cataract surgery for the combination of µLOT and cataract surgery. This retrospective case series included 40 eyes that underwent µLOT combined with cataract surgery at Kochi University Hospital. Groups 1 (20 eyes) and 2 (20 eyes) included eyes that underwent µLOT before and after cataract surgery, respectively. The patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were also analyzed. The mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) in Groups 1 and 2 (26.1 ± 12.2 mmHg and 20.6 ± 8.8 mmHg) was reduced significantly to 14.1 ± 3.3 mmHg and 12.9 ± 3.2 mmHg, respectively, at 5-7 months postoperatively. The median preoperative number of antiglaucoma medications in Groups 1 and 2 (4.0 and 3.5) also decreased significantly, to 2.5 and 1.0, respectively, at 5-7 months postoperatively. Postoperative hyphema with niveau formation in Groups 1 and 2 was observed in one eye (5.0%) and six eyes (30.0%), respectively. For the combination of µLOT and cataract surgery, performing µLOT before cataract surgery may be less likely to result in postoperative hyphema with niveau formation.

Comparison of Postoperative Hyphemas between Microhook Ab Interno Trabeculotomy and iStent Using a New Hyphema Scoring System.

We have been using our in-house scoring system of hyphemas, i.e., Shimane University RLC postoperative hyphema scoring system (SU-RLC), which we designed to classify postoperative hyphema. SU-RLC classifies the severities of hyphemas based on three factors, i.e., red blood cells (RBCs) (R) 0-3, layer formation (L) 0-3, and clot (C) 0-1, by slit-lamp observation. To test the clinical usefulness of the SU-RLC for quantifying the postoperative hyphema severity, the SU-RLC scores were compared between eyes that underwent different minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) procedures, i.e., Tanito microhook ab interno trabeculotomy and cataract extraction (TMH-CE) (n = 64 eyes of 64 subjects; mean age ± standard deviation, 72.4 ± 8.1 years) and iStent-CE (n = 21 eyes of 21 subjects; 76.1 ± 10.6 years). Compared to the iStent-CE, higher hyphema scores with the TMH-CE were found for the R scores on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3; for the L score on postoperative day 1; and for the C score on postoperative day 2. The sums of the R, L, and C scores (RLC) on postoperative day 1 were 3.2 ± 1.1 with the TMH-CE and 1.1 ± 1.3 with the iStent-CE; the scores reached almost 0 by 2 weeks in both groups. Significant differences in the RLC scores between the surgical groups were found on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. Multivariate analyses showed that the TMH-CE rather than iStent-CE was associated with higher R, C, and RLC scores; anticoagulant/antiplatelet use was associated with higher R score; and myopia was associated with a higher C score. In the TMH-CE group, myopia was associated with a higher C score. In the iStent-CE group, anticoagulant/antiplatelet use was associated with higher R and RLC scores; and higher postoperative 1-day intraocular pressure was associated with a higher C score. The SU-RLC successfully detected the difference in hyphema severity between different MIGS procedures; thus, we concluded that our classification system may be feasible to evaluate hyphemas after glaucoma surgery.

Modified bladder outlet obstruction index for powerful efficacy prediction of transurethral resection of prostate with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between modified bladder outlet obstruction index (MBOOI) and surgical efficacy still remains unknown. The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical value of the MBOOI and its use in predicting surgical efficacy in men receiving transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). METHODS: A total of 403 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) were included in this study. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL) index, transrectal ultrasonography, and pressure flow study were conducted for all patients. The bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI) (PdetQmax-2Qmax) and MBOOI (Pves-2Qmax) were calculated. All patients underwent TURP, and surgical efficacy was accessed by the improvements in IPSS, QoL, and Qmax 6 months after surgery. The association between surgical efficacy and baseline factors was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A comparison of effective and ineffective groups based on the overall efficacy showed that significant differences were observed in PSA, Pves, PdetQmax, Pabd, BOOI, MBOOI, TZV, TZI, IPSS-t, IPSS-v, IPSS-s, Qmax, and PVR at baseline (p < 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis suggested that MBOOI was the only baseline parameter correlated with the improvements in IPSS, QoL, Qmax, and the overall efficacy. Additionally, the ROC analysis further verified that MBOOI was more optimal than BOOI, TZV and TZI in predicting the surgical efficacy. CONCLUSION: Although both MBOOI and BOOI can predict the clinical symptoms and surgical efficacy of BPH patients to a certain extent, however, compared to BOOI, MBOOI may be a more useful factor that can be used to predict the surgical efficacy of TURP. Trial registration retrospectively registered.

Effects of Preoperative Intraocular Pressure Level on Surgical Results of Microhook Ab Interno Trabeculotomy.

To assess the roles of preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) level on the IOP reducing efficacy of microhook ab interno trabeculotomy (µLOT), 126 consecutive open-angle glaucomatous eyes (90 primary open angle glaucoma, 36 exfoliation glaucoma) of 126 Japanese subjects (60 men, 66 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 70.5 ± 11.4 years) who underwent µLOT alone (25 eyes, 20%) or combined µLOT and cataract surgery (101 eyes, 80%) were retrospectively included, and subdivided into four groups based on the quartile of preoperative IOP: Q1, ≤15 mmHg; Q2, 15-18 mmHg, Q3, 18-21 mmHg, and Q4, >21 mmHg. Preoperative and 12 months postoperative IOPs and numbers of antiglaucoma medications were compared among IOP groups. Factors associated with postoperative IOP were assessed using multivariate analysis, and the success of IOP control was assessed with various definitions. Postoperatively, IOP was significantly higher in Q3 (p < 0.0146) and Q4 (p = 0.0320) groups than Q1 group, while the number of medications was not significantly different among four IOP groups (p = 0.1966). Older age was associated with lower postoperative IOP, and higher preoperative IOP was associated with higher postoperative IOP, while sex, glaucoma type, surgical procedure, lens status, extent of trabeculotomy incision, and preoperative number of medications were not associated with postoperative IOP. The success rates for IOP ≤ 18 and ≤15 mmHg were higher in lower preoperative IOP groups (i.e., Q1 and Q2) than higher preoperative IOP groups (Q3 and Q4), while the success rate for ≥20% IOP reduction was higher in higher preoperative IOP groups than in lower preoperative IOP groups; the success rate for ≥0% IOP reduction was equivalent among groups. By reviewing the previous studies in ab interno trabeculotomy/goniotomy procedures, positive correlation between preoperative and postoperative IOPs was preserved throughout the studies and surgical procedures. After the µLOT, larger %IOP reduction was achieved in higher preoperative IOP groups than in lower preoperative IOP groups, while postoperative IOP was still lower than in lower preoperative IOP groups.

Midterm Results of Microhook ab Interno Trabeculotomy in Initial 560 Eyes with Glaucoma.

All the 560 glaucomatous eyes of 375 Japanese subjects (181 men, 194 women; mean age ± standard deviation, 76.0 ± 13.2 years) who underwent microhook ab interno trabeculotomy (µLOT) alone (159 eyes, 28%) or combined µLOT and cataract surgery (401 eyes, 72%) performed by one surgeon at Matsue Red Cross Hospital between May 2015 and March 2018 to control intraocular pressure (IOP) were retrospectively assessed. Preoperative and postoperative IOPs, numbers of antiglaucoma medications, the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity (logMAR VA), anterior chamber (AC) flare, visual field mean deviation (MD), and corneal endothelial cell density (CECD) were compared up to 36 months. Surgical complications and required interventions were described. The duration of the follow-up was 405 ± 327 (range, 2-1326) days. The mean preoperative IOP (20.2 ± 7.0 mmHg) and number of antiglaucoma medications (2.8 ± 1.1) decreased to 13.9 ± 4.5 mmHg (31% reduction, p < 0.0001) and 2.5 ± 1.0 (11% reduction, p < 0.0001), respectively, at the final visit. After combined surgery, compared with preoperatively, the final VA improved 0.11 logMAR (p < 0.0001), AC flare increased 4.5 photon counts/msec (p = 0.0011), MD improved 0.6 decibel (p < 0.0001), and the CECD decreased 6% (p < 0.0001). Layered hyphema (172 eyes, 31%) and hyphema washout (26 eyes, 5%) were the most common postoperative complication and intervention, respectively. At the final visit, 379 (69%) eyes achieved successful IOP control of ≤18 mmHg and ≥20% IOP reduction, and 349 (64%) eyes achieved successful IOP control of ≤15 mmHg and ≥20% IOP reduction. Older age, steroid-induced glaucoma, developmental glaucoma, and the absence of postoperative complications were associated with lower final IOP; exfoliation glaucoma, other types of glaucoma, and higher preoperative IOP were associated with higher final IOP. µLOT has a significant IOP-lowering potential in patients with glaucoma, and improves visual function when combined with cataract surgery.

Towards Machine Learning Prediction of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Intra-operative Efficacy Maps.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has the potential to improve the quality of life of people with a variety of neurological diseases. A key challenge in DBS is in the placement of a stimulation electrode in the anatomical location that maximizes efficacy and minimizes side effects. Pre-operative localization of the optimal stimulation zone can reduce surgical times and morbidity. Current methods of producing efficacy probability maps follow an anatomical guidance on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify the areas with the highest efficacy in a population. In this work, we propose to revisit this problem as a classification problem, where each voxel in the MRI is a sample informed by the surrounding anatomy. We use a patch-based convolutional neural network to classify a stimulation coordinate as having a positive reduction in symptoms during surgery. We use a cohort of 187 patients with a total of 2,869 stimulation coordinates, upon which 3D patches were extracted and associated with an efficacy score. We compare our results with a registration-based method of surgical planning. We show an improvement in the classification of intraoperative stimulation coordinates as a positive response in reduction of symptoms with AUC of 0.670 compared to a baseline registration-based approach, which achieves an AUC of 0.627 (p < 0.01). Although additional validation is needed, the proposed classification framework and deep learning method appear well-suited for improving pre-surgical planning and personalize treatment strategies.

Clinical effect analysis of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a report of 4 435 cases / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective To investigate the development trend,safety and clinical effects of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy (LRG) for gastric cancer.Methods The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 4 435 patients with gastric cancer who underwent LRG in the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between January 2008 and December 2017 were collected.There were 3 263 males and 1 172 females,aged (61±11)years,with a range of 12-93 years.According to the operation time,4 435 patients were divided into two periods,including 1 588 patients of the early period (2008-2012) and 2 847 patients of the later period (2013-2017).Observation indicators:(1) the clinicopathological data of patients;(2) intraoperative and postoperative situations;(3) postoperative complications;(4) follow-up and survival situations.Follow-up using outpatient examination,visit to home,mail and telephone interview was performed to detect survival of patients once every 3 months within 2 years postoperatively and once every 6 months after 2 years postoperatively up to June 2018.Survival time was from operation time to the last follow-up,death or deadline of follow-up database such as loss to follow-up or death of other diseases.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD,and comparison between groups was analyzed by the t test.Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M (range).Count data were described as frequency or percentage,comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test.Linear analysis was done using the unitary linear regression.The survival rate and survival curve were respectively calculated and drawn by the Kaplan-Meier method,and Log-rank test was used for survival analysis.Results (1) The clinicopathological data of patients:there were 3 263 males and 1 172 females of the 4 435 patients,accounting for 73.574％(3 263/4 435) and 26.426％ (1 172/4 435),respectively.TNM staging of the 4 435 patients:1 133 cases were detected early gastric cancer (T1 stage) and 3 302 cases were detected advanced gastric cancer including 518,1 431,1 353 in T2,T3 and T4a stages respectively.Linear regression analysis showed a linear correlation between the cases of LRG and operation year (R2 =0.911,P＜0.05) and a gradually increasing in cases of LRG.The sex (male),cases with tumor at upper stomach,middle stomach,lower stomach,＞ 2 regions (tumor location),tumor diameter,cases with undifferentiated and differentiated tumor (pathological types),cases in pT1,pT2,pT3,pT4a stages (pT staging),in pN0,pN1,pN2,pN3a,pN3b stages (pN staging),in Ⅰ A,Ⅰ B,Ⅱ A,Ⅱ B,ⅢA,ⅢB,ⅢC stages (pTNM staging) were 1 204,383,302,714,189,(4.8±2.7)cm,361,1 227,382,193,418,595,588,212,255,318,215,325,137,150,172,253,267,284 in patients of the early period,and 2 059,807,530,1 128,382,(4.3±2.6) cm,976,1 871,751,325,1 013,758,1 138,444,505,486,274,616,258,378,322,528,443,302 in patients of the later period,with statistically significant differences between patients of the two periods (x2 =6.411,15.699,t =10.946,x2 =57.801,90.437,26.502,98.773,P＜0.05).(2) Intraoperative and postoperative situations:the volume of intraoperative blood loss,cases with intraoperative blood transfusion,cases with Billroth Ⅰ,Billroth Ⅱ,residual stomach Roux-en-Y anastomosis,esophagogastric anastomosis,esophageal Roux-en-Y anastomosis of digestive tract reconstruction,number of lymph nodes dissected,time for initial fluid diet intake,time for initial semi-fluid diet intake,duration of postoperative hospital stay were (120±75)mL,38,599,122,0,32,835,32±13,(4.5±l.7)days,(8.6±2.5)days,(13.0± 7.3) days in patients of the early period,(104±68)mL,17,441,673,21,18,1 694,37±15,(4.1± 1.5)days,(7.9±2.8) days,(12.3±7.6) days in patients of the later period,showing statistically significant differences between patients of the two periods (t=2.169,x2 =26.843,397.185,t=-10.764,2.125,3.347,2.779,P＜0.05).Further linear regression analysis showed a linear correlation between the average number of lymph nodes dissected and operation year (R2=0.826,P＜0.05) and a gradually increasing in average number of lymph nodes dissected.(3) Postoperative complications:690 of 4 435 patients had postoperative complications,with an incidence rate of 15.558％ (690/4 435),including 242 patients of the early period and 448 of the later period,showing no statistically significant difference (x2 =0.191,P ＞ 0.05).Eight patients died of severe postoperative complications,with a death rate of 0.180％ (8/4 435),including 5 of the early period and 3 of the later period,showing no statistically significant difference (x2 =2.485,P＞0.05).Of 4 435 patients,561 had stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ complications,with an incidence rate of 12.649％ (561/4 435),129 had stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ complications,with an incidence rate of 2.909％(129/4 435).There were 196 and 46 patients of the early period with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ complications and stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ complications,365 and 83 of the later period with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ complications and stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ complications,showing no statistically significant difference between patients of the two periods (x2 =0.211,0.001,P＞0.05).(4) Follow-up and survival situations:4 250 of 4 435 patients including 1 465 of the early period and 2 785 of the later period were followed up for 1-123 months,with a median time of 37 months.The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 63.9％.The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 91.8％,80.2％ and 39.5％ in the stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ patients,respectively,showing a statistically significant difference (x2 =810.146,P＜0.05).The 5-year cumulative survival rate was 60.8％ and 66.7％ in patients of the early and later period,respectively with a statistically significant difference (x2 =17.887,P＜0.05).Stratified analysis of TNM staging:the 5-year cumulative survival rates of stage Ⅰ A,Ⅰ B,Ⅱ A,Ⅱ B,Ⅲ A,Ⅲ B,Ⅲ C patients in the early period were 92.7％,85.6％,79.4％,74.5％,58.1％,37.6％,18.9％ and 95.6％,90.4％,87.6％,79.5％,52.7％,41.2％,19.5％ in patients of the later period,with no statistically significant difference (x2 =0.414,2.575,2.872,2.119,0.632,0.972,2.212,P＞0.05).Conclusions Surgical volume of the LRG has shown an increasing trend year by year,and the number of lymph nodes dissected and postoperative recovery of patients are improving.LRG is a safe procedure with acceptable clinical efficacy for gastric cancer.

Does the Full Power-Assisted Technique Used in Pedical Screw Placement Affect the Safety and Efficacy of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery?

BACKGROUND: The new full power-assisted (FPA) technique used in pedicle screw placement during adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery streamlines the surgical procedure and reduces repetitive surgeon tasks. However, the use of the FPA technique may also negatively affect the surgical safety and efficacy of patients with AIS. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the FPA technique on the accuracy of pedicle screw placement, as well as on operating time, blood loss, and clinical outcomes. METHODS: A total of 105 patients with AIS with major thoracic curves treated with posterior instrumentation and fusion were randomized into 2 groups. With the new FPA technique, 427 pedicle screws were implanted in the thoracic region in 35 patients (the FPA group), and using the conventional freehand (FH) technique, 896 screws were implanted in 70 patients (the FH group). The primary end point screw position was assessed using postoperative computed tomography. Secondary end points, such as operative time, blood loss, and clinical outcomes, were also assessed. RESULTS: The FPA technique did not significantly affect the accuracy rate of the pedicle screw placement, scoliosis correction, total operating time, or total blood loss. However, the surgical times for the screw insertion phase and for each screw placement were significantly shorter for the FPA group compared with the FH group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the conventional manual tools, use of the FPA technique seemed to be superior and had relatively shorter pedicle screw placement times, with comparable surgical safety and efficacy for patients with AIS.

Two-dimensional versus three-dimensional laparoscopy in surgical efficacy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy is a revolutionary technique in modern surgery. However, the comparative efficacy between two-dimensional laparoscopy and three-dimensional laparoscopy remains in uncertainty. Therefore we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis in order to seek for answers. METHODS: Databases of PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and Cochrane Library were carefully screened. Clinical trials comparing two-dimensional versus three-dimensional laparoscopy were included for pooled analysis. Observational and randomized trials were methodologically appraised by Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Revised Jadad's Scale respectively. Subgroup analyses were additionally conducted to clarify the potential confounding elements. Outcome stability was examined by sensitivity analysis, and publication bias was analyzed by Begg's test and Egger's test. RESULTS: 21 trials were screened out from the preliminary 3126 records. All included studies were high-quality in methodology, except for Bilgen 2013 and Ruan 2015. Three-dimensional laparoscopy was superior to two-dimensional laparoscopy in terms of surgical time (P < 0.00001), blood loss (P = 0.01), perioperative complications (P = 0.04) and hospital stay (P = 0.03). Additionally, both techniques demonstrated comparable results of secondary endpoints, including drainage volume (P = 0.74), drainage time (P = 0.26), numbers of retrieved lymphnodes (P = 0.85), hospital expenses (P = 0.49), anastomosis time in prostatectomy (P=0.15) and 6-month continence rate (P = 0.61). The pooled outcomes of primary endopoints were verified to be stable by sensitivity analysis. Although Begg's test (P = 0.215) and Egger's test (P = 0.003) revealed that there was publication bias across included studies, Trim-and-Fill method confirmed that the results remained stable. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional laparoscopy is a preferably surgical option against two-dimensional laparoscopy due to its better surgical efficacy.

Surgical methods and efficacies for cervicothoracolumbar spinal schwannoma.

The aim of this study was to investigate the surgical methods and efficacies for cervicothoracolumbar spinal schwannoma (CSS). A total of 52 patients who had undergone treatment for schwannoma were retrospectively analyzed. Two methods were employed for the surgical resection of the thoracic and lumbar schwannomas: Type I (posterior midline approach semi-laminectomy with tumor resection and internal fixation with pedicle screws) was used in 24 cases, and type II (posterior midline approach laminectomy with tumor resection and internal fixation with pedicle screws) was used in 26 cases. Two cases of giant cervical schwannoma were treated via anterior-posterior combined surgery. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of schwannoma in all cases (n=52). The clinical status of the patients was evaluated pre- and postoperatively using the visual analog scale, Oswestry Disability Index and Japanese Orthopedic Association scale, and the scores associated with the two types of surgical method were compared. Within the follow-up period, which lasted between 6 months and 3 years, no recurrence was detected, and such preoperative symptoms as radicular pain and spinal dysfunction were improved significantly. The numbness and hyperesthesia were relieved to different extents. In conclusion, methods of exposing and surgically treating CSS should be selected according to the growth site of the schwannoma in order to reduce the blood loss and surgery duration and to improve the surgical safety.

Clinical features and surgical efficacy analysis of subarachnoid hemorrhagic moyamoya disease / 中国脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical features of subarachnoid hemorrhagic moyamoya disease and the therapeutic effect of encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis (EDAS). Methods The clinical and imaging data of 38 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhagic moyamoya disease admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery,the 307th Hospital of PLA from January 2002 to April 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Thirty-five patients underwent unilateral or bilateral EDAS (64-sides underwent EDAS,4 patients with aneurysms underwent endovascular embolization first),and 3 patients did not undergo any surgery. Results (1)Subarachnoid hemorrhagic moyamoya disease accounted for 10. 8%(38/353)of all the hemorrhagic moyamoya disease admitted in hospital over the same period,including 37 adults and 1 child. The male to female ratio was 1∶3. 22 (9/29),and the age of onset was 12 to 59 years. The mean age of patients was 39 ± 11 years. Four patients were combined with aneurysms. There were no significant differences in the distribution of Suzuki stage,anterior choroidal artery dilatation and posterior communicating artery dilatation in the remaining 34 patients without aneurysms between the bleeding sides and non-bleeding sides (P>0.05). (2 ) The patients were followed up for 13 -125 months (mean 51 ± 27 months ),two patients had rebleeding,one of them was intraventricular hemorrhage,the other was parenchymal hemorrhage. The postoperative modified Rankin score (mRS)was significantly lower in 35 patients whom were treated with EDAS. Compared with before surgery,there was significant difference (P<0. 05). The re-examination of positron emission tomography (PET)for 16 patients at 3 to 19 months after surgery showed that among the 23 surgically treated hemispheres,the cerebral metabolisms of 17 hemispheres were improved after surgery, and 6 did not have any change after surgery. The re-examination of whole brain digital subtraction angiography (DSA)at 5 to 30 months after surgery in 13 patients showed that revascularizations in 19 of 23 surgical hemispheres were effective. Conclusion Subarachnoid hemorrhagic moyamoya disease often occurs in adults,and women are more common. EDAS can achieve good revascularization effect and improve brain metabolism of patients,and thus relieve the symptoms of cerebral ischemia.

Modified prepubic TVT-obturator tape procedure versus the conventional method: a preliminary study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of the modified prepubic tension-free vaginal tape-obturator (PTVT-O) system procedure with the original TVT-O methods. STUDY DESIGN: One hundred and ninety women with urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) were included in this study (93 cases in the TVT-O group and 97 in the PTVT-O group). Clinical assessments before and one year after surgery included urinalyses, 1-h pad tests, urodynamic studies, and a personal interview with the overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS) questionnaire. RESULTS: There were no differences between the two groups in mean age, parity, menopausal status, mean operative time and subjective cure rates (P>0.05), but the efficacy of surgery (cure and improvement) in the PTVT-O group was significantly higher than that in the TVT-O group (P=0.038). Complication rates and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were found to be similar (P>0.05). OABSS decreased significantly after surgery in both groups (P<0.05) although all urodynamic parameters revealed no significant difference after both procedures (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Our modified procedure is a safe and effective treatment for female USI. It has an advantage over the original TVT-O with better surgical efficacy and comparable postoperative pain, although the follow-up times in this study are different.