RESUMO
Introduction: Early diagnosis reduces mortality and morbidity rates in gastrointestinal system (GIS) anastomoses. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the importance of some substances that were used to detect major complications early in patients who were treated in line with the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol for gastric cancer. Factors included in the study were interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and white blood cell (WBC). Material and methods: A hundred and twenty patients who underwent laparoscopic subtotal or total gastrectomy for gastric cancer in accordance with the ERAS protocol between January 2018 and December 2019 were included in this prospective study. Blood values of IL-1ß, TNF-α, CRP, PCT, and WBC on the third and fifth post-operative days (POD) were measured for diagnosing major complications. Results: Major complications occurred in 12 (10%) patients. Third POD and fifth POD measurements of IL-1ß, TNF-α, CRP, PCT were statistically significantly higher than those in the non-complicated group, whereas WBC was not. In addition, in the group with complications, statistically significant changes of the blood levels of IL-1ß, TNF-α, CRP, and PCT between the 3rd and 5th days were detected (p = 0.008, p = 0.001, p = 0.004, p = 0.001 respectively). Conclusions: IL-1ß, TNF-α, CRP, and PCT can be used in the early detection of major complications in gastric cancer patients undergoing the ERAS protocol. Imaging methods should be used in patients with high levels of these inflammatory substances on the third and fifth POD.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The Ravitch procedure is a well-established surgical procedure for correction of chest wall deformities. Sternal wedge osteotomy is an important part of this procedure. We studied the incidence of wedge osteotomy with respect to the type of chest wall deformity in patients undergoing surgical correction with the use of a recently developed chest wall stabilization system. METHODS: A total of 47 patients, 39 (83%) male and 8 (17%) female with a mean age of 14.9 ± 2.1 years, underwent the Ravitch procedure. Twenty-four (51.1%) had pectus carinatum, 19 (40.4%) had pectus excavatum, and 4 (8.5%) had pectus arcuatum. A conventional or oblique sternal wedge osteotomy was performed as indicated, followed by chest wall stabilization using the MedXpert system. RESULTS: Of the 47 patients, 27 (57.4%) had a sternal wedge osteotomy. All cases of pectus arcuatum and redo cases underwent sternal wedge osteotomy. Pectus excavatum cases tended to have a greater incidence of wedge osteotomy compared to pectus carinatum cases (68.4% vs. 41.7%, p = 0.052). Patients with more resected ribs had a greater rate of wedge osteotomy (63.4%) compared to those with fewer resected ribs (16.7%, p = 0.043). CONCLUSIONS: A sternal wedge osteotomy is more commonly performed in patients with pectus excavatum compared to those with pectus carinatum. All redo and pectus arcuatum cases need a wedge osteotomy for proper correction. Wedge osteotomy is very likely in more aggressive corrections with more rib resections.
