Surgical management of renal cell carcinoma with subhepatic inferior vena cava tumor thrombus: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinomas are the most common form of kidney cancer in adults. In addition to metastasizing in lungs, soft tissues, bones, and the liver, it also spreads locally. In 2-10% of patients, it causes a thrombus in the renal or inferior vena cava vein; in 1% of patients thrombus reaches the right atrium. Surgery is the only curative option, particularly for locally advanced disease. Despite the advancements in laparoscopic, robotic and endovascular techniques, for this group of patients, open surgery continues to be among the best options. CASE REPORT: Here we present a case of successful tumor thrombectomy from the infrahepatic inferior vena cava combined with renal vein amputation and nephrectomy. Our patient, a 58 year old Albanian woman presented to the doctors office with flank pain, weight loss, fever, high blood pressure, night sweats, and malaise. After a comprehensive assessment, which included urine analysis, complete blood count, electrolytes, renal and hepatic function tests, as well as ultrasonography and computed tomography, she was diagnosed with left kidney renal cell carcinoma involving the left renal vein and subhepatic inferior vena cava. After obtaining informed consent from the patient we scheduled her for surgery, which went well and without complications. She was discharged one week after to continue treatment with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: Open surgery is a safe and efficient way to treat renal cell carcinoma involving the renal vein and inferior vena cava. It is superior to other therapeutic modalities. When properly done it provides acceptable long time survival and good quality of life to patients.

A retrospective study of 572 patients with hand burns treated at the Department of Plastic Surgery Kosovo during the period 2000-2010.

Hands participate in everyday human activities and they are the most vulnerable parts of a human body. The objective of this study is to understand the common causes of hand burns, the methods of surgical interventions, duration of hospitalization and distribution of hand burns in 11 year period regarding the age. This is a retrospective study that included 572 patients with hand burns treated at the Department of Plastic Surgery Kosovo during the period 2000-2010. The data were collected and analyzed from the archives and protocols of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. Data processing was done with the statistical package InStat 3. From statistical parameters were calculated structural index, arithmetic median and standard deviation. Data testing is done with X (2) test and the difference is significant if P<0.05. The Ministry of Health of our country should make efforts to organize training for health workers about treatment for minor burns in order to reduce the number of referral patients from other primary (Familiar Medicine) and secondary centers (regional Hospitals).