One-Year Romosozumab Treatment Followed by One-Year Denosumab Treatment for Osteoporosis in Patients on Hemodialysis: An Observational Study.

There is limited evidence on the use of romosozumab (ROMO) in the treatment of osteoporosis in patients on hemodialysis (HD); thus, we aimed to investigate this topic. This prospective, observational, single-center cohort study included 13 prior osteoporosis treatment-naïve patients on HD with osteoporosis. They first received ROMO once monthly for 12 months (210 mg; subcutaneously once every month). Thereafter, they received denosumab (DENO) for an additional 12 months (60 mg; subcutaneously once every 6 months). We examined the incidence of new fractures; treatment safety; and temporal changes in the bone mineral density (BMD), bone metabolism markers, and vascular calcification. No new cases of fractures were noted. The median one-year percentage changes (from the baseline) in the BMDs at the lumbar spine (LS), total hip (TH), and femoral neck (FN) were + 9.0%, + 2.5%, and + 4.7%, respectively. These changes were maintained for 24 months. The corresponding relative changes from the baseline to 24 months thereafter were + 14.9%, + 5.4%, and + 6.5%, respectively. The percentage changes in TH BMD and FN BMD were negatively correlated with baseline BMD. Coronary artery and thoracic aorta calcification scores increased slightly from baseline to 12 months thereafter. However, fatal events (cardiovascular disease-associated and all-cause deaths) did not occur during ROMO treatment. Effectiveness of ROMO was better in patients who had severe osteoporosis with low TH BMD, low FN BMD, and high tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b level at ROMO initiation.

Absence of a weekday effect on short- and long-term oncologic outcomes of gastrectomy for gastric cancer: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Day of the week when elective gastrointestinal surgery is performed may be influenced by various background and tumor-related factors. Relationships between postoperative outcome and when in the week gastrectomy is performed remain controversial. We undertook this study to evaluate whether weekday of gastrectomy influenced outcomes of gastric cancer treatment ("weekday effect"). METHODS: Patients who underwent curative surgery for gastric cancer between 2004 and 2017 were included in this retrospective study. To obtain 2 cohorts well balanced for variables that might influence clinical outcomes, patients whose gastrectomy was performed early in the week (EW group) were matched 1:1 with others undergoing gastrectomy later in the week (LW group) by use of propensity scores. RESULTS: Among 554 patients, 216 were selected from each group by propensity score matching. Incidence of postoperative complications classified as Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher was similar between EW and LW groups (20.4% vs. 24.1%; P = 0.418). Five-year overall and recurrence-free survival were 86.0% and 81.9% in the EW group, and 86.2% and 81.1% in the LW group (P = 0.981 and P = 0.835, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Short- and long-term outcomes were comparable between gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy early and late in the week.

Superior mesenteric vein reconstruction during pancreatoduodenectomy using a dilated right ovarian vein in a patient at future risk for pelvic congestion syndrome: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatoduodenectomy including resection of the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) is increasingly performed for right-sided pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma invading the wall of that vessel. Various venous grafts may be chosen for reconstruction. We present a woman with pancreatic cancer who underwent such a pancreatoduodenectomy with venous reconstruction using a dilated right ovarian vein. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old woman with cancer involving the pancreatic head, uncinate process, and SMV underwent pancreatoduodenectomy with SMV resection. Reconstruction used a portion of the right ovarian vein that was markedly dilated and had placed her at risk for pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS). Graft patency was confirmed 8 months after surgery. She now finished receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and has no symptoms of PCS. CONCLUSION: If an ovarian vein has sufficient diameter, it can be used to reconstruct the resected segment of the SMV during pancreatoduodenectomy in suitable patients.

Clinical impact of the new "twin U-stitch method" of pancreaticogastrostomy in pancreaticoduodenectomy.

PURPOSE: The optimal pancreaticogastrostomy (PG) method for reducing pancreatic fistula (PF) incidence remains unclear. This retrospective review aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of the "twin U-stitch method" and compared it with the conventional invagination method. METHODS: Data of 183 consecutive patients who underwent PG after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) between January 2015 and November 2020 were evaluated. PF incidence was compared between patients who experienced twin U-stitch PG (twin U-stitch group) and those who experienced conventional invagination PG (conventional PG group). RESULTS: The twin U-stitch and conventional PG methods were performed in 97 and 86 patients, respectively. The time required for twin U-stitch PG was shorter than conventional PG (9.3 min vs 20.0 min, P < 0.001). The twin U-stitch group showed a lower incidence of PF than the conventional PG group (8% vs. 19%, P = 0.038). Multivariate analysis confirmed that twin U-stitch PG was significantly correlated with a decreased risk of PF (odds ratio, 0.23; P = 0.006), independent of the texture of the pancreas. Subgroup analysis of patients with soft-textured pancreas showed that the median drain amylase levels in the twin U-stitch group on postoperative days (POD) 1 and 3 were significantly lower than those in the conventional PG group (POD 1: 1,335 vs. 5,991 U/L, P < 0.001; POD 3: 212 vs. 518, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The twin U-stitch method was simple and preferable to the conventional method for preventing PF in patients with PD.

Treatment of biliary tract stones after gastrectomy in the era of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of biliary tract stones has widely been reported to be high after gastrectomy. Treatment of biliary tract stones in post-gastrectomy patients was examined retrospectively, particularly minimally invasive therapy with laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder stones and endoscopic bile duct lithotomy for common bile duct stones. METHODS: Treatment of 122 post-gastrectomy patients with biliary tract stones was examined retrospectively from 1995 to April 2015. RESULTS: Symptomatic biliary tract stones were found in 3.7% of post-gastrectomy patients. The frequency of bile duct stones was higher in post-gastrectomy patients with gallbladder stones (44%) than in the nongastrectomy patients (11%). Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was carried out in 84% of the patients with gallbladder stones. Endoscopic bile duct lithotomy was feasible in 89% of patients with common bile duct stones. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was feasible for removing gallbladder stones after gastrectomy. Endoscopic bile duct lithotomy followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy was a good option for patients in whom endoscopic intervention could be performed. On the other hand, choledochoenterostomy could be a good option for patients in whom endoscopic bile duct lithotomy cannot be performed, particularly considering the risk of recurrent bile duct stones.

Superior mesenteric vein resection without reconstruction in pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy for pancreatic head cancer.

The prognosis of pancreatic cancer is poor, even in resectable patients. The reason for this poor prognosis is partly due to local invasion of the tumor into the tissues around the pancreas. Pancreatic head cancer usually invades the mesentericoportal veins, so the combined venous resection is usually performed during pancreatoduodenectomy for the purpose of obtaining a negative surgical margin. We performed pancreatoduodenectomy for lower pancreatic head cancer together with superior mesenteric vein resection without reconstruction in two patients, after confirming adequate portal venous flow and small intestinal congestion, This is the first report of pancreatoduodenectomy combined with superior mesenteric vein resection without reconstruction for the purpose of obtaining a wide surgical margin.