Prognostic Value of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width (RDW) in the Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Following Curative Resection.

Purpose: Although surgery is associated with an acceptable cure rate, tumor recurrence is still a challenging issue in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is considered an inflammatory marker for predicting overall mortality in a wide spectrum of malignancies. In the current study, the prognostic role of pre- and postoperative RDW in HCC recurrence after liver resection (LRx) is investigated. Patients and Methods: In 395 patients, RDW levels were evaluated preoperatively as well as six and twelve months after curative LRx. The RDW cutoff values were determined using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) according to the recurrence-free survival (RFS). Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier, and differences were compared using the Log rank test. Results: The RFS was significantly higher among patients with low RDW at the 6th month and 12th month, postoperatively (P < 0.001 and P = 0.028). RDW levels of higher than 16.15% at the 6th (HR: 2.047, P <0.001) and higher than 15.85% at 12th (HR: 3.105, P < 0.002) months after liver resection were independent predictors of RFS. Conclusion: Postoperative RDW values seem to be predictive of tumor recurrence in HCC patients. RDW levels at the 6th and 12th months postoperatively were independent predictors of recurrence after LRx.

Are Routine Chest X-rays Necessary following Thoracic Surgery? A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

(1) Background: The number of chest X-rays that are performed in the perioperative window of thoracic surgery varies. Many clinics X-ray patients daily, while others only perform X-rays if there are clinical concerns. The purpose of this study was to assess the evidence of perioperative X-rays following thoracic surgery and estimate the clinical value with regard to changes in patient care. (2) Methods: A systematic literature research was conducted up until November 2021. Studies reporting X-ray outcomes in adult patients undergoing general thoracic surgery were included. (3) Results: In total, 11 studies (3841 patients/4784 X-rays) were included. The X-ray resulted in changes in patient care in 488 cases (10.74%). In patients undergoing mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy or thoracoscopic sympathectomy, postoperative X-ray never led to changes in patient care. (4) Conclusions: There are no data to recommend an X-ray before surgery or to recommend daily X-rays. X-rays immediately after surgery seem to rarely have any consequences. It is probably reasonable to keep requesting X-rays after drain removal since they serve multiple purposes and alter patient care in 7.30% of the cases.

Repeat liver resection for recurrent intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a relatively rare malignancy. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate outcomes of repeat liver resection and non-surgical approaches for treatment of recurrent ICC. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception until March 2021 for studies of patients with recurrent ICC. Studies not published in English were excluded. Two meta-analyses were performed: a single-arm meta-analysis of studies reporting pooled short- and long-term outcomes after repeat liver resection for recurrent ICC (meta-analysis A), and a meta-analysis of studies comparing 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates after repeat liver resection and non-surgical approaches for recurrent ICC (meta-analysis B). RESULTS: Of 543 articles retrieved in the search, 28 were eligible for inclusion. Twenty-four studies (390 patients) were included in meta-analysis A and nine studies (591 patients) in meta-analysis B. After repeat liver resection, 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 87 (95 per cent c.i. 81 to 91), 58 (48 to 68), and 39 (29 to 50) per cent respectively. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were higher after repeat liver resection than without surgery: odds ratio 2.70 (95 per cent c.i. 1.28 to 5.68), 2.89 (1.15 to 7.27), and 5.91 (1.59, 21.90) respectively. CONCLUSION: Repeat liver resection is a suitable strategy for recurrent ICC in selected patients. It improves short- and long-term outcomes compared with non-surgical treatments.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of endoscopic ultrasound drainage for the management of fluid collections after pancreas surgery.

BACKGROUND: The outcomes of endoscopic ultrasonography-guided drainage (EUSD) in treatment of pancreas fluid collection (PFC) after pancreas surgeries have not been evaluated systematically. The current systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the outcomes of EUSD in patients with PFC after pancreas surgery and compare it with percutaneous drainage (PCD). METHODS: PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for studies reporting outcomes EUSD in treatment of PFC after pancreas surgeries, from their inception until January 2022. Two meta-analyses were performed: (A) a systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis of EUSD (meta-analysis A) and (B) two-arm meta-analysis comparing the outcomes of EUSD and PCD (meta-analysis B). Pooled proportion of the outcomes in meta-analysis A as well as odds ratio (OR) and mean difference (MD) in meta-analysis B was calculated to determine the technical and clinical success rates, complications rate, hospital stay, and recurrence rate. ROBINS-I tool was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: The literature search retrieved 610 articles, 25 of which were eligible for inclusion. Included clinical studies comprised reports on 695 patients. Twenty-five studies (477 patients) were included in meta-analysis A and eight studies (356 patients) were included in meta-analysis B. In meta-analysis A, the technical and clinical success rates of EUSD were 94% and 87%, respectively, with post-procedural complications of 14% and recurrence rates of 9%. Meta-analysis B showed comparable technical and clinical success rates as well as complications rates between EUSD and PCD. EUSD showed significantly shorter duration of hospital stay compared to that of patients treated with PCD. CONCLUSION: EUSD seems to be associated with high technical and clinical success rates, with low rates of procedure-related complications. Although EUSD leads to shorter hospital stay compared to PCD, the certainty of evidence was low in this regard.

Renal Artery Repair with Kidney Autotransplantation for Renal Artery Aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: Kidney autotransplantation (ATx) is a treatment option for distal renal artery aneurysm (RAA). This systematic review evaluated the indications, treatment strategy, and outcome of kidney ATx to verify the value of this procedure in treating RAA. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. REVIEW METHODS: All study types were included, except study protocols and animal studies, without time or language restrictions. Data sources were reviewed until April 2021 to identify relevant articles evaluating operating time, cold and warm ischaemia time, total complications, length of hospital stay, and mortality rate in patients with RAA receiving kidney ATx. RESULTS: The literature search retrieved 644 articles. Of these, 55 clinical studies (including 37 case reports and 18 case series) investigating 199 patients were eligible for inclusion. Endovascular treatment had failed in 17% of 70 patients with RAA. Heterotopic kidney ATx was performed in 81% of patients, and 19% received orthotopic kidney ATx. Unplanned nephrectomy was reported in only one patient (0.1%). Post-operative complications were reported in 6.9% of patients, including urinary tract infection (2.0%), wound infection (1.3%), acute renal insufficiency (0.6%), graft thrombosis (0.6%), kidney hypoperfusion (0.6%), haematoma (0.6%), lymphocoele (0.6%), pseudoaneurysm (0.6%), and arterial occlusion (0.6%). None of the patients died peri-operatively, and organ loss was reported in only one patient (0.05%). No further organ loss or death was reported during follow up (median follow up duration 12 months). CONCLUSION: In patients with distal perihilar RAA, surgical repair with kidney ATx appears to be a suitable alternative when endovascular approaches are not appropriate. In these cases, kidney ATx saves the kidney and provides good clinical outcomes. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, considering the lack of data regarding the adverse events, potential for favourable publication bias among included studies, and the absence of consecutive series and prospective trials.

Statin use is associated with the reduction in hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver surgery.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common form of cancer worldwide. Although surgical treatments have an acceptable cure rate, tumor recurrence is still a challenging issue. In this meta-analysis, we investigated whether statins prevent HCC recurrence following liver surgery. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and Cochrane Central were searched. The Outcome of interest was the HCC recurrence after hepatic surgery. Pooled estimates were represented as hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) using a random-effects model. Summary effect measures are presented together with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grades of Research, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: The literature search retrieved 1362 studies excluding duplicates. Nine retrospective studies including 44,219 patients (2243 in the statin group and 41,976 in the non-statin group) were included in the qualitative analysis. Patients who received statins had a lower rate of recurrence after liver surgery (HR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.44-0.63; p < 0.001). Moreover, Statins decreased the recurrence 1 year after surgery (OR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.16-0.47; P < 0.001), 3 years after surgery (OR: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.15-0.33; P < 0.001), and 5 years after surgery (OR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.19-0.42; P < 0.001). The certainty of evidence for the outcomes was moderate. CONCLUSION: Statins increase the disease-free survival of patients with HCC after liver surgery. These drugs seem to have chemoprevention effects that decrease the probability of HCC recurrence after liver transplantation or liver resection.

Efficacy of Technical Modifications to the Associating Liver Partition and Portal Vein Ligation for Staged Hepatectomy (ALPPS) Procedure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

To compare the outcomes of modified-Associating Liver Partition and Portal vein Ligation for Staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) techniques with those of conventional-ALPPS. Background: ALPPS is an established technique for treating advanced liver tumors. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were searched. The outcomes were assessed by single-arm and 2-arm analyses. Results: Seventeen studies containing 335 modified-ALPPS patients were included in single-arm meta-analysis. The estimated blood loss was 267 ± 29 mL (95% confidence interval [CI], 210-324 mL) during the first and 662 ± 51 mL (95% CI, 562-762 mL) during the second stage. The operation time was 166 ± 18 minutes (95% CI, 131-202 minutes) during the first and 225 ± 19 minutes (95% CI, 188-263 minutes) during the second stage. The major morbidity rate was 14% (95% CI, 9%-22%) after the first stage. The future liver remnant hypertrophy rate was 65.2% ± 5% (95% CI, 55%-75%) and the interstage interval was 16 ± 1 days (95% CI, 14-17 days). The dropout rate was 9% (95% CI, 5%-15%). The overall complication rate was 46% (95% CI, 37%-56%) and the major complication rate was 20% (95% CI, 14%-26%). The postoperative mortality rate was 7% (95% CI, 4%-11%). Seven studies containing 215 patients were included in comparative analysis. The hypertrophy rate was not different between 2 methods (mean difference [MD], -5.01; 95% CI, -19.16 to 9.14; P = 0.49). The interstage interval was shorter for partial-ALPPS (MD, 9.43; 95% CI, 3.29-15.58; P = 0.003). The overall complication rate (odds ratio [OR], 10.10; 95% CI, 2.11-48.35; P = 0.004) and mortality rate (OR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.36-10.26; P = 0.01) were higher in the conventional-ALPPS. Conclusions: The hypertrophy rate in partial-ALPPS was similar to conventional-ALPPS. This shows that minimizing the first stage of the operation does not affect hypertrophy. Moreover, the postoperative overall morbidity and mortality rates were lower following partial-ALPPS.

Endocystectomy as a conservative surgical treatment for hepatic cystic echinococcosis: A systematic review with single-arm meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In patients with hepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE), treatment effectiveness, outcomes, complications, and recurrence rate are controversial. Endocystectomy is a conservative surgical approach that adequately removes cyst contents without loss of parenchyma. This conservative procedure has been modified in several ways to prevent complications and to improve surgical outcomes. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the intraoperative and postoperative complications of endocysectomy for hepatic CE as well as the hepatic CE recurrence rate following endocystectomy. METHODS: A systematic search was made for all studies reporting endocystectomy to manage hepatic CE in PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases. Study quality was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) criteria and the Cochrane revised tool to assess risk of bias in randomized trials (RoB2). The random-effects model was used for meta-analysis and the arscine-transformed proportions were used to determine complication-, mortality-, and recurrence rates. This study is registered with PROSPERO (number CRD42020181732). RESULTS: Of 3,930 retrieved articles, 54 studies reporting on 4,058 patients were included. Among studies reporting preoperative anthelmintic treatment (31 studies), albendazole was administered in all of them. Complications were reported in 19.4% (95% CI: 15.9-23.2; I2 = 84%; p-value <0.001) of the patients; biliary leakage (10.1%; 95% CI: 7.5-13.1; I2 = 81%; p-value <0.001) and wound infection (6.6%; 95% CI: 4.6-9; I2 = 27%; p-value = 0.17) were the most common complications. The post-endocystectomy mortality rate was 1.2% (95% CI: 0.8-1.8; I2 = 21%; p-value = 0.15) and the recurrence rate was 4.8% (95% CI: 3.1-6.8; I2 = 87%; p-value <0.001). Thirty-nine studies (88.7%) had a mean follow-up of more than one year after endocystectomy, and only 14 studies (31.8%) had a follow-up of more than five years. CONCLUSION: Endocystectomy is a conservative and feasible surgical approach. Despite previous disencouraging experiences, our results suggest that endocystectomy is associated with low mortality and recurrence.

Prognostic role of the Donor Risk Index, the Eurotransplant Donor Risk Index, and the Balance of Risk score on graft loss after liver transplantation.

This study aimed to identify cutoff values for donor risk index (DRI), Eurotransplant (ET)-DRI, and balance of risk (BAR) scores that predict the risk of liver graft loss. MEDLINE and Web of Science databases were searched systematically and unrestrictedly. Graft loss odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were assessed by meta-analyses using Mantel-Haenszel tests with a random-effects model. Cutoff values for predicting graft loss at 3 months, 1 year, and 3 years were analyzed for each of the scores. Measures of calibration and discrimination used in studies validating the DRI and the ET-DRI were summarized. DRI ≥ 1.4 (six studies, n = 35 580 patients) and ET-DRI ≥ 1.4 (four studies, n = 11 666 patients) were associated with the highest risk of graft loss at all time points. BAR > 18 was associated with the highest risk of 3-month and 1-year graft loss (n = 6499 patients). A DRI cutoff of 1.8 and an ET-DRI cutoff of 1.7 were estimated using a summary receiver operator characteristic curve, but the sensitivity and specificity of these cutoff values were low. A DRI and ET-DRI score ≥ 1.4 and a BAR score > 18 have a negative influence on graft survival, but these cutoff values are not well suited for predicting graft loss.

Meta-analysis of the effect of the pringle maneuver on long-term oncological outcomes following liver resection.

Hepatic pedicle clamping reduces intraoperative blood loss and the need for transfusion, but its long-term effect on survival and recurrence remains controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of the Pringle maneuver (PM) on long-term oncological outcomes in patients with primary or metastatic liver malignancies who underwent liver resection. Literature was searched in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline (via PubMed), and Web of Science databases. Survival was measured as the survival rate or as a continuous endpoint. Pooled estimates were represented as odds ratios (ORs) using the Mantel-Haenszel test with a random-effects model. The literature search retrieved 435 studies. One RCT and 18 NRS, including 7480 patients who underwent liver resection with the PM (4309 cases) or without the PM (3171 cases) were included. The PM did not decrease the 1-year overall survival rate (OR 0.86; 95% CI 0.67-1.09; P = 0.22) or the 3- and 5-year overall survival rates. The PM did not decrease the 1-year recurrence-free survival rate (OR 1.06; 95% CI 0.75-1.50; P = 0.75) or the 3- and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates. There is no evidence that the Pringle maneuver has a negative effect on recurrence-free or overall survival rates.

Pringle Maneuver in Extended Liver Resection: A propensity score analysis.

Despite the ongoing decades-long controversy, Pringle maneuver (PM) is still frequently used by hepatobiliary surgeons during hepatectomy. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PM on intraoperative blood loss, morbidity, and posthepatectomy hemorrhage (PHH). A series of 209 consecutive patients underwent extended hepatectomy (EH) (≥5 segment resection). The association of PM with perioperative outcomes was evaluated using multivariate analysis with a propensity score method to control for confounding. Fifty patients underwent PM with a median duration of 19 minutes. Multivariate analysis revealed that risk of excessive intraoperative bleeding (≥1500 ml; odds ratio [OR] 0.27, 95%-confidence interval [CI] 0.10-0.70, p = 0.007), major morbidity (OR 0.41, 95%-CI 0.18-0.97, p = 0.041), and PHH (OR 0.22, 95%-CI 0.06-0.79, p = 0.021) were significantly lower in PM group after EH. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in 3-year recurrence-free-survival between groups. PM is associated with lower intraoperative bleeding, PHH, and major morbidity risk after EH. Performing PM does not increase posthepatectomy liver failure and does not affect recurrence rate. Therefore, PM seems to be justified in EH.

Glioblastoma Multiforme: an Advanced Analysis of 153 Patients and Review of the Literature

Objective Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive primary tumor with frequent recurrences that leaves patients with a short survival time and a low quality of life. The aim of this study was to review the prognostic factors in patients with glioblastoma multiforme. Material and Methods The focus of this retrospective study was a group of 153 patients with supratentorial GBM tumors, who were admitted to a tertiary-care referral academic center from 2005 to 2013. The factors associated with survival and local recurrence were assessed using the hazard ratio (HR) function of Cox proportional hazards regression and neural network analysis. Results Out of the 153 patients, 99 (64.7%) weremale. The average age of the patients was 55.69 15.10 years. The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 14.0 and 7.10 months respectively. In the multivariate analysis, age (HR » 2.939, p < 0.001), operative method (HR » 7.416, p < 0.001), temozolomide (TMZ, HR » 11.723, p < 0.001), lomustine (CCNU, HR » 8.139, p < 0.001), occipital lobe involvement (HR » 3.088, p < 0.001) and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS, HR » 4.831, p < 0.001) scores were shown to be significantly associated with a higher OS rate. Furthermore, higher KPS (HR » 7.292, p < 0.001) readings, the operative method (HR » 0.493, p » 0.005), the use of CCNU (HR » 2.047, p » 0.003) and resection versus chemotherapy (HR » 0.171, p < 0.001) were the significant factors associated with the local recurrence of the tumor. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the use of CCNU and TMZ, the operative method and higher KPS readings are associated with both higher survival and lower local recurrence rates.

Objetivo Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) é um tumor primário agressivo com recorrências frequentes que deixam pacientes com uma curta sobrevida e baixa qualidade de vida. O objetivo deste estudo é rever fatores de prognóstico em pacientes com glioblastoma multiforme. Material e Métodos O foco deste estudo retrospectivo foi um grupo de 153 pacientes com tumores GBM supratentoriais, os quais deram entrada em um centro acadêmico de atendimento de referência de 2005 a 2013. Fatores associados com a sobrevivência e a recorrência local foram avaliados usando a razão de risco (RR) da regressão de risco proporcional de Cox e análise de redes neurais. Resultados Dos 153 pacientes, 99 (64,7%) eram homens. A média de idade foi de 55,69 15,10 anos. A sobrevida geral (SG) mediana e a sobrevida de livre progressão (SLP) foram 14,0 e 7,10 meses, respectivamente. Na análise multivariada, idade (RR » 2,939, p < 0,001), método operatório (RR » 7,416, p < 0,001), temozolomida (TMZ, RR » 11,723, p < 0,001), lomustina (CCNU, RR » 8,139, p < 0,001), envolvimento do lobo occipital (RR » 3,088, p < 0,001) e Índice de Desempenho de Karnofsky (IDK, RR » 4,831, p < 0,001) foram identificados como significativamente associados a uma SG maior. Além disso, leituras maiores de IDK (RR » 7,292, p < 0,001), o método operatório (RR » 0,493, p » 0,005), o uso de CCNU (RR » 2,047, p » 0,003) e ressecção versus quimioterapia (RR » 0,171, p < 0,001) foram fatores significativos associados à recorrência local de tumor. Conclusão Nossos resultados sugerem que o uso de CCNU e TMZ, o método operatório e leituras maiores de IDK estão associados tanto à maior sobrevida quanto à menor recorrência local.

The effects of bare metal versus drug-eluting stent implantation on circulating endothelial cells following percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of bare metal stents (BMS) and drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation on circulating endothelial cells (CECs) which have been proposed as cellular markers of endothelial dysfunction following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Recently, it has been established that DES further reduce restenosis and revascularization rate compared to bare metal stents in elective procedures. However, its benefits are compromised by the stent-related thrombosis events. METHODS: 22 patients who were candidate of PCI were included in this study. The patients underwent DES implantation (n = 11) or BMS implantation (n = 11). In all patients the numbers of CECs were determined before and a week after stent implantation using flow cytometry and the obtained data were compared within and between groups by paired and unpaired Student's t-test, respectively. CECs were defined as cells negative for CD45 (FITC) and highly double positive for CD146 (PE) and CD34 (PE-Cy5) expression. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the baseline levels of CECs between two groups (p = 0.96). Stent implantation led to a significant increase in CECs compared with the preprocedural levels in the BMS group (p = 0.005) whereas there was a significant decrease in CEC numbers in DES group (p < 0.001). One week after stent implantation CECs count in BMS group was significantly higher compared to DES group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that patients undergoing DES implantation were subjected to less endothelial injury than patients receiving BMS as indicated by CEC enumeration.