An Assessment Rubric for a Resident Training Program in Surgery: A Single-Institution Experience.

Using a Collaborative Action Research model, our research team established a one-month clinical resident training program for first- and second-year clinical residents. We created and implemented an assessment rubric to assess the residents' progress toward independent practice in surgery, and thereby, to evaluate the program itself. The program included training in three areas: basic techniques and procedures in the operating room, surgical ward management, and academic activities. The rubric measured the residents' performance according to three achievement levels: Level 1 (demonstration), Level 2 (active help) and Level 3 (passive help). The program and rubric implementation began in June 2019 and continued until March 2020, when the program outcomes and shortcomings were analyzed. Among nineteen clinical residents, a total of nine clinical residents participated in the study. Most participants reached achievement Level 3 for their performance of basic techniques in the operating room. Finally, we discussed ideas for improvement and drafted plans for an improved rubric to complete the action research cycle. Our research team found the rubric to be a useful tool in evaluating the status of the new clinical resident training program.

Expanding on the professional role of dental hygienists as key managers of medical-dental and hospital-dental clinic collaboration in a local Japanese hospital without a dentistry department: From a questionnaire survey after a web seminar.

INTRODUCTION: Perioperative oral management (POM) was introduced into the Japanese universal health insurance system in 2012. Collaboration with dental clinics is important for hospitals without a dentistry department. A dental hygienist newly assigned as a member of the patient flow management centre led a seminar to promote collaboration via the web. This study represents the first step to explore the possible role of the hospital-based dental hygienist in the field of regional medical-dental cooperation of POM by assessing their willingness to participate in providing this type of care by a survey. METHODS: The rate of attendees' satisfaction and the current problems of the collaboration for POM were evaluated through a questionnaire survey after the web seminar. RESULTS: All respondents reported satisfaction with the web seminar although it was the first experience of an online seminar for half of the respondents. All hospital dentists, but only 47.8% of dentists working at clinics, had participated in POM. Dental hygienist tended to show greater desire to participate in POM than dentists. All respondents appreciated the role played by the dental hygienist as a key manager of medical-dental collaboration between the hospital and local clinics. CONCLUSION: The hospital-based dental hygienist can play a role in planning and management of web seminars for POM, to raise awareness and promote regional medical-dental cooperation of POM.

Totally laparoscopic colectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis for colonic liposarcoma: A case report.

Liposarcoma is a type of soft tissue sarcoma. Primary colonic liposarcomas are extremely rare. An 86-year-old man with diarrhea and anorexia visited our outpatient clinic at Okayama City Hospital. Colonoscopy and computed tomography imaging revealed a large submucosal tumor in the descending colon with a maximum diameter of approximately 10 cm. He underwent totally laparoscopic left hemicolectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis. The histopathological diagnosis was a well-differentiated liposarcoma without lymph node metastases. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. We herein report a rare case of totally laparoscopic colectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis in an elderly patient with colonic liposarcoma.

An experience of total laparoscopic partial colectomy with intracorporeal triangulating anastomosis in an obese patient with descending colon cancer.

A 68-year-old woman was transferred to the emergency room of Okayama City Hospital because of worsening epigastric pain. After the examination, she was diagnosed with descending colon cancer, and laparoscopic colectomy was planned. However, exteriorization of the bowels to produce anastomosis was difficult because the rich adipose tissue of the mesocolon hardly stretched, and the abdominal wall was thick as the patient was obese. Therefore, an intracorporeal triangulating end-to-end anastomosis was performed. The colon was divided at 10 cm either side from the tumor using an endoscopic linear stapler. After the resection of the stumps with staples, the posterior walls were tied with stay sutures and then stapled with an endoscopic linear stapler. The anterior wall was stapled twice in the same manner, and the intracorporeal anastomosis was completed. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful. This technique provided an alternative intracorporeal anastomotic technique as troubleshooting in laparoscopic colectomy.

[A Case of Carcinoma Associated with an Anal Fistula Repaired Using a Hatchet Flap after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy].

The patient was a 53-year-old man who complained of perianal pain. He had a 20-year history of an anal fistula. There was a 10 cm tumor with mucin-like discharge on the left side of the anus. His CEA level was high, at 7.3 ng/mL, and T2-weighted MRI revealed a multilocular cystic tumor with high signal intensity. The second biopsy result indicated mucinous adenocarcinoma. We performed neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The chemotherapy regimen was TS-1 with radiation therapy, along with 4-port irradiation(50.4 Gy)of the primary tumor, located at the interior of the pelvis and inguinal lymph nodes. At the time of treatment completion, a partial response(PR)was observed, and a complete response(CR)was obtained after 6 months. We performed laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection. The large defect in the perianal skin and the pelvic cavity was repaired using a hatchet flap. The final diagnosis was confirmed as mucinous adenocarcinoma, pT4b, ly0, v0, N0, pPM0, pDM0, pRM0, pStage II . The patient was discharged 20 days after surgery. There is no indication of recurrence of the cancer after 1 year, and he continues to visit the outpatient clinic for regular follow-ups. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was effective in this case.

[A case of recurrent breast cancer with multiple lung metastases responding to anastrozole monotherapy].

A 51-year-old postmenopausal woman was referred to our hospital for treatment of ER-positive recurrent breast cancer. The patient had lung and pleural metastases with pleural effusion from breast cancer. She was treated with anastrozole, a 3rd-generation aromatiase inhibitor. The efficacy of the treatment was definite: the multiple metastatic lung lesions showed a partial response after 5 months' treatment, and reached a complete response after 14 months' treatment. The patient experienced no adverse effects with this therapy. Anastrozole therapy is a useful treatment for postmenopausal woman with ER-positive recurrent breast cancer.

Long-term outcome after laparoscopic wedge resection for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic wedge resection (LWR) can be applied for the management of early gastric cancer without the risk of lymph node metastasis. Although LWR for early gastric cancer is one of the minimally invasive procedures, its radicality in cancer therapy is controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes after LWR. METHODS: Data on 43 consecutive cases of LWR performed for preoperatively diagnosed mucosal gastric cancer were analyzed retrospectively in terms of long-term outcomes. RESULTS: No postoperative deaths occurred after LWR. Histologically, resected specimens showed submucosal invasion in 11 cases (26%) and positive surgical margins for cancer in 4 cases (9%). Three patients (7%) showed local recurrence near the staple line, and one patient (2%) died due to the local recurrence, but no lesional lymph node or distant recurrence occurred. The overall 5-year survival rate was 88%. The gastric remnant after LWR developed metachronous multiple gastric cancer in five cases (12%). CONCLUSIONS: The findings show a relatively high incidence of positive surgical margin, local recurrence, and gastric remnant cancer after LWR. Although LWR can be performed for properly selected patients, periodic postoperative endoscopic examination is necessary to detect metachronous multiple gastric cancer and local recurrences.

[A case of gastric cancer with multiple bone metastasis that responded to S-1 with low-dose cis-platinum].

We report a patient with multiple bone metastasis who was treated successfully using S-1 and low-dose cis-platinum (CDDP). Metastasis was diagnosed 4 years after distal gastrectomy for early gastric cancer in a woman now 68 years old. Surgery was performed on February 9, 1999. The primary tumor was located in the midportion of the gastric body, and had invaded the submucosa with metastasis to lymph nodes in the area of the lesser curvature. She was discharged from our hospital 24 days after surgery. About 4 years after surgery, she experienced a backache and her CEA and CA19-9 levels had risen to 15.30 ng/mL and 996.5 U/mL, respectively. The results of an imaging examination were suggestive of multiple bone metastasis. Treatment with S-1+CDDP was started with the following regimen: daily oral administration of 100 mg/body/day S-1 for 14 days, followed by a 7-days rest and CDDP 20 mg/body infusion on day 1 and 8. Three months after initiation of therapy, the CEA and CA19-9 levels decreased 2.80 ng/mL and 36.8 U/mL, respectively. No severe adverse effects were observed with this therapy. The combination of S-1 and CDDP can be a good tool for the management of gastric cancer with bone metastasis.

Improved quality of life for malignant ascites patients by Denver peritoneovenous shunts.

BACKGROUND: Intractable ascites secondary to malignant disease deteriorates the patients' quality of life. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients, who had undergone Denver peritoneovenous shunt for the treatment of ascites associated with malignant tumor from May 1998 to February 2004, were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Post-operative complications had occurred in twelve patients, including disseminated intravascular coagulation in eight, pulmonary edema in three and wound hematoma in one. The patients' post-operative mean survival was 54.5 days with occlusion occurring in four (12.1%). Comparison of pre- and postoperative values showed a significant decrease of body weight and abdominal girth. Thirteen patients needed no post-operative therapy for ascites, whereas 17 patients could tentatively remain at home or be discharged. CONCLUSION: The Denver shunt for malignant ascites is useful in improving quality of life, if indications are selected properly. Further experience and discussion are necessary to establish the patient selection criteria.

[A case of malignant lymphoma of the stomach in which preoperative chemotherapy provided a complete response].

We have encountered a case of malignant lymphoma of the stomach in which a complete remission was confirmed in a resected specimen after chemotherapy. A 75-year-old woman complained of vomiting blood. A biopsy from gastric endoscopy indicated malignant lymphoma of diffuse large B-cell type. The patient was assumed to be inoperable due to enlargement of the tumor and lymph node metastasis, and THP-COP chemotherapy was carried out. After four courses of the THP-COP regimen, endoscopic examination revealed a significant tumor reduction. Total gastrectomy and splenectomy with lymph node dissection (D2) were performed after chemotherapy. No tumor cells were detected in any sections of the specimen or regional lymph nodes.