1,720,996 research outputs found
Management of complications from hepatobiliary surgery using the percutaneous transjejunal approach
A new set for transhepatic insertion of large caliber catheters for biliary drainage : technical and clinical report
An original set for percutaneous insertion of large caliber (12-16 French) biliary drainages is described. The results obtained in the 70 patients submitted to biliary drainage with late complications due to malfunction of the standard 8.3 or 10 F catheters show the advantage of the set described. The correction of unsatisfactory levels of bilirubinemia was obtained in 100% of cases, the resolution of recurrent cholangitis in 84.2% and of bile leakage on the skin in 46.7%. The large caliber and the large side holes of the catheter, together with its length and its easy handling, allow resolution of many different problems of insufficient drainage present in patients with neoplastic involvement of bile ducts
Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage in malignant obstructive jaundice
Results obtained in 70 patients with neoplastic (primary or metastatic) biliary obstruction and submitted to percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage indicate the effectiveness of the technique in relieving jaundice, improving general conditions and restoring liver function. In 25.4% of cases, the drainage allowed the patients to undergo surgical treatment of the neoplasm. In 74.6%, the drainage was left in place as definitive palliation. The complication rate was very low and similar to that described in the literature. At this time it is difficult to identify prognostic factors and foresee the results of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage, but the procedure is always indicated in patients at high operative risk or inoperable
Adjuvant portal-vein infusion of fluorouracil and heparin in colorectal cancer: a randomised trial
I.F.: 11,793
Abstract: Background. There is conflicting evidence on the efficacy of regional adjuvant chemotherapy, via portal-vein infusion (PVI), after resection of colorectal cancer. We undertook a randomised controlled multicentre trial to investigate the efficacy of PVI (500 mg/m(2) fluorouracil plus 5000 IU heparin daily for 7 days).
Methods. 1235 of about 1500 potentially eligible patients were randomly assigned surgery plus PVI or surgery alone (control). The patients were followed up for a median of 63 months, with yearly screening for recurrent disease. The primary endpoint was survival; analyses were by intention to treat.
Findings. 619 patients in the control group and 616 in the PVI group met eligibility criteria. 164 (26%) control-group patients and 173 (28%) PVI-group patients died. 5-year survival did not differ significantly between the groups (73 vs 72%; 95% CI for difference -6 to 4). The control and PVI groups were also similar in terms of disease-free survival at 5 years (67 vs 65%) and the number of patients with liver metastases (79 vs 77%).
Interpretation. PVI of fluorouracil, at a dose of 500 mg/m(2) for 7 days, cannot be recommended as the sole adjuvant treatment for high-risk colorectal cancer after complete surgical excision. However, these results cannot eliminate a small benefit when PVI is used at a higher dosage or in combination with mitomyci
Comparing surgical resection of limited hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer to non-operative treatment
The survival of two groups of patients, affected by liver metastases (Stage I and II by Gennari et al.) from a previously operated colorectal cancer and treated by surgical resection (Group 1, 39 patients) or chemotherapy with various cytotoxic drugs (Group 2, 31 patients) at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, is reported. In comparison with Group 2, Group 1 included more patients with metachronous lesions, with high level of serum bilirubin and with primary tumour originating from the colon. A univariate analysis (log rank test) identified a statistically significant prognostic role of type of treatment (surgery vs chemotherapy) and of the level of serum bilirubin. However the multivariate analysis by the Cox's regression model showed that the only independent statistically significant prognostic factor was type of treatment, since the hazard ratio of surgery vs chemotherapy was 0.490 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.256-0.936. The survival probabilities at 24 and 36 months were respectively 60% and 47% in surgical patients, vs 30% and 23% in those receiving chemotherapy, the difference between the curves being statistically different (P = 0.001). The median survival of Group 1 patients was 30 months whereas the median survival of Group 2 patients was 19 months, a value quite similar to that published in literature for untreated patients with limited metastatic disease-thus indicating that this patients' population was not selected according to unfavourable criteria. These findings suggest a beneficial role of surgical resection in patients with colorectal metastases confined to the liver in Stages I and II
Radiological examination of the colon resected for neoplastic pathology in the study of complications and recurrence of the disease
After resection for cancer of the large bowel, because of high incidence of recurrences, careful radiological examinations must be performed during the follow-up. From the experience of more than 1800 X-ray examinations, after large bowel surgery, the authors describe the roentgen findings, pointing out pathological changes. Roentgenographic findings are distinguished considering the interval between surgery and X-ray examinations (early surveys and late surveys) and their site (anastomosis, residual colonic loops, perivisceral tissues). The main diagnostic problem usually arises in the late surveys at the anastomosis where is often difficult to distinguish a late surgical complication from a neoplastic relapse. This diagnosis is easier by comparison with films from early postoperative examinations. If they are not available correct diagnosis is yet often possible looking for some radiological signs which are carefully described
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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