Esophageal cancer remains one of the most aggressive malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract, with high rates of recurrence and mortality despite curative-intent surgery and adjuvant therapies. Identifying factors associated with recurrence is crucial for improving outcomes and guiding personalized treatment.
The aim of this study was to evaluate pretreatment and treatment-related variables associated with recurrence in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing surgical resection.
This retrospective study analyzed data from patients with stage I–III esophageal carcinoma who underwent esophagectomy between 2000 and 2025, using the Fundação Oncocentro de São Paulo (FOSP) database. Clinical, histological, and treatment-related variables were evaluated. Disease-free survival and recurrence patterns were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models and Fine–Gray subdistribution hazard models.
A total of 2,057 patients were included, with a mean follow-up of 36.5 months (±44.8). In the multivariate analysis, advanced tumor stage (stage II: HR 1.68, 95%CI 1.21–2.33; stage III: HR 3.23, 95%CI 2.29–4.56; both p<0.01), location (middle esophagus: HR 1.31, 95%CI 1.11–1.54; p=0.001; upper esophagus: HR 1.54, 95%CI 1.21–1.96; p<0.001), and histological subtype (rare histologies: HR 2.17, 95%CI 1.35–3.49; p=0.001) were associated with worse disease-free survival. Multimodal therapy improved disease-free survival (HR 0.40, 95%CI 0.24–0.66) in stage III tumors. Squamous cell carcinoma was independently associated with locoregional recurrence (SHR 1.52, 95%CI 1.05–2.20; p=0.027). For distant recurrence, squamous cell carcinoma showed a protective effect (SHR 0.52, 95%CI 0.31–0.88; p=0.015), while high tumor grade (grade II: SHR 3.65, 95%CI 1.98–6.72; p<0.001) was associated with an increased risk. Multimodal treatments influenced recurrence patterns but did not independently predict outcomes after adjustment.
Tumor stage, location, and histology were strong predictors of disease-free survival after surgery for esophageal cancer. Histological subtypes significantly influenced recurrence patterns. Squamous cell carcinoma was associated with a higher risk of locoregional recurrence but a lower risk of distant metastasis compared to adenocarcinoma. Multimodal therapy demonstrated a protective effect in stage III disease.
One of the primary complications associated with large incisions in abdominal surgery is the increased risk of fascial closure rupture and incisional hernia development. The choice of the fascial closure method and closing with minimal tension and trauma is crucial for optimal results, emphasizing the importance of uniform pressure along the suture line to withstand intra-abdominal pressure.
To evaluate the resistance to pressure and tension of stapled and sutured hand-sewn fascial closure in the abdominal wall.
Nine abdominal wall flaps from human cadavers and 12 pigs were used for the experimentation. An abdominal defect was induced after the resection of the abdominal wall and the creation of a flap in the cadaveric model and after performing a midline incision in the porcine models. The models were randomized into three groups. Group 1 was treated with a one-layer hand-sewn small bite suture, Group 2 was treated with a two-layer hand-sewn small bite suture, and Group 3 was treated with a two-layer stapled closure. Tension measurements were assessed in cadaveric models, and intra-abdominal pressure was measured in porcine models.
In the human cadaveric model, the median threshold for fascial rupture was 300N (300-350) in Group 1, 400N (350-500) in Group 2, and 350N (300-380) in Group 3. Statistical comparisons revealed non-significant differences between Group 1 and Group 2 (p=0.072, p>0.05), Group 1 and Group 3 (p=0.346, p>0.05), and Group 2 and Group 3 (p=0.184, p>0.05). For porcine subjects, Group 1 showed a median pressure of 80 mmHg (85-105), Group 2 had a median of 92.5 mmHg (65-95), and Group 3 had a median of 102.5 mmHg (80-135). Statistical comparisons indicated non-significant differences between Group 1 and Group 2 (p=0.243, p>0.05), Group 1 and Group 3 (p=0.468, p>0.05), and Group 2 and Group 3 (p=0.083, p>0.05).
Stapled and conventional suturing resist similar pressure and tension thresholds.
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Central pancreatectomy (CP) is a parenchyma-sparing alternative to standard resections for benign or low-grade lesions of the pancreatic neck. While it aims to preserve endocrine and exocrine function, it is associated with significant technical complexity and high rates of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF).
To analyze the CP at a single high-volume Brazilian center.
A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database was conducted. All patients undergoing CP at a single high-volume Brazilian center between January 2009 and December 2024 were included. Data on demographics, operative details, pathology, complications (International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery – ISGPS/Clavien-Dindo criteria), and long-term pancreatic function were collected.
Twenty-two patients underwent CP (mean age 54 years, 72% female). The majority of lesions were cystic (50%) or neuroendocrine tumors (36.4%). The POPF rate was 86.4%, all Grade B, most managed conservatively via prolonged drainage. No Grade C fistulas, postoperative hemorrhages, or mortality occurred. Delayed gastric emptying occurred in 22.7%. After a median follow-up of 5.59 years, endocrine insufficiency developed in 9% of patients without prior diabetes (none insulin-dependent), and exocrine insufficiency in 13.6%. Only one locoregional recurrence was observed (isolated metastasis).
This first Latin American series demonstrates that central pancreatectomy is a feasible and effective parenchyma-sparing procedure. It provides excellent long-term preservation of pancreatic function with low severe morbidity, despite high rates of manageable POPF. These outcomes support its role as a valuable surgical option for selected patients in experienced centers.
Liver transplantation is a complex and valuable therapy. However, complications that burden postoperative quality of life, such as incisional hernia, are to be better elucidated, such as risk factors and prophylactic measures.
This study aimed to define the rate of incisional hernia in patients who underwent liver transplantation in a population in southern Brazil and to assess the related risk factors in order to establish measures for prior optimization and specific prophylactic care in the future.
Patients undergoing adult Liver transplantation from January 2004 to November 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, assessing demographic features, surgical outcomes, and predisposing factors.
Among 261 liver transplantation patients included, incisional hernia was diagnosed in 71 (27.2%). Of the 71 incisional hernia patients, 28 (39.4%) developed IH during the first post-transplant. Majority of the patients were male (52/71, 73.2%); of the 71 patients, 52 had hepatitis C virus (HCV) and 33 (46.5%) had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Male gender (p=0.044), diabetes mellitus (p=0.008), and acute cellular rejection (p<0.001) were risk factors for IH. In all, 28 (39.4%) patients were submitted for hernia repair with mesh, with a recurrence rate of 17.8%.
Incisional hernia after liver transplantation is a relatively common problem associated with male gender, diabetes, and acute cellular rejection. This is a problem that should not be trivialized in view of the complexity of liver transplantation, as it can lead to a reduction in quality of life as well as jeopardize late liver transplantation results and lead to incarceration and strangulation.
The development of an incisional hernia is a common complication following laparotomy. It also has an important economic impact on healthcare systems and social security budget. The mesh reinforcement of the abdominal wall was an important advancement to increase the success of the repairs and reduce its long-term recurrence. The two most common locations for mesh placement in ventral hernia repairs include the premuscular (onlay technique) and retromuscular planes (sublay technique). However, until now, there is no consensus in the literature about the ideal location of the mesh.
The aim of this study was to compare the two most common incisional hernia repair techniques (onlay and sublay) with regard to the complication rate within the first 30 days of postoperative care.
This study analyzes 115 patients who underwent either onlay or sublay incisional hernia repairs and evaluates the 30-day postoperative surgical site occurrences and hernia recurrence for each technique.
We found no difference in the results between the groups, except in seroma formation, which was higher in patients submitted to the sublay technique, probably due to the lower rate of drain placement in this group.
Both techniques of mesh placement seem to be adequate in the repair of incisional hernias, with no major difference in surgical site occurrences.
Laparoscopic approaches to inguinal hernia repair include transabdominal extraperitoneal and transabdominal preperitoneal, both of which are widely performed and employ mesh. Indicators of success for these surgical procedures include incidence of complications, time to return to daily activities, incidence of postoperative chronic pain, and the long-term postoperative patient satisfaction.
This study aimed to evaluate and compare long-term postoperative incidence of chronic pain and overall quality of life among patients undergoing transabdominal extraperitoneal or transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair.
This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Medical records were analyzed, and the SF-36 questionnaire and Visual Analog Scale were applied to assess quality of life and chronic pain in patients undergoing laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair between January 2017 and February 2021.
A total of 167 patients status post laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair, who were 3 months postoperatively or longer, were included in the study. Among the early complications seen, seroma was most common in the transabdominal preperitoneal group (p=0.04). Subsequently, 40 of the initial 167 patients answered to the survey instrument (SF-36 and Visual Analog Scale). Mean patient-reported pain (Visual Analog Scale score) was statistically similar between groups, with 1.29 for transabdominal preperitoneal and 1.68 for transabdominal extraperitoneal (p=0.92). In the domains evaluated by the SF-36, there was no significant difference between the samples.
Both transabdominal extraperitoneal and transabdominal preperitoneal techniques for hernia repair have similar results in the late postoperative period regarding quality of life and prevalence of chronic pain. They are also comparable in terms of major early postoperative complications, except for seroma, with a higher incidence in patients undergoing transabdominal preperitoneal.
The differential diagnosis of the causal factors of acute pancreatitis is fundamental for its clinical follow-up, becoming relevant to establishing laboratory criteria that elucidate the difference between biliary and nonbiliary causes.
The aim of this study was to establish criteria based on laboratory tests for the differential diagnosis between acute pancreatitis of biliary and nonbiliary causes and to identify laboratory tests with sufficient sensitivity to propose the creation of an algorithm for differential diagnosis between the causes.
The research consisted of observational analysis, with a cross-sectional design of laboratory tests of two groups of patients with acute pancreatitis: group A: nonbiliary cause and group B: biliary cause. Hematocrit, white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, lipase, amylase, total bilirubin, oxalacetic transaminase, pyruvic transaminase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were investigated. Data were submitted to nonparametric tests and receiver operating characteristics.
Hematocrit values, number of leukocytes, lactate dehydrogenase, and glucose showed no significant difference between the groups (p>0.1). Lipase, amylase, total bilirubin, oxalacetic transaminase, pyruvic transaminase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and alkaline phosphatase values showed a significant difference between groups (p<0.05). The oxalacetic transaminase, pyruvic transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase tests were most sensitive in determining the biliary cause, allowing the establishment of a cutoff point by the receiver operating characteristic test: pyruvic transaminase: 123.0 U/L (sensitivity: 69.2%; specificity: 81.5%), oxalacetic transaminase: 123.5 U/L (sensitivity: 57.3%; specificity: 78.8%), and alkaline phosphatase: 126.5 U/L (sensitivity: 66.1%; specificity: 69.4%), from which the probability of a correct answer increases.
It was possible to establish criteria based on laboratory tests for the differential diagnosis between acute pancreatitis of biliary and nonbiliary origin; however, the tests did not show enough sensitivity to propose the creation of an algorithm for differential diagnosis between the same causes.
BACKGROUND:
Since its introduction, stapled hemorrhoidopexy has been increasingly indicated in the management of hemorrhoidal disease.
AIM:
Our primary end point was to evaluate the incidence of recurrent disease requiring another surgical intervention. On a secondary analysis, we also compared pain, complications, and patient's satisfaction after a tailored surgery.
METHODS:
We retrospectively reviewed 196 patients (103 males and 93 females) with a median age of 47.9 years (range, 17–78) who were undergoing stapled hemorrhoidopexy alone (STG; n=65) or combined surgery (CSG; n=131, stapled hemorrhoidopexy associated with resection).
RESULTS:
Complications were detected in 11 (5.6%) patients (4.6% for STG vs. 6.1% for CSG; p=0.95). At the same time, symptoms recurrence (13.8% vs. 8.4%; p=034), reoperation rate for complications (3.1% vs. 3.0%; p=1.0), and reoperation rate for recurrence (6.1% vs. 4.6%; p=1.0) were not different among groups. Grade IV patients were more commonly managed with simultaneous stapling and resection (63% vs. 49.5%), but none of them presented symptoms recurrence nor need reoperation due to recurrence. Median pain score during the first week was higher in CSG patients (0.8 vs. 1.7). After a follow-up of 24.9 months, satisfaction scores were similar (8.6; p=0.8).
CONCLUSION:
Recurrent symptoms were observed in 10% of patients, requiring surgery in approximately half of them. Even though the association of techniques may raise pain scores, a tailored approach based on amplified indication criteria and combined techniques seems to be an effective and safe alternative, with decreased relapse rates in patients suffering from more advanced hemorrhoidal disease. Satisfaction scores after hemorrhoidopexy are high.
Surgical treatment for pilonidal abscess is the gold standard, but not yet well codified. Different techniques proposed can be conservative or radical.
The aim of our study was to compare postoperative outcomes of both methods in one-stage treatment strategy.
This is a comparative study including patients operated on for pilonidal abscess, with a satisfactory postoperative follow-up, over a period of 4 years. We looked for the occurrence of postoperative recurrence in the medical records or by interviewing reachable patients.
We analyzed 57 patients: 33 males and 24 females. The mean age was 26.9±10 years. The type of operation was excision in 46 (81%) cases and incision in 11 (19%) cases associated with curettage in three cases and drainage in 1 case. There was no statistically significant relationship between the type of surgery and the occurrence of postoperative surgical complications (p=1) and hospital stay (p=0.4). Excision of pilonidal abscess was significantly associated with a longer time to return to activity (p=0.04). Conservative surgery was significantly associated with faster healing of the surgical wound (p<0.001). The recurrence rate was 19% in radical surgery and 54% in conservative surgery. Radical surgery was significantly associated with a lower recurrence rate than incision procedure (p=0.02).
Excision of pilonidal abscess was the common technique in our series, with a significantly lower rate of recurrence of the disease than after incision. However, the long convalescence following excision and the longer operating time, particularly in an emergency context, may sometimes lead to choosing conservative surgery.
Patients listed for liver transplantation and hepatocellular carcinoma are considered priority on the waiting list, and this could overly favor them.
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of this prioritization.
We analyzed the liver transplants performed in adults from 2011 to 2020 and divided into three groups: adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score for hepatocellular carcinoma, other adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease situations, and no adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease.
A total of 1,706 patients were included in the study, of which 70.2% were male. Alcoholism was the main etiology of cirrhosis (29.6%). Of the total, 305 patients were with hepatocellular carcinoma, 86 with other adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease situations, and 1,315 with no adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were older (58.9 vs. 53.5 years). The predominant etiology of cirrhosis was viral hepatitis (60%). The findings showed that group with adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease had lower physiological Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (10.9), higher adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (22.6), and longer waiting list time (131 vs. 110 days), as compared to the group with no adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease. The total number of transplants and the proportion of patients transplanted for hepatocellular carcinoma increased from 2011 to 2020. There was a reduction in the proportion of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease of 20 and there was an increase on waiting list time in this group. There was an increase in the proportion of those with adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease of 24 and 29, but the waiting list time remained stable.
Over the past decade, prioritization of hepatocellular carcinoma resulted in an increased proportion of transplanted patients in relation to those with no priority. It also increased waiting list time, requiring higher adjusted Model of End-Stage Liver Disease to transplant an organ.
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