Influences of dexmedetomidine on stress responses and postoperative cognitive and coagulation functions in patients undergoing radical gastrectomy under general anesthesia

BACKGROUND Radical gastrectomy(RG)is commonly used in the treatment of patients with gastric cancer(GC),but this procedure may lead to stress responses,postoperative cognitive dysfunction,and blood coagulation abnormalities in patients.AIM To investigate the influences of dexmedetomidine(DEX)on stress responses and postoperative cognitive and coagulation functions in patients undergoing RG under general anesthesia(GA).METHODS One hundred and two patients undergoing RG for GC under GA from February 2020 to February 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.Of these,50 patients had received conventional anesthesia intervention[control group(CG)]and 52 patients had received DEX in addition to routine anesthesia intervention[observation group(OG)].Inflammatory factor(IFs;tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α;interleukin-6,IL-6),stress responses(cortisol,Cor;adrenocorticotropic hormone,ACTH),cognitive function(CF;Mini-Mental State Examination,MMSE),neurological function(neuron-specific enolase,NSE;S100 calciumbinding protein B,S100B),and coagulation function(prothrombin time,PT;thromboxane B2,TXB2;fibrinogen,FIB)were compared between the two groups before surgery(T0),as well as at 6 h(T1)and 24 h(T2)after surgery.RESULTS Compared with T0,TNF-α,IL-6,Cor,ACTH,NSE,S100B,PT,TXB2,and FIB showed a significant increase in both groups at T1 and T2,but with even lower levels in OG vs CG.Both groups showed a significant reduction in the MMSE score at T1 and T2 compared with T0,but the MMSE score was notably higher in OG compared with CG.CONCLUSION In addition to a potent inhibitory effect on postoperative IFs and stress responses in GC patients undergoing RG under GA,DEX may also alleviate the coagulation dysfunction and improve the postoperative CF of these patients.

Combined detection tumor markers for diagnosis and prognosis of gallbladder cancer

AIM:To clarify the value of combined use of markers for the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer and prediction of its prognosis.METHODS:Serum cancer antigens(CA)199,CA242,carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),and CA125 levels were measured in 78 patients with gallbladder cancer(GBC),78 patients with benign gallbladder diseases,and 78 healthy controls using electrochemiluminescence.CA199,CA242,CEA,and CA125 levels and positive rates were analyzed and evaluated pre-and postoperatively.Receiver operator characteristic curves were used to determine diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of GBC.Survival time analysis,including survival curves,and multivariate survival analysis of a Cox proportional hazards model was performed to evaluate independent prognostic factors.RESULTS:Serum CA242,CA125,and CA199 levels in the GBC group were significantly higher when compared with those in the benign gallbladder disease and healthy control groups(P<0.01).With a single tumor marker for GBC diagnosis,the sensitivity of CA199 was the highest(71.7%),with the highest specificity being in CA242(98.7%).Diagnostic accuracy was highest with a combination of CA199,CA242,and CA125(69.2%).CA242 could be regarded as a tumor marker of GBC infiltration in the early stage.The sensitivity of CA199 and CA242 increased with progression of GBC and advanced lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).The78 GBC patients were followed up for 6-12 mo(mean:8 mo),during which time serum CA199,CA125,and CA242 levels in the recurrence group were significantly higher than in patients without recurrence(P<0.01).The post-operative serum CA199,CA125,and CA242levels in the non-recurrence group were significantly lower than those in the GBC group(P<0.01).Multivariate survival analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model showed that cancer of the gallbladder neck and CA199 expression level were independent prognostic factors.CONCLUSION:CA242 is a marker of GBC infiltration in the early stage.CA199 and cancer of the gallbladder neck are therapeutic and prognostic markers.

A special growth manner of intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma

We report a case of a 56-year-old woman with intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma(IBC)accompanying a tumor embolus in the extrahepatic bile duct,who was admitted to our department on October 13,2008.Imaging showed an asymmetry dilation of the biliary tree,different bile signals in the biliary tree,a multiloculated lesion and an extrahepatic bile duct lesion with internal septation.A regular left hemihepatectomy en bloc was performed with resection of the entire tumor,during which a tumor embolus protruding into the extrahepatic bile duct and originating from biliary duct of segment 4 was revealed.Microscopically,the multiloculated tumor was confirmed to be a biliary cystadenoma with an epithelial lining composed of biliary-type cuboidal cells and surrounded by an ovarian-like stroma.An aggressive en bloc resection was recommended for the multiloculated lesion.Imaging workup,clinicians and surgeons need to be aware of this different presentation.

An end-to-side suspender pancreaticojejunostomy: A new invagination pancreaticojejunostomy

Background: Postoperative pancreatic fistula(POPF) is a severe complication of the pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD). Recently, we introduced a method of suspender pancreaticojejunostomy(PJ) to the PD. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed various risk factors for complications after PD. We also introduced and assessed the suspender PJ to demonstrate its advantages.Methods: Data from 335 patients with various periampullary lesions, who underwent the Whipple procedure(classic Whipple procedure or pylorus-preserving) PD by either traditional end-to-side invagination PJ or suspender PJ, were analyzed. The correlation between either perioperative or postoperative complications and corresponding PD approaches was evaluated by univariate analysis.Results: A total of 147 patients received the traditional end-to-side invagination PJ, and 188 patients were given the suspender PJ. Overall, 51.9% patients had various complications after PD. The mortality rate was 2.4%. The POPF incidence in patients who received the suspender PJ was 5.3%, which was significantly lower than those who received the traditional end-to-side invagination PJ(18.4%)(P < 0.001).Univariate analysis showed that PJ approach and the pancreas texture were significantly associated with the POPF incidence rate(P < 0.01). POPF was a risk factor for both postoperative abdominal cavity infection(OR = 8.34, 95% CI: 3.99–17.42, P < 0.001) and abdominal cavity hemorrhage(OR = 4.86, 95% CI:1.92–12.33, P = 0.001).Conclusions: Our study showed that the impact of the pancreas texture was a major risk factor for pancreatic leakage after a PD. The suspender PJ can be easily accomplished and widely applied and can effectively decrease the impact of the pancreas texture on pancreatic fistula after a PD and leads to a lower POPF incidence rate.

Prognostic significance of regional lymphadenectomy in T1b gallbladder cancer:Results from 24 hospitals in China

BACKGROUND Whether regional lymphadenectomy(RL)should be routinely performed in patients with T1b gallbladder cancer(GBC)remains a subject of debate.AIM To investigate whether RL can improve the prognosis of patients with T1b GBC.METHODS We studied a multicenter cohort of patients with T1b GBC who underwent surgery between 2008 and 2016 at 24 hospitals in 13 provinces in China.The logrank test and Cox proportional hazards model were used to compare the overall survival(OS)of patients who underwent cholecystectomy(Ch)+RL and those who underwent Ch only.To investigate whether combined hepatectomy(Hep)improved OS in T1b patients,we studied patients who underwent Ch+RL to compare the OS of patients who underwent combined Hep and patients who did not.RESULTS Of the 121 patients(aged 61.9±10.1 years),77(63.6%)underwent Ch+RL,and 44(36.4%)underwent Ch only.Seven(9.1%)patients in the Ch+RL group had lymph node metastasis.The 5-year OS rate was significantly higher in the Ch+RL group than in the Ch group(76.3%vs 56.8%,P=0.036).Multivariate analysis showed that Ch+RL was significantly associated with improved OS(hazard ratio:0.51;95%confidence interval:0.26-0.99).Among the 77 patients who underwent Ch+RL,no survival improvement was found in patients who underwent combined Hep(5-year OS rate:79.5%for combined Hep and 76.1%for no Hep;P=0.50).CONCLUSION T1b GBC patients who underwent Ch+RL had a better prognosis than those who underwent Ch.Hep+Ch showed no improvement in prognosis in T1b GBC patients.Although recommended by both the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and Chinese Medical Association guidelines,RL was only performed in 63.6%of T1b GBC patients.Routine Ch+RL should be advised in T1b GBC.

The relationship between surgery and prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prognostic factors of gallbladder carcinoma and the relationship betweenoperative procedure and prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma.METHOD: A retrospective clinical analysis was made in 56 patients with gallbladder carcinoma who hadundergone surgery at our department from 1995 to 2001.RESULTS: Of the 56 patients, 20 were men and 36 women with a male to female ratio of 1:1. 56. Theirage ranged from 41 to 79 years with a mean of 59.6 years, Thirty-four patients suffered from gallstones.Abdominal pain (83.9%) and jaundice (41.1%) were the main symptoms. Thirty patients (Nevin stageⅡ in 5 patients, Ⅲ in 3, Ⅳ in 4, and Ⅴ in 18) received radical or extended radical resection; non-radicalresection was performed in 11 patients of Nevin stage Ⅴ; and 15 patients of Nevin stage Ⅴ were subjectedto biopsy with or without palliative bypass procedure. Statistical analysis showed that operative procedure,staging of Nevin, and gallstone affected significantly postoperative survival, but age, sex, preoperativeserum bilirubin level, numbers of tumor location, histopathological type and grade were not significantprognostic factors. After radical resection was classified with Nevin staging, we found that all the patientsof stage Ⅱ were alive. Meanwhile the postoperative survival periods of radical resection groups of stage Ⅲto Ⅴ, palliative resection group, and biopsy with/without palliative drainage group were statisticallydifferent.CONCLUSIONS: From Nevin stage Ⅱ to Ⅴ, the survival period of respective stage group, which treatedwith curative operation, became shorter gradually. In those patients of stage Ⅴ, the survival period ofcurative operation group was longer than that of palliative resection group, and that of the latter was betterthan that of biopsy with/without palliative drainage group. So radical resection was still the unique way tobetter prognosis.

Laparoscopic transcystic common bile duct exploration and laparoscopic transductal common bile duct exploration in elderly patients with cholecystolithiasis combined with choledocholithiasis

To the Editor:With the development of minimally invasive surgical technology,laparoscopic transcystic common bile duct exploration plus laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LTCBDE + LC) has become the first choice of treatment for cholecystolithiasis combined with biliary calculi.In addition,there is little prospective research.We compared 150 patients who underwent LTCBDE + LC with 150 patients who underwent laparoscopic transductal common bile duct exploration (LTDBDE)+ LC.All patients and participants were informed of the study and voluntarily provided informed consent.