Characteristics of early gastric tumors with different differentiation and predictors of long-term outcomes after endoscopic submucosal dissection

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer is a common malignant tumor of the digestive tract,and endosco-pic submucosal dissection(ESD)is the preferred treatment for early-stage gastric cancer.The analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of gastric mucosal tumors with different differentiation degrees and the influencing factors of long-term ESD efficacy may have certain significance for revealing the development of gastric cancer and ESD.AIM To analyze the features of gastric mucosal tumors at different differentiation levels,and to explore the prognostic factors of ESD.METHODS We retrospectively studied 301 lesions in 285 patients at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from 2014 to 2021,according to the latest Japanese guidelines(sixth edition),and divided them into low-grade intrae-pithelial neoplasia(LGIN),high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(HGIN),and computed tomography at 3,6 and 12 months after ESD.We compared clinicopathologic characteristics,ESD efficacy,and complications with different degrees of differentiation,and analyzed the related factors associated with ESD.RESULTS HGIN and differentiated carcinoma patients were significantly older compared with LGIN patients(P<0.001)and accounted for more 0-IIc(P<0.001),atrophic gastritis was common(P<0.001),and irregular microvascular patterns(IMVPs)and demarcation lines(DLs)were more obvious(P<0.001).There was more infiltration in the undifferentiated carcinoma tissue(P<0.001),more abnormal folds and poorer mucosal peristalsis(P<0.001),and more obvious IMVPs,irregular microsurface patterns and DLs(P<0.05)than in the LGIN and HGIN tissues.The disease-free survival rates at 2,5,and 8 years after ESD were 95.0%,90.1%,and 86.9%,respectively.Undifferen-tiated lesions(HR 5.066),white moss(HR 7.187),incomplete resection(HR 3.658),and multiple primary cancers(HR 2.462)were significantly associated with poor prognosis.CONCLUSION Differentiations of gastric mucosal tumors have different epidemiological and endoscopic characteristics,which are closely related to the safety and efficacy of ESD.

Long-term outcomes after endoscopic removal of malignant colorectal polyps:Results from a 10-year cohort

BACKGROUND Choosing an optimal post-polypectomy management strategy of malignant colorectal polyps is challenging,and evidence regarding a surveillance-only strategy is limited.AIM To evaluate long-term outcomes after endoscopic removal of malignant colorectal polyps.METHODS A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate outcomes after endoscopic removal of malignant colorectal polyps between 2010 and 2020.Residual disease rate and nodal metastases after secondary surgery and local and distant recurrence rate for those with at least 1 year of follow-up were invest-igated.Event rates for categorical variables and means for continuous variables with 95%confidence intervals were calculated,and Fisher’s exact test and Mann-Whitney test were performed.Potential risk factors of adverse outcomes were RESULTS In total,135 lesions(mean size:22.1 mm;location:42%rectal)from 129 patients(mean age:67.7 years;56%male)were enrolled.The proportion of pedunculated and non-pedunculated lesions was similar,with en bloc resection in 82%and 47%of lesions,respectively.Tumor differentiation,distance from resection margins,depth of submucosal invasion,lymphovascular invasion,and budding were reported at 89.6%,45.2%,58.5%,31.9%,and 25.2%,respectively.Residual tumor was found in 10 patients,and nodal metastasis was found in 4 of 41 patients who underwent secondary surgical resection.Univariate analysis identified piecemeal resection as a risk factor for residual malignancy(odds ratio:1.74;P=0.042).At least 1 year of follow-up was available for 117 lesions from 111 patients(mean follow-up period:5.59 years).Overall,54%,30%,30%,11%,and 16%of patients presented at the 1-year,3-year,5-year,7-year,and 9-10-year surveillance examinations.Adverse outcomes occurred in 9.0%(local recurrence and dissemination in 4 patients and 9 patients,respectively),with no difference between patients undergoing secondary surgery and surveillance only.CONCLUSION Reporting of histological features and adherence to surveillance colonoscopy needs improvement.Long-term adverse outcome rates might be higher than previously reported,irrespective of whether secondary surgery was performed.

Long-term outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for undifferentiated type early gastric cancer over 2 cm with R0 resection

BACKGROUND Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)for over 2 cm in size undifferentiated type(UD type)early gastric cancer(EGC)confined to the mucosa is not only challenging,but also long-term outcomes are not well known.AIM To evaluate the long-term outcomes of ESD done for UD type EGCs confined to the mucosa over 2 cm in size and compare the results with those where the lesions were less than 2 cm.METHODS 143 patients with UD type EGC confirmed on histology after ESD at a tertiary hospital were reviewed.Cases with synchronous and metachronous lesions and a case with emergency surgery after ESD were excluded.A total of 137 cases were enrolled.79 cases who underwent R0 resection were divided into 2 cm or less(group A)and over 2 cm(group B)in size.RESULTS Among 79 patients who underwent R0 resection,the number in group A and B were 51 and 28,respectively.The mean follow-up period(SD)was 79.71±45.42 months.There was a local recurrence in group A(1/51,2%)and group B(1/28,3.6%)respectively.This patient in group A underwent surgery while the patient in group B underwent repeated ESD with no further recurrences in both patients.There was no regional lymph node metastasis,distant metastasis,and deaths in both groups.With R0 resection strategy for ESD on lesions over 2 cm,20.4%(28/137)of patients were able to avoid surgery compared with expanded indication.CONCLUSION If R0 resection is achieved by ESD,UD type EGCs over 2 cm also showed good and similar clinical outcomes as compared to lesions less than 2 cm when followed for over 5 years.With R0 resection strategy,several patients can avoid surgery.

Compliance with enhanced recovery after surgery predicts long-term outcome after hepatectomy for cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)program has been proved to improve postoperative outcome for many surgical procedures,including liver resection.There was limited evidence regarding the feasibility and benefit of ERAS in patients who underwent liver resection for cholangiocarcinoma.AIM To evaluate the feasibility of ERAS in patients who underwent liver resection for cholangiocarcinoma and its association with patient outcomes.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 116 cholangiocarcinoma patients who underwent hepatectomy at Srinagarind Hospital,Khon Kaen University between January 2015 and December 2016.The primary outcome was the compliance with ERAS.To determine the association between ERAS compliance and patient outcomes.the patients were categorized into those adhering more than and equal to 50%(ERAS≥50),and below 50%(ERAS<50)of all components.Details on type of surgical procedure,preoperative and postoperative care,tumor location,postoperative laboratory results,and survival time were evaluated.The compliance with ERAS was measured by the percentage of ERAS items achieved.The Kaplan-Meier curve was used for survival analysis.RESULTS The median percentage of ERAS goals achieved was 40%(±12%).Fourteen patients(12.1%)were categorized into the ERAS≥50 group,and 102 patients were in the ERAS<50 group.Postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the ERAS≥50 group[8.9 d,95%confidence interval(CI):7.3-10.4 d]than in the ERAS<50 group(13.7 d,95%CI:12.2-15.2 d)(P=0.0217).No hepatobiliary-related complications or in-hospital mortality occurred in the ERAS≥50 group.Overall survival was significantly higher in the ERAS≥50 group.The median survival of the patients in the ERAS<50 group was 1257 d(95%CI:853.2-1660.8 d),whereas that of the patients in the ERAS≥50 group was not reached.CONCLUSION Overall ERAS compliance for patients who underwent liver resection for cholangiocarcinoma is poor.Greater ERAS compliance could predict in-hospital,short-term,and long-term outcomes of the patients.

Adjuvant therapy for orbital non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma:comparison of long-term outcome between radiotherapy and chemotherapy

AIM:To illustrate clinicopathological features of orbital non-rhabdomyosarcoma soft tissue sarcoma(NRSTS),and to compare the treatment outcome between postoperative radiotherapy(RT) and chemotherapy in a retrospective analysis nearly 20y.METHODS:A retrospective cohort study of 56 patients with orbital NRSTS were reviewed,34 of whom received postoperative RT,and 22 received postoperative chemotherapy.The clinicopathological features,local recurrence,metastases,and survival data were recorded.Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS:During follow-up(111.8mo,ranged 8-233mo) for 56 patients,19 patients of them developed local recurrence,and 7 patients developed distant metastases.Fifteen patients died during follow-up period.Overall survival rates considering the whole study group was 78.57% at 5y,and 72.16% at 10y after the initial diagnosis.Compared with chemotherapy,RT was associated with lower risk of local recurrence [hazard ratio for RT vs chemotherapy,0.263,95% confidence interval(CI),0.095-0.728,P=0.0015];with lower risk of distant metastasis(hazard ratio for RT vs chemotherapy,0.073,95%CI,0.015-0.364,P=0.0014);and with lower risk of death from disease(hazard ratio for RT vs chemotherapy,0.066,95%CI,0.022-0.200,P<0.0001).The 5-year survival rate in RT group was 97.06% compared to 50% in chemotherapy group.CONCLUSION:In patients with orbital NRSTS,postoperative RT provides better control of local recurrence,distant metastasis,and death from disease than chemotherapy.RT is the more preferrable adjuvant therapy compared to chemotherapy possibly.

Long-Term Outcomes after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting with Risk Stratification

Background: Risk stratification of long-term outcomes for patients undergoing Coronary artery bypass grafting has enormous potential clinical importance. Aim: To develop risk stratification models for predicting long-term outcomes following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. Methods: We retrospectively revised the electronic medical records of 2330 patients who underwent adult Cardiac surgery between August 2016 and December 2022 at Madinah Cardiac Center, Saudi Arabia. Three hundred patients fulfilled the eligibility criteria of CABG operations with a complete follow-up period of at least 24 months, and data reporting. The collected data included patient demographics, comorbidities, laboratory data, pharmacotherapy, echocardiographic parameters, procedural details, postoperative data, in-hospital outcomes, and follow-up data. Our follow-up was depending on the clinical status (NYHA class), chest pain recurrence, medication dependence and echo follow-up. A univariate analysis was performed between each patient risk factor and the long-term outcome to determine the preoperative, operative, and postoperative factors significantly associated with each long-term outcome. Then a multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed with a stepwise, forward selection procedure. Significant (p < 0.05) risk factors were identified and were used as candidate variables in the development of a multivariable risk prediction model. Results: The incidence of all-cause mortality during hospital admission or follow-up period was 2.3%. Other long-term outcomes included all-cause recurrent hospitalization (9.8%), recurrent chest pain (2.4%), and the need for revascularization by using a stent in 5 (3.0%) patients. Thirteen (4.4%) patients suffered heart failure and they were on the maximum anti-failure medications. The model for predicting all-cause mortality included the preoperative EF ≤ 35% (AOR: 30.757, p = 0.061), the bypass time (AOR: 1.029, p = 0.003), and the duration of ventilation following the operation (AOR: 1.237, p = 0.021). The model for risk stratification of recurrent hospitalization comprised the preoperative EF ≤ 35% (AOR: 6.198, p p = 0.023), low postoperative cardiac output (AOR: 3.622, p = 0.007), and the development of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AOR: 2.787, p = 0.038). Low postoperative cardiac output was the only predictor that significantly contributed to recurrent chest pain (AOR: 11.66, p = 0.004). Finally, the model consisted of low postoperative cardiac output (AOR: 5.976, p < 0.001) and postoperative ventricular fibrillation (AOR: 4.216, p = 0.019) was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of the future need for revascularization using a stent. Conclusions: A risk prediction model was developed in a Saudi cohort for predicting all-cause mortality risk during both hospital admission and the follow-up period of at least 24 months after isolated CABG surgery. A set of models were also developed for predicting long-term risks of all-cause recurrent hospitalization, recurrent chest pain, heart failure, and the need for revascularization by using stents.

Treatment of central precocious puberty by GnRH analogs： long-term outcome in men

In boys, central precocious puberty （CPP） is the appearance of secondary sex characteristics driven by pituitary gonadotropin secretion before the age of 9 years. In the last years, relevant improvements in the treatment of CPP have been achieved. Because CPP is rare in boys, the majority of papers on this issue focus on girls and do not address specific features of male patients regarding end results and safety. In the present paper, recent advances of CPP management with GnRH analogs in men are summarized. End results in untreated and treated patients are also reviewed by an analysis of the recently published literature on treatment of CPP in men. The available data indicate that therapy with GnRH analogs can improve final height into the range of target height without significant adverse short-term and long-term effects, but longer follow-up of larger series of patients is still required to draw definitive conclusions.

Short-and long-term outcome of interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis B infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious clinical problem worldwide. Conventional interferon (IFN)-&#x003b1; has been approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Short-term studies have demonstrated that IFN-based therapy is moderately effective in inducing the loss of hepatitis e antigen (HBeAg) or seroconversion (30%-40%) in HBeAg-positive patients and also produces sustained HBV DNA suppression (20%-30%) in HBeAg-negative patients. Many studies have reported a correlation between the HBV genotype and response to IFN treatment. The highest response rate to IFN treatment was found in patients infected with HBV genotype A, followed by HBV genotypes B, C, and D. The long-term effect of IFN-&#x003b1; on CHB has not yet been elucidated. The ability of IFN-&#x003b1; treatment to prevent new cirrhosis, complications associated with cirrhosis, and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial. The beneficial effect of IFN-&#x003b1; treatment in reducing the development of HCC has mainly been observed in treatment responders who already have cirrhosis. These inconsistent findings may be attributed to the inevitable limitations of comparisons across studies, including differences in the baseline characteristics of the study and the moderate suppression of HBV replication by IFN-&#x003b1; relative to nucleoside/nucleos(t)ide analogs.

Long-term outcomes of staged recanalization for concurrent chronic total occlusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction after primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background In patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)who undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI),approximately 10%are concomitant with a chronic total occlusion(CTO)in a non-culprit vessel.However,the impact of staged CTO recanalization on prognosis in this cohort remains disputable.This study aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of staged CTO recanalization versus medical therapy in patients with STEMI after primary PCI.Methods Between January 2005 and December 2016,a total of 287 patients were treated with staged CTO-PCI(n=91)or medical therapy(n=196)after primary PCI in our center.The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event(MACCE),defined as a composite of all-cause death,nonfatal myocardial infarction(MI),stroke or unplanned revascularization.After propensity-score matching,77 pairs of well-balanced patients were identified.Results The mean follow-up period was 6.06 years.Overall,the incidence of the primary endpoint of MACCE was significantly lower in staged CTO-PCI group than that in medical therapy group in both overall population(22.0%vs.46.9%;hazard ratio(HR)=0.48,95%CI:0.29-0.77)and propensity-matched cohorts(22.1%vs.42.9%;HR:0.48,95%CI:0.27-0.86).In addition,staged CTO-PCI was also associated with reduced risk of the composite of cardiac death,nonfatal MI or stroke compared with medical therapy in both overall population(9.9%vs.26.5%;hazard ratio(HR)=0.39,95%CI:0.19-0.79)and propensity-matched cohorts(9.1%vs.22.1%;HR:0.40,95%CI:0.16-0.96).After correction of the possible confounders,staged CTO-PCI was independently associated with reduced risks of MACCE(adjusted HR:0.46,95%CI:0.28-0.75),the composite of cardiac death,nonfatal MI or stroke(adjusted HR:0.45,95%CI:0.22-0.94)and all-cause mortality(adjusted HR:0.32,95%CI:0.13-0.83).Moreover,the results of sensitivity analysis were almost concordant with the overall analysis.Conclusions In patients with STEMI and a concurrent CTO who undergo primary PCI,successful staged recanalization of CTO in the non-culprit vessels is associated with better clinical outcomes during long-term follow-up.

Lower extremity amputations and long-term outcomes in diabetic foot ulcers:A systematic review

BACKGROUNDDiabetes mellitus causes a large majority of non-traumatic major and minoramputations globally. Patients with diabetes are clinically complex with amultifactorial association between diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and subsequentlower extremity amputations (LEA). Few studies show the long-term outcomeswithin the cohort of DFU-associated LEA.AIMTo highlight the long-term outcomes of LEA as a result of DFU.METHODSPubMed/MEDLINE and Google Scholar were searched for key terms, “diabetes”,“foot ulcers”, “amputations” and “outcomes”. Outcomes such as mortality, reamputation,re-ulceration and functional impact were recorded. Peer-reviewedstudies with adult patients who had DFU, subsequent amputation and follow upof at least 1 year were included. Non-English language articles or studiesinvolving children were excluded.RESULTSA total of 22 publications with a total of 2334 patients were selected against theinclusion criteria for review. The weighted mean of re-amputation was 20.14%,29.63% and 45.72% at 1, 3 and 5 years respectively. The weighted mean of mortality at 1, 3 and 5 years were 13.62%, 30.25% and 50.55% respectively withsignificantly higher rates associated with major amputation, re-amputation andischemic cardiomyopathy.CONCLUSIONPrevious LEA, level of the LEA and patient comorbidities were significant riskfactors contributing to re-ulceration, re-amputation, mortality and depreciatedfunctional status.

Long-term outcome of endoscopic metallic stenting for benign biliary stenosis associated with chronic pancreatitis

AIM： Endoscopic metal stenting （EMS） offers good results in short to medium term follow-up for bile duct stenosis associated wfth chronic pancreatitis （CP）; however, longer follow-up is needed to determine if EMS has the potential to become the treatment of first choice. METHODS： EMS was performed in eight patients with severe common bile duct stenosis due to CP. After the resolution of cholestasis by endoscopic naso-biliary drainage three patients were subjected to EMS while, the other five underwent EMS following plastic tube stenting. The patients were followed up for more than 5 years through periodical laboratory tests and imaging techniques. RESULTS： EMS was successfully performed in all the patients. Two patients died due to causes unrelated to the procedure： one with an acute myocardial infarction and the other with maxillary carcinoma at 2.8 and 5.5 years after EMS, respectively. One patient died with cholangitis because of EMS clogging 3.6 years after EMS. None of these three patients had showed symptoms of cholestasis during the follow-up period. Two patients developed choledocholithiasis and two suffered from duodenal ulcers due to dislodgement of the stent between 4.8 and 7.3 years after stenting; however, they were successfully treated endoscopically. Thus, five of eight patients are alive at present after a mean follow-up period of 7.4 years. CONCLUSION： EMS is evidently one of the very promising treatment options for bile duct stenosis associated with CP, provided the patients are closely followed up; thus setting a system for their prompt management on emergency is desirable.

Long-term outcomes of chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response at 6 months after the end of treatment

AIM: To assess the clinical, biochemical, and virological outcome during long-term follow-up of chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained virological response following effective antiviral therapy.METHODS: This study was a retrospective cohort study including 171 sustained responders defi ned as HCV RNA PCR negative at 6 mo after the end of effective antiviral treatment (SVR-6). Clinical signs and symptoms, bio- chemical hepatic parameters, ultrasonography and HCV RNA PCR were followed.RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 35.38 ± 22.2 mo after the end of treatment. Twenty-seven (15.8%) responders had evidence of cirrhosis before treatment. Forty-eight (28.1%), 107 (62.6%) and 6 (3.5%) patients were genotype 1, 3, and 6 respectively, while 10 patients (5.8%) were unclassifi ed. There were no virological and biochemical relapses during the period of follow-up. None of the patients showed evidence of hepatic decom- pensation. However, there were 3 patients (1.8%) de- veloping hepatocellular carcinoma at 14, 18, 29 mo after treatment discontinuation, two of whom had evidence of cirrhosis prior to therapy.CONCLUSION: The study shows that during a follow- up interval for about 3 years in 171 chronic hepatitis C patients with sustained viral response after effective antiviral treatment there were no evident signs of either biochemical or clinical relapse of liver disease in all but three patients who developed hepatocellular carcinoma.

Combined liver and kidney transplantation in children and long-term outcome

Combined liver-kidney transplantation(CLKT)is a rarely performed complex surgical procedure in children and involves transplantation of kidney and either whole or part of liver donated by the same individual(usually a cadaver)to the same recipient during a single surgical procedure.Most common indications for CLKT in children are autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease and primary hyperoxaluria type 1.Atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome,methylmalonic academia,and conditions where liver and renal failure co-exists may be indications for CLKT.CLKT is often preferred over sequential liver-kidney transplantation due to immunoprotective effects of transplanted liver on renal allograft;however,liver survival has no significant impact.Since CLKT is a major surgical procedure which involves multiple and complex anastomosis surgeries,acute complications are not uncommon.Bleeding,thrombosis,haemodynamic instability,infections,acute cellular rejections,renal and liver dysfunction are acute complications.The long-term outlook is promising with over 80%5-year survival rates among those children who survive the initial six-month postoperative period.

Propensity score analyses of long-term outcomes of perivascular hepatocellular carcinoma: Radiofrequency ablation vs. surgery

To the Editor:WereadwithgreatinterestthearticlebyDr.Leeetal.[1],which compared the long-term outcomes of patients with perivascular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radiofrequency ablation(RFA) and surgical resection (SR) as first-line treatment. By using propensity score matching (PSM) analyses, the authors concluded that SR provided better long-term tumor control and overall survival than RFA for patients with small periportal tumors. Herein,

Single-Port Bilateral Thoracscopic Dorsal Sympathectmy for Primary Hyperhidrosis:Long-Term Outcome

Background: Primary hyperhidrosis of the upper limbs is characterized by over activity of the eccrine sweat glands, primarily occurring on palmar, plantar and axillary regions. It is distressing and often socially disabling condition. Conservative treatment is usually not effective in controlling the disease mainly due to adverse effect of therapies. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is considered as the treatment of choice, causing minimal morbidity and high success rates and patient satisfaction. Objective: The study aims to evaluate the long-term outcomes of single port bilateralthoracoscopic dorsal sympathectomyin treatment of primary hyperhidrosis of the palm and axilla. Methods: In this prospective study, performed primarily by a single surgeon, between August 1st 2010, and August 1st 2012, we performed 200 thoracoscopies on 100 patients with signs and symptoms of primary palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis in different age groups and in both genders, and all were studied and analyzed following treatment by single-port bilateral thoracoscopic dorsal sympathectomy in Sulaimani teaching hospital. Results: Total of 99 patients were satisfied with the outcome of post-surgery with a follow-up in the mean of 27 months and only one patient was reported no change in symptoms postoperatively. Complications reported in 6 patients inform of compensatory sweating (n = 2), Gestatory sweating (n = 1), Pneumothorax (n = 1), Intraoperative minor bleeding (n = 1) and only 1% failure rate was reported. No mortality was reported. Conclusions: Single port bilateral thoracoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is a very effective method in the management of primary hyperhidrosis. Single port provides less postoperative pain, safety, short operative time, and quick method for the treatment of primary hyperhidrosis in comparison to two or three ports approaches.

LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF FENESTRATED DISCECTOMY FOR LUMBAR DISC

Objective To evaluate the long-term outcomes of fenestrated discectomy for lumbar disc herniation and analyze the correlative influence factors. Methods Eighty-two cases of lumbar disc herniation, from February 1996 to May 1999, were retrospectively studied. All patients were treated with simple fenestrated discectomy. The average follow-up time was 8 years and 7 months （from 7 years tolO years and 3months）. There were 13, 38 and 31 cases at 13 - L4, L4 - L5 and L5 - S1 level, respectively. Results The average scales before operation were as following ： Japanes Orthopaedics Association （ JOA ） scale 6. 5 （ 5 - 9 ） , visual analysis scale （ VAS） of low back pain4.8 （0-8）. and VAS of sciatica 7.2 （4-10）. At the final follow-up, the above parameters were 13.2 （ 10 - 14 ）, 1.8 （0 - 10） and 1.2 （0 - 7）, respectively. The average increase ratio of JOA scale was 78. 8%. The average disc-vertebra height ratio （ Mochida method） was 80.2%. At the final follow-up, 7 cases reoccurred disc herniation. The final clinical satisfaction rate was 80% （ modified Macnab method ）. Conclusion With appropriate surgical indications, the successfid long-term outcomes could be expected with fenestrated discectomy. Discectomy improves sciatica to a greater extent than low back pain. The occurrence of low back pain is related to intervertebral disc height, segment stability, disc degeneration, and lumbar muscle disability.

D-dimer level and long-term outcome in patients with end-stage heart failure secondary to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

Background Previous studies had demonstrated hemostatic abnormalities in patients with heart failure (HF) and several studies have shown that abnormal coagulation indices, represented by elevated D-dimer, had prognostic significance in patients with compatible or acute decompensated HF. However, the impact of D-dimer on the outcome in patients with end-stage HF remains unclear. Methods A total of 244 consecutive patients with end-stage HF due to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) were prospectively enrolled from February 2011 to September 2014. D-dimer levels were measured and its prognostic value was assessed. Primary endpoint was all-cause mortality during the follow-up period. Secondary endpoints were stroke, bleeding, occurrence of sustained ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results D-dimer was significantly elevated in the non-survivors (median: 0.8 vs. 1.1 mg/L, P < 0.001). Traditional markers including B-type natriuretic peptide, troponin I, left ventricular ejection fraction, and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension provided limited prognostic value;but the addition of D-dimer refined the risk stratification. The optimal cut-off value of D-dimer to predict all-cause mortality was 0.84 mg/L by receiver operator characteristic analysis. Elevated D-dimer level was independently associated with increased risk of long-term all-cause mortality (HR = 2.315, 95% CI: 1.570–3.414, P < 0.001) and MACE (HR = 1.256, 95% CI: 1.058–1.490, P = 0.009), and the predictive value was independent of age, sex, atrial fibrillation and anticoagulation status. Conclusions Elevated D-dimer level was independently associated with poor long-term outcome in patients with end-stage HF secondary to idiopathic DCM, and the predictive value was superior to that of traditional prognostic markers.

Short-and long-term outcomes of endoscopically treated superficial non-ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors

BACKGROUND It is widely recognized that endoscopic resection(ER) of superficial nonampullary duodenal epithelial tumors(SNADETs) is technically challenging and may carry high risks of intraoperative and delayed bleeding and perforation.These adverse events could be more critical than those occurring in other levels of the gastrointestinal tract. Because of the low prevalence of the disease and the high risks of severe adverse events, the curability including short-and long-term outcomes have not been standardized yet.AIM To investigate the curability including short-and long-term outcomes of ER for SNADETs in a large case series.METHODS This retrospective study included cases that underwent ER for SNADETs at our university hospital between March 2004 and July 2017. Short-term outcomes of ER were measured based on en bloc and R0 resection rates as well as adverse events. Long-term outcomes included local recurrence detected on endoscopic surveillance and disease-specific mortality in patients followed up for ≥ 12 mo after ER.RESULTS In the study, 131 patients with 147 SNADETs were analyzed. The 147 ERs consisted of 136 endoscopic mucosal resections(EMRs)(93%) and 11 endoscopic submucosal dissections(ESDs)(7%). The median tumor diameter was 10 mm.The pathology diagnosis was adenocarcinoma(56/147, 38%), high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(44/147, 30%), or low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia(47/147, 32%). The R0 resection rate was 68%(93/136) in the EMR group and73%(8/11) in the ESD group, respectively. Cap-assisted EMR(known as EMR-C)showed a higher rate of R0 resection compared to the conventional method of EMR using a snare(78% vs 62%, P = 0.06). No adverse event was observed in the EMR group, whereas delayed bleeding, intraoperative perforation, and delayed perforation in 3, 3, and 5 patients occurred in the ESD group, respectively. One patient with perforation required emergency surgery. In the 43 mo median follow-up period, local recurrence was found in four EMR cases and all cases were treated endoscopically. No patient died due to tumor recurrence.CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that ER provides good long-term outcomes in the patients with SNADETs. EMR is likely to become the safe and reliable treatment for small SNADETs.

Long-term outcomes after laparoscopic colectomy

AIM:To evaluate long-term outcomes in a large series of patients who randomly received laparoscopic or open colorectal resection.METHODS:From February 2000 to December 2004,six hundred sixty-two patients with colorectal disease were randomly assigned to laparoscopic(LPS,n = 330) or open(n = 332) colorectal resection.All patients were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis.Long-term follow-up was carried out every 6 mo by office visits.In 526 cancer patients five-year overall and disease-free survival were evaluated.Median oncologic follow-up was 96 mo.RESULTS:Eight(4.2%) LPS group patients needed conversion to open surgery.Overall long-term morbidity rate was 7.6%(25/330) in the LPS vs 11.1%(37/332) in the open group(P = 0.17).In cancer patients,fiveyear overall survival was 68.6% in the LPS group and 64.0% in the Open group(P = 0.27).Excluding stage Ⅳ patients,five-year local and distant recurrence rates were 32.5% in the LPS group and 36.8% in the Open group(P = 0.36).Further,no difference in recurrence rate was found when patients were stratified according to cancer stage.CONCLUSION:LPS colorectal resection was associated with a slightly lower incidence of long-term complications than open surgery.No difference between groups was found in overall and disease-free survival rates.

Long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection for small(≤4.0cm) gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors originating from the muscularis propria layer

AIM To evaluate the long-term efficacy of endoscopic resection(ER) for small(≤ 4.0 cm) gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs) originating from the muscularis propria layer.METHODS Between June 2005 and February 2015, we retrospectively analyzed 229 consecutive patients with gastric MP-GISTs who underwent ER with a follow-up at least 36 mo. The main outcome measurements included complete resection rate, complications, and long-term follow-up outcomes.RESULTS ER included endoscopic muscularis excavation in 179 cases, endoscopic full-thickness resection in 32 cases, and submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection in 18 cases. The median size of GISTs was 1.90 cm. Of the 229 GISTs, 147 were very low risk, 72 were low risk, 8 were intermediate risk, and 2 were high risk. Shortterm outcomes showed the complete resection rate was 96.5%, and 8 patients(3.5%) had complications. Of the 8 patients with complications, only one patient required surgical intervention. Long-term outcomes showed 225 patients were actively followed-up until composition of this manuscript. The remaining 4 patients were lost because of unrelated death. During the follow-up period(median, 57 mo), no residual, recurrent lesions, or distant metastasis were detected in any patients. Binary logistic regression analysis showed tumor size was a risk factor associated with a high mitotic index(≥ 5/50 HPF) of GISTs(P = 0.002).CONCLUSION ER seems to be an effective and safe method for gastric MP-GISTs ≤ 4.0 cm, and, for some intermediate or high risk GISTs, adjuvant therapy and/or additional surgery might be required to reduce the risk of recurrence or metastasis.