Post-pancreaticoduodenectomy hemorrhage:risk factors, managements and outcomes

BACKGROUND： Post-pancreaticoduodenectomy（PD） hemorrhage（PPH） is an uncommon but serious complication. This retrospective study analyzed the risk factors, managements and outcomes of the patients with PPH.METHODS： A total of 840 patients with PD between 2000 and2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 73 patients had PPH： 19 patients had early PPH and 54 had late PPH.The assessment included the preoperative history of disease,pancreatic status and surgical techniques. Other postoperative complications were also evaluated.RESULTS： The incidence of PPH was 8.7%（73/840）. There were no independent risk factors for early PPH. Male gender（OR=4.40, P0.02）, diameter of pancreatic duct（OR=0.64,P0.01）, end-to-side invagination pancreaticojejunostomy（OR=5.65, P0.01）, pancreatic fistula（OR=2.33, P0.04）and intra-abdominal abscess（OR=12.19, P0.01） were the independent risk factors for late PPH. Four patients with early PPH received conservative treatment and 12 were treated surgically. As for patients with late PPH, the success rate of medical therapy was 27.8%（15/54）. Initial endoscopy was operated in 12 patients（22.2%）, initial angiography in 19（35.2%）,and relaparotomy in 15（27.8%）. Eventually, PPH resulted in 19 deaths. The main causes of death were multiple organ failure,hemorrhagic shock, sepsis and uncontrolled rebleeding.CONCLUSIONS： Careful and ongoing observation of hemorrhagic signs, especially within the first 24 hours after PD or within the course of pancreatic fistula or intra-abdominal abscess, is recommended for patients with PD and a prompt management is necessary. Although endoscopy and angiography are the standard procedures for the management of PPH,surgical approach is still irreplaceable. Aggressive prevention of hemorrhagic shock and re-hemorrhage is the key to treat PPH.

Hemorrhoids:From basic pathophysiology to clinical management

This review discusses the pathophysiology,epidemiology,risk factors,classification,clinical evaluation,and current non-operative and operative treatment of hemorrhoids.Hemorrhoids are defined as the symptomatic enlargement and distal displacement of the normal anal cushions.The most common symptom of hemorrhoids is rectal bleeding associated with bowel movement.The abnormal dilatation and distortion of the vascular channel,together with destructive changes in the supporting connective tissue within the anal cushion,is a paramount finding of hemorrhoids.It appears that the dysregulation of the vascular tone and vascular hyperplasia might play an important role in hemorrhoidal development,and could be a potential target for medical treatment.In most instances,hemorrhoids are treated conservatively,using many methods such as lifestyle modification,fiber supplement,suppositorydelivered anti-inflammatory drugs,and administration of venotonic drugs.Non-operative approaches include sclerotherapy and,preferably,rubber band ligation.An operation is indicated when non-operative approaches have failed or complications have occurred.Several surgical approaches for treating hemorrhoids have been introduced including hemorrhoidectomy and stapled hemorrhoidopexy,but postoperative pain is invariable.Some of the surgical treatments potentially cause appreciable morbidity such as anal stricture and incontinence.The applications and outcomes of each treatment are thoroughly discussed.

Rethinking Project Organization and Management

How projects should be organized and managed are two important aspects of the role that Project Managers perform and the processes involved can be linked to the measurement of the project management outcome. Recent studies indicate that these processes are not implemented and concerns have been raised. The authors present an investigation into the current practices of the three soft project management subject matters of selecting project team members, structuring the teams and the management style followed in the construction industry in UK and their reflection upon the project management outcome. The results confirm the concerns raised and indicate that the current levels of implementation by practitioners delivers only acceptable as opposed to successful level of project management outcome. The findings call for a reconsideration of the approach taken when deciding how to organize and manage project teams and a redress towards improving project management outcome.

Incidental gallbladder cancer during laparoscopic cholecystectomy:Managing an unexpected finding

AIM:To evaluate the impact of incidental gallbladder cancer on surgical experience.METHODS:Between 1998 and 2008 all cases of cholecystectomy at two divisions of general surgery,one university based and one at a public hospital,were retrospectively reviewed.Gallbladder pathology was diagnosed by history,physical examination,and laboratory and imaging studies [ultrasonography and computed tomography(CT)].Patients with gallbladder cancer(GBC) were further analyzed for demographic data,and type of operation,surgical morbidity and mortality,histopathological classification,and survival.Incidental GBC was compared with suspected or preoperatively diagnosed GBC.The primary endpoint was diseasefree survival(DFS).The secondary endpoint was the difference in DFS between patients previously treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy and those who had oncological resection as first intervention.RESULTS:Nineteen patients(11 women and eight men) were found to have GBC.The male to female ratio was 1:1.4 and the mean age was 68 years(range:45-82 years).Preoperative diagnosis was made in 10 cases,and eight were diagnosed postoperatively.One was suspected intraoperatively and confirmed by frozen sections.The ratio between incidental and nonincidental cases was 9/19.The tumor node metastasis stage was:pTis(1),pT1a(2),pT1b(4),pT2(6),pT3(4),pT4(2);five cases with stageⅠa(T1 a-b);two with stageⅠb(T2 N0);one with stage Ⅱa(T3 N0);six with stage Ⅱb(T1-T3 N1);two with stage Ⅲ(T4 Nx Nx);and one with stage Ⅳ(Tx Nx Mx).Eighty-eight percent of the incidental cases were discovered at an early stage(≤Ⅱ).Preoperative diagnosis of the 19 patients with GBC was:GBC with liver invasion diagnosed by preoperative CT(nine cases),gallbladder abscess perforated into hepatic parenchyma and involving the transversal mesocolon and hepatic hilum(one case),porcelain gallbladder(one case),gallbladder adenoma(one case),and chronic cholelithiasis(eight cases).Every case,except one,with a T1b or more advanced invasion underwent Ⅳb + Ⅴ wedge liver resection and pericholedochic/hepatoduodenal lymphadenectomy.One patient with stage T1b GBC refused further surgery.Cases with Tis and T1a involvement were treated with cholecystectomy alone.One incidental case was diagnosed by intraoperative frozen section and treated with cholecystectomy alone.Six of the nine patients with incidental diagnosis reached 5-year DFS.One patient reached 38 mo survival despite a port-site recurrence 2 years after original surgery.Cases with non incidental diagnosis were more locally advanced and only two patients experienced 5-year DFS.CONCLUSION:Laparoscopic cholecystectomy does not affect survival if implemented properly.Reoperation should have two objectives:R0 resection and clearance of the lymph nodes.

Askin Tumor in Egyptian Patients;5 Years Experience at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University

Background: Askin tumor is a primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the Ewing sarcoma family arising from soft tissues of the chest wall. It is the commonest chest wall malignancy in children and adolescents. Its diagnosis is complex and management requires a multidisciplinary work including chemotherapy for systemic disease and radiation therapy to assist local control which is achieved through surgery with or without reconstruction. Objective: To analyze report and understand the clinicopathological features, results and outcome of this tumor with assessment of early and late postoperative complications following resection and chest wall reconstruction. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 30 cases with chest wall ES/PNET presented to the National Cancer Institute;Cairo University between January 2011 and December 2015. All patients’ records were revised for age, sex, clinical presentation, imaging, pathology, operative notes, different treatment modalities given, early and late postoperative complications following surgical resection or reconstruction, and outcome including overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS). Results: Our cohort included 30 patients with chest wall ES. The median follow up period (n = 30) was 33.7 months (ranging from 3.7 to 69.3 months). The median OS was 54.2 months with cumulative OS at 60 months which was 45.6%. The median DFS was 27.9 months with cumulative DFS at 60 months which was 40.6%. All cases were below 18 years with a male predominance (n = 19). The commonest affected sites were ribs (n = 22, 73.3%), the scapula (n = 5, 16.6%), the clavicle (n = 2, 6.66%) and the sternum (n = 1, 3.33%). 23 patients (76.6%) were presented with localized disease, and 7 patients (23.4%) were metastatic from the start. All patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (4 cycles of VAC/IE) followed by local control: either surgery (26 cases, 86.6%) or radical radiotherapy (3 cases, 10%). A single case of a rib ES with initial bilateral lung deposited where no local control was done. After chest wall resection, closure of the defect was done by 1 ry closure with no reconstruction or double layer prolene mesh and bone cement that was covered by pedicled flap (latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior or pectoralis major muscle flap). Postoperative radiation therapy was given to 9 patients: 4 (13.3%) had postoperative poor chemotherapy effect (<90% tumor necrosis), 3 (10%) had +ve microscopic safety margin and 2 (6.6%) had pleural based nodules with malignant pleural effusion at initial presentation. Conclusion: Askin’s tumor shows a dramatic response to polychemotherapy. Treatment of such tumor should include multidisciplinary working groups for optimum results and better survival.