Mena M. Hanna

Metastatic gastric cancer (MGC) patients: Can we improve survival by metastasectomy? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Prognosis with current management strategies continues to be dismal in metastatic gastric cancer (MGC) patients. We aimed to evaluate the role of metastasectomy in improving survival.

Minimally invasive spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy: Does splenic vessel preservation have better postoperative outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Minimally invasive spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (SPDP) can be performed with either splenic vessel preservation (SVP) or resection [Warshaw procedure (WP)]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative clinical outcomes of patients undergoing both methods. DATA SOURCES Database search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane, and Google Scholar was performed (2000-2014); key bibliographies were reviewed. Qualified studies comparing patients undergoing SPDP with either SVP or WP, and assessing postoperative complications were included. Calculated pooled risk ratio (RR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) by random effects methods were used in the meta-analyses. RESULTS The search yielded 215 studies, of which only 14 observational studies met our selection criteria. The studies included 943 patients in total; 652 (69%) underwent SVP and 291 (31%) underwent WP. Overall, there was a lower incidence of splenic infarction (RR=0.17; 95% CI: 0.09-0.33; P<0.001), gastric varices (RR=0.16; 95% CI: 0.05-0.51; P=0.002), and intra/postoperative splenectomy (RR=0.20; 95% CI: 0.08-0.49; P<0.001) in the SVP group. There was no difference in incidence of pancreatic fistula (WP vs SVP, 23.6% vs 22.9%; P=0.37), length of hospital stay, operative time or blood loss. There was moderate cross-study heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS SVP is a safe, efficient and feasible technique that may be used to preserve the spleen. WP may be more suitable for large tumors close to the splenic hilum or those associated with splenomegaly. Randomized clinical trials are justified to examine the long-term benefits of SVP-SPDP.

Causes of death differ between elderly and adult falls

BACKGROUND As the population ages, mortality from falls will soon exceed that from all other forms of injury. Tremendous resources are focused on this problem, but how these patients die is unclear. To fill this gap, we tested the hypothesis that falls among the elderly are related to patient, rather than to injury factors when compared with falls among younger adults. METHODS From January 2002 to December 2012, 7,293 fall admissions were reviewed. Data are reported as mean ± SD if normally distributed or median (interquartile range) if not. RESULTS In 2002 to 2007, 25% of all falls were in elderly patients (≥65 years), but in 2008 to 2012, this proportion increased to 30% (p < 0.001). When comparing adult (n = 5,216) with elderly (n = 2,077) admissions, characteristics were as follow: Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 8 (4–13) versus 9 (5–17), length of stay (in days) of 3 (1–7) versus 6 (2–11), and mortality of 3.8% versus 13.7% (all p < 0.001). After controlling for variables associated with mortality using multiple logistic regression, elderly age was the strongest independent predictor of mortality (odds ratio, 8.18; confidence interval, 4.88–13.71). When comparing adult (n = 198) with elderly (n = 285) fatalities, ground-level falls occurred in 31% versus 91%, ISS was 27 (25–41) versus 25 (16–36), and length of stay (in days) was 2 (0–6) versus 4 (1–11) (all p < 0.001). Death occurred directly from fall in 82% versus 63%, from complications in 10% versus 20%, and from a fatal event preceding the fall in 8% vs. 17% (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The proportion of fall admissions in the elderly is growing in this trauma system. Elderly age is the strongest independent predictor of mortality following a fall. In those who die, death is less likely a direct effect of the fall. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Epidemiologic study, level III.

Delayed gastric emptying after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy--does gastrointestinal reconstruction technique matter?

BACKGROUND The best gastrointestinal reconstruction route after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy remains debatable. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of delayed gastric emptying (DGE) after antecolic (AC) and retrocolic (RC) duodenojejunostomy in these patients. DATA SOURCES Studies comparing AC to RC reconstruction after pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy were identified from literature databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane). The meta-analysis included 10 studies with a total of 1,067 patients, where 504 patients underwent AC and 563 patients underwent RC reconstruction. The incidence of DGE was significantly lower with AC reconstruction in both randomized controlled trials (risk ratio = .44, confidence interval = .24 to.77, P = .005) and retrospective studies (risk ratio .21, confidence interval .14 to .30, P < .001) with less output and days of nasogastric tube use. AC reconstruction was associated with a decreased length of stay. There was no difference in operative time, blood loss, pancreatic fistula, and abdominal abscess/collections. CONCLUSIONS AC reconstruction seems to be associated with less DGE, with no association with pancreatic fistula or abscess formation.

Coagulation Changes following Combined Ablative and Reconstructive Breast Surgery.

Background: This study assessed hemostatic function in cancer patients at high risk for venous thromboembolism. Methods: Thirty-eight female patients (age, 53 ± 9 years) undergoing immediate postmastectomy reconstruction were prospectively studied with informed consent. Blood was sampled preoperatively, on postoperative day 1, and at 1 week follow-up. Rotational thromboelastography clotting time, &agr;-angle (clot kinetics), clot formation time, and maximum clot firmness were studied with three different activating agents: intrinsically activated test using ellagic acid, extrinsically activated test with tissue factor, and fibrin-based extrinsically activated test with tissue factor and the platelet inhibitor cytochalasin D. Thromboprophylaxis was unfractionated heparin plus sequential compression devices if not contraindicated. Hypercoagulability was defined by one or more parameters outside the reference range. Results: Preoperatively, 29 percent of patients were hypercoagulable, increasing to 67 percent by week 1 (p = 0.017). Clotting time, clot formation time, and &agr;-angle remained relatively constant over time, but maximum clot formation increased in intrinsically activated test using ellagic acid, extrinsically activated test with tissue factor, and fibrin-based extrinsically activated test with tissue factor and the platelet inhibitor cytochalasin D (all p < 0.05). Body mass index was 28 ± 5 kg/m2, 23 percent received preoperative chemotherapy, and 15 percent had a history of tobacco use, but there was no association between these risk factors and hypercoagulability. Conclusions: Despite perioperative thromboprophylaxis, two-thirds of patients undergoing combined tumor resection and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer were hypercoagulable 1 week after surgery. Hypercoagulability was associated with increased clot strength mediated by changes in platelet and fibrin function. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Recent Advances in Forward Surgical Team Training at the U.S. Army Trauma Training Department.

U.S. Army Forward Surgical Teams (FSTs) are elite, multidisciplinary units that are highly mobile, and rapidly deployable. The mission of the FST is to provide resuscitative and damage control surgery for stabilization of life-threatening injuries in austere environments. The Army Trauma Training Center began in 2001 at the University of Miami Ryder Trauma Center under the direction of COL T. E. Knuth, MC USA (Ret.), as a multimodality combination of lectures, laboratory exercises, and clinical experiences that provided the only predeployment mass casualty and clinical trauma training center for all FSTs. Each of the subsequent five directors has restructured the training based on dynamic feedback from trainees, current military needs, and on the rapid advances in combat casualty care. We have highlighted these evolutionary changes at the Army Trauma Training Center in previous reviews. Under the current director, LTC J. M. Seery, MC USA, there are new team-building exercises, mobile learning modules and simulators, and other alternative methods in the mass casualty exercise. This report summarizes the latest updates to the state of the art training since the last review.