Sadık Yaldız

Outcome of surgery for lung cancer in young and elderly patients.

PurposeIt has been suggested that lung cancer follows a more aggressive course and has a poorer prognosis in young patients than in elderly patients. We conducted this study to determine whether the basal characteristics and survival of young patients undergoing surgical resection of lung cancer differ from those of elderly patients.MethodsEighty patients who underwent surgery for lung cancer at our hospital between 1989 and 2004 were divided into two groups according to age. Group 1 comprised 50 patients aged 45 years or younger and group 2 comprised 30 patients aged 70 years or older. The patients’ medical records were reviewed with respect to age, gender, histological diagnosis, coexisting diseases, smoking history, postoperative staging, type of operation, and postoperative morbidity, mortality, and survival results.ResultsThe average ages were 40.2 ± 3.77 years (range, 29–45 years) in group 1 and 72.2 ± 2.53 years (range, 70–80 years) in group 2. The incidence of postoperative complications was significantly higher in group 2 (P = 0.02). However, the 5-year survival rates for patients who underwent surgery for non-small cell lung cancer did not differ between groups 1 and 2, at 33.3% versus 21.3%, respectively (P = 0.09).ConclusionsThe incidence of adenocarcinoma was higher in the young patients, whose prognosis was slightly better than that of the elderly patients. Coexisting diseases and postoperative complications were the major factors that adversely affected the prognosis of the elderly patients.

A case of giant benign localized fibrous tumor of the pleura

A 60-year-old man had noted exertional dyspnea and left anterior chest pain. A chest roentgenogram showed the presence of a giant mass and computed tomography (CT) of the chest confirmed the mass with an inhomogeneous density in the left hemithorax. A transthoracic TruCut needle biopsy of the mass showed benign fibrous tissue. The patient underwent a thoracotomy. A tumor arose from the visceral pleura of left lower lobe and pedinculated. Size of the tumor was 19 x 18 x 7 cm and weighed 1500 g. It was successfully resected. The pathological diagnosis of the tumor was benign localized fibrous tumor of the pleura.

Capitonnage Results in Low Postoperative Morbidity in the Surgical Treatment of Pulmonary Echinococcosis

BACKGROUND The main surgical techniques in the treatment of pulmonary echinococcosis are cystotomy alone, cystotomy and capitonnage, enucleation, and pericystectomy. Controversy persists regarding the selection of surgical technique. We reviewed our experience to identify the impact of capitonnage on outcomes. METHODS A single-institution retrospective analysis was made of the 308 consecutive patients with thoracic hydatid disease treated surgically during 17 years. RESULTS The most common presenting symptoms were cough and chest pain. At presentation, 69 patients (22.4%) had complicated hydatid disease, cyst rupture into bronchus in 62 and into pleural cavity in 7. Bilateral involvement occurred in 37 patients (12.0%), simultaneous hepatic cysts in 36 (11.6%), and intrathoracic extrapulmonary involvement in 14 (4.5%). Surgery consisted of cystotomy with capitonnage in 271 patients (92.2%), cystotomy and closure of bronchial openings in 20 (6.8%), and lobectomy in 3 (1.0%). Hospital mortality was zero; postoperative complications developed in 21 patients (6.8%). CONCLUSIONS Cystotomy with capitonnage has a low complication rate. Pulmonary resection is best limited to patients with parenchymal destruction secondary to infection.

Do we really know the duration of pain after rib fracture

Introduction The duration of pain after rib fracture is the question physicians are most frequently asked. The duration of pain following a traumatic rib fracture without any comorbidity is not widely published. Aim We report our experience to investigate the duration of pain following isolated traumatic rib fractures without any traumatic comorbidity. Material and methods We examined 182 patients with isolated rib fracture without any trauma to other body parts. The numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain was used to rate the level of pain. The NRS pain scores were evaluated in the emergency department at presentation, on the 15th day, and at the 3rd and 6th months of trauma. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed for the statistical analysis. Results The pain level of young patients on the 15th day and at the third month and sixth month was lower than that in the old group, and the difference was statistically significant. While patients with two rib fractures had a higher pain level in the emergency room than those with one rib fracture, there was no statistically significant difference at other time points. In patients with anterior fractures, the pain level was significantly lower than in the lateral and posterior regions, whereas in the lateral fractures, the pain score was significantly higher than others at all time points except at the 6th month. The pain score of displaced fractures was significantly higher than that of non-displaced ones at all time points except the 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Rib fractures cause significant pain and need appropriate medication. The time of the 6th month could be an important milestone.

Oblique Chest X-Ray: An Alternative Way to Detect Pneumothorax

Purpose: To identify occult pneumothorax with oblique chest X-ray (OCXR) in clinically suspected patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined 1082 adult multitrauma patients who were admitted to our emergency service between January 2016 and January 2017. Clinical findings that suggest occult pneumothorax were rib fracture, flail chest, chest pain, subcutaneous emphysema, abrasion or ecchymosis and moderate to severe hypoxia in clinical parameters. All of these patients underwent anteroposterior chest X-ray (APCXR), but no pneumothorax could be detected. Upon this, OCXR was performed using mobile X-ray equipment. Results: Traumatic pneumothorax was observed in 421 (38.9%) of 1082 patients. We applied OCXR to 26 multitrauma patients. Occult pneumothorax was evaluated at 22 patients (2.03%) in 1082 multitrauma patients. The 22 patients who had multitrauma occult pneumothorax on OCXR were internated at intensive care unit (ICU) and follow-up was done using OCXR and APCXR. Conclusions: OCXR can be an alternative imaging technique to identify occult pneumothorax in some trauma patients at emergency room and also follow period at ICU.