Surgical oncology
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Surgical health services researchers are increasingly utilizing observational data to assess associations between treatments and outcomes, especially since some procedures are unable to be evaluated through randomized controlled trials. However, the results of many of these studies may be affected by the presence of immortal-time bias, which exists when treatment does not occur on Day 0 of the study. ⋯ In this paper, we describe what immortal-time bias is, the challenges it presents, and how to recognize and address it using the real-world example of surgical resection of the primary tumor for stage IV breast cancer throughout. In our example, we guide researchers and illustrate how the early studies, which did not account for immortal-time bias, suggested a protective benefit of surgery, and how these results were supplanted by more recent studies through identifying and addressing immortal-time bias in their design and analyses.
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Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols have been effective in improving postoperative recovery after major abdominal surgeries including colorectal cancer surgery, however its impact after gastric cancer surgery is unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of ERAS after gastric cancer surgery. Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and PubMed was searched from database inception to December 2018. ⋯ The quality of evidence was low to moderate for all outcomes. Implementation of an ERAS protocol may reduce LOS, costs, and time to return of function after gastric cancer surgery compared to conventional recovery. However, ERAS may increase the number of postoperative readmissions, albeit with no impact on the rate of postoperative complications.
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Upper extremity lymphoedema after axillary node dissection is an iatrogenic disease particularly associated with treatment for breast or skin cancer. Anatomical studies and lymphangiography in healthy subjects identified that axillary node dissection removes a segment of the lymphatic drainage pathway running from the upper limb to the sub-clavicular vein, creating a surgical break. It is reasonable to infer that different patterns of lymphatic drainage may occur in the upper limb following surgery and contribute to the various presentations of lymphoedema from none to severe. ⋯ Lymphoscintigraphy shows that restoration of the original lymphatic pathway to the axilla after its initial disruption by nodal dissection was not uncommon and may prevent lymphoedema. We found that regenerated lymphatic vessels and dermal backflow (the reflux of lymph to the skin) contributed to either restoration of the original pathway or rerouting of the lymphatic pathway to other regional nodes. Variation in the lymphatic drainage pathway and the mechanisms of fluid drainage itself are the foundation of new lymphatic drainage patterns considered to be significant in determining the severity with which lymphoedema develops.
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This meta-analysis was conducted to compare the clinical safety and efficacy of robot-assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy (RAPD) or robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy (RADP) with open surgery. ⋯ Robot-assisted surgery is a safe and feasible alternative to OPD and ODP with regard to perioperative outcomes. However, due to the lack of high-quality randomized controlled trials, the evidence is still limited.
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Laparoscopic liver resection is rapidly increasing, and certain types of resection are considered standard procedures for liver resection, especially for small malignant tumors located on the liver surface or in the anterolateral segments of the liver. Several specialized centers have performed many types of highly complex hepatectomies, anatomical resections, and laparoscopic donor hepatectomies. Even though several international consensus conferences and expert meetings have been held, until now there have been no practical guidelines for beginners or experts conducting laparoscopic liver resection. We describe here practical guidelines for performing laparoscopic liver resection, including the indications, technical considerations, and training required.