Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Comparative Study
Comparative Analysis of Clinical, Treatment, and Survival Characteristics of Basaloid and Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus.
Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma (BSC) is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) of the esophagus. Even though pathologically thought to be more aggressive than SqCC, there is discrepancy in the literature regarding the outcomes of BSC compared with those of SqCC. ⋯ Even though more likely to be poorly differentiated at presentation, BSC of the esophagus seems to have similar clinical features and survival outcomes when compared with SqCC. Patients with BSC and SqCC should undergo stage-specific treatment to achieve optimal outcomes.
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Multicenter Study
Proposal of Prognostic Survival Models before and after Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Potentially Transplantable Patients.
Transplantable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a highly debated issue due to the overlap between indications for liver resection (LR) and transplantation (LT) in patients suitable for both. ⋯ The new models were strongly predictive of patients' likelihood of survival after LR for HCC on liver cirrhosis. Liver transplantation offers a survival advantage over LR, except in low-risk groups where both modalities might be comparable.
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Survival of burn patients with abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) is uniformly reported to be poor, averaging just 16% after laparotomy. We hypothesize that better outcomes can be achieved with a strategy of immediate laparotomy and early fascial closure. ⋯ Immediate laparotomy resulted in much higher survival rates than previously reported in burn patients with ACS. Survival was higher when ACS was diagnosed during initial resuscitation. Fascial closure within 48 hours was associated with improved survival compared with later fascial closure.
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Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RobATS) lobectomy is becoming more common for the treatment of lung cancer. As with any relatively new technology, there is the assumption that greater experience leads to greater proficiency. The objective of this study was to analyze outcomes of patients undergoing RobATS lobectomy as hospitals gain experience, and to describe outcomes after conversion to open procedures. ⋯ Mortality after RobATS lobectomy at experienced hospitals is not significantly different than at inexperienced hospitals. Though conversion rates decrease with experience, patients who undergo conversion have higher mortality than those who do not, particularly in hospitals with more experience. This suggests that a deliberate effort to increase experience with and improve patient selection for RobATS lobectomies may ameliorate the conversions and their attendant sequelae.
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Comparative Study
Concurrent Surgery and the Role of the Pediatric Attending Surgeon: Comparing Parents' and Surgeons' Expectations.
The common practice of performing concurrent or overlapping operations has been intensely scrutinized by lay media and academic press to investigate its safety and cost-effectiveness. However, there is little information about its use within the pediatric population. Even less is known about parents' expectations about the surgeon's role on the day of operation and how they align with those of pediatric surgeons and surgical trainees, despite the potential for significant discrepancies in expectations to erode trust and damage the physician-family relationship. ⋯ There is a significant mismatch between parents' expectations and those of pediatric surgeons about the role of the surgeon on the day of operation, with parents consistently expecting more direct involvement by the attending surgeon. These discrepancies can have implications for both parent/patient satisfaction and medical education.