The British journal of surgery
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Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is a common indication for emergency laparotomy. There are currently variations in the timing of surgery for patients with SBO and limited evidence on whether delayed surgery affects outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of time to operation on 30-day mortality in patients requiring emergency laparotomy for SBO. ⋯ In patients who require an emergency laparotomy with adhesiolysis or resection for SBO, a delay to surgery of more than 72 h is associated with a higher 30-day postoperative mortality rate.
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Review Meta Analysis
Meta-analysis comparing upfront surgery with neoadjuvant treatment in patients with resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer.
Studies comparing upfront surgery with neoadjuvant treatment in pancreatic cancer may report only patients who underwent resection and so survival will be skewed. The aim of this study was to report survival by intention to treat in a comparison of upfront surgery versus neoadjuvant treatment in resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. ⋯ Neoadjuvant treatment appears to improve overall survival by intention to treat, despite lower overall resection rates for resectable or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42016049374.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized clinical trial of elective resection versus observation in diverticulitis with extraluminal air or abscess initially managed conservatively.
The aim of this RCT was to determine whether elective resection following successful non-operative management of a first episode of acute sigmoid diverticulitis complicated by extraluminal air with or without abscess is superior to observation in terms of recurrence rates. ⋯ The majority of patients observed following conservative management of diverticulitis with local extraluminal air do not require elective surgery. Registration number: NCT01986686 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
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Recent reviews suggest that the way in which surgeons prepare for a procedure (warm up) can affect performance. Operating lists present a natural experiment to explore this phenomenon. The aim was to use a routinely collected large data set on surgical procedures to understand the relationship between case list order and operative performance. ⋯ There is a robust relationship between operating list composition and surgical performance (indexed by duration of operation). An evidence-based approach to structuring a theatre list could reduce the total operating time.
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Comparative Study
Population-based cohort study of surgical myotomy and pneumatic dilatation as primary interventions for oesophageal achalasia.
The aim of this national population-based cohort study was to compare rates of reintervention after surgical myotomy versus sequential pneumatic dilatation for the primary management of oesophageal achalasia. ⋯ Surgical myotomy was associated with a lower rate of reintervention and could be offered as primary treatment in patients with oesophageal achalasia who are fit for surgery. For those unfit for surgery, pneumatic dilatation may provide symptomatic relief with approximately 60 per cent of patients requiring reintervention.