Turkish Journal of Surgery最新文献

Extraosseous sarcoma of the breast is an infrequent entity and a harbinger of poor prognosis. Histogenesis of this tumor is uncertain, and it can arise both in denovo and metastatic settings. Morphologically, it is indistinguishable from its skeletal counterpart and clinically, it presents like any other subtype of breast cancer. Tumor recurrence with a propensity for hematogenous rather than lymphatic spread plagues with this malicious disease. Treatment guidelines are mainly extrapolations from those of treatment of other extra-skeletal sarcomas as literature is limited in this context. In this study, it was aimed to present two clinical cases with similar clinical profiles and different treatment outcomes. The intent of this case report is to contribute to the limited database available for management of this rare disease.

Objectives: The problem of predicting the course of acute pancreatitis and early diagnosis of its complications remains unresolved. This study aimed to determine changes in vitamin D and calcium-phosphorus metabolism in patients with severe acute pancreatitis.

Material and methods: There were examined 72 people divided into two groups as healthy persons (comparison group) - males and females without pathology of the gastrointestinal tract and any other conditions or diseases that could affect the state of calcium-phosphorus metabolism (n= 36) and patients with acute pancreatitis (main group, n= 36). In addition, in order to determine the prognostic criteria for the severity of the disease, patients in the main group were divided into two subgroups. The first subgroup included patients with severe disease (n= 18), the second (n= 18) - with mild and moderate disease.

Results: Serum calcium value was lower in patients with severe acute pancreatitis comparison to healthy persons: 2.18 (2.12; 2.34) vs 2.36 (2.31; 2.43) mmol/L (p <0.0001), and the decrease of calcium levels was associated with an increase in the severity of acute pancreatitis. Therefore, hypocalcemia can be considered a reliable predictor of the severity of the disease. In patients with acute pancreatitis, the level of vitamin D was significantly low than in the healthy persons and was 13.8 (9.03; 21.34) and 28.4 (21.8; 32.3) ng/mL, respectively (p <0.0001).

Conclusion: For patients with acute pancreatitis, serum vitamin D levels≤ 13.28 ng/mL can be considered as a significant predictor of severe disease (sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 94.4%) regardless of calcium level.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the usage status of laparoscopic procedures in general surgical practice in Türkiye, which is a sample of middle-income countries.

Material and methods: The questionnaire was sent to general surgeons, gastrointestinal surgeons, and surgical oncologists who have completed their residency training and are actively working in university, public or private hospitals. Demographic data, laparoscopy training and the period of education, the rate of laparoscopy use, the type and volume of laparoscopic surgical procedures, their views on the advantages and disadvantages of laparoscopic surgery, and the reasons for preferring laparoscopy were determined with a 30-item questionnaire.

Results: Two hundred and forty-four questionnaires from 55 different cities of Türkiye were evaluated. The responders were mainly males, younger surgeons (F/M= 11.1/88.9 % and 30-39 y/o), and graduated from the university hospital residence program (56.6%). Laparoscopic training was frequently taken during residency (77.5%) in the younger age group, while the elderly participants mostly received additional training after specialization (91.7%). Laparoscopic surgery was mostly not available in public hospitals for advanced procedures (p <0.0001) but was available for cholecystectomy and appendectomy operations (p= NS). However, participants working in university hospitals mostly stated that the laparoscopic approach was the first choice for advanced procedures.

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the surgeons working in MICs spent strong effort to use laparoscopy in daily practice, especially in university and high-volume hospitals. However, inappropriate education, cost of laparoscopic equipment, healthcare policies, and some cultural and social barriers might have negatively impacted the widespread use of laparoscopic surgery and its usage in daily practice in MICs such as Türkiye.

Objectives: Gallbladder cancer is relatively rare and traditionally regarded as having poor prognosis. There is controversy about the effects of clinicopathological features and different surgical techniques on prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of clinicopathological characteristics of the patients with surgically treated gallbladder cancer on long-term survival.

Material and methods: We retrospectively analyzed the database of gallbladder cancer patients treated at our clinic between January 2003 and March 2021.

Results: Of 101 evaluated cases, 37 were inoperable. Twelve patients were determined unresectable based on surgical findings. Resection with curative intent was performed in 52 patients. The one-, three-, five-, and 10-year survival rates were 68.9%, 51.9%, 43.6%, and 43.6%, respectively. Median survival was 36.6 months. On univariate analysis, poor prognostic factors were determined as advanced age; high carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carcinoembryonic antigen levels; non-incidental diagnosis; intraoperative incidental diagnosis; jaundice; adjacent organ/structure resection; grade 3 tumors; lymphovascular invasion; and high T, N1 or N2, M1, and high AJCC stages. Sex, IVb/V segmentectomy instead of wedge resection, perineural invasion, tumor location, number of resected lymph nodes, and extended lymphadenectomy did not significantly affect overall survival. On multivariate analysis, only high AJCC stages, grade 3 tumors, high carcinoembryonic antigen levels, and advanced age were independent predictors of poor prognosis.

Conclusion: Treatment planning and clinical decision-making for gallbladder cancer requires individualized prognostic assessment along with standard anatomical staging and other confirmed prognostic factors.

Objectives: Chylothorax (CTx) is the leak and accumulation of lymphatic fluid within the pleural cavity. The incidence of CTx has the highest rate after esophagectomy. This study aimed to present three cases of post-esophagectomy chylothorax among 612 esophagectomies that were performed over 19 years, in which post-esophagectomy chylothorax was reviewed in terms of risk factors, diagnosis, and management.

Material and methods: Six hundred and twelve patients were included in the study. Transhiatal esophagectomy was used for all patients. In three cases, chylothorax was detected. In all of the three cases, secondary surgery was performed for the management of chylothorax. Mass ligation was performed for the first and third cases having leak from the right side. In the second case, the leak was from the left side without prominent duct; and despite mass ligation that was done several times, no significant reduction in chyle was observed.

Results: In the first case, in spite of reduced output, the patient gradually progressed to respiratory distress. His condition deteriorated over time and he died after three days. In the second case that needed third surgery, the patient's condition deteriorated and she died after two days due to respiratory failure. The third patient had postoperative recovery. The patient was discharged on fifth day after the second operation.

Conclusion: In post-esophagectomy chylothorax, the key to preventing high mortality rates can be the identification of risk factors as well as timely detection of symptoms and proper management. Besides, early surgical intervention should be considered to prevent early complications of chylothorax.

Objectives: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury occurs in liver surgery, resection, and transplantation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced following IR starts the cascade of cell damage, necrosis/apoptosis, and proinflammatory responses by activating intracellular signaling cascade to drive hepatocellular damage. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) act as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents. Thus, we evaluated the protective effects of oral (o.g.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of CONPs on hepatic IR injury.

Material and methods: Mice were randomly divided into five groups: control, sham, IR protocol, CONP+IR (i.p.), and CONP+IR (o.g.). Mouse hepatic IR protocol was applied to the animals in the IR group. CONPs (300 μg/kg) were administered 24 hours before IR protocol. Blood and tissue samples were taken after the reperfusion period.

Results: Hepatic IR injury markedly increased enzyme activities, tissue lipid peroxidation, myeloperoxidase (MPO), xanthine oxidase (XO), nitrite oxide (NO), and tissue nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p65 levels, plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules while decreasing antioxidant markers and caused pathological changes in hepatic tissue. The expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), and 9 increased, and tissue inhibitor matrix metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) expression decreased in the IR group. Pretreatment with CONPs o.g. and i.p. 24 hours before hepatic ischemia improved the biochemical parameters above and alleviated the histopathological findings.

Conclusion: Results of the present study demonstrate a significant reduction in liver degeneration by administering CONPs via i.p. and o.g. route in an experimental liver IR model, suggesting that CONPs have the extensive potential to prevent hepatic IR injury.

Objectives: Low-dose steroid therapy has been recommended in idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) in various studies in the literature, but the therapeutic minimum dose has not been determined yet. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency, the effect of which is accepted in autoimmune diseases, has not been previously examined in IGM. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy of lower dose steroid theraphy with adjustment of vitamin D replacement doses with measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in patients with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM).

Material and methods: Vitamin D levels were evaluated in 30 IGM patients who applied to our clinic between 2017-2019. Vitamin D replacement was performed in patients with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level below 30 ng/mL and prednisolone was given to all patients at a dose of 0.05-0.1 mg/kg/ day. Clinical recovery times of the patients were compared with the literature.

Results: Vitamin D replacement was given to 22 (73.33%) patients. Recovery time was shorter in patients receiving vitamin D replacement (7.62 ± 2.38; 9.00 ± 3.38; p= 0.680). Average recovery time was 8.00 ± 2.68 weeks.

Conclusion: Treatment of IGM can be carried out with lower dose steroid therapy, leading to less complications and lower costs. Measuring serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and treating it with the appropriate dose may contribute to the healing process.

Objectives: Early detection is the most important cornerstone of breast cancer in determining treatment outcome and survival. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of mammography in the early diagnosis of breast cancer in a group of women.

Material and methods: Data of this descriptive study were collected under observation with the help of a questionnaire. Female patients over 40 years of age or over 30 years of age with a family history of breast cancer admitted to our general surgery outpatient clinic for a health problem other than breast were included.

Results: A total of 300 female patients with a mean age of 48.7 ± 10.9 years (min-max, 33-83 years) were included. Median frequency of correct answers among the women participating in the study was 83.7% (76.0-92.0). Mean score obtained by the participants from the questionnaire was 75.7 ± 15.8 (the median score 80; 25^th-75^th centiles, 73.3-86.7). Slightly more than half of the patients (159 patients, 53%) had at least one mammography scan before. The level of mammography knowledge was negatively correlated with age and the number of previous mammographies, and positively correlated with education level (r= -0.700, p <0.001; r= -0.419, p <0.001 and r= 0.643, p <0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: Although the level of knowledge about breast cancer and early diagnosis methods in women was at a satisfactory level, it is obvious that mammography screening practice of women without any breast symptoms is very low. Therefore, it should be aimed to increase women's awareness of cancer prevention and compliance with early diagnosis methods and to promote participation in mammography screening.

Choledochal cysts (CC) are congenital cystic dilations of the biliary tree usually associated with abnormal pancreaticobiliary ductal junction (APBDJ), but its association with pancreatic divisum has been rarely described. We encountered four cases of CC associated with pancreatic divisum (PD). Three had Type 3 PD and one had Type 1 PD. Two cases presented with pancreatic complications, with one case requiring preoperative minor papilla sphincterotomy for recurrent pancreatitis. The association of CC with PD is infrequent, and the variable presentation alters management strategy. PD may be one of the factors responsible for complications associated with CC.