Search

Objective: To analyze the clinical and pathologic influencing factors of early recurrence in patients with histological node-negative (pN0 stage) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical esophagectomy., Methods: A retrospective study on 112 consecutive pN0 stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent esophagectomy with lymphadenectomy by the same surgical team from January 2004 to December 2010. There were 92 male and 20 female patients, aging from 36 to 80 years with a mean age of 60.3 years. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the independent risk factors for recurrence within 3 years after the operation., Results: Recurrence was recognized in 45 patients (40.2%) within 3 years after operation. The median time to tumor recurrence was 17.4 months. Locoregional recurrence was found in 38 patients (33.9%), and hematogenous metastasis in 7 patients (6.3%). Recurrence closely correlated with tumor location, grade of differentiation, pT stage and pathologic stage (χ(2) = 6.380 to 18.837, P < 0.05). The Cox multivariate analysis showed that tumor location (RR = 1.092, P = 0.049) and pT3-4a stage (RR = 3.296, P = 0.017) were independent risk factors for postoperative locoregional recurrence., Conclusions: The most common recurrence pattern of patients with pN0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma would develop recurrence within 3 years after operation is locoregional recurrence. Upper/middle thoracic location and pT3-4a stage are independent risk factors for locoregional recurrence of pN0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after operation.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and to compare surgical results of VATS with standard median sternotomy (MS) and other minimal invasive approaches through various small incisions (SI)., Methods: Totally 111 patients underwent surgery for thymic disorders (maximun diameter ≤ 5 cm, clinical stage I-II for thymic tumors) during March 2010 to June 2012 was retrospectively reviewed. There were 46 male and 65 female patients with a mean age of (51 ± 15) years.Resection via VATS was carried out in 47 patients, via SI in 26 patients, and via MS in 38 patients. Demographic characteristics, operation time, number and cause of conversion, blood loss during operation, duration and amount of chest tube drainage, transfusion, morbidity, and length of hospital stay (LHS) were compared between the three groups., Results: Of the 111 patients, 79 patients had thymic epithelia tumors (stage I 32 patients, stage II 39 patients, stage III 8 patients), 31 patients had benign cysts and 1 patient had tuberculosis.In the VATS group, there were 3 conversions among 38 patients through right-side approach, and 4 conversions among 9 patients through left-side approach. The causes for conversion included dense pleura adhesion, invasion of tumor into adjacent structures (pericardium, lung, or great vessels), and injury of the left inominate vein. There was no significant difference in operative time, blood loss or transfusion during operation, duration or amount of postoperative chest tube drainage among the 3 groups (P > 0.05). Average LHS was significantly shorter in the VATS group (5.7 ± 1.7) days than in the SI group (7.5 ± 2.2) days and the MS group (8.2 ± 1.9) days (F = 3.759, P = 0.002). Total thymectomy was performed in 74 patients, 25 patients (53.2%, 25/47) in VATS group, 11 patients (42.3%, 11/26) in SI group, and 38 patients (100%, 38/38) in MS group. The reset of the patients received tumor resection and partial thymectomy. Among all the subgroups, LHS was the shortest in VATS total thymectomy patients (5.0 ± 1.4) days (F = 5.844, P = 0.001). There was no perioperative mortality. The only major morbidity was a postoperative bleeding necessitating reintervention in SI group., Conclusions: VATS for benign thymic lesions and early-stage thymic tumors is safe and feasible.It is associated with shorter hospital stay compared with other minimal invasive approaches or standard sternotomy.

Objective: to evaluate the risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications following transoral operation for the atlanta-axis disorders., Methods: total 104 cases were collected from January 2005 to June 2009. Twelve variables among patients with PPCs and without PPCs were analyzed by logistic regression analysis., Results: the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications following transoral operation for the atlanta-axis disorders was 22.1% (23/104). There was significantly difference in 9 variables between patients with PPCs and without PPCs, and 5 variables as serum albumin < 35 g/L (OR = 15.185, P = 0.003), tracheotomy (OR = 32.254, P = 0.015), Frankle grade (OR = 8.866, P = 0.001), the duration of intubation > 4 d (OR = 7.934, P = 0.002), the duration of surgery > 6 h (OR = 16.889, P = 0.006) were found to be significantly related to the development to postoperative pulmonary complications by multivariate analysis., Conclusion: serum albumin < 35 g/L, tracheotomy, Frankle grade, the duration of intubation > 4 d, the duration of surgery > 6 h are the risk factors for postoperative pulmonary complications following transoral operation for the atlanta-axis disorders.