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Prosthetic reinforcement is the gold standard treatment for inguinal hernia and reduces the risk of recurrence. Yet up to one-third of patients complain of post-surgical pain due to irritation and inflammation caused by the mesh and the fixation materials. Of these patients, 3-4% will experience severe and disabling chronic pain. We performed a prospective multicenter clinical study of a self-adhering prosthesis, consisting of a lightweight polypropylene mesh (40 g/m²) coated on each side with synthetic glue, to evaluate early postoperative complications and patient outcomes.Between August 2008 and June 2010, 186 patients underwent hernia repair using the Lichtenstein technique and the self-adhering prosthesis. Primary endpoints were the frequency of disabling complications and quality of life (QoL) at 3-month follow-up. Pain, numbness, and groin discomfort were evaluated pre- and postoperatively (1 week, 1 and 3 months) using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Patients' pre- and postoperative QoL were measured using the SF12 questionnaire. Secondary endpoints were number of complications and recurrence rate, use of analgesic drugs, length of hospital stay, delay to return to normal activities, and patient satisfaction. The quality of the self-adhering mesh and its clinical utility were also evaluated by the participating surgeons.A total of 186 patients were enrolled and followed for at least 3 months after inguinal hernia repair. A total of 174 (95%) primary hernias and 12 (5%) recurrent hernias were treated. There were no intraoperative complications, no recurrences, and no repeat interventions performed during the study. The post-surgical complication rate was 4.5%. The mean delay to recover normal physical activity was 4 days. For the primary endpoint of pain, a VAS of zero was reported by 93/184 (50.5%) patients at 1 week, 130/171 (76.0%) patients at 1 month and 119/132 (90.2%) patients at 3 months' follow-up (P 0.0001). The postoperative SF12 scores showed a significant improvement in patient QoL following surgery (P 0.0001).Adhesix( ® ) self-adhering mesh for prosthetic reinforcement following inguinal hernia repair is atraumatic and associated with infrequent post-surgical complications or pain, a rapid recovery rate, and a high patient-reported QoL. A longer follow-up is underway to assess the frequency of post-surgical recurrence.

Are physicians and their relatives at risk of postoperative complications when they are scheduled for surgery? With the aim to answer this question, a case control study was performed from a cohort of 11,756 patients scheduled for surgery from 01/01/1987 to 12/31/2002. Fourty seven patients were physicians and 122 were a close relative to a physician. The percentage of physicians in the current series is comparable to that in the general urban population in France. Each of these patients was matched with 5 patients as controls regarding sex, age, diagnosis, procedure, and date of surgery.No statistically significant difference was observed between the 47 physicians and their 235 controls in the occurence of postoperative complications: 6% vs 6% (Odds ratio (OR)=1,07; CI(95%): 0,28-3,74), unplanned return to the operative room: 2% vs 2% (OR=1,00; CI: 0,11-8,8), and postoperative mortality: 0% vs 0,5% (p=0,07). No stastistically significant difference was observed between the 122 close relatives to a physician and their 610 controls in the occurence of postoperative complications: 6% vs 6% (OR=1,00; CI: 0,43-2,3), unplanned return to the operative room: 2% vs 3% (OR=0,55; CI: 0,18-3,4), and postoperative mortality: 1% vs 0,5% (OR=1,67; CI: 0,13-12,12).this study does not confirm the widespread opinion that postoperative course would be worse in physicians as patients and in their close relatives. Their recovery is not different from that to other patients if they are treated as well as other patients.

In patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis, preoperative diagnosis of common bile duct (CBD) stones can modify the therapeutic strategy. The aims of this prospective, controlled multicenter study were to assess the feasibility, concordance, discordance, and indexes such as sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of preoperative endoscopic ultrasonography compared with those of intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) in the diagnosis of asymptomatic CBD stones (i.e., patients undergoing cholecystectomy with no clinical or biologic evidence of CBD stones).From October 1993 to October 1995, 240 consecutive patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis, scheduled for cholecystectomy in 14 surgical centers, were enrolled in this study. All patients were selected for this study according to a preoperative high-risk CBD stone predictive score. Each patient underwent both endoscopic ultrasonography and IOC, as well as surgical exploration of the CBD when stones were detected during one or both preoperative investigations. All patients were seen 1 months and 1 year after operation to check for residual stones.The feasibility of endoscopic ultrasonography was significantly higher overall than that of IOC (99% vs 90%; p0.001), except when IOC was through a laparotomy (97% vs 93%; p = 0.16). The number of patients available for study was 215. In 198 cases (92%), results of both investigations were in concordance (161 negative and 37 positive values). Seventeen cases (8%) were discordant. There was overall concordance between the two investigations (kappa coefficient 0.764; 95% confidence interval 0.66 to 0.87), but the percentage of discordance was in favor of IOC. Sensitivity and specificity of IOC were significantly higher than those of endoscopic ultrasonography (1.00 and 0.98 vs 0.85 and 0.93, respectively). With a prevalence of CBD stones of 19%, positive and negative predictive values of IOC were significantly higher than those of endoscopic ultrasonography (0.93 and 1.00 vs 0.75 and 0.96, respectively).Although endoscopic ultrasonography is feasible more often than IOC, IOC is associated with a slightly lower degree of discordance and better information indexes and remains an efficient method of investigation for CBD stones. Endoscopic ultrasonography can be suggested in preference to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography when postoperative residual stones are suspected but need not be performed routinely before cholecystectomy.

The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors in patients with esophageal cancer after curative resection, and to establish a predictive model of their long-term prognosis.Eighty-nine patients operated on for neoplasia of the esophagus, who underwent a curative resection, an who did not die within one month or during the hospital stay, were included in this study. Twenty-one variables were studied by univariate analysis. The variables linked with survival were include in a Cox model. Regression coefficient of independent prognostic factors allowed to compute a score.Life table analysis of the entire population, showed 2 and 5 year survival rates of 48% and 28%, respectively. In univariate analysis, 5 out of 21 factors were statistically linked with survival. In multivariate analysis (Cox model), 4 independent factors were linked with survival: age (P = 0.02), the American Society of Anesthesiologist classification (P = 0.01), parietal invasion (P = 0.03), and lymph node invasion (P = 0.009). The score established with these 4 factors allowed to distinguish 3 sub-groups, discriminated by their long term prognosis. Life table analysis of the 3 sub-groups were at 2 and 5 years 83%, 55%, 20% and 60%, 32%, 0%, respectively.This model may be useful for the assessment of prognosis in patients with esophageal cancer after curative surgical treatment.

Although used widely for supraperitoneal anastomoses, circular stapled anastomoses have never been proved better than hand-sewn anastomoses. In the one prospective controlled trial that studied these anastomoses specifically, the only significant difference found was that there were more clinically obvious leakages with the circular stapled variety, but not in the overall clinical and roentgenologic leakage rates.One hundred fifty-nine consecutive patients (88 men and 71 women, mean age 65.8 +/- 12.1 years) were randomized to undergo hand-sewn (n = 74) or circular stapled (n = 85) supraperitoneal colorectal anastomosis after left colectomy.Patient demographics were similar in both groups. Overall mortality was 1.3% (2 of 159; one in each group). No statistically significant difference (NS) was found in the rate of early complications, including anastomotic leakage (4 of 74 versus 6 of 85) in the hand-sewn and stapled anastomoses, respectively). Mishaps (n = 10) and hemorrhage (n = 5) occurred in the stapled group only. Stapled anastomoses took an average of 8 minutes less to perform (p0.001), but this time gain did not significantly influence the overall duration of operation (identical median times). The median duration of hospitalization was 13 and 14 days, respectively (NS). At 8 months there were 2 of 74 strictures in the hand-sewn group and 4 of 85 strictures in the stapled group (NS).According to these results, there seems to be no advantage of routine or regular use of stapling instruments for supraperitoneal colorectal anastomosis.

The current randomized study was done to compare the results of choledochoduodenostomy (CD) and choledochojejunostomy (CJ) for choledocholithiasis, with special reference to long term results and the risk of ascendant cholangitis. From January 1978 to January 1990, 130 patients were included in the study--64 with CD (side to side, in all patients) and 66 with CJ (side to side in 25 patients and end to side in 41). No significant difference was observed between the CD and CJ groups for postoperative mortality (3.8 percent) and morbidity rates. One hundred and twenty patients (58 CD and 62 CJ) were available for long term follow-up evaluation (mean follow-up period of 29 +/- 11 months). One hundred and seven patients had no symptoms attributable to biliary disease or operation. Five patients in this group died of unrelated causes. Thirteen patients experienced biliary symptoms suggestive of cholangitis, or at least related to the bilioenteric anastomosis--six patients in the CD group and seven in the CJ group. Cholangitis was observed in the first postoperative year in eight of these 13 patients and during the second year for the five others. In the CD group, cholangitis was the result of sump syndrome (n = 3), anastomotic stricture (n = 1) and unknown causes (n = 2). In the CJ group, cholangitis was the result of anastomotic stricture (n = 3), residual intrahepatic stones (n = 1) and unknown causes (n = 3). The results of the current study confirm the good long term results of both procedures. However, it suggests that CD is preferable for choledocholithiasis for two reasons--it is technically easier and faster to perform than CJ and, unlike CJ, CD permits easy access to further endoscopic exploration or treatment if necessary.

In patients operated on for gastric carcinoma, the main purpose of a follow-up program is to diagnose recurrent disease and initiate treatment at an early stage. One hundred and ninety-seven consecutive patients were studied, 43 of whom had not received a resection (27%). Resections were carried out in 144 patients, in either palliative (N = 20), or curative (N = 122) intent. The follow-up program included visits to the outpatient clinic at one month, six months, one year, and every year during the five post-operative years. Shorter intervals were employed as indicated by the functional or general status of the patients. One patient has been lost to follow-up. In palliative surgery, median survival was 3 months in patients undergoing laparotomy, 6 months following palliative surgery without resection, and 8 months following palliative resection. In patients who underwent curative resection, 65 are still alive without recurrent disease (57%). Thirty-six of them have been followed-up for more than 5 years. Seven patients died without recurrence. Of 42 patients with recurrence, 10 underwent a reoperation. The only resection was performed for liver metastasis. This patient died 14 months later. Survival in the 9 other patients did not exceed 6 months. This experience suggests that a follow-up program of patients operated on for gastric carcinoma is disappointing.

The controversy about the risk of cancer in patients surgically treated for peptic ulcer is debated in the literature. We analyzed published epidemiological studies, in an attempt to answer the following questions: 1) is there an increased risk of cancer in patients who underwent partial gastrectomy for ulcer disease?; 2) is such a risk influenced by the type of operation performed and by the original pathological lesion?; 3) are there any recommendations for peptic ulcer surgery and for a specific follow-up schedule of the patients? Twelve "prospective" studies have been published on patients operated on for peptic ulcer. These studies are based on the follow-up of a cohort over a certain period of time. Results are expressed and analyzed using the incidence ratio observed in the cohort, comparing observed with expected cases in a similar general population. The results of seven of these studies favor the hypothesis of an increased risk of stomach cancer in patients operated on for peptic ulcer disease, while those of five do not support this hypothesis. The results of two of these studies were obtained by multivariate analyses, which represent the best statistical methodology known for assessing the respective role of confounding variables. We therefore believe that the evidence is good enough to identify patients who underwent partial gastrectomy more than 20 years previously as a high-risk group for the development of carcinoma. We therefore recommend that these patients should be offered regular endoscopy, especially if they underwent a Billroth II surgical procedure.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the independent influence of clinical and pathological variables on survival of patients with gastric carcinoma using the Cox regression proportional hazard model. Of 156 patients operated on for gastric adenocarcinoma, 46 (29.5%) underwent palliative operation, 24 (15.5%) had a palliative resection, and 86 (55%) had a curative resection. The overall 5-year survival rate was 25 +/- 4%. After curative resection, the 5-year survival rate was 44 +/- 6%. Univariate analysis applied to these patients showed that poor survival was related (p less than 0.01) to: age (over 80 years), absence of epigastric pain, vomiting and dysphagia, total gastrectomy, tumor size (more than 4 cm), lymph node involvement (LNI), invasion through the muscularis propria, absence of intestinal metaplasia near the tumor, and linitis plastica. In multivariate analysis, lymph node involvement was found to be the only independent prognostic factor. The 5-year survival rate was 75.5 +/- 8% without LNI, 28 +/- 10% with proximal LNI and 7 +/- 6% with distal LNI. Our results suggest that classification into 3 LNI groups is the best staging system for curative resection in gastric carcinoma.

Extra corporeal shock-wave lithotripsy changed dramatically the treatment of renal calculi. This procedure is now used to treat biliary lithiasis. In gallstones, the impact will depend on its efficiency, risk, and easiness. The ACAPEM studied prospectively the results achieved with this method. They are currently available for 219 patients.

Intra-operative irradiation could overcome some of the problems of conventional "external" radiotherapy, allowing an increase of the tumor dose and better sparing of the normal tissues. The present study reports 14 cases of patients treated by such a technique; 8 cases were pancreatic cancers (only one being surgically removed). The first conventional surgical step was performed in the operating room. The patient, still under general anaesthesia, was then taken to the irradiation room. A linear accelerator (Saturne CGR 20) was utilized to deliver 15-20 Gy to the tumor volume. Three weeks later, the patients received a 40 Gy complementary irradiation by external beams, and 5 Fluorouracil. There were no early post-operative complications. Three patients suffered from painful lesions; pain disappeared in all 3 cases after the intra-operative irradiation. All patients (with the exception of one who was still alive 9 months later) died 4-10 months after treatment. No definitive conclusion can be drawn from this limited case study. However, encouraging results reported by other groups should lead to further studies regarding this possibly promising procedure.

It may be better to use the term of "superficial carcinoma" than "early gastric carcinoma". Out of 194 patients operated on for gastric carcinoma, 37 had a superficial carcinoma (19%). Seventeen had previously been treated for duodenal (n = 10) or gastric (n = 7) ulcer. Out of 23 barium meal examinations, 3 were normal. The macroscopic appearance at endoscopic examination was normal in 4 patients. In these cases the carcinoma was identified in biopsies. At laparotomy the gastric wall was normal in 16 patients. Gastric resection was subtotal (n = 28), total (n = 6), or partial (n = 1). The tumor was multifocal in 8 cases, and associated with intestinal metaplasia in 24 cases. The five-year actuarial survival rate was 77%. It is important to do not miss superficial carcinoma even in patient treated for peptic ulcer, and to perform biopsies even if endoscopic examination is normal. A subtotal gastrectomy may be performed with excellent results.

In a prospective multicentric trial we compared the post-operative mortality and the 5-year survival of elective total gastrectomy (TG) versus subtotal gastrectomy (SG) for adenocarcinoma of the antrum operated on with intent of cure. Two hundred and one patients were included in the study: thirty two were excluded after pathological examination (linitis plastica, superficial cancer, lymphoma). One hundred and sixty nine patients remained for analysis with 93 TG and 76 SG. Elective TG did not increase post-operative mortality (1.3%) in comparison with SG (3.2%). There was no difference in the 5-year survival rate (48%). Analysis of survival showed no difference in the two techniques when related to nodal involvement and serosal extension. It is concluded that both operations TG and SG can be performed safely in patients with adenocarcinoma of the antrum; however TG did not increase the survival rate.

The authors present their experience from February 1988 with biliary lithotripsy in 125 patients. They review the protocol inclusion criteria and the various forms of complementary medical treatment. From this group, 30% of the patients underwent cholecystectomy, 45% received medical treatment and only 25% did not eventually require complementary medical therapy.

In choledocholithiasis, after opening the common bile duct, we used to perform choledochoduodenostomy in old patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate our results in 77 patients. The mean age of the patients was 75 years. Twenty-two patients were operated for angiocholitis, 19 had jaundice, and 36 had gallstones without angiocholitis or jaundice. There was two hospital deaths (2.6 p. cent). All the patients but two could be traced. The mean follow-up was 6.7 years. Two patients had had transients episodes of angiocholitis. Twenty-five patients have dead. Expected mortality in french population corresponding in age and sex was 29 deaths. Our results suggest that choledochoduodenostomy is a safe and effective procedure in the management of calculous biliary tract disease for old patients.

Computed tomography examinations, using a second generation Acta 200 FS apparatus, were conducted on 28 occasions in 25 patients with hepatic carcinoma. Before injection, the tumor is usually of low density, to a small degree in many cases, and is heterogeneous and has indefinite limits. The sensitivity of the method is 96 p. cent. A precise study of the localization of the tumor was possible in only 11 cases, and a definite diagnosis was made in 64 p. cent. The method was only moderately effective in assessing the degree of regional extension. When compared with other methods for the investigation of the liver (scintigraphy, ultrasonography, arteriography), computed tomography shows no superiority over ultrasonography which should be employed for the initial examination.

A bilioportal fistula is rare. We report the case of a patient who had a bilioportal fistula 6 years after a choledochoduodenostomy. Percutaneous transhepatic opacification showed the bilioportal fistula to be associated with a thrombosed portal vein and a cavernous formation. Treatment consisted of separate percutaneous drainage of the portal and biliary tracts. Closure of the fistula was obtained by progressive proximal intrahepatic portal thrombosis. Our case contrasts with the four other cases of bilioportal fistula published in the literature in that (1) there was an absence of biliary lithiasis and (2) we did not use surgical treatment. The most likely explanation for our case of bilioportal fistula is an infectious complication related to the choledochoduodenostomy.

Alkaline phosphatase (AP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AsT) assays, as well as ultrasonography are the easiest and least expensive examinations to perform in the diagnosis of hepatic metastases. The 273 patients included in this series had cancer of the digestive tract. The diagnosis of presence or absence of liver metastases was made at surgery and was positive in 38 patients (14 per cent). A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn after computing the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of each laboratory determination while the threshold indicating that the value was normal was incremented. The examinations were then compared in terms of Se, Sp, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. The threshold was determined on the ROC curve where less false-positive and more true-positive results were shown. According to predictive values, laboratory determinations could be classified in decreasing order of usefulness as: AP, LDH, GGT and AsT. Ultrasonography had a positive predictive value of 68 per cent a negative predictive value of 95 per cent, both figures being higher than those of any laboratory examination. These results suggest that ultrasonography has a higher diagnostic value than any of the enzyme assays in the detection of hepatic metastases. Moreover, ultrasonography provides morphological information which, in case of liver resection, may be useful to the surgeon.

The improvement in the end-results of surgical treatment of gastric carcinoma can be ascribed for the most part to a better knowledge and an increased incidence of mucosal or submucosal types of carcinoma in the patients treated. Of a group of 100 gastric carcinoma, 16 had a superficial carcinoma. Only 11 patients presented at hospital within 12 months of the onset of symptoms. The commonest radiological and macroscopic appearance was a "muco erosival" aspect (10 cases). All patients had a gastric resection without operative mortality. The five-year survival rate (actuarial) was over 80 per cent. To not miss such superficial carcinoma a gastroscopy must be perform not only in all abnormalities of a barium meal, but also in all patients with normal barium meal and upper digestive symptoms.

Intra-operative irradiation has been devised as a method to safely deliver higher radiation doses to the tumors while minimizing the dose to the surrounding normal tissues. Among 12 patients treated by intraoperative radiotherapy in our institution, 7 had a pancreatic carcinoma (unresected in 6 patients, and partially resected in 1). Anesthetized patients were transferred with the incision temporarily closed from the fourth floor operating theatre to the basement accelerator suite. A single dose of 15 to 20 Gy with 20 MeV electrons was delivered. Five of these patients with carcinoma of the head of the pancreas then had a biliary and a digestive bypass. After surgery, all patients received an additional 40 Gy and chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil. There was neither post-operative mortality nor morbidity. Three patients with pre-operative pain had no pain following treatment. Five patients died after 5 to 10 months and two patients are alive with a follow-up of 4 and 9 months respectively. Because of the short follow-up and small number of patients, no conclusions concerning survival can be drawn. Nevertheless, in other experiences good palliative results have generally been obtained. Significant differences in survival time were noted in a japanese experience of unresected cases. In 16 patients with resected carcinoma a 41% survival rate at 2 years has been observed in 1 North American study. These results suggest that intra-operative irradiation is worth further trials.

From October 1982 to October 1984, a percutaneous drainage under realtime ultrasound guidance was performed in 53 patients with abdominal abscesses. The location of the abscesses was subphrenic (23), retroperitoneal (16), and intrahepatic (14). A safe access route was found by using ultrasound and fluoroscopy in 53 out of 55 patients (96 p. 100). Percutaneous drainage failed in 8 patients and 3 of these patients died. The causes of death were: cerebral abscess (1), renal failure after surgery for correction of a duodenal fistula (1), and pancreatic abscess (1). The other five patients were cured by surgical drainage. Two complications were observed: one case each of pneumothorax and purulent peritonitis. Forty-five patients were healed by percutaneous drainage without operation. The duration of the catheter drainage was 14 days +/- 13 (m +/- 1 SD). Our results suggest that percutaneous drainage under realtime ultrasound guidance is an efficient and safe way to treat abdominal abscesses.

Dukes' classification is the most usually used method of staging in colorectal carcinoma. However the pitfalls of this classification may be attested by the multitude of modifications of Dukes' staging during the last sixty years. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of 25 variables on survival in colorectal carcinoma using the Cox model. This study was performed in 321 patients operated on for colorectal carcinoma. In the 252 patients who had had a curative resection univariate analysis showed that survival was related to 6 variables: age, juxtatumoral lymph node involvement, an abdominal mass, complicated carcinoma, duration of symptoms, and depth of tumor penetration. Stepwise analysis showed the independent influence of 7 variables on survival: age, lymph node involvement, depth of tumor penetration, duration of symptoms, direct spread, preexisting deficiencies, and sex. A byproduct of the regression coefficient of Cox' model was a numerical value for each of these predictive factors. A single composite score was obtained by adding the individual scores of factors from which a prediction of outcome can be made. Applying this model to each of the 252 patients resected for cure, we established three prognostic groups. They predict survival more accurately than the Dukes' system. Our scoring system based on multivariate analysis must successfully defined prognostic groups of patients in other series. Then, it should be recommended for staging in curative resection for colorectal carcinoma.

We have attempted to establish a prognostic nutritional index prospectively in 633 patients with digestive carcinoma making it possible to predict tumor resectability and occurrence of postoperative complications. The following factors were studied prior to surgery: age, sex, weight loss index, triceps skinfold thickness, midarm circumference, lymphocyte count, plasma albumin, transferrin and prealbumin levels, delayed hypersensitivity as investigated by 8 skin tests. The prognostic nutritional index was calculated using Mullen's formula. Unidimensional and multidimensional studies (linear discriminant and logistic discriminant analyses with partial correlations) were used for the statistical analysis. Mortality was 6,7 p. 100 while 16,2 p. 100 of patients presented a postoperative complication. The following variables showed a significant correlation with the resectability of the tumour: weight loss (p less than 0.0001), triceps skinfold thickness (p less than 0.01), midarm circumference (p less than 0.01), total lymphocyte count (p less than 0.01), plasma transferrin (p less than 0.01), delayed hypersensitivity (p less than 0.05). In the occurrence of postoperative complications there was a statistically significant value only to weight loss (p less than 0.001) and delayed hypersensitivity (p less than 0.05). Logistic discriminant analysis gave a linear model predicting tumor resectability in 78 p. 100 of patients and postoperative complications in 86 p. 100 of patients in which weight loss and delayed hypersensitivity were statistically significant. No prognostic value of Mullen's index was found. This study shows that assessment of the preoperative nutritional status of patients with gastrointestinal cancer makes it possible to predict tumor resectability and postoperative complications.