The British journal of surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Prospective randomized comparison between pylorus-preserving and standard pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy, with either gastrectomy (Whipple procedure) or pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD), is a complex procedure. Technical diversity, variation and sampling bias exist among surgeons. Previous reports comparing these two procedures are retrospective and not randomized. These factors should be considered seriously and eliminated in comparisons between the two procedures. ⋯ In this prospective randomized study, both PPPD and the Whipple procedure were associated with low mortality and operative morbidity rates. There was no significant difference between PPPD and Whipple resection in terms of operative mortality and morbidity, operating time, blood loss and blood transfusion. PPPD was associated with more frequent delayed gastric emptying, although study of more patients is needed to confirm this.
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A new emergency vascular cover service came into effect on 1 May 1997 involving three district general hospitals, eight surgeons and covering a patient population of 600 000. Each week one of the three hospitals is on call, accepting the transfer of patients requiring urgent surgical or radiological vascular intervention between 17.00 and 09.00 hours each weekday and throughout the weekend from the other two hospitals. The aim of this project was to evaluate the pattern, appropriateness of referral and increased workload in the first year following the implementation of this model of emergency vascular cover. ⋯ These data demonstrate that one consultant-led vascular team can provide an out-of-hours emergency vascular service for a population served by three hospitals. The workload is manageable without the predicted drain on resources and is preferred by the participating consultants.
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A national audit of surgical deaths can be seen as the final step in what has been termed the 'journey of care' for both the individual patient and for the population as a whole. ⋯ These figures reflect the high quality of vascular services in Scotland, where there is a considerable consultant presence in the management of high-risk patients. This consultant involvement is higher than in other subspecialties and, bearing in mind the high percentage of emergencies, has significant resource implications for the delivery of vascular services.
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The aim of endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm is to exclude the aneurysm from the systemic circulation in order to prevent aneurysm expansion and rupture. Lumbar artery (LA) endoleaks have been associated with continued expansion of the aneurysm sac and occur with a reported incidence of approximately 10 per cent. The aim of this study was to reduce the incidence of LA or inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) endoleaks. ⋯ An intraoperative aneurysmograph can help select patients for aneurysm sac packing with gelatin sponge and has been successful in the short term in preventing LA and IMA endoleaks.
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Comparative Study
Clinical evaluation of lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer defined by the fifth edition of the TNM classification in comparison with the Japanese system.
This study compared the classification of lymph node metastasis according to the number of involved nodes based on the new tumour node metastasis (TNM) system (fifth edition) with the classification by the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer from an anatomical perspective. ⋯ The new TNM classification provided a better index of the prognosis of patients who underwent systematic lymph node dissection. However, both classifications have specific benefits in the surgical treatment of gastric cancer.