Langenbeck's archives of surgery
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Langenbecks Arch Surg · Aug 2013
Comparative StudyProcalcitonin as a predictive marker for surgical site infection in elective colorectal cancer surgery.
Surgical site infection (SSI) is a frequent complication of elective surgery for colorectal cancer. The classical clinical markers of infection-elevations in white blood cell count, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and body temperature-do not precisely predict SSI after elective colorectal resection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of procalcitonin (PCT) as a tool for diagnosis of SSI in elective surgery for colorectal cancer. ⋯ Serum PCT is more reliable laboratory marker for the early diagnosis of SSI after elective colorectal cancer surgery, compared with conventional inflammatory indicators. PCT could serve as an additional diagnostic tool for the early identification of SSI to improve clinical decision making.
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Langenbecks Arch Surg · Aug 2013
Comparative StudyComparison of two different transection techniques in liver surgery-an experimental study in a porcine model.
Postoperative morbidity and mortality after liver resection is closely related to the degree of intraoperative blood loss; the majority of which occurs during transection of the liver parenchyma. Many approaches and devices have therefore been developed to limit bleeding, but none has yet achieved perfect results up to now. The aim of this standardized chronic animal study was to compare the safety and efficacy of the LigaSure™ Vessel Sealing System (LVSS) with the stapler technique, which is one of the modern techniques for transecting the parenchyma in liver surgery. ⋯ In this standardized chronic animal study concerning transection of the parenchyma in liver surgery, LVSS seems not only to be safe, but also comparable with the stapler technique in terms of morbidity and mortality. Additionally, LVSS significantly reduces material costs. However, the transection time is significantly longer for LVSS than for the stapler resection technique.