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Background: Thoracoscopic oesophagectomy was introduced to reduce the morbidity of transthoracic oesophagectomy. The aim was to assess the short- and mid-term results of robot-assisted thoracoscopic oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer., Methods: Between October 2003 and May 2007, 47 patients with resectable oesophageal cancer underwent robot-assisted thoracoscopic oesophagectomy. Clinical data were collected prospectively., Results: Conversion to thoracotomy was necessary in seven patients. Median operating time was 450 min and median blood loss 625 ml. Median postoperative ventilation time was 1 day, intensive care stay 3 days and hospital stay 18 days. Twenty-one of 47 patients had pulmonary complications. Three patients died in hospital. A median of 29 (range 8-68) lymph nodes was dissected and R0 resection was achieved in 36 patients. Twenty-three patients had stage IVa disease. After a median follow-up of 35 months, median disease-free survival was 15 (95 per cent confidence interval 12 to 18) months., Conclusion: Robot-assisted thoracoscopic oesophagectomy was oncologically acceptable. Operating time, blood loss and pulmonary complications might decrease with further experience., (Copyright 2009 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Duodenum-preserving resection of the head of the pancreas (DPRHP) according to Beger has been developed as an alternative to pylorus-preserving resection of the pancreatic head for painful chronic pancreatitis., Methods: Between 1988 and 2000, 36 consecutive DPRHPs were performed. The group was divided into patients with (group 1; n = 23) and without (group 2; n = 13) significant enlargement of the pancreatic head. Pain was the indication for surgery in all patients., Results: Complications occurred in 12 patients, necessitating reoperation in 11. Initial overall results were favourable; significant improvement or complete relief of pain was reported in 27 of 35 patients. Long-term results were obtained in 27 of 30 patients; the overall success rate was 16 of 27, 13 of 16 patients with distinct enlargement of the pancreatic head and 3 of the 11 with minimal or no enlargement (P = 0.018)., Conclusion: DPRHP can be performed with good early results. This effect is sustained in patients with distinct localized disease of the pancreatic head. In those without, the long-term results are disappointing., (Copyright 2003 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: Needle-localized open breast biopsy (NLBB) is considered the gold standard procedure for the diagnosis of impalpable breast disease. In an observational follow-up study the sensitivity and negative predictive value of this procedure was determined in a clinical population with long-term follow-up., Methods: Some 199 consecutive patients with a benign histological diagnosis on NLBB were followed for the occurrence of breast cancer, using information from the Dutch National Morbid-Anatomical Record Department. Based on a review of mammograms and histological slides, an expert panel decided whether the carcinomas detected during follow-up were newly developed, or were present already at the time of the NLBB., Results: After a median follow-up of 60.5 months, seven carcinomas were detected. At panel review, six appeared to have been missed by NLBB. The sensitivity of NLBB was 99 per cent after 2 years of follow-up, but dropped to 96 per cent after 5 years. Similarly, the negative predictive value dropped from 99 per cent after 2 years to 94 per cent after 5 years of follow-up., Conclusion: NLBB is an accurate diagnostic procedure for the evaluation of impalpable breast disease. However, with longer follow-up the accuracy becomes lower than generally reported.