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The aim of the study was to analyze the expression of certain proteins (p53, Bcl-2) and to find correlations between the status of these markers and clinicopathological parameters, and prognosis in patients with rectal cancer. This study included 50 patients diagnosed with rectal cancer (stage I-III AJCC staging system 8th edition) who underwent preoperative oncological treatment and then rectal resection procedures in Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest in the period 01.01.2016 – 31.12.2017. p53 and Bcl-2 expression was examined using immunohistochemistry from pathological specimens obtained after surgery in the Clinical Emergency Hospital Bucharest pathology laboratory. We observed significant associations between Bcl2 and age or extramural vascular invasion, and between p53 and hemoglobin value at admission. The univariate analysis of disease free survival (DFS) showed an important link between the presence of p53 and a poor prognosis, and the multivariate one demonstrated that the best outcome was registered for the patients with p53 negative/Bcl-2 positive phenotype. In conclusion, we believe that immunohistochemical detection of these proteins is an important tool in determining the prognosis of the patients with rectal cancer.

The objective of this paper was to find correlations between clinico-pathological parameters and survival and tumor recurrence indices with the purpose of improving treatment results and asses better the prognosis of the patients with rectal cancer. The study included 69 patients with rectal cancer in stages I-III according to the AJCC classification (8th edition), who didn’t undergo neoadjuvant treatment and were operated (curative surgery) in the General Department of the Emergency Clinical Hospital Bucharest in a period of 2 years, 01.01.2016 – 31.12.2017. Our statistical analysis showed significant correlations between the quality of the mesorectum and tumor localization, type of surgery or overall survival. Also, we registered important associations between the N stage from TNM classification and tumor grading or lymphovascular invasion. In conclusion, we can say that these correlations observed in our study between clinico-pathological and prognostic parameters in patients with rectal cancer are useful in the treatment and for determining the outcome of these patients.

IntroductionColorectal cancer stands as a predominant cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite progressive strides in surgical methodologies, the specter of postoperative complications is very large, significantly impacting both morbidity and mortality rates. This review aims to meticulously examine existing scholarly works to gauge the prevalence, severity, and therapeutic approaches to postoperative complications arising from colorectal cancer surgeries.MethodsEmploying a systematic approach, this study reviewed 135 peer-reviewed publications from the period of 2000–2023. The corpus was organized into categories reflective of the postoperative complications discussed: anastomotic leakage, port-site metastases, small bowel adhesions and obstructions, thrombosis, ileus, postoperative infections, urinary dysfunctions, and cardiovascular dysfunctions. Advanced artificial intelligence tools were leveraged for in-depth literature searches and semantic analyses to pinpoint research lacunae.ResultsThe analysis revealed that anastomotic leakage and postoperative infections garnered the majority of academic focus, representing 35% and 25% of the studies, respectively. Conversely, port-site metastases and cardiovascular dysfunctions were less frequently examined, accounting for merely 5% and 3% of the literature. The reviewed studies indicate a disparity in the reported prevalence rates of each complication, oscillating between 3% and 20%. Furthermore, the review identified a dearth of evidence-based management protocols, underscored by a pronounced heterogeneity in treatment guidelines.ConclusionsThe literature is replete with analyses on anastomotic leakage and postoperative infections; however, there exists a glaring scarcity of exhaustive research on other postoperative complications. This review emphasizes the pressing need for uniform treatment guidelines and spotlights areas in dire need of further research, aiming at the comprehensive enhancement of patient outcomes following colorectal cancer surgery.

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Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to find the factors associated with the severe impairment of QoSL and the factors associated with a better score in QoSL, as well as the evaluation of pain symptoms and QoSL after the complete and incomplete excision of rectovaginal nodules. Materials and methods: The present prospective study was conducted in a single tertiary center for endometriosis where 116 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery for deep endometriosis during a 3-year period. The goal of the intervention was to excise all endometriotic implants while conserving the rectum. Intraoperative findings were recorded after the intervention, and the patients were classified according to the ENZIAN classification and rASRM scores. QoSL was assessed using the EHP-30 Module C (QoSL Score). Results: When comparing the mean scores before and 2 years after the surgery, a highly significant improvement was found for QoSL and dysmenorrhea (p < 0.0001). The complete excision of rectovaginal nodules led to a significantly better QoSL and lower dyspareunia (p < 0.0001) than incomplete resection (p < 0.02). Conclusions: This prospective study proves that the complete laparoscopic excision of all endometriotic implants improved the QoSL and decreased the pain score of dyspareunia. Incomplete rectovaginal nodule excision was correlated with a poorer QoSL and a lower improvement of dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain scores than complete excision.

Diabetes mellitus brings together several syndromes, all burdened by a high complexity and with the potential to generate vital impairment. The large number of complications result from the association of high blood glucose level with vascular damage, neuropathy, poor healing and overall increased atherosclerosis process. The clinical manifestation of these complications involves a wide range of manifestations from simple lesions to complex pathology, many of them requiring surgical treatment. Surgical implications of diabetes mellitus include diabetic foot syndrome, soft tissue infections, renal impairment and abdominal pathology.

Introduction: Identifying left aberrant hepatic artery during gastrectomy for cancer is occasional. In case of replaced left hepatic artery, its ligation can lead to hepatic injury or ischemia, while preserving it can cause difficulties during lymphadenectomy. In literature there is no consensus regarding preserving replaced left hepatic artery during gastrectomy for cancer. A recent study, analysing adverse effects of ligating an aberrant left hepatic artery, shows in patients with over 5 times elevated transaminase levels, increase in hospital length and postoperative complications. On the other hand, there are studies that consider ligation of aberrant left hepatic artery safe, the only inconvenient being postoperative transient elevation of transminase levels, when ligated artery diameter is over 1.5 mm. Material and methods: We report the case of a 65 years old male, known with myocardial infarction, admitted for epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, dysphagia for solids and important weight loss. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with biopsy and computed tomography showed esogastric tumoral mass, signet ring cell carcinoma, no metastases. Intraopertive, we found replaced left hepatic artery arising from left gastric artery, close to the celiac trunk, its diameter being approximately 1 cm. Total radical D2 gastrectomy with mechanical eso-jejunal Roux-en-Y anastomosis was performed. Postoperative evolution was favorable surgically, but the patient had SarsCov2 infection during hospitalization. The final pathology report showed 18 lymph nodes examined, 5 being with adenocarcinoma metastases. Conclusions: Preserving replaced left hepatic artery during gastrectomy for cancer is preferable, lymphadenectomy not being affected. Potential postoperative complications resulted from ligation of replaced left hepatic artery could have chanced the prognosis.

Ectopic pregnancies are a frequently encountered cause of first-trimester metrorrhagia. They occur when an embryo is implanted and grows outside the normal uterine space. Uncommonly, the embryo can be implanted in the intramural portion of the uterine tube, a condition referred to as interstitial localization. This specific type of ectopic pregnancy may have an unpredictable course, potentially leading to severe uterine rupture and catastrophic bleeding if not promptly diagnosed and managed. We present a rare case of a multiparous 36-year-old female patient who underwent pelvic ultrasonography in the emergency department for intense pelvic pain associated with hypotension and moderate anemia. A history of right salpingectomy for a ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy 10 years previously was noted. High beta-HCG levels were also detected. A pelvic ultrasound allowed us to suspect a ruptured ectopic interstitial pregnancy at 8 weeks of amenorrhea. An association with hemoperitoneum was suspected, and an emergency laparoscopy was performed. The condition was confirmed intraoperatively, and the patient underwent a right corneal wedge resection with suture of the uterine myometrium. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the fourth day postoperatively. Interstitial ectopic pregnancy is a rare yet extremely perilous situation. Timely ultrasound-based diagnosis is crucial as it can enable conservative management with Methotrexate. Delayed diagnosis can lead to uterine rupture with consecutive surgery based on a transection of the pregnancy and cornual uterine resection.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers and represents a major global health burden. While genetics are implicated in a portion of CRC patients, most cases are sporadic. A new possibility of tumor initiation and promotion might be microbiome composition. It was recently shown that bacteria from the gut microbiome might be used as biomarkers for CRC detection, especially Fusobacterium nucleatum, Peptostreoptococcus stomatis, Parvimonas mica, Solobacterium moorei, and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius. Conversely, the healthy gut microbiome is mostly colonized by Bacterioides (Bacterioides fragilis, vulgatus, uniformis), Firmicutes (Clostridium spp., Ruminococcus faecis, Enterococcus faecium), and Actinobacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum). Some strains of gut bacteria favor tumor promotion through DNA and RNA damage (directly or through interaction with other known food carcinogens) and through local immune inhibition. It is possible that bacteria (e.g., Bacillus polyfermenticus, Alistipes shahii, Lactobacillus casei) exist with protective functions against tumor promotion. Despite current advances in colorectal cancer treatment, especially in the medical oncology and radiotherapy domains, surgery remains the mainstay of curative treatment for colorectal cancer patients, even in the oligometastatic setting. Surgical complications like anastomotic leakage, excessive blood loss, abscess, and abdominal sepsis can reduce 1-year and 5-year overall survival and increase the recurrence rates for these patients; therefore, we reviewed currently published data focusing on the relationship between gut microbiota and postoperative complications for colorectal cancer patients.

Skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) represents a major public health concern due to its high incidence and potential for local invasion and metastasis. Compared to local recurrence, metastatic SCC represents an even greater therapeutic challenge. Once distant metastasis occurs, the disease becomes incurable, and treatment focuses on palliation and prolonging survival. The immune microenvironment of SCC is characterized by an infiltration of immune cells, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. In addition to its direct cytotoxic effects, radiotherapy also induces immunomodulatory effects within the tumor microenvironment. Radiation can promote the release of tumor-associated antigens and induce immunogenic cell death, thereby enhancing the recognition of tumor cells by the immune system. Immunotherapy and radiotherapy have emerged as promising therapeutic modalities for metastatic SCC. This literature review aims to evaluate the potential synergy between these treatments and shed light on their combined efficacy. Within the manuscript, we present a compelling case report of a patient with advanced SCC who exhibited resistance to the combined regimen of immunotherapy and radiotherapy, leading to disease progression. Despite the increasing evidence supporting the synergy between these modalities, this case underscores the complex nature of treatment response and the importance of considering individual patient characteristics.

Background and Objectives: Our study aimed to radiologically assess the morphology of the proximal femur in patients with avascular necrosis (AVN). We considered that the correct evalu-ation of the proximal femur morphology is essential and shows multiple clinical applications that can impact patient recovery and outcome. Materials and Methods: Our study included 177 pa-tients (85 male and 92 female) with AVN regardless of the degree. The patients were assessed by bilateral hip X-ray in the supine position. We selected the most common radiographic parame-ters to evaluate for all patients: cortical thickness index (CTI), canal flare index (CFI), cal-car-to-canal ratio (CCR), and morphological cortical index (MCI). Results: Average values for the parameters were: CTI = 0.5192 ± 0.07528, CFI= 3.5515 ± 0.5071, CCR = 0.4469 ± 0.05363 and MCI = 2.7572 ± 0.07704. We found no statistically significant differences between genders, except for CFI (p = 0.0325). Conclusions: The anatomical configuration of the proximal femur can play a major role in the process of planning the appropriate implant for total hip arthroplasty, as well as in the proper positioning of the implant during the surgical procedure. A thorough knowledge of the proximal femur morphology can be of great use to the orthopedic surgeon and may help de-crease perioperative complications.

We describe an uncommon clinical presentation of caudal duplication syndrome and features of caudal regression syndrome in a female infant with complex urogenital and colorectal duplication associated with lipomyleomeningocele and left lower limb hypoplasia. A staged surgical treatment plan was carried out to maintain fecal and urine continence, potential fertility, and cosmetic appearance.

(1) Background: Melanoma is one of the most aggressive types of neoplasia, and the management of this pathology requires a correct staging, as well as a personalized modern oncological treatment. The main objective of the study is to determine the variability of the lymphatic drainage for patients with melanomas located on the trunk and, secondarily, to determine the features of individuals who underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) depending on the exact location on the trunk. (2) Methods: This retrospective, observational, single-center study included 62 cases of trunk melanoma operated between July 2019 and March 2023, in which SLNB was performed and a total of 84 lymph nodes were excised. (3) Results: Patients had a median age of 54.5 (33–78) years, with 58.1% being male; the melanomas had a median Breslow index of 2.3 (0.5–12.5) mm. Approximately 64.3% of the cohort had melanoma on the upper part of the trunk (54 cases) and 35.7% had it on the lower part (30 cases). The type of anesthesia chosen was general anesthesia in 53 cases and spinal anesthesia in 9 cases (85.5% vs. 14.5%, p < 0.001). The number of sentinel lymph nodes excised was 54 for melanomas located on the upper part of the trunk (8 cervical and 46 axillary) and 30 sentinel lymph nodes for melanomas of the lower part of the trunk (16 at the axillary level and 14 at the inguinal level). Out of the 54 LNs identified in patients with melanoma on the upper part of the trunk, 13 were positive, with a total of 12 positive lymph nodes (LNs) from the axillar basin, and only one from the cervical region. Additionally, the incidence of patients with a minimum of two identified sentinel lymph nodes was 32.2%, with a total of seven having LN involvement in two basins, and only one of these cases showed positivity for malignancy. (4) Conclusions: SLNBs were more frequent in the axillary region overall, and had more positive SLNs. Moreover, melanoma on the upper part of the trunk had a higher rate of positive SLNs compared to the lower part. Tumors located on the lower part of the truck had more positive SLNs in the axillary region than in the inguinal one.

Adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous carcinoma (AS) are 2 rare histological types of cervix uteri cancer constituting almost 20% of all cervix cancers, leading to a lack in patient management guidelines. We report the case of a 32-year-old woman with an oligometastatic cervix AS for which a multimodal treatment approach was used. Despite the patient’s bad prognosis, a complete response was achieved, which further resulted in excellent local control and prolonged survival. This case report serves the purpose of encouraging multidisciplinary team work and out-of-the-box thinking that should result in an individualized treatment for rare cancer subtypes.

The host's immune response is very important in slowing the progression of the disease in solid cancers. It has a quantitative and a qualitative component, both with an important prognostic role. The aim of this study was to evaluate hematological or biochemical parameters in patients with colorectal cancer in relation to the risk of recurrence. 222 cases of CC and 127 cases of CR (stages I-III accordîng to the AJCC classification edition VIII) were selected and followed for 24 months or until the onset of early recurrence. The patients were hospitalized and undergone surgery in the Dr. I. Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital between 01.01.2015 and 31.12.2017. Following the statistical analysis of the hematological parameters collected preoperatively, a statistically significant association between the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and the modified Glasgow score in relation to early recurrence was revealed.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of clinical prognostic factors and propose a prognostic score that aids the clinician’s decision in estimating the risk for patients in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: The study included 195 patients diagnosed with ovarian adenocarcinoma. The therapeutic strategy involved multidisciplinary decisions: surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (80%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery (16.4%), and only chemotherapy in selected cases (3.6%). Results: After a median follow-up of 68 months, in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 1 and 2 vs. 0 (hazard ratio—HR = 2.71, 95% confidence interval—CI, 1.96–3.73, p < 0.001 for PFS and HR = 3.19, 95%CI, 2.20–4.64, p < 0.001 for OS), menopausal vs. premenopausal status (HR = 2.02, 95%CI, 1.35–3,0 p < 0.001 and HR = 2.25, 95%CI = 1.41–3.59, p < 0.001), ascites (HR = 1.95, 95%CI 1.35–2.80, p = 0.03, HR = 2.31, 95%CI = 1.52–3.5, p < 0.007), residual disease (HR = 5.12, 95%CI 3.43–7.65, p < 0.0001 and HR = 4.07, 95%CI = 2.59–6.39, p < 0.0001), and thrombocytosis (HR = 2.48 95%CI = 1.72–3.58, p < 0.0001, HR = 3.33, 95%CI = 2.16–5.13, p < 0.0001) were associated with a poor prognosis. An original prognostic score including these characteristics was validated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (area under the curve—AUC = 0.799 for PFS and AUC = 0.726 for OS, p < 0.001). The median PFS for patients with none, one, two, three, or four (or more) prognostic factors was not reached, 70, 36, 20, and 12 months, respectively. The corresponding median overall survival (OS) was not reached, 108, 77, 60, and 34 months, respectively. Conclusions: Several negative prognostic factors were identified: ECOG performance status ≥ 1, the presence of ascites and residual disease after surgery, thrombocytosis, and menopausal status. These led to the development of an original prognostic score that can be helpful in clinical practice.

Background and Objectives: For some years, psychiatric illness has been a major factor in evaluating the results of total knee arthroplasty. As with other patient-related items, patients diagnosed with mental illness have higher costs of medical treatment, longer recovery, and longer hospital stays. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the role of mental diseases on the surgical outcome compared with the normal population. Materials and Methods: At our hospital, we undertook a retrospective study between June 2020 and January 2022. The experimental group consisted of patients with mental diseases including schizophrenia, bipolar disease, depression, substance uses, or other psychiatric disorders. The control group consisted of patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty and did not have a mental disease. Postoperative complications and length of stay were also recorded during the study. We used the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Knee Society Score (KSS) as outcome measures. Results: Between June 2020 and January 2022, a total of 634 patients underwent total knee arthroplasty in our clinic, of which 239 had a mental disease. The majority of patients were female (61%), and the average length of stay was significantly longer for patients with mental illness (6.8 vs. 2.8 days). Preoperative WOMAC and KS function scores demonstrated statistically significant differences between groups (67.83 ± 17.8 vs. 62.75 ± 15.7 and 29.31 ± 19.8 vs. 34.98 ± 21.3). KS knee score did not show any significant differences preoperatively. All postoperative functional scores showed significantly better results for the control group compared to the mental illness group. Conclusions: Mental illness appears to be linked with lower TKA scores before and after the surgical procedure.

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a technically and physically demanding procedure for surgeons and there is still a lack of consensus regarding the best technical approach in such cases. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate port placement, the dominant hand of the surgeon, preoperative imaging, morbidity, and mortality. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for studies of patients with SIT that underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Of 387 identified records, 101 met our inclusion criteria, all of them case reports or case series of maximum of 6 patients. Results: Out of the 121 patients included in the analysis, 94 were operated on using a “mirrored American” technique, 12 using the “Mirrored French”, 9 employed single-port techniques, and 6 described novel port placements. Even though most surgeries were conducted by a right-handed surgeon (93 cases), surgeries performed by the seven left-handed surgeons yielded shorter intervention times (p = 0.024). Preoperative imaging (CT, MRI, MRCP, ERCP) also correlated with a lower duration of surgery (p = 0.038. Length of stay was associated with the type of disease, but not with other studied endpoints. Morbidity was less than 1%, and conversion rates and mortality were nil. Conclusions: Cholecystectomy in SIT is a safe but challenging procedure and surgeons should prepare in advance for the unfamiliar aspects of completing such a task. While preoperative imaging and a left-handed surgeon are beneficial in terms of surgery length, when these are not available surgeons should focus on achieving the most comfortable setting based on their experience and tailor their approach to the patient at hand. Further studies are needed in order to properly describe and evaluate intraoperative findings as well as surgeon-dependent factors that could improve future recommendations.