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The discovery of a low grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) during appendectomy is a rare scenario. These neoplasms can progress to pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), however the incidence of progression is not well known.The records of all patients with a diagnosis of localized LAMN found during appendectomy were identified, and demographic, tumor, surveillance, and outcome variables were analyzed.Progression to PMP occurred in 20% of patients in an average of 12.4 months after appendectomy with median follow-up of 18 months. Tumor variables such as margin positivity, appendiceal perforation, and presence of extra-appendiceal acellular mucin or mucinous epithelium on the serosal were not significantly associated with progression.During an average follow-up period of 18 months after surgery, progression to PMP occurred in a fifth of patients. It is difficult to predict which patients will progress, therefore cross-sectional imaging surveillance is recommended for all patients.

BackgroundDeregulated phosphorylation of sphingosine by the sphingosine kinases and signaling through the EDG family of receptors enhances growth and survival in many cell types. Therefore, we sought to elucidate the effect of alterations in the ceramide/sphingosine/S1P rheostat on driving human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma towards a malignant phenotype.MethodsPancreatic cancer cell lines were treated with exogenous S1P, FTY720, and siRNA to Sphk1. Migration was evaluated by wound healing assays, cell growth by MTT assays, and invasion by tumorsphere assays. Expression of S1PR1, S1PR3, Sphk1, and Sphk2 were measured by quantitative PCR, western blot, and immunohistochemistry.ResultsS1PR1, S1PR3, and Sphk2 were overexpressed in all pancreatic cancer cell lines. Sphk1 translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in cells located at the leading edge of cell clusters. Exogenous S1P increased cell migration while treatment with FTY720 and Sphk1 siRNA decreased cell growth and invasion.ConclusionsOur results suggest that increased S1PR1 expression may be an early event in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. Additionally, altered Sphk1 localization may provide a mechanism through which pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells at the leading edge invade into the surrounding matrix. Finally, inhibition of sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling may provide a novel therapeutic target for patients with metastatic disease.

Pancreatic surgery outcomes are associated with surgeon and center experience. Anesthesiologists as potential value drivers for pancreatic surgery have not been explored. We sought to evaluate whether anesthesiologists impact perioperative costs for pancreatic surgery.Within an integrated health care system, 796 pancreatic surgeries (526 PDs and 270 DPs) were performed from January 2014 to June 2017. Mean direct operative and anesthesia costs driven by anesthesiologists (operating room (OR) time, anesthesia billing and anesthesia procedures) were determined for each case. The volumes of pancreatic cases per anesthesiologist were calculated, and those above the 75th percentile for volume (4 cases) were considered high-volume. A multivariable analysis of OR/anesthesia costs was performed.Mean OR and anesthesia costs for PD were $7064 for low-volume anesthesiologists (LVA), higher than $5968 for high-volume anesthesiologists (HVA) (p0.001). By multivariable analysis, HVA were associated with decreased costs of $2278 (p0.001). Teams of HVA and high-volume surgeons (HVS) were also associated with decreased mean costs of $1790 (p = 0.04).These data suggest that anesthesiologists experienced in the management of complex pancreatic operations such as PDs may contribute to improved efficiencies in care by reducing perioperative costs.

An initiative was established to improve value-based care for pancreatic surgery in a large nonprofit health system. Cost data were presented bimonthly to a hepatobiliary clinical performance group via videoconference.The direct costs were calculated for all patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy (DP) and pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) between January 2014 and July 2017. Median length of stay, 30-day and 90-day mortality rates, readmission rate, and costs were stratified by surgeon volume using 2 published criteria: "volume pledge" criteria (≥5 PDs/year) and Leapfrog criteria (≥11 PDs/year).There were 270 DPs and 526 PDs performed in 14 hospitals spanning 4 states. Median PD costs were lower for high-volume surgeons (≥5 PDs/year), $21,026 vs $24,706 (p = 0.005). High-volume surgeons had a shorter length of stay (9 days vs 11 days; p0.001) for PD and DP (6 days vs 7 days; p = 0.001). Increased costs for low-volume surgeons included operative/anesthesia costs ($7,321 vs $6,325; p = 0.03), room and board ($5,828 vs $4,580; p = 0.01), and intensive care costs ($4,464 vs $3,113; p = 0.04). Operating time was increased for high-volume surgeons for DP and PD (p0.001). There was no difference in 30-day or 90-day mortality rates or readmissions for DP or PD when stratified by volume pledge criteria. There was no difference in total costs for DP or PD when stratified by Leapfrog criteria.There was a significant cost reduction for PD but not DP when the threshold of 5 PDs was used as a definition of high volume. The sharing of detailed financial data with HPB surgeons on a regular basis provides an opportunity to evaluate practice patterns and thereby reduce direct costs.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the abdomen are rare tumors with an incidence of 3.56 per 100,000 in the general population. Obesity is a growing public health problem with varying effects on severity of other disease. We investigated the association between obesity and inpatient morbidity/mortality in patients with abdominal neuroendocrine tumors utilizing the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS).We analyzed data from the NIS database to investigate the association between obesity and abdominal NETs using patient information from 22,096 patient-discharges from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010.We demonstrate that obesity is strongly associated with decreased rates of inpatient mortality in patients with NET (OR = 0.6, multivariate P = 0.02) and that malnutrition is associated with nearly 5-fold higher odds of inpatient mortality (multivariate P0.0005). We did not find a statistical interaction between obesity and malnutrition; however, patients who were both malnourished and obese had a lower association with mortality risk than purely malnourished patients.Our data suggests that nutritional status may be an important factor in inpatient mortality in patients with NETs with obesity being protective.

Colon and pancreatic cancer are associated with significant thrombophilia. Colon and pancreas tumor cells have an increase in hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) activity, the endogenous enzyme responsible for carbon monoxide production. Given that carbon monoxide enhances plasmatic coagulation, we determined if patients undergoing resection of colon and pancreatic tumors had an increase in endogenous carbon monoxide and plasmatic hypercoagulability. Patients with colon (n = 17) and pancreatic (n = 10) tumors were studied. Carbon monoxide was determined by the measurement of carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). A thrombelastographic method to assess plasma coagulation kinetics and formation of carboxyhemefibrinogen (COHF) was utilized. Nonsmoking patients with colon and pancreatic tumors had abnormally increased COHb concentrations of 1.4 ± 0.9 and 1.9 ± 0.7%, respectively, indicative of HO-1 upregulation. Coagulation analyses comparing both tumor groups demonstrated no significant differences in any parameter; thus the data were combined for the tumor groups for comparison with 95% confidence interval values obtained from normal individuals (n = 30) plasma. Seventy percent of tumor patients had a velocity of clot formation greater than the 95% confidence interval value of normal individuals, with 53% of this hypercoagulable group also having COHF formation. Further, 67% of tumor patients had clot strength that exceeded the normal 95% confidence interval value, and 56% of this subgroup had COHF formation. Finally, 63% of all tumor patients had COHF formation. Future investigation of HO-1-derived carbon monoxide in the pathogenesis of colon and pancreatic tumor-related thrombophilia is warranted.

Gallstone disease is the most common cause of acute pancreatitis in the Western world. In most cases, gallstone pancreatitis is a mild and self-limiting disease, and patients may proceed without complications to cholecystectomy to prevent future recurrence. Severe disease occurs in about 20% of cases and is associated with significant mortality; meticulous management is critical. A thorough understanding of the disease process, diagnosis, severity stratification, and principles of management is essential to the appropriate care of patients presenting with this disease. This article reviews these topics with a focus on surgical management, including appropriate timing and choice of interventions.

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of epidural analgesia use on postoperative complications in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy. Methods This retrospective cohort study used the 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy were grouped on the basis of whether they received epidural analgesia. The effect of epidural use on the composite end point of major complications including death was investigated using a generalized linear model. Results Overall, 8,610 cases of pancreaticoduodenectomy occurred within the United States in 2009, and 11.0% of these patients received epidural analgesia. After controlling for various potential confounders, results of the multivariate regression indicated that epidural analgesia use was associated with lower odds of composite complications including death (odds ratio, .61; 95% confidence interval, .37–.99; P = .044). Conclusions In patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy, epidural analgesia was associated with significantly lower postoperative composite complications.

We investigate in this study the approach of small bowel delineation that would best correlate with acute lower GI toxicity during adjuvant intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for endometrial cancer in this study. Thirty-two endometrial cancer patients (FIGO IB-IVA) were treated with postoperative pelvic IMRT to 48.2 ± 3.1 Gy. The small bowel was delineated as separate loops, limited bowel space (BS), or an intestinal cavity (IC). The volume of the small bowel (VSB) in absolute volume or as the percentage of the total volume at various dose levels was obtained from the dose volume histograms (DVHs). Each patient's acute lower gastro-intestinal (GI) toxicity was assessed prospectively during the course of IMRT. After a median follow up of 19.6 months, the median survival, loco-regional control, progression-free-survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were 40.9 months, 81.2%, 62.5%, and 68.8%, respectively. Acute lower GI toxicity observed were of grade 0, 1, and 2 only: 34.4%, 31.2%, and 34.4%, respectively. The difference in %VSB with the small bowel delineated as IC at 45 Gy (%VSBIC45) between grade 2 and grade 0 acute lower GI toxicity reached statistical significance upon linear regression analysis ( p = 0.0347). Thus, the proportion of small bowel contoured as IC in the high dose region can potentially be an important predictor for acute lower GI toxicity during and after postoperative pelvic IMRT.

To investigate the ability of helical tomotherapy (HT) to spare critical organs immediately adjacent to the tumor target in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for centrally located lung lesions.HT SBRT plans for 10 patients with centrally located lesions or lesions immediately adjacent to a critical structure were generated. A total of 70 Gy in 10 fractions was prescribed to the planning target volume (PTV) to satisfy a target volume coverage of ≥95% PTV receiving 70 Gy and an established set of dose constraints for the organs at risk (OARs). Quality assurance (QA) of the HT plans was performed with both ion chamber and film measurements.The PTV coverage criteria was met with 95% of the PTV receiving 70.68 ± 0.33 Gy for all cases even though the OARs immediately adjacent to the PTV ranged from 0.38 to 0.85 cm away. The mean lung dose (MLD), and V(20) were 7.15 ± 1.44 Gy, and 11.93 ± 3.24 % for the total lung, respectively. The dose parameters of MLD, V(5), V(10), and V(20) for the contralateral lung were significantly lower than those for the ipsilateral lung (p0.05). An average dose fall off from the PTV periphery to the edge of the immediately adjacent OAR was 47.6% over an average distance of 4.87 mm. Comparison of calculated and measured doses with the ion chamber showed an average of 1.85% point dose error, whereas an average mean gamma and the area with a gamma larger than 1 of 0.20 and 0.94% were observed, respectively.HT allows the sparing of critical structures immediately adjacent to the tumor target, thus making SBRT for these centrally located lesions feasible.

// Daruka Mahadevan 1 , Noah Theiss 2 , Carla Morales 1 , Amy E. Stejskal 2 , Laurence S. Cooke 1 , Min Zhu 2 , Drew Kurtzman 2 , Rachel Swart 2 , Evan Ong 2 and Wenqing Qi 1 1 West Cancer Center/University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), Memphis, TN 2 University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ Correspondence: Daruka Mahadevan, email: // Keywords : GIST, c-Kit, HER-1, imatinib, amuvatinib, erlotinib Received : October 23, 2014 Accepted : December 09, 2014 Published : December 10, 2014 Abstract Background: c-Kit/α-PDGFR targeted therapies are effective for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), but, >50% develop drug resistance. Methods: RTK expression (c-Kit, c-Met, AXL, HER-1, HER-2, IGF-1R) in pre-/post-imatinib (IM) GIST patient samples (n=16) and 4 GIST cell lines were examined for RTK inhibitor activity. GIST-882 cells were cultured in IM every other day, cells collected (1 week to 6 months) and analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Results: Immunohistochemistry pre-/post-IM demonstrated continued expression of c-Kit and HER1, while a subset expressed IGF-1R, c-Met and AXL. In GIST cells (GIST-882, GIST430/654, GIST48) c-Kit, HER1 and c-Met are co-expressed. Acute IM over-express c-Kit while chronic IM, lose c-Kit and HER-1 in GIST882 cells. GIST882 and GIST430/654 cells have an IC 50 0.077 and 0.59 µM to IM respectively. GIST48 have an IC 50 0.66 µM to IM, 0.91 µM to amuvatinib [AMU] and 0.67 µM to erlotinib (Erl). Synergistic combinations: GIST882, AMU + Erl (CI 0.20); IM + AMU (CI 0.50), GIST430/654, IM + afatinib (CI 0.39); IM + AMU (CI 0.42), GIST48, IM + afatinib (CI 0.03); IM + AMU (CI 0.04); AMU + afatinib (CI 0.36); IM + Erl (CI 0.63). Conclusion: Targeting c-Kit plus HER1 or AXL/c-Met abrogates IM resistance in GIST.

We addressed the in vivo role of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-γ (PI3K-γ) in signaling the sequestration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) in lungs and in the mechanism of inflammatory lung vascular injury. We studied mice with deletion of the p110 catalytic subunit of PI3K-γ (PI3K-γ−/−mice). We measured lung tissue PMN sequestration, microvascular permeability, and edema formation after bacteremia induced by intraperitoneal Escherichia coli challenge. PMN infiltration into the lung interstitium in PI3K-γ−/−mice as assessed morphometrically was increased 100% over that in control mice within 1 h after bacterial challenge. PI3K-γ−/−mice also developed a greater increase in lung microvascular permeability after E. coli challenge, resulting in edema formation. The augmented lung tissue PMN sequestration in PI3K-γ−/−mice was associated with increased expression of the PMN adhesive proteins CD47 and β3-integrins. We observed increased association of CD47 and β3-integrins with the extracellular matrix protein vitronectin in lungs of PI3K-γ−/−mice after E. coli challenge. PMNs from these mice also showed increased β3-integrin expression and augmented β3-integrin-dependent PMN adhesion to vitronectin. These results point to a key role of PMN PI3K-γ in negatively regulating CD47 and β3-integrin expression in gram-negative sepsis. PI3K-γ activation in PMNs induced by E. coli may modulate the extent of lung tissue PMN sequestration secondary to CD47 and β3-integrin expression. Therefore, the level of PI3K-γ activation may be an important determinant of PMN-dependent lung vascular injury.

Emergency technical procedures performed by medical students have decreased in the last decade. An Emergency Surgical Skills Laboratory (ESSL) using a non-preserved cadaver was developed in response to address this deficiency. A total of 232 students rotating through a 6-week surgery clerkship participated in the ESSL from 1 July 2008 to 1 July 2011. Two four-hour sessions using case-based trauma scenarios in the ESSL served as a model for procedural instruction. Skills taught included basic suturing, intubation, cricothyrotomy, chest tube placement, thoracentesis, venous access, central line, and radial arterial line placement. Students noted that technical proficiency in suturing was obtained during the ESSL sessions in comparison to the emergency department or operating room (p

Iatrogenic bile duct injury is a serious complication of cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to assess predictors of bile duct injury using a national database.The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2010-2012) was queried for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We used a) diagnoses for bile duct injury and b) bile duct injury repair procedure codes as a surrogate marker for bile duct injuries.A total of 1,015 patients had bile duct injury. The mean age was 58.2 ± 19.7 years, 53.5 % were males, and median Charlson co-morbidity score was 2 [2, 3]. Multivariate analysis revealed morbid obesity [2.8 (2.1-4.3); p = 0.03] and age65 [1.5 (1.05-2.1); p = 0.01] as the independent predictors for bile duct injury in patients undergoing cholecystectomy.Our study finds a new association between obesity, aging, and bile duct injuries which has never been reported in literature before.

Single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy may pose significant risks that warrant operative caution. The authors suggest that single incision laparoscopic surgery be compared to the “gold-standard” laparoscopic procedure to further elucidate benefits and complications of this novel technique., Background and Objectives: Many laparoscopic surgeons are now transitioning from standard multiple-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy to single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) in an attempt to improve cosmetic outcomes and decrease postoperative morbidity. However, little has been published regarding the potential complications of SILS operations. Methods: We report the case of a patient undergoing SILS cholecystectomy who developed the complication of a large hepatic hematoma, resulting in significant postoperative morbidity, blood transfusion requirement, and reoperation. Results: After an in-depth internal review of the postoperative morbidity of this case, it appears that the causative factor may be instrument shaft torque on the liver surface. Conclusion: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery may pose significant and unique risks that warrant additional operative caution. Quantitative comparison of SILS to the gold-standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy is needed to further elucidate definitive benefits and complications of this novel technique.

Although cancer-mediated changes in hemostatic proteins unquestionably promote hypercoagulation, the effects of neoplasia on fibrinolysis in the circulation are less well defined. The goals of the present investigation were to determine if plasma obtained from patients with breast, lung, pancreas and colon cancer was less or more susceptible to lysis by tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) compared to plasma obtained from normal individuals. Archived plasma obtained from patients with breast (n = 18), colon/pancreas (n = 27) or lung (n = 19) was compared to normal individual plasma (n = 30) using a thrombelastographic assay that assessed fibrinolytic vulnerability to exogenously added tPA. Plasma samples were activated with tissue factor/celite, had tPA added, and had data collected until clot lysis occurred. Additional, similar samples had potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor added to assess the role played by thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor in cancer-modulated fibrinolysis. Rather than inflicting a hypofibrinolytic state, the three groups of cancers demonstrated increased vulnerability to tPA (e.g. decreased time to lysis, increased speed of lysis, decreased clot lysis time). However, hypercoagulation manifested as increased speed of clot formation and strength compensated for enhanced fibrinolytic vulnerability, resulting in a clot residence time that was not different from normal individual thrombi. In sum, enhanced hypercoagulability associated with cancer was in part diminished by enhanced fibrinolytic vulnerability to tPA.

Recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in pediatric renal allografts is associated with a poor graft survival. This study reports on plasmapheresis for the treatment of recurrent FSGS in pediatric renal transplant recipients. The records of 100 consecutive pediatric (age21 years) renal transplants were reviewed. Twenty patients had FSGS as the cause of renal failure. Eight of these (40%) had a recurrence (proteinuria1 g/m2 per day) within 1 month of transplantation. Five of six patients treated with plasmapheresis went into remission (0.2 g/m2 per day), receiving a total of 42+/-26 (12-73) sessions, with the mean number of sessions required to achieve a remission being 24+/-17 (8-51). One patient had a second recurrence 1 year following cessation of plasmapheresis and responded to another course of plasmapheresis. The 1 patient who did not respond to plasmapheresis had a delay in initiation of therapy of 42 days. Plasmapheresis initiated within 48 h of recurrence resulted in earlier remissions and improved graft survival among our patients. Plasmapheresis appears to be effective in treating recurrent FSGS following kidney transplantation and should be started as soon as possible. The number of plasmapheresis sessions used to achieve remission should be adjusted according to response rather than adhering to a fixed protocol.

A single-incision laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy appears to be an appropriate method to manage gastrointestinal stromal tumors given the nature and location of their lesions., Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare mesenchymal tumors that are located specifically in the gastrointestinal tract, with up to 60% of occurrences in the stomach, 30% in the small intestine, and 10% in the esophagus, colon, and rectum. The annual incidence of GISTs is about 15 cases per million, which in the United States equals 5000 cases per year. In most cases, these tumors are asymptomatic and are found incidentally on computed tomography scan or by endoscopy. Preoperative evaluation is based on location, size, and anatomic features and helps to confirm the diagnosis of the GIST and assess outcomes. Surgical intervention is the gold standard for treatment of nonmetastatic GISTs. Case Presentation: We report the case of an 80-year-old man with a gastric mass on the posterior surface of the greater curvature of the stomach at the junction of the gastric antrum and the pylorus, found incidentally on a computed tomography scan. The patient underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy and a single-incision laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. After histologic evaluation, the resected lesion was determined to be a gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Conclusion: A single-incision laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for the resection of GISTs is a feasible and appropriate method if the lesion is a safe distance from the pylorus and the gastroesophageal junction for gross negative margins to be obtained. Its advantages include decreased pain and a shorter hospital stay compared with other methods.

Pancreatic pseudocysts are generally treated by endoscopic cystogastrostomy. However, difficult cases involving abscess, necrosis, or risk of hemorrhage often require surgical intervention. Here, we report a case of a robotically assisted cystogastrostomy. The patient presented with an infected pseudocyst with adjacent varices. Use of the da Vinci Surgical System allowed us to create a widely patent anastomosis between the pseudocyst and the stomach. The patient tolerated the procedure well without any complications. This report demonstrates the feasibility of robotic cystogastrostomy.

Background Guided case-based instruction is an effective and efficient means of learning for third year medical students on the surgery clerkship. Compared with an unguided format for teaching biliary disease, we observed greater student satisfaction as well as a more efficient utilization of student as well as faculty time with the guided instruction. Objective While case-based instruction (CBI) has become an extremely popular teaching modality during the first 2 years of medical school, there has been little published regarding its utilization during the clinical years of medical school. The purpose of our study was to compare guided CBI (G-CBI) to unguided CBI (UG-CBI) during the surgery clerkship. Design From July 2007 to July 2008, we utilized a UG-CBI format to teach biliary disease, formerly taught by a standard lecture. The unguided style is used by our institution for the first 2 years of medical school education, where the role of the facilitator is minimal. From July 2008 to December 2010, we changed to a G-CBI format where 5 different clinical scenarios were presented that all dealt with some form of biliary disease. A Likert-like scale was used to analyze student opinion comparing guided to the traditional unguided format. Questions regarding biliary disease contained in the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) shelf examination, given to all students at the end of the rotation, were also compared between the 2 groups. Cohen's d statistic was used to assess effect size. Setting The study took place at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Participants There were 88 students in the UG-CBI group and 146 in the G-CBI group. Results Ninety-six percent of the students preferred G-CBI over the unguided format utilized during the basic science years. Eighty-two percent felt that the guided format sessions were a more efficient method of instruction and 91% of students agreed or strongly agreed that time was more efficiently utilized in preparing for the case discussion during the guided format. Shelf examination scores analyzing biliary disease questions (2-4 per examination) showed a moderate size effect favoring the G-CBI, although the numbers were too small to draw definite conclusions in this regard. Conclusions G-CBI is more suited for the surgery clerkship than the UG-CBI utilized during the first 2 years of medical school. Lack of a clinical knowledge base among the students rotating on the surgery clerkship as well as time limitations for both the student and clinical faculty favor this more efficient means of learning.

The determination of a cancer free margin I organ is a difficult and time consuming process, with an unmet need for rapid determination of tumor margin at surgery. In this paper, we report the design, fabrication, and testing of a novel miniaturized optical sensor probe with “side-viewing” capability. Its unprecedented small size, unique “side-viewing” capability, and high optical transmission efficiency enable the agile maneuvering and efficient data collection even in the narrow cavities inside the human body. The sensor probe consists of four micromachined substrates with optical fibers for oblique light incidence and collection of spatially resolved diffuse reflectance from the contacted tissues. The optical sensor probe has been used to conduct the oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (OIDRS) on a human pancreatic specimen. Based on the measurement results, the margin of the malignant tumor has been successfully determined optically, which matches well with the histological results.

Minority groups with colorectal cancer have not experienced the decline in incidence and mortality that has been reported in whites. We sought to determine whether differences exist in treatment and survival between white and Native American patients with colorectal cancer because little has been written about this specific minority group.The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database for colorectal cancer was used to compare treatment and survival in whites (colon, n = 137,949; rectum, n = 46,843) and Native Americans (colon, n = 872; rectum, n = 316). Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare cancer-specific survival in Native Americans with whites, adjusted for stage, sex, age and year of diagnosis, socioeconomic status, and treatment.Native Americans presented at younger ages than whites for both colon and rectal cancer (p0.001). They were diagnosed at more advanced stages of disease than whites for only colon cancer. No significant differences were detected in the proportion of patients recommended for surgery between the two groups, for either cancer at any stage (all p0.05). Native Americans with rectal cancer were more likely to receive radiation than whites (p0.001), but they received less sphincter-preserving surgery (60.0% vs 65.4%; p = 0.045). Native Americans with colon cancer fared significantly worse than whites (hazard ratio = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.34), but there is no difference in cancer-free survival between races for rectal cancer.Compared with whites, Native Americans with colon cancer have worse cancer-specific survival.

The Department of Surgery at the University of Arizona has created an intensive laparoscopic training course for surgical residents featuring a combined simulation laboratory and live swine model. We herein report the essential components to design and implement a rigorous training course for developing laparoscopic skills in surgical residents. At our institution, we developed a week-long pilot intensive laparoscopic training course. Six surgical residents (ranging from interns to chief residents) participate in the structured, multimodality course, without any clinical responsibilities. It consists of didactic instruction, laboratory training, practice in the simulation laboratory, and performance (under the direction of attending laparoscopic surgeons) of surgical procedures on pigs. The pigs are anesthetized and attended by veterinarians and technicians, and then euthanized at the end of each day. Three teams of two different training-level residents are paired. Daily briefing, debriefing, and analysis are performed at the close of each session. A written paper survey is completed at the end of the course. This report describes the results of first 36 surgical residents trained in six courses. Preliminary data reveal that all 36 now feel more comfortable handling laparoscopic instruments and positioning trocars; they now perform laparoscopic surgery with greater confidence and favor having the course as part of their educational curriculum. A multimodality intensive laparoscopic training course should become a standard requirement for surgical residents, enabling them to acquire basic and advanced laparoscopic skills on a routine basis.

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (HAP) is an uncommon but life-threatening complication of liver transplantation (LTx). It is often associated with a local infection. Prompt diagnosis and intervention are necessary. We report the first occurrence of such complication in the setting of adult living donor liver transplant. A 48-year-old female with primary sclerosing cholangitis underwent living donor right lobe LTx. Her postoperative course was uneventful. A month later, she developed massive gastrointestinal bleeding, with negative endoscopy and angiography. She rebled 2 weeks later, and an HAP was shown on angiography. On exploration, she was found to have an HAP caused by bile leakage from an accessory bile duct and a dissection of the native artery, likely a result of the angiography. The liver was revascularized using a cadaveric iliac artery conduit between the donor hepatic artery and the aorta, and the hepaticojejunostomy was reconstructed. Biliary complications are the most frequent complications in living donor LTx. A clinically silent bile leak can cause an HAP, resulting in massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Surgical repair and biliary reconstruction can yield an excellent clinical result.

RESULTS: Alpha cell lines were converted into insulin expressing cells when they were treated with a GLP-1 agonist exendin-4, or if they were transfected with an adenovirus expressing pdx1 and mafA. Further analysis show an increased expression of proliferation markers, but none of the mature beta cell markers were present. Alpha TC cells, when influenced by AAV, forced expression of transcription factors pdx-1 and mafA, demonstrating a robust expression of insulin and markers of mature beta cells.

Acute pancreatitis is often complicated by multiorgan dysfunction, which is postulated to occur in part by macrophage infiltration into the pancreas. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid, is the principal biologic component of fish oil and has clinically and experimentally been demonstrated to be anti-inflammatory. We hypothesized that dietary EPA supplementation before the induction of pancreatitis would attenuate both M-mediated local pancreatic and systemic pulmonary inflammatory response in an in vivo model of acute edematous pancreatitis (AEP).Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were pretreated 2 times per day with oral gavage with EPA (omega-3 fatty acid; 5 mg/kg/dose) or omega-6 fatty acid control (5 mg/kg/dose) or saline (equal volume) for 2 weeks. AEP was induced in omega-3, omega-6, and saline pretreated rats by 5 hourly subcutaneous (SC) injections of cerulein. Pancreas, lung, and serum were harvested 3 hours after the last cerulein injection. Severity of pancreatitis was confirmed by serum amylase and by histopathologic score. Pancreatic macrophage infiltration was assessed by confocal fluorescent microscopy, and pulmonary leukocyte respiratory burst (LRB) analysis was performed on mononuclear cells obtained from bronchioalveolar lavage (BAL).All animals demonstrated acute pancreatitis through hyperamylasemia and histopathologic examination. Confocal analysis demonstrated significantly lower macrophage infiltration, and BAL analysis by flow cytometry demonstrated significantly lower (p.05) LRB in the omega-3-treated group compared with the omega-6 and the saline pancreatitis group.Attenuation of both pancreatic MPhi inflammatory response and pulmonary leukocyte respiratory burst in AEP by EPA supports further investigation into the potential role for EPA dietary supplementation in the progression of pancreatitis-associated sequelae.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of our new cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemoperfusion (HIPEC) program. METHODS: Retrospective review of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies who were suitable candidates for CRS and HIPEC between 12/1/2009 and 10/1/2010. All clinicopathologic data were reviewed with a special focus on the surgical outcome and the postoperative morbidity and mortality. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were identified. Median age was 64 years; seven were female. The primary tumors were: colonic (29%), appendiceal (36%), peritoneal mesothelioma (14%), gastric (7%), adenocarcinoma of unknown primary (7%), and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (7%). Eleven patients (79%) received CRS/HIPEC, three for palliation. Three patients that did not undergo CRS/HIPEC had an average peritoneal cancer index (PCI) of 25. The eight patients that underwent curative CRS/HIPEC had an average PCI of 10 and a completeness of cytoreduction score of 0 (87.5%) or 1 (12.5%). Postoperative morbidity was 36%; the worst adverse event was Grade 3 ileus. Mortality rate was 0%. CONCLUSION: CRS with HIPEC is safe and feasible at tertiary institutions with fledgling programs. PCI is an accurate predictor of surgical outcomes.