Search

Hand hygiene and donning personal protective equipment (PPE) are essential techniques for infection control; however, low compliance is an issue. The effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) in learning infection-control procedures is unknown.To verify the effectiveness of VR, medical students were categorized into VR or lecture groups (n=21 each). Each group was given the same curricular content; one group received the training through VR learning using a fully-immersive 360-degree video and the other was conventional lecture-style learning. Before and after the training, they were evaluated for the implementation of hand hygiene and PPE using an Objective Structured Clinical Examination method. Post-test questionnaires were administered.The scores for hand hygiene, donning PPE, and the total score increased after learning in both groups. There was no difference between the pre-test total scores of the two groups (7 [5-9] vs. 6 [5-7.5], p=0.352); however, the VR group had significantly higher post-test total scores than the lecture group (12 [9.5-12] vs. 9 [8-12], p=0.024). More students in the VR group responded that they enjoyed the training and would like to use the same learning method next time.VR can be a useful tool for learning and practicing appropriate infection-control procedures.

Anastomotic leakage (AL) occurs with some frequency in all types of colorectal cancer surgery and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and recurrence rates. Complications might be prevented by monitoring intra-operative bowel perfusion at the anastomotic site. A pilot study concerning the objective and quantitative measurement of tissue perfusion by monitoring regional tissue saturation of oxygen (rSOThis study evaluated the ability of the INVOS™ system to predict AL after left-sided colorectal cancer surgery. rSOAmong 73 patients, 6 (8.2%) experienced AL. The rSOMonitoring the rSO

Midwives significantly support women with unplanned pregnancies-promoting a shared perspective on the decision-making process. This study aimed to develop a scale to support midwives self-assess their practice of this vital role. Following the derivation of scale items and pilot testing, the final version of the scale was administered to 531 midwives to establish internal consistency and construct criterion-related validity. Through exploratory factor analysis, 35 items with a five-factor structure were retained to form the midwifery practice self-assessment scale to promote shared decision-making in women with unplanned pregnancies. These factors illustrate midwives' general aptitude and competencies in understanding environmental factors, collaborating with significant others and the interprofessional group, forming rapport and problem sharing, focusing on consultation content, and promoting autonomous decision-making. There were high and low scores on the scales after attending the workshops to support the decision-making of women with unplanned pregnancies. The reliability analysis showed acceptable Cronbach's alpha values for the five factors, from .85-.87. The scale was demonstrated to be a reliable and valid measure that would help improve the quality of midwives' practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

INTRODUCTION Despite the popularity of laparoscopic surgery, it remains unclear whether residual pneumoperitoneum influences the patient's postoperative course. This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics of residual pneumoperitoneum. METHODS This retrospective study included 201 Japanese patients who had undergone elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The patients were divided into groups, with and without anastomotic failure; the non-anastomotic failure group was further divided into subgroups, with and without residual pneumoperitoneum. Patient characteristics were compared between the various groups. RESULTS The group with residual pneumoperitoneum included 57 patients (30.3%). Percutaneous drainage was required for one patient with residual pneumoperitoneum. Univariate analyses revealed that residual pneumoperitoneum was associated with low values for body mass index (BMI) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA). Furthermore, relative to the group with anastomotic failure, the group without anastomotic failure but with residual pneumoperitoneum had lower values for inflammatory markers. CONCLUSION Low BMI and SFA values were identified as risk factors for residual pneumoperitoneum. Inflammatory markers may be useful as indicators for avoiding emergent surgery when it is difficult to differentiate between asymptomatic residual pneumoperitoneum and free air related to anastomotic failure.

Purpose: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is a well-known risk marker for cardiovascular disease. However, its clinical effect on patients who underwent radical surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC) stages II–III is unclear. This study aimed to analyze the associations between AAC and prognosis of patients with stage II–III CRC. Methods: To evaluate the effect of AAC on clinical outcomes, prognosis, and metastatic patterns of CRC, we analyzed 362 patients who underwent radical surgery for stage II–III CRC between 2010 and 2018. Results: The high AAC group had significantly worse overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after propensity score matching to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics of patients and tumors. In the multivariate Cox regression analyses, a high AAC was an independent risk factor for poor OS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23–4.59; p=0.01), poor CSS (HR, 5.22; 95% CI, 1.74–15.6; p

To examine the clinical usefulness of transoral ultrasonography (US) in determining the invasion depth of superficial pharyngeal carcinoma (SPC). Determining the invasion depth of SPC is crucial for transoral surgery including determining treatment strategy. This study aimed to examine the usefulness of transoral US in determining the invasion depth of SPC.Forty-six patients with 51 lesions who underwent both magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (ME-NBI) and transoral US were included. The primary outcomes were the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) of ME-NBI and transoral US findings for pathological tumor depth in SPCs.The accuracy (82.4%), sensitivity (85.2%), PPV (82.1%), and NPV (82.6%) rates of US for subepithelial propria (SEP) were higher than those of ME-NBI and macroscopic classification, indicating that transoral US is superior to ME-NBI in determining the invasion depth. All cases where the SEP was clearly invaded (SEP deep) could be diagnosed as SEP by transoral US.Transoral US may be useful in determining the invasion depth of SPCs.3 Laryngoscope, 2022.

Bailout surgery (BOS; partial cholecystectomy, open conversion, and fundus-first approach) has been recommended for difficult cases to ensure safe performance of cholecystectomy. However, the efficacy of BOS for preventing intraoperative massive bleeding and bile duct injury (BDI) remains unclear, especially in the context of acute cholecystitis (AC). This study aimed to retrospectively validate the feasibility of BOS for AC.We enrolled 479 patients who underwent emergency cholecystectomies for AC between 2011 and 2021. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to detect the risk factors for BOS in patients with AC. Perioperative variables were compared between patients who underwent total cholecystectomy (TC) and those who underwent BOS. Propensity score matching analysis was performed to compare the two groups.Significant differences in American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status and Charlson Comorbidity Index scores, TG18 severity grading, white blood cell count, and albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were found between the TC and BOS groups. Preoperative CT imaging demonstrated severe inflammation evidenced by gallbladder wall thickness, enhancement of the liver bed, and duodenal edema in the BOS group compared to the TC group. Postoperative complications were significantly higher in the BOS group than in the TC group. Further, BDI was completely prevented by BOS. Multivariate analysis identified TG18 grade ≥ II, CRP ≥ 7.7, and duodenal edema as independent risk factors for BOS. After PSM analysis, postoperative complications were not worse in patients who underwent BOS rather than TC. Among BOS procedures, laparoscopic BOS (lap-BOS) was the most efficacious in preventing intraoperative blood loss and postoperative bile leakage.Severity grading II, elevated CRP levels, or duodenum edema revealed by CT were determined to be risk factors impeding total cholecystectomy. BOS is a safe, feasible, and efficacious procedure for preventing BDI. Among BOS procedures, lap-BOS showed better postoperative outcomes.

Tumor budding (TB) has been described as an adverse prognostic marker for operable colorectal cancer (CRC); however, a limited number of studies have demonstrated the prognostic significance of TB in patients with drug therapy. This study was conducted to determine the predictive power of TB in stage III CRC patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy. We retrospectively collected clinicopathological data including TB of 237 stage III colorectal cancer patients at Hiroshima University Hospital between July 1, 2006 and June 31, 2019. Differential disease-free survival (DFS) was investigated according to TB status. This study included 237 patients with a median age of 67 years, comprising patients who underwent surgery alone (n = 65), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) monotherapy (n = 129), and oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (n = 43). Overall, 81 patients developed disease recurrence, and 33 patients died of cancer-related causes. The TB status was categorized into two groups: 99 with low budding (

Acute peritonitis has remained a fatal disease despite of recent advances in care and treatment, including antibiotic and anticoagulant treatments. The cause of death is mostly sepsis-induced multiple organ failure. Oxidative stress can play an important role in this situation, but antioxidant therapy to capture any excessive reactive oxygen species has not yet been fully established. Two experiments were performed. In the first experiment, we confirmed the effects of peritoneal lavage with hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) after a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) operation in rats. In the second experiment, the changes in the hemodynamic state following this procedure were observed in a porcine model of abdominal sepsis to evaluate its safety and utility. Peritoneal lavage with HRS significantly improved the survival after CLP in rats, and it ameliorated the levels of sepsis-induced organ failure. Moreover, it showed anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis as well as antioxidant effects. The second experiment demonstrated the potential safety and feasibility of this procedure in a large animal model. This procedure can improve survival after sepsis through mitigating the sepsis-induced organ failure by inhibiting oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory pathways. Peritoneal lavage with HRS may therefore be an effective, safe, and practical therapy for patients with acute peritonitis.

We focused on the availability of an omnidirectional camera and head-mount display (HMD). If the laparoscope is an omnidirectional camera, captured images are sent to the HMD worn by the operator in real time. The operator can thus view the image as they like without moving the camera and obtain a 360° view intuitively. However, the surgical system that can be used for actual laparoscopic operations has not yet been developed. In this study, we aimed to show that an omnidirectional camera and HMD would be useful in laparoscopic surgery.Eleven medical students and twelve surgical residents (Surgeons group) participated in this study. We created an experimental box with five marks randomly attached inside the box, and the inside cannot be seen from the outside. We measured the time it took to identify all marks between conventional laparoscope and substitute system in each group.In the substitute system, the time required for the task was significantly shorter than with conventional laparoscopy in each group.An omnidirectional camera and HMD may be a useful new device for laparoscopic surgery. This system may help improve the safety of laparoscopic surgery.

Background Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is a life-threatening postoperative complication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the fistula risk score (FRS) and preoperative body composition factors for predicting the occurrence of clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Methods In this study, 136 consecutive patients who underwent PD between 2006 and 2018 were enrolled. The risk factors of CR-POPF (grades B and C) were analyzed. Preoperative visceral adipose tissue area (VATA), skeletal mass index (SMI), and subcutaneous adipose tissue area (SATA) were calculated from computed tomography data. Results The overall 30-day mortality and morbidity rates were 0.7 and 38%, respectively. The incidence rates of grade B and C CR-POPF were 27 and 4%, respectively. A univariate analysis revealed that male sex, habitual smoking, prognostic nutritional index (PNI) 4 were significantly associated with the incidence of CR-POPF. A multivariate analysis revealed that PNI 4 were the independent risk factors of CR-POPF. Conclusions Preoperative anthropomorphic imbalance, PNI, and FRS were independent risk factors for CR-POPF. Patients with high-risk factors should be closely monitored during the postoperative period.

Simple Summary For symptomatic stage IV gastric cancer involving major symptoms such as bleeding or obstruction, palliative surgery may be considered an option to relieve symptoms. Palliative gastrectomy or gastrojejunostomy is selected depending on the resectability of the primary tumor and/or surgical risk. However, treatment policies differ depending on the institution as to whether gastrectomy or gastrojejunostomy should be performed for symptomatic stage IV gastric cancer. We considered that gastrectomy might contribute more to prognosis than gastrojejunostomy for gastric cancer located in the middle or lower-third region where total gastrectomy can be avoided. Here, we compare the prognosis of gastrectomy and gastrojejunostomy for symptomatic stage IV gastric cancer. We demonstrate that distal gastrectomy for symptomatic stage IV gastric cancer located in the middle or lower-third regions contributes to prognosis with acceptable safety when compared to gastrojejunostomy. Abstract Background: The prognostic prolongation effect of reduction surgery for asymptomatic stage IV gastric cancer (GC) is unfavorable; however, its prognostic effect for symptomatic stage IV GC remains unclear. We aimed to compare the prognosis of gastrectomy and gastrojejunostomy for symptomatic stage IV GC. Methods: This multicenter retrospective study analyzed record-based data of patients undergoing palliative surgery for symptomatic stage IV GC in the middle or lower-third regions between January 2015 and December 2019. Patients were divided into distal gastrectomy and gastrojejunostomy groups. We compared clinicopathological features and outcomes after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: Among the 126 patients studied, 46 and 80 underwent distal gastrectomy and gastrojejunostomy, respectively. There was no difference in postoperative complications between the groups. Regarding prognostic factors, surgical procedures and postoperative chemotherapy were significantly different in multivariate analysis. Each group was further subdivided into groups with and without postoperative chemotherapy. After PSM, the data of 21 well-matched patients with postoperative chemotherapy and 8 without postoperative chemotherapy were evaluated. Overall survival was significantly longer in the distal gastrectomy group (p = 0.007 [group with postoperative chemotherapy], p = 0.02 [group without postoperative chemotherapy]). Conclusions: Distal gastrectomy for symptomatic stage IV GC contributes to prognosis with acceptable safety compared to gastrojejunostomy.

Indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography has recently been reported useful as a method for predicting intestinal blood flow and may reduce anastomotic leakage. However, the quantification method for ICG fluorescence angiography has not been established. We usually measure the tissue oxygen saturation (StO2 ) in the intestinal tract via near-infrared spectroscopy, as it is able to measure the oxygen concentration accurately and immediately shows objective data. In this study, we propose that the time to reach the anastomotic site after intravenous ICG injection is an effective parameter for quantifying ICG fluorescence angiography from the comparison to the data of StO2 in the intestinal tract.

Background: Nivolumab has been approved for recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer (R/M HNC) on March 2017 in Japan. Recently, many researchers have been actively studying the prognostic and ...

Purpose The number of patients on antiplatelet therapy (APT) who need surgery is increasing; however, it is unclear whether APT should be continued for abdominal surgery, particularly laparoscopic colorectal surgery. We investigated the safety of continuing APT for patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Methods We collected retrospective data from 529 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery at Hiroshima University between January, 2013 and December, 2018. We analyzed information related to APT. Thirty-six pairs were matched by the propensity score method between patients on APT (APT+) and those not on APT (APT−). We compared the surgical outcomes of both groups. Results Among 463 patients eligible for the study, 48 were on APT for cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disease, and 36 continued to take aspirin. In the case-matched comparison, the amount of intraoperative blood loss in the APT+ group was not significantly higher than that in the APT− group, and the incidences of bleeding complications, thromboembolic complications, and other complications were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusion In a case-matched comparison, continuation of aspirin during laparoscopic colorectal surgery did not increase perioperative complications. In laparoscopic colorectal surgery, continuation of aspirin is an acceptable strategy for patients with thromboembolic risk caused by interruption of APT.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery, such as the da Vinci Surgical System, has a problem in that surgeons might continue operating for a long period of time without realizing their fatigue and without proper concentration, or they might ignore their fatigue even when they notice it. We propose a method for quantitatively estimating the level fatigue by attaching wearable sensors to a doctor while using a surgical robot. In this study, several sensor configurations were tested to investigate the sensor configuration, which is easy for the surgeon to wear. In an evaluation experiment, doctors used a robotic surgery simulator for a long period of time, and the score calculated by the simulator was estimated as the fatigue level expressed by the surgeon. We discussed with doctors how the results of the fatigue estimation should be applied to the system design.

Acute peritonitis has remained a fatal disease despite of recent advances in care and treatment, including antibiotic and anticoagulant treatments. The cause of death is mostly sepsis-induced multiple organ failure. Oxidative stress can play an important role in this situation, but antioxidant therapy to capture any excessive reactive oxygen species has not yet been fully established.Two experiments were performed. In the first experiment, we confirmed the effects of peritoneal lavage with hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) after a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) operation in rats. In the second experiment, the changes in the hemodynamic state following this procedure were observed in a porcine model of abdominal sepsis to evaluate its safety and utility.Peritoneal lavage with HRS significantly improved the survival after CLP in rats, and it ameliorated the levels of sepsis-induced organ failure. Moreover, it showed anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis as well as antioxidant effects. The second experiment demonstrated the potential safety and feasibility of this procedure in a large animal model.This procedure can improve survival after sepsis through mitigating the sepsis-induced organ failure by inhibiting oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammatory pathways. Peritoneal lavage with HRS may therefore be an effective, safe, and practical therapy for patients with acute peritonitis.

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Therefore, identifying the predictive factors for surgical morbidity, disease recurrence, and long-term survival is necessary for preventing GC patient mortality. We aimed to evaluate the factors that contribute to the poor prognoses of GC patients. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, the data of 182 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for GC was reviewed. The data included patients’ cancer stage and preoperative prognostic nutritional index (PNI) score. We identified the prognostic factors using a univariate analysis and the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. The associations between PNI and other clinicopathologic factors for GC were compared via logistic regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to evaluate patients’ survival in relation to these factors. The median follow-up period was 3.5 years. Multivariable cumulative incidence method based on Fine and Gray’s method was performed to evaluate the association between non GC-related death and potential prognostic factors. Results There were significant differences in overall survival (OS) between comorbidities (myocardial infarction: P = 0.040, liver disease: P = 0.017), cancer stages (I vs. II: P = 0.049, I vs. III: P P = 0.002), lymphatic vessel infiltration (P P = 0.024), and PNI scores (P = 0.002). Moreover, only PNI score was determined to be an independent prognostic factor for survival. Furthermore, stage I GC patients with high PNI scores had significantly longer OS than those with low PNI scores (P P = 0.756). Stage II and III GC patients showed no significant difference in terms of OS and recurrence-free survival, regardless of PNI scores. Finally, Fine and Gray’s method revealed that PNI score was an independent prognostic factor for non-GC-related death (P Conclusions Preoperative PNI is effective in predicting the prognosis of post-curative gastrectomy GC patients and can be used to predict non-GC-related death and the OS of post-curative gastrectomy patients with stage I GC.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of fistula risk score (FRS) and preoperative body composition factors for predicting the occurrence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Methods In this study, 136 consecutive patients who underwent PD between 2006 and 2018 were enrolled. The risk factors of CR-POPF (grades B and C) were analyzed. Preoperative visceral adipose tissue area (VATA), skeletal mass index (SMI), and subcutaneous adipose tissue area (SATA) were calculated from computed tomography data. Results The overall 30-day mortality and morbidity rates were 0.7% and 38%, respectively. The incidence of grade B and C CR-POPF was 27% and 4%, respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that male sex, habitual smoking, prognostic nutritional index (PNI) < 45, VATA ≥ 90, VATA/SATA ≥ 0.9, VATA/SMI ≥ 1.4, and FRS > 4 were significantly associated with the incidence of CR-POPF. Multivariate analysis revealed that PNI < 45, VATA/SMI ≥ 1.4, and FRS > 4 were the independent risk factors of CR-POPF. A modified prediction score using the combination of VATA/SMI and FRS significantly predicted CR-POPF after PD. Conclusions Preoperative anthropomorphic imbalance and FRS were equally accurate in predicting CR-POPF. Patients with high-risk factors should be closely monitored during the postoperative period.

Background This study aimed to assess the prognostic factors including low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and perioperative blood transfusion for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following curative surgery. Methods This study included 139 patients with HCC who underwent hepatectomy between 2005 and 2016. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results Low SMI was significantly related with poor OS, while blood transfusion had a strong impact on RFS. The male ratio and body mass index in the low SMI group were significantly higher than those in the high SMI group. There were no significant differences in age, virus etiology, laboratory data, liver function, tumor makers, and operative variables between the groups. Tumor factors such as tumor diameter, tumor number, poor differentiation, and intrahepatic metastasis (IM) did not significantly differ between the two groups. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss volume, and recurrence ratio were significantly higher in the blood transfusion group than in the non-transfusion group. IM was associated with poor OS and RFS. Conclusions Low SMI and blood transfusion were independently related with long-term prognosis in patients with HCC following curative surgery.

Evidence on risk factors for postoperative recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) confined to pathological stage I is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the risk factors for recurrence in patients with stage I CRC. Data on clinicopathological factors and blood tests of patients diagnosed with pathological stage I CRC at Hiroshima University Hospital between April 1, 2010, and December 31, 2018, were retrospectively obtained. The statistical significance between the clinical factors and postoperative recurrence was also investigated. A total of 244 patients were included. The median observation period was 45 months. There were 17 patients (6.6%) with a postoperative recurrence (8 local and 9 distant recurrences). In the log-lank test, rectal cancer (p = 0.004), pT2 (p = 0.020) and organ/space surgical site infection (SSI) (p = 0.008) were significantly associated with postoperative recurrence. In a multivariate analysis, rectal cancer (hazard ratio [HR] 3.678, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.184–11.425, p = 0.024) and organ/space SSI (HR 3.137, 95% CI 1.013–9.713, p = 0.047) were independently associated with a higher recurrence rate. Among 18 patients with organ/space SSI, 4 recurrences occurred, all of which were distant metastases. Organ/space SSI significantly affects the postoperative recurrence in patients with stage I CRC.

Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer, not only early cancer but also advanced cancer, has become standardized by some randomized controlled studies. However, cases involving advanced transverse colon cancer were excluded from these studies due to the technical difficulty of the surgery. Hence, laparoscopic surgery for advanced transverse colon cancer is still a theme that we need to overcome. To solve these issues, it is necessary to establish a standardized approach and surgical technique. The advantage of our method, which approaches from both sides of the transverse mesocolon, is that it is easier to achieve hemostasis when active bleeding occurs because this approach provides space for ligating and sealing. This allows the surgeon to perform lymphadenectomy around the superior mesenteric artery and vein. We introduced the usefulness of the “Pincer approach of the transverse mesocolon” to standardize laparoscopic surgery for advanced transverse colon cancer.

The performance of endoscopic surgery has quickly become widespread as a minimally invasive therapy. However, complications still occur due to technical difficulties. In the present study, we focused on the problem of blind spots, which is one of the several problems that occur during endoscopic surgery and developed “BirdView,” a camera system with a wide field of view, with SHARP Corporation. In the present study, we conducted a clinical trial (Phase I) to confirm the safety and usefulness of the BirdView camera system. We herein report the results. In this study, surgical adverse events were reported in 2 cases (problems with ileus and urination). There were no cases of device failure, damage to the surrounding organs, or mortality. We evaluated the safety of the BirdView camera system. We believe that this camera system will contribute to the performance safe endoscopic surgery and the execution of robotic surgery, in which operators do not have the benefit of tactile feedback.

INTRODUCTION In surgery for elderly patients with colorectal cancer, it is unclear whether radical lymph node (LN) dissection safely offers a survival benefit. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the LN yield in elderly patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. METHODS The subjects were selected from a surgical database of 2065 patients aged ≥80 years old who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at 41 hospitals in Japan between 2003 and 2007. The patients were divided into groups according to the number LN harvested

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of fistula risk score (FRS) and preoperative body composition factors for predicting the occurrence of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).Methods: In this study, 136 consecutive patients who underwent PD between 2006 and 2018 were enrolled. The risk factors of CR-POPF (grades B and C) were analyzed. Preoperative visceral adipose tissue area (VATA), skeletal mass index (SMI), and subcutaneous adipose tissue area (SATA) were calculated from computed tomography data.Results: The overall 30-day mortality and morbidity rates were 0.7% and 38%, respectively. The incidence rates of grade B and C CR-POPF were 27% and 4%, respectively. A univariate analysis revealed that male sex, habitual smoking, prognostic nutritional index < 45, VATA/SATA ≥ 0.9, VATA/SMI ≥ 1.4, and FRS > 4 were significantly associated with the incidence of CR-POPF. A multivariate analysis revealed that VATA/SMI ≥ 1.4 and FRS > 4 were the independent risk factors of CR-POPF. A modified prediction score using the combination of VATA/SMI and FRS significantly predicted CR-POPF after PD.Conclusions: Preoperative anthropomorphic imbalance and FRS were equally accurate in predicting CR-POPF. Patients with high-risk factors should be closely monitored during the postoperative period.

Very low anterior resection (VLAR) is performed widely, but some patients are left with fecal incontinence (FI), which compromises their quality of life (QOL) severely. This study sought to identify the predictive factors of postoperative FI after VLAR, which remain unclear. We evaluated the anorectal manometry data of patients who underwent VLAR to identify the risk factors for postoperative FI among the various clinicopathological factors and manometric characteristics. FI and QOL were analyzed using the Wexner score and EORTC QLQ-C30, respectively. The subjects of this study were 40 patients who underwent VLAR for low rectal cancer between April, 2015 and May, 2018. There were 11 (27%) patients in the major-FI group and 29 (73%) in the minor-FI group. Multivariate analysis revealed that low preoperative incremental maximum squeeze pressure (iMSP) was an independent risk factor for postoperative major-FI. Postoperative QOL tended to be worse in the major-FI group. Preoperative low iMSP increases the risk of major-FI and impaired QOL after VLAR. This highlights the importance of performing preoperative anorectal manometry to evaluate the patient’s anal function as well as to select the most appropriate operative procedure and early multifaceted treatment such as medication, rehabilitation, and biofeedback for postoperative FI.

Haptic information is crucial in the execution of precise dexterous manipulations. Laparoscopic surgery, a type of minimally invasive surgery, requires that the surgeon senses force information about tissue through forceps, because he or she cannot touch the organs directly. We propose the concept of surgical grasping forceps with enhanced sensorimotor capability based on attaching a vibrator to the forceps’ grip by evoking a stochastic resonance (SR) effect. To apply appropriate vibrations, a summing network of FitzHugh–Nagumo neurons was built to investigate the system's response when white noise was applied to each of the four types of tactile receptor. The relation among the tactile sensitivity, noise intensity, and amplitude of input signal is discussed by the simulation with the neural network composed of different tactile receptors. The simulation results revealed that the working range of the SR effect is extended by taking advantage of having multiple receptors with different characteristics in skins. It was also found that improved tactile sensitivity could be obtained even without a strict set of vibration intensity values. Based on the findings from the simulation, we developed surgical forceps with sensorimotor-enhancing capability taking advantage of the SR effect. The forceps are equipped with a lead zirconate titanate actuator at the grip as a vibration source. We conducted touch testing, texture discrimination testing, and tumor detection testing to verify their improved tactile sensitivity. The experiments conducted with the proposed forceps showed that maintaining the noise intensity within the optimal range could improve tactile sensitivity, and confirmed the usefulness of the SR application for medical devices.

The image quality and performance of 3-dimensional video image systems has improved along with improvements in technology. However, objective evaluation on the usefulness of 3-dimensional video image systems is insufficient. Therefore, we decided to investigate the usefulness of 3-dimensional video image systems using the objective endoscopic surgery technology evaluating apparatus that we have developed, the Hiroshima University Endoscopic Surgical Assessment Device (HUESAD). The participants were 28 student volunteers enrolled in Hiroshima University (17 men and 11 women, age: median 22.5, range 20–25), with no one having experienced endoscopic surgery training. Testing was carried out by dividing the subjects into two groups to initially carry out HUESAD with 2-dimensional video imaging (N = 14) and with 3-dimensional video imaging (N = 14). Questionnaires were carried out along with the investigation regarding both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional video imaging. The task was carried out for approximately 15 min regarding both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional video imaging. Lastly, the Mental Rotation Test, which is a standard space perception ability test, was used to evaluate the space perception ability. No difference was observed in the nauseous and uncomfortable feeling of practitioners between the two groups. Regarding smoothness, no difference was observed between 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional video imaging (p = 0.8665). Deviation (space perception ability) and approaching time (accuracy) were significantly lower with 3-dimensional video imaging compared to 2-dimensional video imaging. Moreover, the approaching time (accuracy) significantly improved in 3-dimensional video imaging compared to 2-dimensional video imaging in the group with low space perception ability (p = 0.0085). Objective evaluation using HUESAD and subjective evaluation by questionnaire revealed that endoscopic surgery techniques significantly improved in 3-dimensional video imaging compared to 2-dimensional video imaging. Moreover, it is believed that this effect is more effective in people with low space perception ability and beginner students.

Aim This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological predictors of survival in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, mass-forming type (ICC-MF), following curative intent hepatectomy. Methods Clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed in a series of 42 patients who underwent curative hepatectomy for ICC-MF between February 1987 and December 2012. The relationship between immunohistochemical expression profiles of mucin (MUC) core proteins (MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6) and surgical outcomes was examined. Results The overall median follow-up period was 2.6 years (0.2–17.9). Bile duct reconstruction ( p = 0.017), lymph node metastasis ( p = 0.049), maximal mass diameter ≥5.0 cm ( p = 0.002), and MUC5AC expression ( p = 0.003) were identified as significant adverse predictors of overall survival by univariate analysis. Bile duct reconstruction ( p = 0.048), maximal mass diameter ≥5.0 cm ( p = 0.002), and MUC5AC expression ( p = 0.005) were found to be independent predictors of poor prognosis by multivariate analysis. Maximal mass diameter ≥5.0 cm ( p = 0.011) was found to be an independent predictor for the tumor recurrence. There was a strong correlation between MUC5AC expression and lymph node metastasis ( p = 0.021). MUC6 expression was more frequent in patients with concurrent MUC5AC expression ( p = 0.019). Conclusions MUC5AC expression was significantly related to long-term prognosis and aggressive tumor development, and may be a useful prognostic marker.

Aim This study aimed to validate the prognostic value of the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) in patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Data were retrospectively collected for HCC patients who underwent LDLT. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with overall and recurrence-free survival. Patients were separated into two groups based on the GPS. The predictive ability of the GPS was compared with other variable scores (modified GPS and hepatic GPS) to identify the most accurate test for this population. Results Univariate analysis identified a GPS of 1 or 2 (P = 0.018), multiple tumors (P = 0.032) and HCC beyond the Milan criteria (P = 0.015) as factors significantly associated with poor overall survival. Hepatitis B negative status (P = 0.034), a GPS of 1 or 2 (P = 0.030), α-fetoprotein of 20.0 ng/mL or more (P = 0.042) and HCC beyond the Milan criteria (P = 0.002) were identified as factors significantly associated with poor recurrence-free survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that HCC beyond the Milan criteria and a GPS of 1 or 2 were independent risk factors for long-term outcomes. Among the scoring systems evaluated in this study, the GPS was the best predictive system in our population. Moreover, a new scoring system that combined the GPS and the Milan criteria showed the highest prognostic values. Conclusion Novel prediction scores combining the GPS and the Milan criteria provide a precise, objective, and quick approach for selecting appropriate HCC patients for LDLT.

We developed the first end-of-life care education program for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses in Japan. It focused on ethical decision making, care of dying neonates, bereavement, and cultural communication. The program improved nurses' knowledge, F(2.16, 62.5) = 260.6, p < .001, and understanding, F(2.05, 59.4) = 29.1, p < .001, and significantly reduced weaknesses in neonatal end-of-life care. It was considered well designed and may provide further mentoring support for NICU nurses.

The optimal prognostic predictive system for gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) has not been established. The gallbladder cancer predictive risk score (GBRS) based on pathological findings identifies incidental GBC patients at risk of recurrence. We aimed to validate the prognostic ability of the GBRS in all GBC patients following curative surgery. Fifty-six patients with GBC who underwent curative surgery between 1996 and 2016 were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine prognostic factors associated with overall and recurrence-free survival, and propensity score-matched analysis was performed. The median patient age was 71.9 years, and 39.3% of patients were males. All patients underwent curative surgery (33.9%, simple cholecystectomy; 66.1%, more advanced procedures, such as hepatectomy; and 32.1%, bile duct reconstruction). On univariate analysis, preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19–9) ≥ 37 U/mL (p = 0.042), postoperative complications (p = 0.043), and a high GBRS (p

In surgery for elderly patients with colorectal cancer, it is unclear whether radical lymph node (LN) dissection safely offers a survival benefit. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the LN yield in elderly patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer.The subjects were selected from a surgical database of 2065 patients aged ≥80 years old who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at 41 hospitals in Japan between 2003 and 2007. The patients were divided into groups according to the number LN harvested:12 and ≥12. Propensity scores were subsequently matched to balance the baseline characteristics.Of the 954 patients initially selected, 331 were in the12 LN and 623 were in the ≥12 LN group. After cases were matched, 293 patients were allocated to each group, and all covariates were balanced. For short-term outcomes, the time for surgery was longer in the ≥12 LN group, but there was no significant difference in morbidity between the groups. Overall, relapse-free and cancer-specific survival rates were higher in the ≥12 LN group (P = 0.004, 0.001, and 0.02).In patients aged ≥80 years old with stage II-III colon cancer, harvesting ≥12 LN provides a survival benefit, and therefore, limited LN dissection is not recommended in these patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM Perioperative red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) can negatively affect the host's immune system. We investigated the effects of perioperative RBCT on long-term survival among patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 148 patients with PDAC who underwent surgery with curative intent (33 who received RBCTs and 115 who did not). Significant prognostic variables on univariate analysis were subjected to multivariate analyses using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. RESULTS Both groups exhibited significant differences in age, preoperative haemoglobin levels, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels, maximum tumour size, tumour staging, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, major vascular resection, and the proportion of pancreaticoduodenectomies performed. Patients who underwent RBCTs exhibited significantly poorer overall survival (p

Systemic inflammation can promote tumor growth. The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), a simple assessment of systemic inflammation status, could be useful to predict the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after hepatectomy. Consecutive HCC patients were enrolled following hepatectomy at our institution between 2005 and 2012. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival. Patients were stratified according to the GPS. To minimize selection bias, propensity score analysis was performed. An elevated GPS (1–2), des-gamma carboxyprothrombin levels (≥40 mAU/mL), and the presence of multiple tumors were significantly associated with a poor OS. Alpha-fetoprotein levels (≥20.0 ng/mL), des-gamma carboxyprothrombin levels (≥40 mAU/mL), and the presence of multiple tumors were independent risk factors for a poor recurrence-free survival. After one-to-one matching, 92 patients each with a normal GPS (0) and an elevated GPS (1–2) had similar preoperative and operative characteristics. Poorer OS times in patients with an elevated GPS were confirmed by excluding possible misinterpretation. An elevated GPS was an independent prognostic indicator for OS after hepatectomy in HCC patients. The GPS, which employs inexpensive and readily available biomarkers, could be a novel tool for predicting survival in such patients.

Few studies have investigated the risk factors in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from colorectal cancer (CRC) who die within 3 months of undergoing surgical intervention and systemic chemotherapy. This study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with the post-treatment 3-month mortality rate. Retrospectively collected data from Hiroshima University were analyzed for patients presenting with synchronous PC from CRC between 1992 and 2012. The clinical, histological and survival data were evaluated and correlated with the overall survival rate at 3 months after surgical intervention. In patients who underwent surgical intervention with systemic chemotherapy for synchronous PC from CRC (N = 65), a Kaplan–Meier analysis and the log-rank test revealed that systemic chemotherapy (P = 0.023) and the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) (P = 0.00001) were associated with the 3-month mortality rate. Multivariate analyses using these two factors revealed that the mGPS (0/1, 2) (odds ratio 8.087; 95 % CI 1.512–43.25; P = 0.015) was an independent risk factor for the 3-month mortality rate. The mGPS is an important independent predictor of the 3-month mortality rate in patients who undergo surgical intervention with systemic chemotherapy for synchronous PC from CRC. The mGPS could aid surgeons in choosing the appropriate treatment strategy and best care for patients.

Recently, the endoscopic surgical skills of surgeons have become a focus of many investigators and society as a whole. Hence, the importance of the training and education programs used to ensure safer endoscopic surgery has been gradually increasing. We developed our own motion analysis system called the HUESAD, and already demonstrated its construct validity. In this study, we verified that another motion analysis system (which uses the Dartfish Software program) could assess surgeons' endoscopic surgical skills.Experts (who had performed more than 100 laparoscopic surgeries) and novices (who had no experience performing laparoscopic surgery) were recruited for this study. The task was suturing in a dry box trainer. The time and the locus tracing of both sides' needle holders were analyzed using the new video analysis system (Dartfish Software).There were statistically significant differences between the experts and novices in all three variables assessed (task time: p = 0.0011, the locus tracing of the left sides' needle holders: p = 0.0011, the locus tracing of the right sides' needle holders: p = 0.0011).The results of this study demonstrated that the results of the motion analysis by the Dartfish Software were well correlated with the surgeon's skill level.