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Andrea Di Giorgio

Publications and source records attributed to Andrea Di Giorgio.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Influence of preservation versus division of ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, and genital nerves during open mesh herniorrhaphy: prospective multicentric study of chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the various surgical treatment reserved for ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric, and genital branch of the genitofemoral nerves, during open hernia mesh repair, is effective in reducing chronic postoperative pain. BACKGROUND: Interest in chronic groin pain following herniorrhaphy has escalated, in recent years, due both to treatment and legal implications. However, much debate still exists concerning which treatment to reserve for the 3 inguinal sensory nerves. METHODS: A multicentric prospective study involving 11 Italian institutions led to the recruitment of 973 cases of hernioplasty. All surgeons were asked to report whether or not each nerve had been identified and preserved or divided. The main endpoint of the study was the evaluation of moderate to severe chronic pain at 6 months and 1 year. RESULTS: Overall, the presence of groin pain at the 6-month and 1-year follow-up was 9.7% and 4.1%, respectively. Pain was mild in 7.9% and moderate to severe in 2.1%, at 6 months, and mild in 3.6% and moderate to severe in 0.5%, at 1 year. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that lack of identification of nerves is significantly correlated with presence of chronic pain, the risk of developing inguinal pain increasing with the number of nerves not detected. Likewise, division of nerves was clearly correlated with presence of chronic pain. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicate that identification and preservation of nerves during open inguinal hernia repair reduce chronic incapacitating groin pain and that, in the majority of patients with chronic pain at 6 months, the pain at 1 year is resolved only with conservative or medical treatment.

Adolescent↗

Pancreatoduodenectomy for tumors of Vater's ampulla: report on 94 consecutive patients.

Evaluation of prognostic factors of adenocarcinoma of Vater's ampulla is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively factors that influence early and long-term outcomes in a 20-year single-institution experience on ampullary carcinoma. A total of 94 consecutive patients with ampullary carcinoma or adenoma with severe dysplasia were managed from 1981 to 2002. Among them, 64 underwent pancreatoduodenectomy, and the remaining 30 submitted to surgical (n = 5) or endoscopic (n = 25) palliative treatment. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic data were collected, and a comparison was made between patients who did or did not undergo resection. Standard statistical analyses were carried out in an attempt to establish a correlation between clinical variables, intraoperative and pathologic factors, and survival in patients with resection. A total of 85 (90.4%) patients had potentially resectable lesions due to the extent of the tumor, but only 64 (68%) underwent curative resection. The surgical morbidity rate was 34.3%. Postoperative mortality was 9.3%, with no deaths among the 38 more recently treated patients. Median survivals were 9 and 54 months for nonresected and resected patients, respectively. The overall 5-year survival was 64.4% for patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. Survival was found to be significantly affected by resection, tumor size, tumor grade, and tumor infiltration. Patients with negative lymph nodes show a trend toward longer survival. In a multivariate analysis, only the depth of tumor infiltration influenced patient survival. Pancreatoduodenectomy is the treatment of choice for ampullary carcinoma and adenomas with high-grade dysplasia, with a good chance of long-term survival. Surgical resection remains the most important factor influencing outcome.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Preoperative radiotherapy combined with intraoperative radiotherapy improve results of total mesorectal excision in patients with T3 rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: The survival advantage of preoperative radiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer is still a matter of debate, because its incremental benefit in the total mesorectal excision setting is unclear. This study was designed to evaluate early and long-term results of preoperative radiotherapy plus intraoperative radiotherapy in a homogeneous population of T3 middle and lower rectal cancer patients submitted to total mesorectal excision. METHODS: A series of 113 patients with middle and lower T3 rectal cancer consecutively submitted to total mesorectal excision at a single surgical unit from 1991 to 1997 were divided into two groups according to type of neoadjuvant treatment: preoperative radiotherapy (38 Gy) plus intraoperative radiotherapy (10 Gy; n = 69), and no preoperative treatment (total mesorectal excision; n = 44). Standard statistical analyses were used to evaluate early (downstaging, intraoperative factors, hospital morbidity, and mortality rates) and long-term results (recurrence and survival). RESULTS: Overall, 68.2 percent of patients were downstaged by the preoperative regimens (T0 specimens in 3 cases). Postoperative complications were comparable in the two groups. Five-year, disease-specific survival was 81.4 and 58.1 percent in preoperative radiotherapy plus intraoperative radiotherapy group and total mesorectal excision group, respectively (P = 0.052). Corresponding figures for disease-free survival were 73.1 and 57.2 percent in the two groups, respectively (P = 0.096). The rates of local recurrence at five years were 6.6 and 23.2 percent in preoperative radiotherapy plus intraoperative radiotherapy and total mesorectal excision groups, respectively (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative radiotherapy plus intraoperative radiotherapy associated with total mesorectal excision reduce local recurrence rate and improve survival in T3 rectal cancer compared with total mesorectal excision alone.

Adult↗

[Typology of defunctioning colostomy and state of art in the treatment of bowel emergencies].

BACKGROUND: A trend toward avoidance of a defunctioning colostomy at emergency large-bowel surgery has been placed in recent years. The surgical management of patients with acute colonic disease has been evolving from multiple to single operations with a reduced use of colostomy. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred four consecutive non-selected patients underwent surgery for left-sided large bowel emergencies between 1980-2003. Defunctioning colostomy was performed in 10 out of 58 resection-anastomosis procedures. Thirty-seven patients underwent Hartmann procedure, 9 received only diverting colostomy. Postoperative morbidity was 28.8%. Postoperative mortality 8.2%. Anastomotic leak occurred in 1 and 6 patients with and without defunctioning colostomy respectively. Four out of the 6 patients without colostomy needed reintervention, while patient with covering colostomy underwent conservative treatment. Six (10.5%) out 56 patients with colostomy experienced major stoma related complications and underwent reintervention. DISCUSSION: Although there is general acceptance of one-stage surgery for right-sided colon emergencies, the surgical management of left-side large bowel obstruction and peritonitis remains controversal. Risk of anastomotic dehiscence associated with large-bowel anastomosis in unfavourable circumstance must be balanced against the high complications and low closure rates of a temporary colostomy. CONCLUSION: Primary resection and anastomosis without diverting colostomy for left-sided acute obstruction and peritonitis may be performed in selected patients. Diffuse purulent and faecal peritonitis are contraindications to one-stage surgery being necessary a two- stage procedure with loop or end colostomy. Colostomy remain a valid surgical option when high risk of dehiscence is suspected.

Colectomy↗

[Chronic pain after inguinal hernia mesh repair: possible role of surgical manipulation of the inguinal nerves. A prospective multicentre study of 973 cases].

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the surgical treatment reserved for the ilioinguinal, iliohypogastric and genital branches of the genitofemoral nerves, during open hernia mesh repair, is effective in reducing chronic post-operative pain. A multicentre prospective study involving 11 Italian Institutions led to the recruitment of 973 cases of hernioplasty. All surgeons were asked to report whether or not each nerve had been identified and preserved or divided. The main endpoint of the study was the evaluation of moderate-severe chronic pain at 6 months and 1 year. Overall, presence of groin pain at 6 months and 1 year follow-up was 9.7% and 4.1%, respectively. Pain was mild in 7.9% and moderate-to-severe in 2.1% at 6 months, and mild in 3.6% and moderate-to-severe in 0.5% at 1 year. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that lack of identification of nerves is significantly correlated with presence of chronic pain, the risk of developing inguinal pain increasing with the number of nerves not detected. Likewise, division of nerves was clearly correlated with presence of chronic pain. The present findings indicate that identification and preservation of nerves during open inguinal hernia repair reduce chronic incapacitating groin pain.

Adolescent↗