Biomedical subjects

M Baldarelli

Publications and source records attributed to M Baldarelli.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Long-term results of laparoscopic versus open colorectal resections for cancer in 235 patients with a minimum follow-up of 5 years.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic resection for cure of colorectal cancer is controversial. More investigations on long-term results are required. This study aimed to compare the long-term outcome with a minimum follow-up of 5 years between laparoscopic or open approach for the treatment of colo-rectal cancer. METHODS: The treatment modality (laparoscopic or open) was related to the patients (pts) choice. The following parameters between the two groups (laparoscopic and open) were assessed: wound recurrences rate, local recurrences rate, incidence of distant metastases and survival probability analysis. RESULTS: We report the long term outcome of 149 pts with colon cancer of which 85 treated by Laparoscopic Surgery (LS) and 64 by Open Surgery (OS) and of 86 patients with rectal cancer of which 52 treated by LS and 34 by OS. In the pts with colonic cancer, mean follow-up was 82.8 months. No Statistically Significant Difference (SSD) was observed in the local recurrences rate (3.5% after LS and 6.2% after OS) and in the incidence of distant metastases (10.5% after LS and 10.9% after OS). Cumulative survival probability in LS was 0.882 as compared to 0.859 after OS. In the pts with rectal cancer, mean follow-up was 78.5 months. No SSD was observed in the local recurrences rate (19.2% after LS and 17.6% after OS) and in the incidence of distant metastases (15.3% after LS and 20.5% after OS). Cumulative survival probability in LS was 0.711 as compared to 0.617 after OS. We report an interesting data about the time of recurrences between LS and OS: the recurrences were delayed after LS, both after colonic (22.6 months vs 6.5) and rectal (25.7 months vs 13.0) resections, respectively. CONCLUSION: We suppose that laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of colo-rectal cancer is quite safe. However, further investigation is needed.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery in rectal adenomas: experience of six Italian centres.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery is a minimally invasive technique that allows the excision of benign and selected malignant tumours. We present a study for evaluating surgical morbidity, mortality and local recurrence rate of patients with rectal adenomas treated with transanal endoscopic microsurgery in six different Italian centres following the same protocol. METHODS: A total of 882 patients with rectal lesions (adenomas and early stage of carcinomas) underwent transanal endoscopic microsurgery in six different Surgical Departments from January 1993 to October 2004. Five hundred and ninety patients had preoperative diagnosis of adenomas but 588 patients were regularly followed up to determine treatment efficacy in terms of local recurrence rate. RESULTS: The study involved 588 patients, with a median age of 66 years (25th percentile-75th percentile=58-71 years). No postoperative mortality was reported. Intraoperative complications were observed in three patients (0.5%). Minor complications occurred in 48 patients (8.2%) whereas major complications were found only in 7 patients (1.2%). Definitive histology confirmed adenomas in 530 cases (90.1%). Two patients (0.3%) were lost to follow-up so were not included in the paper. At median follow-up of 44 months (25th percentile-75th percentile=15-74 months), 23 (4.3%) adenomas recurred and were successfully retreated by transanal endoscopic microsurgery [20 cases (87%)] and by conventional surgery [3 patients (13%)]. No further recurrences were observed at subsequent follow-up. Thirty-one (5.3%) patients died during follow-up for old age, cardiac disease, etc. CONCLUSIONS: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery is, in our experience, an effective method for local resection of benign rectal tumours with morbidity of 11.4%, no postoperative mortality and with a percentage of local recurrence of 4.3%.

Adenoma↗

PubMed2005

Transanal endoscopic versus total mesorectal laparoscopic resections of T2-N0 low rectal cancers after neoadjuvant treatment: a prospective randomized trial with a 3-years minimum follow-up period.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the results and the oncologic outcomes of transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) with neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy and laparoscopic resection (LR), also with neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy, in the treatment of T(2)-N(0) low rectal cancer. METHODS: The study enrolled 40 patients with T2-N(0) rectal cancer, randomizing 20 to TEM (arm A) and 20 to LR (arm B). RESULTS: After neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy, tumor downstaging was observed for 13 patients (65%) in arm A (7 pT0 and 6 pT1) and in 11 patients (55%) in arm B (7 pT0 and 4 pT1). More than a 50% reduction of the tumor diameter was observed in four arm A cases and in six arm B cases. At a median follow-up period of 56 months (range, 44-67 months) in both arms, one local failure (5%) occurred after 6 months in arm A and one (5%) after 48 months in arm B. Distant metastases occurred in one arm A patient (5%) after 26 months of follow-up evaluation and in one arm B patient (5%) at 31 months. The probability of local or distant failure was 10% for TEM and 12% for laparoscopic resection, whereas the probability of survival was 95% for TEM and 83% for laparoscopic resection. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show comparative results between the two study arms in terms of probability of failure and survival.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Long-term results in patients with T2-3 N0 distal rectal cancer undergoing radiotherapy before transanal endoscopic microsurgery.

BACKGROUND: Local excision after radiotherapy for node-negative low rectal cancer may be an alternative to radical excision. This study evaluated the results of local excision in patients with small (less than 3 cm in diameter) T2 and T3 distal rectal tumours following neoadjuvant therapy. METHODS: One hundred patients with rectal cancer (54 uT2 and 46 uT3 uN0 tumours) were enrolled. All patients underwent preoperative radiotherapy followed by local excision by means of transanal endoscopic microsurgery. RESULTS: Definitive histological examination revealed nine pT1, 54 pT2 and 19 pT3 tumours. A complete response (R0) or microscopic residual tumour (R1mic) was found in three and 15 patients respectively. Minor complications occurred in 11 patients and major complications in two. At a median follow-up of 55 (range 7-120) months, the local failure rate was 5 per cent and metastatic disease was found in two patients. The cancer-specific survival rate at 90 months' follow-up was 89 per cent, and the overall survival rate 72 per cent. Salvage abdominoperineal resection was performed in three patients, two of whom were disease free at 15 and 19 months. CONCLUSION: Treatment of small uT2 and uT3 uN0 rectal cancers with preoperative high-dose radiotherapy followed by transanal endoscopic microsurgery is an acceptable alternative to conventional radical resection.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy in pheochromocytomas.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate 17 patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy for the treatment of pheochromocytoma by transperitoneal anterior approach. METHODS: Seventeen patients underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma between January 1994 and May 2002. Ten females (58.8%) and 7 males (41.2%) were operated on; 14 patients (82.3%) had sporadic pheochromocytoma and 3 (17.7%) were familiar cases. Mean age was 42 yr (range 25-72 yr). All patients were treated pre-operatively with alpha-blockers. Seven patients (41.2%) underwent right adrenalectomy; 9 (52.9%) underwent left adrenalectomy and 1 (5.9%) bilateral adrenalectomy. RESULTS: No conversion to open surgery occurred and no mortality was observed. The right-side adrenalectomy required a mean operative time of 86 min (range 45-120), the left-side procedure a mean operative time of 116 min (range 80-140) and the bilateral one 219 min. In two patients (11.8%), a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and ovariectomy, respectively, were performed without changing the position of the patient on the operating table. Only 1 patient (5.9%) presented significant intraoperative hypertension, and arrhythmia resolved by medical therapy. No other intraoperative and post-operative complications were reported. Mean hospital stay was 3 days (range 2-8 days). At mean follow-up of 48 months (range 6-96 months), regression of symptoms and control of blood pressure were obtained without additional treatment in all patients. No recurrences were reported. CONCLUSION: In our experience, adrenal pheochromocytoma can be treated safely and effectively by laparoscopic transperitoneal anterior approach.

Adrenal Gland Neoplasms↗

PubMed2005

[Appendicectomy: laparoscopic or ''open approach''?].

AIM: The aim of our study was to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of open appendectomy versus laparoscopic appendectomy in the surgical treatment of acute appendicitis. We have compared the following items: operating time, postoperative pain, length of hospital stay, postoperative complications and costs. METHODS: The study was conducted on 435 patients admitted in our Department from December 1993 to December 2003 with diagnosis of acute appendicitis: 339 (77.9%) cases were operated with laparoscopic approach (LA group) and 96 (22.1%) cases with open approach (OA group) according to personal experience of surgeons on laparoscopic technique and patient's anthropometrical conformation. RESULTS: Mean operative time in LA group was 50 minutes (range 25-195) and 65 minutes (range 35-160) for OA group. In 15 patients (4.4%), the operation had to be converted to open approach. The morbidity was observed in 4.4% of patients for the LA group and 14.6% for the OA group. Hospital stay was faster for patients having laparoscopic appendectomy (2.5 days vs 3.5 days). Pain in the 1st and 2nd postoperative days, evaluated on the use of pain medication, was less in patient in LA group whereas the costs were higher in the LA group than in OA group. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience the laparoscopic approach to acute appendicitis can be considered safe and effective with diagnostic and therapeutic value. It significantly offers all the advantages of mini-invasive surgery reported in literature.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Digital stereotactic biopsies for nonpalpable breast lesion.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous biopsy (BP) is a valid alternative to open surgical biopsy. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results and diagnostic value of vacuum-assisted core biopsy (VACB; Mammotome) and advanced breast biopsy instrumentation (ABBI). METHODS: From June 1999 to December 2001, 360 BPs were performed: all patients had dubious mammography lesions not confirmed by ultrasonography. Indications were as follows 264 (73.3%) microcalcifications, 64 (17.8%) nodular opacities, and 32 (8.8%) parenchymal distortions. RESULTS: All BPs were performed with a digital stereotactic table with a vacuum suction aspiration system for VACB and a cutting cannula for ABBI. All BPs were correctly performed. Seventy-one (19.7%) lesions were malignant, whereas 258 (71.6%) were benign: 31 (8.6%) of the lesions removed with VACB were atypical ductal hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: BP is a valid method for the diagnosis of nonpalpable breast lesions. In our experience, VACB is the method of choice because it is easy to perform and has high adaptability.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Sphincter-saving surgery in patients with rectal cancer treated by radiotherapy and transanal endoscopic microsurgery: 10 years' experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) is a technique which allows minimally invasive full-thickness local excision of rectal tumours with perirectal fat dissection. METHODS: Our study examined a group of 137 selected patients with rectal cancer treated by TEM excision combined with preoperative radiotherapy. The definitive histology was as follows: 37 patients with pT1 stage rectal cancer (27%), 59 with pT2 (43%) and 23 with pT3 (17%). In 18 (13%) patients who underwent a full dose of radiotherapy and TEM, the pathologist did not find cancer cells in the specimen (pT0). RESULTS: Eleven (8%) patients developed minor complications, whereas three (2%) developed major complications. The perioperative mortality was nil. At the mean follow-up of 46 months (range 6-115 months), we observed seven (5%) local recurrences. Of those, three patients died from systemic spread of the disease at follow-up. The disease-free survival rate in T0 and T1 patients was 100%. The disease-free survival rates in T2 and T3 patients were 81 and 59%, respectively, at a mean follow-up of 46 months. CONCLUSIONS: The application of preoperative radiotherapy and TEM in the treatment of rectal tumours appears feasible, safe and effective in the present study, with optimal preservation of anal sphincter function.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

Anterior, lateral, and posterior retroperitoneal approaches in endoscopic adrenalectomy.

BACKGROUND: Three approaches are currently used for endoscopic adrenalectomy-the lateral (transperitoneal), the posterior (retroperitoneal), and the anterior (transperitoneal). Both the lateral and posterior approaches are performed with the patient placed in the flank decubitus position; in the anterior approach the patient is supine. This study was designed to compare these three types of access in a relatively large series of patients undergoing adrenalectomy at three different institutions. METHODS: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed in 216 patients with a variety of adrenal disorders, including 66 patients with Conn's syndrome, 55 with incidentaloma, 58 with Cushing's syndrome, 33 with pheochromocytoma, two with virilizing adrenogenital syndrome, and two with other lesions. Seventy-two adrenalectomies were performed using the lateral access, 67 via the posterior approach, and 77 via the transperitoneal anterior approach. There were 111 right and 105 left lesions. RESULTS: One patient in the lateral access group and three patients in the posterior group required conversion to open surgery. No conversions were needed in the anterior group. The learning curve was statistically significant only in the anterior access group. In both of the transperitoneal approaches (lateral and anterior), a statistically significant correlation was found between the operative time and the patient's body mass index (BMI). The postoperative hospital stay and time needed to return to normal activities were similar for the three groups. One patient who underwent retroperitoneal adrenalectomy for Cushing' disease died in the postoperative period of Candida sepsis and peritonitis. CONCLUSIONS: The anterior access route requires that the surgeon be skilled in advanced laparoscopic surgery. Both of the transperitoneal approaches (anterior and lateral) are suitable to remove larger adrenal masses. The posterior access may represent a better option in obese patients or in cases with small lesions.

Adolescent↗