Biomedical subjects

Naveen Pokala

Publications and source records attributed to Naveen Pokala.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Long-term outcome after operative intervention for rectal cancer in patients aged over 80 years: analysis of 9,501 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Perceptions of poor outcome may detract caregivers from offering standard therapies to patients over 80 years who have been diagnosed with rectal cancer. We evaluate the effect of operative intervention on their survival. METHODS: Demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and survival for patients over 80 years with rectal and rectosigmoid cancer from 1993 to 2002 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program of the National Cancer Institute were examined. Survival was determined by using the Kaplan-Meier method. Patients who underwent operation (Group A) were compared with those who did not undergo surgery (Group B). Fisher's exact, chi-squared, analysis of variance, and log-rank tests were used as appropriate, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 9,501 patients (19 percent) were aged older than 80 years. Mean age was 85 years, and median survival was 24 months. Stage of disease was unknown for 2,915 patients. Median survival was 58, 53, 39, 27, and 5 months for Stages 0 (n=163), I (n=1,878), II (n=1,796), III (n=1,536), and IV (n=1,213), respectively. A total of 6,900 patients (81 percent) underwent surgery. Median survival for operated patients was significantly longer for all stages (36 vs. 5 months, P < 0.00001), Stage 0 (60 vs. 7 months, P < 0.01), Stage I (55 vs. 11 months, P < 0.0001), Stage II (41 vs. 13 months, P < 0.0001), Stage III (28 vs. 14 months, P < 0.05), and Stage IV (8 vs. 3 months, P < 0.0001). For patients with rectal cancer, local therapy also significantly improved median survival compared with nonoperated patients (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Operative intervention provides sustained benefit in terms of survival to patients aged >80 years with rectal cancer at all stages who are assessed to be a good operative risk. Age older than 80 years should not detract surgeons from offering optimal therapy to good-risk patients.

Aged, 80 and over↗

PubMed2006

Outcome of laparoscopic colectomy for polyps not suitable for endoscopic resection.

BACKGROUND: Large colonic polyps or polyps that lie in anatomical locations that are difficult to access at endoscopy may not be suitable for endoscopic resection and therefore may require partial colectomy. This approach eradicates the polyp and allows an oncologic resection should the polyp prove to be malignant. The purpose of this study was to assess outcomes of a laparoscopic approach for the management of these polyps. METHODS: Patients referred for laparoscopic colectomy for colonic polyps were identified from the prospective colorectal laparoscopic surgery database. Demographics, operative details, and final pathology were reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty-one consecutive patients (27 male) with a mean age of 68 +/- 11.4 years, ASA classification (1/2/3/4) of 0/21/27/3, and body mass index (BMI) of 26.5 +/- 4.9 were identified. Right (RHC) and left (LHC) colectomy was performed for 39 right and 12 left colonic polyps. Mean operating time (OT) was 87 +/- 30 min (81 for RHC, 105 for LHC) and mean hospital stay was 3.1 +/- 1.9 days. There were six complications (17.7%), including anastomotic leak (n = 1), small bowel obstruction (n = 2), abscess (n = 1), and exacerbation of preexisting medical conditions (n = 2). Four patients were readmitted (7.8%); one required CT scan-guided abscess drainage (1.9%) and two required reoperation (3.9%). Five patients (9.8%) were converted because of adhesions (n = 3), obesity (n = 1), and inability to identify the area that was tattooed at colonoscopy (n = 1). Mean polyp size was 3.1 cm, and pathology revealed tubular (n = 14), tubulovillous (n = 33) and villous adenoma (n = 2), pseudopolyp (n = 1), and prolapse of the appendix into the cecum mimicking an adenoma (n = 1). High-grade dysplasia was seen in four tubular (33%) and five tubulovillous adenomas (15.5%). Adenocarcinoma not identified at colonoscopy was found in 11 polyps (20%), 9 tubulovillous (27.8%) and both villous adenomas (100%). CONCLUSIONS: Large colonic polyps unresectable at colonoscopy are associated with a high rate of unsuspected cancer. This requires a formal colectomy rather than transcolonic polypectomy. Laparoscopic colectomy offers safe and effective management of these polyps with the benefits of accelerated postoperative recovery.

Abscess↗

PubMed2006

A randomized controlled trial comparing simultaneous intra-operative vs sequential prophylactic ureteric catheter insertion in re-operative and complicated colorectal surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Prophylactic insertion of ureteric stents aids intra-operative identification of ureters and may allow easier visualization of any direct ureteric injury. Traditionally, ureteric catheters are inserted sequentially, before starting the abdominal part of the operation. This study determines the safety and efficacy of simultaneous intra-operative ureteric catheter insertion during complicated and re-operative colorectal surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After institutional review board (IRB) approval, 24 patients were randomized into two groups, sequential (SEQ) and simultaneous (SIM) depending upon the timing of stent placement relative to abdominal incision. Time taken from induction to abdominal incision (AIT), induction to peritoneal entry (PET), catheter insertion time (CIT), and urinary tract infection rates were recorded. Degree of difficulty for stent insertion was graded on a scale of 1-10. RESULT: Demographics were similar between groups. Mean AIT (22 +/- 4 vs 41 +/- 7; p = 0.0001) and mean PET (26 +/- 4.2 vs 44 +/- 7.6; p = 0.0001) were shorter in the SIM group. There was no significant difference in mean CIT in SIM and SEQ groups (17.9 +/- 4.9 vs 17.6 +/- 5.9 min, p = 0.8). The stents were unsuccessful bilaterally in one patient in the SEQ group and unilaterally in two other patients, one in each group. The median difficulty score for catheter insertion was 3 (1-10) and 2 (1-10), (p = 0.12), respectively, in SIM and SEQ groups. There were no ureteric injuries in either group. One patient in SIM developed a urinary tract infection. CONCLUSION: Simultaneous ureteric catheter insertion during abdominal procedures reduces operating times without a significant increase in morbidity. Furthermore, this permits a policy of selective stent insertion as required by the intra-abdominal findings after laparotomy.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Is laparoscopic colectomy applicable to patients with body mass index >30? A case-matched comparative study with open colectomy.

PURPOSE: The benefits of early postoperative recovery, reduced postoperative pain, pulmonary dysfunction, and hospitalization after laparoscopic colectomy may improve outcome over open colectomy in obese patients. This case-matched study compares outcomes after open and laparoscopic colectomy. METHODS: A total of 94 laparoscopic colectomy patients with a body mass index >30 (Jan 1999-June 2003) were identified from a prospective database and matched to open colectomy cases for age, gender, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, procedure, indication, and date of surgery. Operating time, length of stay, conversion, intraoperative and postoperative complications, reoperation, 30-day readmission rate, and costs were compared. Data are presented as means +/- standard deviations, and appropriate statistical tests were used. RESULTS: The two groups were matched for age (P = 0.06), gender (P = 1), American Society of Anesthesiologists class (P = 0.2), body mass index (P = 0.4), indication for surgery (P = 1), and procedure (P = 1). By using intention-to-treat-type analysis, there was no difference in median operating time (100 vs. 110 (mean, 123 vs. 112) minutes; P = 0.1), complications (21 vs. 24 percent; P = 0.74), readmission (17 vs. 10.6 percent; P = 0.3), reoperation rates (6.4 vs. 4.3 percent; P = 0.75), or direct costs (median, US. 3,368 dollars vs. US 3,552 dollars; mean, US 4,003 dollars vs. US 4,037 dollars; P = 0.14) between laparoscopic colectomy or open colectomy; however, the median length of stay (3 vs. 5.5 (mean, 3.8 vs. 5.8) days; P = 0.0001) was significantly shorter after laparoscopic colectomy. Twenty-eight patients required conversion for adhesions (n = 11), bleeding (n = 3), obesity-hindering vision or dissection (n = 9), large phlegmon or tumor (n = 4), and ureteric injury (n = 1). The mean operating time for conversions was 142 minutes and length of stay was 6.4 days. Compared with laparoscopically completed cases, the median length of stay (5 vs. 2 (mean, 6.4 vs. 2.8) days; P = 0.0001) and median operating times (150 vs. 95 (mean, 142 vs. 115) minutes; P = 0.02) were significantly higher in the converted group, but there was no difference in the complication (P = 0.8), readmission (P = 1), or reoperation (P = 0.7) rates. Compared with open colectomy, the operating time (P = 0.02) was significantly higher in the converted group but there were no significant differences in the length of stay (P = 0.18), complication (P = 1), readmission (P = 0.35), or reoperative (P = 1) rates. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic colectomy can be performed safely in obese patients, with shorter postoperative recovery than that with open colectomy. Although obesity is associated with a high conversion rate, outcome in these converted cases is comparable to the matched open cases.

Body Mass Index↗

PubMed2004

Use of laser for rectal lesions in poor-risk patients.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates laser ablation of large polyps and cancer of the rectum in poor-risk surgical patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of treatment of rectal lesions with the neodymium yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) laser. Biopsy was performed before the first and subsequent therapies. Large lesions were initially debulked by diathermy snare. Biopsies were performed on suspicious areas at follow-up after completion of therapy. RESULTS: Three patients with unresectable rectal cancer had symptom control over a mean period of 15.7 months and 12 patients with large polyps over 60.6 months since the start of therapy. Indications in polyps were carpeting of the rectum (n = 3), proximity to sphincter (n = 1), or comorbidity (n = 8). No complication occurred; however, there was 1 treatment failure. None of the patients with polyps developed cancer during a mean follow-up interval of 14 months after final treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Outpatient laser therapy is safe, repeatable, and effective in the local control of rectal lesions.

Adenocarcinoma↗