Surgery, Gastroenterology and Oncology

Read article Central pancreatectomy (CP) is a parenchyma-sparing alternative resection to distal pancreatectomy, for benign and low malignant potential tumors located on the pancreatic isthmus and or body. Pancreatic metastases of other neoplasia might also benefit after a CP, in selected patients.
Dagradi and Serio described the modern technique of CP, while Iacono introduced it in current clinical practice. An open CP represents the standard, but there is an emerging role for the minimally-invasive approach, which might become a standard for CP in experienced centers, particularly for the ....[more]

Read article Objectives: In a period in which minimally invasive surgery revolutionises vitreo-retinal surgery, macular hole vitrectomy has benefited the most from this technical and technological progress. The objective of this paper is to review the modern surgical methods used for the treatment of macular holes and to detail the differences between the current surgical techniques.

Material and methods: Review all the published papers between 2000 and 2015 in PubMed and Medscape databases and also the recent specialty literature.

Results: We noticed a simi....[more]

Read article Taurine, an ubiquitary amino acid in the organism, has important physiological functions like bile salt formation, neuronal excitability regulation, immunomodulation, electrolytes homeostasis preservation, osmoregulation, membrane stabilisation, apoptosis inhibition and cell protection.

This review article is focusing on the complex vasoactive influence of the sulphur-amino acid and on the possibly involved mechanisms that may underline these effects. Acting on endothelial and smooth muscle cells in the vessels, it regulates blood pressure and delays atherogenesis process, h....[more]

Read article Chronic metabolic inflammation, maintained by numerous proinflammatory mediators, links the metabolic syndrome to NASH. Epigeal changes that accelerate the synthesis of proinflammatory mediators in response to nutritional factors and life style are not fully known.
Numerous proinflammatory transcription pathways have been described where nuclear factor kappa B plays a critical role in stimulating proinflammatory gene promoter region interdependent with epigenetic machinery. Of the many cytokines, adipokines, myokines involved in the evolution of NAFLD from simple steatosis to NA....[more]

Read article Background: Despite advancement in medical and interventional treatments, cardiac remodeling may occur in almost 60% of patients who suffered a myocardial infarction. Stem cell therapy is specifically addressed to myocardial hypoperfusion and loss of myocardial mass, with the major goal in prevention and improvement of cardiac remodeling.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety and effectiveness of autologous bone marrow stem cell therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction having moderate to severe systolic dysfunction 6 months afte....[more]

Read article Background: Increased frequency of hepatic resection and advances in oncological therapy dramatically improved the long-term outcome of the patients with colorectal liver metastases. The aim of the study is to present the short and long-term results after surgery in patients with colorectal liver metastases, in a single center, over the last two decades.

Method: Between 1995 and 2014, a curative-intent liver resection was performed in 526 patients with liver only metastases and 71 patients with both hepatic and extrahepatic metastases of colorectal origin.
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Read article Introduction: Liver transplantation (LT) represents the only definitive treatment in End-Stage Liver Disease (ESLD). Patient outcome, including quality of life after LT depends on perioperative outcome and reduction of postoperative complications. Many studies identified acute kidney injury (AKI) as one of the most frequent complications after liver transplantation with a negative impact on both short and long term survival, and focused on identifying risk factors for AKI. Our aim is to assess modifiable risk factors in a single national center in a country that is stii under ....[more]

Read article Background: Pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) patients have a high rate of biliary cancers. This study aimed to show strategy for early detection of PBM before the development of biliary cancer.

Methods: We investigated pancreatobiliary complications, age at diagnosis and process of diagnosis in 111 PBM patients (with biliary dilatation (BD) (n=55) and without BD (n=56)).

Results: Eighteen patients of 55 PBM patients with BD(33%: bile duct cancer, n=9; gallbladder cancer, n=10) and 33 of 56 PBM patients without BD (68%: gallbladder cancer onl....[more]

Read article Introduction: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) in combination with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a spreading technique for the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis, a technique that is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. We report retrospectively the experience of St Constantin Hospital Brasov, underlining the good results obtained in terms of both reduction of complications and oncologic outcome.

Methods: Between Juin 2013 and October 2015, 32 patients with a median age of 55.6 years, underwent 34 CRS-HIPEC combined procedur....[more]

Read article Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) causes significant morbidity and mortality. Clear cell RCC (ccRCC) is the most common histologic subtype, with worse prognosis compared with other histologic subtypes. The indolent variant of ccRCC is the multilocular cystic RCC (McRCC).
Imaging features reflect the various histological findings of each histologic subtypes. Recent advances in imaging technology permit early and more appropriate diagnosis of RCC and facilitate optimal management.

Read article Pancreatic pseudocysts are often complications of acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis, secondary to pancreatic trauma or pancreatic duct obstruction. Computer tomography (CT) is the standard investigation for the diagnosis of pancreatic pseudocysts, but Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a better alternative for the detection and characterisation of this pathology. We present a case of a 43 year old male admitted with ascites who was investigated mainly by CT, both pre and post-operative, but also by MRI. The presented case illustrates an arterialized pancreatic pseudocyst, ....[more]