The fact that there were no differences in terms of wound infection or recurrence rates between the three groups, and the relatively shorter period for returning to work, emphasize the usefulness of the excision and repair techniques in the surgical treatment of pilonidal disease.

In this study, the long-term effects of mesh and its localisation (i.e. anterior or posterior) on testicular perfusion and testicular function were evaluated in groin hernia patients. Testicular function has been evaluated with spermiogram and testicular perfusion with colour Doppler ultrasonography. Group I: consisted of 30 posterior preperitoneal mesh repair patients Group II: consisted of 30 anterior tension-free repair patients. The operation types were randomised with a systematic sampling method. There was no statistically significant difference between pre-operative and postoperative spermiogram results for both groups. No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of Doppler flow parameters (PSV, EDV, RI and PI) for pre-operative, early and late postoperative periods. When Doppler flow parameters were compared for group I, statistically significant differences were found between pre-operative and early postoperative values. No statistically significant difference was found between pre-operative and late postoperative values. This is also true for early postoperative values versus late postoperative values. When Doppler flow parameters were compared for group II, statistically significant differences were found between pre-operative and early postoperative values. No statistically difference was found between pre-operative and late postoperative values. This is also true for early postoperative values versus late postoperative values. These results support the idea that inguinal mesh application is still a safe procedure in patients with no children or who are undergoing infertility treatment, where testicular function is important.

Aggressive surgical debridement and combined antibiotherapy are essential in the management of Fournier's gangrene. FGSI and BSA are useful to assess the severity and prognosis of the disease.

Lumbar hernias are rare; approximately 300 cases have been described in the literature since their first description. They are typically subdivided by categories such as congenital or acquired and by their location. Acquired lumbar hernias may follow trauma, poliomyelitis, loin incision, and the use of iliac crest as a donor site for bone grafting. Although they tend to grow in size and have a 25% risk of incarceration and 8% risk of strangulation, surgery is indicated once the lesion is confirmed. Many techniques have been described for surgical repair of lumbar hernias, including primary repair, local tissue flaps, and conventional mesh repair. All these open techniques require a large incision plus extensive dissection to expose the area. The first laparoscopic repair of lumbar hernia was described in 1996. The laparoscopic approach for lumbar hernia has significant advantages: it enables exact localization of the anatomic defect, the mesh can be placed deep into the defect allowing intraabdominal pressure to hold it in position, and it also has all the well-known advantages of the laparoscopic approach. We present two cases of laparoscopically repaired acquired lumbar hernias.

Abstract. Adipose tissue-derived hormones (adipocytokines), such as adiponectin, leptin, resistin and visfatin, and the pancreatic hormone insulin, have been suggested to play a role in carcinogenesis. We therefore hypothesized that the oncological treatment of breast cancer may alter the serum levels of these adipocytokines and insulin. In this study, we aimed to compare the serum levels of adipocytokines and insulin between the pre-and post-treatment period in patients with breast cancer. In this prospective study, 20 consecutive patients with stage II and III breast cancer underwent breast-conserving surgery or total mastectomy and/or axillary dissection. The patients received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy, if necessary. Blood samples were obtained during the preoperative period and postoperatively after completion of the adjuvant therapy. There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-and post-treatment levels of visfatin, adiponectin and leptin. However, the serum insulin and resistin levels and insulin resistance were found to be statistically significantly increased following treatment (P<0.05). Post-treatment resistin levels were positively correlated with insulin resistance (r=0.45, P<0.05). Therefore, oncological treatment of stage II and III breast cancer did not affect visfatin, adiponectin and leptin levels, but statistically significantly increased resistin levels and insulin resistance. In addition, the post-treatment resistin levels were positively correlated with insulin resistance, suggesting that resistin may be involved in the development of insulin resistance in breast cancer patients following treatment.