“Second look surgery” for suspected recurrences in cancer of the large bowel

Postgraduate Medical Journal

1975

Introduction In this year’s review, the author, once again, has selected those subjects which he has found of personal interest and appeal during the year. Cholecystectomy is one of the commonest major general surgical operations and, therefore, its post-operative complications are extremely important in the hospital community. Acute pancreatitis continues to be a somewhat mysterious condition which remains a clinical, diagnostic, and therapeutic challenge. There is evidence that renal calculi are being seen with ever increasing frequency in the Western World and there is naturally considerable interest in their diagnosis and management. New methods of investigation continue to make the study of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism an important and exciting topic. Realizing his surgical limitations, the surgeon is anxious to learn about new concepts of prophylaxis, early diagnosis and treatment in malignant disease; a number of interesting papers are discussed in this area. Surgeons are paying increasing attention to the local and systemic factors which are of importance in the healing of their gastro-intestinal anastomoses and much work of interest has been reported in this field. We report new studies in the management of patients with extensive burns and we conclude with one or two eye-catching papers which have been published during the year.

Section: Cancer Immunologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of general surgery 1974

Postgraduate Medical Journal

1975

Is ‘second look surgery’ justified in suspected recurrences of cancer of the stomach?

Journal of British Surgery

Jayasekar

1975

Self Cite

A series of 23 patients with suspected recurrent disease following 'curative' resection for gastric carcinoma was submitted to further laparotomy (24 operations). Three patients were found to have hopeless dissemination, 10 had palliative procedures performed which relieved their dysphagia, vomiting and jaundice, 4 had recurrences resected and 1 had a second primary of the gastric stump excised. No less than 6 were found to have benign lesions. Although the reward as far as prolonged survival is small, we believe that the relief of symptoms and the occasional long term excellent result justifies judicious use of a 'second look' laparotomy for suspected recurrent disease.

Is a “second look operation” justified in suspected recurrences after abdominal cancer surgery?

Journal of British Surgery

1975

Self Cite

Seventy-three patients have been submitted to 74 further laparotomies for suspected recurrent malignant abdominal disease over a period of 13 months. The original tumour was situated in the large bowel in 42, oesophagus or stomach in 24, ovary in 3, small intestine in 2 and pancreas and retroperitoneum in 1 instance each. There were 10 examples of benign lesions, 16 of further primary cancer and 24 of resectable local recurrences or metastases. Seventeen patients underwent some palliative procedure, and only 7 were beyond any surgical help.