This study was designed to determine the effects of different anaesthesia on the postoperative gastrointestinal motility after cholecystectomy. Postoperative gastrointestinal motility were recorded continuously by means of gastrointestinal manometry in 20 patients subject to cholecystectomy (general anaesthesia 10, epidural anaesthesia 10). Normal migrating motor complex (MMC) was abolished during the early postoperative period in all patients. The time of reappearance of intestinal MMC varied from 0.5 to 2 hours . Gastric MMC recurred 5.5 to 14 hours postoperatively and the normal MMC completely recovered 22 to 43 hours after the operations. Ingestion of food changed the MMC into a fed pattern during the early postoperative period. There was no difference between the general anaesthesia group and epidural anaesthesia group in terms of gastrointestinal motility. The results indicate that postoperative gastrointestinal motility recovers faster than that was thought conventionally. Cholecystectomy under general anaesthesia or under epidural anaesthesia makes no difference in postoperative gastrointestinal motility.
Serum tumor markers CEA, CA19-9, CA72-4 and Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) antibodies were measured in 162 patients with gastric cancer. CEA, CA19-9 and CA72-4 had sensitivities of 24.0%, 35.5% and 21.9% respectively. CA72-4 provided 100% specifity, compared to 77% and 93% for CA19-9 and CEA. The positive predictive value (PV) in CEA, CA19-9 and CA72-4 was higher than negative PV. Serum CA19-9 and CA72-4 levels rose in tumor of ＞5.0cm in diameter. The CA19-9 increased remarkably when the deeper stomach wall was invased. The significantly elevated CEA, CA72-4 and CA19-9 levels were found in patients who had nodal involvement in more than 50% and distant metastasis. However, the increase of CEA, CA19-9 and CA72-4 were found in undifferentiated tumor. Antibodies to H.pylori were detected in 54% of patients but in only 22% control subjects. A significant association was found between H.pylori infection and gastric cancer (odds ratio=3.75; 95% confidence interval=2.11-5.41, Ｐ＜0.01). Conclusions: CEA, CA19-9 and CA72-4 have higher specifity but lower sensitivity in diagnosis of the gastric cancer. The levels of CEA, CA19-9 and CA72-4 are significantly associated with the diameter, the depth of invasion, nodal involvement, distant metastasis and cell differention. Infection with H.pylori may be an important cause of gastric cancer.
Objective To investigate the postoperative biochemical changes and the strategy of steroid treatment for autoimmune pancreatitis （AIP）. Methods Six patients with AIP from January 2007 to October 2011 in this hospital were included in this study. Four patients received pancreaticoduodenectomy or distal pancreatectomy for being preoperatively misdiagnosed as malignant tumors. Two patients avoided the unnecessary resection and received the internal drainage for obstructive jaundice and postoperative steroid medication because of a confirmation of AIP by intraoperative frozen biopsy. All the patients underwent routine examinations， including liver function， CA19-9 level， and imaging data. Measurement of serum IgG or IgG4 was performed for fewer patients after operation. Results CA19-9 levels were normal or slightly elevated in six AIP patients. For five patients with AIP in the head of pancreas， preoperative serum γ-GT levels were elevated. For these patients， whether pancreaticoduodenectomy or the internal drainage were performed， TB/DB levels were transiently elevated on day 1 or 4 after operation but dropped to below preoperative levelsor normal levels on day 7 after operation， and serum γ-GT levels among them presented a downward. Serum γ-globulin levels exhibited a downward trend among four AIP patients after resection， while a upward trend was found in another two AIP patients receiving internal drainage. From the limited data， elevated serum level of IgG in the AIP patients were found. As to IgG4， the only case was tested on month 7 after operation， the serum IgG4 level was elevated. CT showed that the swollen status of pancreas obviously reduced on month 3 after operation as compared with before operation.Conclusions Postoperative steroid therapy of AIP should be based on the serum γ-globulin level and operation method. CT or MRI imaging is used to evaluate the response to steroid treatment for the AIP patients.
