Objective To assess the efficacy and safety of the Nuss procedure in the treatment of pectus excavatum in children. Methods The Nuss procedure was performed in 38 patients.Under thoracoscopy,a convex steel bar was inserted under the sternum through small bilateral thoracic incisions,with the convexity facing posteriorly.When the bar was in position,it was turned over,thereby correcting the deformity.Two lateral stabilizing bars were employed.Out of the 38 patients,imported bars were used in 5 patients and China-made bars were used in 33 patients.Results The procedure was completed under thoracoscopy smoothly in all the 38 patients.The operating time was 40~80 min(mean,50 min) and the intraoperative blood loss was 5~30 ml(mean,16 ml).A single bar was utilized in 36 patients,and a second bar was required in 2.Complications included postoperative pneumothorax in 4 patients,subcutaneous emphysema in 16 patients,bar displacement in 1 patient,and lateral stabilizer dislocation in 1 patient.The length of postoperative hospital stay was 7~21 days(mean,8 days).Follow-up checkups in the 38 patients for 3~22 months(mean,11 months) showed excellent outcomes in 36 cases and good outcomes in 2 patients,the rate of excellent or good results being 100%. Conclusions The Nuss procedure is safe and reliable for the treatment of pectus excavatum in children.The best age range for surgery was 3~12 years old.

Objective To evaluate the value of laparoscopic-assisted cholangiography in diagnosing prolonged jaundice in infants.Methods Through an umbilical troear,an laparoscope was placed into the abdominal cavity to detect the gallbladder and liver.After confirming that the choleeyst is normal,we pulled out the fundus of the gallbladder through the right subcostal trocar,and then inserted a catheter into the gallbladder for cholangiography.If the fundus could not be exteriorized because of gallbladder atresia, the patient would be converted to an open surgery.Results Cholangiography showed infant hepatitis syndrome or cholestasis in 8 cases,biliary hypoplasia in 2,and biliary atresia in 2.In 5 patients,the gallbladder was dissected from the liver bed before cholangiography,2 of them had biliary hypoplasia and 3 showed biliary atresia.Cholangiography was given up in 21 children because of liver cirrhosis.These patients were diagnosed with biliary atresia and then were treated by Kasai portoenterostomy. Conclusions Laparoscopic-assisted cholangiography is a simple,accurate,and safe method in the diagnosis of prolonged jaundice in infants.By using the procedure,the whole biliary tree can be shown clearly without leading to serious injuries.

Objective To assess the middle-term results of laparoscopy in resection of congenital choledochal cyst,hepaticojejunostomy,and extra-abdominal Roux-en-Y anastomosis. Methods We retrospectively studied 50 patients who had undergone laparoscopic choledochal cyst excision in our institute from 2005 to 2008.For large cysts,we dissected and separated the cyst at the middle portion,and then opened the inferior wall of the cyst to dissect the posterior wall of the cyst from the portal vein.For small cysts,we divided the cysts circumferentially and then completely excised the dilated bile duct.When the cyst was intensely inflamed,excision of the cysts was performed as Lilly's technique.Roux-en-Y jejunojejunostomy was performed extracorporeally through an umbilical incision(1.5 cm),afterwards,end-to-side anastomosis was carried out intracorporeally.The conversion to open surgery,and morbidity and mortality rates of the patients was analyzed.Results The cysts were completely excised in 16 cases,and Lilly's technique was performed on 34 cases.One patient was converted to open surgery due to hemorrhage resulted from recurrent inflammatory-caused tight adhesion between the cyst and surrounding tissues.The mean operation time was 226 minutes(range: 190 to 450 minutes).Eight patients received blood transfusion during the operation.The children were discharged from hospital in 6 to 16 days after the surgery(mean,8 days).A mean of 26 months follow-up was achieved in 49 patients(ranged 3 to 39 months).Four patients developed complications: one of them showed bile leakage and then were cured by intra-abdominal drainage;one patient developed acute pancreatitis and one suffered from adhesive small bowel obstruction,both recovered after conservative treatment;intestinal necrosis was detected in one patient,who received another operation for resection of the necrotic bowel and anastomosis of the bile duct and intestine.In the other 45 patients,no abdominal pain,fever,jaundice,etc.were detected.No patient showed bile duct stenosis or reflux gastritis,no one died because of the surgery.Conclusions Laparoscopic approach is effective for congenital choledochal cyst,hepaticojejunostomy,and extra-abdominal Roux-en-Y anastomosis.Dissection of the posterior cyst wall to avoid injury to the portal vein is the key to the procedures,while extra-abdominal Roux-en-Y anastomosis is one of the most difficult steps.

Human CD3AK cells were prepared from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by culturing with recombinant IL-2 and antiCD3AK McAb. The mechanism and regulation of CD3AK cytotoxic activity with cytokines (rhIFN-?, rhIFN-?, TNF) and chernotherapeutic agents (CDDP or ADM) were observed by LDH-release assay, ABC-CELISA and the flow cytometric assay. The results showed: (1) Adhesion molecules ICAM-l/LFA-1 participated in CD3AK-mediated killing of tumor cells, hrlFN-? and TNF enhanced cytotoxicity of CD3AK through this pathway. (2) CD3AK could indirectly kill tumor cells by releasing soluable cytotoxic factors. (3) The membrane-associated TNF may be involved in CD3AK-mediated cytotoxicity. (4) CD3AK cells could induce the apoptosis of tumor cells. (5) Pretreatment of tumor cells with CDDP or ADM resulted in the increased vulnerability of tumor cells to CD3AK-mediated killing, the enhancement of CD3AK-mediated cytotoxicity by CDDP was relative to the increased expression of ICAM-1, HLA-ABC on tumor cell membrane.