Manometry of the pharynx and the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) provides important information on the swallowing mechanism, especially about details on the pharyngeal contraction and relaxation of the UES. However, UES manometry is challenging because of the radial asymmetry of the sphincter, and upward movement of the UES during swallowing. In addition, the rapidity of contraction of the pharyngoesophageal segment requires high frequency recording for capturing these changes in pressure; this is best done with the use of solid state transducers and high-resolution manometry. UES manometry is not required for routine patient care, when esophageal manometry is being performed. The major usefulness of UES manometry in clinical practice is in the evaluation of patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia.
Contracts ; Deglutition ; Deglutition Disorders ; Esophageal Sphincter, Upper ; Humans ; Manometry ; Patient Care ; Pharynx ; Relaxation ; Transducers

OBJECTIVE: The use of robotic radical hysterectomy has greatly increased in the treatment of early stage cervical cancer. We sought to compare surgical and oncologic outcomes of women undergoing robotic radical hysterectomy compared to open radical hysterectomy. METHODS: The clinic-pathologic, treatment, and recurrence data were abstracted through an Institutional Review Board-approved protocol at 2 separate large tertiary care centers in Seattle, Swedish Medical Center and the University of Washington. Data were collected from 2001–2012. Comparisons between the robotic and open cohorts were made for complications, recurrence, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: In the study period, 109 robotic radical hysterectomies were performed. These were compared to 202 open radical hysterectomies. The groups were comparable in terms of age and body mass index (BMI). Length of stay (LOS) was considerably shorter in the robotic group (42.7 vs. 112.6 hours, p<0.001) as was estimated blood loss (EBL; 105.9 vs. 482.6 mL, p<0.001). There were more complications in the open radical hysterectomy group, 23.4% vs. 9.2% in the robotic group (p=0.002). The recurrence rate was comparable between the groups (10.1% vs. 10.4%, p=0.730). In multivariate adjusted analysis, robotic surgery was not a statistically significant predictor of PFS (p=0.230) or OS (0.85). CONCLUSION: Our study, one of the largest multi-institution cohorts of patients undergoing robotic radical hysterectomy, suggest robotic radical hysterectomy leads to comparable oncologic outcomes in the treatment of early stage cervical cancer with improved short-term surgical outcomes such as decreased LOS and EBL.
Body Mass Index ; Cohort Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy* ; Length of Stay ; Recurrence ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* ; Washington

OBJECTIVE: Despite the rarity of uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) and uterine clear cell carcinoma (UCCC), they contribute disproportionately to endometrial cancer deaths. Sufficient clinical information regarding treatment and prognosis is lacking. The aim of this study is to evaluate treatment outcomes in a rare cancer cohort based on the experience at two tertiary care cancer centers. METHODS: Clinicopathologic data were retrospectively collected on 279 patients with UPSC and UCCC treated between 1995 to 2011. Mode of surgery, use of adjuvant treatment, and dissection of paraaoritc lymph nodes were evaluated for their association with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: 40.9% of patients presented with stage I disease, 6.8% of patients presented with stage II disease and 52.3% of patients presented with stages III and IV. Median follow-up was 31 months (range, 1 to 194 months). OS and PFS at 5 years were 63.0% and 51.9%, respectively. OS and PFS were not affected by mode of surgery (open vs. robotic approach; OS: hazard ratio [HR], 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28 to 1.62; PFS: HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.40 to 1.56). Adjuvant treatment was associated with improved OS in stages IB-II (HR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.78; p=0.026) but not in stage IA disease. There was no difference in OS or PFS based on the performance of a paraaoritc lymph node dissection. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive surgical staging appears a reasonable strategy for patients with non-bulky UPSC and UCCC and was not associated with diminished survival. Adjuvant treatment improved 5-year survival in stages IB-II disease.
Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell/pathology/secondary/*therapy ; Aged ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Papillary/pathology/secondary/*therapy ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous/pathology/secondary/*therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Professional Practice ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Retrospective Studies ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Survival Analysis ; Treatment Outcome ; Uterine Neoplasms/pathology/*therapy