VS03�*DOES “ON-SITE” VASCULAR SURGERY IMPROVE RUPTURED AAA SURVIVAL?

Penis auto-amputation and chasm of the lower abdominal wall due to advanced penile carcinoma: a case report

Introduction

Penile cancer is uncommon. When penile cancer is left untreated, at an advanced stage it can have tragic consequences for the patient.

Case presentation

Our case report does not concern a new manifestation of penile cancer, but an interesting presentation with clinical significance that emphasizes the need to diagnose and treat penile cancer early. It is an unusual case of a neglected penile cancer in a 57-year-old Greek man that led to auto-amputation of the penis and a large chasm in the lower abdominal wall. The clinical staging was T4N3M0 and our patient was treated with a bilateral cutaneous ureterostomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Our patient died 18 months after his first admission in our clinic.

Conclusions

Emphasis must be placed on early diagnosis and treatment of penile cancer, so further development of the disease can be prevented.

Surgical research elective in the United States: an Australian medical student's experience

The value of surgical research is increasingly recognised by undergraduate medical students interested in pursuing a surgical career. This article describes how an undergraduate medical student from Monash University built upon his surgical research experience from the Eastern Health Surgical Research Group in Australia, by undertaking a 9-week research elective at the Johns Hopkins Center of Surgery Trials and Outcomes Research. Practical issues encountered, such as visa and housing, are outlined. Differing attitudes and trends in surgical research among Australian and American medical students, means of assessing surgical research productivity and the benefits of surgical research are discussed. Surgical research should be encouraged and supported in young trainee surgeons; a short-term surgical research elective can be productive provided the student is focused and realistic about expectations.