Conveniently localized short lacerations, especially if they do not involve the whole thickness of the tracheal wall, can be treated with antibiotics and intubation with the cuff inflated distal to the tear, avoiding high intra-bronchial pressures also after eventual extubation. In all other cases surgical repair is to be preferred.

SILC is associated with longer operating time, but equals LC with respect to safety, postoperative pain, use of analgesics, length of stay, return to work, rate of incisional hernia, and cosmetic outcome.

The outer appendiceal diameter of 6 mm or more as a sign of acute appendicitis provides high sensitivity but limited specificity. This diagnostic criterion is more useful in excluding acute appendicitis than in confirming it.

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Placement of self-expanding stents is highly effective for instant dysphagia relief, enabling adequate oral nutrition during neo-adjuvant therapy, but is limited by a high re-intervention rate.

According to this prospective non-randomized study, combined PDT/HBO represents a new approach in the treatment of esophageal and cardia cancer which appears to have enhanced the efficiency of PDT.