Safety analysis of definitive surgery for chronic radiation intestinal injury / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the safety of definitive surgery for chronic radiation intestinal injury. Methods: A descriptive case series study was performed. Clinical data of 105 patients who were diagnosed as chronic radiation intestinal injury, had complete data and received definitive surgery (the radiation-induced intestinal segment and digestive tract reconstruction) at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital from June 2016 to May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 30 males (28.6%) and 75 females (71.4%) with the median age of 58 years (P25, P75: 52, 64 years). Patients who had tumor recurrence or refused surgical treatment were excluded. According to the preoperative evaluation and clinical manifestations, to select the resection range. Outcome parameters: (1) preoperative evaluation (nutrition risk assessment and status of obstruction or fistula); (2) clinical manifestations and treatment strategies; (3) details of surgical parameters; (4) postoperative complications, and Clavien-Dindo classification III to V was defined as main moderate-severe complication. Results: (1) Preoperative evaluation: Eighty-eight patients (83.8%) developed symptoms of chronic radiation intestinal injury more than 1 year after the end of radiotherapy. Ninety-eight patients (93.3%) had preoperative NRS-2002 score ≥3, 74 patients (70.5%) received preoperative parenteral nutritional support, and the median time of nutritional support was 10.5 (7.0, 16.0) days. Sixteen patients (15.2%) received small intestinal decompression tube implantation due to severe obstruction. (2) Clinical manifestations and treatment strategies: Among 105 patients, 87 (82.9%) presented with obstruction and received definitive resection of the radiation-induced intestinal segment plus one-stage digestive tract reconstruction; 18 (17.1%) presented with intestinal fistula and all of them received definitive resection of the radiation-induced intestinal segment, intestinal fistula plus one-stage digestive tract reconstruction. Among above 18 patients with fistula, 3 patients with ileorectal stump fistula received pedicled pelvic closure of greater omentum at the same time; 4 patients had ileal vesical fistula, of whom 2 patients received cystectomy and bladder repair due to preoperative nephrostomy decompression, and the other 2 patients received transection of the small intestine proximal and distal to the fistula and anastomosis of the intestinal loop without fistula resection, intestinal fistula or bladder fistula repair. (3) The details of surgical parameters: Median operative time and intraoperative blood loss was 230 (180, 300) minutes and 50 (20, 50) ml respectively. Ninety-two patients (92/105, 87.6%) underwent ileocolonic anastomosis, and anastomosis on the hepatic flexure or splenic flexure colon were performed in 88 (83.8%) and 4 (3.8%) patients respectively. Ileoileal anastomosis was performed in 13 patients (12.4%). The anastomotic site of 92 patients (87.6%) was strictly located in the contralateral quadrant of the radiation field, and the anastomotic site of 13 patients (12.4%) was far from the radiation field. Nine patients (8.6%) had more than one anastomosis, 5 patients (4.8%) had less than 180 cm of residual small intestine, 7 patients (6.7%) underwent retrograde intestinal permutation, 4 patients (3.8%) underwent abdominal wall reconstruction surgery due to abdominal wall defects, and 87 patients (82.9%) had severe abdominal pelvic adhesions (grade 3-4 adhesions). Intraoperative complications occurred in 3 patients (2.9%), which were found in time and handled properly. The median postoperative hospital stay was 13.0 (12.0, 24.5) days, and all the patients had resumed oral feeding upon discharge. (4) Postoperative complications: Fourteen patients (13.3%) had 18 major complications (grade III to V). The incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage was 5.7% (6/105), and the incidence of anastomotic leakage for ileocolon anastomosis and ileoileal anastomosis was 2.2% (2/92) and 4/13, respectively (χ(2)=17.29, P<0.001). The incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage of intestinal fistula and intestinal obstruction was 3/18 and 3.4% (3/87), respectively (χ(2)=4.84, P=0.028). The mortality at 30 days after operation was 1.0% (1/105), after abdominal infection and septic shock caused by postoperative anastomotic leakage resulting in multiple organ failure. Conclusion: For chronic radiation intestinal injury patients with obstruction or fistula, definitive surgical treatment is feasible and safe with acceptable major complications.

Analysis on operational safety of chronic radiation intestinal injury / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the safety and efficacy of surgical treatment for chronic radiation intestinal injury.@*Methods@#A descriptive cohort study was performed. Clinical data of 73 patients with definite radiation history and diagnosed clinically as chronic radiation intestinal injury, undergoing operation at Department of Colorectal Surgery, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 1, 2012 to February 28, 2019, were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively. Patients did not undergo operation or only received adhesiolysis were excluded. All the patients had preoperative examination and overall evaluation of the disease. According to severity of intestinal obstruction and patients′ diet, corresponding nutritional support and conservative treatment were given. Surgical methods: The one-stage bowel resection and anastomosis was the first choice for surgical treatment of chronic radiation intestinal injury. Patients with poor nutritional condition were given enterostomy and postoperative enteral nutrition and second-stage stoma closure and intestinal anastomosis if nutritional condition improved. For those who were unable to perform stoma closure, a permanent stoma should be performed. Patients with severe abdominal adhesion which was difficult to separate, enterostomy or bypass surgery after adhesiolysis would be the surgical choice. For patients with tumor metastasis or recurrence, enterostomy or bypass surgery should be selected. Observation parameters: the overall and major (Clavien-Dindo grades III to V) postoperative complication within 30 days after surgery or during hospitalization; mortality within postoperative 30 days; postoperative hospital stay; time to postoperative recovery of enteral nutrition; time to removal of drainage tube.@*Results@#Of the 73 patients who had been enrolled in this study, 10 were male and 63 were female with median age of 54 (range, 34-80) years. Preoperative evaluation showed that 61 patients had intestinal stenosis, 63 had intestinal obstruction, 11 had intestinal perforation, 20 had intestinal fistula, 3 had intestinal bleeding, and 6 had abdominal abscess, of whom 64(87.7%) patients had multiple complications. Tumor recurrence or metastasis was found in 15 patients. A total of 65(89.0%) patients received preoperative nutritional support, of whom 35 received total parenteral nutrition and 30 received partial parenteral nutrition. The median preoperative nutritional support duration was 8.5 (range, 6.0-16.2) days. The rate of one-stage intestine resection was 69.9% (51/73), and one-stage enterostomy was 23.3% (17/73). In the 51 patients undergoing bowel resection, the average length of resected bowel was (50.3±49.1) cm. Among the 45 patients with intestinal anastomosis, 4 underwent manual anastomosis and 41 underwent stapled anastomosis; 36 underwent side-to-side anastomosis, 5 underwent end-to-side anastomosis, and 4 underwent end-to-end anastomosis. Eighty postoperative complications occurred in 39 patients and the overall postoperative complication rate was 53.4% (39/73), including 39 moderate to severe complications (Clavien-Dindo grade III-V) in 20 patients (27.4%, 20/73) and postoperative anastomotic leakage in 2 patients (2.7%, 2/73). The mortality within postoperative 30 days was 2.7% (2/73); both patients died of abdominal infection, septic shock, and multiple organ failure caused by anastomotic leakage. The median postoperative hospital stay was 13 (11, 23) days, the postoperative enteral nutrition time was (7.2±6.9) days and the postoperative drainage tube removal time was (6.3±4.2) days.@*Conclusions@#Surgical treatment, especially one-stage anastomosis, is safe and feasible for chronic radiation intestine injury. Defining the extent of bowel resection, rational selection of the anatomic position of the anastomosis and perioperative nutritional support treatment are the key to reduce postoperative complications.