Endoscopic excision of synchronous large bowel polyps in the presence of colorectal carcinoma: is the fear of malignant cell implantation justified? A systematic review of the literature.

AIM: A systematic review of the literature was performed to establish evidence to support the practice that in the presence of a colonoscopically diagnosed colorectal cancer immediate endoscopic excision of synchronous polyps should not be performed due to the risk of malignant cell implantation at the polypectomy site. METHOD: A systematic literature search was performed using Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify studies comparing the rate of implantation of colorectal cancer cells in normal and damaged colonic mucosa and reports of colorectal cancer cells seeding into sites of damaged mucosa after polypectomy. RESULTS: No randomized controlled trials were identified. Three studies involving mammalian models of colonic mucosal damage were included. Pooling relevant results revealed that out of 59 exposed mammals only one developed tumour cell implantation at a site of colonic mucosal damage. This equates to a mammalian in vivo experimental risk of malignant cell implantation of 1.6%. CONCLUSION: The topic of colorectal cancer seeding following endoscopic procedures has received little attention. This review suggests that in the presence of a proximal colonic carcinoma there is a negligible risk of malignant implantation if a more distal polyp is endoscopically excised.

Management of parastomal varices: who re-bleeds and who does not? A systematic review of the literature.

Although first described almost half a century ago, parastomal varices are not easily recognised as a cause of stomal bleeding even though they occur in up to 5% of all people who have a stoma. The main challenges associated with this condition are diagnosis and management. For that reason, the aim of the present study was to perform a systematic review of all the available literature pertaining to this topic. The primary end point was recurrent variceal haemorrhage after a particular mode of management. Several secondary endpoints focused on means of diagnosis and pathological conditions of abdominal organs that could contribute to both the formation of these varices and the rate of re-bleeding. Sixty-six articles comprising 210 patients were analysed. Parastomal varices tend to be more frequent in men manifesting with bleeding in the fifth decade of life. The majority (72.0%) of patients who bleed from parastomal varices do so from an ileostomy. The most common pathology leading to stoma formation is ulcerative colitis (57.8%). Liver cirrhosis is the most common cause of portal hypertension leading to the development of parastomal varices and primary sclerosing cholangitis is in second place. A third of patients with parastomal varices also have co-existent oesophageal varices. There are no pathognomonic symptoms or signs of parastomal varices and only the minority of patients have a raspberry appearance of the stoma, visibly dilated submucosal veins and bluish discoloration and hyperkeratosis of the skin around it. Venous phase contrast angiography or portal venography is the most successful radiological investigation to confirm the diagnosis. The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) procedure has the highest success rate in preventing recurrent haemorrhage and local measures, either non-operative or surgical, are the least effective. Comparison of TIPS with non-operative and local surgical treatment groups produced a risk reduction in 4.60 and 3.85, respectively. Treatment of 1.37 people with a TIPS procedure prevents one person suffering from recurrent variceal bleeding and using TIPS can reduce the likelihood of re-bleeding by 78.5%. Surgical portosystemic shunting or embolisation alone leaves patients with approximately 50% chance of re-bleeding. Although TIPS has gained popularity over the last two decades almost three quarters of patients with parastomal varices are still treated with local measures as first-line management. Liver transplantation as a treatment of the primary cause of parastomal varices remains very rare.

Cross-matched blood in colorectal surgery: a clinical waste?

AIM: This study was carried out to determine the rate of perioperative blood transfusion and to create an evidence-based approach to requesting blood for elective colorectal surgery. METHOD: A comparative cohort study was carried out of 164 patients (107 men, 57 women, median age 68 years) who underwent major colorectal surgery. Details obtained included demographic and operative information, the number of units of blood cross-matched, units used, the reasons for transfusion and patient suitability for electronic issue (EI). The cross-match to transfusion ratio (C:T ratio) was calculated for each procedure and for the whole group of colorectal procedures. RESULTS: Some 162 units of blood were cross-matched for 76 (46%) patients, with the remaining 88 (54%) being grouped with serum saved. Twenty-one (13%) were transfused with a total of 48 units of blood. The C:T ratio for all procedures was 3.4/1. The commonest indication for transfusion was anaemia. One patient required an emergency transfusion. The majority (78%) of patients were suitable for EI. There were no significant differences between the transfused and nontransfused groups with regard to age, diagnosis (malignant vs benign) and laparoscopic or open colorectal procedure. CONCLUSION: Only a small proportion of patients undergoing elective major colorectal surgery require perioperative blood transfusions, most of which are nonurgent. Blood should not be routinely cross-matched in patients who are suitable for EI.

Controversial aspects of rectal cancer surgery following preoperative chemoradiation.

The role of surgery in the loco-regional control of adenocarcinoma of the rectum is being increasingly challenged by the good response rates of neoadjuvant oncological treatment. This review represents an opinion paper outlining well-established choices and new trends in surgical intervention, unresolved difficulties of local and regional staging of rectal malignancy and accurate assessment of tumour response to preoperative downstaging chemoradiation. The influence of preoperative chemoradiation on subsequent surgical strategy is discussed highlighting several controversial aspects of surgical management both when the tumour fails to respond and appears to be irresectable and when complete clinical response is observed.

Risk factors for impaired healing of the perineal wound after abdominoperineal resection of rectum for carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Nonhealing perineal wound is an unpleasant complication of surgical excision of the rectum and anus. The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk factors for impaired perineal wound healing after abdominoperineal resection (APR) of rectum for adenocarcinoma, particularly with the increasing use of neo-adjuvant chemoradiation. METHOD: The study included 38 consecutive patients (29 men, nine women; median age 66 years, range: 43-86), who underwent surgical excision of rectum and anus for adenocarcinoma from 1999 to 2004. Thirty-seven patients underwent APR of rectum and one patient, who developed carcinoma in the background of chronic ulcerative colitis, had panproctocolectomy. Associations between the failure of the perineal wound to heal and a number of patient, tumour and treatment-related variables were evaluated by Pearson chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. A P-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Multivariate statistical technique of principal component analysis was also used to identify risk factors and their relative contribution to impaired healing. RESULTS: Impaired healing of the perineal wound was observed in 10 (26%) of 38 patients. In four of them (11%) the wound remained nonhealed in 1 year after surgery. Preoperative radiotherapy, delayed primary closure of the wound and alcohol consumption in excess of 28 units/week was statistically significantly associated with impaired wound healing. Principal component analysis identified the following seven factors that cumulatively contributed to 96% of impaired healing: (i) distant metastases, (ii) preoperative radiotherapy, (iii) T-stage of the tumour, (iv) smoking, (v) perioperative blood transfusion, (vi) preoperative chemotherapy and (vii) development of side effects of preoperative chemoradiation. CONCLUSION: Patients who undergo APR of rectum are prone to impaired healing of the perineal wound if radiotherapy is used to treat malignancy prior to surgery and wound closure is delayed. In addition, the wound may not heal in patients with distant metastases, excessive alcohol consumption, present and past smokers and those who suffer adverse effects of preoperative chemoradiation and require blood transfusion.

Spigelian herniae: presentation, diagnosis and treatment.

A personal series of 19 patients (8 males), mean age 62.4 years (range 21-83 years) with a spigelian hernia [right-sided in eight patients (42.1%)] is presented. The defect was confirmed in 18 patients undergoing surgery, extending between the internal and external oblique layers in 15 of those 18 patients (83.3%) and passing through the external oblique layer in three of the 18 (16.7%). Four uncommon variants were encountered in these 18 patients. The sac was empty in six (33.3%), contained small bowel in six (33.3%), greater omentum in five (27.8%), caecum in one (5.6%) and sigmoid colon in one (5.6%). Four of 19 patients (21.1%) presented acutely with a tender irreducible mass. Thirteen of 19 patients (68.4%) presented electively. All had a palpable swelling which was reducible in 11 of these 13 (84.6%). Local pain and tenderness was inconstant. A spigelian hernia was an incidental finding in two of the 19 patients (10.5%). In only nine out of 17 patients (52.9%) was the diagnosis suspected pre-operatively, and treatment was frequently delayed. Predisposing factors were present in 15 of the 19 patients (78.9%).