Results of surgical treatment in chronic anal fissure complicated by abscess or fistula in a retrospective cohort of patients.

We report the results of the surgical treatment of anal fissures complicated by abscess or fistula and formulate hypotheses about their nature. Among patients operated between 2012 and 2020 for anal fissure resistant to medical therapy, those affected by septic complications were selected for our inquiry. Surgical treatment consisted in the drainage of the sepsis, fissurectomy, posterior sphincterotomy and anoplasty. Intra-sphincteric fistulas were removed with the fissure, whereas low trans-sphincteric tracks, including horseshoe fistulas, were partially opened and curetted. Patients were followed on post-operative days 7-10 and then until healing. Pre- and post-operative Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Cleveland Clinic Incontinence Score (CCIS) scores were compared. Recurrence rates of disease were recorded. We operated 988 patients and 55 of them showed local sepsis (5.5%) complicating anal fissures. There were 23 abscesses and 32 fistulas. Of these latter, 17 were intra or inter-sphincteric (2 anterior) and 15 low trans-sphincteric (6 horseshoes). Pre-operative VAS score was 7.6 ± 0.9 (mean ± sd), CCIS was 0.1 ± 0.5. Complete healing occurred after a median of 6 weeks (range 3-14 weeks). Mean VAS score dropped to 2.3 ± 0.6 at first follow-up visit and CCIS rose to 0.4 ± 0.2. After a mean of 56.4 months, 41 patients agreed to a visit and 14 were interviewed by phone. At office visit no disease recurrences were observed; pain and continence scores were within normal ranges in all patients. Abscess and fistula in anal fissures are not frequent and may represent a different disease from cryptoglandular fistulas. Surgical treatment achieves higher success than that reported for cryptoglandular fistulas.

[Changes in blood coagulation, fibrinolysis and cytokine profile during laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy]. / Colecistectomia tradizionale vs laparoscopica. Modificazioni del profilo coagulativo.

The aim of this prospective, non-randomised study was to investigate haemostatic system alterations in patients undergoing open (OC) and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (VLC). In addition, we also measure the plasma cytokine profile to explore any relationship between changes in plasma cytokine levels and the postoperative coagulation profile. From July 2005 to March 2007, 71 patients were non-randomly assigned to open (group 1) or laparoscopic cholecystectomy (group 2). Prothrombin fragment 1.2 (F1.2), thrombin-antithrombin (TAT), fibrinogen, soluble fibrin, antithrombin III (AT), protein C, plasminogen and D-dimer levels were measured at baseline and at 1, 24, 48 and 72 hours postoperatively. Serial serum levels of IL-1 beta and IL-6 were measured by colorimetric ELISA. Plasma levels of F1.2, TAT, fibrinogen, soluble fibrin and D-dimer increased significantly in group 1. Plasma levels of AT, protein C, plasminogen decreased in both groups. In the OC group, the serum IL-1 beta and IL-6 levels began to increase significantly as early as 1 hour after the start of the operation, peaking at hour 6. The surge in circulating cytokine levels, commonly found in the postoperative period, is shown to be capable of inducing a hypercoagulability state and there is a positive correlation between IL-6 levels and hypercoagulability. In our study only mild hypercoagulability was observed in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In conclusion, the correlation between cytokine levels and coagulation activation may be related to the type of surgery performed. Our present knowledge of the effect of laparoscopy upon coagulation and fibrinolysis is incomplete and based on only a few studies; for this reason further studies are required to investigate these aspects.