The continent ileostomy: long-term durability and patient satisfaction.

The long-term results of the continent ileostomy are controversial. Durability and patient satisfaction were evaluated by analyzing the outcome in 129 consecutive patients who had a continent ileostomy performed by one surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco, between 1975 and 1995. A quality-of-life questionnaire was sent to all patients for whom addresses were available (n = 121). Late outcome data could be obtained for 85 (66%) of the 129 patients. Three of the 85 patients died with their continent ileostomies but of unrelated causes. Fifty-one (60%) of 85 patients currently have the continent ileostomy (group A) (mean 15.1 years, range 2.7 to 21.7 years), whereas 31 (36%) of 85 have undergone conversion of continent ileostomy to conventional ileostomy (group B) (mean 5.4 years, range 0.2 to 20.4 years). Patients in group A underwent fewer major postoperative revisions (mean 0.7, range 0 to 4) than patients in group B (mean 1.3, range 0 to 8) (t test, P = 0. 088). The indications for pouch removal included valve dysfunction (42%), refractory pouchitis (23%), multiple fistulas (26%), Crohn's disease (6%), and other (16%) (four patients had two indications). Eighty-seven percent of survey respondents in group A considered their present state of health to be better than before their continent ileostomies. Fifty-seven percent and 82% of respondents in group A were not limited at all in regard to vigorous or moderate activity, respectively. Although in approximately one third of patients the pouch had to be removed, 97% of the remaining two thirds have a good to excellent outcome.

Local excision of rectal carcinoma.

HYPOTHESIS: Selected clinicopathologic characteristics of locally treated rectal cancers are predictive of recurrence. DESIGN: Case series review with median follow-up of 6 years. SETTING: University medical center. PATIENTS: Fifty-eight patients with rectal cancer who underwent local excisions from February 1, 1982, to December 31, 1998. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Local and distant recurrence rates and overall survival. RESULTS: Overall local recurrence rate was 14% (8 patients). There were no local recurrences among patients treated with chemotherapy or radiation. Of patients not treated, local recurrence rates were 33%, 5%, 45%, and 25% for T0, T1, T2, and T3 tumors, respectively. No clinicopathologic factor predicted local recurrence. Two patients developed distant recurrence. Overall survival was 98%, 93%, and 84% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: In selected patients, outcomes for local excision combined with additional therapy may be equivalent to those for radical resection.

Biofeedback is effective therapy for fecal incontinence and constipation.

OBJECTIVE: To define the role of biofeedback in fecal incontinence and constipation. DESIGN: A case series of patients with fecal incontinence or constipation with pelvic floor dysfunction. SETTING: Tertiary care center with an anorectal physiology laboratory. PATIENTS: Patients with 1 of the following: (1) chronic or acute fecal incontinence, (2) fecal incontinence and neurologic injury, or (3) constipation with pelvic floor dysfunction. INTERVENTION: Electromyogram-guided biofeedback retraining of the pelvic floor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Resolution of electromyographic abnormalities and subjective resolution of fecal incontinence or constipation. RESULTS: Of the patients with fecal incontinence, 92% experienced significant improvement with biofeedback without significant improvement in electromyographic values. Of the patients with constipation and pelvic floor dysfunction 80% experienced improvement with biofeedback without significant change in electromyographic values. CONCLUSION: Biofeedback is effective in selected patients with fecal incontinence and constipation with pelvic floor dysfunction.

Prognostic factors in colorectal carcinomas.

Colorectal carcinoma remains a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality. Various clinical signs and pathologic factors have been shown to have a bearing on a patient's prognosis. Some of these factors, such as extent of disease (stage) and histologic grade, are generally accepted, while others, primarily biologic and molecular markers, have been proposed recently and remain controversial. The authors describe both more established and newly proposed variables, reviewing multivariate analyses to examine their relative importance. The recommendations of the Association of Directors of Anatomic and Surgical Pathology for the reporting of colorectal carcinomas are presented.

Retrospective review of colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis at a tertiary center.

OBJECTIVE: To review patient characteristics, surgical indications, operative procedures, and survival of patients with ulcerative colitis who develop colorectal cancer. DESIGN: Retrospective medical record review. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Of 493 patients who underwent surgery for ulcerative colitis between 1978 and 1994, 25 patients had colorectal cancer. INTERVENTION: All patients underwent surgical exploration and either a biopsy, segmental resection, total abdominal colectomy, or restorative proctocolectomy was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Duration of postoperative disease-free survival. RESULTS: The average duration of illness prior to surgery was 18.5 years (range, 0.25-40 years). Surgical indications were intractability for 3 patients (12%); dysplasia as revealed by colonoscopic biopsy for 8 patients (32%); and preoperatively diagnosed cancer for 14 patients (56%). Three patients (12%) underwent exploratory laparotomy, 3 (12%) underwent right hemicolectomy, 5 (20%) underwent total proctocolectomy with ileostomy, 3 (12%) underwent total proctocolectomy with continent ileostomy, and 12 (48%) underwent restorative proctocolectomy. Pathological stage was carcinoma in situ for 3 patients (12%), stage I for 7 patients (28%), stage II for 4 patients (16%), stage III for 6 patients (25%), and stage IV for 5 patients (20%). Five-year survival was 100% (3/3) for patients with carcinoma in situ, 100% (4/4) for those with stage I disease, 50% (2/4) for those with stage II, 25% (1/4) for those with stage III, and 0% (0/5) for those with stage IV. Of the 12 patients treated with a restorative proctocolectomy, 6 are 5-year survivors, and 4 are alive at 24, 36, 38, and 48 months. CONCLUSIONS: Twelve percent of the patients in this series had no preoperative evidence of colorectal malignant neoplasms but had invasive cancer in the resected specimen. Therefore, duration of disease alone may be an indication for surgery. A restorative proctocolectomy is a satisfactory procedure in selected patients with malignant neoplasms.

Influence of timing of antibiotic administration on tissue concentrations during surgery.

BACKGROUND: Prophylactic antibiotics must be administered so as to achieve adequate tissue levels before the initial surgical incision. We characterized antimicrobial tissue concentrations following intravenous administration at various times prior to surgical incision. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twelve patients scheduled for elective colorectal surgery were randomized to receive cefmetazole 2 g by intravenous push either immediately prior to incision or 15 to 60 minutes prior. Blood and wound-muscle samples were obtained at predetermined intervals and assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Tissue distribution of the study drug was extremely rapid. All patients had theoretically adequate tissue levels at the time of incision. Levels above MIC90 of the common pathogens were sustained throughout the surgical procedure regardless of the timing of administration. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of cefmetazole immediately prior to surgical incision should be effective prophylaxis for surgical wound infections.

The efficacy and limitations of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

We analyzed 64 percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy procedures performed by us between 1986 and 1990. Thirty patients had neurologic disease; 16 had head and neck cancers; eight had other malignancies; two had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; and eight had other problems. Seven patients died within 30 days of complications (n = 4) or the primary illness (n = 3). Mean follow-up was 6 months; an additional patient died of aspiration and eight others died of their underlying illness. There were 19 complications (32%). Four wound complications occurred. Nine patients developed aspiration pneumonia within 3 days of the procedure, four of whom died in the hospital. Of the 24 patients with a history of aspiration, nine experienced aspiration during or after percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. Patients with a history of aspiration were more likely to have perioperative aspiration pneumonia, and patients who experienced aspiration were more likely to die.

Colonoscopic diagnosis and treatment of lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Methods of diagnosis and treatment of lower gastrointestinal bleeding depend on the rate of bleeding and the amount of blood lost. If bleeding is occult, colonoscopy is the single best way to determine the source, if bleeding is gross but mild, causing melena or small amounts of hematochezia, colonoscopy or a combination of flexible sigmoidoscopy and double-contrast barium enema should be used to evaluate the colon. In most patients with melena, the upper tract must be examined endoscopically. Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding stops spontaneously in 75 to 90 per cent of patients, permitting preparation of the colon before colonoscopy. If bleeding is continuing, diagnostic options include colonoscopy with no preparation of the colon, relying on the cathartic effect of blood, or a red cell radionuclide scan followed by angiography if the scan is positive. A bleeding lesion seen on angiography is usually treated by infusion of vasopressin. Colonoscopic treatment of a bleeding site uses the BICAP probe, heater probe, or argon laser. Patients who bleed severely and those who do not respond to treatment or rebleed after treatment are candidates for operation. Segmental resection is preferred if the bleeding site is known. If not, total colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis may be necessary. A mortality rate of 10 to 15 per cent in patients with severe bleeding reflects the advanced age of many of these patients and the difficulty of managing gastrointestinal bleeding in the presence of associated medical conditions.

Conceptual developments through colonoscopy.

Fiberoptic colonoscopy is 25 years old this year. Improvement in instruments led rapidly to wide acceptance of colonoscopy in diagnosis and therapy of colorectal diseases. The diagnosis of benign and malignant neoplasms was revolutionized by colonoscopy. The differential diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease, assessment of its extent and severity, response to treatment, and potential for development of cancer are all made easier by colonoscopy. Colonoscopy has improved the diagnosis of diverticular disease, rectal bleeding, identification of ischemia, and other problems. Therapeutic colonoscopy has radically changed the management of colonic polyps, and colonoscopic polypectomy is now the standard form of treatment for most of these lesions. Treatment of bleeding lesions, decompression of obstruction, and removal of foreign bodies are other examples of therapeutic colonoscopic procedures.

Complications of continent ileostomy.

Immediate postoperative complications occurred in 15 per cent of 39 patients undergoing continent ileostomy, and late complications developed in 46 per cent of these patients. Age over 40 years, obesity, and Crohn's disease were related to the morbidity rate, but corticosteroid therapy was not a factor. Results of primary operations were superior to those of secondary continent ileostomies. With careful selection of patients and attention to technical detail, success in 90 per cent of initial continent ileostomy operations is a realistic goal.

Radiologic evaluation of the continent (Kock) ileostomy.

The continent ileostomy is a solution to the persistent difficulties of leakage, odor, and skin irritation produced by the conventional permanent ileostomy in patients who have had proctocolectomy. Patients with continent ileostomy do not use ileostomy appliances, have complete fecal continence, and need empty the ileal reservoir only 2 to 4 times a day. Radiographic examination is often of great value in assessing patients with continent ileostomy. Radiographic features of the normal continent ileostomy and complications of continent ileostomy are discussed with regard to plain film and contrast examinations.

Total gastrectomy.

Total gastrectomy is indicated principally for Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and for potentially curable gastric cancer. The diagnosis of cancer should be verified by biopsy before the resection is performed, and the margins of resection should usually be examined by frozen section. Of the various reconstructions, Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy gave the best long-term results.