Screening for colorectal cancer in defunctioned colons.

OBJECTIVES: Population-based colorectal (bowel) cancer screening using faecal occult blood tests leads to a reduction in cause-specific mortality. However, in people where the colon is defunctioned, the use of standard faecal occult blood test is not appropriate. The aim of this study was to examine the current trends of clinical practice for colorectal cancer screening in people with defunctioned colons. METHODS: An online survey was performed using SurveyMonkey. All members of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland were invited by email to participate. Reminders were sent to non-responders and partial responders till six weeks. All responses were included in our analysis. RESULTS: Of the 206 (34.59%) questionnaires completed, all questions were answered in 110 (55.8%). Among responders, 94 (85.4%) were colorectal consultant surgeons, 72% had worked in their current capacity for more than five years, and 105 (50.9%) had encountered colorectal cancer in defunctioned colons during their career. Some 72.2% of responders stated that a screening test for colorectal cancer in patients with defunctioned colons was currently not offered, or that they did not know whether or not it was offered in their area. CONCLUSIONS: Bowel screening in the United Kingdom is currently not offered to 72.2% of the age appropriate population with defunctioned colons. Among responding colorectal surgeons, 50% had encountered colorectal cancer in such patients. There is considerable variability in clinical practice regarding the optimal age for onset of screening, time interval, and the optimal modality to offer for screening in such cases.

Outcomes after stenting for malignant large bowel obstruction without radiologist support.

AIM: To assess outcomes after colonic stent insertion for obstructing colorectal malignancies performed by an endoscopist without radiologist support. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of all stents inserted by a single surgeon in a District General Hospital over an eight year period. All stents were inserted for patients with acute large bowel obstruction secondary to a malignant colorectal pathology either for palliation or as a bridge to surgery. Procedures were performed by a single surgeon endoscopically with fluoroscopic control in the X-ray department but without the support of an interventional radiologist. Data was collected prospectively on a pre-designed database. RESULTS: The indication for all stent procedures was an obstructing colorectal malignancy. Out of 53 patients, the overall success rate was 90.6%. Eight patients had a stent intended as a bridge to surgery and 45 as a palliative procedure. Technical success was achieved in 50 out of 53 procedures (94.3%) and clinical success in 48 of those remaining 50 (96.0%). Those with unsuccessful technical or clinical procedures went on to have defunctioning stomas to treat their obstruction. There were six complications from the technically successful stents (12.0%). These included one migration, one persisting obstructive symptoms and four cases of tumour overgrowth of the stents at a later date. Haemorrhagic complications, perforation or mortality were not observed in our series. Our results are comparable to several other studies assessing stent outcomes for obstructing bowel cancer. CONCLUSION: Our data suggests that colorectal stents can be inserted without radiologist support by an adequately trained individual with good outcomes.

Changing management of suspected appendicitis in the laparoscopic era.

INTRODUCTION: The aims of this study were to examine the trends in performance of open and laparoscopic appendicectomy at a district general hospital, and to compare the diagnostic outcomes in the two patient groups. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data were collected prospectively from patients undergoing an open or laparoscopic procedure for suspected appendicitis in an 8-year period between January 2000 and December 2007. RESULTS: A total of 1700 patients (873 women, 827 men) with a median age of 24 years underwent surgery for suspected appendicitis in the study period. There were 1357 patients (group A) who underwent an open procedure for presumed appendicitis (610 women and 747 men [F:M ratio, 1:1.2]). There were 343 patients (group B) who underwent laparoscopy with or without laparoscopic appendicectomy (82 men and 261 women [F:M ratio, 1:0.31]). Over the study period, there was an increasing trend towards the performance of laparoscopic procedures for suspected appendicitis, increasing from 4% to 39% of the total per year. In group A, 1172 (86%) patients had appendicular pathology, while the appendix was normal histologically in 178 (13%). Other pathologies were diagnosed intra-operatively in 1%. In group B, 193 patients (56%) had appendicular pathology while in 150 (44%) the appendix was normal. In the subgroup with a normal appendix, 56 patients (37%) had another cause for their symptoms identified. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic appendicectomy is increasingly being performed. Laparoscopy is often used as a diagnostic tool in general surgical patients, particularly women, with lower abdominal pain. In effect, these patients are undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy, with or without appendicectomy. This has resulted in a lower positive appendicectomy rate, but a higher yield of diagnoses other than appendicitis, in the laparoscopic group. Overall appendicectomy rates, however, have remained unchanged.