Significant Adhesion Reduction with 4DryField PH after Release of Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction.

Background Peritoneal adhesions reoccur in up to 100% of cases, possibly causing complications like pain, secondary female infertility, and small bowel obstruction. The latter has a mortality rate of up to 15% during hospitalization. This study investigates if recurrence of peritoneal adhesions can be prevented by prophylactic use of the starch-based medical device 4DryField. Methods The course of 40 patients with surgery for intestinal obstruction and, partially, second intervention was analyzed. In both operations, adhesion severity and extent were scored 0 (no adhesions) to III (massive/dense and vascular adhesions) and 0 (no adhesions) to III (extensive, covering more than approximately 25 × 25 cm), respectively. To prevent recurrence of adhesions all patients were treated with 4DryField gel (60 mL saline solution per 5 g powder), evenly distributed on the whole impaired intestine (including anastomoses) before abdominal closure. Follow-up was up to 1.5 years in a 3 to 6 months' interval. Results Eight patients had relaparotomies on postoperative days 1 to 155. In the first operation, median adhesion severity score was III, median adhesion extent II. In redo-surgeries, significantly lower scores were detected (median adhesion severity: 0, p = 0.0003; median adhesion extent: 0, p = 0.0009). No adverse events related to the product were observed. One patient had later redo-surgery in another hospital due to recurrence of adhesions, one patient suffered from flatulence. All other patients were free of adhesion-related symptoms during follow-up. Conclusion Based on the high severity of diseases and the significant reduction of adhesion severity and extent in redo-surgeries, 4DryField gel is a promising adjunct for adhesion prevention in bowel surgery. The favorable results should be confirmed in prospective randomized trials.

[Skin neuroendocrine carcinoma metastasis: a case report]. / Metastasi da carcinoma neuroendocrino della cute. Caso clinico.

BACKGROUND: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive skin tumour with a highly malignant nature whose appropriate treatment is still debated. The Authors report a case of cutaneous metastasis from neuroendocrine carcinoma and analyse new diagnostic and therapeutic options of neoplasms that occurs in sun-exposed areas. METHODS: The authors present the clinical, immunocytochemical characteristic of primary and secondary skin localization of a neuroendocrine tumor that affected a woman. RESULTS: Histological and immunocytochemical analysis demonstrated that the secondary cutaneous localization appeared to be compared to the primary tumour. CONCLUSIONS: The case confirm the high incidence of regional metastasis; a wide surgical excision of tumor and regional lymphadenectomy is therefore recommended for primary treatment of MCC; the radiation treatment minimized the local recidives with long time survival.

Complex anal fistula surgery: personal experience.

Personal experience with the treatment cryptogenic complex anal fistulas over the 10-year period from 1993 to 2002 is reported. Such fistulas accounted for 54 out of 255 fistulas observed (21.1%). Accurate anatomo-pathological classification, based on the connections between the fistulas and the sphincter and the musculature of the pelvic floor, is mandatory, as is thorough preoperative evaluation of ano-rectal function and of the risk of faecal incontinence. The surgical strategies used, in relation to the different kinds of complex fistulas treated, are schematically reported. A mixed technique consisting in fistulectomy-fistulotomy with setons was particularly preferred, because of the risk related to immediate dissection of the sphincter, especially when concurrent risk factors are present. As regards the results obtained, the surgical outcome consisted in healing in 49/54 cases (90.7%) as against recurrence or persistence of the fistula in 5/54 (9.3%). Minor complications occurred in 6/54 (11.1%); no major complications were observed and no cases of permanent faecal incontinence were reported. In conclusion, the surgical choice in cases of complex fistulas must lead to definitive, radical treatment of the lesion, at the same time avoiding irreversible anal incontinence due to severe lesions to the sphincter.