Epidemiological trends in surgery for rectal prolapse in England 2001-2012: an adult hospital population-based study.

AIM: To analyse trends in admission and surgery for rectal prolapse in adults in England between 2001 and 2012 as well as prolapse reoperation rates. METHOD: Analysis of data derived from a comparative longitudinal population-based cohort study using Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 25 238 adults, of median age 73 [interquartile range (IQR: 58-83] years, underwent a total of 29 379 operations for rectal prolapse (mean: 2662 per annum). The female to male ratio of this group of patients was 7:1. Median length of hospital stay was 3 (IQR: 1-7) days with an overall in-hospital mortality rate of 0.9%. Total number of admissions (4950 in 2001/2002 vs 8927 in 2011/2012) and of patients undergoing prolapse surgery (2230 in 2001/2002 vs 2808 in 2011/2012) significantly increased over the study period (P < 0.001 for trends). The overall increase in prolapse surgery (of 33% overall and of 44% for elective procedures) was dwarfed by an increase in popularity of laparoscopic surgery (of 15-fold). Overall prolapse reoperation rate was 12.7%. The lowest recurrence rate was observed for elective open resection (9.1%) but this had the highest mortality (1.9%). Laparoscopic and perineal fixations were also associated with low reoperation rates (< 11%) and the lowest mortality rates, of 0.3%, when these procedures were elective. These data refute a trend towards subspecialization (by surgeon or hospital) during the study period. CONCLUSION: Admissions for rectal prolapse increased in England between 2001 and 2012, together with increases in rectal prolapse surgery. Surgical decision making has changed over this period and may be reflected in outcome.

Venous thromboembolism following colorectal resection.

AIM: The study investigated the rate of significant venous thromboembolism (VTE) following colorectal resection during the index admission and over 1 year following discharge. It identifies risk factors associated with VTE and considers the length of VTE prophylaxis required. METHOD: All adult patients who underwent colorectal resections in England between April 2007 and March 2008 were identified using Hospital Episode Statistics data. They were studied during the index admission and followed for a year to identify any patients who were readmitted as an emergency with a diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. RESULTS: In all, 35 997 patients underwent colorectal resection during the period of study. The VTE rate was 2.3%. Two hundred and one (0.56%) patients developed VTE during the index admission and 571 (1.72%) were readmitted with VTE. Following discharge from the index admission, the risk of VTE in patients with cancer remained elevated for 6 months compared with 2 months in patients with benign disease. Age, postoperative stay, cancer, emergency admission and emergency surgery for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were all independent risk factors associated with an increased risk of VTE. Patients with ischaemic heart disease and those having elective minimal access surgery appear to have lower levels of VTE. CONCLUSION: This study adds to the benefits of minimal access surgery and demonstrates an additional risk to patients undergoing emergency surgery for IBD. The majority of VTE cases occur following discharge from the index admission. Therefore, surgery for cancer, emergency surgery for IBD and those with an extended hospital stay may benefit from extended VTE prophylaxis. This study demonstrates that a stratified approach may be required to reduce the incidence of VTE.

Bile duct reconstruction following laparoscopic cholecystectomy in England.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of bile duct reconstruction (BDR) following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and to identify associated risk factors. BACKGROUND: Major bile duct injury (BDI) requiring reconstruction is a serious complication of cholecystectomy. METHODS: All LC and attempted LC operations in England between April 2001 and March 2013 were identified. Patients with malignancy, a stone in bile duct or those who underwent bile duct exploration were excluded. This cohort of patients was followed for 1 year to identify those who underwent BDR as a surrogate marker for major BDI. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with the need for reconstruction. RESULTS: In total, 572,223 LC and attempted LC were performed in England between April 2001 and March 2013. Five hundred (0.09 %) of these patients underwent BDR. The risk of BDR is lower in patient that do not have acute cholecystitis [odds ratio (OR) 0.48 (95 % CI 0.30-0.76)]. The regular use of on-table cholangiography (OTC) [OR 0.69 (0.54-0.88)] and high consultant caseload >80 LC/year [OR 0.56 (0.39-0.54)] reduced the risk of BDR. Patients who underwent BDR were 10 times more likely to die within a year than those who did not require further surgery (6 vs. 0.6 %). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of BDR following laparoscopic cholecystectomy in England is low (0.09 %). The study suggests that OTC should be used more widely and provides further evidence in support of the provision of LC services by specialised teams with an adequate caseload (>80).

The incidence of post operative venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing varicose vein surgery recorded in Hospital Episode Statistics.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to establish the incidence of post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE) following varicose vein treatment. METHODS: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data were obtained for all patients undergoing varicose vein treatment between April 2006 and April 2007 to identify those reattending with either deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism within 12 months. RESULTS: The incidence of VTE was 0.51%, which was comparable with the incidence for those undergoing open surgery (0.54%), sclerotherapy (0.19%) and endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) (0.47%). The incidence of VTE in those undergoing combined EVLT and phlebectomy was 1.26% (p=0.01). In contrast to unilateral treatment (all modalities), where bilateral treatment was performed an increase in the incidence of VTE was seen in those undergoing redo (1.62%) and short saphenous system (1.16%) treatments. Overall, 1.02% of cases were performed under local anaesthesia with zero incidence of VTE in this cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of VTE recorded in HES was 0.51% and appears to be highest in those undergoing bilateral redo or short saphenous system surgery as well as those undergoing a combination of EVLT and phlebectomy. The use of VTE prophylaxis, particularly in these groups, is recommended.

Definitive management of gallstone pancreatitis in England.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate whether definitive treatment of gallstone pancreatitis (GSP) by either cholecystectomy or endoscopic sphincterotomy in England conforms with British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines and to validate these guidelines. METHODS: Hospital Episode Statistics data were used to identify patients admitted for the first time with GSP between April 2007 and April 2008. These patients were followed until April 2009 to identify any who underwent definitive treatment or were readmitted with a further bout of GSP as an emergency. RESULTS: A total of 5,454 patients were admitted with GSP between April 2007 and April 2008, of whom 1,866 (34.2%) underwent definitive treatment according to BSG guidelines, 1,471 on the index admission. Patients who underwent a cholecystectomy during the index admission were less likely to be readmitted with a further bout of GSP (1.7%) than those who underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy alone (5.3%) or those who did not undergo any form of definitive treatment (13.2%). Of those patients who did not undergo definitive treatment before discharge, 2,239 received definitive treatment following discharge but only 395 (17.6%) of these had this within 2 weeks. Of the 505 patients who did not undergo definitive treatment on the index admission and who were readmitted as an emergency with GSP, 154 (30.5%) were admitted during the 2 weeks immediately following discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Following an attack of mild GSP, cholecystectomy should be offered to all patients prior to discharge. If patients are not fit for surgery, an endoscopic sphincterotomy should be performed as definitive treatment.

Histological grading of tumour regression and radiation colitis in locally advanced rectal cancer following neoadjuvant therapy: a critical appraisal.

AIM: Locally advanced rectal cancer is commonly treated by neoadjuvant therapy and the resultant tumour response can be quantified histologically. This therapy may also induce radiation colitis, which also can be graded. The aim of this study was to assess the grading of tumour regression and of radiation colitis and their relationship to other prognostic parameters. METHOD: Between 2000 and 2006, 75 patients (23 women; median duration of follow up, 58 months) with rectal cancer were evaluated. Sixty-three had short-course radiotherapy and 12 had long-course radiotherapy. Tumour regression was graded histologically using the three-point Ryan system: patients with grades 1 and 2 were considered as responders and patients with grade 3 were considered as nonresponders. Radiation colitis was graded histologically as mild, moderate or severe, as described previously (J Pathol 2006; 210: P25). RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were classified as responders and 46 as nonresponders. The former were less likely to be lymph node positive compared with the latter (P=0.001). Tumour response did not correlate with local recurrence. Responders showed a disease-free survival (not overall survival) advantage at 2 and 5 years over nonresponders. Responders showed a higher rate of postoperative abdominal complications. Histological evidence of regression was demonstrated in patients treated with short-course radiotherapy. There was no relationship between radiation colitis grade and abdominal complications. CONCLUSION: Radiation colitis grade does not correlate with postoperative complications. More abdominal complications occurred in patients receiving long-course radiotherapy.

Perianal abscess due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae: an unusual case in the post-antibiotic era.

Described here is the case of a 21-year-old homosexual male patient who presented with perianal abscess without urethritis that was caused by infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Incision and drainage of the abscess and oral penicillin therapy resulted in full healing, without the development of an anal fistula. The spectrum of gonococcal abscesses and the relevant aspects of their management are discussed.

Laparoscopic reduction of an ileoileal intussusception and resection of an inverted Meckel's diverticulum in an adult.

Intussusception occurs commonly in children, but rarely is observed in adults. Whereas the hydrostatic pressure of a contrast enema often proves diagnostic as well as therapeutic in infants and children, resection usually is required for an underlying bowel pathology in older children and adults. Conventionally, the resection is accomplished at laparotomy. We report the case of a 20-year-old woman who presented with diarrhea and vomiting of 1 week duration. She was found unexpectedly to have intussusception on abdominal ultrasonography. The intussusception was laparoscopically reduced, and a segment of the middle small bowel that harbored an inverted Meckel's diverticulum was resected laparoscopically, after which an intracorporeal anastomosis was fashioned. The ileus resolved on postoperative day 4, and the patient was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 5. The role of the laparoscopic approach in the management of intussusception is discussed.

Staged and complete laparoscopic management of cholelithiasis in a patient with gallstone ileus and bile duct calculi.

BACKGROUND: Gallstone ileus is an uncommon cause of small bowel obstruction, and its incidence peaks in elderly women. Although enterolithotomy has been accomplished laparoscopically, often using a laparoscopically assisted approach, controversy persists as to the indication, timing, and surgical approach to a cholecystectomy with closure of the cholecystoduodenal fistula. METHODS: We present the case of a 63-year-old woman with symptomatic cholecystolithiasis who presented with acute gallstone ileus and underwent an emergency laparoscopic enterolithotomy. Hypotonic duodenography during the follow-up period demonstrated a cholecystoduodenal fistula and previously unsuspected stones in the bile duct. The patient underwent an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy with repair of the fistula, a concomitant bile duct exploration, choledocholithotomy, and primary bile duct closure. RESULTS: The patient enjoyed an uneventful recovery, and was discharged home on postoperative day 5 after her initial emergency surgery. Her recovery after the subsequent elective surgery was more expeditious, with a discharge from hospital on postoperative day 2 and a return to office employment 2 weeks later. CONCLUSION: In the good-risk patient, staged laparoscopic management of gallstone ileus and the associated cholecystoduodenal fistula is feasible and appears to be safe. In such patients, imaging of the biliary tree is essential to detect silent choledocholithiasis, which also may be managed concomitantly and safely by the laparoscopic approach.