Successful omental flap coverage repair of a rectovaginal fistula after low anterior resection: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Rectovaginal fistula (RVF) is a troublesome and refractory complication after low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer. An omental flap repair was performed for the RVF caused due to Crohn's disease and childbirth trauma. However, there are few cases of an omental flap repair for RVF after LAR. Herein, we present a successfully repaired case of RVF by omental flap coverage after LAR for rectal cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50-year-old female patient with advanced rectal cancer underwent laparoscopic LAR with double-stapling technique anastomosis and achieved curative resection. She complained of a stool from the vagina and was diagnosed with RVF on the postoperative day (POD) 18. Conservative therapy was ineffective. We performed laparoscopic fistula resection and direct closure of the vagina and rectum, designed the omentum that could reach the pelvis, repaired RVF by omental flap coverage, and performed transverse colostomy on POD 25. She was discharged on initial POD 48. Seven months after the initial operation, colostomy closure was administered. There was no recurrence of RVF found 1 year after the initial operation. CONCLUSIONS: The patient achieved an omental flap coverage for RVF. We successfully performed the omental flap coverage repair in patients with RVF after the leakage of LAR. An omental flap may become an alternative treatment for muscle flap or an effective treatment for RVF.

[Hemorrhagic Colon Cancer with Left Atrial Thrombus Formation after Anticoagulant Therapy Discontinuation-A Case Report].

The patient was a 72-year-old female. She had been taking rivaroxaban for chronic atrial fibrillation; however, she stopped taking it due to anemia and was hospitalized urgently. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)scan showed a 30 mm mass in the ascending colon, and a colonoscopy revealed ascending colon cancer(cT3, cN0, cM0, cStage Ⅱa). The tumor was hemorrhagic and was thought to have caused the anemia. On day 6 of hospitalization, another contrast- enhanced CT scan showed a poorly contrast-enhanced area in the left atrium, and transesophageal echocardiography revealed 2 left atrial thrombi(27 mm and 17 mm). Since early induction of anticoagulation therapy was considered, an emergency open right colectomy was performed to remove the cause of the bleeding. Intravenous heparin therapy was started the day after surgery and was switched to oral apixaban therapy on the fourth postoperative day. The postoperative course was good, and she was discharged home on the 17th postoperative day. This patient had conflicting clinical problems simultaneously; however, immediate decision-making and initiation of treatment were effective.

[Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Presenting with Perforation That Was Successfully Resected after Preoperative Chemotherapy with mFOLFOX6 plus Panitumumab].

We report a case of locally advanced rectal cancer presenting with perforation that was successfully resected after preoperative chemotherapy. A 66-year-old woman visited our emergency room complaining of lower abdominal pain. Abdominal CT showed a rectal tumor with fluid collection and free air in the pelvis. The patient was diagnosed with panperitonitis secondary to cancerous perforation and underwent sigmoid colostomy. A biopsy specimen of the rectal tumor showed well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma and wild-type RAS. After 8 courses of mFOLFOX6 plus panitumumab, the tumor shrank remarkably, and radical surgery(low anterior resection with D3 lymph node dissection)was performed. Microscopic examination of the resected specimen showed that almost half of the tumor cells were replaced by histiocytes and necrotic tissue. Preoperative chemotherapy with panitumumab may be an effective treatment for RAS wild-type locally advanced colon cancer, even if the primary tumor develops perforation.

[Nephrotic Syndrome Induced by Ramucirumab for Metastatic Rectal Cancer].

We report a case of nephrotic syndrome induced by ramucirumab for metastatic rectal cancer. A 48-year old woman who had received FOLFIRI plus ramucirumab for rectal cancer with liver, lung, and bone metastases presented to our hospital with edema and increased body weight. Laboratory studies showed hypoalbuminemia and severe proteinuria, and the patient was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. After administration of an angiotensin II receptor blocker and thiazide diuretic, her symptoms disappeared and serum albumin level normalized. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first detailed report of nephrotic syndrome related to ramucirumab. This case serves to emphasize that the possibility of nephrotic syndrome should be considered during anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy.

Numerical Simulation of Nonpulsatile Left Ventricular Bypass.

A computer simulation was carried out to investigate the influence of nonpulsatile left ventricular assistance on hemodynamics. A simulation circuit was constructed to represent the circulatory system. A source of current was added to denote the nonpulsatile blood pump. The left and right ventricles were replaced by variable compliances. Left heart failure was simulated by decreasing the amount of compliance change of the left ventricle. We introduced a pulsatility indicator (PI) to clarify the pulsatility characteristics in the hemodynamics; this PI was defined as the ratio of the pulse pressure (PP) to the mean aortic pressure (AoP). When nonpulsatile bypass flow increased, the mean AoP, tension time index (TTI), and diastolic pressure time index (DPTI) increased, and cardiac output, PP, and PI decreased. When assisted flow increased with the constant total flow rate, the mean AoP and DPTI changed little; the PP, TTI, and PI decreased, and the endocardial viability rate increased. The PI would be helpful in evaluating the effect of pulsatility.