Fistula in ano: anatomoclinical aspects, surgical therapy and results in 844 patients.

BACKGROUND: Several new therapies, including advancement flaps and fibrin glue, have been proposed for fistula in ano, with conflicting results. Most colorectal surgeons continue to use classic methods, e.g. fistulotomy, fistulectomy, a combined method, loose or cutting seton, and rubber loop. The aim of the present study is to report the outcome of our patients, operated on by such methods. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 844 patients treated for anal fistula over a 30-year period, and assessed fistula morphology, surgical procedure and healing period. For patients treated 2 or more years prior to this study, we evaluated rates of persistent fistula and relapse, as well as prevalence of incontinence and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: The majority of patients had trans-sphincteric fistulae (58.3%). We observed 274 secondary extensions (32.5%); these were common in all fistula types except for intrasphincteric fistulae. Most patients were treated by fistulotomy alone (594 patients, 70.4%) or by the combined fistulectomy-fistulotomy method (237 patients, 28.1%), with or without loose seton. All patients with trans-, supra- and extrasphincteric fistulae were re-examined in the operations theatre. Follow-up data were available for 652 (87%) of 751 patients at least two years after surgery. The anal fistula persisted in 3.2% and recurred in 2.1% of cases. A second procedure lowered the initial rate of unsuccessful operations from 5.3% to 2.5%. Continence disorders were reported in 6.9% of patients: 4.0% complained of incontinence to gas, 2.6% to liquid and 0.3% to solid feces. CONCLUSIONS: Fistulotomy and fistulectomy with loose seton supported by preoperative anal manometry and postoperative evaluation under anaesthesia are followed by good clinical and functional results.

Submucosal reconstructive hemorrhoidectomy (Parks' operation): a 20-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Submucosal reconstructive hemorrhoidectomy has never been a popular operation due to its difficulty and duration, the amount of blood loss, and the risk of incontinence. The main indication for hemorrhoidectomy according to Parks is fourth-degree hemorrhoids with prolapse of the dentate line outside the anus and with simultaneous presence of external hemorrhoids. We report our experience in the treatment of hemorrhoids using submucosal reconstructive hemorrhoidectomy according to Parks. METHODS: A total of 640 patients (381 men and 259 women) of median age 42 years (range, 18-81) were treated between 1983 and 2002; 80% of patients had fourth-degree, 19% third-degree and 1% second- degree hemorrhoids. All patients underwent rectosigmoidoscopic examination before surgery; patients over 35 years of age or with a suspected inflammatory or neoplastic disease underwent colonoscopy or barium enema. All patients underwent anorectal manometry before operation, to measure anal resting pressure, maximal squeeze and sphincter length, with the purpose of determining if an internal sphincterotomy was also necessary (in case of high anal resting tone). One-third of the patients also had an internal sphincterotomy to correct anal hypertonia. RESULTS: Postoperative bleeding occurred in 19 patients (2.9%), 0.9% requiring a reintervention. Severe pain was reported by 9 patients (1.4%); fecal impaction occurred in 3 cases (0.5%) and suture disruption in 2 patients (0.3%). In 74 patients (11.6%), bladder catheterization was needed due to urinary retention. Of 550 patients who had a minimum follow-up of 3 years and were sent a postal questionnaire, 374 patients responded, with a median 7.3-year follow- up; 176 patients (32%) were lost to follow-up. Eleven patients (2.9% of 374 cases) reported pain during defecation, 6 (1.6%) developed skin tags or recurrence, 3 (0.8%) reported gas incontinence, 2 (0.5%) developed anal fistula and 1 (0.3%) had anal stricture. CONCLUSIONS: Submucosal reconstructive hemorrhoidectomy according to Parks still represents a good choice for the treatment of high-degree hemorrhoids with prolapse of the dentate line outside the anus and external circumferential hemorrhoids.

Calibrated lateral internal sphincterotomy for chronic anal fissure.

UNLABELLED: Lateral internal sphincterotomy is an effective procedure for the treatment of anal fissure, but may affected anal continence. We describe a procedure aimed at tailoring the division of the sphincter according to the degree of the hypertonia and to the sphincter length in order to offer an effective and safe treatment for chronic anal fissure. METHODS: The internal sphincter was divided on the basis of anal manometry results. The average of maximum values of resting pressure determined by the stationary motility protocol was considered the reference parameter to measure hypertonia. Mild hypertone was considered to be 50-60 mmHg, moderate hypertone 60-80 mmHg, and severe hypertone >80 mmHg. In case of mild hypertone, 20% of the internal sphincter was divided; in case of moderate hypertone; 40% and 60% for severe hypertone. Calibrated lateral internal sphincterotomy is the division of the internal sphincter based on these parameters. Over 5 years, 388 patients underwent this procedure (197 men, 191 women) with a median age of 43 years (range, 18-80). RESULTS: Postoperative complications consisted of abscess in 4 patients (1.0%), hemorrhage in 2 patients (0.5%), and pain in 6 patients (1.5%). Follow-up data are available for 261 patients (67.3%). Two months after surgery, 9 patients (3.4%) complained of persistent or recurring pain with or without fissure and 1 (0.4%) complained of gas incontinence. At postoperative manometry, 12 patients (4.6%) revealed persistence of anal resting pressure over 40 mmHg, 9 patients (3.4%) were still symptomatic and 97.6% were cured at a median follow-up of 8 months. An anal resting pressure lower than 30 mmHg was found in 10 patients (3.8%), only one of whom was incontinent. CONCLUSIONS: Calibrated sphincterotomy may represent an effective and safe procedure for the treatment of chronic anal fissure.

[Anorectal manometry in hemorrhoidal disease]. / La manometria anorettale nella malattia emorroidaria.

Manometry is an important approach to anorectal function. In the haemorrhoids the evaluation of the anal resting tone, of the squeeze and of the sphincterial length is very useful to realize the best surgical treatment. Anorectal manometry is neither invasive nor expensive; it can be ready repeated and the results are reproducible. This examination must be considerated as essential part of the diagnostic routine of the anorectal diseases.

[Submucosal reconstructive hemorrhoidectomy (A.G. Parks operation)]. / L'emorroidectomia sottomucosa ricostruttiva (operazione di A.G. Parks).

Indications and procedure of submucosal reconstructive hemorrhoidectomy (A.G. Parks hemorrhoidectomy) are described and discussed. This procedure is more difficult and time consuming than other techniques, but results are better in high degree hemorrhoids. Authors consider complications and sequelae on 278 patients operated in their Department.

[When to combine internal sphincterotomy with hemorrhoidectomy]. / Quando associare la sfinterotomia interna all'emorroidectomia.

396 patients, treated with hemorrhoidectomy (278 Parks, 118 Milligan-Morgan) were submitted to preoperative manometry, which, in 158 patients (39.9%), revealed high anal resting pressure (TBS), with or without an associated anal fissure; this group was submitted to a regulated lateral sphincterotomy (SILR) in association with the haemorroidectomy. The manometric follow-up, two mounts after the operations showed similar TBS values in both groups of patients. The authors conclude that normal values of TBS after Hemorroidectomy can be reached only by associating sphincterotomy in manometrically selected cases.

[Continence in low resections]. / La continenza nelle resezioni basse.

Anorectal function is an important problem after low anterior resection procedure. This paper reports the results from 14 patients undergoing to low resection at Surgical Pathology Institute of the University of Verona. In 12 cases the restoration of the bowel continuity has been obtained by colon-anal anastomosis (Parks Operation) and in 3 cases by colo-rectal anastomosis at the anorectal ring level. The patients have been examined in the preoperative and in the postoperative period by clinical and manometric study. The results confirm that low resection does not involve faecal continence.

[Anastomotic complications in the surgical treatment of rectal neoplasms]. / Le complicanze anastomotiche nel trattamento chirurgico delle neoplasie rettali.

The authors review the problems relating to the healing of colorectal anastomotic complications following anterior resection. They report on their own experience with 328 anastomoses, 281 of which constructed manually and 47 using a mechanical suturing gun. Following manual anastomosis, the reported incidence of clinical dehiscence was 1%, as against a 10.3% incidence of radiologically detectable dehiscence. In the cases of mechanically produced anastomoses the incidence of clinical dehiscence was 6.4%. In 2 cases stenosis developed as a result of the clinically manifest dehiscence following manual anastomosis. In the patients undergoing mechanical anastomosis, occlusion occurred in one case and stenosis in another, without any concomitant peri-anastomotic inflammatory processes; these complications were caused by a membrane extending between the margins of the anastomosis. The authors ascribe the greater incidence of clinically important dehiscence following mechanical anastomosis to a greater sensitivity of the mechanical suture to colonic contamination compared to the manual suture. According to the authors, the stenosis is attributable to inflammatory processes resulting from the dehiscence in the manual anastomosis cases and from the anastomotic structure in the mechanical-suture case.

[A rare case of colonic invagination due to leiomyosarcoma]. / Su di un raro caso di invaginazione colica da leiomiosarcoma.

The authors report on a case of leiomyosarcoma with intussusception of the large bowel. They stress the importance of the clinical suspicion in targeting preoperative instrumental instrumental investigations.

[Extended surgical resections of locally diffuse colorectal carcinoma (clinical cases)]. / La demolizione chirurgica allargata nel carcinoma colo-rettale localmente diffuso (casistica clinica).

The authors report on a study population of extended operations for locally spread colon-rectum cancer in the Verona Surgical Clinic over the period from 1971 to 1987 (114 surgical demolitions for colon-rectum cancer out of a total of 1294 operations). They report an overall 5-year survival rate of 41% and a 3-year survival rate of 59% with a perioperative mortality rate of 1.75%. A number of aspects of such extended operations are discussed, and, in accord with most other reports in the literature, the authors confirm the validity of the choice of this type of surgery.

[Treatment of perineal breach in radical surgery of the rectum: notes on the surgical technic]. / Il trattamento della breccia perineale nella chirurgia demolitiva del retto: note di tecnica chirurgica.

The Authors review the various techniques used in closing and draining the pelvic basin after total resection of the rectum due to neoplastic and/or inflammatory disease. The examine their experience with 248 cases of total resection of the rectum and propose closure of the perineal breach as the first step in through closure of the pelvic peritoneum.

[Surgical treatment of malignant colorectal neoplasms in the population over (our experience)]. / Il trattamento chirurgico delle neoplasie maligne del colon-retto nella popolazione al di sopra dei 75 anni.

The Authors examine a series of 95 operations in the Verona Surgical Clinic for colorectal carcinoma in patients aged above 75 and discuss the results obtained. The low mortality rate (2.95% for resections) and the acceptable incidence of morbidity confirm the validity of performing radical surgery for malignancies in very elderly patients, as is stressed in most of the relevant literature.

[Our experience with the surgical treatment of the solitary ulcer syndrome of the rectum]. / La nostra esperienza nel trattamento chirurgico della sindrome dell'ulcera solitaria del retto.

The authors examine the question of the pathogenesis of solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (S.R.U.S), illustrating the importance of a correct differential diagnosis versus other relevant forms of disease affecting this region, particularly rectal cancer. They describe their experience with both the medical and surgical treatment of the syndrome.

[Malignant schwannoma of the ileum: an extremely rare disease entity (presentation of a case and review of the literature)]. / Lo schwannoma ileale maligno: una entità morbosa estremamente rare (presentazione di un caso e revisione della letteratura).

The authors examine a case of malignant ileal schwannoma successfully treated in the Verona Surgical Clinic. They compare their experience with the data reported in the literature, confirming the extreme difficulty encountered in diagnosing the disease. Therapy is discussed, and the authors stress that, in the presence of an intestinal haemorrhage the origin of which traditional diagnostic investigations are unable to establish, one should always bear in mind the possibility of schwannoma despite its rarity.

[Our experience in the surgical treatment of diverticular disease (I: Election)]. / La nostra esperienza nel trattamento chirurgico della malattia diverticolare (Nota I: L'elezione).

The authors review their patient population with regard to the surgical treatment of diverticular disease. This population consists of 76 cases, 30 of which were subjected to elective surgery. They conclude by stating that, in the light of their experience, the most effective elective operation is resection of the tract affected by diverticuli followed by and end-to-end anastomosis with the protection of a decompressive transversostomy.

[Our experience in the surgical treatment of Arbuthnot Lane disease]. / La nostra esperienza nel trattamento chirurgico della malattia di Arbuthnot Lane.

In the light of their experience, the authors review the data reported in the literature regarding Arbuthnot Lane Disease. The therapeutic indications are examined, and the results of the various types of surgery proposed are compared.

[Synchronous abdomino-perineal amputation (global evaluation of the intervention in our experience)]. / L'amputazione addomino-perineale sincrona (valutazione globale dell'intervento nella nostra esperienza).

In the light of their experience, the Authors examine the validity of synchronous abdomino-perineal resection. Their study population consists of 224 such operations. On the basis of the results achieved, the conclusion is reached that there is still no realistic alternative today to synchronous abdomino-perineal resection for the treatment of malignancies whose lower borders lie at a distance of less than 6.5 cm from the anal margin.

[Non-specific solitary ulcer of the transverse colon (presentation of a case and review of the literature)]. / Ulcera solitaria non specifica del colon trasverso (presentazione di un caso e revisione della letteratura).

In the light of findings emerging from a critical review of the literature, the Authors present a case of solitary non-specific ulcer of the transverse colon successfully treated by surgery. The various pathogenetic theories are examined, and the diagnostic work-up to which the patient must be subjected is discussed. The study concludes with a description of the choice of therapy.

[Colonic hemorrhage caused by vascular dysplasia. Surgical treatment]. / Emorragie coliche da displasie vascolari. Trattamento chirurgico.

On the basis of their own clinical experience and the data provided in the literature, the authors examine the question of the surgical therapy of the two main dysplastic diseases of the colon, i.e. colonic angiodysplasia and angiomatosis. While the larger cavernous angiomas necessarily call for surgery, large-bowel angiodysplasia and capillary angiomas, which are disease falling primarily within the internist's sphere of competence, may be treated conservatively, when symptomatic, by endoscopic electrocoagulation, though a surgical approach may be contemplated in that small percentage of cases presenting coagulopathy or frequent, intense haemorrhages with a severe anaemic tendency.