Category: Intestine and Lower Gastrointestinal Tract

Emergency Colorectal Cancer Presentation in Africa: A Call for Action

Emergency presentations of colorectal cancer in Africa are variable and poorly understood, impacting surgical outcomes and patient management. Reported rates of emergency presentations range from 8.3% to 64.9%. Limited data on early mortality and no long-term outcome data post-surgery. Surgeons should note the clinical signs: bowel obstruction, perforation, and peritonitis. Treatment largely relies on surgery; […]

Late Anastomotic Leakage in Rectal Cancer Surgery: Key Insights

Late anastomotic leakage is a significant issue in rectal cancer surgery, affecting morbidity and long-term outcomes. Overall anastomotic leakage occurred in 3.2% of patients, with late leakage at 48.3%. 24.1% of late leak cases were diagnosed over a year post-surgery, often following diverting stoma formation. Surgeons should consider enhanced surveillance for patients at higher risk, […]

Exercise Boosts Recovery in Colorectal Cancer Survivors

Exercise significantly improves health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health in colorectal cancer survivors. Overall, exercise showed a notable increase in HRQoL (0.48) and reduced fatigue (-0.44), depression (-0.29), and anxiety (-0.29). Supervised moderate-intensity exercise (3-5.9 METs), 30-60 minutes, 3-4 times weekly, maximizes benefits. Incorporating structured exercise into post-treatment plans can enhance recovery and […]

Open Hemorrhoidectomy Outperforms Dearterialization in Efficacy

Open excisional hemorrhoidectomy (OEH) is superior to transanal hemorrhoidal dearterialization (THD) for grade III hemorrhoids despite more postoperative pain. Clinical failure rate was 8% with OEH vs. 61% with THD (p < 0.001). All reoperations (8) occurred in the THD group (p = 0.001). Surgeons should weigh the higher pain and longer recovery of OEH […]

Octogenarians and Right Hemicolectomy: A Risky Balance

Surgeons must carefully assess the risks and benefits of surgery in octogenarians with colorectal cancer, as comorbidity significantly impacts outcomes. In a study of 400 patients, those aged 80+ had a 40.4% noncancer mortality rate at 5 years, driven by high comorbidity. Octogenarians had higher comorbidity (68.3%) compared to younger patients (22.3%). Overall survival for […]

Optimized Preoperative Risk Stratification for Rectal Cancer

A new predictive model enhances risk stratification in rectal adenocarcinoma, shifting from subjective MRI assessments to objective measures. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI washout and preoperative CEA levels independently predict 3-year disease-free survival. The model outperformed standard MRI assessments, showing AUCs of 0.757-0.819 versus 0.600-0.672. Identifying high-risk patients early means tailored treatments and potentially better outcomes. T/N […]

Effective Tropis Technique for Anal Fistulas

Tropis is a promising minimally invasive procedure for treating anal fistulas, showing high cure rates without compromising anal function. Initial success rate for anal fistulas is 80% (95% CI: 0.77-0.83). Cure rate for high fistulas is also 80%, with a 73% success rate for second operations. Overall cure rate is 88%, including 88% for fistulas […]

Early Surgery for Ileocecal Crohn’s Disease Shows Promise

Early surgical intervention may be a vital strategy for managing uncomplicated ileocecal Crohn’s disease. Higher postoperative morbidity was noted in patients operated for complications compared to those with purely inflammatory disease. Delaying surgery increases the risk of recurrence; 10 out of 12 studies showed worse long-term control and greater reliance on corticosteroids and advanced therapies. […]

Effective Warming Cuts Hypothermia in Robotic Rectal Cancer Surgery

Implementing a phased active warming protocol significantly reduces intraoperative hypothermia during Da Vinci robot-assisted rectal cancer resections. Hypothermia rates plummeted from 48.6% to 18.1% with active warming (p < 0.001). End-of-surgery core temperatures improved by 0.6°C, reducing postoperative shivering (12.5% vs. 34.7%, p < 0.001). This approach also led to fewer wound infections (4.2% vs. […]

Hybrid Technique Improves Healing in Anal Fistulas

A novel hybrid video-assisted technique with a silk seton shows promising results for managing transsphincteric anal fistulas. Primary healing achieved in 90% of patients within 16 weeks, with a median healing time of just 5 weeks. Recurrence rate at 1-year follow-up is low, at 6.6%, with an overall failure rate of 9.8%. This approach can […]