Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery最新文献

Racial inequities in short and long-term outcomes following colorectal surgery continue to persist. Using inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer as disease foci, we review existing racial inequities in surgical outcomes and complications, discuss how social determinants of health and biopsychosocial factors can contribute to these inequities, and highlight potential mechanisms for building interventions to achieve health equity following colorectal surgery for minority populations.

De novo Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch or Crohn's-like Ileal Pouch Illness (CLIPI) is an increasingly common occurrence in an ever-growing ileal pouch population. Although currently undetermined if a subset of classic CD or a completely new entity, it primarily affects the prepouch afferent limb, pouch, and rectal cuff. Symptoms can mimic other more common disorders, such as pouchitis, and requires a thorough workup, including pouchoscopy with biopsy and often cross-sectional imaging, for the diagnosis to be made. There is an increased risk of long-term pouch failure in this population. Treatment is typically dependent upon the disease phenotype with surgical management considered in a step-up fashion. Medical management is primarily performed with “biologics,” such as antitumor necrosis factor agents, although data are limited due to the lack of randomized controlled trials. Surgical management for CLIPI can include endoscopic, anorectal, and abdominal approaches to assist as “pouch-salvage strategies.” The performance of advanced pouch-salvage techniques in the CLIPI population requires careful patient selection and should preferably be performed at high-volume pouch centers.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest provider of integrated health care services in the United States and its mission is to honor veterans by providing timely, effective, and high-quality health care that improves individuals' health and functionality. The VA provides comprehensive primary and specialty care, including colorectal surgery services, to eligible veterans who suffer from a disproportionately high burden of medical comorbidities and often belong to vulnerable populations, including individuals of low socioeconomic status, those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning, racial minorities, and those suffering from severe mental health illness. There are many challenges to caring for a population of veterans with benign and malignant colorectal disease due to both patient and system level factors. Despite these challenges, the VA has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring culturally competent, equitable, and inclusive care and to conducting research that establishes evidence-based best practices in the management of colorectal diseases. These efforts have led to outcomes for patients undergoing care for colorectal diseases within the VA that are par with or better than civilian outcomes. The VA is uniquely positioned on a system level to provide nationwide efforts that improve care delivery and serve those who served.

Increasing evidence suggests that Crohn's disease is a primary mesenteropathy and that resection of the mesentery, or its exclusion from an anastomosis, may alter disease progression. If borne out in clinical trials, this observation would be welcome, as current pharmacotherapeutic approaches to Crohn's disease appear to have limited effect on disease progression. This article explores arguments for and against the alteration of mesenteric inputs by surgical means, in Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic, inflammatory bowel disease with a wide range of presentations, including perianal disease. Presentation is variable, ranging from skin tags to complex fistulas, strictures, and nonhealing wounds. Symptoms of perianal CD can be devastating and may impact quality of life. Optimal management requires coordinated medical and surgical therapy. When possible, conservative treatment of perianal disease should be attempted. However, surgical treatment is often required, and some patients may ultimately require total proctocolectomy with permanent diversion due to the severity of disease. Even with close attention and treatment, disease can be recurrent, and complications of treatment are sometimes worse than the initial presentation. Novel treatments, including use of mesenchymal stem cells and autologous fat grafting, hold some promise, but are not yet widely available. Thorough knowledge of treatment options, careful patient selection, coordination between medical and surgical providers, and setting realistic expectations are important in the successful treatment of difficult perineal CD.

Patients with advanced colorectal cancer nearing the end of life require a multidisciplinary approach to address the unique challenges they face. Using a case vignette, we outline the various stages of a patient's journey with advanced rectal cancer and the common obstacles to their care as they interface with the medical system. We highlight how Black persons might be vulnerable to differences in screening, treatment, procedural interventions, end-of-life care, and health care decision-making. The article also addresses how health inequities and barriers relating to concordant treatment goals can impact the relationship between patient and surgeon. This vignette illustrates the importance of ensuring a team approach to treatment and the value of early involvement of palliative medicine for patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

Minimally invasive techniques for the surgical management of Crohn's disease have become the recommended approach for initial surgical intervention in noncomplicated patients as there is lower morbidity for patients without compromising treatment outcomes. There has been a push to expand minimally invasive approaches to complex and recurrent diseases, trying to benefit these difficult patients. However, until recently there have been little data to support the adoption of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in these scenarios. This article aims to build on the 2019 Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery article on complex Crohn's and MIS by introducing new data in support of these approaches. Decisions for technique should be based on patient characteristics, but minimally invasive techniques have emerged as valid and possibly superior for complex and recurrent disease.