Annals of Coloproctology最新文献

Purpose: Traditionally, fasting from midnight has been a standard practice in elective surgery for reduce the risk of aspiration. However, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs recommend clear fluid intake until 2 hours before anesthesia. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and patient satisfaction of preoperative carbohydrate drink intake until 2 hours before colorectal cancer surgery.

Methods: Sixty patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery between April 2021 and February 2023 at Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center were enrolled. This study included 30 patients who fasted from midnight (nothing by mouth [NPO] group) and 30 patients who consumed a high concentration of complex carbohydrate fluids (New Care NO-NPO) until 2 hours before surgery (No-NPO group). Patient satisfaction was assessed using a visual analog scale. Perioperative and postoperative outcomes were compared.

Results: Basic characteristics of patients were similar for the 2 groups. The No-NPO group had a significantly higher patient satisfaction score than the NPO group (3.7 vs. 2.2, P=0.040). Scores of operative difficulty, operation time, blood loss, postoperative recovery parameters, and postoperative complication rates were similar for the 2 groups. Pathological outcomes were also comparable. No mortality occurred in either group.

Conclusion: High-concentration carbohydrate fluid intake until 2 hours before induction of anesthesia could improve patient satisfaction without increasing postoperative complications, demonstrating its safety and feasibility in colorectal cancer surgery. Trial registration CRIS (cris.nih.go.kr) identifier: KCT0011323.

Purpose: Stoma reversal is associated with notable postoperative morbidity. Several techniques exist for skin closure after stoma reversal, with linear primary closure (LC) and purse-string closure (PS) being the most common. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to compare LC and PS skin closure after stoma reversal in terms of surgical site infection (SSI) rates, wound healing, and cosmesis.

Methods: In accordance with the PRISMA statement, a systematic review of skin closure after stoma reversal was conducted using MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus.

Results: Eleven studies, enrolling 1,052 patients (PS, n=534; LC, n=518), published between 2006 and 2024, were included. The overall quality of the studies was considered acceptable, with a mean Jadad scale score of 4 (range, 3-5). Patients underwent ileostomy or ileostomy/colostomy in 6 and 5 studies, respectively. No differences were observed between groups in operative time, length of hospital stay, intestinal obstruction, or incisional hernia. However, SSI and overall infection rates were higher in the LC group, with a statistically significant difference for SSI.

Conclusion: Skin closure following stoma reversal using the PS technique may offer advantages over LC. PS is associated with significantly lower SSI rates compared to LC. Although a large randomized controlled trial with long-term follow-up is still required, current findings suggest that PS could be considered the standard of care for wound closure after ileostomy reversal.

Purpose: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a serious postoperative complication after colorectal cancer surgery, and accurate preoperative prediction remains challenging. This study aimed to develop and validate a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics nomogram for the preoperative prediction of AL.

Methods: A total of 146 patients with colorectal cancer, including 11 with AL, were retrospectively enrolled and randomly divided into training and validation cohorts at a 7:3 ratio. Clinical variables and preoperative MRI-based radiomic features were analyzed. A clinical model was constructed using logistic regression. Radiomic features were selected using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method to develop a radiomics model, from which a radiomic score was calculated. A combined radiomics nomogram integrating the radiomic score and significant clinical factors was subsequently established. Model performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in both cohorts.

Results: The clinical model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.766 in the training cohort and 0.583 in the validation cohort. The radiomics model demonstrated improved discrimination, with AUCs of 0.822 and 0.800, respectively. The combined radiomics nomogram showed the best predictive performance, yielding AUCs of 0.869 in the training cohort and 0.858 in the validation cohort.

Conclusion: The proposed MRI-based radiomics nomogram demonstrates good predictive performance for postoperative anastomotic leakage and may serve as a useful tool for preoperative risk stratification in patients with colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Understanding the muscular structure of the anal canal is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of anorectal diseases. Treitz muscle is a vital yet poorly understood component. It supports the anal venous plexus and contributes to anal cushion formation. However, its anatomical details remain unclear, and various theories suggest different origins for its muscle bundles, which affects our understanding of the pathophysiology of hemorrhoids. In this study, we sought to clarify the origin and localization of Treitz muscle to provide an anatomical foundation for understanding anal function.

Methods: In this descriptive cadaveric study of 11 cadavers, we performed macroscopic examinations and immunohistological analyses on tissues from the anterior, lateral, and posterior walls of the anal canal. The origin and localization of Treitz muscle were qualitatively evaluated.

Results: Treitz muscle is a smooth muscle formed by a directional change in the muscle bundles of the internal anal sphincter, running longitudinally along its surface. A shift in the direction of muscle bundles originating from the internal anal sphincter, giving rise to Treitz muscle, was frequently observed in the anterolateral wall of the anal canal.

Conclusion: In summary, Treitz muscle, a smooth muscle extending from the internal anal sphincter, is considered part of the muscularis propria. Its directional shift was localized to the anterolateral wall, indicating that Treitz muscle is not uniformly distributed around the anal canal. This site-specific localization may influence the risk of hemorrhoids or cancer invasion depending on its anatomical position.

Purpose: Real-world evidence comparing surgical techniques for symptomatic hemorrhoidal disease (HD) remains limited, despite the availability of multiple approaches. This study aimed to evaluate short-term, interim outcomes from a prospective, nationwide cohort study that compared the effectiveness of different operative techniques based on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in patients with symptomatic HD.

Methods: A prospective, nationwide cohort study was conducted at 20 tertiary care centers across Turkiye between July 2022 and July 2024. Adult patients aged 18 years or older with symptomatic HD (grades I-IV) who underwent surgery during this period were included. The choice of procedure was determined by the operating surgeon, and patients were categorized into excisional, fixative, and ablative groups according to the surgical approach used. The primary outcomes were changes in the Hemorrhoidal Disease Symptom Score, Short Health ScaleHD, visual analog scale for pain, and patient satisfaction, assessed from the preoperative period to postoperative day 7 and postoperative week 6.

Results: The study included a total of 315 patients after excluding those who did not fulfil the inclusion criteria. Among them, 239 (78.9%) were male, with a mean age of 43.7±11.7 years. The distribution of patients across surgical groups was 207 (65.7%) in the excisional group, 30 (9.5%) in the fixative group, and 78 (24.8%) in the ablative group. All groups demonstrated significant improvements in PROM scores from preoperative to postoperative assessments. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between groups at any time point for PROM scores or for changes in PROM scores across consecutive evaluations (P≥0.05 for all comparisons). Urinary retention occurred more frequently, and hospital stays were longer in the fixative group (P=0.006 and P<0.001, respectively). The excisional group had a greater need for narcotic use and longer duration of use (P=0.003 and P<0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: This real-world cohort study shows that all 3 surgical approaches are effective for HD, providing comparable short-term symptomatic relief and patient satisfaction. These techniques appear equally valid treatment options, and the choice of procedure may best be individualized based on patient-specific characteristics and surgeon preference. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05429060.

Purpose: We aimed to determine whether intra-anal cryotherapy reduces postoperative pain in patients undergoing hemorrhoidectomy.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted from January 2023 to August 2024. Patients with symptomatic grade III hemorrhoids were randomized 1:1 to receive either 1 minute of intra-anal cryotherapy or standard postoperative care. Because cryotherapy was applied before reversal of general anesthesia, patients were blinded to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was pain at rest on postoperative day (POD) 1. Secondary outcomes included pain after defecation, time to return to work or non-work activities, 30-day complications, and compliance with analgesia. Pain was measured using the visual analog scale.

Results: A total of 50 patients were randomized (25 per group). All 50 were included in the analysis. Baseline clinicodemographic characteristics were comparable between groups. The primary outcome, POD 1 pain at rest, did not demonstrate superiority of cryotherapy compared with standard care (median 3.0 vs. 4.0, P=0.062). However, the POD 1 pain score after defecation was significantly lower with cryotherapy than without (3.0 vs. 4.0, P=0.046). On POD 2, median pain scores at rest and after defecation were both significantly lower in the cryotherapy cohort (at rest: 2.0 vs. 4.0, P=0.043; after defecation: 2.0 vs. 5.0, P=0.001).

Conclusion: Intra-anal cryotherapy significantly reduces pain after defecation in the early postoperative period following surgery for grade III hemorrhoids. Its therapeutic efficacy, ease of application, and safety support consideration for routine use. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06005727.