Favorable surgical treatment outcomes for chronic constipation with features of colonic pseudo-obstruction

AIM:To determine long-term outcomes of surgical treatments for patients with constipation and features of colonic pseudo-obstruction.METHODS:Consecutive 42 patients who underwent surgery for chronic constipation within the last 13 years were prospectively collected.We identified a subgroup with colonic pseudo-obstruction(CPO) features,with dilatation of the colon proximal to the narrowed transitional zone,in contrast to typical slowtransit constipation(STC),without any dilated colonic segments.The outcomes of surgical treatments for chronic constipation with features of CPO were analyzed and compared with outcomes for STC.RESULTS:Of the 42 patients who underwent surgery for constipation,33 patients had CPO with dilatation of the colon proximal to the narrowed transitional zone.There were 16 males and 17 females with a mean age of 51.2 ± 16.1 years.All had symptoms of chronic intestinal obstruction,including abdominal distension,pain,nausea,or vomiting,and the mean duration of symptoms was 67 mo(range:6-252 mo).Preoperative defecation frequency was 1.5 ± 0.6 times/wk(range:1-2 times/wk).Thirty-two patients underwent total colectomy,and one patient underwent diverting transverse colostomy.There was no surgery-related mortality.Postoperative histologic examination showed hypoganglionosis or agangliosis in 23 patients and hypoganglionosis combined with visceral neuropathy or myopathy in 10 patients.In contrast,histology of STC group revealed intestinal neuronal dysplasia type B(n = 6) and visceral myopathy(n = 3).Early postoperative complications developed in six patients with CPO;wound infection(n = 3),paralytic ileus(n = 2),and intraabdominal abscess(n = 1).Defecation frequencies 3 mo after surgery improved to 4.2 ± 3.2 times/d(range:1-15 times/d).Long-term follow-up(median:39.7 mo) was available in 32 patients;all patients had improvements in constipation symptoms,but two patients needed intermittent medication for management of diarrhea.All 32 patients had distinct improvements in constipation symptoms(with a mean bowel frequency of 3.3 ± 1.3 times/d),social activities,and body mass index(20.5 kg/m 2 to 22.1 kg/m 2) and were satisfied with the results of their surgical treatment.In comparison with nine patients who underwent colectomy for STC without colon dilatation,those in the CPO group had a lower incidence of small bowel obstructions(0% vs 55.6%,P < 0.01) and less difficulty with long-distance travel(6.7% vs 66.7%,P = 0.007) on long-term follow-up.CONCLUSION:Chronic constipation patients with features of CPO caused by narrowed transitional zone in the left colon had favorable outcomes after total colectomy.

Association of visceral obesity and early colorectal neoplasia

AIM:To examine whether visceral adipose tissue(VAT)serves as a risk factor for colorectal adenoma-early colorectal cancer(CRC)sequence.METHODS:A retrospective case-control study was conducted with 153 patients with stageⅠCRC,age/sex-matched 554 patients with colorectal adenoma and557 normal controls.All subjects underwent various laboratory tests,abdominal fat computed tomography(CT),and colonoscopy.VAT was defined as an intraabdominal adipose tissue area measured by CT scan.Adipose tissue area was measured at the level of the umbilicus from CT scan.We used the lowest quartile of VAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue area as a reference group.RESULTS:The body mass index(BMI),total cholesterol,fasting glucose and VAT areas were significantly different among normal,adenoma and CRC groups.The VAT area was 120.6±49.0 cm2in normal controls,130.6±58.4 cm2in adenoma group and 117.6±51.6cm2in CRC group(P=0.002).In univariate analysis,increased BMI was a risk factor for CRC compared to control(P=0.025).However,VAT area was not a risk factor for CRC compared to control.In multivariate analysis that adjusted for smoking,alcohol consumption and subcutaneous adipose tissue area,VAT area was inversely related to CRC,compared to the adenoma(OR=0.53,95%CI:0.31-0.92,highest quartile vs lowest quartile).CONCLUSION:Our study shows that visceral obesity is not a risk factor for early CRC.Visceral obesity might influence the normal-adenoma sequence but not the adenoma-early carcinoma sequence.

Complications after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in Korean patients with ulcerative colitis

AIM:To investigate the outcomes of treatments for complications after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis(IPAA)in Korean patients with ulcerative colitis.METHODS:Between March 1998 and February 2013,72 patients(28 male and 44 female,median age 43.0years±14.0 years)underwent total proctocolectomy with IPAA.The study cohort was registered prospectively and analyzed retrospectively.Patient characteristics,medical management histories,operative findings,pathology reports and postoperative clinical courses,including early postoperative and late complications and their treatments,were reviewed from a medical record system.All of the ileal pouches were J-pouch and were performed with either the double-stapling technique(n=69)or a hand-sewn(n=3)technique.RESULTS:Thirty-one(43.1%)patients had early complications,with 12(16.7%)patients with complications related to the pouch.Pouch bleeding,pelvic abscesses and anastomosis ruptures were managed conservatively.Patients with pelvic abscesses were treated with surgical drainage.Twenty-seven(38.0%)patients had late complications during the follow-up period(82.5±50.8 mo),with 21(29.6%)patients with complications related to the pouch.Treatment for pouchitis included antibiotics or anti-inflammatory drugs.Pouch-vaginal fistulas,perianal abscesses or fistulas and anastomosis strictures were treated surgically.Pouch failure developed in two patients(2.8%).Analyses showed that an emergency operation was a significant risk factor for early pouch-related complications compared to elective procedures(55.6%vs 11.1%,P<0.05).Pouchitis was related to early(35.3%)and the other late pouch-related complications(41.2%)(P<0.05).The complications did not have an effect on pouch failure nor pouch function.CONCLUSION:The complications following IPAA can be treated successfully.Favorable long-term outcomes were achieved with a lower pouch failure rate than reported in Western patients.

Surgical management of colonic diverticular disease:Discrepancy between right- and left-sided diseases

AIM:To compare the outcome of the surgical management of left-sided and right-sided diverticular disease.METHODS:The medical records of 77 patients who were surgically treated for diverticular disease between 1999 and 2010 in a tertiary referral hospital were retrospectively reviewed.The study population was limited to cases wherein the surgical specimen was confirmed as diverticulosis by pathology.Rightsided diverticula were classified as those arising from the cecum,ascending colon,and transverse colon,and those from the descending colon,sigmoid colon,and rectum were classified as left-sided diverticulosis.To assess the changing trend of occurrence of diverticulosis,data were compared with two previous studies of 51 patients.RESULTS:The proportion of left-sided disease cases was significantly increased compared to the results of our previous studies in 1994 and 2001,(27.5%vs48.1%,P<0.05).Moreover,no differences in gender,body mass index,multiplicity of the diverticula,fever,or leukocytosis were noted between patients with rightsided and left-sided disease.However,patients with right-sided disease were significantly younger(50.9year vs 64.0 year,P<0.01).Furthermore,left-sided disease was significantly associated with a higher incidence of complicated diverticulitis(89.2%vs 57.5%,P<0.01),combined resection due to extensive inflammation(21.6%vs 5.0%,P<0.05),operative complications(51.4%vs 27.5%,P<0.05),and in-hospital mortality(10.8%vs 0%,P<0.05),along with longer post-operative hospitalization duration(21.3±10.2 d vs 10.6±8.1 d,P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Compared with right-sided diverticular disease,the incidence of left-sided disease in Korea has increased since 2001 and is associated with worse surgical outcomes.