Anesthetic management of a patient with preoperative R-on-T phenomenon undergoing laparoscopic-assisted sigmoid colon resection:A case report

BACKGROUND The R-on-T phenomenon is a malignant arrhythmia associated with potentially catastrophic consequences.It may initiate ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation,which can result in syncope or sudden cardiac death.This manifestation poses a great challenge for anesthesiologists.However,it is rarely encountered in the perioperative setting.CASE SUMMARY We herein present a case in which the R-on-T phenomenon was incidentally revealed by 24-h Holter monitoring in a patient diagnosed with sigmoid colon cancer.Careful evaluation and treatment with mexiletine were carried out preoperatively under consultation with a cardiovascular specialist,and surgery was uneventfully performed under general anesthesia after thorough preparation.CONCLUSION Physicians should be vigilant about this infrequent but potentially fatal arrhythmia.Our experience suggests that the anesthetic process can be greatly optimized with careful preparation.

Risk factors for anastomotic fistula development after radical colon cancer surgery and their impact on prognosis

BACKGROUND Colon cancer is a common malignant tumor in the gastrointestinal tract that is typically treated surgically.However,postradical surgery is prone to complic-ations such as anastomotic fistulas.AIM To investigate the risk factors for postoperative anastomotic fistulas and their impact on the prognosis of patients with colon cancer.METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of 488 patients with colon cancer who underwent radical surgery.This study was performed between April 2016 and April 2019 at a tertiary hospital in Wuxi,Jiangsu Province,China.A t-test was used to compare laboratory indicators between patients with and those without postoperative anastomotic fistulas.Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for postoperative anastomotic fistulas.The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal Cancer was also used to assess postoperative recovery.RESULTS Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that age[odds ratio(OR)=1.043,P=0.015],tumor,node,metastasis stage(OR=2.337,P=0.041),and surgical procedure were independent risk factors for postoperative anastomotic fistulas.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the development of postoperative anastomotic fistula(P=0.000),advanced age(P=0.003),and the presence of diabetes mellitus(P=0.015),among other factors,independently affected CONCLUSION Postoperative anastomotic fistulas significantly affect prognosis and survival rates.Therefore,focusing on the clinical characteristics and risk factors and immediately implementing individualized preventive measures are important to minimize their occurrence.

Repair of a giant inguinoscrotal hernia with herniation of the ileum and sigmoid colon:A case report

BACKGROUND Giant inguinoscrotal hernias are huge inguinal hernias that extend below the midpoint of the inner thigh in the standing posture.Giant inguinoscrotal hernias are rare in developed countries because of their better medical resources and early treatment.However,they can develop in patients who refuse surgery or ignore their condition.Intervention is inevitable because strangulation and organ perforation can occur,leading to peritonitis and sepsis.Common surgical approaches include open abdominal and inguinal approaches or a combination of both.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 73-year-old man who visited our emergency department with a huge mass in his left scrotum and septic complications.Abdominal computed tomography revealed a large left inguinoscrotal hernia that contained small bowel loops and the colon.Emergency surgical intervention was performed immediately because intestinal strangulation was highly suspected.The operative repair was performed using a combination of mini-exploratory laparotomy and the inguinal approach.The incarcerated organs,which included the ileum and sigmoid colon,had relatively good intestinal perfusion without perforation or ischemic changes.They were successfully reduced into the abdomen,and bowel resection was not necessary.A tension-free prosthetic mesh was used for the hernia repair.Two weeks after the initial surgery,and with adequate antimicrobial therapy,the patient recovered and was discharged from our hospital.No evidence of hernia relapse was noted during the outpatient follow-up examination 3 mo after surgery.CONCLUSION Emergency surgery involving combined mini-exploratory laparotomy and the inguinal approach should be performed for serious incarcerated giant inguinoscrotal hernias.

Carcinoma located in a right-sided sigmoid colon:A case report

BACKGROUND A right-sided sigmoid colon is an extremely rare anatomic variation that should be considered as a possibility by surgeons and radiologists before surgery.Here,we report the first clinical case of a carcinoma in a right-sided sigmoid colon revealed by a preoperative computed tomography(CT).CASE SUMMARY A 56-year-old Chinese man was admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain.CT revealed a redundant sigmoid colon with a mass on the right side of the cecum and ascending colon.Laparoscopy confirmed an abnormal course in the descending colon and sigmoid colon.Subsequently,hemicolectomy was performed in an open manner after laparoscopic exploration.Pathological examination revealed an infiltrative mucinous adenocarcinoma with two lymph node metastases.The patient was discharged without any complications after a week.There were no signs of recurrence or metastasis during the 3-month followup period.CONCLUSION We report a rare anomaly of a right-sided sigmoid colon with carcinoma,which should be differentiated from ascending colon cancer and pericecal hernia to prevent errors and other surgical complications.

Robotic complete mesocolic excision for right colon cancer:Learning curve,training,techniques,approach,platforms,and future perspectives

Colon cancer has the fifth highest incidence worldwide and has the sixth highest mortality.Compared with rectal cancer,colon cancer currently has the worst 5-year overall survival for patients with stage II and III disease.Complete mesocolic excision has been developed as a standardized and optimized surgical technique for the excision of colon cancers.This technique has traditionally been performed through an open approach since laparoscopy is generally considered technically challenging.The robotic approach has been slowly implemented for colon cancer,but the newest robotic platforms allow for a safer and optimized approach for right colon cancer.Several robotic approaches have been developed and explored.The expansion of the current robotic platform ecosystem is gradually providing new outputs in the application of the robotic approach to complete mesocolic excision.This review gains an oversight of existing literature on robotic complete mesocolic excision for right colon cancer(learning curve,training,techniques,approach,platforms,and future perspectives).

Mesh migration into the sigmoid colon after inguinal hernia repair presenting as a colonic polyp:A case report and review of literature

Mesh migration and penetration into abdominal visce-ra rarely occur after laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair. We present the first case of mesh migration into the sigmoid colon identified as a colonic polyp at initial co-lonoscopic examination. The patient complained of mild abdominal distention in the lower abdomen over the previous year without changes in bowel habits or stool appearance and without weight loss. By complement-ary endoscopic ultrasonography, a cavity--like structure beneath the suspected polyp was further confirmed. Enhanced abdominal computed tomography merely re-vealed local bowel wall thickening and inflammation of the colosigmoid junction. The migrating mesh, which was lodged in the sigmoid colon and caused intra--abdomi-nal adhesion in the lower abdominal cavity, was finally identified via exploratory surgery. The components of inflammatory granulation tissue around the mesh mate-rial were diagnosed based on histological examination of the surgical specimen after sigmoidectomy. In this patient, nonspecific endoscopic and imaging outcomes during clinical work--up led to the diagnostic dilemma of mesh migration. Therefore, the clinical, radiological and endoscopic challenges specific to this case as well as the underlying reasons for mesh migration are discussed in detail.

Outcomes of preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery in patients with unresectable locally advanced sigmoid colon cancer

Background: Complete resection of locally advanced sigmoid colon cancer(LASCC) is sometimes difficult. Patients with LASCC have a dismal prognosis and poor quality of life, which has encouraged the evaluation of alternative multimodality treatments. This prospective study aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of neoadjuvant chemora?diotherapy(neo CRT) followed by surgery as treatment of selected patients with unresectable LASCC.Methods: We studied the patients with unresectable LASCC who received neo CRT followed by surgery between October 2010 and December 2012. The neoadjuvant regimen consisted of external?beam radiotherapy to 50 Gy and capecitabine?based chemotherapy every 3 weeks. Surgery was scheduled 6–8 weeks after radiotherapy.Results: Twenty?one patients were included in this study. The median follow?up was 42 months(range, 17–57 months). All patients completed neo CRT and surgery. Resection with microscopically negative margins(R0 resection) was achieved in 20 patients(95.2%). Pathologic complete response was observed in 8 patients(38.1%). Multivisceral resection was necessary in only 7 patients(33.3%). Two patients(9.5%) experienced grade 2 postopera?tive complications. No patients died within 30 days after surgery. For 18 patients with pathologic M0(yp M0) disease, the cumulative probability of 3?year local recurrence?free survival, disease?free survival and overall survival was 100.0%, 88.9% and 100.0%, respectively. For all 21 patients, the cumulative probability of 3?year overall survival was 95.2% and bladder function was well preserved.Conclusion: For patients with unresectable LASCC, preoperative chemoradiotherapy and surgery can be performed safely and may result in an increased survival rate.

Volvulus of Colon Sigmoide in the General Surgery Department of Chu Gabriel Toure

Introduction: Sigmoid colon volvulus is a medico-surgical emergency which represents a common cause of colonic occlusion, it is characterized by strangulation of the sigmoid loop around its meso colic axis producing low mechanical occlusion [1]. Apart from this form conventionally described, the volvulus of the sigmoid colon can occur along an organoaxial axis. This form has been highlighted in the literature thanks to the diagnostic contribution of multi-detector scanners [2]. Objective: To determine the hospital frequency of sigmoid colon volvulus;to write the clinical and para-clinical aspects of sigmoid colon volvulus;write down the different treatments used for the management of sigmoid colon volvulus. Material and methods: This was a retrospective and prospective study that took place from January 2008 to December 2020 in the General Surgery Department of Gabriel Touré. The retrospective phase ran from January 2008 to December 2019 and the prospective phase from January 2020 to December 2020. Results: From January 2008 to December 2020, we collected 320 cases of patients operated on for sigmoid colon volvulus out of 7989 surgical emergencies over a 12-year period, or 3.64%. In our study, the most represented age group was between 16 and 60 years old, i.e. 81.88%. The mean age was 42.6 ± 17.4 years with extremities of 16 and 90 years. The male sex was the most represented, 89% with a sex ratio of 8.41. The surgical history was found in 13.75% of our patients. The clinic was dominated by abdominal pain (100%), meteorism (100%), and gas and matter arrest (91.3%). The most common radiological image found in the ASP was the double jamb, i.e. 74.69% of cases. We found sigmoid necrosis in 18.13% of cases. We found an absence of necrosis in the majority of cases, i.e. 91.56%. The most performed operative procedure in our patients was the RACR, i.e. 75.63% of cases. The reoperation was performed in only 5.94% of our patients. Complications were grade V in 42.55% according to the Clavin Dindo classification.

Oncologic impact of colonic stents for obstructive left-sided colon cancer

Colonic stenting has had a significant positive impact on the management of obstructive left-sided colon cancer(OLCC) in terms of both palliative treatment and bridge-to-surgery(BTS). Notably, many studies have convincingly demonstrated the effectiveness of stenting as a BTS, resulting in improvements in shortterm outcomes and quality of life, safety, and efficacy in subsequent curative surgery, and increased cost-effectiveness, whereas the safety of chemotherapy after stenting and the long-term outcomes of stenting as a BTS are controversial. Several studies have suggested an increased risk of perforation in patients receiving bevacizumab chemotherapy after colonic stenting. In addition, several pathological analyses have suggested a negative oncological impact of colonic stenting. In contrast, many recent studies have demonstrated that colonic stenting for OLCC does not negatively impact the safety of chemotherapy or long-term oncological outcomes. The updated version of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines released in 2020 included colonic stenting as a BTS for OLCC as a recommended treatment. It should be noted that the experience of endoscopists is involved in determining technical and clinical success rates and possibly oncological outcomes. This review discusses the positive and negative impacts of colonic stenting on OLCC treatment, particularly in terms of oncology.

Preoperative colonic stents vs emergency surgery for acute left-sided malignant colonic obstruction: meta-analysis with systematic review of the literature

AIM To investigate by meta-analytic study and systematic review, advantages of colonic stent placement in comparison with emergency surgery.METHODS We conducted an extensive literature search by PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase and the Cochrane Libraries. We searched for all the papers in English published till February 2016, by applying combinations of the following terms: Obstructive colon cancer, colon cancer in emergency, colorectal stenting, emergency surgery for colorectal cancer, guidelines for obstructive colorectal cancer, stenting vs emergency surgery in the treatment of obstructive colorectal cancer, selfexpanding metallic stents, stenting as bridge to surgery. The study was designed following the PrismaStatement. By our search, we identified 452 studies, and 57 potentially relevant studies in full-text were reviewed by 2 investigators; ultimately, 9 randomized controlled trials were considered for meta-analysis and all the others were considered for systematic review.RESULTS In the meta-analysis, by comparing colonic stenting(CS) as bridge to surgery and emergency surgery, the pooled analysis showed no significant difference between the two techniques in terms of mortality [odds ratio(oR) = 0.91], morbidity(oR = 2.38) or permanent stoma rate(oR = 1.67); primary anastomosis was more frequent in the stent group(oR = 0.45; P = 0.004) and stoma creation was more frequent in the emergency surgery group(oR = 2.36; P = 0.002). No statistical difference was found in disease-free survival and overall survival. The pooled analysis showed a significant difference between the colonic stent and emergency surgery groups(oR = 0.37), with a significantly higher 1-year recurrence rate in the stent group(P = 0.007).CONCLUSION CS improves primary anastomosis rate with significantly high 1-year follow-up recurrence and no statistical difference in terms of disease-free survival and overall survival.

Five-year long-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer

AIM:To perform a meta-analysis to answer whether long-term recurrence rates after laparoscopic-assisted surgery are comparable to those reported after open surgery.METHODS:A comprehensive literature search of the MEDLINE database,EMBASE database,and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for the years 1991-2010 was performed.Prospective randomized clinical trials(RCTs)were eligible if they included patients with colon cancer treated by laparoscopic surgery vs open surgery and followed for more than five years.RESULTS:Three studies involving 2147 patients reported long-term outcomes based on five-year data and were included in the analysis.The overall mortality was similar in the two groups(24.9%,268/1075 in the laparoscopic group and 26.4%,283/1072 in open group).No significant differences between laparoscopic and open surgery were found in overall mortality during the follow-up period of these studies[OR(fixed) 0.92,95%confidence intervals(95%CI):0.76-1.12,P=0.41].No significant difference in the development of overall recurrence was found in colon cancer patients,when comparing laparoscopic and open surgery [2147 pts,19.3%vs 20.0%;OR(fixed)0.96,95% CI:0.78-1.19,P=0.71].CONCLUSION:This meta-analysis suggests that laparoscopic surgery was as efficacious and safe as open surgery for colon cancer,based on the five-year data of these included RCTs.

Extent of surgery in cancer of the colon:Is more better?

Since the introduction of total mesorectal excision as the standard approach in mid and low rectal cancer,the incidence of local recurrence has sharply declined.Similar attention to surgical technique in colon cancer(CC) has resulted in the concept of complete mesocolic excision(CME),which consists of complete removal of the intact mesentery and high ligation of the vascular supply at its origin.Although renewed attention to meticulous surgical technique certainly has its merits,routine implementation of CME is currently unfounded.Firstly,in contrast to rectal cancer,local recurrence originating from an incompletely removed mesenteryis rare in CC and usually a manifestation of systemic disease.Secondly,although CME may increase nodal counts and therefore staging accuracy,this is unlikely to affect survival since the observed relationship between nodal counts and outcome in CC is most probably not causal but confounded by a range of clinical variables.Thirdly,several lines of evidence suggest that metastasis to locoregional nodes occurs early and is a stochastic rather than a stepwise phenomenon in CC,in essence reflecting the tumor-host-metastasis relationship.Unsurprisingly,therefore,comparative studies in CC as well as in other digestive cancers have failed to demonstrate any survival benefit associated with extensive,additional or extra-mesenteric lymphadenectomy.Finally,routine implementation of CME may cause patient harm by longer operating times,major vascular damage and autonomic nerve injury.Therefore,data from randomized trials reporting relevant endpoints are required before CME can be recommended as a standard approach in CC surgery.

Correlation between the expressions of metastasis-associated factor-1 in colon cancer and vacuolar ATP synthase

BACKGROUND Clinical prognosis often worsens due to high recurrence rates following radical surgery for colon cancer.The examination of high-risk recurrence factors post-surgery provides critical insights for disease evaluation and treatment planning.AIM To explore the relationship between metastasis-associated factor-1 in colon cancer(MACC1)and vacuolar ATP synthase(V-ATPase)expression in colon cancer tissues,and recurrence rate in patients undergoing radical colon cancer surgery.METHODS We selected 104 patients treated with radical colon cancer surgery at our hospital from January 2018 to June 2021.Immunohistochemical staining was utilized to assess the expression levels of MACC1 and V-ATPase in these patients.RESULTS The rates of MACC1 and V-ATPase positivity were 64.42%and 67.31%,respe-ctively,in colon cancer tissues,which were significantly higher than in paracan-cerous tissues(P<0.05).Among patients with TNM stage III,medium to low differentiation,and lymph node metastasis,the positive rates of MACC1 and V-ATPase were significantly elevated in comparison to patients with TNM stage I-II,high differentiation,and no lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).The rate of MACC1 positivity was 76.67%in patients with tumor diameters>5 cm,notably higher than in patients with tumor diameters≤5 cm(P<0.05).We observed a positive correlation between MACC1 and V-ATPase expression(rs=0.797,P<0.05).The positive rates of MACC1 and V-ATPase were significantly higher in patients with recurrence compared to those without(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis revealed TNM stage,lymph node metastasis,MACC1 expression,and V-ATPase expression as risk factors for postoperative colon cancer recurrence(OR=6.322,3.435,2.683,and 2.421;P<0.05).CONCLUSION The upregulated expression of MACC1 and V-ATPase in colon cancer patients appears to correlate with clinicopathological features and post-radical surgery recurrence.

Prognostic factors of young patients with colon cancer after surgery

AIM： To investigate the prognostic factors of 96 young patients with colon cancer within a cancer center by univariate and multivariate analysis. METHODS： A total of 723 patients with colon cancer were treated surgically during a period of 10 years. Ninty six of them were 40 years old or younger. R0, R1 and R2 operations were performed in 69 （71.9%）, 4 （4.1%） and 23 patients （24%）, respectively. Left hemicolectomy was performed in 43 patients, right hemicolectomy in 37 patients, transverse colon resection in 9 patients and low anterior resection in 7 patients. Cox multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of survival. RESULTS： The operation mortality was 0%, 54 patients died within 111 mo after operation due to occurrence or metastases of the tumor. Liver, lung and bone metastases occurred in 3, 1 and 5 patients, respectively. The mean survival time for all patients was 77.9 ± 5.01 mo and the overall 3-, 5- and 10- year survival rates were 66.68%, 58.14% and 46.54%, respectively. In the univariate survival analysis, patient age, type of operation, radical resection, blood transfusion, histological type, diameter of tumor, depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic invasion, distant metastases, liver metastases and TNM stage were found to be predictors of survival in young patients with colon cancer. In the Cox-regression analysis, blood transfusion and lymphatic invasion were determined as independent prognostic factors of survival. CONCLUSIONS： Age, type of operation, radical resection, blood transfusion, histological type, diameter of tumor, depth of tumor invasion, lymphatic invasion, distant metastasis and TNM stage are the predictors of survival in young patients with colon cancer after surgery.

Filiform polyposis in the sigmoid colon: A case series

Filiform polyposis is a rare condition of uncertain patho-genesis that is usually found in association with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, intestinal tuberculosis or histiocytosis X. We report seven interesting cases of polyposis with various pathologic components, mainly located in the left side of the colon with no associated inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal tuberculosis or histiocytosis X. Multiple finger-like polypoid lesions with the appearance of stalactites were noted on the left side of the colon, especially in the sigmoid area, at the time of colonoscopy. The polyps had a variety of sizes and shapes and were shown to have various histopathologic components among the different patients. Although filiform polyposis localized in the sigmoid colon appears not to have high oncogenic potential, periodic follow-up seems to be needed.

Actinomycosis of the sigmoid colon:A case report

Abdominal actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative infection caused by Actinomyces species.The ileo-cecal region is most commonly affected,while the left side of the colon is more rarely involved.The infection has a tendency to inf iltrate adjacent tissues and is therefore rarely confined to a single organ.Presentation may vary from non specif ic symptoms and signs to an acute abdomen.A computed tomography scan is helpful in identifying the inflammatory process and the organs involved.It also allows visual guidance for percutaneous drainage of abscesses,thus aiding diagnosis.Culture is difficult because of the anaerobic character and slow growth of actinomycetes.Colonoscopy is usually normal,but may shows signs of external compression.Preoperative diagnosis is rare and is established only in less than 10% of cases.In uncomplicated disease,high dose antibiotic therapy is the mainstay of treatment.Surgery is often performed because of a difficulty in diagnosis.Surgery and antibiotics are required in the case of complicated disease.Combined medical and surgical treatment achieves a cure in about 90% of cases.The authors report a case of sigmoid actinomycosis where diagnosis was made from the histology,and a review of the literature is presented.

Recurrence of sigmoid colon cancer–derived anal metastasis:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Distant metastasis of colorectal cancer to the anus is very rare,with only 30 related cases published in PubMed thus far.Therefore,recurrence of colorectal cancer derived anus metastases is rarely seen and less presented.CASE SUMMARY Here we report an 80-year-old male patient who underwent radical resection for sigmoid colon cancer in January 2010 and another surgery for anal fistula resection in December 2010.Postoperative pathology of the anal fistula revealed a metastatic moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma.The patient subsequently received chemotherapy and radiotherapy.In May 2020,after the patient reported symptoms of anal swelling and pain,computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a perianal abscess.Perianal mass biopsy was performed,and the postoperative pathological diagnosis was metastatic moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma.CONCLUSION This case highlights that there is a risk of recurrence of anal metastasis of colorectal cancer even after 10 years of follow-up.We also reviewed the literature and discuss potential mechanisms for anal metastasis of colorectal cancer,thus providing some suggestions for treatment of these cases.

Sigmoid colonic carcinoma associated with deposited ova of Schistosoma japonicum:A case report

We report a case of sigmoid colonic carcinoma associated with deposited ova of Schistosoma japonicum. A 57-year old woman presented with a 10-mo history of left lower quadrant abdominal pain and a 2-mo history of bloody stools. She had a significant past medical history of asymptomatic schistosomiasis japonica and constipation. A colonoscopy showed an exophytic fragile neoplasm with an ulcerating surface in the sigmoid colon. During the radical operative procedure, we noted the partially encircling tumor was located in the distal sigmoid colon, and extended into the serosa. Succedent pathological analysis demonstrated the diagnosis of sigmoid colonic ulcerative tubular adenocarcinoma, and showed deposited ova of Schistosoma japonicum in both tumor lesions and mesenteric lymph nodes. Three days after surgery the patient returned to the normal bowel function with one defecation per day. These findings reveal that deposited schistosome ova play a possible role in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer.

Long-term outcome of indwelling colon observed seven years after radical resection for rectosigmoid cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Indwelling colon is characterized by an excluded segment of the colon after surgical diversion of the fecal stream with colostomy so that contents are unable to pass through this part of the colon.We report a rare case of purulent colonic necrosis that occurred 7 years after surgical colonic exclusion.CASE SUMMARY A 73-year-old male had undergone extended radical resection for rectosigmoid cancer.The invaded ileocecal area and sigmoid colon were removed during the procedure,and the ileum was anastomosed side-to-side with the rectum.The excluded ascending,transverse,and descending colon were sealed at both ends and left in the abdomen.After 7 years,the patient developed persistent abdominal pain and distension.Work-up indicated intestinal obstruction.The patient underwent ultrasound-guided catheter drainage of the descending colon and a large amount of viscous liquid was drained,but the symptoms persisted;therefore,surgery was planned.Intraoperatively,extensive adhesions were found in the abdominal cavity,and the small intestine and the indwelling colon were widely dilated.The dilated colon was 56 cm long,5 cm wide(diameter),and contained about 1500 mL of viscous liquid.The indwelling colon was surgically removed and its histopathological examination revealed colonic congestion and necrosis with hyperplasia of granulation tissue.The bacterial culture of the secretions was negative.The patient recovered after the operation.CONCLUSION Although colonic exclusion is routinely performed,this report aimed to increase awareness regarding the possible long-term complications of indwelling colon.

Exteriorized colon anastomosis for unprepared bowel: An alternative to routine colostomy

AIM: To see the possibility of avoiding routine colostomy in patients presenting with unprepared bowel. METHODS: The cohort is composed of 103 patients, of these, 86 patients presented as emergencies (self- inflected and iatrogenic colon injuries, stab wounds and blast injury of the colon, volvulus sigmoid, obstructing left colon cancer, and strangulated ventral hernia). Another 17 patients were managed electively for other colon pathologies. During laparotomy, the involved segment was resected and the two ends of the colon were brought out via a separate colostomy wound. One layer of interrupted 3/0 silk was used for colon anastomosis. The exteriorized segment was immediately covered with a colostomy bag. Between the 5th and 7th postoperative day, the colon was easily dropped into the peritoneal cavity. The defect in the abdominal wall was closed with interrupted nonabsorbable suture. The skin was left open for secondary closure. RESULTS: The mean hospital stay (± SD) was 11.5 ± 2.6 d (8-20 d). The exteriorized colon was successfully dropped back into the peritoneal cavity in all patients except two. One developed a leak from oesophago- jejunostomy and from the exteriorized colon. She subsequently died of sepsis and multiple organ failure (MOF). In a second patient the colon proximal to the exteriorized anastomosis prolapsed and developed severe serositis, an elective ileo-colic anastomosis (to the left colon) was successfully performed. CONCLUSION: Exteriorized colon anastomosis is simple, avoids the inconvenience of colostomy and can be an alternative to routine colostomy. It is suitable where colostomy is socially unacceptable or the facilities and care is not available.