Results of selective decontamination with oral neomycin and metronidazole for major colorectal surgery in Australia:A cohort study

Objective The role of selective decontamination with oral antibiotics(OABs)and mechanical bowel preparation(MBP)prior to elective colorectal surgery is still widely debated.The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of selective decontamination with neomycin,metronidazole and MBP compared to those of decontamination with MBP alone or with no preparation.Methods Selective decontamination with neomycin and metronidazole combined with bowel preparation was introduced prior to elective colorectal surgery as part of an enhanced recovery after surgery program at Westmead Hospital,a major Australian tertiary referral hospital,between June 2017 and January 2023.Comparisons between short-term outcomes of OAB+MBP and MBP/no preparation were made using prospectively collected data on length of stay(LOS),readmission,mortality within 30 days,anastomotic leakage(AL),surgical site infection(SSI),urinary tract infection,deep venous thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolism,pneumonia,and ileus.Follow-up was limited to hospital stays and subsequent presentations within the health district within thirty days of surgery.The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyse continuous data,and the chi-square test was used for categorical data.Univariate and multivariate regression modelling was performed to identify risk factors associated with an increased likelihood of SSI and AL.Results Patients with oral neomycin and metronidazole combined with bowel preparation had reduced superficial SSI(2.7%vs.7.6%,p=0.043)and overall complications(32.7%vs.44.6%,p=0.020),particularly Clavien-Dindo 1 complications(7.3%vs.16.5%,p=0.009).However,the differences in AL(2.7%vs.4.5%,p=0.369)and organ/space SSI(1.3%vs.3.7%,p=0.327)were not statistically significant.The median LOS(6 d vs.6 d,p=0.370)was not different between the groups.Conclusion Selective decontamination with neomycin and metronidazole reduces the risk of SSIs and overall complications.There was a trend to toward a lower AL,but this difference was not statistically significant.

Occurrence and prevention of incisional hernia following laparoscopic colorectal surgery

Among minimally invasive surgical procedures,colorectal surgery is associated with a notably higher incidence of incisional hernia(IH),ranging from 1.7% to 24.3%.This complication poses a significant burden on the healthcare system annually,necessitating urgent attention from surgeons.In a study published in the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery,Fan et al compared the incidence of IH among 1614 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery with different extraction site locations and evaluated the risk factors associated with its occurrence.This editorial analyzes the current risk factors for IH after laparoscopic colorectal surgery,emphasizing the impact of obesity,surgical site infection,and the choice of incision location on its development.Furthermore,we summarize the currently available preventive measures for IH.Given the low surgical repair rate and high recurrence rate associated with IH,prevention deserves greater research and attention compared to treatment.

Incidence of surgical site infection in minimally invasive colorectal surgery

BACKGROUND Surgical site infection(SSI)is a common complication of colorectal surgery.Minimally invasive surgery notably reduces the incidence of SSI.This study aimed to compare the incidences of SSI after robot-assisted colorectal surgery(RACS)vs that after laparoscopic assisted colorectal surgery(LACS)and to analyze associated risk factors for SSI in minimally invasive colorectal surgery.AIM To compare the incidences of SSI after RACS and LACS,and to analyze the risk factors associated with SSI after minimally invasive colorectal surgery.METHODS Clinical data derived from patients who underwent minimally invasive colorectal surgery between October 2020 and October 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were collated.Differences in clinical characteristics and surgeryrelated information associated with RACS and LACS were compared,and possible risk factors for SSI were identified.RESULTS A total of 246 patients(112 LACS and 134 RACS)were included in the study.Fortythree(17.5%)developed SSI.The proportions of patients who developed SSI were similar in the two groups(17.9%vs 17.2%,P=0.887).Diabetes mellitus,intraoperative blood loss≥100 mL,and incision length were independent risk factors for SSI.Possible additional risk factors included neoadjuvant therapy,lesion site,and operation time.CONCLUSION There was no difference in SSI incidence in the RACS and LACS groups.Diabetes mellitus,intraoperative blood loss≥100 mL,and incision length were independent risk factors for postoperative SSI.

Introducing an enhanced recovery after surgery program in colorectal surgery:A single center experience

AIM: To study the implementation of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program at a large University Hospital from “pilot study” to “standard of care”.

Improving the outcomes in oncological colorectal surgery

During the last several decades,colorectal cancer surgery has experienced some major perioperative improvements.Preoperative risk-assessment of nutrition,frailty,and sarcopenia followed by interventions for patient optimization or an adapted surgical strategy,contributed to improved postoperative outcomes.Enhanced recovery programs or fast-track surgery also resulted in reduced length of hospital stay and overall complications without affecting patient safety.After an initially indecisive start due to uncertainty about oncological safety,the most significant improvement in intraoperative care was the introduction of laparoscopy.Laparoscopic surgery for colon and rectal cancer is associated with better short-term outcomes,whereas long-term outcomes regarding survival and recurrence rates are comparable.Nevertheless,long-term results in rectal surgery remain to be seen.Early recognition of anastomotic leakage remains a challenge,though multiple improvements have allowed better management of this complication.

Evolution of laparoscopy in colorectal surgery:An evidencebased review

Open surgery for colorectal disease has progressed significantly over the past century from humble beginnings to form the mainstay of treatment for colorectal cancer and a number of benign conditions.Following the introduction of laparoscopic abdominal surgery,the next stage in the evolution of the specialty began in the 1990s with the first laparoscopic colonic resection.Following some early concerns regarding its safety and oncological efficacy during the latter part of that decade,laparoscopic colorectal surgery rapidly came into mainstream use in the early part of the current century with evidence supporting its use being made available from large scale randomised controlled trials.This article provides an evidence-based summary of this evolutionary process as it relates to both benign and malignant colorectal disease,as well as discussion of the next phase of new technologies such as robotic surgery.

Implications of preoperative hypoalbuminemia in colorectal surgery

Serum albumin has traditionally been used as a quantitative measure of a patient's nutritional status because of its availability and low cost. While malnutrition has a clear definition within both the American and European Societies for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition clinical guidelines, individual surgeons often determine nutritional status anecdotally. Preoperative albumin level has been shown to be the best predictor of mortality after colorectal cancer surgery. Specifically in colorectal surgical patients, hypoalbuminemia significantly increases the length of hospital stay, rates of surgical site infections, enterocutaneous fistula risk, and deep vein thrombosis formation. The delay of surgical procedures to allow for preoperative correction of albumin levels in hypoalbuminemic patients has been shown to improve the morbidity and mortality in patients with severe nutritional risk. The importance of preoperative albumin levels and the patient's chronic inflammatory state on the postoperative morbidity and mortality has led to the development of a variety of surgical scoring systems to predict outcomes efficiently. This review attempts to provide a systematic overview of albumin and its role and implications in colorectal surgery.

Evolution and future of laparoscopic colorectal surgery

The advances of laparoscopic surgery since the early 1990 s have caused one of the largest technical revolutions in medicine since the detection of antibiotics(1922,Flemming),the discovery of DNA structure(1953,Watson and Crick),and solid organ transplantation(1954,Murray).Perseverance through a rocky start and increased familiarity with the chop-stick surgery in conjunction with technical refinements has resulted in a rapid expansion of the indications for minimally invasive surgery.Procedure-related factors initially contributed to this success and included the improved postoperative recovery and cosmesis,fewer wound complications,lower risk for incisional hernias and for subsequent adhesionrelated small bowel obstructions; the major breakthrough however came with favorable long-term outcomes data on oncological parameters.The future will have to determine the specific role of various technical approaches,define prognostic factors of success and true progress,and consider directing further innovation while potentially limiting approaches that do not add to patient outcomes.

Artificial intelligence based real-time microcirculation analysis system for laparoscopic colorectal surgery

BACKGROUND Colonic perfusion status can be assessed easily by indocyanine green(ICG)angiography to predict ischemia related anastomotic complications during laparoscopic colorectal surgery.Recently,various parameter-based perfusion analysis have been studied for quantitative evaluation,but the analysis results differ depending on the use of quantitative parameters due to differences in vascular anatomical structure.Therefore,it can help improve the accuracy and consistency by artificial intelligence(AI)based real-time analysis microperfusion(AIRAM).AIM To evaluate the feasibility of AIRAM to predict the risk of anastomotic complication in the patient with laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.METHODS The ICG curve was extracted from the region of interest(ROI)set in the ICG fluorescence video of the laparoscopic colorectal surgery.Pre-processing was performed to reduce AI performance degradation caused by external environment such as background,light source reflection,and camera shaking using MATLAB 2019 on an I7-8700k Intel central processing unit(CPU)PC.AI learning and evaluation were performed by dividing into a training patient group(n=50)and a test patient group(n=15).Training ICG curve data sets were classified and machine learned into 25 ICG curve patterns using a self-organizing map(SOM)network.The predictive reliability of anastomotic complications in a trained SOM network is verified using test set.RESULTS AI-based risk and the conventional quantitative parameters including T1/2max,time ratio(TR),and rising slope(RS)were consistent when colonic perfusion was favorable as steep increasing ICG curve pattern.When the ICG graph pattern showed stepped rise,the accuracy of conventional quantitative parameters decreased,but the AI-based classification maintained accuracy consistently.The receiver operating characteristic curves for conventional parameters and AI-based classification were comparable for predicting the anastomotic complication risks.Statistical performance verifications were improved in the AI-based analysis.AI analysis was evaluated as the most accurate parameter to predict the risk of anastomotic complications.The F1 score of the AI-based method increased by 31% for T1/2max,8% for TR,and 8% for RS.The processing time of AIRAM was measured as 48.03 s,which was suitable for real-time processing.CONCLUSION In conclusion,AI-based real-time microcirculation analysis had more accurate and consistent performance than the conventional parameter-based method.

Continuous wound infusion of local anaesthetic agents following colorectal surgery:Systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM:To provide a specifi c review and meta-analysis of the available evidence for continuous wound infusion of local anaesthetic agents following midline laparoto-my for major colorectal surgery. METHODS: Medline, Embase, trial registries, conference proceedings and article reference lists were searched to identify randomised, controlled trials of continuous wound infusion of local anaesthetic agents following colorectal surgery. The primary outcomes were opioid consumption, pain visual analogue scores (VASs), return to bowel function and length of hospital stay. Weighted mean difference were calculated for continuous outcomes. RESULTS: Five trials containing 542 laparotomy wounds were eligible for inclusion. There was a sig- nificant decrease in post-operative pain VAS at rest on day 3 (weighted mean difference: -0.43; 95% CI: -0.81 to -0.04; P = 0.03) but not on post-operative day 1 and 2. Local anaesthetic infusion was associated with a signifi cant reduction in pain VAS on movement on all three post-operative days (day 1 weighted mean difference: -1.14; 95% CI: -2.24 to -0.041; P = 0.04, day 2 weighted mean difference: -0.97, 95% CI: -1.91to -0.029; P = 0.04, day 3 weighted mean difference: -0.61; 95% CI: 1.01 to -0.20; P = 0.0038). Local an- aesthetic wound infusion was associated with a signifi - cant decrease in total opioid consumption (weighted mean difference: -40.13; 95% CI: -76.74 to -3.53; P = 0.03). There was no signifi cant decrease in length of stay (weighted mean difference: -20.87; 95% CI: -46.96 to 5.21; P = 0.12) or return of bowel function (weighted mean difference: -9.40; 95% CI: -33.98 to 15.17; P = 0.45). CONCLUSION: The results of this systematic re- view and meta-analysis suggest that local anaesthetic wound infusion following laparotomy for major color- ectal surgery is a promising technique but do not pro- vide conclusive evidence of benefi t. Further research is required including cost-effectiveness analysis.

Quality of life after laparoscopic and open colorectal surgery: A systematic review

This study was a systematic review of the available evidence on quality of life in patients after laparoscopic or open colorectal surgery. A systematic review was performed of all randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that compared laparoscopic with open colorectal surgery. Study selection, quality assessment and data extraction were carried out independently by two reviewers. Primary endpoint was quality of life after laparoscopic and open colorectal surgery, as assessed by validated questionnaires. The search resulted in nine RCTs that included 2263 patients. Shortand long-term results of these RCTs were described in 13 articles. Postoperative follow-up ranged from 2 d to 6.7 years. Due to clinical heterogeneity, no meta-analysis could be conducted. Four RCTs did not show any difference in quality of life between laparoscopic or open colorectal surgery. The remaining five studies reported a better quality of life in favor of the laparoscopic group on a few quality of life scales at time points ranging from 1 wk to 2 years after surgery. In conclusion, based on presently available high-level evidence, this systematic review showed no clinically relevant differences in postoperative quality of life between laparoscopic and open colorectal surgery.

Over-the-scope-clipping system for anastomotic leak after colorectal surgery:Report of two cases

An anastomotic leak is one of the major complications following colorectal surgery.Standard treatments for anastomotic leak are total parenteral nutrition or temporary ileostomy.The over-the-scope-clipping(OTSC)system was originally developed to treat intestinal perforation or to close the tissue after natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery.Two cases of successful management of an anastomotic leak after colorectal surgery using the OTSC system are reported.One patient avoided a temporary ileostomy.In the other,hospitalization was shortened by the use of the OTSC system.The OTSC system can be a potential option in the management of anastomotic leaks after colorectal surgery.

Advances in minimally invasive neonatal colorectal surgery

Over the last two decades, advances in laparoscopic surgery and minimally invasive techniques have transformed the operative management of neonatal colorectal surgery for conditions such as anorectal malformations (ARMs) and Hirschsprung’s disease. Evolution of surgical care has mainly occurred due to the use of laparoscopy, as opposed to a laparotomy, for intra-abdominal procedures and the development of trans-anal techniques. This review describes these advances and outlines the main minimally invasive techniques currently used for management of ARMs and Hirschsprung’s disease. There does still remain significant variation in the procedures used and this review aims to report the current literature comparing techniques with an emphasis on the short- and long-term clinical outcomes.

Short-term outcomes after laparoscopic colorectal surgery in patients with previous abdominal surgery: A systematic review

AIM: To perform a systematic review focusing on shortterm outcomes after colorectal surgery in patients with previous abdominal open surgery(PAOS).METHODS: A broad literature search was performed with the terms "colorectal", "colectomy", "PAOS", "previous surgery" and "PAOS". Studies were included if their topic was laparoscopic colorectal surgery in patients with PAOS, whether descriptive or comparative. Endpoints of interest were conversion rates, inadvertent enterotomy and morbidity. Analysis of articles was made according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.RESULTS: From a total of 394 citations, 13 full-texts achieved selection criteria to be included in the study. Twelve of them compared patients with and without PAOS. All studies were retrospective and comparative and two were case-matched. The selected studies comprised a total of 5005 patients, 1865 with PAOS. Among the later, only 294(16%) had history of a midline incision for previous gastrointestinal surgery. Conversion rates were significantly higher in 3 of 12 studies and inadvertent enterotomy during laparoscopywas more prevalent in 3 of 5 studies that disclosed this event. Morbidity was similar in the majority of studies. A quantitative analysis(meta-analysis) could not be performed due to heterogeneity of the studies. CONCLUSION: Conversion rates were slightly higher in PAOS groups, although not statistical significant in most studies. History of PAOS did not implicate in higher morbidity rates.

Endoluminal vacuum-assisted therapy as a treatment for anastomotic leakage in colorectal surgery

Anastomotic leakage(AL)has a wide range of clinical features ranging from radiological only findings to peritonitis and sepsis with multiorgan failure.An early diagnosis of AL is essential in order to establish the most appropriate treatment for this complication.Despite AL continues to be a dreadful complication after colorectal surgery,there has been no consensus on its management.However,based on patient’s presentation and timing of the AL,there has been a gradual shift to a more conservative management,keeping surgery as the last option Reoperation for sepsis control is rarely necessary especially in those patients who already have a diverting stoma at the time of the leak.A nonoperative management is usually preferred in these patients.There are several treatment options,also for patients without a stoma who do not require a reoperation for a contained pelvic leak,including recently developed endoscopic procedures,such as clip placement or endoluminal vacuum-assisted therapy.More conservative treatments could be an option in patients who are clinically stable or in presence of a small defect.

Effect of water-soluble contrast in colorectal surgery: A prospective randomized trial

AIM: Postoperative gastrointestinal-tract motility is normally delayed. Early feeding after colorectal surgery has been reported recently, but late feeding is common. Gastrografin not only enhances bowel peristalsis, but also decreases bowel-wall edema. Whether contrast medium allows early oral feeding and reduces the duration of hospitalization requires clarification. METHODS: Fifty patients underwent elective colorectal surgery In a regional medical center. Patients were prosp-ectively randomized into a Gastrografin group or control group (n=25 each). Patients in the Gastrografin group began their feeding schedule with 100 mL of 5% dextrose water with 100 mL of Gastrografin on postoperative d 3 and were advanced to a full liquid diet when the contrast reached the colon in 4 h. Patients in the control group began their feeding schedule with 200 mL of 5% dextrose water on postoperative d 3 and were advanced to a full liquid diet after the passage of flatus and stool. Nasogastric tubes were inserted for persistent postoperative vomiting. Fullness, nausea, vomiting, complications, time of anesthesia, time of operation, time of mobilization, time of oral feeding, and duration of hospital stay were recorded and analyzed with Student's t-test. RESULTS: In the Gastrografin group, one patient had aspiration pneumonia and one patient had anastomotic leakage resulting in sepsis and eventual death. This mortality was excluded from the subsequent statistical analysis. In the control group, two patients had wound infections. There was no significant difference between the two groups at the time of anesthesia, time of operation, or time of mobilization. There were significant differences between the two groups in the time of oral feeding (3.3±0.3 d in the Gastrografin group VS 4.8±0.4 d in the control group; P=odds ratio--, 95%CI [-0.5 to +0.7 d]) and in the length of hospital stay (7.6±1.1 d in the Gastrografin group VS 10.2±1.3 d in the control group; P=odds ratio--, 95% CI [-1.2 to +1.4 d]). CONCLUSION: Gastrografin not only allowed early oral feeding but also reduced the duration of hospitalization after elective colorectal surgery.

Quality of life after colorectal surgery:A prospective study of patients compared with their spouses

BACKGROUND Although radical surgery for colorectal cancer improves the oncological outcomes,a significant portion of patients suffer from alterations in their quality of life(QoL).There are many studies investigating the QoL of patients who have colorectal cancer but none of these focus on the QoL of spouses.AIM To compare the QoL of patients after colorectal surgery to the QoL of spouses.METHODS This prospective study consisted of patients who were married and who underwent surgery at the University of Ankara,Department of Surgery between March 2006 and November 2010.Patients’spouses were also enrolled.The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine,Ankara University,and all patients provided written informed consent.The study included patients who underwent curative surgery for colorectal carcinoma[n=100;abdominoperineal excision(n=33),low anterior resection(n=33),left hemicolectomy(n=34)]and their spouses(n=100).The patients and spouses completed the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Survey(SF-36)and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II(WHODAS-II)preoperatively and at postoperative months 15 to 18.RESULTS During this 4.5-year study period,273 patients with sigmoid or rectal cancer were admitted to the hospital.Of these patients,119 were eligible and willing to participate.Eleven patients had either systemic or locally inoperable disease,three patients had a severe surgical complication,and five patients were lost to followup.Therefore,a total of 100 patients completed the follow-up period.There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the disability scores of patients and the scores of their spouses for some of the WHODAS-II subscales,such as“self-care,”“life activities,”and“participation in society,”as well as for the total WHODAS-II score.There was also a positive correlation between the QoL of patients and the QoL of their spouses in most of the SF-36 subscales.Statistically significant correlations were observed for the“bodily pain,”“general health,””vitality,”“social function,”“emotion,”“mental health,”and mental component summary score subscales of the SF-36.When gender differences were evaluated,the QoL of male patients’spouses changed more when compared with female patients’spouses for all of the WHODAS-II subscales.Colorectal cancer surgery has a significant effect on the QoL of both patients and their spouses,these effects were more significant among male patients’spouses.CONCLUSION Preoperative counseling regarding potential problems should therefore collectively address patient and their spouse as a couple rather than the patient alone,particularly for patients undergoing low anterior resection and abdominoperineal resection procedures.

Emergency robotic colorectal surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective case series study

Objective: While interest in elective robotic surgery is growing, use in emergency setting remainslimited due to challenges posed by sicker patients, advanced pathology and logistical issues. During theCOVID-19 pandemic, robotic surgery could provide the benefit of having the surgeon away from thebedside and reducing the number of directly exposed medical staff. The objective of this study was toreport patient outcomes and initial learning experience of emergency robotic colorectal surgery duringthe COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A case series study was conducted, including patients undergoing emergency robotic colorectalsurgery between February 2020 and February 2021 at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, UK.Patient data were collected from an ethics approved prospective database. Patient demographics,operative time, conversions and postoperative complications were recorded. In addition, readmissions,length of stay and short-term oncological outcomes were analyzed.Results: Ten patients with median age 64 y (range, 36-83 y) were included. Four patients had roboticcomplete mesocolic resection for obstructing cancers. Six had colorectal resections for benign disease inemergency setting. All were R0 with a mean lymph node harvest of 54 ± 13. Mean operative time was249 ± 117 min, the median length of stay was 9.4 d (range, 5-22 d). Only one patient was given atemporary diverting ileostomy. There were no grade III/V complications and no 30-day mortality.Conclusions: Provided an experienced team and peri-operative planning, emergency robotic colorectalsurgery can achieve favorable outcomes with benefits of radical lymph node dissection in oncologicalcases and avoidance of diverting stoma.

Chewing gum for postoperative ileus after colorectal surgery:A systematic review of overlapping meta-analyses

Background：Many meta-analyses investigating gum chewing for postoperative recovery after colorectal surgery have been published with inconsistent findings.Therefore,we performed this study to systematically review these overlapping meta-analyses and offer clinical recommendations based on the current best evidence for decision makers.Methods：Multiple databases,including PubMed,EMBASE,Cochrane Library,Chinese BioMedical Literature on disc（CBMdisc）,China National Knowledge Infrastructure（CNKI）,Chinese Wanfang and Chinese VIP,were searched through October 2016.We included meta-analyses investigating the effectiveness of chewing gum for postoperative ileus after colorectal resection.Two investigators independently scanned and evaluated eligible meta-analyses,extracted essential information,assessed the methodological quality with the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews（AMSTAR） tool and Oxford Levels of Evidence,and used the Jadad decision algorithm at each step for all procedures.Heterogeneity ≤50%was accepted.Results：Ten meta-analyses were included in our study.The AMSTAR scores varied from 5 to 9,with a median of 7.7.Most heterogeneity fell into the acceptable range.After implementing the Jadad decision algorithm,two meta-analyses of RCTs were selected based on search strategies and the implications of selection.The available best evidence indicated that gum chewing significantly reduced time to first flatus,time to first bowel movement,time to first bowel sounds and length of hospital stay.However,these two meta-analyses reached inconsistent conclusions as to the complications and economic benefits.Conclusions：With the current best available evidence,we suggest gum chewing is beneficial for gastrointestinal function and reducing postoperative ileus.

Minimally invasive colorectal surgery learning curve

The learning curve in minimally invasive colorectal surgery is a constant subject of discussion in the literature.Discordant data likely reflects the varying degrees of each surgeon’s experience in colorectal,laparoscopic or robotic surgery.Several factors are necessary for a successful minimally invasive colorectal surgery training program,including:Compliance with oncological outcomes;dissection along the embryological planes;constant presence of an expert tutor;periodic discussion of the morbidity and mortality rate;and creation of a dedicated,expert team.