Elderly Patients Have Better Quality of Life but Worse Survival Following Pelvic Exenteration: A 25-Year Single-Center Experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe quality of life (QOL) and survival outcomes following pelvic exenteration (PE) in old and young patients. BACKGROUND: PE is a management option for complete resection in locally advanced pelvic cancers. Few studies have examined the impact of age on the outcome in elderly patients following PE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort of consecutive patients undergoing partial and complete PE between 1994 and 2019. Patients were divided into a younger (< 65 years) or older cohort (≥ 65 years) based on their age. QoL was assessed using the SF-36 and FACT-C questionnaires and survival estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: For 710 patients who underwent PE during the study period, FACT-C total score was significantly better in the elderly during the whole follow-up period of 5 years. Mental component score (SF-36) was significantly better at baseline (p = 0.008) and at 24 months postoperatively (p = 0.042), in the elderly group. Median overall survival was 75 months in the younger cohort and 53 months in the older cohort (p = 0.004). In subgroup analysis, older patients with recurrent or primary rectal cancer had a median survival of 37 and 70 months, respectively. Postoperative cardiovascular complications were greater in the elderly cohort (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients had better overall QoL but lower survival that is probably related to cardiovascular complications rather than to cancer as both groups had similar R0 resection rate. Hence, the elderly population should be considered equally for PE.

Annular pancreas: a cause of gastric outlet obstruction in a 20-year-old patient.

BACKGROUND: Annular pancreas is a congenital anomaly that consists of a ring of pancreatic tissue partially or completely encircling the descending portion of the duodenum. It is formed due to the failure of the ventral bud to rotate, thus it elongates and encircles the upper part of the duodenum. It can present in a wide range of clinical severities, and can affect neonates to the elderly, making it difficult to diagnosis. Although diagnosis of annular pancreas can be made pre-operatively by upper GI series, upper GI endoscopy, or CT scan, 40% of diagnoses require surgery for confirmation. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 20-year-old woman presenting with history of vomiting and weight loss since childhood. We present the clinical characteristics, surgical management in the form of bypass procedure done through a duodenojujenostomy, and follow-up of the patient. CONCLUSIONS: Annular pancreas occasionally presents in adults. Variable presentations have been described in the literature, including pancreatic neoplasm, pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, duodenal obstruction, and peptic ulcer diseases. Most studies of these lesions are single case reports or small series, which do not allow a surgeon to accumulate extensive experience; therefore, reliance on the combined experience of others in recognition and appropriate management has been the norm.