Perioperative outcomes and adverse events of robotic colorectal resections for inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic literature review.

The purpose of this study was to assess outcome measures and cost-effectiveness of robotic colorectal resections in adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The Cochrane Library, PubMed/Medline and Embase databases were reviewed, using the text "robotic(s)" AND ("inflammatory bowel disease" OR "Crohn's" OR "Ulcerative Colitis"). Two investigators screened abstracts for eligibility. All English language full-text articles were reviewed for specified outcomes. Data were presented in a summarised and aggregate form, since the lack of higher-level evidence studies precluded meta-analysis. Primary outcomes included mortality and postoperative complications. Secondary outcomes included readmission rate, length of stay, conversion rate, procedure time, estimated blood loss and functional outcome. The tertiary outcome was cost-effectiveness. Eight studies (3 case-matched observational studies, 4 case series and 1 case report) met the inclusion criteria. There was no reported mortality. Overall, complications occurred in 81 patients (54%) including 30 (20%) Clavien-Dindo III-IV complications. Mean length of stay was 8.6 days. Eleven cases (7.3%) were converted to open. The mean robotic operating time was 99 min out of a mean total operating time of 298.6 min. Thirty-two patients (24.7%) were readmitted. Functional outcomes were comparable among robotic, laparoscopic and open approaches. Case-matched observational studies comparing robotic to laparoscopic surgery revealed a significantly longer procedure time; however, conversion, complication, length of stay and readmission rates were similar. The case-matched observational study comparing robotic to open surgery also revealed a longer procedure time and a higher readmission rate; postoperative complication rates and length of stay were similar. No studies compared cost-effectiveness between robotic and traditional approaches. Although robotic resections for inflammatory bowel disease are technically feasible, outcomes must be interpreted with caution due to low-quality studies.

A systematic review to assess the management of patients with cerebral metastases secondary to colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) rarely metastasizes to the brain. The incidence of cerebral metastases (CM) is estimated between 1 and 3%. Given the improved survival from advanced CRC as a result of surgical and oncological advances, it is anticipated that the incidence of patients with CM from CRC will rise over the next few years. The aim of this article was to systematically review the treatment options and outcome of patients with CM from CRC. METHODS: PubMed and Medline databases were examined using the search words or MESH headings "colorectal" "cancer/carcinoma/adenocarcinoma", "cerebral"/"brain" and "metastases/metastasis". RESULTS: CM from CRC are diagnosed on average 28.3 months after the primary tumour. The median survival time following diagnosis is 5.3 months. Surgery (with or without associated radiotherapy), stereotactic radiosurgery, whole brain radiotherapy and best supportive care result in median survival of 10.3, 6.4, 4.4 and 1.8 months, respectively. On average, the 1-year overall survival rate for patients with CM from CRC regardless of the treatment modality is estimated to be around 24%. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of patients with CM from CRC is dismal. Surgery may increase survival, but the additional benefit of perioperative radiotherapy cannot be ascertained due to paucity of data. Further studies are required to identify the role of the different oncological and surgical therapies and identify those patients likely to benefit most. Identification of patients who are at higher risk of developing brain metastases may be another important area for future research.

A systematic literature review on the use of vacuum assisted closure for enterocutaneous fistula.

AIM: Enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) is considered to be one of the most challenging complications a general surgeon can encounter. The current mainstay of treatment is surgical closure, associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Vacuum assisted closure (VAC) has been successfully used for closure of persistent abdominal wounds for a number of years. This study aims to investigate whether current literature supports the use of VAC for ECF. METHOD: A PubMed search of the search terms 'enterocutaneous fistula' and 'vacuum assisted closure/therapy' was performed in December 2014. Results were restricted to articles involving human subjects with an available abstract and full text written between 1950 and 2014. The end-points analysed included rate of fistula closure, duration of follow-up, and morbidity and mortality where available. RESULTS: Ten studies (all level IV) including 151 patients were examined. In all except one, surgery was the underlying aetiology with median number of fistulae per patient of one. The median rate of closure with VAC was 64.6% (7.7-100%) with healing occurring within 58 (12-90) days. Follow-up was only mentioned in three of the 10 studies, in which the patients were followed for 3, 20 and 28.5 months. No complications were reported in all but one of the studies, in which abdominal wall disruption and intestinal obstruction were identified in a minority of patients. CONCLUSION: The included studies suggest that VAC therapy may be considered a safe treatment for ECF. The current evidence is generally of low level and characterized by heterogeneity. Definitive recommendations based on this information cannot therefore be made. Further studies are necessary to establish any proven benefit over standard surgical or conservative therapy.

The influence of obesity and body mass index on the outcome of laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a systematic literature review.

AIM: The relationship between obesity, body mass index (BMI) and laparoscopic colorectal resection is unclear. Our object was to assess systematically the available evidence to establish the influence of obesity and BMI on the outcome of laparoscopic colorectal resection. METHOD: A search of PubMed/Medline databases was performed in May 2015 to identify all studies investigating the impact of BMI and obesity on elective laparoscopic colorectal resection performed for benign or malignant bowel disease. Clinical end-points examined included operation time, conversion rate to open surgery, postoperative complications including anastomotic leakage, length of hospital stay, readmission rate, reoperation rate and mortality. For patients who underwent an operation for cancer, the harvested number of lymph nodes and long-term oncological data were also examined. RESULTS: Forty-five studies were analysed, the majority of which were level IV with only four level III (Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine 2011) case-controlled studies. Thirty comparative studies containing 23 649 patients including 17 895 non-obese and 5754 obese showed no significant differences between the two groups with respect to intra-operative blood loss, overall postoperative morbidity, anastomotic leakage, reoperation rate, mortality and the number of retrieved lymph nodes in patients operated on for malignancy. Most studies, including 15 non-comparative studies, reported a longer operation time in patients who underwent a laparoscopic procedure with the BMI being an independent predictor in multivariate analyses for the operation time. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic colorectal resection is safe and technically and oncologically feasible in obese patients. These results, however, may vary outside of high volume centres of expertise.

Gracilis muscle interposition for rectovaginal and anovaginal fistula repair: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND: Repair of rectovaginal fistula (RVF) is associated with high recurrence. For this reason gracilis muscle interposition is increasingly being used. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of this procedure for RVF repair. METHOD/SEARCH STRATEGY: A search of PubMed and Medline databases was performed in November 2013 using the text terms and MESH headings 'rectovaginal fistula/fistulation', and 'gracilis muscle', spanning 1980-2013. The search strategy was restricted to articles written in English with available abstracts. Sample size, aetiology of RVF, previous repair attempts, follow-up period, healing rates and complications were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: Seventeen studies involving 106 patients were analysed. The cause of RVF included inflammatory bowel disease (n = 37 [34.9%]: Crohn's disease [34], ulcerative colitis [3]), pelvic surgery (37 [34.9%]), obstetric injury (9 [8.5%]), malignancy (7 [6.6%]), trauma (5 [4.7%]), miscellaneous (idiopathic, endometriosis, radiation: 11 [10.4%]). Patients had undergone a median number of two previous unsuccessful repairs. At a median follow-up of 21 months, healing had occurred in 33-100% (median 100%) with the largest studies reporting rates between 60% and 90%. Thirteen studies did not report any complications, with the remainder reporting only minor morbidity. CONCLUSION: Gracilis interposition appears to have a reasonable success rate for RVF repair with acceptable morbidity. It may be considered as one of the first-line treatment options for recurrent RVF.

A systematic review of the literature on the surgical management of recurrent rectal prolapse.

AIM: There are no available guidelines to support surgical decision-making in recurrent rectal prolapse. This systematic review evaluated the results of abdominal or perineal surgery for recurrent rectal prolapse, with the aim of developing an evidence-based treatment algorithm. METHOD: PubMed and MEDLINE databases were searched for all clinical studies involving patients who underwent surgery for recurrent rectal prolapse between 1950 and 2014. The primary outcome measure was the recurrence rate after abdominal or perineal surgery for recurrent rectal prolapse. Secondary outcomes included morbidity, mortality and quality of life data where available. RESULTS: There were no randomized controlled studies comparing the success rates of abdominal or perineal surgery for recurrent rectal prolapse. Most studies were heterogeneous, of low quality (level IV) and involved small numbers of patients. The follow-up of 144 patients included in the studies undergoing perineal surgery ranged from 8.8 to 81 months, with recurrence rates varying from 0% to 50%. Morbidity ranged from 0% to 17% with no mortality reported. Limited data on quality of life following the Altemeier procedure were available. The follow-up for 158 patients included in the studies who underwent abdominal surgery ranged from 0 to 23 years, during which recurrence rates varied from 0% to 15%. Morbidity rates ranged from 0% to 32% with 4% mortality. No quality of life data were available for patients undergoing abdominal surgery. CONCLUSION: This systematic review was unable to develop a treatment algorithm for recurrent rectal prolapse due to the variety of surgical techniques described and the low level of evidence within heterogeneous studies. Larger high-quality studies are necessary to guide practice in this difficult area.

Evacuation proctography: a reappraisal of normal variability.

AIM: Interpretation of evacuation proctography (EP) images is reliant on robust normative data. Previous studies of EP in asymptomatic subjects have been methodologically limited. The aim of this study was to provide parameters of normality for both genders using EP. METHOD: Evacuation proctography was prospectively performed on 46 healthy volunteers (28 women). Proctograms were independently analysed by two reviewers. All established and some new variables of defaecatory structure and function were assessed objectively: anorectal dimensions; anorectal angle changes; evacuation time; percentage contrast evacuated; and incidence of rectal wall morphological 'abnormalities'. RESULTS: Normal ranges were calculated for all main variables. Mean end-evacuation time was 88 s (95% CI: 63-113) in male subjects and 128 s (95% CI: 98-158) in female subjects; percentage contrast evacuated was 71% (95% CI: 63-80) in male subjects and 65% (95% CI: 58-72) in female subjects. Twenty-six (93%) of 28 female subjects had a rectocoele with a mean depth of 2.5 cm (upper limit = 3.9 cm). Recto-rectal intussusception was found in nine subjects (approximately 20% of both genders); however, recto-anal intussusception was not observed. Only rectal diameter differed significantly between genders. Qualitatively, three patterns of evacuation were present. CONCLUSION: This study defines normal ranges for anorectal dimensions and parameters of emptying, as well as the incidence and characteristics of rectal-wall 'abnormalities' observed or derived from EP. These ranges can be applied clinically for subsequent disease comparison.

The effects of age and childbirth on anal sphincter function and morphology in 999 symptomatic female patients with colorectal dysfunction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Conflicting data exist on the contributions of advancing age and childbirth on the structure and function of the anal sphincter. This study aimed to examine the relative contributions of age and childbirth in a large cohort of women referred for investigation of symptoms of colorectal dysfunction (fecal incontinence and constipation). SETTING: This study was conducted at a specialist surgical colorectal investigation unit in a university teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Retrospective analysis was performed on prospectively collected demographic, symptom profile, and physiologic data from 3686 female patients. Strict exclusion criteria were applied, leaving 999 patients for univariate, multivariate, and logistic statistical modeling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The effects of independent variables alone and in combination on anal sphincter pressures (resting and squeeze increment) and the presence of sphincter defects (internal and external) were expressed as regression coefficients and odds ratios. RESULTS: Median age was 42 years (range, 16-88), and parity was 2 (range, 0-11); 16% were nulliparous. Three hundred sixty patients had fecal incontinence, 352 had constipation, and 287 had combined symptoms. Anal resting tone decreased with age by 0.66 cm H2O per year, and by 4.3 cm H2O per birth, and was associated with both internal and external anal sphincter defects (p = 0.0001 for both). Squeeze increment pressures decreased by 0.3 cm H2O per year, and by 3.8 cm H2O per birth; decreased pressures were, however, only significantly associated with external anal sphincter defects (p = 0.0001) as a result of childbirth. Cesarean delivery was protective against both reduced anal pressures and sphincter defects. Pudendal nerve terminal motor latencies increased bilaterally with age and with vaginal delivery; the impact of both was greater on the left nerve. Rectal sensation was unaffected by age or parity. CONCLUSIONS: Aging predominantly affects anal resting pressures; childbirth, particularly instrumental delivery, is detrimental to the structure and function of the external sphincter.

Trends of greenhouse gas emissions from the road transport sector in India.

The road transport sector is the largest consumer of commercial fuel energy within the transportation system in India and accounts for nearly 35% of the total liquid commercial fuel consumption by all sectors. Gasoline and diesel consumption for road transportation have quadrupled between 1980 and 2000 due to about nine times increase in the number of vehicles and four-fold increase in freight and passenger travel demands. The paper elaborates the trends of energy consumption and consequent emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO(2), CH(4) and N(2)O and ozone precursor gases like CO, NO(x) and NMVOC in the road transport sector in India for the period from 1980 to 2000. For the first time, efforts have been made to apportion the fuels, both diesel and gasoline, across different categories of vehicles operating on the Indian roads. In order to generate more comprehensive and complete emission estimates, additionally, other minor fuel types like light diesel oil and fuel oil along with lubricants have also been taken into account. Emission estimates have revealed that nearly 27 Mt of CO(2) were emitted in 1980, increasing to about 105 Mt in 2000. Similar trends have also been observed for other gases. Further scope for improvements in emission estimation is possible by generating country specific emission factors for different vehicle categories and improvement in documentation of fuel consumption at segregated levels by fuel types and vehicle types.

A case-controlled pilot study assessing the safety and efficacy of the Stapled Mesh stomA Reinforcement Technique (SMART) in reducing the incidence of parastomal herniation.

BACKGROUND: Parastomal hernias (PH) are frequent with a high morbidity. Three randomised controlled trials have shown that prophylactic mesh stoma reinforcement significantly reduces their incidence. Implantation and fixation of mesh can be time-consuming, difficult to perform laparoscopically and does not deal with the excessive stretching of the trephine and the creation of an oversized defect. The Stapled Mesh stomA Reinforcement Technique (SMART) obviates these technical problems. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of a novel surgical technique called SMART in preventing parastomal herniation. METHOD: SMART uses a purpose designed circular stapling gun (Compact™, Frankenman International Limited) of various diameters to create a precise trephine and simultaneously fixes a mesh sub-peritoneally and circumferentially to the trephine. Recruited patients were deemed to be high risk for parastomal herniation and randomisation in a controlled trial was contraindicated. Incidence of parastomal related symptoms and recurrences were documented at clinic visits and radiological confirmation of recurrences, when available, was used for final analysis. A control group of patients who underwent stoma resiting without mesh reinforcement for parastomal herniation was used for comparative purposes. RESULTS: 22 patients (16 F:6 M, mean age 49 ± 16 years, BMI 33.0 ± 7.0) underwent SMART (18 open, 4 laparoscopic). There were no intra-operative or early stoma complications. During a median FU of 21 months (range 12-24), four patients (19%) were diagnosed with recurrent parastomal herniation, one of which required re-operation. The parastomal herniation rate (73%) in the control group (6 F:5 M) was significantly higher (p = 0.003) although patients had similar age (59 ± 15 years, p = 0.1) and body-mass index (29.0 ± 3.0, p = 0.1). CONCLUSION: SMART is a new and simple technique of precisely creating a reinforced stoma trephine at both open and laparoscopic surgery. It obviates the technical disadvantages of traditional stoma formation. This pilot study, in a selected group of patients at high risk for parastomal herniation, indicates that the procedure is clinically safe but randomised controlled trials are required to determine its efficacy in reducing parastomal herniation in all patients undergoing elective stoma formation.

Five year clinico pathological study of breast cancer.

UNLABELLED: Breast cancer is a prototype for exploring variations in pathological diagnosis and etiology. BASIC PROCEDURE: We analysed the various risk factors, age, Tamoxifen treatment and pathological diagnosis for Breast cancer. MAIN FINDINGS: We present a review of 105 cases of breast cancers diagnosed and treated at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in a five years prospective study between 1997 and 2002. Breast cancer was most commonly found in age group 30-40 years and infiltrating carcinoma of breast was the commonest occurring in 90% of the cases. IMPLICATIONS: We demonstrated the utility of such study of ensuring greater equity and understanding in etiology. The risk factors and pathological diagnosis in cancer of breast were studied and need for comprehensive screening programme were outlined.

Characterization of Silver/Bovine Serum Albumin (Ag/BSA) nanoparticles structure: morphological, compositional, and interaction studies.

The primary objective of this study was to elucidate the structure of protein conjugated silver nanoparticles prepared by chemical reduction of AgNO(3) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) mixture. The role of BSA in the formation of Ag/BSA nanoparticles was established by UV-Vis Spectroscopy. The association of silver with BSA in Ag/BSA nanoparticles was studied by the decrease in the intensity of absorbance peak at 278 nm in UV-Vis spectra and shift in cathodic peak potential in cyclic voltammogram. The molar ratio of silver to BSA in the Ag/BSA nanoparticles is 27:1, as ascertained by thermogravimetric analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. Based on atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, the average particle size of nanoparticles was found to be range of 11-15 nm. TEM image showed that the nanoparticle has two distinct phases and selected area electron diffraction pattern of nanoparticles indicated that the silver phase in Ag/BSA is fcc. X-ray photo electron spectroscopy measurements of freshly prepared and argon sputtered nanoparticles provided evidence that the outer and inner region of nanoparticles are mainly composed of BSA and silver respectively. The structural and compositional findings of nanoparticles could have a strong bearing on the bioavailability and antimicrobial activity of nanoparticles.

A case of unilateral lower limb swelling secondary to a ganglion cyst.

INTRODUCTION: We present a case of leg swelling of unusual aetiology which serves as a reminder to the surgeon to consider causes of leg swelling other than lymphoedema and venous insufficiency. CASE REPORT: A 40 year old man developed progressive left leg swelling despite treatment of his varicose veins. Subsequent investigation revealed a lesion compressing the femoral vein. At exploration this was found to be a ganglion cyst. Removal of this resulted in resolution of the swelling. DISCUSSION: Venous compression due to external cystic lesions, although rare, is recognised. This case serves as a reminder that the rarer causes of limb swelling should not be forgotten, especially where potentially treatable.

Measurement of the coherence length of a laser using a holographically generated phase-conjugated wave front.

A simple and quick method is reported for measurement of the coherence length of a laser by using a holographically generated phase-conjugated wave front employing realtime recording material.