The Italian Unitary Society of Colon-proctology (SIUCP: Società Italiana Unitaria di Colonproctologia) guidelines for the management of anal fissure.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of these evidence-based guidelines is to present a consensus position from members of the Italian Unitary Society of Colon-Proctology (SIUCP: Società Italiana Unitaria di Colon-Proctologia) on the diagnosis and management of anal fissure, with the purpose to guide every physician in the choice of the best treatment option, according with the available literature. METHODS: A panel of experts was designed and charged by the Board of the SIUCP to develop key-questions on the main topics covering the management of anal fissure and to performe an accurate search on each topic in different databanks, in order to provide evidence-based answers to the questions and to summarize them in statements. All the clinical questions were discussed by the expert panel in different rounds through the Delphi approach and, for each statement, a consensus among the experts was reached. The questions were created according to the PICO criteria, and the statements developed adopting the GRADE methodology. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acute anal fissure the medical therapy with dietary and behavioral norms is indicated. In the chronic phase of disease, the conservative treatment with topical 0.3% nifedipine plus 1.5% lidocaine or nitrates may represent the first-line therapy, eventually associated with ointments with film-forming, anti-inflammatory and healing properties such as Propionibacterium extract gel. In case of first-line treatment failure, the surgical strategy (internal sphincterotomy or fissurectomy with flap), may be guided by the clinical findings, eventually supported by endoanal ultrasound and anal manometry.

Stapled trans-anal rectal resection (STARR) in the surgical treatment of the obstructed defecation syndrome: results of STARR Italian Registry.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of stapled trans-anal rectal resection (STARR) in the treatment of obstructed defecation syndrome ODS by the analysis of the data collected in the STARR Italian Registry (SIR) with a special emphasis on the analysis of symptoms and quality of life. METHODS: Collected data included, preoperative tests findings, and the evaluation of symptoms; the latter was obtained by using dedicated tools such as the Obstructed Defecation Syndrome Score (ODS-S), the Severity Symptom Score (SSS), and the Continence Grading Scale (CGS). Data on the quality of life were collected by Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QoL) and the Euro Quality of Life-5 Domains Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-5D VAS). The evaluation of the symptoms and the quality of life was repeated 6 and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: The SIR had collected data on 2171 patients (1653 females, 76.1%; mean age 56.2 years; range 20-96 years). A significant improvement (P < .0001) was seen between preoperative and 12-month follow-up in all scores: ODS-S (16.7 vs. 5.0), SSS (15.6 vs. 2.6), CGS (2.0 vs. 0.7), PAC-QoL (51.0 vs. 22.1), and EQ-5D VAS (57.5 vs. 85.7). Complications included defecatory urgency (4.5% at 12 months), bleeding (3.6%), perineal sepsis (3.4%), and one case of rectovaginal fistula (0.05%). CONCLUSION: The analysis of SIR data seems to confirm that STARR is a safe and effective procedure in the treatment of ODS. However, further studies are required to evaluate the long-term stability of results.

Hemorroidectomia radical reconstrutiva (HRR): proposta de uma nova tecnica / Radical reconstructive haemorrhoidectomy: with a regard to a nent technique

Os autores, com base na propria experiencia no tratamento cirurgico das lesoes hemorroidarias de grau III, apresentam uma nova tecnica pessoal de hemorroidectomia, derivada em parte da hemorroidectomia reconstrutiva submucosade Parks, e analisam os resultados obtidos. Este estudo foi efetuado no Centro de Cirurgia INCA de Ancona (Italia), e foram tratados com este novo metodo 61 pacientes (76// homens e 33// mulheres), portadores de patologia hemorroidaria Grau III (96//) e Grau II (2//). Cerca de 29// dos pacientes eram portadores de fissura anal cronica, tratados com esfincterotomia lateral interna. Nao foram observadas complicaçoes de tipo maior, apenas um minimo de sangramento pos-operatorio (17//), edema em cerca de 20// e deiscencia parcial da plastica mucocutanea em 7// dos casos. O seguimento de 50 pacientes durante 24 meses demonstrou uma recidiv( 2//) e incontinencia em 22// dos pacientes