Clostridium Difficile Infection in Rectal Cancer Patients after Diverted Loop Ileostomy Closure.

AIM: Clostridium difficile infection is a cause of increased morbidity and mortality in hospitals, particularly in patients with cancer pathology. There are several factors favouring the development of Clostridium difficile infection among cancer patients, including age, exposure to antibiotic and proton pump inhibitors therapy, and chemotherapy. This study was conducted to observe the prevalence of Clostridium difficile infection after the reversal of ileostomy loop for rectal cancer surgery, which were initially operated either open or laparoscopic. METHOD: A retrospective study was performed on patients who were operated in a single surgical team for rectal cancer who benefited of a diverted loop ileostomy over a 4-year period. Results: 23 patients were documented with Clostridium difficile infection out of a total of 63. All 23 patients underwent ileostomy closure later than 3 months after primary surgery, and postoperatively received antibiotic therapy associated with proton pump inhibitors in the first 24 hours. Conclusions: Closure of ileostomy later than 3 months after primary surgery, combined with chemotherapy, antibiotic therapy and proton pump inhibitors, increases the risk of developing Clostridium difficile infection.

Prevention of delayed gastric emptying after right colectomy with extended lymphadenectomy: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Delayed gastric emptying sometimes occurs after right colectomy with extended lymphadenectomy. The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effect on delayed gastric emptying after performing a fixation of the stomach to the retrogastric tissue to return the stomach to a physiological position after right colectomy with lymphadenectomy, including gastrocolic lymph nodes dissection for proximal transverse colon cancer. METHODS: From January 2015 to December 2020, patients undergoing right colectomy with extensive lymphadenectomy for proximal transverse colon cancer were randomly assigned to either the gastropexy group or the conventional group. In the gastropexy group, the posterior wall of the stomach, at the level of the antrum, was sutured to the retrogastric tissue to prevent the abnormal shape that the gastric antrum acquires together with the duodeno-pancreatic complex, the shape that leads to an obstruction of the antrum region and to the delay in emptying the gastric contents. RESULTS: Mean age, sex, comorbidities, and right colectomy procedures were similar in the 2 groups. Delayed gastric emptying developed in twelve patients in the conventional group (38.7%) versus 4 patients (12.1%) in the gastropexy group (P = .014). The total number of complications was higher in the conventional group (14 complications) than in the gastropexy group (7 complications). According to univariate analysis, gastropexy significantly lowered the risk of delayed gastric emptying (P = .014). Overall morbidity was 9.7% in the conventional group versus none in the gastropexy group. Postoperative hospitalization was longer in the conventional group (7.61 ±â€…3.26 days) than in the gastropexy group (6.24 ±â€…1.3 days; P = .006). CONCLUSION: Gastropexy decreases the occurrence of delayed gastric emptying after right colectomy with extended lymphadenectomy for proximal transverse colon cancer.