Elective laparoscopic versus open colectomy for diverticulosis: an analysis of ACS-NSQIP database.

BACKGROUND: The benefits of laparoscopic (LC) versus open (OC) colectomy for symptomatic colonic diverticulosis as an elective operation remain unclear. METHODS: Using the American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Project (ACS-NSQIP) participant-user file, patients were identified who underwent elective colon resection for symptomatic colonic diverticulosis, between 2005 and 2008. Demographic, clinical, intraoperative variables, and 30-day morbidity and mortality were collected. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between the surgical approach (LC vs. OC) and risk-adjusted overall mortality, overall morbidity, serious morbidity, and wound complications. RESULTS: A total of 7,629 patients were identified who underwent colon resection for symptomatic diverticulosis. They were subdivided into two groups: OC (3,870 (50.7%)) and LC (3,759 (49.3%)). Patients who underwent OC were significantly older (59.0 vs. 55.7 years, P < 0.0001) with more comorbidities compared with those who underwent LC. After risk-adjusted analysis, it was noted that the patients treated with LC were significantly less likely to experience overall morbidity (11.9% vs. 23.2%), serious morbidity (4.6% vs. 10.9%), and wound complications (9.1% vs. 17.5%), but not mortality (0.3% vs. 0.8%). Operative duration was significantly longer with LC (176.64 vs. 166.70 min, P < 0.0001), but the length of stay was significantly shorter (4.77 vs. 7.68 days, P < 0.0001). Using logistic regression analysis, patients with history of peripheral vascular disease, percutaneous coronary interventions, current steroid use, and hypertension requiring medication were at an increased risk of morbidity and mortality at 30 days. Patients with history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and smoking experienced more wound complications at 30 days. CONCLUSIONS: In the elective setting for symptomatic diverticulosis, LC seems to be associated with lower 30-day morbidity and complication rates compared with OC.

[Inflammatory complications of colon diverticular disease: current therapeutic challenges]. / Le complicanze infiammatorie della malattia diverticolare del colon: problematiche terapeutiche attuali.

Inflammatory complications of diverticular disease are still responsible for high mortality rates. The aim of the present study was to analyse the factors that primarily influence the type of treatment and prognosis of such pathologies. From 1996 to 2006, 88 patients were admitted to our department for inflammatory complications secondary to diverticular disease. The majority of the patients were emergency room referrals, and nearly half of them were elderly (over 65 years of age). The most frequently observed complications were acute diverticulitis (45.5%), which was almost always resolved with medical therapy, and diverticular perforations (43.2%), for which surgical therapy was always necessary. The main treatment for localised peritonitis was one-stage colorectal resection, whereas for generalized peritonitis a two-stage resection was the procedure of choice. The highest degrees of peritonitis were observed in elderly patients. Restoration of bowel continuity was performed in nearly all patients below 65 years of age, but was not possible in 44.4% of those aged above 65. Postoperative mortality occurred in two cases, both with diffuse peritonitis, advanced age, and elevated anaesthetic risk. The present series seems to confirm the findings of other Authors, namely that the prognosis of diverticular perforation is influenced more by patient-related factors (older age, sepsis, comorbidity) than by the type of surgical procedure. Thus, it is probable that a decrease in the mortality rate and improvements in the quality of life can be achieved through more aggressive diagnostic protocols and new preventive strategies.

[Surgical treatment for colonic diverticular disease. Experience in the INCMNSZ]. / Tratamiento quirúrgico para la enfermedad diverticular de colon. Experiencia en el INCMNSZ.

BACKGROUND: Even though most patients with colonic diverticular disease respond to conservative management, some patients persist with symptoms or develop complications that require surgery. The objective of this study was to identify main surgical indications for colonic diverticular disease, and to evaluate the outcomes of surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of patients that underwent a surgical procedure for colonic diverticular disease from 1979 through 2000, was performed. Surgical indications were acute diverticulitis (54%) (group 1), stenosis (19%), fistula (9.54), recurrent diverticulitis (9.5%) and bleeding (8%) (group 2). Results. Seventy-four patients with a mean age of 56 years were studied. Fifty-eight percent were male. Surgical morbidity and mortality rates of acute diverticulitis were 55%, and 15%, respectively. The surgical procedures of this group were proximal stomas (45%), Hartmann's procedures (38%), and resections with primary anastomosis (17%). Second group morbidity and mortality rates were 35 and 5.8%, respectively. Thirty-six patients underwent two or more surgical procedures with statistical significance between first and second groups (61 vs. 28%; p < 0.05). The mortality of two-stage surgeries was lower than derivative procedures (13 vs. 22%; p = 0.009). A high Hinchey's score was the only factor associated with mortality (28.5 vs. 0%; p = 0.042). CONCLUSIONS: Mortality of surgical procedures for colonic diverticular disease is associated with a high Hinchey score. Primary anastomosis is o safe, procedure in some cases.

Surgical management of colonic diverticular disease: discrepancy between right- and left-sided diseases.

AIM: To compare the outcome of the surgical management of left-sided and right-sided diverticular disease. METHODS: The medical records of 77 patients who were surgically treated for diverticular disease between 1999 and 2010 in a tertiary referral hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The study population was limited to cases wherein the surgical specimen was confirmed as diverticulosis by pathology. Right-sided diverticula were classified as those arising from the cecum, ascending colon, and transverse colon, and those from the descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum were classified as left-sided diverticulosis. To assess the changing trend of occurrence of diverticulosis, data were compared with two previous studies of 51 patients. RESULTS: The proportion of left-sided disease cases was significantly increased compared to the results of our previous studies in 1994 and 2001, (27.5% vs 48.1%, P < 0.05). Moreover, no differences in gender, body mass index, multiplicity of the diverticula, fever, or leukocytosis were noted between patients with right-sided and left-sided disease. However, patients with right-sided disease were significantly younger (50.9 year vs 64.0 year, P < 0.01). Furthermore, left-sided disease was significantly associated with a higher incidence of complicated diverticulitis (89.2% vs 57.5%, P < 0.01), combined resection due to extensive inflammation (21.6% vs 5.0%, P < 0.05), operative complications (51.4% vs 27.5%, P < 0.05), and in-hospital mortality (10.8% vs 0%, P < 0.05), along with longer post-operative hospitalization duration (21.3 ± 10.2 d vs 10.6 ± 8.1 d, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Compared with right-sided diverticular disease, the incidence of left-sided disease in Korea has increased since 2001 and is associated with worse surgical outcomes.

Report card on Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP): nationwide inpatient sample infection data 2001-2006.

BACKGROUND: The administration of appropriate antibiotics in a timely fashion with discontinuation post-operatively is the first of the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) initiatives and was expected to reduce post-operative infections significantly. This study aimed at determining whether SCIP has had an effect on surgical site infections (SSIs). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the infection rates of adult patients (age≥18 years) having elective cholecystectomies, laparoscopic cholecystectomies, and colectomies from 2001-2006 using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. The population consisted of all patients older than 18 years who had colon resection or cholecystectomy and were discharged from a hospital included in the NIS. Annual infection rates were determined for each of the operations. RESULTS: Post-operative infections rose steadily and significantly (p<0.0001) in colon surgery from 2001 to 2006. A significant increase in SSIs also was seen in open (p=0.0001) and laparoscopic (p<0.0001) cholecystectomy from 2001 to 2006. Length of stay was significantly longer in infected than in non-infected patients. CONCLUSION: The factors that contributed to the observed increase in the infection rate should be identified to improve the SCIP initiatives.

Comparison of outcome of POSSUM, p-POSSUM, and cr-POSSUM scoring after elective resection of the sigmoid colon for carcinoma or complicated diverticular disease.

OBJECTIVE: To compare POSSUM, p-POSSUM, and cr-POSSUM-predicted mortalities with the observed postoperative mortality in patients undergoing elective sigmoid colectomy for diverticular disease (n=121) or carcinoma (n=120). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The physiologic and operative severity score for the enumeration of mortality and morbidity (POSSUM) was used to identify patient- or disease-related risk factors and to calculate expected mortalities. RESULTS: Patients with carcinoma had significantly higher POSSUM scores, but the observed mortality (1.7%) was lower than that in the diverticular disease group (3.3%). In the carcinoma group, mortality was over-predicted by all the POSSUM systems. In diverticular disease, POSSUM over-predicted mortality while p-POSSUM and cr-POSSUM under-predicted mortality. In the whole group, POSSUM over-predicted mortality. P-POSSUM and cr-POSSUM predicted mortality accurately: observed:expected (O:E) ratio 0.83. Replacing the score for malignancy with a minimum score of 1 gave overall O:E ratios of 0.37 (POSSUM), 1.04 (p-POSSUM), and 0.93 (cr-POSSUM). CONCLUSIONS: In a group of patients who underwent elective resection of the sigmoid colon for carcinoma or diverticular disease, postoperative mortality was predicted accurately by p-Possum and cr-POSSUM, especially when used without a score for malignancy. None of the POSSUM scores were predictive of disease-specific mortality.

Predicting postoperative mortality in patients undergoing colorectal surgery.

Well-known and suitable instruments for surgical audit are the POSSUM and P-POSSUM scoring systems. But these scores have not been well validated across the countries. The objective of the present study was to assess the predictive value of scores for colorectal surgery in France. Patients operated on for colorectal malignant or diverticular diseases, whether electively or on emergency basis, within a 4-month period were included in a prospective multicenter study conducted by the French Association for Surgery (Association Française de Chirurgie, AFC). The main outcome measure was postoperative in-hospital mortality. Independent factors leading to death were assessed by multivariate logistic regression analysis (AFC-index). The ratio of expected versus observed deaths was calculated, and the predictive value of the POSSUM and P-POSSUM scores were analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. A total of 1426 patients were included. The in-hospital death rate was 3.4%. Four independent preoperative factors (AFC-index) have been found: emergency surgery, loss of more than 10% of weight, neurological disease history, and age > 70 years. POSSUM had a poor predictive value; it overestimated postoperative death in all cases. P-POSSUM had a good predictive value, except for elective surgery, where it overestimated postoperative death twofold. The predictive value of the AFC-index was also good. It had the same sensitivity and specificity as the P-POSSUM. POSSUM has not been validated in France in the field of colorectal surgery. P-POSSUM was as predictive as the AFC-index which is a simpler instrument based on four clinical parameters (without any mathematical formulas).

Mortality after acute surgery for complications of diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon is almost exclusively due to patient related factors.

OBJECTIVE: Auditing the outcome of surgery for complicated diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon is difficult. A comparison of studies is hardly possible because risk factors both in terms of the severity of diverticulitis and patient-related risk factors are neither well described nor standardized. The purpose of this study was to define morbidity and mortality of primary surgery for acute complications of diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon and to identify the relation between risk factors and morbidity and mortality. METHODS: In a prospective computerized morbidity and mortality registration from 1990 to 2002, 114 patients, who underwent surgery on an acute or urgent base for acute complications of diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon, were identified. In all patients the POSSUM score was calculated. To audit mortality rates a POSSUM based scoring system was introduced. RESULTS: Mortality was 16.7%, and morbidity 71.1%. Higher morbidity rates were significantly related to a higher POSSUM physiological score (P = 0.012) and to older age (P < 0.001). Higher mortality rates also were significantly related to a higher POSSUM physiological score (P < 0.001) and older age (P = 0.003). Patients who died had significantly more sepsis (P < 0.001), multiple organ failure (P = 0.027), cardiac (P < 0.001) and pulmonary (P = 0.013) complications. Gender, operation indication and type of neither surgery nor surgeon had a significant relation with morbidity or mortality. CONCLUSION: Surgery for acute complications of diverticular disease of the sigmoid colon carries a high morbidity rate and a substantial mortality rate. The majority of deceased patients had severe comorbidity. Post-operative mortality and morbidity are to a large extent driven by patient related factors. Elevated physiological severity scores and a lack of peri-operative management failures express this in the majority of deceased patients.

Tratamiento quirúrgico para la enfermedad diverticular de colon: Experiencia en el INCMNSZ / Surgical treatment for colonic diverticular disease: Experience in the INCMNSZ

Background. Even though most patients with colonic diverticular disease respond to conservative management, some patients persist with symptoms or develop complications that require surgery. The objective of this study was to identify main surgical indications for colonic diverticular disease, and to evaluate the outcomes of surgical treatment. Materials and methods. A retrospective review of patients that underwent a surgical procedure for colonic diverticular disease from 1979 through 2000, was performed. Surgical indications were acute diverticulitis (54%) (group 1), stenosis (19%), fistula (9.5%), recurrent diverticulitis (9.5%) and bleeding (8%) (group 2). Results. Seventy-four patients with a mean age of 56 years were studied. Fifty-eight percent were male. Surgical morbidity and mortality rates of acute diverticulitis were 55%, and 15%, respectively. The surgical procedures of this group were proximal stomas (45%), Hartmann's procedures (38%) and resections with primary anastomosis (17%). Second group morbidity and mortality rates were 35 and 5.8%, respectively. Thirty-six patients underwent two or more surgical procedures with statistical significance between first and second groups (61 vs. 28%; p < 0.05). The mortality of two-stage surgeries was lower than derivative procedures (13 vs. 22%; p = 0.009). A high Hinchey's score was the only factor associated with mortality (28.5 vs. 0%; p = 0.042). Conclusions. Mortality of surgical procedures for colonic diverticular disease is associated with a high Hinchey score. Primary anastomosis is a safe procedure in some cases.

Antecedentes. Aunque la mayoría de pacientes con enfermedad diverticular de colon responde al manejo conservador, algunos persisten con síntomas o presentan complicaciones que requieren cirugía. El objetivo de esta revisión fue identificar las indicaciones quirúrgicas para la enfermedad diverticular de colon y evaluar los resultados en el manejo quirúrgico de la misma. Material y métodos. Se realizó una revisión retrospectiva de pacientes sometidos a cirugía por enfermedad diverticular de colon de 1979 al 2000. Las indicaciones de cirugía fueron diverticulitis aguda (54%) (grupo 1), estenosis (19%), fístula (9.5%), diverticulitis recurrente (9.5%) y hemorragia (8%) (grupo 2). Resultados. Se estudiaron un total de 74 pacientes con una edad promedio de 56 años. Cincuenta y ocho por ciento fueron del sexo masculino. La morbilidad de los pacientes operados por diverticulitis aguda fue de 55% y la mortalidad de 15%. El tipo de cirugías en este grupo fueron estomas derivativos (45%), procedimientos de Hartmann (38%) y resecciones con anastomosis primaria (17%). La morbilidad y la mortalidad de las cirugías del segundo grupo fueron de 35 y 5.8%, respectivamente. Treinta y seis pacientes tuvieron dos o más operaciones, con diferencia significativa al comparar el grupo 1 con el grupo 2 (61 vs. 28%; p < 0.05). La mortalidad de los pacientes que tuvieron un procedimiento resectivo fue menor que cuando se desfuncionalizó (13 vs. 22%; p - 0.009). El único factor asociado con mortalidad fue un Hinchey elevado (28.5 vs. 0%; p - 0.042). Conclusiones. La mortalidad de la cirugía para complicaciones de la enfermedad diverticular de colon se asocia a un grado de Hinchey elevado. La resección con anastomosis primaria es un procedimiento seguro en casos seleccionados.