ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) has been established as the procedure of choice for patients who require excision of the colon and rectum for familial adenomatous polyposis and ulcerative colitis. The requirement for proximal stomal diversion in IPAA is controversial. OBJECTIVES: To compare post-operative outcomes following IPAA with and without proximal diversion. METHODS: Computerised literature search, of Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE. Full-text comparative studies published between 1992 and 2019, in English language and on adult patients. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis with or without proximal stomal diversion following proctocolectomy. Outcome measures were anastomotic leak, anastomosis strictures, re-operations, pouch failure, intra-abdominal sepsis, small bowel obstruction/ileus and mortality. RESULTS: Five hundred and forty-six studies were screened. Fourteen relevant studies included 4973 cases (1832 patients with no stomas vs 3141 with stomas). Anastomotic strictures (p ≤ 0.0001 OR 0.40; 95% CI (0.26-0.62)) and pouch failures (p = 0.003 OR 0.54; 95% CI (0.36-0.82)) were higher in diverted than non-diverted patients. Re-operation was more frequently required in non-diverted patients (p = 0.02 OR 2.51; 95% CI (1.12-5.59)). Heterogeneity was low in 5 out of 7 variables. CONCLUSION: In selected patients, diversion-free IPAA is a safe procedure associated with lower anastomotic stricture and pouch failure rates than diverted IPAA. This appears to occur at the expense of a higher re-operation rate. An RCT is required to help define the selection criteria.
Subject(s)
Adenomatous Polyposis Coli , Colitis, Ulcerative , Colonic Pouches , Proctocolectomy, Restorative , Adenomatous Polyposis Coli/surgery , Adult , Anastomosis, Surgical/adverse effects , Colitis, Ulcerative/surgery , Colonic Pouches/adverse effects , Humans , Postoperative Complications/etiology , Proctocolectomy, Restorative/adverse effects , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Anastomotic leak (AL) is a major complication following anterior resection for colorectal cancer. Early contrast enema may diagnose subclinical anastomotic leakage. Knowledge of factors concerning AL is vital to its detection. The aim of this study was to define the incidence, risks and outcome of radiological leak following routine early contrast enema after anterior resection. METHODS: A cohort of 129 patients who underwent anterior resection for colorectal cancer and had an early Gastrografin enema between July 2008 and December 2012 in a tertiary referral centre was identified from a prospective database. The severity of AL was defined using the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer (ISREC) grading system. RESULTS: Of the 129 patients, 65.1 % were male, and the mean age at surgery was 64.6 ± 1.1 years. Gastrografin enema was performed on average on post-operative day 4.8 ± 0.2. Eighteen patients (14.0 %) had a radiological leak on Gastrografin enema, and nine patients (7.0 %) had a clinical AL. On multivariate analysis, only being of male sex and having a loop ileostomy increased the risk of radiological AL. Gastrografin enema had a sensitivity of 100 % (95 % CI 66-100 %) and specificity of 93 % (95 % CI 86-97 %) for predicting clinical AL. Of the 18 patients with radiological leaks, 11 were ISREC grade A, 3 were grade B and 4 were grade C. CONCLUSIONS: In the current series, early Gastrografin enema following anterior resection identifies a 14 % radiological leak rate and has a high sensitivity and specificity for predicting clinical AL. The majority of radiological leaks may be managed conservatively.