Internal hernia after laparoscopic left colectomy: case series and review of the literature

Objective: Laparoscopic colectomy has gained acceptance as a standard treatment for benign and malignant colorectal disease, such as diverticular disease and cancer, among others. Same as in open surgery, the laparoscopic approach carries a low risk of small bowel obstruction in the postoperative period, but in laparoscopic surgery, internal hernia after laparoscopic left colectomy may be a cause of small bowel obstruction with a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. This rare complication may be prevented with routine closure of the mesenteric defects created during the colectomy. Methods: We present four cases of internal herniation after laparoscopic colectomy. Two cases were after laparoscopic left colectomy and two after laparoscopic low anterior resection. All four cases had full splenic flexure mobilization. Routine closure of the mesenteric defect was not performed in the initial surgery. Results: The four patients were treated by laparoscopic reintervention with closure of the mesenteric defect. In two of them, conversion to open surgery was necessary. One of the patients developed recurrent internal herniation after surgical reintervention with mesenteric closure of the defect. All patients were managed without need for bowel resection, and mortality rate was 0%. Conclusion Internal herniation after laparoscopic colorectal surgery is a highly morbid complication that requires prompt diagnosis and management and should be suspected in the early postoperative period. Additional studies with extended follow-up are required to establish recommendations regarding its prevention and management. (AU)

Double barreled wet colostomy. Case report and description of the surgical technique / Colostomia úmida em dupla-boca. Relato de caso e descrição da técnicacirúrgica

ABSTRACT Pelvic exenteration has showed to be beneficial therapeutically and palliatively in locally advanced colorectal cancer. Reconstruction of urinary transit posterior to a cystectomy has always been challenging with many associated complications. We present a 58-year-old male with locally advanced rectal cancer in which a pelvic exenteration and a double-barreled wet colostomy (DBWC) was created for urinary reconstitution. We present the surgical technique of DBWC. DBWC is a good alternative to other urinary reconstructions because fecal and urinary derivation occurs in only one stoma, the stoma output is easier to manage, and fewer complications are seen compared to other urinary reconstructions. Long-term surveillance is mandatory in patients with a DBWC because there is an increased risk of neoplasm in the reservoir.

RESUMO A exenteração pélvica mostrou-se benéfica, tanto terapêutica quanto paliativamente, em casos de câncer colorretal localmente avançado. A reconstrução do trânsito urinário após uma cistectomia sempre foi desafiadora, com muitas complicações associadas. Os autores apresentam o caso de um homem de 58 anos de idade com câncer retal localmente avançado, submetido a uma exenteração pélvica e uma colostomia úmida em dupla-boca (CUDB) para reconstituição urinária. Os autores apresentam a técnica cirúrgica da CUDB, uma boa alternativa para outras reconstruções urinárias, já que a derivação fecal e urinária ocorre em apenas um estoma, a saída do estoma é mais fácil de gerenciar e o método apresenta menos complicações em comparação com outras reconstruções urinárias. A vigilância a longo prazo é obrigatória em pacientes com CUDB, pois há um risco aumentado de neoplasia no reservatório.

Oncological Implications of Lymph Nodes Retrieval and Perineural Invasion in Colorectal Cancer: Outcomes from a Referral Center.

BACKGROUND: In colorectal cancer (CRC), regional lymphadenectomy provides prognostic information and guides management. The current consensus states that at least 12 lymph nodes (LN) should be evaluated. The aims of this study were to identify whether the number of LN is a predictor for survival and recurrence, and to reveal the role of LN ratio (LNR) and perineural invasion (PNI) in predicting prognosis after curative resection of CRC. METHODS: We included all patients who underwent surgery for CRC between 2000 and 2016 in an academic medical center in Mexico. The LNR cutoff value was 0.25. We analyzed two groups according to the number of LN retrieved: Group 1 (≥ 12 LN) and Group 2 (< 12 LN). RESULTS: We included 305 patients, 13.8% in Stage I, 45.6% in Stage II, and 40.6% in Stage III. The male: female ratio was 1.1. The mean age was 62.6 ± 14 years (range, 19-92). In 233 patients (76.4%), ≥ 12 LN were obtained. Recurrence rates in Groups 1 and 2 were 20.2% versus 26.4%, respectively (p = 0.16). PNI was present in 34 patients (13.2%). An LN harvest < 10 increased local and distant recurrences (p = 0.03). Stage III patients with an LNR ≥ 0.25 had higher overall recurrence rates (p = 0.012) and mortality (p = 0.029). In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, PNI-negative tumors were an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival (p = 0.011, hazard ratio = 2.78, 95% confidence interval = 1.26-6.16). CONCLUSIONS: An LN retrieval < 10 increased local and distant recurrence rates. LNR was an independent prognostic factor for survival in Stage III tumors. PNI was the only significant independent prognostic factor affecting disease-free survival in our patients.