Influence of Anastomotic Leak After Elective Colorectal Cancer Resection on Survival and Local Recurrence: A Propensity Score Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of anastomotic leakage is still a life-threatening complication for patients after colorectal surgery. In literature not only an impact on the short-term outcome but also on long-term survival and local recurrence of colorectal cancer patients is discussed. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of anastomotic leakage on long-term survival and local recurrence. DESIGN: A total of 1122 patients with resections for colorectal cancer were analyzed. In 94 patients (8.4%) there was clinical proof of anastomotic leakage. A reference group was defined as the 1028 patients without anastomotic leakage using 1:1 propensity score-matching according to the following criteria: age, sex, International Union Against Cancer stage, Karnofsky index, tumor site, and grading, as well as adjuvant chemotherapy. A calculation of overall survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence rate was performed for both groups. SETTINGS: The study was conducted using a retrospective matched-pairs analysis, based on a prospectively maintained institutional colorectal cancer database. PATIENTS: Ninety-four patients with anastomotic leakage and 94 matched control subjects from a total of 1122 patients with resections for colorectal cancer were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence rate for patients with colorectal cancer with and without anastomotic leakage were measured. RESULTS: The propensity score matching successfully created 2 groups with no significant differences in the matching criteria. Survival analysis disclosed no significant differences between the groups in terms of overall survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence rate. Univariate analysis identified age, Karnofsky index, International Union Against Cancer stage, and lymph node metastasis as significant prognostic factors. Multivariable analysis of these variates revealed age and positive lymph nodes as independent predictors of overall survival and disease-free survival. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited by nature of being a retrospective analysis and monocentric study. CONCLUSIONS: This matched-pairs analysis, comparing patients with colorectal cancer with and without anastomotic leakage, revealed no significant differences in overall survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence rate. Contrary results in the literature might be caused by nonbalanced settings in nonmatched collectives. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A811.

Complicated jejunal diverticulitis: a challenging diagnosis and difficult therapy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: In contrast to diverticulosis of the colon, jejunal diverticulosis is a rare entity that often becomes clinically relevant only after exacerbations occur. The variety of symptoms and low incidence make this disease a difficult differential diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from all patients who were treated in our surgical department for complicated jejunal diverticulitis, that is, gastrointestinal hemorrhage or a diverticula perforation were collected prospectively over a 6-year period (January 2004 to January 2010) and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The median age among the 9 patients was 82 years (range: 54-87). Except for 2 cases (elective operation for a status postjejunal peridiverticulitis and a re-perforation of a diverticula in a patient s/p segment resection with free perforation), the diagnosis could only be confirmed with an exploratory laparotomy. Perforation was observed in 5 patients, one of which was a retroperitoneal perforation. The retroperitoneal perforation was associated with transanal hemorrhage. Hemodynamically relevant transanal hemorrhage requiring transfusion were the reason for an exploratory laparotomy in 2 further cases. In one patient, the hemorrhage was the result of a systemic vasculitis with resultant gastrointestinal involvement. A singular jejunal diverticulum caused an adhesive ileus in one patient. The extent of jejunal diverticulosis varied between a singular diverticulum to complete jejunal involvement. A tangential, transverse excision of the diverticulum was carried out in 3 patients. The indication for segment resection was made in the case of a perforation with associated peritonitis (n=4) as well as the presence of 5 or more diverticula (n=2). Histological analysis revealed chronic pandiverticulitis in all patients. Median operating time amounted to 142 minutes (range: 65-210) and the median in-hospital stay was 12 days (range: 5-45). Lethality was 0%. Major complications included secondary wound closure after s/p repeated lavage and bilateral pleural effusions in one case. Signs of malabsorption as the result of a short bowel syndrome were not observed. Minor complications included protracted intestinal atony in 2 cases and pneumonia in one case. Median follow-up was 6 months (range: 1-18). CONCLUSION: Complicated jejunal diverticulitis often remains elusive preoperatively due to its unspecific clinical presentation. A definitive diagnosis can often only be made intraoperatively. The resection of all diverticula and/or the complete diverticula-laden segment is the goal in chronic cases. The operative approach chosen (tangential, transverse excision vs segment resection) should be based on the extent of the jejunal diverticulosis as well as the intraoperative findings.