Pathophysiological basis, clinical assessment, investigation and management of patients with obstruction defecation syndrome.

Obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) is a clinical syndrome manifest as difficulty in faecal evacuation despite no mechanical obstruction. It is the final clinical pathway of a number of anatomical and physiological pathologies they can result in considerable misery to the lives of the patients it afflicts. Herein, the authors seek to breakdown the syndrome into its component parts, looking first at normal pelvic floor anatomy and physiology; followed by each pathological element; clinical features and investigation; individual management and management of the patient as a whole. It must be stated that correction of anatomy is not the sine qua non, as this does not always correlate to improvement of symptoms. There is a complex interplay of all elements, and a holistic approach appreciating the gestalt principle of "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is paramount. Causes of pelvic pain (levator ani syndrome, coccygodynia, proctalgia fugax and pudendal neuralgia) do not fall into ODS and are beyond the scope of this paper.

A novel scheme for graft allocation in non-heart beating donor renal transplantation.

Patients waiting more than 3 years for a renal transplant were ranked according to our novel Bristol and Region Allocation by Non-heart beating Donor Score (BRANDS). One kidney from 40 non-heart beating donors was allocated to the highest BRANDS long-waiter and the other kidney allocated according to the UK National Allocation Scheme (NAS). The scheme reduced the number of patients waiting more than 3 years by 20%. Despite longer dialysis time, greater sensitization and more human leukocyte antigen mismatches, BRANDS patients had equivalent 3-year graft survival (BRANDS 91%, NAS 97%, P=0.264) and patient survival (BRANDS 94%, NAS 92%, P=0.99). Results were similar to 242 synchronous recipients from heart-beating donors. Renal function was significantly lower in BRANDS recipients (40 vs. 62 mL/min/1.73 m2, P<0.0001). Transplanting long-waiting patients with kidneys from non-heart beating donors has reduced waiting times without compromising early outcomes. It is unclear if equivalent survival will be sustained in the long term.