Preoperative mechanical bowel preparation combined with oral antibacterials in the prevention of complications of surgery for rectal and rectosigmoid junction cancer

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) combined with oral antibacterials for the prevention of postoperative complications when preparing a patient for anterior rectal resection.Materials and methods: We analyzed shortterm results in 77 patients who had undergone anterior rectal resection for rectal and rectosigmoid junction cancer. Forty five (45) patients were prepared for surgery only with MBP. In 32 patients, in addition to MBP, oral antibacterial agents ciprofloxacin and metronidazole were used preoperatively.Results: The overall rate of postoperative complications was 6.25% (2/32 patients) in the group of combined preparation for surgery and 15.5% (7/45) in the group using only MBP. Surgical wound infection occurred in 1 patient in the combined preparation group and in 4 patients in the MBP only group. There was no anastomotic leak in the combined preparation group, whereas in the MBP only group, anastomotic leak occurred in 2 patients.Conclusion: Combined use of oral antibacterials and MBP before anterior rectal resection makes it possible to achieve an extremely low rate of the colorectal anastomosis leak. Further studies into the efficacy of this preparation regimen are needed, along with their discussion in the professional communities.

High Ligation of the Inferior Mesenteric Artery Induces Hypoperfusion of the Sigmoid Colon Stump During Anterior Resection

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) after colorectal surgery is associated with insufficient vascular perfusion of the anastomotic ends. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of high vs. low ligation of the ileocolic artery and inferior mesenteric artery, respectively, on the vascular perfusion of the bowel stumps during ileocecal resection (ICR) and anterior rectal resection (AR).Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent ICR or AR between 2016 and 2020. Real-time indocyanine green fluorescence angiography was performed to measure the fluorescence time (FT) as a marker of the blood flow in the proximal and distal stumps before anastomosis.Results: Thirty-four patients with lower right-sided colon cancer underwent laparoscopic ICR. Forty-one patients with rectosigmoid colon or rectal cancer underwent robotic high AR (HAR) (n = 8), robotic low AR (LAR) (n = 6), laparoscopic HAR (n = 8), or laparoscopic LAR (n = 19). The FT was similar in the ileal and ascending colon stumps (p = 1.000) and did not differ significantly between high vs. low ligation of the ileocolic artery (p = 0.934). The FT was similar in the sigmoid colon and rectal stumps (p = 0.642), but high inferior mesenteric artery ligation significantly prolonged FT in the sigmoid colon during AR compared with low ligation (p = 0.004), indicating that the high ligation approach caused significant hypoperfusion compared with low ligation. The AL rate was similar after low vs. high ligation.Conclusions: Low vascular perfusion of the bowel stumps may not be an absolute risk factor for AL. High inferior mesenteric artery ligation could induce sigmoid colon stump hypoperfusion during anterior rectal resection.

The results of anterior rectal resection with the formation of a hardware anastomosis in cancer patients

Purpose of the study. A retrospective analysis of the immediate results of performing anterior rectal resections in cancer. Materials and methods. In the Department of Abdominal Oncology No. 1 with a group of X-ray vascular methods of diagnosis and treatment of the clinic of the National Medical Research Centre for Oncology of the Ministry of Health of Russia treatment for rectal cancer operations of anterior rectal resection were performed in 334 patients, while in 143 (42.8 %) cases they were low. As a standard, total mesenteric excision and lymphoid dissection in volume D2 were performed. Combined surgical interventions were performed in 68 (20.4 %) patients for locally spread tumors. As a rule, they were resection in nature and were performed with tumor infiltration of adjacent organs (bladder with ureters, ovaries, uterus, vagina, small intestine, abdominal wall). Colorectal anastomosis using crosslinking devices was formed in all cases, in 316 (94.6 %) cases it was a "side – to-end" junction, in 18 patients – "end-to-end". A preventive proximal intestinal stoma was formed in 73 (21.9 %) cases, where 67 cases it was an ileostomy, and 6 – a transversostomy. The preventive proximal intestinal stoma was not formed among 261 patients. Results. After performing anterior resections for rectal cancer operations, the complications developed in 75 (22.5 %) patients. The most threatening and dangerous complication was the failure of the colorectal anastomosis, which was noted in 12 (3.5 %) cases.This complication occurred in 8.2 % (6 patients out of 73) of preventatively stoma-treated patients, in 2.3 % of patients without a stoma (6 patients out of 261).Conclusion. The use of a preventive proximal intestinal stoma allows you to form a colorectal anastomosis even in the presence of complicated forms of rectal cancer. The number of complications directly referred to the formation of a preventive proximal intestinal stoma is relatively small, but when planning surgery for uncomplicated rectal cancer, the probability of their possible occurrence should be taken into account.

Risk of Outlet Obstruction Associated With Defunctioning Loop Ileostomy in Rectal Cancer Surgery

Background: The outlet obstruction (OO) rate is 5.4-18.4% after defunctioning ileostomy (DI) following rectal cancer resection to reduce the incidence and severity of anastomotic leakage; OO affects a patient’s quality of life and prolongs hospitalization. Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed of patients who underwent anterior rectal resection and DI for rectal cancer. Results: Among 100 patients undergoing anterior rectal resection with DI for rectal cancer, 28 (28%) developed OO. Anastomotic leakage and a rectus abdominis muscle thickness ≥10 mm on preoperative computed tomography were significantly associated with the risk of OO in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis also demonstrated that anastomotic leakage (odds ratio=4.320, 95% confidence interval=1.280-14.60, p=0.019) and rectus abdominis muscle thickness ≥10 mm (odds ratio=3.710, 95% confidence intervaI=1.280-10.70, p=0.016) were significantly risk factors for OO. Conclusion: When OO is observed, an anastomotic leakage should be suspected, especially if there is a high rectus abdominis muscle thickness.

Regurgitation under the ERAS Program: A Case Report

Introduction: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based concept that reduces the recovery period after major abdominal surgery. Ingestion of carbohydrate solutions up until two hours before elective surgery has shown positive results. The authors present a case of regurgitation in a patient with apparently low risk for delayed gastric emptying who drank a carbohydrate solution two hours before induction of anaesthesia. Case report: An 80-year-old male patient with a relevant history of ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, stage 3 chronic kidney disease and hypertension, was diagnosed with rectal cancer. He was scheduled for an anterior rectal resection hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery under the ERAS program, which included a 200 mL carbohydrate drink the night before and in the morning of the surgery, no less than two hours before the induction of anaesthesia. Immediately after loss of consciousness, there was regurgitation of a significant amount of clear fluid. Discussion: Even though ingestion of oral carbohydrate drinks is considered to be safe up to two hours before anaesthesia, further evaluation (e.g., gastric ultrasonography) may be considered in non-high-risk patients.

Surgical Techniques and Outcomes of Colorectal Anastomosis after Left Hemicolectomy with Low Anterior Rectal Resection for Advanced Ovarian Cancer

Extended colon resection is often performed in advanced ovarian cancer. Restoring intestinal continuity and avoiding stoma creation improve patients’ quality of life postoperatively. We tried to minimize the number of anastomoses, restore intestinal continuity, and avoid stoma creation for 295 patients with stage III/IV ovarian cancer who underwent low anterior rectal resection (LAR) with or without colon resection during cytoreductive surgery. When the remaining colon could not reach the rectal stump after left hemicolectomy with LAR, we used the following techniques for tension-free anastomosis: right colonic transposition, retro-ileal anastomosis through an ileal mesenteric defect, or an additional colic artery division. Rates of stoma creation and rectal anastomotic were 3% (9/295) and 6.6% (19/286), respectively. Among 21 patients in whom the remaining colon did not reach the rectal stump after left hemicolectomy with LAR, 20 underwent tension-free anastomosis, including eight, six, and six patients undergoing right colonic transposition, retro-ileal anastomosis through an ileal mesenteric defect, and an additional colic artery division, respectively. Colorectal anastomosis is feasible for patients with extended colonic resection. Low anastomotic leakage and stoma rates can be achieved with careful attention to colonic mobilization and tension-free anastomosis.

Effect of local ozone treatment on rats with anterior rectal resection and the possible mechanisms

Background Anterior resection syndrome (ARS) is characterized by the diverse and interchangeable evacuatory symptoms that may occur following distal colorectal resection. We aimed to investigate the effect and potential mechanisms of ozone perfusion on rats with anterior rectal resection (ARR). Material and methods After establishment of rat ARR model, 20, 40 and 80 ug/ml ozone was used to treat rats by enema administration. The pathological examination of intestinal tissue was detected using hematoxylin–eosin staining. The rate of loose stools, minimum threshold volume of abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) and Bristol grade were used to evaluate the degree of abnormal defecation function. Subsequently, the levels of oxidative stress- and inflammation-related markers, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum and intestinal tissue were determined with the corresponding kits. Meanwhile, the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65, transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV)1, TRPV4, iNOS and 5-HT receptor 3A (5-HTR3A) was determined with RT-qPCR and western blotting. Results Ozone administration (20 and 40 ug/ml) significantly alleviated the pathological changes of intestinal tissue-induced by ARR, accompanied by the decreased loose stools rate, Bristol score and increased abdominal withdraw reflex. However, 80 ug/ml of ozone intervention played opposite roles in the aforementioned changes with 20 and 40 ug/ml of ozone. Additionally, remarkably elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), 5-HT, iNOS and NO levels were observed in the ozone-treated groups (20 and 40 ug/ml), while high dose of ozone drastically improved ROS, MDA, 5-HT, iNOS and NO levels but reduced the activity of SOD. Consistently, the contents of inflammatory factors were decreased after low and middle doses of ozone administration. However, high dose of ozone aggravated the inflammatory injury. Moreover, 20 and 40 ug/ml ozone upregulated TRPV1 and TRPV4 expression but downregulated 5-HTR3A expression, which was restored after 80 ug/ml of ozone intervention. Remarkably, the levels of NF-κB p65 and iNOS were dose-dependently enhanced following ozone treatment. Conclusions Taken together, low concentration of ozone attenuated intestinal injury induced by ARR via balancing oxidative stress and inflammation, but high concentration of ozone exacerbated the intestinal injury, which might be related to the 5-HT and TRPV signaling.

Possibilities of the indocyanine green dye application for evaluation of peculiarities of lymph outflow and metastasizing of colorectal cancer

Objective. Studying of velocity of prevalence of luminescent dye indocyanine green along lymphatic vessels in the large bowel surgery. Materials and methods. Estimation of procedure for coloring of tumoral substrate and lymphatic vessels while performance of oncological operations was conducted. We performed laparoscopic resection of sigmoid colon in 7 patients, suffering tumors, and anterior rectal resection in 5 patients, having tumors of upper ampullary part of rectum, using indocyanine green dye. Results. In Group I, consisting of 7 patients, surgical technique of no touch manipulations on the tumor before transection of feeding vessels (NTIT–operations) was applied, and in Group II, consisting of 5 patients, the tumor mobilization was done primarily. Application of indocyanine green dye helped a lot to establish localization and prevalence of the process in rectum. Conclusion. Application of fluorescent dye indocyanine green on tumoral substrate before doing ligation of feeding vessels raises possibility of the complication occurrence, consisting of the cancer cells dissemination in abdominal cavity. While performing laparoscopic procedures in resection of the large bowel tumors it is expedient to ligate the feeding vessels primarily, with secondary manipulation– to dissect and mobilize the tumoral substrate.

The role of transanal drainage tube in low anterior resection for rectal cancer

Total mesorectal excision with low anterior resection has significantly improved the long-term outcomes of surgical treatment for rectal cancer, decreasing the local recurrence rate and increasing survival. However, total mesorectal excision is becoming one of the main factors for the development of colorectal anastomosis leakage, the rate of which reaches 20% in these operations. To minimize the complications associated with the inconsistency of the colorectal anastomotic suture, preventive intestinal stoma is formed when performing low anterior resections. That significantly worsen the quality of life of patients, their elimination requires re-hospitalization, and surgical interventions are accompanied by a high incidence of postoperative complications, reaching a rate of 20%, which has a significant impact on the cost of treatment for this category of patients. Transanal drainage is an alternative to the formation of preventive intestinal stoma and is devoid of its shortcomings. This literature review is devoted to an analysis of the effectiveness of transanal drainage in low anterior rectal resection. Until recently, transanal drainage has not yet gained popularity among surgeons due to the lack of evidence of its safety and effectiveness, and many studies are retrospective, including small samples. The review considered single-center, multicenter, randomized trials and a meta-analysis of the use of transanal drainage. Transanal drainage is an effective method for preventing the inconsistency of colorectal anastomotic suture, it is safe, and it surpasses the preventive intestinal stoma in a number of indicators.