Comparison of Peristomal Adhesion Formation Between Laparoscopic and Open Low Anterior Resection of Rectal Cancer

Outcome of early versus late ileostomy closure in patients with rectal cancers undergoing low anterior resection: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Protective loop ileostomy is performed following low anterior resection (LAR) in patients with rectal cancer to reduce the complications of primary anastomosis. The optimal timing for ileostomy closure remains controversial. The aim of the current study was to compare the effects of early (<2 weeks) versus late (≥2 months) closure of the stoma in patients with rectal cancer undergoing LAR on surgical outcome and complications rates.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study was conducted in two referral centers in Shiraz, Iran, during a 2-year period. We have consecutively and prospectively included adult patients with rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent LAR followed by protective loop ileostomy in our center during the study period. The baseline, tumor characteristics and complication as well as outcome was recorded in a 1-year follow-up and was compared between early and late ileostomy closure.

RESULTS

Overall, 69 patients (32 in early and 37 in late group) were included. The mean age of the patients was 59.40 ± 9.30 years and there were 46 (66.7%) men and 23 (33.3%) women. Patients undergoing early closure of the ileostomy had significantly shorter operation duration (p<0.001) and lower intraoperative bleeding (p<0.001) compared to late ileostomy closure. There was no significant difference between two study groups regarding the complications. Early closure was also not found to be a predictive factor of post-ileostomy closure complications.

CONCLUSION

Early closure (<2 weeks) of ileostomy after LAR in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma is a safe and feasible technique which is associated with favorable outcome.

A case of ovarian growing teratoma syndrome treated by cytoreductive surgery

Ovarian growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) is a rare disease characterized by growth of a benign tumor during or after chemotherapy, following the removal of germ cell gonadal cancers. Although benign, GTS tumors grow gradually and may compress surrounding organs. In addition, up to 3% of GTS cases can undergo malignant transformation. It is, therefore, needed to treat GTS. No standardized management protocol has been established to treat GTS; however, surgical resection is likely the only effective treatment because tumors in GTS are resistant to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, complete resection with conventional procedures is sometimes difficult when peritoneal metastasis is widespread. We report a rare case of ovarian GTS with widespread peritoneal metastases, which was totally resected by peritonectomy procedures. A 45-year-old Japanese woman was initially diagnosed with an immature teratoma grade 3, which was treated by hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was performed after surgery with bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin, and other chemotherapies. Due to recurrence of a chemoresistant tumor and normalization of tumor markers, GTS was suspected. She was referred to our institute, and complete cytoreductive surgery was performed using peritonectomy procedures, including parietal peritoneal resection, greater omentectomy, lesser omentectomy, rectosigmoid colectomy, diaphragm dissection, and cholecystectomy. A complete cytoreduction with no visible residual tumor tissue was achieved.

The effect of oral simvastatin on fibrinolytic activity after colorectal surgery-a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Studies conducted in animal models have shown that statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) reduce adhesion formation by upregulating fibrinolysis. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of orally administered statins on the promoters and inhibitors of the fibrinolytic pathway.

METHODS

In a previously described double-blinded clinical trial, 144 patients undergoing elective colorectal resection, or reversal of Hartmann's procedure were randomized to receive 40 mg once daily oral simvastatin 3-7 d before surgery or placebo. For the purposes of the present study, peritoneal drain fluid was collected postoperatively from patients to measure active tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), tissue plasminogen activator total antigen, active plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), plasminogen activator inhibitor total antigen (PAI-1TA), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and tissue plasminogen activator complex (PAI-1/tPA). These were analyzed using ELISA. The number of hospitalizations and complications related to small bowel obstruction (SBO) were recorded at 2 y after surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 95 patients (72%) had sufficient peritoneal drain fluid suitable for ELISA analysis. Of them, 46 patients (48%) were from the oral simvastatin group. Mean tPA and tPA total antigen concentrations in peritoneal fluid were similar between the two groups. Mean PAI-1 and PAI-1 TA concentrations in the statin and placebo group were also similar. Mean PAI-1/tPA complex concentration was similar between the two groups. The number of hospitalizations from SBOs were 5 and 4 in the statin and placebo groups respectively (P = 0.46). The overall mortality at 2-year post-surgery was similar between the two groups (P = 0.59).

CONCLUSIONS

In this pilot study involving humans, oral simvastatin had no measured effect on the peritoneal fibrinolytic pathway in the first 24 h after colorectal surgery. Analysis of clinical outcomes also showed that oral simvastatin did not reduce hospitalizations for SBO in the 2 y after surgery. Further studies may be useful to evaluate whether fibrinolytic pathways beyond 24 h are altered after systemic administration of statins and to evaluate the use of higher doses of statins, perhaps used intraperitoneally rather than systemically.

Laparoscopic excisional surgery for growing teratoma syndrome of the ovary: case report and literature review

Growing teratoma syndrome (GTS) is rare clinical phenomenon occurring as a sequelae of a malignant germ cell tumor. We present the case of a 20-year-old woman who developed GTS after undergoing fertility-sparing surgery and chemotherapy for an immature teratoma. She underwent left salpingo-oophorectomy, right ovarian cystectomy, and disseminated tumor reduction during her primary surgery. The postsurgical histology report identified the tumor as an immature teratoma, grade 3, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIb. She subsequently received 3 cycles of chemotherapy consisting of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin. At 17 months after the chemotherapy, follow-up computed tomography (CT) scan revealed an enlarged mass in her right paracolic gutter and a small peritoneal lesion in the pouch of Douglas. Her serum alpha-fetoprotein level was not elevated. These findings were compatible with GTS, but it was difficult to rule out a recurrent immature teratoma. Diagnostic exploratory laparoscopic surgery revealed the enlarged tumors that had been detected by the CT scan. Although there were multiple tumors in the pouch of Douglas, we were able to resect all of them laparoscopically. Histological diagnosis of the surgically resected specimens was of a mature teratoma, and so we concluded that this tumor was a GTS. Our experience suggests that laparoscopic surgery is an effective alternative diagnostic and therapeutic approach in cases suspicious of GTS where the disease is disseminated to the peritoneum.