Placement of SurgiWrap® adhesion barrier film around the protective loop stoma after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery may reduce the peristomal adhesion severity and facilitate the closure

Linea alba support method of prophylactic loop ileostomy via lower abdominal midline incision for rectal cancer: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The traditional method of prophylactic loop ileostomy is time-consuming and prone to complications like stoma stenosis, peristomal adhesions, or dermatitis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical application value and potential benefits of a novel approach named linea alba support method (LASM) of prophylactic loop ileostomy via lower abdominal midline incision.

METHODS

The clinical data of rectal cancer patients admitted to the General Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University between January 2021 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups based on different methods for prophylactic loop ileostomy they received, and clinical outcomes were further compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

A total of 102 patients, including 48 patients underwent LASM (LASM group) and 54 patients underwent traditional method (TM group) were included in this study. The LASM group exhibited significantly shorter operative time (201.8 vs. 223.0 min, p = 0.011), ileostomy time (10 vs. 22 min, p < 0.001), the length of postoperative visual incision (5 vs. 8 cm, p < 0.001), and operative time of stoma closure (75 vs. 90 min, p < 0.001) compared to the TM group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in postoperative complications and stoma-related complications. In addition, LASM was an independent influencing factor for shorter operative time of ileostomy.

CONCLUSION

LASM of prophylactic loop ileostomy via lower abdominal midline incision, seamlessly integrating simplicity, safety, and exceptional cosmetic outcomes, merits extensive promotion and adoption.

Use of a bioresorbable polylactide sheet (OrthoWrap® Bioresorbable sheet) on tendon healing after extensor tendon repair: a controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Adhesion formation poses a significant challenge for both patients and hand surgeons following tendon repair. One common strategy to prevent adhesion formation is the use of physical barriers. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of extensor tendon repair with and without the application of the OrthoWrap® bioresorbable Sheet, specifically in terms of adhesion prevention.

METHODS

This triple-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on patients with trauma to the extensor zone VI tendons. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the intervention group, OrthoWrap® bioresorbable Sheet was applied in addition to the standard tendon repair protocol. Over a three-month follow-up period, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, extension lag, and metacarpophalangeal joint flexion were assessed. Additionally, the mobility of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints was evaluated using the Strickland classification.

RESULTS

A total of 42 patients in the OrthoWrap® group and 43 in the control group were evaluated over the three-month period. Both groups showed a significant reduction in mean extension lag at the metacarpophalangeal joint over time. No significant condition-by-time interactions were found for MP joint flexion or VAS scores (p > 0.05). However, significant improvements in MP joint flexion and VAS scores were observed over time. The OrthoWrap® group demonstrated significantly more favorable outcomes compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

The clinical application of OrthoWrap® in extensor tendon repair demonstrated statistically significant but modest improvements in extension lag (2.5°). While patients treated with OrthoWrap® showed better outcomes in Strickland's classification, the clinical significance of these small differences and their impact on patient function requires further investigation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

IRCT, IRCT20180627040252N3. Registered 20,220,617, Https//irct.behdasht.gov.ir/trial/56,652.

What Should I Use? Impact of Adhesion Barriers on Postoperative Abdominal Complications: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Adhesions are a feared complication of abdominal surgery. There have been many new adhesion barriers developed and tested; however, there is no recent systematic review analyzing all the published literature. To address this, we aimed to analyze the different types of adhesion barriers, and determine their effects on postoperative outcomes in patients.

METHODS

A total of 14,038 articles utilizing adhesion barriers in abdominal surgery were retrieved from the PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus databases. Inclusion criteria were: patients undergoing abdominal surgery, patients receiving an adhesion barrier, and reported postoperative outcomes. Two reviewers independently screened titles/abstracts and full-text articles using Covidence. The ROBINS-I tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Study protocol: Prospero CRD42023458230.

RESULTS

A total of 20 studies, with no overall high risk of bias, with 171,792 patients were included. Most studies showed an equivocal benefit for adhesion barriers, with no singular adhesion barrier type that had definitive superior outcomes compared to the others. Bioresorbable barriers emerged as the most extensively researched adhesion barrier type, exhibiting promising results in colorectal surgery. Starch-based adhesion barriers also exhibited a reduction in overall postoperative bowel obstructions and may be beneficial for stoma sites and port closures. On the other hand, many studies raised concerns regarding complications, including risk of abscess formation, fistula development, peritonitis, and anastomotic leakage.

CONCLUSIONS

Adhesion barriers should be considered on a case-by-case basis, however, they should not be utilized prophylactically in all abdominal surgeries due to their risk of complications.

Efficacy and safety of purified starch for adhesion prevention in colorectal surgery

Background

Adhesions within the abdominal cavity develop in as many as 90 % of individuals following abdominal surgery. However, the true adhesive condition of patients can only be ascertained during the second surgery.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, non-randomized study to assess the anti-adhesion properties of purified starch in patients who had undergone colorectal surgery in the past and then needed a subsequent surgical intervention. Adhesion scores have been prospectively recorded in operation notes since January 2020 when patients underwent a second surgery. Patients who had received purified starch during their initial surgery constituted the purified starch group, while those who had not received anti-adhesion medical materials were the control group. The main objectives of the study were to evaluate the extent and severity of adhesions as primary outcomes, while secondary outcomes included measuring blood loss, operation time, and postoperative complications.

Results

We analyzed the data of 101 patients, with 61 in the purified starch group and 40 in the control group. In multivariate analysis, adhesion severity (Odds ratio, 0.20, 95 % confidence interval 0.08-0.54, P < 0.01) and adhesion area scores (Odds ratio, 0.13, 95 % confidence interval 0.04-0.45, P < 0.01) were significantly lower in the purified starch group than in the control group. There was no significant difference in operation times, blood loss, and postoperative complications between the two groups.

Conclusion

Purified starch is a safe and effective anti-adhesion material that can significantly reduce the severity and extent of adhesion after colorectal surgery.

Postsurgical Adhesions: Is There Any Prophylactic Strategy Really Working?

Postoperative adhesions are a frequent complication encountered after surgical procedures, mainly after intraperitoneal interventions. To this day, the pathophysiological mechanism behind the process of adhesions formation is not completely known. There are many strategies proposed as prophylaxis methods, involving surgical techniques, drugs or materials that prevent adhesions and even state of the art technologies such as nanoparticles or gene therapy. The aim of our review is to present these innovative approaches and techniques for postoperative adhesions prevention. After a thorough scientific database query, we selected 84 articles published in the past 15 years that were relevant to our topic. Despite all the recent groundbreaking discoveries, we are at an early stage of understanding the complexity of the adhesion formation mechanism. Further investigations should be made in order to create an ideal product for safe clinical use for prevention.

Foreign body reaction mimicking local recurrence from polyactide adhesion barrier film after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery: A retrospective cohort study

Polyactide (PLA) barrier is one of the most commonly used materials to prevent the formation of postoperative adhesion. Even though previous studies supported the anti-adhesion efficacy of PLA barrier, there have been limited reports focusing on the associated foreign body reaction. We sought to investigate the potential complication of PLA barrier placement that could lead to unnecessary intervention.This is a retrospective study of colorectal cancer patients with laparoscopic surgery. Cases with stage IV unresectable disease, poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance, death within 3 months after the surgery, and insufficient record were excluded. A total of 296 cases were identified in our study and 220 patients received PLA film placement. We compared the incidence of foreign body reaction between the patients with and without PLA film.Among PLA film group, 16 cases had signs of local recurrence on the follow-up image studies. The subsequent operation found 10 patients had no cancerous lesions but only foreign-body-associated granulomas. The incidence of foreign body reaction mimicking local recurrence on image study was 4.5% with high false positive rate of 62.5% on positron emission tomography scan in patients with PLA film. There were only 2 cases without the antiadhesive barrier developed signs of recurrence during active surveillance. Both cases were later confirmed to have malignant peritoneal seeding.The PLA film was associated with rare foreign body reaction that could interfere the accuracy of follow-up program and result in unnecessary surgical intervention. Hence, we recommend avoiding the use of the PLA barrier.

One-stitch method vs. traditional method of protective loop ileostomy for rectal cancer: the impact of BMI obesity

PURPOSE

Protective loop ileostomy is an effective diversion measure often used to reduce the risk of anastomotic leakage. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of the one-stitch method (OM) of protective loop ileostomy in laparoscopic low anterior resection for BMI obesity patients with rectal cancer compared with the traditional method (TM).

METHODS

The patients diagnosed as rectal adenocarcinoma cases by preoperative pathology were included in this retrospective study. The subjects underwent protective loop ileostomy in laparoscopic low anterior resection from January 2016 to June 2019 in the Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong University. The data of loop ileostomy and stoma closure operation were retrieved from the medical cases system of the hospital.

RESULTS

242 patients were included in the present study. In the BMI obese cohort, the OM group showed a shorter operative time both in the loop ileostomy (232.5 vs. 250.0 min, p = 0.04) and stoma closure operation (102.5 vs. 115.0 min, p = 0.001) and a lower peristomal adhesion extent (p = 0.02) and a shorter median postoperative stay (6 vs. 7 days, p = 0.03) during stoma closure operation than that of the TM group. In the TM group, obese cases showed a higher operative time of stoma closure operation (115.0 vs. 95.0, p < 0.001), a higher parastomal hernia rate (p = 0.04), a higher peristomal adhesion extent (p = 0.005) and a longer postoperative stay of stoma closure operation (p = 0.02) compared with the non-obese cases, while in the OM group, no significant differences were observed between the obese and non-obese cases in terms of the above-mentioned factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The OM exhibited more advantages than TM, notably in BMI obesity patients.

Risk factors and management of stoma-related obstruction after laparoscopic colorectal surgery with diverting ileostomy

BACKGROUND

Stoma-related obstruction (SRO) is defined as small bowel obstruction occurring around the limbs of diverting ileostomy (DI). This study was aimed to investigate the incidence, risk factors, and management of SRO after laparoscopic colorectal surgery with DI creation.

METHODS

This study included 155 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery with DI creation for rectal cancer (n = 138), ulcerative colitis (UC) (n = 14), and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) (n = 3) between 2011 and 2019. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors of SRO.

RESULTS

The incidence of SRO was 7.7% (n = 12), and it was significantly lower (P < 0.01) in patients with lower anterior resection or intersphincteric resection (4.3%) than in those with ileal-pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) (35.2%). The multivariate analysis revealed that IPAA was independently associated with the development of SRO (P = 0.001; odds ratio, 9.4; 95% confidence interval, 2.5-35.4). Eleven of 12 patients (92%) with SRO required trans-stomal tube decompression, and 8 of those (67%) underwent early stoma closure.

CONCLUSION

IPAA was an independent risk factor of SRO in laparoscopic colorectal surgery with DI creation. Early stoma closure was needed in most cases of SRO.

Prevention of Post-Operative Adhesions: A Comprehensive Review of Present and Emerging Strategies

Post-operative adhesions affect patients undergoing all types of surgeries. They are associated with serious complications, including higher risk of morbidity and mortality. Given increased hospitalization, longer operative times, and longer length of hospital stay, post-surgical adhesions also pose a great financial burden. Although our knowledge of some of the underlying mechanisms driving adhesion formation has significantly improved over the past two decades, literature has yet to fully explain the pathogenesis and etiology of post-surgical adhesions. As a result, finding an ideal preventative strategy and leveraging appropriate tissue engineering strategies has proven to be difficult. Different products have been developed and enjoyed various levels of success along the translational tissue engineering research spectrum, but their clinical translation has been limited. Herein, we comprehensively review the agents and products that have been developed to mitigate post-operative adhesion formation. We also assess emerging strategies that aid in facilitating precision and personalized medicine to improve outcomes for patients and our healthcare system.

Development of poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) films coated with biomembrane-mimicking polymers for anti-adhesion activity

A physical barrier is one of the most effective strategies to alleviate excessive postoperative adhesion (POA) between tissues at an injury site. To overcome the limitations of current polymeric film-type physical barriers, we suggest a film of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) that is non-covalently coated with poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-co-n-butyl methacrylate (BMA)) (PMB). While maintaining the degradability and mechanical properties of PLGA, the PMB coating introduces strong anti-adhesive properties to the film by forming a zwitterionic MPC-based surface through the hydrophobic interactions between BMA moieties and PLGA. Compared to SurgiWrap®, the commercially available poly(lactic acid)-based anti-adhesive film against POA, the PMB-coated PLGA film is much more inhibitory against protein adsorption and fibroblast adhesion, processes that are crucial to the POA process. PMB coating also inhibits the expression of fibronectin containing extra domain A (FN-EDA), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen type IV alpha 2 (COL4A2), which are marker genes and proteins involved in fibroblast activation and excessive fibrosis during POA. Such inhibitory activities are clearly observed in a 3-dimensional culture of fibroblasts within a collagen matrix, which mimics the in vivo environment of an injury site, as well as in a 2-dimensional culture. The kinetics and the stability of the PMB coating suggest potential future clinical use to coat PLGA films to create a film-type anti-adhesion barrier that overcomes the limitations of current products.

One-stitch versus traditional method of protective loop ileostomy in laparoscopic low anterior rectal resection: A retrospective comparative study

BACKGROUND

Protective loop ileostomy is widely performed during rectal resection surgery. The study aimed to introduce the one-stitch method (OM) of protective loop ileostomy in laparoscopic low anterior resection and compare this new method with the traditional method (TM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 109 patients with pathologically diagnosed adenocarcinoma of the rectum from January 2017 to December 2018 in the study centre, and the intraoperative details and postoperative outcomes of the two groups were measured.

RESULTS

A total of 95 patients were included: 54 underwent protective loop ileostomy with the TM, while 41 underwent surgery utilizing the OM. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the operative times of resection and closure were significantly shorter (resection, 200.0 vs. 227.5 min, P = 0.028; closure, 70.0 vs. 92.5 min, P = 0.018) and the peristomal adhesions during closure were milder (P = 0.007) in the OM group than in the TM group. The postoperative complications were similar in both groups. In multivariate analysis, the OM (OR 0.352, 95% CI = 0.155-0.799, P = 0.013) was a significant factor influencing the operative time of resection. The peristomal adhesion extent was the only independent risk factor for the stoma closure time (mild, OR 0.036, 95% CI = 0.010-0.129, P < 0.001; moderate, OR 0.128, 95% CI = 0.033-0.494, P = 0.003). No significant predictive factor of peristomal adhesion extent was identified in multivariable analysis.

CONCLUSION

The OM of protective loop ileostomy in laparoscopic low anterior resection was time-saving, simple and easy to popularize and did not lead to more postoperative complications than the TM.

Surgical complications in colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic sciences have allowed early diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly reported cancers, particularly in elderly patients.

METHODS

Open and laparoscopic surgeries are used for the removal of the tumor, along with chemotherapy, depending on the stage of cancer. However, colorectal cancer surgery is associated with a great number of complications, that affect the efficacy of the surgery and overall health and survival of the patient.

RESULTS

Prevalence of these complications have shown discrepancies depending on the condition of the patient and disease and surgical skills of the surgeon. Preoperative evaluation, intraoperative care and postoperative measures can reduce the incidence of these complications.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights some frequently reported complications associated with colorectal cancer surgery, their risk factors and subsequent therapeutic measures to treat them.

Novel Trilaminar Polymeric Antiadhesion Membrane Prevents Postoperative Pericardial Adhesion

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pericardial adhesion formation is a prominent cause of morbidity and death in cardiovascular surgery, but there is still no ideal prevention method, especially in redo cases. This study investigated a novel antiadhesion trilaminar polymeric film compared with the Gore PRECLUDE Pericardial Membrane (W. L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) and a negative control.

METHODS

Our novel trilaminar membrane is composed of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). An established pericardial adhesion rabbit model was used to test the property of the membrane. After sternotomy, a portion of pericardium was resected and the epicardium was abraded. Rabbits (n = 24) were randomly assigned to 3 groups: control group, no trilaminar membrane or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE); ePTFE group, or trilaminar membrane group (PVA-CMC group). Evaluation of adhesion formation was performed by resternotomy 4 weeks after the operation.

RESULTS

The degree of tissue adhesion surrounding the heart in the PVA-CMC group was significantly less than in the control (P < .01) and ePTFE (P < .05) groups. The inflammation score in group PVA-CMC was significantly lower than that in the ePTFE (P < .01) and control (P < .01) groups. The fibrosis score was significantly lower in group PVA-CMC than that in the ePTFE (P < .05) and control (P < .01) groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The novel trilaminar membrane effectively reduced postoperative pericardial adhesions. The placement of the trilaminar membrane at the time of sternal closure provides a novel combination to minimize the extent and severity of pericardial adhesions while providing a physical barrier between the sternum and the cardiac structures.