Novel surgery for refractory mixed constipation: Jinling procedure - technical notes and early outcome

Comparison of laparoscopic selective colectomy based on barium-strip examination and subtotal colectomy for adult slow-transit constipation

BACKGROUND

Surgical management of adult slow-transit constipation (ASTC) can be effective for patients with intractable symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate whether barium-strip examination and selective colectomy improved post-operative outcomes in ASTC patients in comparison with subtotal colectomy.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of 53 cases with refractory ASTC was conducted between June 2008 and June 2014. Patients were evaluated by the barium-strip technique, colonoscopy, defecography and anorectal manometry. Patients in the standard group underwent laparoscopic subtotal colectomy and patients in the laparoscopic selective colectomy (LSC) group underwent LSC at the precise location identified by barium strip. Spontaneous bowel movements, the Wexner Constipation Scale and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) were assessed post-operatively at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months.

RESULTS

A total of 49 patients were included in the analysis. The median follow-up was 37 months (range, 26-60 months). The mean post-operative hospital stay was 12 days and similar between groups (P = 0.071). The length of colon resection, operative time and intra-operative blood loss were reduced in the LSC group (all P < 0.05). No major complications occurred. A similar number of patients (24 in the standard group and 25 in the LSC group) exhibited hypoganglionosis or aganglionosis in the colon-wall muscle layer (P = 0.986). Although there were no significant differences in post-operative spontaneous bowel movements and the Wexner Constipation Scale between the two groups, the mean GIQLI of the LSC group was significantly higher at 3, 6 and 24 months post-operatively (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

LSC based on barium-strip examination is an appropriate modality for treating ASTC.

Searching for a definition for pharmacologically refractory constipation: A systematic review

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Surgery and other non-pharmacological treatments such as sacral nerve stimulation are used for the treatment of difficult-to-treat chronic constipation. Novel pharmacological therapeutic agents are also being introduced. To evaluate the efficacy of these treatments, it is imperative to have a consistent definition of pharmacologically refractory constipation. A systematic review of studies on refractory, difficult-to-treat or surgically treated constipation was carried out to determine the criteria that various authors used to define this group of patients.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed for literature published from June 2005 to June 2015 using PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus databases, as well as manual searches. Studies on patients with refractory or intractable constipation were extracted. Criteria used for defining refractory constipation, as well as pharmacological agents tried including dosage, frequency, and duration, were reviewed.

RESULTS

Sixty-one studies were included in this review. Forty-eight involved surgical treatment of constipation, while 13 examined non-surgical therapies for refractory constipation. There is no generally accepted definition of refractory constipation. Authors consider constipation to be refractory when response to management is suboptimal, but there is no consensus on the choice of drug, order of usage, and dosage or treatment duration. Prior medical therapy was not mentioned at all in five studies.

CONCLUSIONS

There is need for a detailed definition of pharmacologically refractory constipation before submitting patients to invasive treatments and to evaluate new pharmacological agents.

Surgery for constipation: systematic review and practice recommendations: Results I: Colonic resection

AIM

To assess the outcomes of colectomy in adults with chronic constipation (CC).

METHOD

Standardised methods and reporting of benefits and harms were used for all CapaCiTY reviews that closely adhered to PRISMA 2016 guidance. Main conclusions were presented as summary evidence statements (SES) with a summative Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (2009) level.

RESULTS

Forty articles were identified, providing data on outcomes in 2045 patients. Evidence was derived almost exclusively from observational studies, the majority of which concerned colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis (CIRA) rather than other procedural variations. Average length of stay (LOS) ranged between 7-15 days. Although inconsistent, laparoscopic surgery may be associated with longer mean operating times (210 vs 167 min) and modest decreases in LOS (10-8 days). Complications occurred in approximately 24% of patients. Six (0.4%) procedure-related deaths were observed. Recurrent episodes of small bowel obstruction occurred in about 15% (95%CI: 10-21%) of patients in the long-term, with significant burden of re-hospitalisation and frequent recourse to surgery. Most patients reported a satisfactory or good outcome after colectomy but negative long-term functional outcomes persist in a minority of patients. The influence of resection extent, anastomotic configuration and method of access on complication rates remains uncertain. Available evidence weakly supports selection of patients with an isolated slow-transit phenotype.

CONCLUSION

Colectomy for CC may benefit some patients but at the cost of substantial short- and long-term morbidity. Current evidence is insufficient to guide patient or procedural selection.

Function and clinical implications of short-chain fatty acids in patients with mixed refractory constipation

AIM

The present study was designed to investigate the function and clinical implications of stool short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in patients with mixed refractory constipation.

METHOD

Ascending colon specimens obtained from 30 patients with ascending colon cancer were regarded as the control group. Ascending colon specimens obtained from patients with mixed refractory constipation were regarded as the experimental group and were divided into three subgroups, according to Wexner scores [A constipation scoring system to simplify evaluation and management of constipated patients. Dis Colon Rectum 1996; 39: 681-5] of 16-20, 21-25 and 26-30, with 30 patients in each group. The stool SCFAs were extracted and quantitatively analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The expression of G protein-coupled receptor 43 (GPR43) and of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) were detected by immunofluorescence, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting of colon samples.

RESULTS

The levels of acetate, propionate and butyrate were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the densitometric quantification and mean density of GPR43 and ChAT proteins, and expression of GPR43 and CHAT genes, were significantly decreased in the patients with mixed refractory constipation (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

In the patients with mixed refractory constipation, the levels of stool SCFAs, including acetate, propionate and butyrate, as well as the levels of GPR43 and ChAT expressed in the colon, which were all negatively correlated with the Wexner score, were decreased and may be associated with the pathogenesis of mixed refractory constipation.