Chronic radiation proctitis represents a challenging condition seen with increased frequency due to the common use of radiation for treatment of pelvic cancer. Hemorrhagic radiation proctitis represents the most feared complication of chronic radiation proctitis. There is no consensus for the management of this condition despite the great number of clinical approaches and techniques that have been employed. Rectal resection represents an available option although associated with high morbidity and risk of permanent colostomy. The effectiveness of nonoperative approaches remains far from desirable, and hemorrhagic recurrence represents a major drawback that leads to a need for consecutive therapeutic sessions and combination of techniques. We conducted a critical review of published reports regarding conservative management of hemorrhagic chronic radiation proctitis. Although prospective randomized trials about hemorrhagic radiation proctitis are still lacking, there is enough evidence to conclude that topical formalin therapy and an endoscopic approach delivering an argon plasma coagulation represent available options associated with elevated effectiveness for interruption of rectal bleeding in patients with chronic radiation proctitis.

The tumor regression grade is the most important factor for the decrease in the number of lymph nodes.

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), all health services worldwide underwent profound changes, leading to the suspension of many elective surgeries. This study aimed to evaluate the safety of elective colorectal surgery during the pandemic. METHODS: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center study. Patients who underwent elective colorectal surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic between March 10 and September 9, 2020, were included. Patient data on sex, age, diagnosis, types of procedures, hospital stay, mortality, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) preoperative screening tests were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 103 colorectal surgical procedures were planned, and 99 were performed. Four surgeries were postponed due to positive preoperative screening for SARS-CoV-2. Surgical procedures were performed for colorectal cancer (n=90) and inflammatory bowel disease (n=9). Laparoscopy was the approach of choice for 43 patients (43.4%), 53 (53.5%) procedures were open, and 3 (3%) procedures were robotic. Five patients developed COVID-19 in the postoperative period, and three of them died in the intensive care unit (n=3/5, 60% mortality). Two other patients died due to surgical complications unrelated to COVID-19 (n=2/94, 2.1% mortality) (po0.01). Hospital stay was longer in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection than in those without (38.4 versus 10.3 days, respectively, po0.01). Of the 99 patients who received surgical care during the pandemic, 94 were safely discharged (95%). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that elective colorectal surgical procedures may be safely performed during the pandemic; however, preoperative testing should be performed to reduce in-hospital infection rates, since the mortality rate due to SARS-CoV-2 in this setting is particularly high.

Evaluation of clinic complete response according to current adopted criteria has low sensitivity because pathologic complete response more frequently presented as clinic incomplete response (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/DCR/A221).

BACKGROUND: Introduction of stapled hemorrhoidopexy by Longo in 1998 represented a radical change in the treatment of hemorrhoids. By avoiding multiple excisions and suture lines in the perianal region, stapled hemorrhoidopexy is intended to offer less postoperative pain than with conventional techniques. OBJECTIVE: To report and analyze the intra and postoperative results gained during initial experience with stapled hemorrhoidopexy. METHODS: One hundred and fifty five patients (67 males) with average age of 39.5 years (21-67 years) underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy between June 2000 and December 2003 with symptomatic third-degree (n = 74) and fourth-degree (n = 81) hemorrhoids. Mean follow-up period was 20 months (14-60 months). RESULTS: Preoperative symptoms were prolapse (96.7%) and anal bleeding (96.1%). Overall mean operative time was 23 minutes (16-48 minutes). We observed one case of stapler failure and one case of failure to introduce the stapler occurred in a patient with previous anal surgery. Additional sutures for hemostasis were required in 103 patients (66.5%). Resection of skin tags was performed in 45 cases (29%). Postoperatively scheduled analgesia with oral dipyrone and celecoxib was enough for pain control in 131 patients (84.5%). Rescue analgesia was necessary in 24 cases (15.5%). Five patients needed opiates for pain control. Hospital discharge took place on the first postoperative day in 140 patients (90.3%). First defecation without pain was reported by 118 patients (76.1%). Postoperative complications were anal bleeding (10.3%), severe pain (3.2%), urinary retention (3.9%), fever without any signs of perianal infection (1.9%), incontinence for flatus (1.9%), hemorrhoidal thrombosis (1.3%). Two patients presented symptoms of recurrent hemorrhoidal disease and were successfully treated by conventional hemorrhoidectomy. They were no cases of anal stenosis, permanent incontinence, chronic pain or deaths in this series. CONCLUSIONS: Hemorrhoidopexy can be considered a feasible and safe alternative technique to conventional hemorroidectomy for select patients.

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Complete pathologic response is associated with <12 L N harvested. Thus, the number of lymph nodes should not be used as a surrogate for oncologic adequacy of resection in patients with pathologic complete response.

The "best" surgical technique for the management of complete rectal prolapse remains unknown. Due to its low incidence, it is very difficult to achieve a representative number of cases, and there are no large prospective randomized trials to attest to the superiority of one operation over another.PURPOSE: Analyze the results of surgical treatment of complete rectal prolapse during 1980 and 2002. METHOD: Retrospective study. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients underwent surgical treatment during this period. The mean age was 56.7 years, with 39 females. Besides the prolapse itself, 33 patients complained of mucous discharge, 31 of fecal incontinence, 14 of constipation, 17 of rectal bleeding, and 3 of urinary incontinence. Abdominal operations were performed in 36 (71%) cases. Presacral rectopexy was the most common abdominal procedure (29 cases) followed by presacral rectopexy associated with sigmoidectomy (5 cases). The most common perineal procedure was perineal rectosigmoidectomy associated with levatorplasty (12 cases). Intraoperative bleeding from the presacral space developed in 2 cases, and a rectovaginal fistula occurred in another patient after a perineal rectosigmoidectomy. There were 2 recurrences after a mean follow-up of 49 months, which were treated by reoperation.CONCLUSION: Abdominal and perineal procedures can be used to manage complete rectal prolapse with safety and good long-term results. Age, associated medical conditions, and symptoms of fecal incontinence or constipation are the main features that one should bear in mind in order to choose the best surgical approach.