AD does not present a more aggressive clinical course in younger patients and it can be safely managed using the same strategy as in middle aged and older patients.

Aim The optimal surgical treatment of splenic flexure neoplasm is still not well defined. Extended right hemicolectomy (ERH) and left colic resection (LCR) have been proposed but conclusive evidence concerning postoperative morbidity and oncological results is lacking. The aim of this study was to analyse the short-term outcomes after surgery for splenic flexure cancer with regard to surgical procedure and surgeon's specialty.Methods This was a multicentre study on patients who underwent surgery for primary colon cancer of the splenic flexure.Results From 2004 to 2015, 324 patients fulfilled the criteria for inclusion into the study; 270 (83.4%) had elective surgery while 54 (16.6%) had emergency resection: 158 (48.8%) underwent ERH and 166 (51.2%) LCR; 176 (54.3%) procedures were performed by colorectal surgeons, 148 (46.7%) by general surgeons. In the ERH group a significantly higher rate of emergency operations was carried out (P = 0.005). After elective surgery, no significant differences between ERH and LCR concerning 30-day mortality (3.3% vs 2.0%) and the need for reoperation (10.6% vs 7.4%) were found.Nodal harvesting was significantly higher in the ERH and colorectal surgeon groups in any clinical scenario. At multivariate analysis, age and smoking habit were predictive of the need for reoperation and major morbidity while the general surgeon group showed a higher risk of anastomotic failure (OR = 1.92; P = 0.168).Conclusion We analysed the largest series in literature of curative resections for splenic flexure tumours. The optimal procedure still remains debatable as ERH and LCR appear to achieve comparable short-term outcomes. Surgeon's specialty seems to positively affect patient's outcomes.Keywords Colon cancer, splenic flexure, surgery, extended right hemicolectomy, left colon resection, surgeon's specialty What does this paper add to the literature? This is the largest series analysing the surgical treatment of splenic flexure cancer comparing the short-term outcomes of two different surgical techniques performed by two different types of surgeons: general surgeons and colorectal surgeons.

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Early surgery, advanced age, and sterility of tissue cultures have been demonstrated as mortality factors for acute pancreatitis. Intra-abdominal fluid may be infected in the presence of sterile necrosis.

Aim A prophylactic three‐dimensional (3D) funnel mesh using the keyhole technique (intraperitoneal onlay mesh position) in abdominoperineal excision (APR) may significantly decrease the parastomal hernia (PSH) index without increasing morbidity. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to analyse the incidence of PSH and postoperative complications in patients who underwent permanent colostomy with the use of a prophylactic 3D preformed mesh compared with patients without a mesh. Method Patients who underwent an end‐colostomy after APR for primary or recurrent rectal cancer in a colorectal surgery unit were divided into two groups: group 1 without a prophylactic mesh and group 2 with a prophylactic synthetic mesh. The main end‐point was to analyse the incidence of PSH after a median follow‐up of 2.8 years. Results One hundred and ten patients (64 in group 1 and 46 in group 2, without significant clinical differences) underwent a permanent colostomy after APR. In group 1 70.3% developed a PSH, compared with 13% in group 2 (P < 0.001). Age (especially for patients ≥ 75 years) represented a significant risk factor for PSH. There were no differences in postoperative complications between the groups. Conclusion A prophylactic parastomal 3D mesh using the keyhole technique may reduce the incidence of PSH after permanent colostomy without an increase in postoperative complications.

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