Thirty-nine gastrointestinal complications occurred in 35 of 4473 patients (0.78 per cent) who underwent surgery involving cardiopulmonary bypass during an 8-year period. The mortality rate when one of these complications occurred was 22 (63 per cent) representing 11.5 per cent of the 191 deaths from all causes in the series. The relative risk of developing a gastrointestinal complication was 1:249 when the heart was not opened, 1:66 when it was and 1:5 after cardiac transplantation. Gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 20) was the most common complication of whom nine (45 per cent) died, followed by intestinal infarction (n = 12) with eight (67 per cent) deaths and acute pancreatitis (n = 6) all of whom died. There was one death after surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 7). No patient survived bowel infarction without operation but resection was possible in five of the eight who underwent surgery, four of whom survived. The results demonstrate that surgical intervention is not associated with undue mortality but inappropriate conservative therapy is poorly tolerated in this high-risk group.

Local excision of early rectal tumours is an attractive proposition, avoiding the morbidity and mortality of major resection and possible permanent stoma. This study was designed to investigate the incidence of lymph node metastases associated with tumours that are locally confined to the bowel wall. A total of 454 rectal excision specimens were reviewed. Twenty-two (20 per cent) of 109 patients with tumours locally confined to the bowel wall had metastases in local lymph nodes, although 14 of these had only one or two involved nodes. Three of 27 patients with tumours that did not penetrate through the submucosa had lymph node metastases. Less well differentiated tumours were more likely to have metastasized but there was no significant difference in the height or size of tumours or in the depth of invasion between patients with or without lymph node metastases.

No abstract

Although the introduction of autonomic nerve sparing techniques and total mesorectal excision (TME) may have lowered the incidence of genito-urinary dysfunction after rectal surgery, there remains a degree of morbidity compared to procedures where the rectum is not mobilized.

No abstract

An infected graft in the ascending aorta was managed by use of an omental pedicel graft and local irrigation with a dilute suspension of aqueous povidone iodine. This conservative approach is an alternative to the high risk procedure of graft replacement. The large abscess cavity associated with the aortic prosthesis was diagnosed by computed tomography.

Many colorectal carcinomas can be diagnosed by rigid sigmoidoscopy. One important limiting factor in the usefulness of this investigation is the presence of faeces; another is inability to negotiate the recto-sigmoid bend. 101 patients (47 men) were sent a Microlax enema with instruction to use it before their first attendance in the outpatient department. The grade of preparation [on a scale of 0 (empty rectum) to 3, with grades 0 and 1 providing an adequate view], height achieved with the sigmoidoscope and whether or not the extent of the examination was limited by faeces were recorded. These data were compared with results in 78 patients (38 men) who did not receive any special preparation. There were no serious difficulties with self-administration. An adequate view was obtained in 89 (88%) of those who had received an enema and in 41 (53%) of those who were unprepared (P < 0.001, chi 2 test). The height achieved and the percentage of patients in whom the sigmoidoscopy was not limited by faeces were also significantly increased. The mailing of micro-enemas to patients who are likely to need sigmoidoscopy is a cheap measure that increases diagnostic yield and saves reattendances.

Objective To establish the incidence of impotence and urinary dysfunction after different forms of pelvic and colorectal surgery.Patients and methods Over a period of one year, 78 consecutive patients, mean age 66.8 years (range 43± 91 years), underwent surgery for colorectal cancer. Genito-urinary function was studied by clinical assessment and a postoperative questionnaire.Results Pre-operatively all males except one claimed to be potent. Of the 56 patients who had operations on the sigmoid colon and rectum, 12 (21.4%) developed urinary dysfunction; 6 (5 males, 1 female) had increased frequency while 6 (4 females, 2 males) had stress incontinence. Four (12.9%) of the 31 male patients became impotent. Of the control 22 patients who had had operations on the ascending colon, one female developed stress incontinence and none of the male patients developed impotence.Conclusion Although the introduction of autonomic nerve sparing techniques and total mesorectal excision (TME) may have lowered the incidence of genito-urinary dysfunction after rectal surgery, there remains a degree of morbidity compared to procedures where the rectum is not mobilized.