Problems in Colorectal Stapler Use

Introduction Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a broad term that describes the presence of gas in the bowel walls. The colon is affected in 36% of cases. Eosinophilic colitis (EC) is a rare form of colitis that is characterized mainly by eosinophilia in blood and affected tissues. Although eosinophilic colitis responds well to conservative treatment, yet the association of PI could be an indication of emergent surgery. Case Presentation A 48-year-old female patient with a history of recurrent attacks of abdominal pain and distention that did not respond to conservative treatment, was hospitalized and investigated thoroughly. The result of abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan indicated the presence of pneumatosis coli. Based on the findings of the CT scan, colonoscopy was done revealing hyperemic and hypertrophied mucosa at the hepatic flexure, from which multiple punch biopsies were taken for histopathological assessment. The pathological examination of these biopsies detected a diffuse active colitis of moderate severity with excess eosinophils (10 - 15/HPF), which is consistent with the diagnosis of EC. The patient improved dramatically on fluid therapy and antibiotics with complete resolution of pneumatosis coli in the follow up CT scan. However, the patient developed a severe relapse of symptoms once oral intake was resumed and this time the conservative treatment failed to improve the condition. Surgery was indicated and laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with primary anastomosis and covering ileostomy was done. The patient was free of symptoms after the operation and her postoperative course was uneventful with no complications encountered. Conclusions Eosinophilic colitis usually has a good prognosis, however its association with pneumatosis coli could reflect a serious damage to the colonic mucosa. Although eosinophilic colitis responds well to medical treatment, yet in certain cases where clinical signs are evident and pneumatosis coli is present, surgical intervention is the treatment of choice

Hemosuccus Pancreaticus as a Rare Cause of Gastrointestinal Bleeding: a Report of Two Cases

Pancreatic diseases are known to be associated with complications such as pseudocyst and abscess. A pseudoaneurysm associated with pancreatitis may develop as well. The pseudoaneurysm may rupture into various parts of the gastrointestinal tract; the peritoneal cavity, or the retroperitoneum. We report two cases of Hemosuccus pancreaticus admitted to our center in the past five years. One case was associated with acute pancreatitis, and another case was associated with chronic pancreatitis. A pseudocyst was found in two cases. Both were successfully managed by emergency surgery. So, Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding with difficult diagnosis, and surgery is the effective treatment for the patient with severe bleeding. However in cases with no life-threatening bleeding angiography and embolization can be performed

Delayed Presentation of Traumatic Diaphragmatic Hernia: The Evaluation of Surgical Treatment Results

Introduction: Diaphragmatic hernia could be caused by congenital disorders, blunt trauma or penetrating injuries. The diagnosis of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia is normally neglected during the first presentation leading to late complications and considerably increased mortality and morbidity among the patients. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective, descriptive study, we reviewed the medical records of patients presented with traumatic diaphragmatic hernia who had undergone surgical operations between 1982-2015 in Ghaem Hospital and Omid Hospital affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The studied variables included age, gender, clinical symptoms, location of hernia, involved organs, type of imaging modalities, surgical techniques, length of hospital stay, mortality rate and surgical complications. Results: In this study, 38 patients were diagnosed with traumatic diaphragmatic hernia consisting of 28 men and 10 women. In total, 79% and 21% of the patients suffered from penetrating trauma and blunt trauma, respectively. In addition, left-sided, right-sided and bilateral hernias were present in 33%, 4% and 1% of the patients, respectively. The most frequently herniated organ was the stomach, and the most common clinical symptoms were abdominal pain (84%) and dyspnea (53%). Initially, chest radiographs were performed on all the patients, and thoracotomy was performed to repair diaphragmatic tears in all the cases (100%). In this study, 3 patients had previously undergone Hartmann’s operation for gangrenous herniated colon, and devolvulation of gastric volvulus had also been performed on 3 patients. The main post-operative complications were reported to be pneumonia and respiratory insufficiency (2 cases), and the mean length of hospital stay was 6 days (5-8 days) which was longer (1-2 months) in patients with gangrenous bowel (3 patients). Furthermore, no mortality was reported during the course of hospitalization in these patients. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, patients presented with blunt or penetrating traumas to the upper abdomen or lower chest require urgent attention as to immediately rule out diaphragmatic hernia in order to prevent later complications and mortality and morbidity among these patients

Uterocutaneous Fistula Following Cesarean Section: Successful Management of a Case

A uterocutaneous fistula is a rare clinical presentation that occurs following Cesarean section and other pelvic operations. There are only a few reports discussing the treatments. We describe a patient with successful surgical management and review the literature. A 25-year-old woman referred to our department 13 months after her first Cesarean section. She had a history of an abdominal mass and collection 2 months after surgery and some fistula opening with discharge from her previous incision. She had a previous surgical operation and antibiotic therapy without complete response. We performed fistulography to evaluate the tracts. In the operation — she had fistula tracts, one of which was between the uterus and skin. We debrided the necrotic tissue in the uterus, excised the fistula tracts, and drained the uterine cavity. At 8 months’ postoperative follow-up, she had no recurrence. A uterocutaneous fistula is a rare condition with many causes and needs proper investigation and timely medical and surgical management

Perianal Paget’s Disease in a Forty-Five-Year-Old Man and Review of the Literature

Introduction Extramammary Paget’s disease is a rare neoplasm of the skin that might develop in perianal region. Although different management options are available, wide local excision is still the method of choice. Case Presentation A 45-year-old man presented with perianal itchy lesions for one year with no response to local treatments. Perianal Paget’s disease was diagnosed by performing a surgical biopsy. Wide excision and flap reconstruction was done, while loop sigmoid colostomy was performed for fecal diversion. Re-excision of the involved margins was performed during the second operation. Conclusions A good outcome and no recurrence or complications was noticed in a follow-up period of 24 months. It is important to consider this uncommon disease as a probable diagnosis when evaluating a perianal lesion

Temporary Abdominal Closure in the Critically Ill Patients with an Open Abdomen

The emergent abdominal surgeries from either of traumatic or non traumatic causes can result in situations in which the abdominal wall cannot initially be closed. Many techniques have been reported for temporary coverage of the exposed viscera, but the result of various techniques remains unclear. During 94 months, 19 critically ill patients whit an open abdomen underwent surgery using plastic bags (Bogotá bag). The study population comprised of 11 (57.9%) male and 8 (42.1%) female with an average age of 32.26+14.8 years. The main indications for temporary abdominal coverage were as follows: planned reoperation in 11 (57.9%) patients, subjective judgment that the fascia closure is too tight in 6 (31.6%) patient's damage control surgery in one patient (5.3%) and development of abdominal compartment surgery in one patient (5.3%). Surgical conditions requiring temporary abdominal closure was severe post operative peritonitis in 9 (47.4%) patients, post operative intestinal fistula in 4 (21.1%) patients, post traumatic intra abdominal bleeding in 3 (15.8%) patients and intestinal obstructions in 3 (15.8%) patients. Length of hospitalization was 45+23.25 days and the mean total number of laparotomies was 6.2+3.75 times per patient. Three bowel fistulas occurred due to a missed injury at the time of initial operation that was discovered during changing the plastic sheet. They were unrelated to coverage technique. All of them were treated by repair of the defect and serosal patch by adjacent bowel loop. Only one (10.0%) patient underwent definitive closure within 6 months of initial operation. The remaining survivor has declined to have hernia repaired. There were 4 (%21.1) early postoperative deaths that were not related to the abdominal coverage technique. Also, there were 5 (26.3%) late deaths that were due to dissemination of malignancy with a mean survival time of 20.8+13 (range 2-54) months. Currently 10 patients (52.6%) are alive at a follow up of 45 (range 1-94) months. Only one (10.0%) patient underwent definitive closure within 6 months of initial operation. The remaining survivor has declined to have hernia repaired. Bogotá bag technique is a rapid, simple and inexpensive technique for temporary abdominal coverage

Arteriovenous malformations of the colon: A report of two cases and review of the literature

Background: Arteriovenous malformations are one of the most common vascular disorders of the colon. Vascular disorders present as painless, high-volume rectal bleeding. Case Presentation: This study elucidates two rare cases of vascular disorders that are diagnosed as angiodysplasia of the left colon and cavernous hemangioma of the colon and rectum.  The chief complaint in two patients was rectorrhagia. The patients who were diagnosed of ulcerative colitis were treated with sulfadiazine and prednisone. Due to continuous bleeding, the patients were referred to the surgery department for operation. The patients underwent total proctocolectomy. Conclusion: We discuss the faults in the diagnosis and management of vascular disorders of the intestine

Case Report: Iatrogenic Seeding of Tumor Cells in Thigh Soft Tissue Upon Surgical Removal of Intracranial Meningioma

Introduction: Meningioma is a benign and slowly-growing tumor that is responsible for 20% of brain neoplasms. It can be accompanied by some genetic disorders such as neurofibromatosis type 2 and is more common among women. As a space occupying lesion, it produces a wide range of signs and symptoms by compressing the adjacent and underlying tissues in the brain. Trauma and viruses are possible etiologies for meningioma. The ideal treatment of benign meningioma is surgical resection. Case Presentation: In this case report, we present a middle-aged man with a seeding metastasis of the cranial meningioma (after its removal) in the left thigh. During the removal operation, fascia lata had been used to repair the dura mater and the skin defect was repaired primarily. Conclusion: We believe that the occurrence of meningioma at the site of incision in the thigh is related to using the same surgical instruments for the removal of the brain tumor

A Novel Approach to Minimally Invasive Management of Sigmoid Volvulus

Resection is the most common treatment choice for sigmoid volvulus, a common complication in our region. A new minimally invasive technique for sigmoid resection with local anesthesia was done in this study. This method is invented to avoid general on regional anesthesia in high-risk patients. Nineteen patients were evaluated and then 14 were enrolled in this study. Sigmoidectomy with a left lower quadrant incision was performed and demographic data, the length of hospital stay, complications and procedure time were recorded. The mean age of participants was 65.68, and the male to female ratio was 1:2.7. The mean duration of the operation was 91.42 min. Complications include one case each of wound hematoma and wound infection. The intraoperative pain score was 1.2/10 and postoperative pain score was 2.35/10. The mean hospital staying was 8.3 days. By meticulous patient selection, sigmoidectomy under local anesthesia for sigmoid volvulus could be a surgeons’ armamentarium in special situations

Comparison of Oncologic Short Term Results of Laparoscopic Versus Open Surgery of Rectal Cancer

Background Today, with improvements in laparoscopy technique, surgery of rectal cancer is performed by laparoscopy. Objectives This study was performed to evaluate oncologic results of open versus laparoscopic surgery of rectal cancer in terms of resection margins, removal of lymph nodes and recurrence rate. Patients and Methods This descriptive-analytic study was performed on 88 patients with middle and lower rectal cancer in the two equivalent groups of laparoscopic and open surgery in Mashhad Ghaem and Omid hospitals during 2011 - 2013. Information including age, sex, number of removed and involved lymph nodes, proximal, distal, and radial margins, tumor stage and location, recurrence and disease-free survival collected in the questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and frequency distribution tables and t-test. Results Both groups of open and laparoscopic surgery had similar characteristics of age, sex, recurrence and disease-free survival, tumor margins and one-year mortality. The number of removed and involved lymph nodes was higher in the laparoscopic group (5.16 vs. 3.55, respectively, with P < 0.050, and 1.74 vs. 0.59 with P = 0.023), but the ratio of involved lymph nodes to the total number of removed lymph nodes was not different between the two groups (LNR) (P = 0.071). Tumor stage was higher in the laparoscopic group and most were in stages II and III (P < 0.001). Conclusions Laparoscopic surgery is an effective technique for safe margin and removing lymph nodes in rectal cancer