Strategies in Perforated Diverticulitis

Although diverticulitis is a common disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract, few is known about the optimal surgical treatment of its most severe form: perforated diverticulitis. Regardless of the selected operation, perforated diverticulitis is associated with mortality rates up to 30%. Mortality is related to age and comorbidity of the patient, severity of disease and the availability of a specialist colorectal surgeon. Today, the most frequently performed operation remains Hartmann’s procedure, which leaves the patient with an end colostomy. Specialist colorectal surgeons are more likely to perform resection with primary anastomosis, with comparable outcome as Hartmann’s procedure. Recently a new surgical treatment strategy has been introduced in which resection of the affected bowel segment is prevented: laparoscopic lavage and drainage of the abdomen. A national wide randomized controlled study has started in 2010 to compare the three different treatment strategies in perforated diverticulitis with generalized peritonitis. Besides a high mortality rate on short-term, patients after perforated diverticulitis have a poor long-term survival compared to the general Dutch population. This is mainly caused by the general condition of this category of patients. They also have an impaired quality of life compared to the general population, mainly caused by the attendance of their end colostomy. When this stoma is prevented (primary anastomosis) or reversed, quality of life returned to normal. Reversal of Hartmann’s procedure is a technical difficult operation, associated with complications and even mortality. A new minimal invasive surgical technique has been developed, that showed favorable results compared to the standard

Treatment Options for Perforated Colonic Diverticular Disease

Diverticular disease is one of the most common diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract requiring in-hospital treatment in Western countries. Despite its high incidence, controversies remain about the optimal treatment of the different stages of this disease. Most people with diverticular disease remain asymptomatic; however, approximately 15% develop symptoms, and of these, 15% will develop significant complications such as perforation [1]. Although the absolute prevalence of perforated diverticulitis (PD) complicated by generalized peritonitis is low, its importance lies in the significant postoperative mortality rate, ranging from 4–26% [2–4]. Owing to the low prevalence of generalized peritonitis due to PD (GPPD), strategies for the treatment of this stage of diverticulitis are even less thoroughly investigated. There are two major reasons for this...

Treatment of perforated diverticulitis with generalized peritonitis: Past, present, and future

Background: The supposed optimal treatment of perforated diverticulitis with generalized peritonitis has changed several times during the last century, but at present is still unclear. Methods/results: The first cases of complicated perforated diverticulitis of the colon were reported in the beginning of the twentieth century. At that time the first therapeutic guidelines were postulated in which an initial nonresectional procedure was provided to be the safest plan of management. After many years in which resection had become standard practice, today, one century later, again (laparoscopic) nonresectional surgery is presented as a safe and promising alternative in treatment of complicated perforated diverticulitis. The question rises what had happened to close the circle? Conclusions: This paper includes a historic summary of changing patterns in surgical strategies in perforated diverticulitis complicated by generalized peritonitis

Reversal of Hartmann's procedure after perforated diverticulitis through the stomal side without additional incisions: The SIR procedure

Aims: Reversal of Hartmann's procedure (HP) is a complex operation and only performed in 50-60% of the patients. Stomal incision reversal (SIR), a new minimally invasive procedure for HP reversal, was assessed and compared to the standard surgical approach. Methods: 16 patients who had undergone HP for perforated diverticulitis underwent HP reversal by SIR. The only incision in SIR is the one to release the end colostomy. Intra-abdominal adhesiolysis is done manually. A stapled end-to-end colorectal anastomosis is created. The 16 patients who underwent SIR were compared with 32 control patients who were matched according to gender, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification and Hinchey stage. Results: The operation time was shorter after SIR than after reversal by laparotomy [75 min (58-208) vs. 141 min (85-276); p < 0.001]. Patients after SIR had a shorter hospital stay than patients after laparotomy [4 days (2-22) vs. 9 days (4-64); p < 0.001]. The numbers of total postoperative surgical complications (early and late) were not different (p = 0.13). The anastomotic leakage rate was similar in both groups (6%). The conversion rate in the SIR group was 19% (n = 3). Conclusion: SIR compared favorably with HP reversal by laparotomy in terms of operation time and hospital stay, without increasing the number of postoperative complications. Copyrigh

"The Practical Perforator Flap": the sural artery flap for lower extremity soft tissue reconstruction in wounds of war

Background: Sural artery perforator flaps have been described for use as both local flaps and in free tissue transfer. We present the use of this flap for compound soft tissue defects of the lower limb in civilian casualties of armed conflict in Afghanistan. Methods/results: Detailed description of the management of blast and high-velocity projectile wounds of the lower extremity with the use of local sural perforator flaps and a review of literature. Conclusions: Sural artery perforator flaps may be harvested to cover complex lower limb defects. The use of this technique is not limited

Treatment of rectal war wounds

Treatment strategies for penetrating rectal injuries (PRI) in civilian settings are still not uniformly agreed, in part since high-energy transfer PRI, such as is frequently seen in military settings, are not taken into account. Here, we describe three cases of PRI, treated in a deployed combat environment, and outline the management strategies successfully employed. We also discuss the literature regarding PRI management. Whe

Avoiding or reversing Hartmann's procedure provides improved quality of life after perforated diverticulitis

INTRODUCTION: The existing literature regarding acute perforated diverticulitis only reports about short-term outcome; long-term following outcomes have not been assessed before. The aim of this study was to assess long-term quality of life (QOL) after emergency surgery for perforated diverticulitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Validated QOL questionnaires (EQ-VAS, EQ-5D index, QLQ-C30, and QLQ-CR38) were sent to all eligible patients who had undergone emergency surgery for perforated diverticulitis in five teaching hospitals between 1990 and 2005. Differences were compared between patients that had undergone Hartmann's procedure (HP) or resection with primary anastomosis (PA) and also compared to a sex- and age-matched sample of healthy subjects. RESULTS: Of a total of 340 patients, only 150 patients (44%) were found still alive in July 2007 (median follow-up 71 months). The response rate was 87%. In patients with PA, QOL was similar to the general population, whereas QOL after HP was significantly lower. The presence of a stoma was found to be an independent factor related to worse QOL. The deterioration in QOL was mainly due to problems in physical function and body image. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors after perforated diverticulitis had a worse QOL than the general population, which was mainly due to the presence of an end colostomy. QOL may improve if these stomas are reversed or not be performed in the first place

Preoperative staging of perforated diverticulitis by computed tomography scanning

Background: Treatment of perforated diverticulitis depends on disease severity classified according to Hinchey's preoperative classification. This study assessed the accuracy of preoperative staging of perforated diverticulitis by computerized tomography (CT) scanning. Methods: All patients who presented with perforated diverticulitis between 1999 and 2009 in two teaching hospitals of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and in addition had a preoperative CT scan with

Treatment of penetrating trauma of the extremities: ten years’ experience at a dutch level 1 trauma center

textabstractBackground: A selective non-operative management (SNOM) has found to be an adequate and safe strategy to assess and treat patients suffering from penetrating trauma of the extremities (PTE). With this SNOM comes a strategy in which adjuvant investigations or interventions are not routinely performed, but based on physical examination only.Methods: All subsequent patients presented with PTE at a Dutch level I trauma center from October 2000 to June 2011 were included in this study. In-hospital and long-term outcome was analysed in the light of assessment of these patients according to the SNOM protocol.Results: A total of 668 patients (88.2% male; 33.8% gunshot wounds) with PTE presented at the Emergency Department of a level 1 traumacenter, of whom 156 were admitted for surgical treatment or observation. Overall, 22 (14%) patients that were admitted underwent exploration of the extremity for vascular injury. After conservative observation, two (1.5%) patients needed an intervention to treat (late onset) vascular complications. Other long-term extremity related complications were loss of function or other deformity (n = 9) due to missed nerve injury, including 2 patients with peroneal nerve injury caused by delayed compartment syndrome treatment.Conclusion: A SNOM protocol for initial assessment and treatment of PTE is feasible and safe. Clinical examination of the injured extremity is a reliable diagnostic 'tool' for excluding vascular injury. Repeated assessments for nerve injuries are important as these are the ones that are frequently missed and result in long-term disability. Level of evidence: II / III, retrospective prognostic observational cohort study Key words Penetrating trauma, extremity, vascular injury, complications

Management of penetrating injuries of the upper extremities

Background: Routine surgical exploration after penetrating upper extremity trauma (PUET) to exclude arterial injury leads to a large number of negative explorations and iatrogenic injuries. Selective non-operative mana