Long-Term Oncological Outcomes After Colorectal Anastomotic Leakage: A Retrospective Dutch Population-based Study

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate the impact of anastomotic leak (AL) after colon cancer (CC) and rectal cancer (RC) surgery on 5-year relative survival, disease-free survival (DFS), and disease recurrence. BACKGROUND: AL after CC and RC resection is a severe postoperative complication with conflicting evidence whether it deteriorates long-term outcomes. METHODS: Patients with stage I to IV CC and RC who underwent resection with primary anastomosis were included from the Netherlands Cancer Registry (2008-2018). Relative survival, measured from day of resection, and multivariable relative excess risks (RERs) were analyzed. DFS and recurrence were evaluated in a subset with stage I to III patients operated in 2015. All analyses were performed with patients who survived 90 days postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 65,299 CC and 22,855 RC patients were included. Five-year relative survival after CC resection with and without AL was 95% versus 100%, 89% versus 94%, 66% versus 76%, and 28% versus 25% for stage I to IV disease. AL was associated with a significantly higher RER for death in stage II and III CC patients. Stage-specific 5-year relative survival in RC patients with and without AL was 97% versus 101%, 90% versus 95%, 74% versus 83%, and 32% versus 41%. AL was associated with a significantly higher RER for death in stage III and IV RC patients. DFS was significantly lower in CC patients with AL, but disease recurrence was not associated with AL after colorectal cancer resection. CONCLUSION: AL has a stage-dependent negative impact on survival in both CC and RC, but no independent association with disease recurrence

Variation in the management of adhesive small bowel obstruction in the Netherlands:a prospective cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: ASBO is a frequent abdominal surgical emergency and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in emergency surgery. The aim of this study is to provide insight into the current management of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) and associated outcomes. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A nationwide prospective cross-sectional cohort study was conducted. All patients with clinical signs of ASBO admitted to participating Dutch hospitals were included during a 6 months inclusion period between April 2019 and December 2020. Ninety-day clinical outcomes were described and compared for nonoperative management (NOM) and laparoscopic and open surgery. RESULTS: In 34 participating hospitals, 510 patients were included, of whom 382 (74.9%) had a definitive diagnosis of ASBO. Initial management consisted of emergency surgery in 71 (18.6%) patients and NOM in 311 (81.4%) patients, 119 (31.1%) of whom required delayed surgery after failure of NOM. Surgical interventions started laparoscopically in 51.1%, of which 36.1% were converted to laparotomy. Intentional laparoscopy resulted in shorter hospital stays compared with open surgery (median 8.0 vs. 11.0 days; P &lt;0.001) and comparable hospital mortality (5.2 vs. 4.3%; P =1.000). Oral water-soluble contrast use was associated with a decreased length of stay ( P =0.0001). Hospital stay for surgical patients was shorter in patients who were operated on within 72 h of admission ( P &lt;0.001). CONCLUSION: This nationwide cross-sectional study demonstrates shorter hospital stay in ASBO patients who received water-soluble contrast, were operated within 72 h of admission or were operated with minimally invasive techniques. Results may support the standardization of ASBO treatment.</p