A case of locally advanced adenosquamous carcinoma of the cecum with long-term survival

A 63-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a right lower abdominal mass and general fatigue. Preoperative examination suggested a large ovarian tumor or cecal carcinoma. However, her intraoperative diagnosis was colon cancer; we therefore performed an ileocecal resection with oophorectomy. The tumor was pathologically diagnosed as adenosquamous carcinoma T4bN1M-stage IIIa. We administrated CapeOX adjuvant chemotherapy for 6 months. Adenosquamous carcinoma is extremely rare, at around 0.1% of all colorectal cancers, and usually has a poor prognosis. The patient is still alive without recurrence after 84 post-operative months, even with later developments of metachronous early colorectal cancer and breast cancer. We herein report a rare case of cecal ASC with good prognosis

Robotic‐assisted colectomy for right‐sided colon cancer: Short‐term surgical outcomes of a multi‐institutional prospective cohort study in Japan

Abstract Background In Japan, there are no substantial reports on robotic‐assisted colectomy because few institutions performed the procedure, as it was not covered by national insurance until March 2022. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of robotic‐assisted colectomy for patients with curatively resectable colon cancer in Japan. Methods This multi‐institutional, prospective, single‐arm, observational study enrolled patients diagnosed with curatively resectable clinical stage I–IIIC colon adenocarcinoma with D2 or D3 lymph node dissection and treated with robotic‐assisted colectomy. The primary endpoint was the conversion rate to laparotomy. The non‐inferiority of outcomes for robotic‐assisted colectomy versus laparoscopic colectomy, which was determined from historical data, was verified. Results One hundred patients were registered between July 2019 and March 2022 and underwent robotic‐assisted colectomy performed by seven expert surgeons at six institutions. Thirteen patients were excluded because their surgeons had insufficient experience performing robotic‐assisted colectomy; therefore, 87 patients were eligible for the primary endpoint analysis. There was no conversion in these 87 patients, and robotic‐assisted colectomy was non‐inferior to laparoscopic colectomy in terms of conversion rate (90% confidence interval 0–3.38, p = 0.0006). No intraoperative adverse events occurred, and no mortality was observed in a total of 100 patients. The rate of patients with Clavien–Dindo complications grade III or higher was 4%. Conclusion This study showed the non‐inferiority of the conversion rates between robotic‐assisted colectomy and laparoscopic colectomy. Favorable perioperative outcomes also suggest the safety and feasibility of robotic‐assisted colectomy

Surgical management of colorectal cancer for the aging population—A survey by the Japanese Society for Cancer of Colon and Rectum

Objective: The treatment policy of colorectal cancer in elderly patients is controversial due to a lack of specific guidelines. To clarify the present management of colorectal cancer for aged patients, a questionnaire survey was conducted by the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum. Methods: Questionnaire forms were sent to the 430 member institutions of the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum. Results: The response rate of the surgical department to the questionnaire was 39%. Performance status was used for preoperative assessments, and electrocardiogram and ultrasonic cardiograms were conducted for cardiovascular evaluations in many institutions. The same extent of surgical procedures was often adopted for elderly and younger patients, and the frequency of a laparoscopic procedure was the same regardless of a patient's age. A simultaneous hepatectomy for hepatic metastasis was considered in one-third of institutions. In many institutions, intersphincteric resection for patients with possible sphincter-saving surgery was not considered for elderly patients with low rectal cancer. Conclusion: Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum member institutions often used the same surgical treatment strategies for both elderly and younger patients with the exception of performing intersphincteric resection

Usefulness of vacuum-assisted closure after stoma closure with purse string suturing: a retrospective trial

OBJECTIVES: Surgical site infection (SSI) is a problematic complication after stoma closure. The purse string suture (PSS) technique eliminates this problem, but the area takes longer to heal. The present retrospective study was performed to evaluate the usefulness of a vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) system for the promotion of wound healing after stoma closure. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing stoma closure with the PSS technique were divided into two groups: those treated with and without use of the VAC system. The volume of dead space and the size of the wound were measured after stoma closure in both groups. The same measurements were performed on days 3 and 7 after closure. The time needed for wound closure was also examined in both groups. Outcomes were also evaluated according to age, body mass index, operative time, bleeding volume, wound consistency, patient satisfaction, perioperative inflammatory response, occurrence of SSI, and hospitalization days. RESULTS: The VAC group comprised 31 patients, and the non-VAC group comprised 34 patients. The volume of dead space on days 3 and 7 after closure was significantly smaller in the VAC group than in the non-VAC group (P=0.006 and P<0.001, respectively). The number of SSIs was significantly lower in the VAC group than in the non-VAC group (P=0.014). CONCLUSION: The dead space volume on days 3 and 7 after stoma closure with PSS significantly decreased by using the VAC system. The incidence of SSI after stoma closure also significantly decreased by using the VAC system

Successful repair of a rectovaginal fistula caused by a tension-free vaginal mesh (TVM): a case report

Rectovaginal fistula caused by a tension-free vaginal mesh (TVM) is a rare condition. Moreover, a rectovaginal fistula is a challenging issue to address for surgeons regardless of causes. Due to a low rate of occurrence, treatment modality for a rectovaginal fistula caused by a TVM has previously received little attention. A successful surgery using several key techniques to address a rectovaginal fistula caused by a TVM is herein reported. A 78-year-old woman who underwent a TVM for a rectocele three months ago was referred to our hospital with a two-month history of anal bleeding. Mesh protruding into both the vagina and the rectum was confirmed. The patient was operated on under diagnosis of a rectovaginal fistula caused by TVM. TVM was removed by transvaginal dissection of the rectovaginal septum with division of both anterior and posterior arms of the TVM. Layer-to-layer sutures of rectal and vaginal walls were crossly performed with a drain placed in the rectovaginal septum after saline irrigation followed by a covering sigmoid colostomy. The wound healed without infection after surgery, and a water-soluble contrast enema demonstrated the healing of the rectovaginal fistula two months after surgery. No recurrent fistula was confirmed 15 months after stoma closure

Repeat hepatectomy with systemic chemotherapy might improve survival of recurrent liver metastasis from colorectal cancer—a retrospective observational study

Abstract Background Although hepatectomy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) prolongs survival in up to 40% of people, recurrence rates approach 70%. We used a multidisciplinary approach to treat recurrent liver metastases, including chemotherapy, surgery, and palliative care. On the other hand, development of chemotherapeutic agents is remarkable and improves long-term survival. However, whether chemotherapy and repeat hepatectomy combination therapy improve survival or not is still unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of repeat hepatectomy with systemic chemotherapy for mCRC. Methods Following Institutional Review Board approval, we reviewed the records of all patients who underwent hepatectomy for mCRC between 1974 and 2015 at Fujita Health University Hospital. We used the Kaplan–Meier method to estimate overall survival from the first and last hepatectomy in multi hepatectomy cases after 2005 and compared outcomes between groups using the log-rank test. Results A total of 426 liver resections were performed for mCRC; of these, 236 cases were performed after 2005 (late group). In 118 (50%) cases, the site of recurrence was the liver, 59 (50%) underwent repeat hepatectomy, and 14 cases had ≥ 2 repeat hepatectomies. Overall survival (OS) before and after 2005 was 42.2 and 64.1 months, respectively, with the late group having better OS compared to the early (1974–2004) group. OS for single hepatectomy cases was 83.2 months, for two hepatectomies was 42.9 months, and for three hepatectomies was 35.3 months. In total, 59 patients did not undergo surgery after recurrence with an OS of 28.7 months. Mortality of the second and third repeat hepatectomy was 1.7% and 15.3%, respectively. Conclusion Repeat hepatectomy with systemic chemotherapy for mCRC is feasible and might achieve improved survival in carefully selected patients