Triangle tilt and humeral surgery: Meta-analysis of efficacy and functional outcome

AIM: To systematically review and analyze the overall impact and effectiveness of bony surgical procedures, the triangle tilt and humeral surgery in a comparative manner in permanent obstetric brachial plexus injury (OBPI) patients.METHODS: We conducted a literature search and identified original full research articles of OBPI patients treated with a secondary bony surgery, particularly addressing the limitation of shoulder abduction and functions. Further, we analyzed and compared the efficacy and the surgical outcomes of 9 humeral surgery papers with 179 patients, and 4 of our secondary bony procedure, the triangle tilt surgical papers with 86 patients.RESULTS: Seven hundred and thirty-one articles were identified, using the search term “brachial plexus” and obstetric or pediatric (246 articles) or neonatal (219 articles) or congenital (188 articles) or “birth palsy” (121 articles). Further, only a few articles were identified using the bony surgery search, osteotomy “brachial plexus” obstetric (35), “humeral osteotomy” and “brachial plexus” (17), and triangle tilt “brachial plexus” (14). Of all, 12 studies reporting pre- and post- operative or improvement in total Mallet functional score were included in this study. Among these, 9 studies reported the humeral surgery and 4 were triangle tilt surgery. We used modified total Mallet functional score in this analysis. Various studies with humeral surgery showed improvement of 1.4, 2.3, 5.0 and 5.6 total Mallet score, whereas the triangle tilt surgery showed improvement of 5.0, 5.5, 6.0 and 6.2.CONCLUSION: The triangle tilt surgery improves on what was achieved by humeral osteotomy in the management of shoulder function in OBPI patients.     

Single-port laparoscopic colectomy is safe and feasible in patients with previous abdominal surgery

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of previous abdominal surgery (PAS) on single-port laparoscopic colectomy (SPLC).

Methods

We studied 429 consecutive patients who underwent SPLC in our department from May 2009 to December 2013. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those with PAS (PAS group) and those with NPAS (NPAS group). Operative parameters and outcomes were analyzed between the 2 groups retrospectively.

Results

SPLC was performed in 152 PAS patients and 277 NPAS patients. Eight patients in the PAS group and 6 patients in the NPAS group were converted to multiport laparoscopic colectomy (5.3% vs 2.2%, respectively; P = .077). Three patients in the PAS group and 2 patients in the NPAS group had inadvertent enterotomy (2.0% vs .7%, respectively; P = .352). No patients were converted to open surgery. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of blood loss, operative time, and postoperative outcomes.

Conclusion

Our experience has demonstrated the safety and feasibility of SPLC in patients with PAS.     

Prior abdominal open surgery does not impair outcomes of laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a case–control study in 367 patients

Aim This prospective case‐matched study was conducted to compare the outcome of laparoscopic colorectal surgery in patients with and without prior abdominal open surgery (PAOS). Method From June 1997 to December 2010, 167 patients with PAOS (including midline, Pfannenstiel, subcostal, right upper quadrant or transverse incision) were manually matched to all identical patients without PAOS from our prospective laparoscopic colorectal surgery database. Matching criteria included age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, body mass index, diagnosis and surgical procedure performed. Primary end‐points were postoperative 30‐day mortality and morbidity. Secondary end‐points included operating time, conversion rate and length of stay. Results A total of 367 patients (167 with PAOS and 200 without PAOS) were included in this study. PAOS was associated with a significantly increased mean operating time (229 ± 66 min vs 216 ± 71 min, P = 0.044). The conversion rate was significantly higher in patients with PAOS, compared with patients without PAOS (22%vs 13%, P = 0.017). There was one (0.3%) postoperative death. The overall postoperative morbidity rate was similar in both groups (22%vs 19%, P = 0.658), including Grade 3 or Grade 4 morbidity, according to Dindo’s classification (5%vs 5%, P = 0.694). Mean hospital stay showed no difference between both groups (10 ± 7 days vs 9 ± 5 days, P = 0.849). Conclusion This large case–control study suggests that PAOS does not affect postoperative outcomes. For this reason, a systematic laparoscopic approach in patients with PAOS, even with midline incision, should be considered in colorectal surgery.     

既往腹部手术史对腹腔镜结直肠癌手术影响的临床非随机对照研究

目的 探讨既往腹部手术史对腹腔镜结直肠癌手术的影响及腹腔镜的再次手术技术在结直肠癌治疗中的可行性及安全性.方法 按纳入、排除及剔除标准,将2002年3月至2009年3月期间连续收治的653例腹腔镜结直肠癌手术病例分成3组,即上腹部手术组(n=48)、中下腹部手术组(n=110)和无既往腹部手术史组(n=495).比较组间人口统计学、病理解剖学及手术相关数据上的差异.结果 上腹部手术组、中下腹部手术组和无既往腹部手术史组间在人口统计学、病理解剖学及术后相关并发症方面比较差异均无统计学意义.中下腹部手术组(11.8%)较其他两组存在更高的中转开腹率(上腹部手术组和无既往腹部手术史组分别为4.2%、3.8%),其差异与腹腔内粘连相关.三组在手术时间[(132±36)、(141±42)、(132±36)min]、术中失血量[(58±50)、(81±99)、(57 ±57)ml]、输血率(6.3%、10.9%、7.9%)、低位保肛(47.1%、44.7%、55.2%)、肛门排气时间[(2.5±1.4)、(2.9±1.7)、(2.5±2.1)d]、摄食时间[(5±4)、(5±4)、(4 ±3)d]、术后住院时间[(17±9)、(15±8)、(16±10)d]等方面差异均无统计学意义(P均>0.05).结论 既往腹部手术史因素并不是再手术时运用腹腔镜技术治疗结直肠癌的禁忌证,腹腔镜的再次手术技术在结直肠癌的治疗中安全、可行.     

Meta-analysis of antibiotic prophylaxis in breast reduction surgery

BACKGROUND:

Breast reduction surgery is a very common procedure; however, there is still no consensus as to whether antibiotics should be used perioperatively.

OBJECTIVE:

To review the world literature and perform a meta-analysis of studies comparing wound infection rates with antibiotic use in breast reduction surgery.

METHODS:

A literature search was performed using the MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Database of Clinical Trials, Embase and CINAHL databases. Subject headings and relevant subheadings for “Breast”, “Breast Reduction”, “Reduction Mammaplasty”, “Mammaplasty” were combined with “Antibiotics” and “Antibacterial Agents”. The list of titles was assessed by the study’s authors and abstracts were reviewed. All relevant articles were then independently reviewed by the two primary authors, and Jadad scoring was used to assess the quality of the included articles.

RESULTS:

From the original search, three randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis of preoperative antibiotics. The meta-analysis revealed a 75% reduction in wound infections with preoperative antibiotics (OR 0.25 [95% CI 0.09 to 0.72]). Because only one randomized controlled trial analyzed postoperative antibiotics, no meta-analysis could be performed.

CONCLUSIONS:

Preoperative antibiotics should routinely be used before breast reduction surgery. The use of postoperative antibiotics remains controversial. Additional randomized studies investigating postoperative antibiotics are needed.     

Benefits of post-operative oral protein supplementation in gastrointestinal surgery patients: A systematic review of clinical trials

AIM: To evaluate published trials examining oral post-operative protein supplementation in patients having undergone gastrointestinal surgery and assessment of reported results.METHODS: Database searches (MEDLINE, BIOSIS, EMBASE, Cochrane Trials, Cinahl, and CAB), searches of reference lists of relevant papers, and expert referral were used to identify prospective randomized controlled clinical trials. The following terms were used to locate articles: “oral’’ or “enteral’’ and “postoperative care’’ or “post-surgical’’ and “proteins’’ or “milk proteins’’ or “dietary proteins’’ or “dietary supplements’’ or “nutritional supplements’’. In databases that allowed added limitations, results were limited to clinical trials that studied humans, and publications between 1990 and 2014. Quality of collated studies was evaluated using a qualitative assessment tool and the collective results interpreted.RESULTS: Searches identified 629 papers of which, following review, 7 were deemed eligible for qualitative evaluation. Protein supplementation does not appear to affect mortality but does reduce weight loss, and improve nutritional status. Reduction in grip strength deterioration was observed in a majority of studies, and approximately half of the studies described reduced complication rates. No changes in duration of hospital stay or plasma protein levels were reported. There is evidence to suggest that protein supplementation should be routinely provided post-operatively to this population. However, despite comprehensive searches, clinical trials that varied only the amount of protein provided via oral nutritional supplements (discrete from other nutritional components) were not found. At present, there is some evidence to support routinely prescribed oral nutritional supplements that contain protein for gastrointestinal surgery patients in the immediate post-operative stage.CONCLUSION: The optimal level of protein supplementation required to maximise recovery in gastrointestinal surgery patients is effectively unknown, and may warrant further study.     

Morbidity and mortality of inadvertent enterotomy during adhesiotomy

BACKGROUND: Inadvertent enterotomy is a feared complication of adhesiotomy during abdominal reoperation. The nature and extent of this adhesion-associated problem are unknown. METHODS: The records of all patients who underwent reoperation between July 1995 and September 1997 were reviewed retrospectively for inadvertent enterotomy, risk factors were analysed using univariate and multivariate parameters, and postoperative morbidity and mortality rates were assessed. RESULTS: Inadvertent enterotomy occurred in 52 (19 per cent) of 270 reoperations. Dividing adhesions in the lower abdomen and pelvis, in particular, caused bowel injury. In univariate analysis body mass index was significantly higher in patients with inadvertent enterotomy (mean(s.d.) 25.5(4.6) kg/m2 ) than in those without enterotomy (21.9(4.3) kg/m2 ) (P < 0.03). Patient age and three or more previous laparotomies appeared to be independent parameters predicting inadvertent enterotomy (odds ratio (95 per cent confidence interval) 1.9 (1.3-2.7) and 10.4 (5.0-21.6) respectively; P < 0.001). Patients with inadvertent enterotomy had significantly more postoperative complications (P < 0.01) and urgent relaparotomies (P < 0.001), a higher rate of admission to the intensive care unit (P < 0.001) and parenteral nutrition usage (P < 0.001), and a longer postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The incidence of inadvertent enterotomy during reoperation is high. This adhesion-related complication has an impact on postoperative morbidity     

Laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer in patients with previous abdominal surgery: A comparative study

Objective: In laparoscopic colorectal procedures, the presence of peritoneal adhesions caused by previous surgery is one of the most common reasons for conversion and is often associated with increased postoperative morbidity. However, improvements in laparoscopic technique and instruments might, to some extent, help to overcome the adverse effects of peritoneal adhesions. Therefore, the present study was designed to compare and evaluate laparoscopic rectal cancer excision in patients who had had and who had not had previous abdominal surgery. Methods: The present study was a non‐randomized comparison of patients who have had and have not had previous abdominal surgery. Data were extracted from a prospective cohort of patients who had undergone laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal cancer in one particular unit between January 1996 and May 2000. For the purpose of standardization, data on laparoscopic low anterior resection and laparoscopic abdomino‐perineal resection were not used for analysis. The measured outcomes included operation time, blood loss and length of hospital stay as well as complications and conversions. Results: Of the 91 patients recruited for analysis, 26 patients had had previous abdominal surgery (study group), whereas 65 patients had not had previous abdominal surgery (control group). The two groups had a similar age and gender distribution as well as tumour staging. The median operating times of the study group and control group (115 vs 123 min, P = 0.34), their blood loss (122 vs 144 mL, P = 0.30) and lengths of hospital stay (10 vs 11 days, P = 0.66) were similar. The complication rates (23 vs 23%, P = 0.79) and conversion rates (15.4 vs 7.7%, P = 0.55) were also similar between the two groups. Conclusion: Laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer in patients who have had previous abdominal surgery is technically safe and produces similar results to those who have not had previous abdominal surgery.      

Inadvertent enterotomy in minimally invasive abdominal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Inadvertent enterotomy (IE) in laparoscopic abdominal surgery is underreported. Patients with a prior history of laparotomy are at significantly increased risk of enterotomy if another operation is needed. The incidence of enterotomy in laparoscopic surgery may even be greater than that during an open procedure and may go unrecognized due to the limited field of vision. The purpose of this study was to report the incidence of inadvertent enterotomy in a variety of laparoscopic abdominal procedures at our institution and discuss ways to minimize the risk of this complication. METHODS: Using the data from morbidity and mortality conferences, we retrospectively reviewed all complications from 3,613 consecutive patients who had laparoscopic abdominal surgery from November 1998 through November 2004. Patients with inadvertent enterotomy were divided into 4 groups according to the type of laparoscopic procedure. Inadvertent enterotomy was defined as any transmural penetration of any part of the intestine. All inadvertent enterotomies that occurred during laparoscopic abdominal surgery were analyzed for mechanism of injury and method of repair, whether diagnosis was made intraoperatively or postoperatively, clinical presentation, conversion rate, and whether a second procedure was necessary. RESULTS: Laparoscopic operations were performed in 3,613 persons. Patients diagnosed with IE were divided into 4 groups: Group #1: cholecystectomy; Group #2: all patients requiring intestinal resection with or without primary anastomosis; Group #3: patients with any type of hernia repair; Group #4: all patients that had adhesiolysis as a primary indication for the operation. The incidence of IE according to each group was 0.39% (8/2,016), 0.8% (3/375), 1.9% (6/312), 100% (4/4), respectively. Twenty patients had 21 inadvertent enterotomies (4 men, 16 women; mean age, 60.9 years). One patient had 2 operations and had an enterotomy both times. Four patients (4/21, 19%) with unrecognized IE were diagnosed postoperatively. The overall incidence of IE was 0.58%. No deaths occurred. CONCLUSION: Inadvertent enterotomy in laparoscopic abdominal surgery is especially dangerous if unrecognized during the primary operation. The incidence of IE can be significantly reduced with careful individualized risk assessment. Only surgeons who are trained in advanced laparoscopy should attempt complicated cases and must always be wary of possible bowel injury. Any patient with signs of peritonitis, sepsis, or increased abdominal pain after laparoscopic surgery must promptly be investigated. The department culture of intraoperative cooperation helped improve outcomes.     

Theatre ventilation

IntroductionOwing to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been significant disruption to all surgical specialties. In the UK, units have cancelled elective surgery and a decrease in aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) was favoured. Centres around the world advocate the use of negative pressure environments for AGPs in reducing the spread of infectious airborne particles. We present an overview of operating theatre ventilation systems and the respective evidence with relation to surgical site infection (SSI) and airborne pathogen transmission in light of COVID-19.MethodsA literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Cochrane Library and MEDLINE databases. Search terms included “COVID-19”, “theatre ventilation”, “laminar”, “turbulent” and “negative pressure”.FindingsEvidence for laminar flow ventilation in reducing the rate of SSI in orthopaedic surgery is widely documented. There is little evidence to support its use in general surgery. Following previous viral outbreaks, some centres have introduced negative pressure ventilation in an attempt to decrease exposure of airborne pathogens to staff and surrounding areas. This has again been suggested during the COVID-19 pandemic. A limited number of studies show some positive results for the use of negative pressure ventilation systems and reduction in spread of pathogens; however, cost, accessibility and duration of conversion remain an unexplored issue. Overall, there is insufficient evidence to advocate large scale conversion at this time. Nevertheless, it may be useful for each centre to have its own negative pressure room available for AGPs and high risk patients.     

Impact of previous abdominal surgery on laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis

Background Laparoscopic appendectomy is one of the most commonly performed laparoscopic procedures. Impact of previous abdominal surgery on laparoscopic appendectomy has not been previously reported. Methods From January 2001 to December 2005, 2029 patients with clinically suspected acute appendicitis underwent laparoscopic surgery in our hospital. Of these, 234 patients (11.5%) were found to have other pathology by intraoperative or histologic findings and were excluded from the study. The 1795 patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis were divided into three groups: group 1, patients without a history of previous abdominal surgery (n = 1652, 92%); group 2, patients with a history of upper abdominal surgery (n = 20, 1.1%); group 3, patients with a history of lower abdominal surgery (n = 123, 6.8%). Data were collected retrospectively by chart review and analyzed for conversion rate, operative time, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and hospital stay. Results Of the 1795 patients, 13 (0.7%) were converted to open appendectomy because of technical difficulty. Overall mean operative time was 57.2 (range, 20–225) min. There was no mortality or intraoperative complications. Overall postoperative complication rate was 10.7% (n = 193): rate of surgical wound infection was 8.2 % (n = 147), surgical wound seroma 1.3% (n = 24), and intra-abdominal abscess 0.8% (n = 14). Overall postoperative hospital stay averaged 3.2 (range, 0–39) days. There were no significant differences between the three groups regarding the conversion rate (0.8% vs. 0% vs. 0%, p = 0.567), operative time (57.3 vs. 55.8 vs. 56.9 min, p = 0.962), postoperative complication rates (10.7 vs. 10 vs. 12.2%, p = 0.863), and hospital stay (3.2 vs. 3.6 vs. 3.1 days, p = 0.673). Conclusions Previous abdominal surgery, whether upper or lower abdominal, has no significant impact on laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis.     

Propionibacterium acnes infection after shoulder surgery

Propionibacterium acnes has been implicated as a cause of infection following shoulder surgery, may occur up to 2 years after the index operation and has been shown to be responsible for up to 56% of shoulder infections after orthopedic implant. Male patients within the population undergoing shoulder surgery are particularly at risk, especially if their shoulder surgery involved prosthesis or was posttraumatic. P. acnes infection can be difficult to diagnose clinically and laboratory techniques require prolonged and specialized cultures. Usual inflammatory markers are not raised in infection with this low virulence organism. Delayed diagnosis with P. acnes infection can result in significant morbidity prior to prosthesis failure. Early diagnosis of P. acnes infection and appropriate treatment can improve clinical outcomes. It is important to be aware of P. acnes infection in shoulder surgery, to evaluate risk factors, to recognize the signs of P. acnes infection, and to promptly initiate treatment. The signs and symptoms of P. acnes infection are described and discussed. Data were collected from PubMed™, Web of Science, and the NICE Evidence Healthcare Databases - AMED (Ovid), BNI (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase (Ovid), HMIC: DH-Data and Kings Fund (Ovid), Medline (Ovid), and PsycINFO (Ovid). The search terms used were “P. acnes,” “infection,” “shoulder,” and “surgery.” In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the prevention and management of P. acnes infection following shoulder surgery.     

腹部手术后腹腔镜胆囊切除术52例报告

目的:探讨有腹部手术史患者行腹腔镜胆囊切除术(laparoscopic cholecystectomy,LC)的可行性及治疗经验.方法:回顾分析2010年11月至2011年5月为956例患者施行三孔法LC的临床资料,其中52例有腹部手术史(实验组),904例无腹部手术史患者为对照组.两组患者均于气管插管全麻下施术.结果...     

Nasal Methicillin-Resistant S. Aureus is a Major Risk for Mediastinitis in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery

Background: Mediastinitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a serious complication after pediatric cardiac surgery. An outbreak of surgical site infections (SSIs) provided the motivation to implement SSI prevention measures in our institution.Methods: Subjects comprised 174 pediatric patients who underwent open-heart surgery after undergoing preoperative nasal culture screening. The incidence of SSIs and mediastinitis was compared between an early group, who underwent surgery before SSI measures (Group E, n = 73), and a recent group, who underwent surgery after these measures (Group R, n = 101), and factors contributing to the occurrence of mediastinitis were investigated.Results: The incidence of both SSIs and Mediastinitis has significantly decreased after SSI measures. With regard to factors that significantly affected mediastinitis, preoperative factors were “duration of preoperative hospitalization” and “preoperative MRSA colonization,” intraoperative factors were “Aristotle basic complexity score,” “operation time,” “cardiopulmonary bypass circuit volume” and “lowest rectal temperature.” And postoperative factor was “blood transfusion volume.” Patients whose preoperative nasal cultures were MRSA-positive suggested higher risk of MRSA mediastinitis.Conclusions: SSI prevention measures significantly reduced the occurrence of SSIs and mediastinitis. Preoperative MRSA colonization should be a serious risk factor for mediastinitis following pediatric cardiac surgeries.     

Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of a Specific Group of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) Patients Who Came Across Both Bracing and Surgery

Background/Purpose of the StudyChanges in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of AIS patients coming across both bracing and surgery have not yet reported. These patients received two major clinical interventions and their HRQOL might be different from previous articles. The aim of this study is to evaluate the changes of HRQOL of a specific group of AIS patients who experienced both bracing and surgery.MethodsOne hundred and twenty-eight patients requiring surgery with prior bracing treatment were identified from the electronic record. SRS-22 questionnaire was completed at 7 time points crossing both interventions (namely “Before”, “Bracing ≤ 1 year”, “Bracing > 1 year”, “Pre-op”, “Post-op”, “Post-op ≤ 1 year, and “Post-op 1-2 years”).ResultsSRS-22 “Function”, “Pain” and “Self-image” scores were decreased from “Before” to “Bracing ≤ 1 year” when started bracing and raised at “Bracing > 1 year”. The 3 scores were dropped from “Bracing > 1 year” to “Pre-op”, particularly on “Self-image”. “Function” and “Pain” were significantly dropped from “Pre-op” to “Post-op” and kept raising until “Post-op 1–2 years”. “Self-image” was improving after “Pre-op”. “Mental” was relatively stable along the timeline.ConclusionThis study described the changes in HRQOL of a specific group of AIS patients. Scores were dropped after the two major clinical interventions and recovered afterwards. Medical professionals were able to plan and provide appropriate supports on the expected changes in HRQOL, especially on function, pain and mental.     

Surgical management of chordoma: A systematic review

Context: Chordomas are rare primary tumors of bone characterized by local aggressiveness and poor prognosis. The surgical exeresis plays a critical role for their management.Objective: The aim was to provide an overview of the surgical management of chordomas of the mobile spine and sacrum, describing the most common surgical approaches, the role of surgical margins, the difficulties of en block resection, the outcomes of surgery, the recurrence rate and the use of associated therapies.Methods: We performed a systematic search using the keywords “chordoma” in combination with “surgery”, “spine”, “sacrum” and “radiotherapy”.Results: Fifty-eight studies, describing 1359 patients with diagnosis of chordoma were retrieved. 17 studies were performed on subjects with cervical chordomas and 49 focused on patients with sacrococcygeal chordomas. The remaining studies included patients with chordomas in cranial region and/or mobile spine and/or sacroccygeal region. The recurrence rate ranged from 25% to 60% for cervical chordomas, and from 18% to 89% for sacrococcygeal chordomas.Conclusion: Despite the remarkable advances in the local management of chordoma performed in the last decades, the current results of surgery alone are still unsatisfactory. The radical en bloc excision of tumour is technically demanding, particularly in the cervical spine. Although radical surgery must still be considered the gold standard for the management of chordomas, a multidisciplinary approach is required to improve the local control of the disease in patients who undergo both radical and non-radical surgery. Adjuvant radiation therapy increases the continuous disease-free survival and the local recurrence-free survival.Level of evidence: Systematic review; level III.     

Previous abdominal operations do not affect the outcomes of laparoscopic colorectal surgery

Background Previous abdominal surgery has been regarded as a relative contraindication for laparoscopic surgery. However, studies on laparoscopic cholecystectomy have showed that the presence of prior abdominal procedures does not affect the outcomes of surgery. This study aimed to investigate the impact of previous abdominal surgery on laparoscopic colorectal surgery.Methods This study enrolled 295 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery from May 2000 to May 2003. The patients were divided into two groups: those with previous abdominal surgery (n = 84) and those without a prior operation (n = 211). The outcomes of surgery for the two groups were compared with respect to the duration of surgery, blood loss, conversion rate, time to return of bowel function, resumption of diet, complications, and the hospital stay.Results The study included 158 men and 137 women. The median age of the patients was 70 years (range, 33-91 years). Significantly more female patients and patients with benign diseases had prior abdominal surgery. Conversion was required for 17.8% of the patients with and 11.4% of the patients without previous surgery (p = 0.181). There were no differences in the operating time or blood loss between the two groups. The time to bowel movement and resumption of diet were similar in the two groups. The median hospital stay was 7 days for both groups. Of the 39 conversions, 28.2% were necessitated mainly by the presence of adhesions. In the patients who underwent conversion because of adhesions (n = 11), nine had prior surgery and two did not (p = 0.001).Conclusions The presence of prior surgery does not affect the operating time or blood loss of patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The conversion rate is not increased for patients with prior surgery. The postoperative outcomes in terms of ileus, complication rate, and hospital stay are not worse for patients with prior surgery. Previous abdominal surgery should not be considered as a contraindication for laparoscopic colorectal surgery.     

Laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery in obese patients

Aim The aim of this study was to assess the oncological and postoperative outcomes of laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery in obese patients. Method All obese (BMI > 30) patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery from January 2005 to January 2008 were compared with nonobese patients undergoing similar surgery. We recorded patient demographics, intra‐operative details and postoperative morbidity and mortality. Results Sixty‐two obese and 172 nonobese patients underwent laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection. Both groups were well matched for demographic parameters. Overall mean operating times were not significantly different. Conversion to open surgery was more likely in obese patients. In particular, for rectal cancers, the conversion rate was 44% in the obese group compared with 17% in the nonobese group (P < 0.05). Postoperative morbidity was also greater in obese patients (P < 0.05). The duration of hospital stay was similar for laparoscopically completed cases (6 days obese vs 7 days nonobese), but in the obese‐converted group it was 14 days (P < 0.05). The resected specimen with respect to length, resection margin and lymph node retrieval was equivalent between obese and nonobese patients. Disease‐free survival and overall survival at a median follow up of 2 years were also similar. Conclusions Laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery in obese patients is technically feasible and oncologically safe. Despite greater postoperative morbidity, obese patients benefit from shorter length of stay. However, a higher conversion rate, particularly for rectal cancers, should be anticipated in obese male patients.