AIMS: The left colon receives its arterial supply from the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). The detailed anatomical understanding of IMA is important for sigmoid colon or rectal cancer surgery. The aim of this study is to investigate the vascular anatomy of the IMA by measuring the distance from the aortic bifurcation and the length of the IMA in autopsy cases. METHODS: 41 consecutive autopsy cases were enrolled prospectively. 29 cases were males and 12 females. Mean age was 47.7+/-15.6 with a range of 12 to 82 years. The distance from the aortic bifurcation is measured between the angle of abdominal aortic bifurcation and the inferior margin of the IMA. The length of the IMA is measured between the root of the IMA and the proximal border of the first branch of the IMA. Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and Spearman's rho were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The distance from the aortic bifurcation ranged from 3 to 6.3 cm with a mean of 4.4+/-0.71 cm. The length of the IMA ranged from 2.5 to 7 cm with a mean of 4+/-0.8 cm. The distance from the aortic bifurcation and the length of the IMA had no correlations with subject's height and weight. CONCLUSIONS: The vascular anatomy of the IMA in the general population is an important information for colorectal surgeon. Clear anatomical understanding of IMA may help perform oncologically safe colorectal surgery.
Autopsy* ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colorectal Surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenteric Artery, Inferior* ; Prospective Studies ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Rectum ; Statistics, Nonparametric

The rectal cancer management can be influenced by the surgeon's practice and the hospital. This study was to evaluate the differences according to the surgeon's operative volume and the level of the hospital. Questionnaires were sent out to the members of the 'Korean Society of Coloproctology', and the responses were evaluated according to the surgeon's operation volume, the surgeon's age, and the level of the hospital. Sixty responses were received during the three months' period (from August to October 2004). Thirty three respondents (55%) operated more than 50 cases of rectal cancer per year (high-volume surgeons), and 37 respondents (61%) worked at university hospitals or tertiary care facilities (high-level hospitals). The preoperative evaluation with endorectal ultrasonography (ERUS) was significantly different according to the surgeon's operation volume and the level of the hospital, whereas magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography (PET) was significantly different only for the surgeon's operation volume. The preoperative radiation therapy was significantly different according to the surgeon's operation volume, the surgeon's age, and the level of the hospital. However, there was no significant difference found on the operative procedures or postoperative surveillance. The preoperative loco-regional evaluation and the preoperative radiation therapy could be considered as the factors that influence the volume-outcome relationship in rectal cancer treatment.
Adult ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Colorectal Surgery/*statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Care ; Preoperative Care ; Questionnaires ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Rectal Neoplasms/diagnosis/*surgery/therapy

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the correlation between overweight and postoperative complications and prognosis after radical hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM).

METHODSA total of 192 patients who underwent hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases between January 2000 and March 2012 were eligible for the study. We retrospectively summarized their clinicopathological data, BMI index and postoperative complications, and investigated the relation between these data and complications and prognosis.

RESULTSOf the 192 patients, 109 cases were classified as overweight with a BMI ≥24 and 83 patients were classified as non-overweight with a BMI <24. Seventy-five complications occurred in 68 of the 192 patients (35.4%) who underwent hepatectomy. Surgical complications (P=0.428), operation time (P=0.837), and blood loss (P=0.272) were not statistically significantly associated with BMI. 173 patients were included to analyze the influence of overweight on oncologic outcome. The median survival for the overweight patients was 59 months, while that of non-overweight patients was 31 months (P=0.016). The overweight patients had a longer OS assessed by both univariate analysis (P=0.016) and multivariate analysis (P=0.031). However, no statistical differences in disease-free survival (DFS) were detected between the overweight and non-overweight groups (P=0.058).

CONCLUSIONSOverweight is not independently associated with an increasing complication rate. BMI does not significantly affect the CRLM-DFS, and high BMI patients might have a better overall survival.

Colorectal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; surgery ; Disease-Free Survival ; Hepatectomy ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; secondary ; surgery ; Overweight ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors of metachronous bone metastasis after radical resection of colorectal cancer within 5 years.

METHODSClinical data of 1 749 patients with colorectal cancer, of whom 50(2.8%) patients developed metastasis to bone after operation, in the Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital of The Second Military Medical University from January 2001 to December 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to find the risk factors of metachronous bone metastasis from colorectal cancer using Chi square test and Logistic regression, respectively.

RESULTSOf 50 colorectal cancer cases with bone metastasis, 29 were male and 21 were female. The age was ≥ 60 years old in 28 cases. Tumors of 36 cases were located in the rectum and of 14 cases located in the colon. Pathology examination showed 43 cases were adenocarcinomas, 7 cases were mucinous adenocarcinoma. Forty-two cases had T3-4 stage lesions, 30 cases had lymph node metastasis, 14 cases had pulmonary metastasis, and 5 cases had liver metastasis. Univariate Chi square test indicated that factors associated with the metachronous bone metastasis of colorectal cancer within 5 years were tumor site (χ=4.932, P=0.026), preoperative carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) level (χ=4.266, P=0.039), lymph node metastasis (χ=13.054, P=0.000) and pulmonary metastasis(χ=35.524, P=0.000). The incidence of bone metastasis in patients with rectal cancer (3.6%, 36/991) was higher compared to those with colon cancer (1.8%, 14/758). The incidence of bone metastasis in patients with higher(> 37 kU/L) preoperative serum CA199 level (4.9%, 12/245) was higher compared to those with lower serum CA199 level (2.5%, 38/1504). The incidence of bone metastasis in patients with lymph node metastasis(4.8%,30/627) and pulmonary metastasis (11.6%, 14/121) was significantly higher compared to those without lymph node metastasis (1.8%, 20/1122) and pulmonary metastasis(2.2%, 36/1628), respectively. Logistic multivariate analysis showed that rectal cancer(OR:0.508, 95%CI:0.268 to 0.963, P=0.038), lymph node metastasis (OR:2.291, 95%CI:1.273 to 4.122, P=0.006) and metachronous pulmonary metastasis(OR:4.796, 95%CI:2.473 to 9.301, P=0.000) were the independent risk factors of metachronous bone metastasis of colorectal cancer within 5 years.

CONCLUSIONPatients with rectal cancer, lymph node metastasis and metachronous pulmonary metastasis are high risk groups of metachronous bone metastasis after radical resection of colorectal cancer within 5 years.

Adenocarcinoma ; surgery ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Bone Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; secondary ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Colonic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Colorectal Surgery ; statistics & numerical data ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Liver Neoplasms ; secondary ; Logistic Models ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Rectal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

INTRODUCTIONThe Singapore Polyposis Registry (SPR) was established in 1989 in Singapore General Hospital (SGH). The aims were to provide a central registry service to facilitate identification, surveillance and management of families and individuals at high risk of colorectal cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThis is a review of published literature in the department.

RESULTSThe registry currently has 253 families with several genetic conditions-93 familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) families, 138 Amsterdam-criteria positive presumed Lynch syndrome (LS) families, 12 families with Peutz Jeghers syndrome, 2 families with Cowden's syndrome, and 8 families with hereditary mixed polyposis syndrome (HMPS). There are also 169 families with a strong family history of colorectal cancer but no abnormal genes yet identified. In FAP, a diagnostic tool developed has allowed a 94% local APC germline detection rate in FAP families. Knowledge obtained studying the phenotype of FAP patients has allowed better choice of surgery between ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) against an ileal-rectal anastomosis (IRA). In LS, our review has noted a highly heterogenous mutational spectrum and novel variants made up 46.7% (28/60) of all variants identified in this cohort. This may suggest that our Southeast Asian ethnic groups have distinct mutational variants from Western populations. Pathogenic mutations were only confined to MLH1 and MSH2, and identified in 28.8% of families.

CONCLUSIONThe impact of predictive gene testing for hereditary cancer risk in clinical practice has allowed evolution of care. Risk-reducing surgery and aggressive surveillance allows reduction in morbidity and mortality of patients. The SPR will continue to grow and improve outcomes in hereditary colorectal cancer patients and families.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; genetics ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; ethnology ; genetics ; surgery ; Disease Management ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; MutL Protein Homolog 1 ; MutS Homolog 2 Protein ; genetics ; Mutation ; Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary ; classification ; diagnosis ; ethnology ; genetics ; surgery ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; Registries ; statistics & numerical data ; Singapore ; epidemiology

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) has been widely used in the world for near 20 years, which should be considered as the milestone of modern medicine advancement, changing the routine perioperative principle, accelerating the recovery speed following operation, minimizing the postoperative pain, and saving the medical resources. Despite the remarkable advance, the quality and application of ERAS in the west China needs further improvement if compared with international level or even some domestic hospitals. The postoperative hospital stay in west China is much longer than the reported 3 to 5 days according to published references. Several suggestions can be help: (1) Based on the published consensus and the successful experiences of ERAS in colorectal surgery, the medical institution should make great effort to extend this technique to change the profound traditional idea in medical staffs and patients. (2) The medical administrations should take the application of ERAS as a key performance index and annual work plan in hospital. (3) Multiple disciplinary team including anesthetist, surgeon, dietitian, and nurses is essential for hospital to promote the quality of ERAS. Undoubtedly, ERAS is going to be the conventional medical care in the western area of China. We may look forward to seeing more researches from western China to update the ERAS consensus.
China ; Clinical Competence ; Colorectal Surgery ; rehabilitation ; Consensus ; Digestive System Surgical Procedures ; rehabilitation ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; statistics & numerical data ; Patient Care Team ; standards ; trends ; utilization ; Personnel Administration, Hospital ; methods ; Postoperative Care ; methods ; psychology ; standards ; Postoperative Period ; Quality of Health Care ; standards ; trends