Alcohol is well-recognized systemic toxin that causes numerous adverse effects, including psychosocial problems, fatal myocardial infarction, stroke and atherosclerosis. The intra-abdominal complications caused by acute alcohol consumption have not been defined. We report an 80-year-old man with sub-acute small bowel and colonic ischemia after heavy alcohol intake in one sitting. We performed a resection of gangrenous bowel segments. Microscopically, there were diffuse infarction, with vasoconstriction of the mesenteric vessels in the ileum and colon without any thrombotic occlusion of the intestinal vessels. The clinicians should always be assured by confirmation of a history of recent substance abuse in patients with unexplained abdominal pain, and mesenteric ischemia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute or chronic abdominal pain in consumers of alcohol.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged, 80 and over ; Alcohol Drinking ; Alcohols ; Atherosclerosis ; Colon ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Ileum ; Infarction ; Ischemia ; Myocardial Infarction ; Stroke ; Substance-Related Disorders ; Vasoconstriction

An anorectal foreign body can cause serious complications such as incontinence, rectal perforation, peritonitis, or pelvic abscess, so it should be managed immediately. We experienced two cases of operative treatment for a self-inserted anorectal foreign body. In one, the foreign body could not be removed as it was completely impacted in the anal canal. We failed to remove it through the anus. A laparotomy and removal of the foreign body was performed by using an incision on the rectum. Primary colsure and a sigmoid loop colostomy were done. A colostomy take-down was done after three months. The other was a rectal perforation from anal masturbation with a plastic device. We performed primary repair of the perforated rectosigmoid colon, and we didea sigmoid loop colostom. A colostomy take-down was done three months later. Immediate and proper treatment for a self-inserted anorectal foreign body is important to prevent severe complications, and we report successful surgical treatments for problems caused by anorectal foreign bodies.
Abscess ; Anal Canal ; Colon ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colostomy ; Foreign Bodies ; Laparotomy ; Masturbation ; Peritonitis ; Plastics ; Rectum

PURPOSE: The objective of the current study was to identify the clinicopathological risk factors affecting recurrence after a curative resection for stage I colorectal cancer. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 434 patients who underwent a curative resection for stage I colorectal cancer between January 1999 and December 2004. Postoperative oral chemotherapy was performed in 189 patients (45.3%). The following prognostic factors were correlated with recurrence: age, gender, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level, location of tumor, T stage, size of tumor, histologic differentiation, growth pattern, and lymphovascular invasion. The median follow-up duration was 65 months. RESULTS: The overall recurrence rate was 4.6% (20/434). The median time to recurrence was 33 months. Two-thirds of the recurrence occurred more than two years after surgery. Risk factors associated with recurrence were rectal cancer (P = 0.009), T2 stage (P = 0.010), and infiltrative growth pattern (P = 0.020). A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis demonstrated that the infiltrative growth pattern was an independent predictor for recurrence. Tumor cell budding was observed in all pathologic reviews with recurrence. CONCLUSION: Long-term follow-up is necessary for stage I colorectal patients with high risk factors like rectal cancer, T2 stage, and infiltrative growth pattern.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the oncologic outcomes of a laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy for the treatment of colon cancer and compare the results with those of previous randomized trials. METHODS: From June 2006, to December 2008, 156 consecutive patients who underwent a laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with a curative intent for colon cancer were evaluated. The clinicopatholgic outcomes and the oncologic outcomes were evaluated retrospectively by using electronic medical records. RESULTS: There were 84 male patients and 72 female patients. The mean possible length of stay was 7.0 +/- 1.5 days (range, 4 to 12 days). The conversion rate was 3.2%. The total number of complications was 30 (19.2%). Anastomotic leakage was not noted. There was no mortality within 30 days. The 3-year overall survival rate of all stages was 93.3%. The 3-year overall survival rates according to stages were 100% in stage I, 97.3% in stage II, and 84.8% in stage III. The 3-year disease-free survival rate of all stages was 86.1%. The 3-year disease-free survival rates according to stage were 96.2% in stage I, 90.3% in stage II, and 75.6% in stage III. The mean follow-up period was 36.3 (3 to 60) months. CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic right hemicolectomy for the treatment of colon cancer is technically feasible and safe to perform in terms of oncologic outcomes. The present data support previously reported randomized trials.
Anastomotic Leak ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Disease-Free Survival ; Electronics ; Electrons ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare survival in patients that underwent palliative resection treatment versus non-resection for incurable colorectal cancer (ICRC). METHODS: The case records of 201 patients with ICRC between January 2000 and December 2009 were reviewed. Demographics, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level, the location of the colon cancer, histology, metastasis, treatment options and median survival were analyzed retrospectively. We divided the patients into four groups according to the treatment modalities: resection alone, resection with post-operative chemotherapy, non-resection treatment by chemotherapy alone, and stent or bypass. Median survival times were compared according to each treatment option, and the survival rates were analyzed. RESULTS: 105 patients underwent palliative resection whereas 96 were treated with non-resection modalities. A palliative resection was performed in 44 cases for resection alone and in 61 cases for resection with post-operative chemotherapy. In patients treated with non-resection of the primary tumor, chemotherapy alone was done in 65 cases and stent or bypass in 31 cases. Multivariate analysis showed a median survival of 14 months in patients with palliative resections with post-operative chemotherapy, which was significantly higher than those for chemotherapy alone (8 months), primary tumor resection alone (5 months), and stent or bypass (5 months). Gender, age, ASA score, CEA level, the location of colon cancer, histology and the presence of multiple metastases were not independent factors in association with the median survival rate. CONCLUSION: In the treatment of ICRC, palliative resection followed by post-operative chemotherapy shows the most favorable median survival compared to other treatment options.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Demography ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Stents ; Survival Rate

PURPOSE: Although stromal-cell-derived factor (SDF)-1alpha is suggested to be involved in tumorigenicity and tumor angiogenesis, the clinicopathological significance of its expression in colorectal cancers is not fully understood. We examined SDF-1alpha expression in colorectal cancers and investigated its relationship to clinicopathological features such as tumor staging, lymph-node metastasis, vascular invasion (VI), lymphatic invasion (LI) and neural invasion (NI). METHODS: Specimens of 83 primary colorectal cancers were examined immunohistochemically, and the relationships between clinicopathological features and SDF-1alpha expression were analyzed. To compare the expressions between the normal colon tissue and colorectal cancer tissues, we performed Western blot analyses. RESULTS: According to the Western blot analyses, SDF-1alpha was more highly expressed in colorectal carcinoma tissues than in normal colonic mucosa (20/21). According to the immunohistochemical stain, SDF-1alpha was associated with nodal status, distant metastasis, tumor staging, VI and LI. SDF-1alpha expression had a significant prognostic value for overall survival. Kaplan-Meier plots of survival in patients with high SDF-1alpha showed that high SDF-1alpha expression was associated with a shorter overall survival. However, no association was found between SDF-1alpha expression and other pathologic or clinical variables, including age, gender, degree of differentiation, and presence of perineural invasion. CONCLUSION: The expression of SDF-1alpha might be associated with tumor progression in colorectal cancer. Inhibition of SDF-1alpha could be a therapeutic option in colorectal cancer patients.
Blotting, Western ; Chemokine CXCL12 ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging

PURPOSE: Although robotic surgery was invented to overcome the technical limitations of laparoscopic surgery, the role of a robotic (procto)colectomy (RC) for the treatment of colorectal cancer compared to that of a laparoscopic (procto)colectomy (LC) was not well defined during the initial adoption periods of both procedures. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and the safety of a RC for the treatment of colorectal cancer by comparing the authors' initial experiences with both a RC and a LC. METHODS: The first 30 patients treated by using a RC for colorectal cancer from July 2010 to March 2011 were compared with the first 30 patients treated by using a LC for colorectal cancer from December 2006 to June 2007 by the same surgeon. Perioperative variables and short-term outcomes were analyzed. In addition, the 30 RC and the 30 LC cases involved were divided into rectal cancer (n = 17 and n = 12, respectively), left-sided colon cancer (n = 7 and n = 12, respectively) and right-sided colon cancer (n = 6 and n = 6, respectively) for subgroup analyses. RESULTS: The mean operating times for RC and LC were significantly different at 371.8 and 275.5 minutes, respectively, but other perioperative parameters (rates of open conversion, numbers of retrieved lymph node, estimated blood losses, times to first flatus, maximal pain scores before discharge and postoperative hospital stays) were not significantly different in the two groups. Subgroup analyses showed that the mean operative times for a robotic proctectomy and a laparoscopic proctectomy were 396.5 and 298.8 minutes, respectively (P < 0.000). Postoperative complications occurred in five patients in the RC group and in six patients in the LC group (P = 0.739). CONCLUSION: Although the short-term outcomes of a RC during its initial use were better than those of a LC (with the exception of operating time), differences were not found to be significantly different. On the other hand, the longer operation time of a robotic proctectomy compared to that of a laparoscopic proctectomy during the early period may be problematic.
Adoption ; Colectomy ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Flatulence ; Hand ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Lymph Nodes ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Rectal Neoplasms ; Robotics

PURPOSE: Although there are more than a hundred techniques, including the transabdominal and the perineal approaches, for the repair of the rectal prolapsed, none of them is perfect. The best repair should be chosen not only to correct the prolapse but also to restore defecatory function and to improve fecal incontinence throughout the patient's lifetime. The aim of this retrospective review is to evaluate clinical outcomes of the Delorme's procedure for the management of the complete rectal prolapse. METHODS: A total of 19 patients (13 females and 6 males) with complete rectal prolapses were treated by using the Delorme's procedure in St. Vincent's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, from February 1997 to February 2007. Postoperative anal incontinence was evaluated using the Cleveland Clinic Incontinence Score. RESULTS: All 19 patients had incontinence to liquid stool, solid stool, and/or flatus preoperatively. Three (15.8%) patients reported recurrence of the rectal prolapse (at 6, 18, 29 months, respectively, after the operation). Information on postoperative incontinence was available for 16 of the 19 patients. Twelve of the 16 patients (75%) reported improved continence (5 [31.3%] were improved and 7 [43.7%] completely recovered from incontinence) while 4 patients had unchanged incontinence symptoms. One (6.3%) patient who did not have constipation preoperatively developed constipation after the operation. CONCLUSION: The Delorme's procedure is associated with a marked improvement in anal continence, relatively low recurrence rates, and low incidence of postoperative constipation. This allows us to conclude that this procedure still has its own role in selected patients.
Constipation ; Fecal Incontinence ; Female ; Flatulence ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Prolapse ; Rectal Prolapse ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

Surgery for an anal fistula may result in recurrence or impairment of continence. The ideal treatment for an anal fistula should be associated with low recurrence rates, minimal incontinence and good quality of life. Because of the risk of a change in continence with conventional techniques, sphincter-preserving techniques for the management complex anal fistulae have been evaluated. First, the anal fistula plug is made of lyophilized porcine intestinal submucosa. The anal fistula plug is expected to provide a collagen scaffold to promote tissue in growth and fistula healing. Another addition to the sphincter-preserving options is the ligation of intersphincteric fistula tract procedure. This technique is based on the concept of secure closure of the internal opening and concomitant removal of infected cryptoglandular tissue in the intersphincteric plane. Recently, cell therapy for an anal fistula has been described. Adipose-derived stem cells have two biologic properties, namely, ability to suppress inflammation and differentiation potential. These properties are useful for the regeneration or the repair of damaged tissues. This article discusses the rationales for, the estimated efficacies of, and the limitations of new sphincter-preserving techniques for the treatment of anal fistulae.
Collagen ; Fecal Incontinence ; Fistula ; Inflammation ; Ligation ; Quality of Life ; Rectal Fistula ; Recurrence ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells ; Tissue Therapy

No abstract available.
Colorectal Neoplasms