Biomedical subjects
S M Goldberg
Publications and source records attributed to S M Goldberg.
Complete rectal prolapse: evolution of management and results.
UNLABELLED: Optional treatment for complete rectal prolapse remains controversial. PURPOSE: We reviewed our experience over a 19-year period to assess trends in choice of operation, recurrence rates, and functional results. METHODS: We identified 372 patients who underwent surgery for complete rectal prolapse between 1976 and 1994. Charts were reviewed and follow-up (median, 64: range, 12-231 months) was obtained by mailed questionnaire (149 patients; 40 percent) and telephone interview (35 patients; 9 percent). Functional results were obtained from 184 responders (49 percent). RESULTS: Median age of patients was 64 (11-100) years, and females outnumbered males by nine to one. One-hundred and eighty-eight patients (51 percent) were lost to follow-up; 183 patients (49 percent) underwent perineal rectosigmoidectomy, and 161 patients (43 percent) underwent abdominal rectopexy with bowel resection. The percentage of patients who underwent perineal rectosigmoidectomy increased from 22 percent in the first five years of the study to 79 percent in the most recent five years. Patients undergoing perineal rectosigmoidectomy were more likely to have associated medical problems as compared with patients undergoing abdominal rectopexy (61 vs. 30 percent, P = 0.00001). There was no significant difference in morbidity, with 14 percent for perineal rectosigmoidectomy vs. 20 percent for abdominal rectopexy. Abdominal procedures were associated with a longer length of stay as compared with perineal rectosigmoidectomy (8 vs. 5 days, P = 0.001). Perineal procedures, however, had a higher recurrence rate (16 vs. 5 percent, P = 0.002). Functional improvement was not significantly different, and most patients were satisfied with treatment and outcome. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that abdominal rectopexy with bowel resection is associated with low recurrence rates. Perineal rectosigmoidectomy provides lower morbidity and shorter length of stay, but recurrence rates are much higher. Despite this, perineal rectosigmoidectomy has appeal as a lesser procedure for elderly patients or those patients in the high surgical risk category. For younger patients, the benefits of perineal rectosigmoidectomy being a lesser procedure must be weighed against a higher recurrence rate.Patient satisfaction]
Colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: a continuing problem.
PURPOSE: Because of the increased risk of colorectal cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, surveillance colonoscopy with mucosal biopsies for dysplasia has been advocated to prevent malignancy or permit its early diagnosis. However, despite adoption of colonoscopic surveillance programs by many clinicians, we have noted a pattern of continued referrals for inflammatory bowel disease-associated malignancy. This study was undertaken in an effort to characterize this cohort of patients. METHODS: We reviewed the operative records of a large metropolitan colorectal practice from 1983 to 1995. During this period 40 large-bowel resections were performed for patients with documented inflammatory bowel disease and concomitant carcinoma. A retrospective analysis was conducted with emphasis on clinical presentation, pathologic description, and most recent follow-up. RESULTS: Mean age at the time of diagnosis of cancer was 48 years with an average inflammatory bowel disease duration of 19 years. Seven patients had documented inflammatory bowel disease for less than eight years before their cancer diagnosis. Carcinomas were identified preoperatively by colonoscopy in 92 percent of patients. One-half of these patients had the colonoscopy to investigate a recent change in inflammatory bowel disease symptoms or signs, whereas the other half underwent endoscopy as routine surveillance. For the remaining 8 percent of patients, operated on for worsening symptoms, the carcinoma was detected in the pathological specimen only. The majority of patients (68 percent) did not have a preoperative diagnosis of dysplasia. Twenty-five percent of tumors were mucinous, 20 percent were multicentric, and 70 percent were located distal to the splenic flexure. Among the seven patients who died, four had pancolitis, six had a recent worsening of symptoms, and all had cancer involving the rectum. CONCLUSION: Cancer occurs at a younger age in patients with long-standing inflammatory bowel disease. The tumors are often mucinous, multiple, and located in the left colon. Despite increasing acceptance of surveillance colonoscopy as a recommended strategy in cancer prevention, almost one-half of the patients in this study had their cancer diagnosed because increased colitis symptoms led to colonoscopic examination. Eighteen percent of patients developed cancer with less than an eight-year history of inflammatory bowel disease. These data call into question the effectiveness of dysplasia surveillance as a population-based strategy to decrease the colorectal cancer mortality in inflammatory bowel disease patients.
Surgical management of left colon obstruction: the University of Minnesota experience.
BACKGROUND: Management of left-sided colonic obstruction is a surgical challenge. This study was performed to review our management of patients with left colon obstruction presenting to the University of Minnesota Hospitals over a 10-year period, 1985 to 1994. STUDY DESIGN: We did a retrospective chart review of 143 patients (48 male and 95 female; mean age 70 years). RESULTS: Sites of obstruction were rectosigmoid, 40%; sigmoid colon, 47%; descending colon, 5%; and splenic flexure, 8%. Fifty-two percent of patients had obstructing colorectal cancer. Two patients presented with generalized peritonitis secondary to colonic perforation. The majority (n = 121, 85%) of patients underwent resection (subtotal in 39 [32%], and segmental in 82 [68%]) and anastomosis in a single stage after appropriate resuscitation. Intraoperative colonic cleansing was undertaken in 40 patients (28%). Morbidity within 30 days of operation was 11%, including 1 anastomotic leak, and mortality was 3%. The 4 deaths occurred in patients over 75 years of age and were not from anastomotic complications. CONCLUSIONS: A single stage resection and an anastomosis facilitated by intraoperative colonic cleansing in one-third of cases was performed in 85% of patients presenting with left colon obstruction. One anastomotic leak occurred. Our current policy of strongly favoring a single stage, definitive operation for patients presenting with left colon obstruction appears reasonable on the basis of this retrospective review of our experience.
Cutting seton versus two-stage seton fistulotomy in the surgical management of high anal fistula.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical results obtained with the cutting seton and the two-stage seton fistulotomy (TSSF) in the surgical management of high anal fistula. METHODS: The case records of 59 patients with high anal fistula of cryptoglandular origin treated with cutting seton (n = 12) or TSSF (n = 47) over a 5-year period were retrospectively reviewed. There was no difference between the groups in age, sex distribution, or estimated percentage of anal sphincter involved by the fistula. Follow-up was by a mailed questionnaire inquiring about fistula recurrence, incontinence, and degree of satisfaction. Mean follow-up was similar in both groups (27 months for cutting seton versus 33 months for TSSF). Comparisons were made by Student t and chi 2 tests, as required. RESULTS: There were no differences in the rate of fistula recurrence between the groups treated with cutting seton or TSSF (one of 12 versus four of 47), difficulty holding gas (six of 12 versus 25 of 47), underwear staining (six of 12 versus 18 of 47), stool incontinence (three of 12 versus 12 of 27), overall incontinence (eight of 12 versus 31 of 47) and mean incontinence score (4.9 versus 4.2). The fistula healing time and degree of satisfaction with the operation were not significantly different between the groups. One-half of the patients treated by TSSF had the seton removed under general or epidural anaesthesia. CONCLUSION: Both techniques are equally effective in eradicating the fistula, and both are associated with a similar rate of incontinence.
A better bridge for loop stomas.
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The Hartmann procedure. First choice or last resort in diverticular disease?
OBJECTIVE: To critique changing trends in the surgical management of diverticular disease. DESIGN: Case series. Two hundred twenty-seven consecutive patients required surgery for diverticular disease from 1988 to 1993. Patient records were reviewed retrospectively. Operative procedures included primary resection in all patients with either anastomosis, anastomosis with proximal ileostomy, or the Hartmann procedure. Morbidity, mortality, and length of stay were then compared with each operative procedure and stage of disease. Patients were categorized according to the following pathologic stages: stage 0, no inflammation; stage I, chronic inflammation; stage II, acute inflammation with or without microabscesses; stage III, pericolonic or mesenteric abscess; stage IV, pelvic abscess; and stage V, purulent or feculent peritonitis. SETTING: A university hospital and private affiliated hospitals in a large metropolitan area. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Study outcome parameters included mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay, and leak rates. These outcomes were then compared with different disease stages and treatments. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 66 years (range, 25-98 years). Male-female ratio was 84:143. Mean follow-up was 23 months (range, 1-132 months). There were 50 fistulas: 24 colovesical, 21 colovaginal, 3 colocolonic, 1 coloenteric, and 1 colouterine. Surgery was categorized as elective for 196 patients (86%), urgent for 12 (5%), and emergent for 19 (8%). Primary resection was performed in all cases. Primary anastomosis was performed in 200 patients (88%), 183 without and 17 with proximal diversion. Twenty-seven patients (12%) underwent a Hartmann procedure with colostomy; 19 patients (70%) have since undergone colostomy closure. Morbidity occurred in 52 patients (23%), including 4 anastomotic leaks (2%). There were 3 perioperative deaths (1%). Mean length of initial hospital stay was 11 days (range, 4-59 days). Length of stay was 5 days (range, 4-7 days) for ileostomy closure (7% morbidity) and 13 days (range, 7-35 days) for the colostomy closure after the Hartmann procedure (33% morbidity). CONCLUSIONS: Primary resection is virtually always possible in complicated diverticular disease. Primary anastomosis, with or without proximal diversion, is safe for patients with no abscesses or localized abscesses and should be considered on an individual basis for patients with pelvic abscesses and peritonitis. Colostomy closure after the Hartmann procedure is associated with significant length of hospitalization and morbidity and leaves one third of patients with permanent stomas.
Anal fistula surgery. Factors associated with recurrence and incontinence.
PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to assess results of surgery for fistula-in-ano and identify risk factors for fistula recurrence and impaired continence. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 624 patients who underwent surgery for fistula-in-ano between 1988 and 1992. Follow-up was by mailed questionnaire, with 375 patients (60 percent) responding. Mean follow-up was 29 months. Fistulas were intersphincteric in 180 patients, transsphincteric in 108, suprasphincteric in 6, extrasphincteric in 6, and unclassified in 75. Procedures included fistulotomy and marsupialization (n = 300), seton placement (n = 63), endorectal advancement flap (n = 3), and other (n = 9). Factors associated with recurrence and incontinence were analyzed by univariate and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: The fistula recurred in 31 patients (8 percent), and 45 percent complained of some degree of postoperative incontinence. Factors associated with recurrence included complex type of fistula, horseshoe extension, lack of identification or lateral location of the internal fistulous opening, previous fistula surgery, and the surgeon performing the procedure. Incontinence was associated with female sex, high anal fistula, type of surgery, and previous fistula surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of fistula-in-ano is associated with a significant risk of recurrence and a high risk of impaired continence. Degree of risk varies with identifiable factors.
Surgical treatment for constipation.
It is evident that the understanding of the pathophysiology underlying the causes of constipation remains incomplete. In some areas, capacity to identify abnormalities has outstripped the ability to treat them. It is hoped that a continuing effort to gather physiologic data from these patients may result in a coherent, physiologic-based treatment approach with maximum therapeutic benefit.
Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Patterns of failure.
During the period from 1980 through 1990, our institution constructed 253 ileoanal reservoirs in 253 patients, of whom 25 (9.9%) experienced pouch failure. A poor functional result was the most common cause of pouch failure (seven [28%] of 25 patients). Unsuspected Crohn's disease became manifest in 13 (5%) of the 253 patients, resulting in pouch loss due to perianal sepsis or pouch fistulas in six patients (24% of 25 failures), and resulted in a significantly increased risk of pouch failure compared with that of the non-Crohn's population. Pouchitis occurred in 78 patients (31%) and accounted for four (16%) of 25 failures, but patients with pouchitis were not at higher risk for pouch failure than were patients who did not have pouchitis (failure rates of 6.4% vs 10.4%, respectively; not significant). Significant pelvic sepsis in the absence of Crohn's disease developed in 13 patients, five (38%) of whom lost their pouches. Poor functional results, pelvic sepsis, and unsuspected Crohn's disease were the major causes of pouch failure, while pouchitis was not.
Treatment of rectal prolapse in the elderly by perineal rectosigmoidectomy.
The results and complications of perineal rectosigmoidectomy for complete rectal prolapse in 114 patients have been reviewed. Most patients were elderly and high risk by virtue of other concurrent medical conditions. Fourteen patients (12 percent) developed significant postoperative complications. Hospital stay was short (median, four days). Ten patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining 104 patients were followed for 3 to 90 months. Eleven patients (10 percent) developed recurrent full-thickness rectal prolapse, six of them underwent repeat perineal rectosigmoidectomy. Sixty-seven patients had fecal incontinence prior to surgery. Eleven patients underwent concomitant levatoroplasty; 10 of them either improved or regained full continence of feces postoperatively. Twenty-six of the 56 patients who underwent perineal rectosigmoidectomy alone improved or regained full continence. Rectal prolapse can be successfully treated by perineal rectosigmoidectomy in elderly, high-risk patients with minimal morbidity. Levatoroplasty dramatically improves fecal incontinence occurring in association with rectal prolapse.
Symptomatic hemorrhoids: current incidence and complications of operative therapy.
Hemorrhoidal disease affects more than one million Americans per year. We reviewed the treatment pattern for patients who presented with symptomatic hemorrhoids to our large university-affiliated group practice over a 66-month period. Over 21,000 patients presented to the practice with bleeding, thrombosis, or prolapse. Only 9.3 percent of patients required operative therapy. Conservative therapy was given to 45.2 percent of patients, while rubber band ligation was performed on 44.8 percent of patients. We retrospectively reviewed the complications and length of stay for a subset of patients undergoing operative therapy during the 66-month study period. Postoperative urinary complications (retention or infection) were seen in 20.1 percent of patients. Delayed hemorrhage was seen in 2.4 percent of patients. In-hospital length of stay was 2.5 days, which is approximately two days less than the length of stay found in a similar review of our practice in 1978. We conclude that over 90 percent of symptomatic hemorrhoids can be treated conservatively or with rubber band ligation, and, as surgery is reserved for only the most severe cases, complication rates may not decrease. However, we expect that in-hospital length of stay will continue to decrease over the ensuing years.
Prognostic value of positive lymph nodes in rectal cancer.
Abdominal "curative" resections for rectal cancer in 109 patients with positive lymph nodes were prospectively studied. The best subdivision of patients for predicting outcome was into 1-3 and greater than 3 positive lymph node groups. Comparison with patients with greater than 3 positive lymph nodes demonstrated that patients with 1-3 positive nodes had less local (35.0 percent vs. 13.0 percent; P = 0.007) and less distant recurrence (45.0 percent vs. 26.0 percent; P = 0.04) and had much better crude five-year survival (58.2 percent vs. 17.0 percent; P less than 0.0001). For predicting postsurgical outcome in patients with positive lymph nodes, the results justify subdividing patients into the following two prognostic subgroups: 1) those with 1-3 involved lymph nodes and 2) those with metastatic tumor in four or more lymph nodes.
A predictive model for distant metastases in rectal cancer using DNA ploidy studies.
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Long-term functional results of colon resection and rectopexy for overt rectal prolapse.
We reviewed the long-term functional results of colon resection and suture rectopexy for complete rectal prolapse in 47 patients followed for more than 3 yr (mean 65 months). Thirty-three patients underwent sigmoidectomy, eight patients underwent subtotal colectomy, and four patients underwent sigmoidectomy with subsequent subtotal colectomy. Three patients (6.3%) developed recurrent full-thickness prolapse, and four patients (8.5%) developed rectal mucosal prolapse. Twenty patients presented with constipation, 10 (50%) of whom improved after surgery. Constipation improved in seven (70%) patients who underwent subtotal colectomy. Twenty-one patients presented with incontinence, eight (38%) of whom improved. Continence worsened in six patients, and four patients developed significant diarrhea. These complications did not correlate with the extent of bowel resection. Three patients required subsequent stomas. Colon resection and rectopexy provides long-term control of rectal prolapse with an acceptable recurrence rate. Subtotal colon resection is frequently helpful in patients with associated constipation. However, colon resection of any magnitude entails a small risk of chronic diarrhea and/or diminished continence.
Recurrence of Crohn's disease after resection.
Recurrent Crohn's disease develops in most patients after surgical resection if the patient is followed for sufficient time. This review examines various aspects of recurrent Crohn's disease. It is concluded that Crohn's disease is a diffuse condition of the gastrointestinal tract and that radical resection of Crohn's disease does not prevent recurrence. Assorted factors thought to be associated with recurrence are examined and the relevance of these factors to the surgeon treating Crohn's disease is discussed.
Seton treatment of high anal fistulae.
Seventy-four patients who underwent seton treatment of high anal fistulae over a 6-year period have been reviewed. Four different techniques were used: staged fistulotomy (n = 24), cutting seton (n = 13), short-term seton drainage (n = 14) and long-term seton drainage in patients with Crohn's disease (n = 23). Recurrence developed in two patients (8 per cent) undergoing two-stage fistulotomy; two patients (14 per cent) undergoing short-term drainage and nine (39 per cent) of the patients with Crohn's disease. Three patients with Crohn's disease required proctectomy for progressive perianal disease. The remaining 11 patients with Crohn's disease (48 per cent) obtained a good result. None of the patients treated with a cutting seton developed a recurrence. Minor incontinence developed in 13 patients (54 per cent) undergoing two-stage fistulotomy and seven patients (54 per cent) treated with a cutting seton. When sphincter muscle was not divided, five patients (36 per cent) undergoing short-term drainage and six patients (26 per cent) undergoing long-term drainage developed minor incontinence. High complex fistulae can be successfully treated with only minor loss of continence using different seton techniques. In high Crohn's fistulae, long-term seton drainage preserves sphincter function, but recurrence is common if the seton is removed.
Fistula-in-ano in Crohn's disease. Results of aggressive surgical treatment.
The outcome of aggressive surgical treatment of 64 symptomatic anal fistulas in 55 patients with Crohn's disease has been studied. Forty-one fistulas, in 33 patients, were treated by conventional fistulotomy (17 subcutaneous, 19 intersphincteric, 5 low transsphincteric fistulas). Thirty wounds (73 percent) healed within 3 months and eight more wounds (93 percent) healed within 6 months. Three wounds did not heal within 12-18 months. Two of these patients subsequently required proctocolectomy. Wound healing was not influenced by the presence of rectal Crohn's disease or granulomatous inflammation in the tract. No change in continence was experienced by 26 of the 33 patients who underwent fistulotomy. Three patients required proctocolectomy and the remaining four patients experienced minor degrees of incontinence postoperatively. Sixteen high transsphincteric, five suprasphincteric, and one extrasphincteric fistula in 22 patients were treated by laying open external tracts and placing a noncutting seton through the sphincter, which was left in place for prolonged periods to maintain drainage. During follow-up (6 months to 10 years, median 2.5 years), three fistulas healed and seven remained quiescent. Nine patients required further treatment by a new seton and three patients required proctocolectomy. Eight of the 22 patients who had a seton inserted had no change in continence, and six patients in this group developed minor changes in continence, mostly related to diarrhea associated with intestinal disease. Anal fistulas in Crohn's disease, which involve minimal sphincter muscle, can be successfully treated by fistulotomy. High fistulas should be treated with seton drainage to limit recurrent suppuration and preserve sphincter function.