Introduction: Emergency surgical interventions for colon cancer are often associated with poorer outcomes compared to elective surgeries due to the advanced state of the disease and the urgency of intervention. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the management of emergency management of colon cancer and to evaluate differences in patient outcomes. Conducted at a single surgical emergency center, the study analyzed 182 cases, focusing on demographics, tumor characteristics, surgical methods and patient outcomes. Material and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted, involving 182 cases who underwent surgery for colon cancer in a single surgical emergency center. Data was collected from hospital records, encompassing demographic details, tumor characteristics, surgical intervention detail and outcomes, alongside with inflammatory profiles. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and t-tests with standard significance at p < 0.05. Results: The study showed that emergency cases had significantly poorer in-hospital survival rates (75.42%) compared to elective surgeries. Inflammatory markers such as Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio, Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio were higher in emergency cases, suggesting heightened systemic stress. Emergency surgery was also associated with a higher incidence of ostomy and postoperative complications. Conclusions: Emergency surgery for colon cancer is linked to more advanced tumors, increased physiological stress and lesser clinical outcomes. Early detection strategies and active targeted screening could reduce the need for emergency interventions. Future research should focus on early diagnosis protocols and enhancing public health strategies to minimize emergency presentations, thereby leading to better outcomes for colon cancer patients.

Literature suggests colonic resection and primary anastomosis (RPA) instead of Hartmann's procedure (HP) for the treatment of left-sided colonic emergencies. We aim to evaluate the surgical options globally used to treat patients with acute left-sided colonic emergencies and the factors that leading to the choice of treatment, comparing HP and RPA.

This is a prospective, international, multicenter, observational study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. A total 1215 patients with left-sided colonic emergencies who required surgery were included from 204 centers during the period of March 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020. with a 1-year follow-up.

564 patients (43.1%) were females. The mean age was 65.9 ± 15.6 years. HP was performed in 697 (57.3%) patients and RPA in 384 (31.6%) cases. Complicated acute diverticulitis was the most common cause of left-sided colonic emergencies (40.2%), followed by colorectal malignancy (36.6%). Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 3b) were higher in the HP group (P < 0.001). 30-day mortality was higher in HP patients (13.7%), especially in case of bowel perforation and diffused peritonitis. 1-year follow-up showed no differences on ostomy reversal rate between HP and RPA. (P = 0.127). A backward likelihood logistic regression model showed that RPA was preferred in younger patients, having low ASA score (≤ 3), in case of large bowel obstruction, absence of colonic ischemia, longer time from admission to surgery, operating early at the day working hours, by a surgeon who performed more than 50 colorectal resections.

After 100 years since the first Hartmann's procedure, HP remains the most common treatment for left-sided colorectal emergencies. Treatment's choice depends on patient characteristics, the time of surgery and the experience of the surgeon. RPA should be considered as the gold standard for surgery, with HP being an exception.

The relationship between intestinal obstruction due to colorectal cancer (CRC) and the gut microbiota remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between alterations in gut microbiota and CRC in the presence of intestinal obstruction.

Patients with CRC with or without obstruction were recruited and compared using 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). Total DNA from tumours and adjacent normal tissues of 84 patients and 36 frozen tumour tissues was extracted and amplified. 16S RNA sequencing was used to uncover differences in microbiota composition between the two groups.

A total of 313 patients with CRC were recruited. Survival analysis demonstrated that patients in the obstruction group had shorter overall survival time and disease-free survival (DFS) time than those in the non-obstruction group. Microbial richness and diversity in tumour tissues of patients with obstruction were significantly higher than those of patients with no obstruction. The alpha diversity indices and beta diversity exhibited were different between the two groups (P < 0.05). At the phylum and genus levels, Bacteroidetes were significantly enriched in the tumour tissues of patients with obstruction. Alpha diversity in tumour tissues was closely related to specific microbiota. These findings were replicated in the 16S rRNA analyses from frozen samples. There were more Bacteroidetes in CRC patients with obstruction.

Patients with obstructed CRC have worse prognosis and have differences in their microbiota. Higher levels of Bacteroides were observed in patients with obstructed CRC.

Ileus is a pathological condition of the abdomen that presents as a medical emergency. It is characterized by potential complications such as perforation and ischemia, which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality if not promptly addressed. The successful management of ileus relies heavily on the timely and precise identification of the condition. While conventional radiography (CR) is commonly used as the primary diagnostic tool, its accuracy in identifying obstructions ranges from 46% to 80%. Furthermore, the diagnostic accuracy of identifying the location and etiology of intestinal obstruction by CR is limited, therefore making computed tomography (CT) the ideal imaging modality in this regard.

To determine the presence of acute bowel obstruction (BO) on abdominal CT scenogram images and the accuracy of determining its possible location, taking into account the experience of the observers.

A retrospective screening was conducted on an ensemble of 46 individuals who presented to the emergency department between January 2021 and January 2022 with severe abdominal pain and were subsequently monitored for suspected ileus. The abdominal CT scans of these patients were assessed by three radiologists with varying levels of experience (1, 3, and 10 years) at different intervals (1 mo apart). The evaluation focused on determining the presence or absence of BO, as well as identifying the potential location of the obstruction (small bowel or large bowel). The study employed Kappa statistics to assess inter-observer variances, while the McNamer test was used to evaluate obstruction and segmentation discrepancies between observations. A significance level of P < 0.05 was determined to indicate statistical significance.

Out of the total sample size of 46 patients, 15 individuals (32.6%) were identified as female, while the remaining 31 individuals (67.4%) were identified as male. The ultimate diagnosis of 42 instances (91.3%) indicated ileus resulting from mechanical obstruction (MO). Among these patients, 14 (33%) experienced obstruction in the large bowel (LB), while 28 (66%) experienced obstruction in the small bowel (SB). The initial evaluation yielded sensitivity rates of 76.19%, 83.31%, and 83.33%, and diagnostic accuracy rates of 69.56%, 76.08%, and 80.43% for the detection of BO among the three observers. The initial study revealed that the average sensitivity of three observers in detecting the presence of ileus caused by MO was 80.94%, while the diagnostic accuracy was 75.35%. Based on the first evaluation, the senior observer demonstrated the highest sensitivity (85.71%), negative predictive value (92.60%), and diagnostic accuracy (80.43%) when accurately estimating the thick and thin segmentation, as per the final diagnosis. There was no statistically significant disparity observed in the sensitivities pertaining to the identification of ileus during the second assessment, as well as the precise determination of the segment level inside the LB or SB, when comparing the second and third observers. Nevertheless, although there was no statistically significant alteration in the detection rate of ileus by the first observer, there was a notable rise in the accuracy rate of segment estimating (73.91%). The senior assessor had a higher level of accuracy in assessing the existence of ileus and segmentation compared to the other evaluators in both evaluations.

The findings of our study indicate that the sensitivity and accuracy rates of abdominal CT scenogram scans in diagnosing acute MOs are similar to or greater than those of CR. Additionally, the study revealed that radiologists with more experience demonstrated a higher likelihood of accurately predicting the existence and potential localization of MO compared to their less experienced counterparts.

Anastomotic leakage after small bowel resection in emergency laparotomy is a severe complication. A consensus on the risk factors for anastomotic leakage has not been established, and it is still unclear if peritonitis is a risk factor. This systematic review aimed to evaluate if an entero-entero/entero-colonic anastomosis is safe in patients with peritonitis undergoing abdominal acute care surgery.

A systematic literature review based on PRISMA guidelines was performed, searching the databases Pubmed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct for studies of anastomosis in peritonitis. Patients with an anastomosis after non-planned small bowel resection (ischemia, perforation, or strangulation), including secondary peritonitis, were included. Elective laparotomies and colo-colonic anastomoses were excluded. Due to the etiology, traumatic perforation, in-vitro, and animal studies were excluded.

This review identified 26 studies of small-bowel anastomosis in peritonitis with a total of 2807 patients. This population included a total of 889 small-bowel/right colonic resections with anastomoses, and 242 enterostomies. All studies, except two, were retrospective reviews or case series. The overall mortality rates were 0-20% and anastomotic leakage rates 0-36%. After performing a risk of bias evaluation there was no basis for conducting a meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was rated as low.

There was no evidence to refute performing a primary small-bowel anastomosis in acute laparotomy with peritonitis. There is currently insufficient evidence to label peritonitis as a risk factor for anastomotic leakage in acute care laparotomy with small-bowel resection.

The review was registered with the PROSPERO register of systematic reviews on 14/07/2020 with the ID: CRD42020168670.

Right-sided obstructing colon cancer is most often treated with acute resection. Recent studies on right-sided obstructing colon cancer report higher mortality and morbidity rates than those in patients without obstruction. The aim of this study is to retrospectively analyse whether it is possible to optimise the health condition of patients with acute right-sided obstructing colon cancer, prior to surgery, and whether this improves postoperative outcomes.

All consecutive patients with high suspicion of, or histologically proven, right-sided obstructing colon cancer, treated with curative intent between March 2013 and December 2019, were analysed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups: optimised group and non-optimised group. Pre-operative optimisation included additional nutrition, physiotherapy, and, if needed, bowel decompression.

In total, 54 patients were analysed in this study. Twenty-four patients received optimisation before elective surgery, and thirty patients received emergency surgery, without optimisation. Scheduled surgery was performed after a median of eight days (IQR 7-12). Postoperative complications were found in twelve (50%) patients in the optimised group, compared to twenty-three (77%) patients in the non-optimised group (p = 0.051). Major complications were diagnosed in three (13%) patients with optimisation, compared to ten (33%) patients without optimisation (p = 0.111). Postoperative in-hospital stay, 30-day mortality, as well as primary anastomosis were comparable in both groups.

This pilot study suggests that pre-operative optimisation of patients with obstructing right sided colonic cancer may be feasible and safe but is associated with longer in-patient stay.

Gallstone sigmoid ileus is a very rare manifestation of large bowel obstruction. Mainly, three conditions predispose the manifestation of the entity; in particular, an episode of cholecystitis causing cholecysto-colonic fistula; a large gallstone; and narrowing of the sigmoid colon secondary to diverticular disease or malignancy. Case Report. An 82-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a one-week history of severe constipation, tachypnoea, tachycardia, hypotension, and high lactate. Physical examination demonstrated cyanosed upper and lower extremities and palpation of the abdomen revealed signs of peritonism, abdominal distention, and guarding. Computerized tomography scan demonstrated perforation of the hollow viscus organ secondary to impaction of the large gallstone in the sigmoid colon. Laparotomy revealed sigmoid perforation and widespread feculent peritonitis. The patient underwent Hartmann's procedure. After the intervention gave concerns regarding the patient's haemodynamic stability, he was transferred to the intensive care unit. The patient passed away on the third postoperative day due to complications secondary to haemodynamic instability.

Patients with early diagnosed uncomplicated sigmoid gallstone ileus can be managed with endoscopic mechanical lithotripsy. In case of failure, open or laparoscopic enterolithotomy can be applied. However, when patients present with complications, surgery should not be delayed. In our case, Hartmann's procedure was an absolute indication due to sigmoid perforation and widespread feculent peritonitis.

Risk prediction models are frequently used to support decision-making in colorectal surgery but can be inaccurate. Machine learning (ML) is becoming increasingly popular, and its application may increase predictive accuracy. We compared conventional risk prediction models for postoperative mortality (based on regression analysis) with ML models to determine the benefit of the latter approach.

The study was registered in PROSPERO(CRD42022364753). Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of three databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, WoS) was conducted (from 1/1/2000 to 29/09/2022). Studies were included if they reported the development of a risk model to estimate short-term postoperative mortality for patients undergoing colorectal surgery. Discrimination and calibration performance metrics were compared. Studies were evaluated against CHARMS and TRIPOD criteria.

3,052 articles were screened, and 45 studies were included. The total sample size was 1,356,058 patients. Six studies used ML techniques for model development. Most studies (n = 42) reported the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) as a measure of discrimination. There was no significant difference in the mean AUROC values between regression models (0.833 s.d. ± 0.52) and ML (0.846 s.d. ± 0.55), p = 0.539. Calibration statistics, which measure the agreement between predicted estimates and observed outcomes, were less consistent. Risk of bias assessment found most concerns in the data handling and analysis domains of eligible studies.

Our study showed comparable predictive performance between regression and ML methods in colorectal surgery. Integration of ML in colorectal risk prediction is promising but further refinement of the models is required to support routine clinical adoption.

Postoperative mortality and morbidity rates are high in patients with obstructing colon cancer (OCC). Different treatment options have been evaluated over the years, mainly for left sided OCC. Optimising the preoperative health condition in elective colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment shows promising results. The aim of this study is to determine whether preoptimisation is feasible in patients with OCC, with a special interest/focus on right-sided OCC, and if, ultimately, optimisation reduces mortality and morbidity (stoma rates, major and minor complications) rates in OCC.

This is a prospective registration study including all patients presenting with OCC in our hospital. Patients with OCC, treated with curative intent, will be screened for eligibility to receive preoptimisation before surgery. The preoptimisation protocol includes; decompression of the small bowel with a NG-tube for right sided obstruction and SEMS or decompressing ileostomy or colostomy, proximal to the site of obstruction, for left sided colonic obstructions. For the additional work-up, additional nutrition by means of parenteral feeding (for patients who are dependent on a NG tube) or oral/enteral nutrition (in case the obstruction is relieved) is provided. Physiotherapy with attention to both cardio and muscle training prior surgical resection is provided. The primary endpoint is complication-free survival (CFS) at the 90 day period after hospitalisation. Secondary outcomes include pre- and postoperative complications, patient- and tumour characteristics, surgical procedures, total in hospital stay, creation of decompressing and/or permanent ileo- or colostomy and long-term (oncological) outcomes.

Preoptimisation is expected to improve the preoperative health condition of patients and thereby reduce postoperative complications.

Trial Registry: NL8266 date of registration: 06-jan-2020.

Open for inclusion.

Introduction: Despite the improvement of early diagnosis methods for multiple pathological entities belonging to the digestive tract, bowel obstruction determined by multiple etiologies represents an important percentage of surgical emergencies. General data: Although sometimes obstructive episodes are possible in the early stages of colorectal cancer, the most commonly installed intestinal obstruction has the significance of an advanced evolutionary stage of neoplastic disease. Development of Obstructive Mechanism: The spontaneous evolution of colorectal cancer is always burdened by complications. The most common complication is low bowel obstruction, found in approximately 20% of the cases of colorectal cancer, and it can occur either relatively abruptly, or is preceded by initially discrete premonitory symptoms, non-specific (until advanced evolutionary stages) and generally neglected or incorrectly interpreted. Success in the complex treatment of a low neoplastic obstruction is conditioned by a complete diagnosis, adequate pre-operative preparation, a surgical act adapted to the case (in one, two or three successive stages), and dynamic postoperative care. The moment of surgery should be chosen with great care and is the result of the experience of the anesthetic-surgical team. The operative act must be adapted to the case and has as its main objective the resolution of intestinal obstruction and only in a secondary way the resolution of the generating disease. Conclusions: The therapeutic measures adopted (medical-surgical) must have a dynamic character in accordance with the particular situation of the patient. Except for certain or probably benign etiologies, the possibility of colorectal neoplasia should always be considered, in low obstructions, regardless of the patient's age.

To assess the outcomes of single-stage surgery following fluoroscopic stent placement for malignant colorectal obstruction.

This retrospective study included 46 patients (28 male and 18 female; mean age, 67.2 years) who had undergone fluoroscopic stent placement followed by laparoscopic resection (n = 31) or open surgery (n = 15) for malignant colorectal obstruction. The surgical outcomes were analyzed and compared. After a mean follow-up of 38.9 months, the recurrence-free and overall survival were estimated, and prognostic factors were evaluated.

The mean interval between stent placement and surgery was 10.2 days. Primary anastomosis was possible in all patients. The mean postoperative length of hospitalization was 11.0 days. Bowel perforation was detected in six patients (13.0%). During the follow-up, ten patients (21.7%) developed recurrence; these included five of the six patients with bowel perforation. Bowel perforation had a significant effect on recurrence-free survival (p = 0.010).

Single-stage surgery following fluoroscopic stent placement may be effective for treating malignant colorectal obstruction. Stent-related bowel perforation is a significant predictive factor for tumor recurrence.

Mortality from emergency left-sided colorectal surgery can be substantial due to acuteness of the presentation and the urgent need to operate in the setting of a limited preparation in a morbid patient.

Determine the 30-day postoperative outcomes and identify risk factors for complications and mortality following emergency colorectal operations.

Retrospective SETTINGS: Three tertiary hospitals in three countries.

Factors that were studied included age, sex, ASA score, type and extent of the operation, and presence/absence of malignancy. Unadjusted 30-day patient outcomes examined were complications and mortality. Differences in proportions were assessed using the Pearson chi-square test while logistic regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the correlation between risk factors and outcomes.

30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality SAMPLE SIZE: 104 patients.

Among 104 patients, 70 (67.3%) were men, and 34 (32.7%) were women. The mean (SD) age was 57.2 (17.1) years. The most common indication for emergency colonic surgery was malignant obstruction in 33 (31.7%) patients. The postoperative complication rate was 24% (25/104), and the mortality rate was 12.5% (13/104) within 30 days of the operation. The ASA status (P=.02), presence of malignancy (P=.02), and the presence of complications (P=.004) were significantly related to mortality in the multivariable logistic regression analysis.

The 30-day mortality of emergency colorectal operations is greatly influenced by the presence of malignancy in the colon and physiological status at the time of the procedure.

The retrospective design and small sample size.

None.

Given the risks associated with urgent colectomy for large bowel obstruction, preoperative colonic stenting has been utilized for decompression and optimization prior to surgery. This study examined national trends in the use of colonic stenting as a bridge to resection for malignant large bowel obstruction and evaluated outcomes relative to immediate colectomy.

Adults undergoing colonic stenting or colectomy for malignant, left/sigmoid large bowel obstruction were identified in the 2010-2016 Nationwide Readmissions Database. Patients were classified as immediate resection (IR) or delayed resection (DR) if undergoing colonic stenting prior to colectomy. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate the impact of resection strategy on ostomy creation, in-hospital mortality, and complications.

Among 9,706 patients, 9.7% underwent colonic stenting, which increased from 7.7 to 16.4% from 2010 to 2016 (p < 0.001). Compared to IR, the DR group was younger (63.9 vs 65.9 years, p = 0.04), had fewer comorbidities (Elixhauser Index 3.5 vs 3.9, p = 0.001), and was more commonly managed at high-volume centers (89.4% vs 68.1%, p < 0.001). Laparoscopic resections were more frequent among the DR group (33.1% vs 13.0%, p < 0.001), while ostomy rates were significantly lower (21.5% vs 53.0%, p < 0.001). After risk adjustment, colonic stenting was associated with reduced odds of ostomy creation (0.34, 95% confidence interval 0.24-0.46), but similar odds of mortality and complications.

Colonic stenting is increasingly utilized for malignant, left-sided bowel obstructions, and associated with lower ostomy rates but comparable clinical outcomes. These findings suggest the relative safety of colonic stenting for malignant large bowel obstruction when clinically appropriate.

Two patients with an acute left-sided colonic obstruction had a successful decompression after construction of a blowhole transverse colostomy as a bridge to surgery. However, they presented with two rather unknown stoma-related complications during this bridging period. Patient A had a stomal prolapse with additional skin problems.Patient B complained of abdominal discomfort during follow-up. The blowhole colostomy appeared to be stenotic. Stoma dilation and irrigation was initiated to prevent complete closure.Definite resection of the left-sided obstruction and reversal of both blowhole colostomies was successful, and the patients recovered without further complications.We hypothesise that incision size may be related to prolapse and stenosis rates and that eversion of the mucosa of the blowhole may reduce the risk of stomal stenosis.