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Background: Studies examining long-term outcomes following resolution of an acute diverticular abscess have been limited to single-institution chart reviews. This observational cohort study compared outcomes between elective colectomy and non-operative management following admission for an initial acute diverticular abscess., Methods: The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System was queried for unscheduled admissions for an initial acute diverticular abscess in 2002-2010. Bivariable and propensity-matched multivariable analyses compared stoma rates and use of healthcare in patients who had an elective resection and those receiving non-operative management. Diverticulitis recurrence rates were analysed for non-operative management., Results: Among 10 342 patients with an initial acute diverticular abscess, one-third (3270) underwent surgical intervention within 30 days despite initial non-operative management. Of the remaining 7072 patients, 1660 had an elective colectomy within 6 months. Of 5412 patients receiving non-operative management, 1340 (24·8 per cent) had recurrence of diverticulitis within 5 years (median 278 (i.q.r. 93·5-707) days to recurrence). Elective colectomy was associated with higher stoma rates (10·0 per cent, compared with 5·7 per cent for non-operative observation, P < 0·001; odds ratio 1·88, 95 per cent c.i. 1·50 to 2·36), as well as more inpatient hospital days for diverticulitis-related admissions (mean 8·0 versus 4·6 days respectively, P < 0·001; incidence rate ratio (IRR) 2·16, 95 per cent c.i. 1·89 to 2·47) and higher mean diverticulitis-related cost (€70 107 versus €24 490, P < 0·001; IRR 3·11, 2·42 to 4·01)., Conclusion: Observation without elective colectomy following resolution of an initial diverticular abscess is a reasonable option with lower healthcare costs than operation., (© 2018 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) may improve surgical recovery and reduce time to adjuvant systemic therapy after colon cancer resection. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of MIS on the initiation of adjuvant systemic therapy and survival in patients with stage III colon cancer., Methods: The 2010-2014 National Cancer Database was queried for patients with resected stage III colon adenocarcinoma, and divided into MIS, which included laparoscopic and robotic approaches, and open surgery. Propensity-score matching was used to balanced open and MIS groups. The main outcome measures were delayed initiation of adjuvant systemic therapy (defined as > 8 weeks after surgery) and 5-year overall survival (OS). Multiple Cox regression was performed to identify independent predictors for 5-year OS, including an interaction between delayed systemic therapy and MIS, and adjusted for clustering at the hospital level., Results: There were 86,680 patients that were included in this study. Overall, 45% (38,713) underwent MIS colectomy, of which 93% underwent laparoscopic and 7% robotic surgery. After matching, 33,183 open patients were balanced to 33,183 MIS patients. Patient, tumor, and facility characteristics were similar in the matched cohort. More patients in the MIS group received adjuvant therapy within 8 weeks of surgery (49% vs. 42%, p < 0.001), and fewer MIS patients did not receive any systemic therapy (30% vs. 35%, p < 0.001). Delayed initiation of systemic therapy > 8 weeks was associated with worse 5-year OS (HR 1.27, 95%CI 1.19-1.36). MIS was independently associated with improved survival (HR 0.92, 95%CI 0.86-0.97). This relationship remained even if 90-day mortality was excluded., Conclusions: MIS approaches are associated with less delay to the initiation of adjuvant systemic therapy and improved survival in patients with stage III colon adenocarcinoma. Surgeons should favor MIS approaches for the treatment of stage III colon adenocarcinoma whenever possible.

Background: Local excision may be curative for benign and malignant rectal neoplasms. Because many early rectal cancers are discovered incidentally after local excision of clinically benign lesions, it is unclear whether preoperative imaging with transrectal ultrasound or MRI affects management., Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic characteristics and effect of preoperative imaging on the incidence of malignancy in benign rectal lesions undergoing local excision., Design: Prospective data from 2 institutions were included. Coarsened exact matching created a balanced cohort comparing imaging and no-imaging groups., Setting: The study was conducted at high-volume specialist referral hospitals., Patients: Adult patients undergoing local excision via transanal endoscopic surgery between 1997 and 2016 for clinically benign rectal neoplasms were included., Intervention: The study intervention included preoperative imaging with transrectal ultrasound and/or MRI., Main Outcome Measures: We measured the incidence of malignancy and diagnostic accuracy of preoperative imaging., Results: A total of 620 patients were included (272 with preoperative imaging and 348 without). There were 250 patients undergoing transrectal ultrasound, and 24 patients undergoing MRI (2 patients underwent both). Transrectal ultrasound and MRI correctly identified malignant polyps in 50% (11/22) and 44% (8/18). Overall agreement for benign versus malignant polyps between preoperative imaging and final pathology was κ = 0.30 (95% CI, 0.18-0.41) for transrectal ultrasound and 0.29 (95% CI, 0.01-0.57) for MRI. In both the overall and unmatched cohorts, the incidence of malignancy, margin involvement, and proportion of patients requiring salvage surgery was similar., Limitations: Data were obtained from 2 institutions with different equipment over a long time period., Conclusions: Preoperative imaging did not accurately identify malignancy in clinically benign rectal lesions and did not affect the incidence of malignancy, margin involvement, or proportion of patients requiring salvage surgery. Therefore, preoperative imaging may not be necessary for clinically benign lesions undergoing local excision. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A695.

Ileocolic resection is the most common operation performed for Crohn's disease patients with terminal ileum involvement. We sought to evaluate the outcomes in Crohn's disease patients who underwent open ileocolic resection (OIC) and laparoscopic ileocolic resection (LIC) by using the ACS-NSQIP database from 2006 to 2015. Of 5670 patients, 48.3 per cent (2737) patients had OIC and 51.7 per cent (2933) had LIC. The number of LIC increased from 40 per cent in 2006 to 60.7 per cent in 2015. Moreover, the annual number of LIC surgeries has exceeded the number of OIC surgeries since 2013. Patients in the LIC group had shorter hospital length of stay compared with OIC group (6 ± 5 days vs 8.6 ± 8 days, P < 0.01). The LIC procedure also had shorter operation time compared with OIC (148 ± 58 vs 153 ± 76 minutes, P = 0.01). Overall morbidity (15.8% vs 25.3%, AOR: 0.54, confidence interval (CI): 0.46-0.62, P < 0.01), serious morbidity (10.9% vs 18%, AOR: 0.55, CI: 0.46-0.65, P < 0.01), and SSI (9.9% vs 15.5%, AOR: 0.59, CI: 0.49-0.70, P < 0.01) rates were lower in the LIC group than the OIC group. We demonstrated that in Crohn's disease patients, LIC has improved outcomes for ileocolic resection compared with OIC and has been chosen as the preferential treatment approach for most patients.

Background: The prognosis of tumor deposits in stage III colon adenocarcinoma is poorly described., Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of tumor deposits on oncologic outcomes in patients with stage III colon cancer., Design: This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study., Settings: The 2010 to 2014 National Cancer Database was queried for patients with resected stage III colon adenocarcinoma on final pathology., Patients: Patients were divided into 3 groups: lymph nodes+tumor deposits-, lymph nodes+tumor deposits+, and lymph nodes-tumor deposits+., Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome was 5-year overall survival., Results: Of 74,577 patients, there were 55,800 patients with lymph nodes+tumor deposits-, 13,740 patients with lymph nodes+tumor deposits+, and 5037 patients with lymph nodes-tumor deposits+. The groups had similar patient and facility characteristics, but patients with lymph nodes+tumor deposits+ had more advanced tumor characteristics. Patients with lymph nodes-tumor deposits+ were less likely to receive adjuvant systemic therapy (52% vs 74% lymph nodes+tumor deposits- and 75% lymph nodes+tumor deposits+, p < 0.001) and had a longer delay to initiation of adjuvant treatment (>8 weeks; 43% vs 33% lymph nodes+tumor deposits- and 33% lymph nodes+tumor deposits+, p < 0.001). Patients with lymph nodes+tumor deposits+ had the lowest 5-year overall survival (46.0% vs 63.4% lymph nodes+tumor deposits- vs 61.9% lymph nodes-tumor deposits+, p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, patients with lymph nodes-tumor deposits+ had similar 5-year overall survival compared with patients with lymph nodes+tumor deposits- with ≤3 positive lymph nodes (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-1.01). Patients with lymph nodes+tumor deposits+ had worse prognosis regardless of the number of involved lymph nodes (≤3 +lymph nodes: HR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.28-1.47 and ≥4 +lymph nodes: HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.22-1.38). Of those not receiving adjuvant treatment, patients with lymph nodes-tumor deposits+ were younger and had more adverse tumor features than lymph node+ disease. Lymph nodes-tumor deposits+ was independently associated with less delivery of adjuvant systemic therapy (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.80-0.82)., Limitations: This study was limited by its retrospective analysis of a prospective database., Conclusions: The prognosis of patients with N1c disease is similar to nodal involvement without tumor deposits, yet these patients were less likely to receive adjuvant systemic therapy. Improvement in the delivery of appropriate care in these patients may increase survival and should be a target of future quality initiatives. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A666.

Background: In an effort to improve the quality of rectal cancer care in the US, the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has developed the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC). We aimed to describe the current status of rectal cancer care before implementation of the NAPRC., Study Design: The 2011-2014 National Cancer Database was queried for non-metastatic rectal cancer patients who underwent proctectomy. The NAPRC process measures evaluated included clinical staging completion, treatment starting fewer than 60 days from diagnosis, CEA level drawn before treatment, tumor regression grading, and margin assessment. The NAPRC performance measures included negative proximal, distal, and circumferential margins, and ≥12 lymph nodes harvested during resection., Results: There were 39,068 patients identified (mean age 62 years, 61.6% male sex). In >85% of patients, clinical staging was completed, treatment was started within 60 days, and all tumor margins were assessed. Pretreatment CEA level (64.6% complete) was the process measure most often omitted. However, completion of all included process measures occurred in only 28.1% of patients. All pathologic margins were negative in 79.8% of patients and 73.2% of specimens reported ≥12 lymph nodes. Overall, 56.3% of patients achieved all performance measures. Patients treated at high-volume centers (>30 cases/year) had higher odds of meeting all performance measures (odds ratio 1.42; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Overall, very few patients achieved all of the proposed quality measures for rectal cancer care. It will be important to re-evaluate these data after the implementation of the NAPRC., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of surgeon case volumes on procedural, financial, and clinical outcomes in colorectal surgery and apply findings to improve hospital care quality., Methods: A retrospective review was performed using 2013-2014 administrative data from a large hospital system in Southeast U.S. region; univariate and multivariable regression analyses were used to explore the impact of surgeon case volume on outcomes., Results: One thousand one hundred ninety patients were included in this 2-year study. When compared with low-volume surgeons (LVS) (< 14 cases in 2 years), the high-volume surgeons (HVS) (> 34 cases) were estimated per case to have shorter cut-to-close time in the operation room by 79 min, ([95% CI 58 to 99]), lower total hospitalization cost by $4314, ([95% CI $2261 to $6367]), and shorter post-surgery and overall length of stay by 0.92 days, ([95% CI 0.50 to 1.35]) and 1.27 days ([95% CI 0.56 to 1.98]), respectively. The HVS also showed a higher tendency to choose a laparoscopic approach over an open approach, with an odds ratio of 3.16 ([95% CI 1.23 to 8.07]). When compared with medium-volume surgeons (MVS) (14-34 cases), the HVS were estimated per case to have shorter cut-to-close time in the operation room by 62 min ([95% CI 37 to 87]). Surgeon case volumes had no statistically significant impact on outcomes including in-hospital mortality, 30-day readmission, blood utilization, and surgical site infection (SSI)., Conclusions: Surgeon case volume had positive impacts on procedural, financial, and clinical outcomes and this finding may be used to improve hospital's quality of care.

Objective: This study describes the outcomes for 200 consecutive transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) local excision (LE) for rectal neoplasia., Background: TAMIS is an advanced transanal platform that can result in high quality LE of rectal neoplasia., Methods: Consecutive patients from July 1, 2009 to December 31, 2015 from a prospective institutional registry were analyzed. Indication for TAMIS LE was endoscopically unresectable benign lesions or histologically favorable early rectal cancers. The primary endpoints were resection quality, neoplasia recurrence, and oncologic outcomes. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were used to describe disease-free survival (DFS) for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma that did not receive immediate salvage radical surgery., Results: There were 200 elective TAMIS LE procedures performed in 196 patients for 90 benign and 110 malignant lesions. Overall, a 7% margin positivity and 5% fragmentation rate was observed. The mean operative time for TAMIS was 69.5 minutes (SD 37.9). Postoperative morbidity was recorded in 11% of patients, with hemorrhage (9%), urinary retention (4%), and scrotal or subcutaneous emphysema (3%) being the most common. The mean follow up was 14.4 months (SD 17.4). Local recurrence occurred in 6%, and distant organ metastasis was noted in 2%. Mean time to local recurrence for malignancy was 16.9 months (SD 13.2). Cumulative DFS for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma was 96%, 93%, and 84% at 1-, 2-, and 3-years., Conclusions: For carefully selected patients, TAMIS for local excision of rectal neoplasia is a valid option with low morbidity that maintains the advantages of organ preservation.

Background: The management of the rectal wall defect after local excision of rectal neoplasms remains controversial, and the existing data are equivocal., Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of open versus closed defects on postoperative outcomes after local excision of rectal neoplasms., Design: Data from 3 institutions were analyzed. Propensity score matching was performed in one-to-one fashion to create a balanced cohort comparing open and closed defects., Settings: This study was conducted at high-volume specialist referral hospitals., Patients: Adult patients undergoing local excision via transanal endoscopic surgery from 2004 to 2016 were included. Patients were assigned to open- and closed-defect groups, and further stratified by full- or partial-thickness excision., Intervention: Closure of the rectal wall defect was performed at the surgeon's discretion., Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measured was the incidence of 30-day complications., Results: A total of 991 patients were eligible (593 full-thickness excision with 114 open and 479 closed, and 398 partial-thickness excision with 263 open and 135 closed). After matching, balanced cohorts consisting of 220 patients with full-thickness excision and 210 patients with partial-thickness excision were created. Operative time was similar for open and closed defects for both full-and partial-thickness excision. The incidence of 30-day complications was similar for open and closed defects after full- (15% vs. 12%, p = 0.432) and partial-thickness excision (7% vs 5%, p = 0.552). The total number of complications was also similar after full- or partial-thickness excision. Patients undergoing full-thickness excision with open defects had a higher incidence of clinically significant bleeding complications (9% vs 3%, p = 0.045)., Limitations: Data were obtained from 3 institutions with different equipment and perioperative management over a long time period., Conclusions: There was no difference in overall complications between open and closed defects for patients undergoing local excision of rectal neoplasms, but there may be more bleeding complications in open defects after full-thickness excision. A selective approach to defect closure may be appropriate. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A470.

Background: This study identified variation and factors associated with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis after total colectomy for ulcerative colitis., Methods: The Statewide Planning & Research Cooperative System was used to identify patients with ulcerative colitis who underwent total colectomy in New York state from 2000-2013. Bivariate and mixed-effects multivariable analyses were performed to assess patient, surgeon, and hospital-level factors as well as surgeon and hospital-level variation associated with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis after total colectomy., Results: Across 2,203 patients, the rate of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was 34%. Overall, 465 surgeons and 148 hospitals performed at least one total colectomy for ulcerative colitis from 2000-2013, and 178 surgeons and 80 hospitals performed at least one ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis during the study period. The median rate of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis creation was 14% (range = 6% to 69%) across surgeons and 14% (range = 7% to 63%) across hospitals. Patient-level factors independently associated with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis were younger age, lower comorbidity burden, and elective total colectomy. Surgeon and hospital-level factors independently associated with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis were colorectal surgery board-certification, surgeon ileal pouch-anal anastomosis volume, and hospital ileal pouch-anal anastomosis volume. Patient-level factors explained 43% of the surgeon and 47% of the hospital variation in ileal pouch-anal anastomosis creation while surgeon-level factors explained 26% of the surgeon and 21% of the hospital variation., Conclusion: These findings suggest that variation in ileal pouch-anal anastomosis creation for ulcerative colitis is influenced largely by provider practices/preferences or lack of referral of patients after colectomy to surgeons and centers that perform ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Providers and hospitals that do not routinely perform ileal pouch-anal anastomosis should refer patients to centers with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis expertise after total colectomy., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose and Design: Optimal surgical strategy for resectable synchronous colorectal cancer with liver metastasis (SCRLM) remains a therapeutic dilemma. Multiple retrospective studies including several meta-analyses have been published since 2001 to help facilitate the decision making process and identify the optimal surgical approach. Controversy limits the generalization of available data to draw conclusions. A review of available literature on appropriate surgical timing may alleviate confusion among physicians and promote a more evidence based approach., Results and Conclusion: Current evidence supports the feasibility, safety, and equivalent oncological outcomes of simultaneous curative resection of stage IV colorectal cancer with liver metastasis in appropriately selected patients.

Background: Transanal total mesorectal excision is a new approach to curative-intent rectal cancer surgery. Training and surgeon experience with this approach has not been assessed previously in America., Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize a structured training program and to determine the experience of delegate surgeons., Design: Data were assimilated from an anonymous, online survey delivered to attendees on course completion. Data on surgeon performance during hands-on cadaveric dissection were collected prospectively., Settings: This study was conducted at a single tertiary colorectal surgery referral center, and cadaveric hands-on training was conducted at a specialized surgeon education center., Main Outcome Measures: The main outcome measurement was the use of the course and surgeon experience posttraining., Results: During a 12-month period, eight 2-day transanal total mesorectal excision courses were conducted. Eighty-one colorectal surgeons successfully completed the course. During cadaveric dissection, 71% achieved a complete (Quirke 3) specimen; 26% were near complete (Quirke 2), and 3% were incomplete (Quirke 1). A total of 9.1% demonstrated dissection in the incorrect plane, whereas 4.5% created major injury to the rectum or surrounding structures, excluding the prostate. Thirty eight (46.9%) of 81 surgeon delegates responded to an online survey. Of survey respondents, 94.6% believed training should be required before performing transanal total mesorectal excision. Posttraining, 94.3% of surgeon delegates planned to use transanal total mesorectal excision for distal-third rectal cancers, 74.3% for middle-third cancers, and 8.6% for proximal-third cancers. The most significant complication reported was urethral injury; 5 were reported by the subset of survey respondents who had performed this operation postcourse., Limitations: The study was limited by inherent reporting bias, including observer and recall biases., Conclusions: Although this structured training program for transanal total mesorectal excision was found to be useful by the majority of respondents, the risk of iatrogenic injury after training remains high, suggesting that this training pedagogy alone is insufficient. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A335.

Background: Local excision (LE) alone is associated with worse survival compared to radical surgery (RS) for T2 rectal cancer, but LE with additional chemoradiation (CRT) may improve outcomes. The objective of this study was to compare combined CRT and LE versus RS for T2 rectal cancer., Methods: The 2004-2014 National Cancer Database was queried for patients with T2N0M0 rectal cancer undergoing LE with neoadjuvant(NA-CRT + LE) or adjuvant(LE + Adj-CRT) CRT, or RS. The main outcome was 5-year overall survival (OS). Cox proportional hazards was used to determine the independent effect of treatment on OS., Results: A total of 4822 patients were included (4367 RS, 242 CRT + LE, 213 LE + Adj-CRT). Mean follow-up was 48.6 (SD28.5) months. There were no differences in patient characteristics, but more high-risk features in the LE + Adj-CRT group. There were no differences in 90-day mortality. Five-year OS was similar (RS 77.4% vs. CRT + LE 76.1% vs. LE + Adj-CRT 79.7%, p = 0.786). Older age, male gender, and higher Charlson score were independently associated with worse OS, whereas treatment type was not. If 90-day mortality was excluded, LE + Adj-CRT was independently associated with worse OS compared to RS., Conclusions: CRT with LE for T2N0M0 rectal cancer was not associated with worse OS compared to RS, and may be a viable treatment modality.

This study examined a thematic network aimed at identifying experiences that influence patients' outcomes (e.g., patients' satisfaction, anxiety, and discharge readiness) in an effort to improve care transitions and reduce patient burden. We drew upon the Sociology and Complexity Science Toolkit to analyze themes derived from 61 semistructured, longitudinal interviews with 20 patients undergoing either a benign or malignant colorectal resection (three interviews per patient over a 30-day after hospital discharge). Thematic interdependencies illustrate how most outcomes of care are significantly influenced by two cascades identified as patients' medical histories and home circumstances. Patients who reported previous medical or surgical histories also experienced less distress during the discharge process, whereas patients with no prior experiences reported more concerns and greater anxiety. Patient dissatisfactions and challenges were due in large part to the contrasts between hospital and home experiences. Our hybrid approach may inform patient-centered guidelines aimed at improving transitions of care among patients undergoing major surgery.

Background: No study has evaluated the relative importance of patient, surgeon, and hospital-level factors on surgeon and hospital variation in hernia reoperation rates. This population-based retrospective cohort study evaluated factors associated with variation in reoperation rates for recurrence after initial ventral hernia repair and inguinal hernia repair., Methods: The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System identified initial ventral hernia repairs and inguinal hernia repairs in New York state from 2003-2009. Mixed-effects Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed assessing factors associated with surgeon/hospital variation in 5-year reoperation rates for hernia recurrence., Results: Among 78,267 ventral hernia repairs and 124,416 inguinal hernia repairs, the proportion of total variation in reoperation rates attributable to individual surgeons compared with hospitals was 87% for ventral hernia repairs and 92% for inguinal hernia repairs. In explaining variation in ventral hernia repair reoperation between surgeons, 19% was attributable to patient-level factors, 4% attributable to mesh placement, and 10% attributable to surgeon volume and type of board certification. In explaining variation in inguinal hernia repair reoperation between surgeons, 1.1% was attributable to mesh placement and 10% was attributable to surgeon volume and years of experience. However, 67% of the variation between surgeons for ventral hernia repair and 89% of the variation between surgeons for inguinal hernia repair remained unexplained by factors in the models., Conclusion: The majority of variation in hernia reoperation rates is attributable to surgeon-level variation. This suggests that hernia recurrence may be an appropriate surgeon quality metric. While modifiable factors such as mesh placement and surgeon characteristics play roles in surgeon variation, future research should focus on identifying additional surgeon attributes responsible for this variation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the potential additive effects of blood transfusion and sepsis on colon cancer disease-specific survival, cardiovascular disease-specific survival, and overall survival after colon cancer surgery., Background: Perioperative blood transfusions are associated with infectious complications and increased risk of cancer recurrence through systemic inflammatory effects. Furthermore, recent studies have suggested an association among sepsis, subsequent systemic inflammation, and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, no study has investigated the association among transfusion, sepsis, and disease-specific survival in postoperative patients., Methods: The New York State Cancer Registry and Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System were queried for stage I to III colon cancer resections from 2004 to 2011. Propensity-adjusted survival analyses assessed the association of perioperative allogeneic blood transfusion, sepsis, and 5-year colon cancer disease-specific survival, cardiovascular disease-specific survival, and overall survival., Results: Among 24,230 patients, 29% received a transfusion and 4% developed sepsis. After risk adjustment, transfusion and sepsis were associated with worse colon cancer disease-specific survival [(+)transfusion: hazard ratio (HR) 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.30; (+)sepsis: HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.44-2.35; (+)transfusion/(+)sepsis: HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.87-2.76], cardiovascular disease-specific survival [(+)transfusion: HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04-1.33; (+)sepsis: HR 1.63, 95% CI 1.14-2.31; (+)transfusion/(+)sepsis: HR 2.04, 95% CI 1.58-2.63], and overall survival [(+)transfusion: HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14-1.29; (+)sepsis: HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.48-2.09; (+)transfusion/(+)sepsis: HR 2.36, 95% CI 2.07-2.68] relative to (-)transfusion/(-)sepsis. Additional analyses suggested an additive effect with those who both received a blood transfusion and developed sepsis having even worse survival., Conclusions: Perioperative blood transfusions are associated with shorter survival, independent of sepsis, after colon cancer resection. However, receiving a transfusion and developing sepsis has an additive effect and is associated with even worse survival. Restrictive perioperative transfusion practices are a possible strategy to reduce sepsis rates and improve survival after colon cancer surgery.

Aims: Lymph node yield (LNY) is used as a marker of adequate oncological resection. The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) currently recommends that at least 12 nodes are necessary to confirm node-negative disease for rectal cancer. A LNY of 12 is not always achieved, particularly in patients who have undergone neoadjuvant treatment. This study attempts to examine factors associated with LNY and its prognostic impact following neoadjuvant chemoradiation in rectal cancer., Methods: The 2006-2011 National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients with clinical stage I-III rectal cancer who underwent a proctectomy. Suboptimal LNY was defined as <12 lymph nodes examined. A mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression model was used to identify independent factors associated with LNY. Mixed-effects Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the adjusted effect of LNY on 5-year overall survival., Results: 25 447 patients met inclusion criteria. Overall, 62% of the cohort received neoadjuvant chemoradiation and 32% had suboptimal LNY. The median LNY for patients who received neoadjuvant therapy was 13 (IQR: 9-18) and for patients who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy was 15 (IQR: 12-21). After risk adjustment, there was a 3.5-fold difference in the rate of suboptimal LNY among individual hospitals (27%-95%). Suboptimal LNY was independently associated with an 18% increased hazard of death among patients who did not receive neoadjuvant treatment and a 20% increased hazard of death among those who did receive neoadjuvant treatment when controlled for adjuvant treatment, staging, proximal/distal margins and other patient factors., Conclusions: Suboptimal LNY is independently associated with worse overall survival regardless of neoadjuvant therapy, pathological staging and patient factors in rectal cancer. This finding underlies the importance and challenge of an optimal lymph node evaluation for prognostication, especially for patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.)

The risk of urethral injury during transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) is delineated, and potential risk factors for iatrogenic transection are reviewed. A variety of applied and theoretical techniques can be used by surgeons to diminish the risk of injury in males undergoing this operation. Many of the approaches utilize non-optic media and wavelengths beyond the visible light spectrum which can enhance the surgeon's frame of reference. The aim of the present study was to assess the techniques and theoretical approaches to urethral localization during taTME. Future directions in surgical imaging are also discussed, including the use of organic dyes, quantum dots, and carbon nanotubes; collectively, technology that could someday provide surgeons with an ability to identify anatomic structures prone to injury.

Background: Little is known regarding recent trends in the rate of nonelective colon cancer resection in the United States and its impact on both short-term and long-term outcomes., Methods: The New York State Cancer Registry and Statewide Planning & Research Cooperative System identified stage I-III colon cancer resections from 2004-2011. Propensity-matched analyses assessed differences in short-term adverse outcomes and 5-year disease-specific and overall survival between elective and nonelective colon cancer operations. Further analyses assessed the association among patient, surgeon, and hospital-level factors and outcomes within the nonelective operation group., Results: Among 26,420 patients, 26.5% underwent nonelective operations. There was no significant change in the rate of nonelective resection from 2004-2011 (P = .25). Nonelective operations were independently associated with greater odds of 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR] = 3.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.87-4.06), stoma creation (OR = 4.49, 95% CI = 3.95-5.09), intensive care unit admission (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.53-1.84), complications (OR = 2.34, 95% CI = 2.18-2.52), and discharge to another health care facility (OR = 2.46, 95% CI = 2.26-2.68), longer duration of stay (incidence rate ratio = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.76-1.83), and worse disease-specific (hazard ratio = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.61-1.88) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.55-1.75). Other than an association among high-volume surgeons, adequate lymph node yield, and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy and lower mortality, no other potentially modifiable factors were associated with survival after nonelective operations., Conclusion: Nonelective colon cancer resection remains a concerning public health issue with >25% of cases being performed on a nonelective basis and an independent association with poor short-term and long-term survival compared with elective operations. Given that few potentially modifiable factors appear to have an impact on survival after nonelective operations, these findings highlight the importance of adherence to colon cancer screening guidelines to limit the number of nonelective colon cancer resections., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)