Diseases of the colon and rectum
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Prokinetic effect of erythromycin after colorectal surgery: randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.
Nausea and vomiting three to seven days after an elective operation on the colon and rectum remain a persistent clinical problem. Erythromycin, a safe, inexpensive drug that stimulates intestinal motilin receptors, has previously been shown to accelerate gastric emptying significantly after upper gastrointestinal surgery. We aimed to evaluate the effect of postoperative intravenous erythromycin on postoperative ileus in patients undergoing elective surgery for primary colorectal cancer. ⋯ Erythromycin does not seem to alter clinically important outcomes related to postoperative ileus in patients undergoing resection for colorectal cancer.
-
The aim of this study was to assess the ability of computed tomographic colonography to diagnose colorectal masses, stage colorectal cancers, image the proximal colon in obstructing colorectal lesions, and evaluate the anastomoses in patients with previous colorectal surgery. ⋯ Computed tomographic colonography can accurately identify all colorectal masses but may overcall stool as masses in poorly distended or poorly prepared colons. Computed tomographic colonography has an overall staging accuracy of 81 percent for colorectal cancer and is superior to barium enema in visualizing colonic segments proximal to obstructing colorectal lesions.
-
This was a pilot study of high-dose preoperative concurrent radiation and chemotherapy before extensive surgery in patients with locally advanced recurrent rectal cancer. Here we report on curative resectability, acute toxicities during chemoradiotherapy, surgical complications, local control, and three-year survival rates achieved with this aggressive multimodal regimen. ⋯ A combination of high-dose preoperative chemoradiotherapy followed by extended surgery can achieve clear resection margins in more than 60 percent of patients with recurrent rectal tumor not amenable to primary surgery. An encouraging trend evolved for this multimodal treatment to improve long-term local control and survival rate.