Treatments Offered2

7/29/2019 Treatments Offered2

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Treatments offered:

Minimally Invasive Surgery:Colon Cancer Surgery

Rectal Cancer Surgery

Anal sphincter preservation, Transanal excision of polyps and cancersProctectomy, coloanal anastomosis, colonic “J” pouch

Restorative procotocolectomy (ileal pouch anal anastomosis)

Anorectal treatmentsHemorrhoids: Sclerotherapy /rubber band ligation, hemorrhoidectomy

Fistulas/Abscesses: Seton, Fistulotomy/ectomy, Endorectal advancement flaps for rectal

fistulas

Fissure: Topical therapy, SphincterotomyProlapse/Intussusception: Transabdominal mesh rectopexy, Sigmoidectomy and sutured

rectopexy

Incontinence:

Anal sphincteroplasty for anal sphincter disruptionGracilis Muscle Flap

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS): not just small incisions but a true revolution in the

management of patients through surgical interventions.

The introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the late 1980s has become a newlandmark in the history of surgery. Since then, we have embarked in the quest for techniques and materials to carry out all forms of surgery through smaller and smaller

incisions. MIS is performed with long instruments and video cameras placed through

small “port sites” in different parts of the body. This can be accomplished by directmanipulation of the instruments and the camera by the surgeon or even remotely through

robotic arms directed from a console within the operating room.

In 10 years MIS not only has changed techniques quite radically but also has madesurgery much safer. Safety has been accomplished by better exposure through perfected

optics, better hemostasis through various techniques and a high degree of versatility in

the possible tactics to be applied to handle the variants often encountered at surgery.One early objection to MIS has been the potential of making surgery riskier by

lengthening the operating time. Long before MIS the risk of surgery was significantly

reduced by improved anesthesia techniques. The safety of anesthesia reached a pointwhere there was no longer a need to hurry through an operation. In fact, nowadays, the

morbidity of an operation can potentially increase if hurrying results in increased blood

loss. As independent variables, blood loss is a much stronger predictor of postoperative

complications than operating time. Furthermore, blood loss usually extends the operating



time and this defeats the purpose of hurrying in the first place. As long as blood loss is

kept to a minimum lengthening of an operation does not add risk to the patient. On the

other hand the field magnification used in MIS has lowered the threshold for tolerance of bleeding. As small a bleeding source may seem it is always controlled before it can

interfere with proper visualization of the field. Consequently, blood loss has been

significantly reduced for every MIS procedure in comparison to the open counterpart.

Along with smaller incisions we have observed patients recover much faster and with

much less pain. In doing so, we also realized that other interventions we did aroundsurgery were as invasive, and painful, as the incision itself. Tubes places in the bladder

(Foley catheters) and stomach (nasogastric or NGT) have been used routinely in most

forms of surgery. Nowadays, they are used very selectively, placed only after the patient

is under anesthesia and often removed before the anesthesia is reversed.

With the reduced blood loss there is less of a need for blood transfusion and blood work

to monitor red cell counts. Less incisional pain results in less need for narcotic analgesics

which in turn allows for earlier mobilization of the patient and earlier return to fullfunction of all body systems: respiratory, urinary, musculoskeletal and, in particular,

gastrointestinal; thus eliminating the need for multiple tubes in the postoperative period,such as urinary catheters (Foley), nasogastric (NGT), drains (Jackson-Pratt and alike). In

the pre-MIS era the anxiety of the surgeon waiting for the return of bowel function often

led to obtaining imaging and laboratory studies which added more invasiveness and risk to the patient. The post-MIS area is also anxiety-producing for the nurses and surgeons

caring for the patient: we have lost some “indicators” for monitoring possible, albeit

unlikely, complications during recovery: hourly urinary output (measured through a

urinary catheter), nasogastric output, and various measurements in blood. We are also breaking some dogmas: patients go home before consuming a solid meal or having a

bowel movement after bowel surgery.

MIS has lead to a reduction in the length of stay in the hospital and of the length of

recovery at home. We are still informing patients that there is always the possibility of

having to resort to the traditional open approach and that by doing so the hospital stayand recovery time can be extended. A very interesting observation we are now making is

that when MIS is not feasible, or is not even tried at all, and the patient receives the same

“minimalist” postoperative management the hospital stay and recovery time is similar to

that of patients undergoing MIS. Therefore, incision and postoperative management canindependently reduce length of stay and recovery time if applied under the minimalist

concept. One dilemma for patients after MIS is the return to work. Those who work

independently are happy to be back in a week or less. Some of those who are entitled tomedical leave are disappointed when they realize that they cannot take as much time off

as some workers who had surgery for the same disease through the conventional, open

method.

The minimalism in incision, and invasiveness before and after surgery, should not

be misinterpreted as a minimization of the risks of surgery. Under elective

circumstances, modern diagnostics allow us to detect, and correct, many disturbances of



the functioning of vital organs prior to surgery, thus reducing risk. We can optimize heart

function through medications and even interventions on the coronary arteries. In most

cases, we can also ensure that lungs and kidneys are able to sustain the stress of surgery.However, there is a limit to the sensitivity of these diagnostic modalities and to the

efficacy of all these preoperative interventions, especially when we are performing

surgery in patients who are reaching unprecedented ages for surgery. In addition, thereare many factors that are still out of our control as surgeons: we can make a plan based on

experience and all the studies on a particular patient and find during surgery that such

plan is not executable. For instance there are many variants in the anatomy of bloodvessels; an operation, which is ordinarily very safe in the typical configuration of blood

vessels. Due to anatomic variations, unexpected or additional findings, or incidents that

occur with surgery (unusual bleeding, spillage of infectious material), the scope of

surgery may escalate beyond MIS. While patients have always being informed aboutthese possibilities it seems that in this MIS era it comes as a surprise when surgery has

been extended due to intraoperative findings or occurrences.

Recent studies have given the green light for surgeons to apply MIS for cancer surgery inthe abdomen and chest. Earlier studies had raised concerns about the completeness of

cancer surgery through small incisions and the risk of implanting tumor cells in theincision through which the specimen is extracted. Neither one of these concerns has

proven valid; in fact preliminary data is showing better outcome in patients with cancer

who undergo MIS versus traditional open approach. Scientists are now trying to explainthis opposite and beneficial effect of MIS on cancer surgery. One possible explanation is

that proportional to the invasiveness of the surgery there is a immunosuppressive

response by the body, as if all the immune system is devoted to healing and establishing a

barrier against infection losing its natural ability for cancer surveillance.

One problem we still struggle with when using MIS is the loss of tactile function. This

has heightened the need for gathering as much information as possible before surgery.Imaging studies, such as CT scan and MRI, can give us precision in location and

characteristics of the problem. Endoscopies with tattooing of the lesion are essential in

the gastrointestinal tract. One solution already in the works is bringing to the operatingroom with imaging and endoscopic equipment to further minimize the invasiveness to the

patient by doing this assessment in the same setting where surgery is to be done. Another

solution currently applied for bowel surgery is the ability to introduce a hand in the

abdomen while maintaining the incision sealed from gas leakage. In the case of bowelsurgery this has come as solution to various problems: in addition to affording tactile

function it allows extracting bulky specimens while protecting the incision from

implantation of cancer cells.

Early on, MIS brought about a great interest in Ambulatory Surgery Centers. Many

procedures that before MIS required hospitalization could be done at these centerswithout getting the patient admitted to the hospital. As MIS expands into greater

applications, the utilization of resources becomes very intense during surgery and in

preparing the patient to go home. Some of the newer applications of MIS only afford a

small margin for error; if the MIS approach is aborted then the magnitude of the surgery



exceeds the capability of any ambulatory surgery center. The recovery at home from

these advanced MIS procedures also requires hospital resources brought to the home.

Colon Cancer Surgery

Over the past two decades surveillance colonoscopy has given surgeons the possibility of curing most patients with colon cancer, who are now diagnosed at very early stages of

this disease. In addition, modern forms of chemotherapy significantly prolong the life

and minimize the symptoms of even the most advanced forms of colon cancer. Surgeryremains the mainstay of treatment not only because it is the only way of effectively

removing the tumor but also because it permits staging of the disease by sampling of the

lymph nodes around the colon. This is the reason why the standard operations are done

including a margin of colon and blood vessels extending beyond the tumor itself. Basedon the anatomy of the colon we divided it in three major segments: the right colon, the

transverse colon and the left colon. The right side of the colon extends from the cecum in

the right lower quadrant of the abdomen to the hepatic flexure which is located in the

right upper quadrant (below the rib cage). The transverse colon takes a horizontaldirection across the upper abdomen into the left upper quadrant abutting the spleen, hence

the name of splenic flexure. The left colon begins at the splenic flexure and ends at theinlet of the pelvis where the rectum begins. The sigmoid colon is part of the left colon at

its lower aspect in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen. Tumors anywhere in the right

side are treated with a right colectomy which involves removing the cecum and itsconnection to the small bowel (ileocecal valve), the ascending colon and the hepatic

flexure along with the ileocolic vessels and at least the right colic artery. In tumors of the

transverse colon the right colectomy is extended to the splenic flexure including another

set of blood vessels called the middle colic vessels. Tumors any where in the left side aretreated with a left colectomy which extends from the splenic flexure to the rectum along

with the inferior mesenteric vessels.

As long as the bowel has been well prepared before surgery the goal is to reconnect bothends. If the colon was obstructed precluding a good preparation, then a colostomy or

ileostomy may be necessary. Right colectomies are performed with the patient lying

supine on the operating table, meaning with the legs down. Left colectomies require toelevate the legs during surgery in lithotomy position to access the anus and rectum for the

reconnection of colon to rectum.

The specimen of colon and blood vessels removed at surgery is submitted to pathology

for microscopic examination. This examination is most accurate when done over a period of 3 to 4 days. The pathologist will report on the depth of penetration of the tumor

across the wall of the colon and on the number of lymph nodes found and the presence of

tumor cells inside of them. Pathologists are constantly advancing in their field to providemore information for the staging of the tumor. They report of presence of tumor cells

within blood and lymphatic vessels as well as some genetic markers that may render the

disease more or less favorable. If the tumor is contained within the muscle layer of the bowel wall and all other parameters are favorable surgery results in the cure of the

disease and no other therapy is needed. Conversely, if the tumor penetrates deeper or

tumor cells are found in lymph nodes or tumor markers are unfavorable then

chemotherapy is necessary. Chemotherapy is done through intravenous infusions



delivered either in the hospital or, more often these days, outside of the hospital. A

special intravenous access, or port, is placed under the skin below the collar bone to

facilitate these infusions. This is done in the operating room under local anesthesia andas an ambulatory procedure. In most cases patients can return to work or their usual

activities even while receiving chemotherapy. Newer forms of chemotherapy are being

developed to take by mouth in the form of pills.All patients who have had a colon cancer require surveillance colonoscopies at 6 months,

one year and yearly thereafter. This is done more for the early detection of new cancers

than to monitor recurrence of the cancer already removed.There are some forms of colon cancer that run in families through genetic mutations. In

patients who meet criteria for a familiar form of cancer testing is done in family

members.

Rectal Cancer

Until recently the treatment of rectal cancer resulted in the creation of permanentcolostomy in most patients. Newer surgical techniques now permit saving the anal

sphincter in the majority of patients. These include: transanal excisions of tumors andtotal removal of the rectum (proctectomy) with reconnection of the colon shaped into a

“J” pouch directly to the anus. In order to properly select the patients for these

techniques a staging of the tumor needs to be done before surgery. This preoperativestaging is done with either a transrectal ultrasound or a special form of magnetic

resonance imaging (rectal MRI). Tumors located within 7 or 8 cms from the anus that

are deemed superficial and of favorable behavior can be removed through the anus.

Depending of the circumstances patients go home the same day or the day after surgery.Tumors that penetrate into deeper layers of the rectum or

Treatments Offered2

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