Case series: Incarcerated massive rectal prolapse successfully treated with Altemeier's procedure

A modified perineal approach for the management of strangulated rectal prolapse: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Conditions associated with increased intraabdominal pressure may lead to rectal prolapse. Like any pathological herniation, rectal prolapse can strangulate if incarcerated. When a patient presents with signs and symptoms of strangulation, emergent surgical intervention is warranted. This report strives to strengthen existing evidence for the use of an Altemeier-type perineal approach as a viable choice for the management of strangulated rectal prolapse in healthy individuals.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A healthy 70-year-old female presents with worsening rectal pain and an irreducible strangulated rectal prolapse. She is brought to the operating suite for an emergent exploration under anesthesia followed by an Altemeier-type procedure without diverting colostomy. The postoperative course is uneventful, and the patient is discharged on postoperative day three. Upon follow up, the patient reports having normal bowel function, and there is no evidence of recurrence.

DISCUSSION

Rectal prolapse is traditionally managed through either a perineal or transabdominal approach depending on the patient's clinical disposition. Incarcerated prolapse is a precursor to strangulation, and recent case reports have demonstrated the efficacy of the Altemeier procedure (perineal rectosigmoidectomy) to treat strangulated prolapse. Our initial exploration under anesthesia revealed a small section of ischemic rectal mucosa that was proximal to the rectosigmoid junction. As a result, we decided to remain within perineal parameters and perform the resection in an Altemeier-type fashion based on the boundary of ischemia.

CONCLUSION

An Altemeier approach was a reasonable option for emergent surgical management of strangulated rectal prolapse in an otherwise relatively healthy individual. This case has been reported in line with the SCARE criteria (Agha et al. [1]).

A case report of largest rectal prolapse in the literature successfully treated with Altemeier's procedure

Background

The rectal prolapse is defined as the concentric protrusion of full or partial thickness of the rectum or rectosigmoid via the anus. This is an increasing clinical concern that is usually found in old female patients.

Cases presentation

A 39-year-old male patient was referred due to an un-reduceable rectal projection from a week ago. The primary endeavor for reduction of the projection under sedation and after local mannitol treatment at the operation room was unsuccessful, so surgical resection and reduction were planned for the patient.

Conclusion

Management of rectal prolapse has always been one of the challenges of colorectal surgery. For patients with incarcerated prolapse manual reduction under sedation is used. If the reduction is unsuccessful, surgical procedures are used.

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The rectal prolapse is defined as the concentric protrusion of full or partial thickness of the rectum or rectosigmoid via the anus.

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Management of rectal prolapse has always been one of the challenges of colorectal surgery.

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Giant rectal prolapse defined as segment of rectosigmoid larger than 10 cm in length.

The utility of the Altemeier procedure in strangulated rectal procidentia secondary to rectal cancer. A case report

Introduction and importance

Altemeier rectosigmoidectomy has been cited in the literature as a suitable approach for incarcerated rectal prolapse when a large segment of bowel is involved. However, the literature is devoid of cases that employed the technique as an oncological procedure for rectal carcinoma. For this reason, this case report heralds a new perspective on an old technique.

Case presentation

We describe the case of a male in his 6th decade who presented with stage four rectal cancer. Computed tomography imaging showed a rectal mass at the rectosigmoid junction with pelvic lymphadenopathy and a solitary hepatic lesion in segment two of the liver. While admitted to the hospital a 16 cm segment of bowel containing the mass prolapsed and became incarcerated, eventually becoming necrotic. A modification of the Altemeier procedure was performed along with a diverting ileostomy and hepatic wedge resection of the solitary metastases. Histological assessment of the surgical specimens confirmed that adequate resection margins were obtained with one of twenty-one lymph nodes positive for malignancy. He is currently being followed up in the outpatient oncology clinic and has commenced adjuvant chemotherapy.

Clinical discussion

Synchronous excision of rectal carcinoma with hepatic metastasectomy is a feasible surgery even in the emergency setting and can offer improved patient survival.

Conclusion

The combination of both an abdominal and perineal approach was suitable for this patient given his improved quality of life and negative pathological margins.

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Rectal prolapse can be the first presentation of rectal cancer.

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Strangulated rectal procidentia should be addressed by the perineal route.

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Altemeier procedure can be utilized for oncological resection of rectal cancer.

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Low volume liver resection is feasible without adjustment of central venous pressure.

Anorectal emergencies: WSES-AAST guidelines

Anorectal emergencies comprise a wide variety of diseases that share common symptoms, i.e., anorectal pain or bleeding and might require immediate management. While most of the underlying conditions do not need inpatient management, some of them could be life-threatening and need prompt recognition and treatment. It is well known that an incorrect diagnosis is frequent for anorectal diseases and that a delayed diagnosis is related to an impaired outcome. This paper aims to improve the knowledge and the awareness on this specific topic and to provide a useful tool for every physician dealing with anorectal emergencies.The present guidelines have been developed according to the GRADE methodology. To create these guidelines, a panel of experts was designed and charged by the boards of the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) to perform a systematic review of the available literature and to provide evidence-based statements with immediate practical application. All the statements were presented and discussed during the WSES-AAST-WJES Consensus Conference on Anorectal Emergencies, and for each statement, a consensus among the WSES-AAST panel of experts was reached. We structured our work into seven main topics to cover the entire management of patients with anorectal emergencies and to provide an up-to-date, easy-to-use tool that can help physicians and surgeons during the decision-making process.

Surgical Management of Rectal Prolapse in Infants and Children

The surgical management of children with rectal prolapse is wide ranging and without consensus within the pediatric surgical community. While the majority of rectal prolapse in infants and children resolves spontaneously or with the medical management of constipation, a small but significant subset of patients may require intervention for persistent symptoms. In this review, we discuss the etiology and pathophysiology of rectal prolapse in both infants and children, options for medical management, described interventions and surgical options and their outcomes, and future avenues for research and investigation.