Use of telemedicine in the postoperative assessment of proctological patients: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Telemedicine is emerging as an easy way to communicate between patients and surgeons. Use of telemedicine increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. WhatsApp is one of the most common smartphone applications for user-friendly telemedicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate patient perception of health quality and positive outcomes using a diary sent by the patient to the surgeon via WhatsApp during the first post-discharge week after proctologic surgery.

METHODS

Ninety-eight patients discharged after proctologic surgery at the Israelite Hospital of Rome and the AOU Policlinico Umberto I of Rome in 1 January-31 December 2019 were divided into two groups: the WhatsApp group (group A), (n = 36) and the no WhatsApp group (group B) (n = 62). Group A patients received a protocol to follow for the day-by-day diary during the first post-discharge week and sending it by WhatsApp to the surgeon. Group B patients only received recommendations at discharge. The tool's usefulness was assessed by a questionnaire one month after the intervention.

RESULTS

The two groups were homogeneous for age, sex, schooling, employment, and proctologic pathology. Group A patients had less difficulty keeping a diary (p < 0.0001). Group A patients had the perception of better follow-up post-discharge (p = 0.002). The use of the diary sent by WhatsApp significantly improved the perception of positive post-intervention outcomes (p = 0.007). WhatsApp was the only independent predictor of perception of post-surgical positive outcomes (odds ratio = 4.06; 95% CI 1.35-12.24; p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The use of WhatsApp in the post-discharge period improves the lifestyle quality of the patients and their perception of the safety and quality of care received.

A modified sentinel lymph node technique combined with endoluminal loco-regional resection for the treatment of rectal tumours: a 14-year experience

AIM

After endoluminal loco-regional resection (ELRR) by transanal endoscopic microsurgey (TEM) the N parameter may remain undefined. Nucleotide-guided mesorectal excision (NGME) improves the lymph node harvest. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the long-term oncological results after ELRR with NGME.

METHOD

A total of 57 patients were enrolled over the period January 2001 to June 2015. All patients underwent ELRR by TEM. Prior to surgery, 99 m-technetium-marked nanocolloid was injected into the peritumoural submucosa. After removal of the specimen, the residual defect was probed to detect any residual radioactivity and 'hot' mesorectal fat was excised. All patients were included in a 5-year follow-up programme.

RESULTS

Significant radioactivity in the residual cavity was found in 28 out of 57 patients (49%). The mean number of lymph nodes harvest in irradiated and nonirradiated patients was 1.66 and 2.76, respectively. After 68.2 months' follow-up overall survival was 91.2%, disease-related mortality 3.5% and disease-free survival 89.5%. Two patients developed pulmonary metastases: one ypT3N0 patient underwent lung lobectomy after chemotherapy and one pT2N0 patient was managed with lung radiotherapy. Both patients are currently alive and disease-free at 48 months' follow-up. Two patients developed local recurrence 1 year after ELRR, both treated with neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy and total mesorectal excision. Comparing the present series with previous patients who did not undergo NGME, an increased number of harvested lymph nodes were observed, with a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0085).

CONCLUSION

NGME during ELRR improves the lymph node harvest and staging accuracy. The long-term results showed satisfactory local (3.5%) and distant (7%) recurrence rates.

Anal function after endoluminal locoregional resection by transanal endoscopic microsurgery and radiotherapy for rectal cancer

AIM

In patients with rectal cancer, surgery and chemoradiotherapy may affect anal sphincter function. Few studies have evaluated anorectal function after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (n-CRT) and/or transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of n-CRT and TEM on anorectal function.

METHOD

Thirty-seven patients with rectal cancer underwent anorectal manometry and Wexner scoring for faecal incontinence at baseline, after n-CRT (cT2-T3N0 cancer) and at 4 and 12 months after surgery. Water-perfused manometry measured anal tone at rest and during squeezing, rectal sensitivity and compliance. Twenty-seven and 10 patients, respectively, underwent TEM without (Group A) or with n-CRT (Group B).

RESULTS

In Group A, anal resting pressure decreased from 68 ± 23 to 54 ± 26 mmHg at 4 months (P = 0.04) and improved 12 months after surgery (60 ± 30 mmHg). The Wexner score showed a significant increase in gas incontinence (59%), soiling (44%) and urgency (37%) rates at 4 months, followed by clinical improvement at 1 year (41%, 26% and 18%, respectively). In group B, anal resting pressure decreased from 65 ± 23 to 50 ± 18 mmHg at 4 months but remained stable at 12 months (44 ± 11 mmHg, P = 0.02 vs preoperative values - no significant difference compared with evaluation at 4 months). Gas incontinence, soiling and urgency were observed in 50%, 50%, 25% and in 38%, 12% and 12% of cases, respectively, 4 and 12 months after treatment.

CONCLUSION

TEM does not significantly affect anal function. Instead, n-CRT does affect anal function but without causing major anal incontinence.

Comparison of Two Questionnaires on Informed Consent in "Marginal" Donor Liver

The necessity of liver donors has contributed to overcoming the traditional criteria and to propose new ones for the acceptance of livers for transplantation. For this reason expanded or extended criteria donation (ECD) or even overextended criteria for marginal or high-risk organ donors have been developed. Ethical, Legal and Psychological Aspects of Organ Transplantation (ELPAT) and European Liver and Intestine Transplant Association (ELITA) - European Liver Transplantation Registry (ELTR) coordinated the distribution of a previously reported questionnaire that was sent to 53 European liver transplant centers. Criteria were divided based on the response rate. Donor criteria such as steatosis and serum sodium >165 mmol/L, as well as recipient criteria such as previous history of cancer, were not considered contraindications to transplantation in more than 60% of cases. Criteria such as ICU (intensive care unit) stay, body mass index >30, serum bilirubin >3 mg/dL, and HIV infection or critical illness were not considered adequate for transplantation in 30% to 59% of cases. On the other hand, there was no agreement on other extended liver donor and recipient criteria, such as age up to 80 years, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase >90 U/L, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase >105 U/L, high-risk sex practices, drug users, patients older than 65 years, and patients younger than 65 years, respectively. Criteria such as serum sodium could not be considered ECD criteria. In conclusion, development of more studies and inclusion of more liver transplantation centers are required to confirm these data.

SP protects cerebellar granule cells against beta-amyloid-induced apoptosis by down-regulation and reduced activity of Kv4 potassium channels

The tachykinin endecapeptide substance P (SP) has been demonstrated to exert a functional role in neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aim of the present study was to evaluate the SP neuroprotective potential against apoptosis induced by the neurotoxic beta-amyloid peptide (A beta) in cultured rat cerebellar granule cells (CGCs). We found that SP protects CGCs against both A beta(25-35)- and A beta(1-42)-induced apoptotic CGCs death as revealed by live/dead cell assay, Hoechst staining and caspase(s)-induced PARP-1 cleavage, through an Akt-dependent mechanism. Since in CGCs the fast inactivating or A-type K(+) current (I(KA)) was potentiated by A beta treatment through up-regulation of Kv4 subunits, we investigated whether I(KA) and the related potassium channel subunits could be involved in the SP anti-apoptotic activity. Patch-clamp experiments showed that the A beta-induced increase of I(KA) current amplitude was reversed by SP treatment. In addition, as revealed by Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence studies, SP prevented the up-regulation of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 channel subunits expression. These results indicate that SP plays a role in the regulation of voltage-gated potassium channels in A beta-mediated neuronal death and may represent a new approach in the understanding and treatment of AD.

Determination of Mercury by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry

To control the amount of mercury polluting our environment, mercury has to be monitored in all areas of modern life. This requires fast and easy-to-use methods that permit the determination of mercury at levels of micrograms per liter. Up to now mercury ultratrace determination has required preconcentration or amalgamation in order to improve detection limits. This decreases accuracy of determination, introducing a longer manipulation of the sample. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) allows a direct determination of ultratrace mercury, due to the choice of interference free isotopes by the mass spectrometer detector. In fact, the detection limit for mercury by ICP-MS is 0.001 ppb. In the present work results of Hg determinations in different matrices by ICP-MS are reported. ICP-MS technique results are better than those of FIMS-100. This technique is applicable to different solid (minerals and atmospheric particulate) and liquid matrices with elimination of interferences. For solid matrices methods of attack and dissolution are reported.