Omentoplasty to reduce anastomotic leak in colorectal surgery: a meta-analysis.

Background: Anastomotic leaks (AL) remain a devastating complication following intestinal anastomoses resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Wrapping the anastomosis with omentum may be protective although data are conflicting. We performed a meta-analysis to assess the effect of omentoplasty on colorectal anastomoses.

Incidence of Clostridioides difficile in patients post loop ileostomy reversal in an Australian tertiary hospital: a retrospective study.

Introduction: The purpose of a loop ileostomy is to temporarily divert faeces away from a distal anastomosis, to reduce the consequences of anastomotic leak. This ultimately requires a second procedure to restore bowel continuity, which confers risk of complications including the development of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). It is hypothesized that patients who undergo loop ileostomy reversal are at increased risk of CDI when compared with other patients undergoing elective colorectal surgical procedures, and that these patients also experience an increased length of stay (LOS).

Prophylactic mesh placement at index permanent end colostomy creation to prevent parastomal hernia-an updated meta-analysis.

Background: Debate persists regarding the efficacy of prophylactic mesh insertion (PMI) at index permanent stoma creation to reduce the rate of parastomal hernia (PSH). This meta-analysis aimed to appraise all the latest evidence from newly published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on PMI for PSH prevention.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant articles from inception until November 2020.

Are we burying our heads in the sand? Preventing small bowel obstruction from the V-loc® suture in laparoscopic ventral rectopexy.

Aim: There have been increasing reports in the literature highlighting the complication of V-loc® associated small bowel obstruction in patients after laparoscopic ventral rectopexy.

Methods And Results: Using clinical and experimental evidence, we demonstrate that bowel obstruction from the V-loc® following laparoscopic ventral rectopexy will still occur despite the technical recommendations to bury or cut its barbed end flush.

Conclusion: The risk of bowel obstruction from the V-loc® following laparoscopic ventral rectopexy is not negated by burying or cutting its barbed end flush.

Open versus closed surgical treatment of abscesses: a controlled clinical trial.

Background: Conventional drainage, curettage and packing of acute superficial abscesses has been challenged and in some centres replaced by curettage and primary closure under antibiotic cover. This technique has not been used widely in Australasia or North America, probably because of the lack of reassurance from local randomized trials.

Methods: A randomized trial was conducted to compare the primary closure of acute superficial abscesses to conventional packing.

The movement of mucosal cells of the gallbladder within the peritoneal cavity during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: Tumor dissemination to trocar sites following the removal of a gallbladder malignancy by laparoscopic cholecystectomy is well documented. The mode of transfer of malignant cells to those sites remains unclear.

Methods: The appearance and movement of gallbladder mucosal cells within the peritoneal cavity during laparoscopic cholecystectomy was prospectively studied in 15 patients.

Child accident-mortality in the Northern Territory, 1978-1985.

The mortality in children who were aged 0-14 years in the Northern Territory in 1983-1985 was 2.5-times higher than it was for Australia generally over the same period. Total accidental-death rates over the period 1979-1983 in Aboriginal children were 2.